What library do you want that does not yet exist?

[Jazzaria]

In the hopes that library devs are reading - AFAIK there does not exist proper modern dedicated wind ensemble or symphony libraries. Closest is Garritan Concert Band - https://www.garritan.com/products/concert-marching-band-2/

The reason for this is probably that, outside of musicians who play in wind ensembles and their immediate family, I don't think hardly anybody really listens to or appreciates the literature. Even other musicians may have a loose impression that "bands play Sousa", when in actuality it's much richer. Some composers for wind ensemble:

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alfred reed - YouTube

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johan de meij - YouTube

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Unlike orchestras, cities don't typically have professional wind ensembles, so the literature is also often performed, at best, by colleges (though e.g. the Eastman Wind Ensemble is absolutely world class). In the US, the military bands are essentially the "professional" league (and yes they too play far more than marches).

"But can't you just use the winds from an orchestral library?" For some sections, maybe. But clarinets are a good counterexample - in a wind ensemble you have at least 6 clarinets (and a symphony may be more like 9), not counting bass/alto/contra. The clarinets function most similarly to violins in an orchestra, playing everything from lead melody to supporting harmonies to oom-pah rhythms (cause yes, bands do still play at least *some* marches).

And, though maybe clever scripting/detuning/panning will let you simulate this with existing libraries, I know of no library that samples this many clarinetists all at once (most I've found is 3). Clarinet is a particularly varied instrument family as well, bass/alto/contra as mentioned but also Eb, C, D, A, etc. In a wind ensemble really only Eb is common, and truly substantially smaller and different from the regular (Bb soprano).

Maybe all I want is a clarinet choir library and frankly that plus winds from elsewhere would come a lot closer to approximating a wind ensemble. But an actual full sampled wind ensemble would be great - it's similar to a chamber orchestra, but has a certain power and agility from having more winds and no strings (except sometimes a double bass that plays with the tubas).

Library devs, take my money!

 

[DSmolken]

The reason for this is probably that, outside of musicians who play in wind ensembles and their immediate family, I don't think hardly anybody really listens to or appreciates the literature

Yeah, I've seen like a few minutes of one American military wind band on TV more than 15 years ago, and all I have is this vague idea that they're smaller, non-marching, pro/luxury versions of college marching bands.

But speaking of stuff with agile clarinets doing what violins do elsewhere, maybe someday I'll sample pop Balkan brass with saxhorns and helicon on the bottom. But there you're looking at much smaller ensembles, probably only one clarinet, and a very raw sound. But how close is banda sinaloense to what you want, clarinet-wise?

 

[thereus]

A really good Argentine tango library. Those guys don't use their instruments in the same ways that others play them. It's impossible to make it sound right with what is available.

 

[cloudbuster]

The perfect Steinway D piano library ☠

A Rhodes Suitcase that makes me want to delete all the others from my hard disk.

 

[TomislavEP]

That could happen, as they've done Cuba, India, and Balinese Gamelan (although the last one isn't like the others). But they've also done West Africa and Middle East Discovery libraries. So my belief is that the Komplete 13 Discovery is more likely to be ASIA, and will incorporate China and Japan, and possibly some more Asian instruments.

Whatever it turns out to be, if it follows the pattern of KU12, it will be released this summer.

Yes, Asia certainly seems like the next logical destination, though it's also pretty large terrain to cover. I sure hope they would cover Japan extensively, but if they manage to incorporate other regions as well, even better!

I also agree with you that they could continue their plugin range with more reverbs. I'm particularly hoping for standalone convolution reverb with a quality library of IR's. Reflektor is decent, but it's a bit of drag of having to host it in Guitar Rig. Also, the included library could be a tad better and more diverse.

 

[Neifion]

I'd love to see a collection library of Asian string instruments. Like the koto, pipa, ruan, dotara, the whole lot of them. An extensive collection from across the whole continent, sampled using players from the region who really master their techniques. Sampled as extensively as possible, using production and other recording/mixing conventions as they are in their place of origin. So don't produce a koto library like a western producer would, but like a Japanese producer would.

Have you seen this?

New Strezov tease - JADE Ethnic Orchestra

Is this the first tease for Afflatus winds or is it something else? Thematic winds. First tease Asian theme, next tease some other theme?

vi-control.net

Not a lot of info yet, and no telling how the production has been handled. But I'm guessing there will probably be at least a few stringed instruments.

 

[Tice]

Have you seen this?

New Strezov tease - JADE Ethnic Orchestra

Is this the first tease for Afflatus winds or is it something else? Thematic winds. First tease Asian theme, next tease some other theme?

vi-control.net

Not a lot of info yet, and no telling how the production has been handled. But I'm guessing there will probably be at least a few stringed instruments.

Oh, that looks very interesting indeed! Thanks for pointing me in the direction!

