What is the best and maybe more important to me is the easiest to work with string collection for Film music, easiest in terms of articulations etc.
I know the Vienna symphonic orchestra comes with a handy tool which makes everything easy.
I do have some Vitous cd's, but they are rather old, comparing them to the Vienna cd's it's just a very small library, so I guess that VSO must be much better but it's way to expensive for me.
Any other options?

I've got Vitous Mini and Vitous Violin Ensembles. Actually, the sound quality is pretty darn good. A good sample is still a good sample. The BEST way to make great strings is to layer great strings together. You have a lot of options though. Ensembles, you have Garritan Orchestral Strings, Sonic Implants Symphonic Strings, QLSO Strings, VSL Strings. Solo strings you have Kirk Hunter Solo Strings, London Solo Strings (That was supposed to be released like in August, and still waiting...) and several others I can't think of off the top of my head. I have Garritan Mini and Kirk Hunter myself.

What's your budget?

Devon

Devon, have you used Garritan with sfz?

chagzuki wrote:

Devon, have you used Garritan with sfz?

I'd REALLY like to try it with the 70+ gigs of Giga samples I have with sfz+. But my understanding is I can't get it until it's released in March though? I had to be on the beta team?

Devon

Yes. I missed it too.

The libraries are getting bigger and bigger and bigger, where is this gonna end?
The Vienna symphonic orchestra is 240 gig!!!
Do movie composers ever use samples in their music?
If not, it's just a big waste of money is you are going to record it with a real orchestra anyway, isn't it?

djones wrote:

The libraries are getting bigger and bigger and bigger, where is this gonna end? The Vienna symphonic orchestra is 240 gig!!! Do movie composers ever use samples in their music? If not, it's just a big waste of money is you are going to record it with a real orchestra anyway, isn't it?

Do you have $20,000+ every time you want to record an ochestra? Or do you have $5500 once and can do it any time? And it's more than just film guys doing orch music.

Devon

The best is a real orchestra
the second best is Miroslav Vitous Master Set.
which I use, then there are lot's of others that are so so ...but of course cheaper.

StrangeCat wrote:

The best is a real orchestra the second best is Miroslav Vitous Master Set. which I use, then there are lot's of others that are so so ...but of course cheaper.

What other libraries have you worked with that sound worse? Miroslav sounds good for what it is, but it's still so small and limited.

Devon

quote :
Do you have $20,000+ every time you want to record an ochestra? Or do you have $5500 once and can do it any time? And it's more than just film guys doing orch music.

Devon
*******
C'mon Devon,
This is not a good comparison !
First , when I use an Orchestra, I don't pay anything ! so it is totally FREE ( the Producer pay, not the composer)
2/ you cannot do everything with a sample Library...

The question was, what is the best orchestral Lib :
they all got a special sound...
the VSL got NO SOUND because they record it on a totally close environement ! so there is not "stage" , "live" sound (btw, I don't understand why they do a Stéréo lib when they record in a silent room !to have a large sound, you need reflection ! no ?)
The VSL tool is not so good to use, it is more like an emergency tool
Articulation on the Keyswitch are nice to use but you need a lot of articulations and the VSL got some of them but not all for all instruments.

The SonicImplant strings lib got a very nice sound, warm and precise but I don't know about articulations (?) , I need to try this library...

The Garritan got a very nice sound too, powerfull , precise and Articulations too ... I need to try it more longer.

Finally, listen to those Lib and choose what you prefere trust your ears , try to practice those lib in a shop, it is very expensive !

zgogor wrote:

quote : Do you have $20,000+ every time you want to record an ochestra? Or do you have $5500 once and can do it any time? And it's more than just film guys doing orch music. Devon ******* C'mon Devon, This is not a good comparison ! First , when I use an Orchestra, I don't pay anything ! so it is totally FREE ( the Producer pay, not the composer)

You read my last line? It's not just film guys doing orch music? Meaning that there isn't a producer to pay my orchestral habits? What happens if I just want to write orchestral music WITHOUT having anything to do with film or television? Is this too unheard of? So this means if I want to write orch music, I either need a library, or need to pay people to come in and play it for me. Sure, you don't have every articulation, every nuance of a live player. Would I like to work with live players? Sure. But it can get expensive and time consuming as well. Rather play with a library that I can play with at any hour, on any day, and write for my own enjoyment, without a project that has to be done, and with the one time fee of the library.

Devon

Small and limitied? Miroslav Vitous Master set is small and limited? 'er ok...
Use Sibelius to play the music for your orchestration if your going to do it on the computer. Or no matter what samples you
are using your going to have to tweek just about every dang note
phrase you name it to get some sort or realistic playing for ensamble.
I have used many samples together, you know whatever sounds good for those instruments. I find now though that I just use the above when I do orchestration.
no more hunting ever for
better samples for Realistic Orchestral sounds.
But each has there own opinion on what works...
^_*
Also composers do not pay the orchestra unless it's a commission work , then composer has to set it all up and that can include hiring, it all depends...
you want to write for orchestra and have real players to play your music? It better be good you better talk to the conductor and go over the score and what players can play what etc. Also that's crazy. I have written tons of classical music including piano sonatas, but I am not going out to think that this amazing Piano player is going to play them for free LOL!. Also get Sibelius if you want to hear a close representation of the composition. YOu could composer Score the whole piece in there use high samples and (you be amazed how real it sounded)

StrangeCat wrote:

Small and limitied? Miroslav Vitous Master set is small and limited? 'er ok...

So you're telling me a 5 CD set has EVERYTHING I could ever want, and has every instrument with every articulation? It has crossfaded brass for cressendo/decresendo passages? It holds the breadth and depth that VSL percussion has, with as many articulations? Don't get me wrong, the sound quality of Miroslav is pretty darn good, but it just doesn't hold up to the amount of articluations that are available today. Miroslav gave you the basic building blocks, but there's more than that. Each and every library has its limitations, and size is certainly the limitation of Miroslav... well, that and the price. For $2500, I better get more than 5 CD's.

Devon

djones..

wow is all i can say to my VSLpro edition..

truly truly beautiful.. and i think the performance tools are totally amazing..

I feel as though i can "play" these samples..

and that's coming from a fulltime orchestral cellist who's been sitting in the thick of it for 15+ years..

without doubt the most useable orchestral samples i heard so far.

that's not to slag off any of the others though.. it's just that i found these samples suited me.,. the ones you'll choose could be totally different

samples don't totally replace musicians though.. i know i'll be employing my colleagues to add that certain something to the equation





good luck with finding your favourite

let us know when you do

heyhey that is what works for me and in Sibelius
I can create and fake all ensembles very realistically, this doesn't mean that it will work for everyone.
It's like what fitch says "good luck in finding your favorite. " I am sure you will find a sample Orchestral cd that will fit your need there are many out there
Also as for all this Articulations, Sibelius plays those articulations as the markings in a score.
Post when you find your Orchestra Sample Solution.