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What's your preferred library for bass/cello pizz?

Michael Stibor

Michael Stibor

Senior Member
I currently have CSS, LASS, VSL SE, and BHCT. And yet I struggle to get any of the libraries to create that film style John Williams type bass pizzicato plume that cuts through a mix without sounding overly boomy. I'll be the first to admit that it could be my poor excuse for mixing. But I am curious if anyone uses something for low end pizzicato sounds that just sit right "straight out of the box".
Click to read more...
 
It's not for everybody but Adagio/Adagietto/Anthology's pizzicatos have been mine for years. It wasn't until I started hearing the pizz options in other libraries that I realized they were particularly crisp. Not necessarily realistic though. I've also liked SCS/Loegria/SSS but I've had to hype the highs sometimes.
 
I once tested and compared bass pizz from CSS, LASS, HWS, SStS, EWQLSO and others.

It seemd that only the EWQLSO gives me that nice saturated attack without sounding too boomy - so thats my go to, it cuts perfectly through a mix.
 
Tough one! If it has to be out of the box, maybe Spitfire Chamber Strings. There are some bad samples in it though, some noises, out of tune samples etc. Quality control unfortunately hasn't done their best job on these in my opinion. VSL Synchron Strings is another options. The pizzes are a bit muddy, but certainly useable. What I would use in such a case is a group of layered Berlin Strings Solo Bass samples.

I posted a short pizzicato comparison with various libraries here:

Dry vs wet libraries - some thoughts and examples - added Sonokinetic OS to the comparison

****************************************************** Edit 22.12.2021: Let me add Sonokinetic Orchestral Strings to the examples. I find them to bring something new to the table that none of the other libraries have: Sonokinetic OS 'focused' mix Sonokinetic OS wide mix To my ears...
vi-control.net vi-control.net

You might not be interested in all the blurb I wrote in that thread, in which case just the audio examples may be of use to you.
 
borisb2 said:
I once tested and compared bass pizz from CSS, LASS, HWS, SStS, EWQLSO and others.

It seemd that only the EWQLSO gives me that nice saturated attack without sounding too boomy - so thats my go to, it cuts perfectly through a mix.
Click to expand...
Interesting. I always forget about EWQLSO. I’ll check it out!
 
muk said:
Tough one! If it has to be out of the box, maybe Spitfire Chamber Strings. There are some bad samples in it though, some noises, out of tune samples etc. Quality control unfortunately hasn't done their best job on these in my opinion. VSL Synchron Strings is another options. The pizzes are a bit muddy, but certainly useable. What I would use in such a case is a group of layered Berlin Strings Solo Bass samples.

I posted a short pizzicato comparison with various libraries here:

Dry vs wet libraries - some thoughts and examples - added Sonokinetic OS to the comparison

****************************************************** Edit 22.12.2021: Let me add Sonokinetic Orchestral Strings to the examples. I find them to bring something new to the table that none of the other libraries have: Sonokinetic OS 'focused' mix Sonokinetic OS wide mix To my ears...
vi-control.net vi-control.net

You might not be interested in all the blurb I wrote in that thread, in which case just the audio examples may be of use to you.
Click to expand...
Awesome thank you. I will check it out!
 
Michael Stibor said:
I currently have CSS, LASS, VSL SE, and BHCT. And yet I struggle to get any of the libraries to create that film style John Williams type bass pizzicato plume that cuts through a mix without sounding overly boomy. I'll be the first to admit that it could be my poor excuse for mixing. But I am curious if anyone uses something for low end pizzicato sounds that just sit right "straight out of the box".
Click to expand...
Syncron Strings have wonderful pizzicati.....
 
For ensemble pizz, I'll throw a wrench in the works: didn't those now-deleted Nashville demos have some very nice pizz that people were saying is better than any other pizz out there, and weren't we promised more news on that very soon? Might be worth waiting to check out the low strings in that.
 
DSmolken said:
For ensemble pizz, I'll throw a wrench in the works: didn't those now-deleted Nashville demos have some very nice pizz that people were saying is better than any other pizz out there, and weren't we promised more news on that very soon? Might be worth waiting to check out the low strings in that.
Click to expand...
I love VI Control ! Someone asks what their favourite pizz is, and they get the answer of the pizz from a deleted demo, of an unreleased library that someone else heard and said was amazing.

:laugh: :laugh: :):thumbsup::laugh:


Ps...i know you were throwing in a wrench there on purpose :thumbsup:
 
Michael Stibor said:
And yet I struggle to get any of the libraries to create that film style John Williams type bass pizzicato plume that cuts through a mix without sounding overly boomy.
Click to expand...

In classical (postromantic) instrumentation often when you "hear" bass pizzicati, there is more to it.
Very often bassoon staccati are used, which aren't that much audible on their own but add substance.
(Also consider a contrabassoon for a lower octave. Staccati in the bass clarinet are also bend very well)

And of course, the low notes of the harp have lots of power and blend well too.

In 20th century instrumentation you can find sometimes also the piano used to enforce the pizzicati.
However, you have to find the right dynamic range. If too loud, the piano gets obvious due to the immense power of its high overtones. (so i'd rather keep them around a normal forte level. It's better not to hear it then to hear it too loud)

Also consider to reinforce low notes by doubling them in octaves.

Personally i think all the usual suspects among string libraries will do the job.

ps. if the passage isn't too fast you can also consider staccati in the tuba.
But not louder than mf.
 
Living Fossil said:
In classical (postromantic) instrumentation often when you "hear" bass pizzicati, there is more to it.
Very often bassoon staccati are used, which aren't that much audible on their own but add substance.
(Also consider a contrabassoon for a lower octave. Staccati in the bass clarinet are also bend very well)

And of course, the low notes of the harp have lots of power and blend well too.

In 20th century instrumentation you can find sometimes also the piano used to enforce the pizzicati.
However, you have to find the right dynamic range. If too loud, the piano gets obvious due to the immense power of its high overtones. (so i'd rather keep them around a normal forte level. It's better not to hear it then to hear it too loud)

Also consider to reinforce low notes by doubling them in octaves.

Personally i think all the usual suspects among string libraries will do the job.

ps. if the passage isn't too fast you can also consider staccati in the tuba.
But not louder than mf.
Click to expand...
Thank you for this. I was considering the idea that perhaps the reason my low pizzicato didn’t sound like the pros was that maybe there were other element such as contrabassoon and harp. I’ll look into it more. :)
 
barteredbride said:
I love VI Control ! Someone asks what their favourite pizz is, and they get the answer of the pizz from a deleted demo, of an unreleased library that someone else heard and said was amazing.

:laugh: :laugh: :):thumbsup::laugh:


Ps...i know you were throwing in a wrench there on purpose :thumbsup:
Click to expand...
No it’s cool. I’m not in a rush. So if it’s waiting for a new program, that’s coming out shortly that’s worth it, I don’t mind. :)
 
honestly sometimes its doubled with synths in the modern world, but OG composer often used other instruments to thicken subtlety it needed - but the key is to keep all the dynamics down in general.
 
My favourite – but only based on demos! – is the Spitfire Studio Strings bass pizz. These pizzicatos also seem to last long enough to work for working with low tempi.Are any of you using that library and can confirm that it's "cuts through a mix without sounding overly boomy"? I consider buying SStS just to get that kind of pizz bass.
 
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