 

[Leandro Gardini]

Modeled orchestral percussion, harp and choir.
For the perc I would love to play my own FX. For the harp I know there’s the pianoteq but they are not quite there yet. Glisses don’t sound magical and the high register has never sounded like a harp since beta testing (I beta tested this library).
For the choir, well, we have a long way to go. Even though there’s some good stuff out there the technology is very primitive yet.

 

[Christian64]

Audiobro LASS with the same sound, but easier to use !!

 

[GNP]

Once it exists, i don't want it anymore.

 

[Gerbil]

I used to live near the Horniman Museum in South London and they have an amazing (and extensive) collection of old and peculiar instruments, brass in particular. I've always hoped that someone would produce a Horniman Library.

 

[Reid Rosefelt]

East Meets West: Shen Yun Orchestra

 

[muk]

It's probably rather boring, but I'd wish for a strings library that can do classical music. Something with the sound and the versatility to work for the music of the classical trias. Or Mendelssohn.

I'd also wish for a solo strings library that can do convincing string quartet mockups. It's one of the fields where samples really don't cut it at the moment in my opinion.

 

[ThomasNL]

I want a library that makes nice orchestral sounds,

and composes the tracks for me,

and do my emails,

and my laundry,

and my administration.

#endofjoke

In all seriousness, I feel like the oboe is still one of those instruments that still doesn't have a convincing solution.

And after that i guess it's down to just "more realism" and more intuitive systems that makes us less programmers and more musicians...

 

[Jerry Growl]

O
... I wish for a virtual cheering crowd that's easily pleased (a sampled chinese casino crowd, or a full concert hall filled with drunken Dutchmen) with a welcoming applause and stamping feet after every few notes I play while connected to an online forum where the 'excellent, sir!' and 'just brilliant!' remarks pour in generously and stir up my dopamine while composing ever more brilliantly!

 

[Jerry Growl]

And after that i guess it's down to just "more realism" and more intuitive systems that makes us less programmers and more musicians...

Definitely this ⬆

 

[dts_marin]

And after that i guess it's down to just "more realism" and more intuitive systems that makes us less programmers and more musicians...

Even if we all prefer to work with tools that are easier to use, we should always exercise the skills of programming our own stuff ( I mean literal programming ie. coding). It is at least "dangerous" to be just a consumer of products and depend your business and life on corporate companies that don't have your perspective and/or share your motives. If it weren't for some developers that chose to do their own thing instead of just going through the easy way, we would all have to pay AVID 2499$ for a DAW. My workflow would be entirely different and WAY worse If I had chosen to wait for developers to do what I need.. I've managed to create a lot of things by myself or by contacting fellow users. It is frustrating to go through all of that but the power of knowledge, at least for me, is invaluable. We are forced to be a lot more than musicians and we have to embrace it. And yes, I know libraries are a lot harder to create by yourself since you can't skip the expense of recording real players.. but for plugins etc. some of the things we have to pay hundreds of dollars for are shockingly simple.

 

[ThomasNL]

Even if we all prefer to work with tools that are easier to use, we should always exercise the skills of programming our own stuff ( I mean literal programming ie. coding). It is at least "dangerous" to be just a consumer of products and depend your business and life on corporate companies that don't have your perspective and/or share your motives. If it weren't for some developers that chose to do their own thing instead of just going through the easy way, we would all have to pay AVID 2499$ for a DAW. My workflow would be entirely different and WAY worse If I had chosen to wait for developers to do what I need.. I've managed to create a lot of things by myself or by contacting fellow users. It is frustrating to go through all of that but the power of knowledge, at least for me, is invaluable. We are forced to be a lot more than musicians and we have to embrace it. And yes, I know libraries are a lot harder to create by yourself since you can't skip the expense of recording real players.. but for plugins etc. some of the things we have to pay hundreds of dollars for are shockingly simple.

While i do agree with the point you are making i myself was pointing at the fact that making music with sample libraries and making it sound good sometimes makes it more feel like programming than composing/making music.

 

[Pudge]

The Vegetable Orchestra
Army of Ripped Children Choir
66 Turkeys
N

 

[Jazzaria]

Yeah, I've seen like a few minutes of one American military wind band on TV more than 15 years ago, and all I have is this vague idea that they're smaller, non-marching, pro/luxury versions of college marching bands.

But speaking of stuff with agile clarinets doing what violins do elsewhere, maybe someday I'll sample pop Balkan brass with saxhorns and helicon on the bottom. But there you're looking at much smaller ensembles, probably only one clarinet, and a very raw sound. But how close is banda sinaloense to what you want, clarinet-wise?

Definitely a fun genre, so who knows, I could be tempted - but yeah pretty different, and I play clarinet myself so I can cover those sorts of parts when I need.

Clarinet in a wind ensemble is generally classically played - no vibrato, close tip mouthpieces, darker sound. I can do that too, but I can't do it 6 times simultaneously though part of me is tempted to learn up on how to use editing and effects to really build a choir out of one instrument.

But hey, bring on the Balkan music - lots of instrumental fun to be had there too.