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The Robber SSS (Spitfire Symphonic Strings)

Okay, here is a legato comparison, starting with the first violins joined by the whole band later.
I did this very quickly as exercise, so forgive me some mixing issues and maybe some issues regarding composition and creativity ;)
CSS is louder and thicker in general, SSS is clearer and more dimensional, more british.CSS has more balls.

I love both libraries.





Agree. I really like the sound of both libraries. It's like asking what color you like more. No wrong answer IMO. Thank you again for all these examples! VERY eye/ear opening!
 
On the legato test, both sound good. I prefer SSS, especially when everyone plays. A tad more 3D. CSS also seems to have more of that broad-band bow noise, that I don't particularly like.
 
To my ear, CSS seems to rely heavily on ribbon microphones for much of their tone. I would be very interested to hear this comparison again with SSS using the ribbon microphones in the expansion pack.
 
Okay, here is a legato comparison, starting with the first violins joined by the whole band later.
I did this very quickly as exercise, so forgive me some mixing issues and maybe some issues regarding composition and creativity ;)
CSS is louder and thicker in general, SSS is clearer and more dimensional, more british.CSS has more balls.

I love both libraries.





Love both libraries sounds me too judging from these demos...
CSS seems to me more "hard/strident" (could my view of that your "louder" definition?) and SSS more "soft/rounded" (could be my view of that your "more dimensional" definition?)...
It's a matter of tastes and it reminds me a bit the kind of threads about LASS vs CS2, where the first was the gritty/strident and the second the lush/rounded one :grin:
Saturday night I saw "Nocturnals Animals" (with Amy Adams and Jake Gillendhaal) and there was a beautiful and intense strings theme in a couple of scenes (one is at the end of the movie) where - I could be wrong but - perhaps I would see fit better the SSS tone than CSS.

Uh, wished to ask, please: have you used a "normal" legato patch or the performance legato for the SSS version?
 
Thanks Christof for these comparisons! I think the difference in tone during the latter half of the "drama" track is really notable. I love both. SSS in that example is genuinely the first time that I recognised the distinctive tone I hear in live recordings from Air (that's probably me, not the rest of Spitfire's recording - or, it could just be the music I've listened to from Air...). CSS nails that film studio tone (though, for me, it is only a "different take" on that tone, not a "better" tone, than BST).
 
Uh, wished to ask, please: have you used a "normal" legato patch or the performance legato for the SSS version?
I used the performance legato patch, it has this great marcato/strong bow attack overlay at high velocity, by the way CSS has that too.
 
Sure, https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/43286649/the%20robber%20CSS.mid (here) is the basic MIDI, have fun!
Would you mind if I posted some slightly processed versions of the CSS examples here? Just a little EQ and verb.
 
The Robber is wonderful piece! I really love the pianissimo section at :52 in CSS version.

Best,
Jay
 
Wow, these make me instantly want to but SSS. I use HS, but never fully got along with the shorts, these sound absolutely the way I want them. I really need chamber strings too, things might get expensive.

From what I've heard so far is that CSS sounds fantastic, but my personal preference makes me lean towards Spitfire more as a addition to my HS (which still sound great).

Great demos @Christof, thanks!
 
From what I've heard so far is that CSS sounds fantastic, but my personal preference makes me lean towards Spitfire more as a addition to my HS (which still sound great).
I still have HS on my hard drive, but I rarely use them because I dislike the fact that PLAY has no function to create or use custom built keyswitches.
The sound of HS is breathtaking, but the usability is a game stopper.
 
For the Robber I preferred CSS for the crispy, edgy sound, which in my opinion the song calls for. The slow passage that Christof uploaded, I like them both, but they sound quite different. Similar sound to SSS can be heard in BBC historical dramas. CSS is more to your face sound, but capable of soft passages too, just different sound. Very interesting comparisons! A great example that strings can have such a different character in different libraries.
 
OK, I literally spent 2 minutes on this. Just had some time before my session started today. That's what happens when the talent is late...haha. Anyways, I just wanted to do a quick 'n dirty test using a little EQ and verb on the CSS examples. Same processing applied to both tracks here. Again, this was done VERY quickly.



 
I still have HS on my hard drive, but I rarely use them because I dislike the fact that PLAY has no function to create or use custom built keyswitches.
The sound of HS is breathtaking, but the usability is a game stopper.
Just in case you didn't know, the expression maps in Cubase let you control Play in about any way you want concerning KS'S. I bought Cubase literally the day after Play 4 way announced and I saw the terribly lacking articulation management. Was using Logic and DP at the time...

I too still like HS, particularly with a little SCS mixed in low.
 
Marvellous thread. Marvellous music. Marvellous libraries. Thank you for starting the thread Christof.


...only now I'm more confused than ever. I can really see/hear how these two could work together in an arsenal.
 
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