Ásta Jónsdóttir
Active Member
Question for you Spitfire sample library experts among us:
I don't actually own any real orchestral libraries (yet) but today, in preparation for the upcoming Spitfire Audio sale - as I was taking inventory of what I have so far in my sample library collection, I stumbled upon the LABS STRINGS 2 library and got very inspired by it. Oh yes indeed. Eight and a half hours later, I had written something that surprisingly even blew me away. A very romantic and gorgeous heartbreaking love theme. It was a very special day!
"SWELLS ENSEMBLE" string orchestra patch was the one I spent all day playing/writing with and while it sounds very good, I can still tell that I am listening to a sample library and not a real orchestra, even with some really detailed dynamic expression added in and with a majestic concert hall reverb added from Exponential Audio's Nimbus. And even if I playback the recording I made of the piece and stand out in the hallway and listen outside of the room. I am not fooled by it...but I want to be!
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One thing I really like about this patch is that it seems to include separate samples of the various sections of the orchestra divided up and mapped across the different octaves of the keyboard. To my ears, it does not sound like one single strings sample that has simply been mapped across all the keys. So that part is good indeed.
In practical use, this means I can sit at the piano keyboard and play/write a whole composition as a performer using both of my hands which allows me to stay connected to the emotions I am feeling and endeavor to emote everything from within myself, happening in the moment. I love the idea of being able to stay in the moment and while I am not against overdubbing different parts/sections when I write music, I had a lot of fun today. I enjoyed being able to play a whole gorgeous sounding orchestra with my eight fingers and two thumbs.
I do understand that the way many composers work with sample libraries is by recording each part/section of the orchestra individually, into the DAW on separate tracks. Many of these orchestral libraries are built by creating very detailed samples of each articulation from each section. I am sure this also increases the realism for several obvious reasons, including having each section performed separately rather than "playing/recording" the whole orchestra as a single performance using a single ensemble sample <--- less nuanced. I get it.
_________________________________________________________________________________
While I understand the advantages and disadvantages of overdubbing separate samples for each section vs doing a single performance using a single sample set, I want to know which of Spitfire Audio's Orchestral libraries are they very best suited to sitting down at the MIDI piano controller and playing/writing an entire string arrangement as a single performance?
I am not sure if orchestral music will ever be a part of my musical output but I find it a great deal of fun to compose using a full orchestra sound that I can play, write and perform by myself in the moment.
Thank you for any advice you can give, suggestions you might have, and thank you to Spitfire libraries which take my breath away!
:emoji_violin:
I don't actually own any real orchestral libraries (yet) but today, in preparation for the upcoming Spitfire Audio sale - as I was taking inventory of what I have so far in my sample library collection, I stumbled upon the LABS STRINGS 2 library and got very inspired by it. Oh yes indeed. Eight and a half hours later, I had written something that surprisingly even blew me away. A very romantic and gorgeous heartbreaking love theme. It was a very special day!
"SWELLS ENSEMBLE" string orchestra patch was the one I spent all day playing/writing with and while it sounds very good, I can still tell that I am listening to a sample library and not a real orchestra, even with some really detailed dynamic expression added in and with a majestic concert hall reverb added from Exponential Audio's Nimbus. And even if I playback the recording I made of the piece and stand out in the hallway and listen outside of the room. I am not fooled by it...but I want to be!
_________________________________________________________________________________
One thing I really like about this patch is that it seems to include separate samples of the various sections of the orchestra divided up and mapped across the different octaves of the keyboard. To my ears, it does not sound like one single strings sample that has simply been mapped across all the keys. So that part is good indeed.
In practical use, this means I can sit at the piano keyboard and play/write a whole composition as a performer using both of my hands which allows me to stay connected to the emotions I am feeling and endeavor to emote everything from within myself, happening in the moment. I love the idea of being able to stay in the moment and while I am not against overdubbing different parts/sections when I write music, I had a lot of fun today. I enjoyed being able to play a whole gorgeous sounding orchestra with my eight fingers and two thumbs.
I do understand that the way many composers work with sample libraries is by recording each part/section of the orchestra individually, into the DAW on separate tracks. Many of these orchestral libraries are built by creating very detailed samples of each articulation from each section. I am sure this also increases the realism for several obvious reasons, including having each section performed separately rather than "playing/recording" the whole orchestra as a single performance using a single ensemble sample <--- less nuanced. I get it.
_________________________________________________________________________________
While I understand the advantages and disadvantages of overdubbing separate samples for each section vs doing a single performance using a single sample set, I want to know which of Spitfire Audio's Orchestral libraries are they very best suited to sitting down at the MIDI piano controller and playing/writing an entire string arrangement as a single performance?
- Best sounding orchestra that is "playable" and "expressive"
LUSH sounding and could fool anyone into thinking it's a real orchestra
Most realistic sounding full orchestra "ensemble" patches
Most expressive legato articulations with playable full orchestra ensemble patches
I am not sure if orchestral music will ever be a part of my musical output but I find it a great deal of fun to compose using a full orchestra sound that I can play, write and perform by myself in the moment.
Thank you for any advice you can give, suggestions you might have, and thank you to Spitfire libraries which take my breath away!
:emoji_violin: