What's new

What are the overlaps in Berlin Stuff?

charlieclouser

Senior Member
Okay, down to the wire. Question for @OT_Tobias and/or @OrchestralTools :

What are the overlaps between BO Inspire 1+2 and the various Berlin sections? Do Inspire 1+2 have any unique articulations / ensemble patches that are NOT included in the main Berlin series or Metropolis Ark 1/2/3?

I have Metropolis Ark 1+2+3 and I'm teetering on the edge of the BO Inspires, Berlin Strings and Berlin Brass - but if BO Inspire 1+2 are just sub-sets of MA and Berlin Main, then I can skip those.

I couldn't find a comprehensive chart on the OrchestralTools website that lists what content overlaps between different libraries. If anybody knows, reply here!
 
Hey Charlie,

BO Inspire 1 is pre-orchestrated patches made from Berlin Strings, Berlin Woodwinds, Berlin Brass and Berlin First Chairs. If you have any of those libraries, you have the corresponding content in BOI1. No Ark content, as far as I can tell. There is also a harp, timpani with rolls and hits, glockenspiel, and marimba+xylo unison. I think these might be from their older libraries or Berlin Percussion.

Think of it like an extremely lightweight sketching version of Berlin Series and you'll be on the money. Two dynamic layers for most patches, p/mp and f/ff with obvious but not terrible crossfading. Strings are available only in ensembles orchestrated on the keyboard; winds are available in various unisons and octaves; plus a few solos like solo flute, solo trumpet. It's like a higher class Symphobia ;)

With your buying plan, if you're going for BST and BB, you can safely skip Inspire 1. I'm not sure what Inspire 2 contains.
 
Okay, down to the wire. Question for @OT_Tobias and/or @OrchestralTools :

What are the overlaps between BO Inspire 1+2 and the various Berlin sections? Do Inspire 1+2 have any unique articulations / ensemble patches that are NOT included in the main Berlin series or Metropolis Ark 1/2/3?

I have Metropolis Ark 1+2+3 and I'm teetering on the edge of the BO Inspires, Berlin Strings and Berlin Brass - but if BO Inspire 1+2 are just sub-sets of MA and Berlin Main, then I can skip those.

I couldn't find a comprehensive chart on the OrchestralTools website that lists what content overlaps between different libraries. If anybody knows, reply here!
Sorry, I'm not from OT but I can shed a bit of light on this for you. BO Inspire is a collection of the samples from the Main Berlin Series as well as some sample from their other libraries but remapped into a Whole ensembles, Individual ensembles, and a few Solo Instruments, including First Chairs. BO Inspire 1 is just basic bread and butter patches like Sustains and Staccatissimo patches. Some instrument have trills and most of the soloists have legato. BO Inspire 2 has more stylized playing styles and ensemble like Violins w/Children choirs. Celli and French Horn. Etc.

I like to compare it to other libraries like Symphobia, Albions, etc. Except, their samples were derived from their other libraries versus recording those ensembles together. If you are wanting something that sounds good, out of the box and offers a very basic pallet of articulations, BO Inspire 1 and 2 are a good way to go but if you want to have a more "purist" set of samples like multiple types of short lengths, different legato styles, etc, then I'd look at the Berlin Series of libraries. Metro Arks follow a similar style in terms of type of product (ie; orchestrated ensembles) but the difference is that they actually recorded those ensembles together versus collecting the samples and stacking them into a single patch. Some of the patches could be the exact patches from the Ark Series but just stripped of the longer list of Articulations. Think of the BO Inspire series as the beginner's guide to Orchestral Tools libraries. It sort of covers their entire collection but from a limited list of available articulations.

Cheers,

Chris
 
One other consideration compared to Arks is Arks are split up low , high etc...Inspire are simple across the board and much easier for sketching ideas out, often it sounds good enough that I don't go back and swap out, or simply add another texture. Easiest writing tool OT offers and low footprint. If you are looking for new OT sounds pass, but if you are looking for an easier writing palette then it's worthwhile.
 
^ This is true. Inspire 1 is the easiest library I have to sketch with.
Boi1 adds The high Woodwinds and Brass to The Ark series. Plus legatos and solos and even violin s 1 /2 legatos. Very good addition to the Ark trio. Fantastic.
 
I realize you already bought but the strings solo ensemble stuff is really good for a fast chamber sound and I use it all the time.
 
Top Bottom