Is there any reason for this phenomenon? At least we have lots to choose from.

Hollywood Strings
http://www.soundsonline.com/content/us/hollywood-s trings.php

LA Scoring Strings
http://www.audiobro.com/

Concert Strings II
http://www.kirkhunterstudios.com/products_cs_str_i i.html

Miroslav Vitous String Ensembles
http://www.bigfishaudio.com/4DCGI/detail.html?5119 35

Cinematic Strings
http://www.cinematicstrings.com/

The reason is that the market is ready for big quality, big size string libraries, more so then in years past. The availability of powerful computers and also low prices have grown expectations for even the humblest of composers to have that big hollywoodesque sound in his production, whether he is producing a java game or a big title. So the companies provide for this market.
The big libraries are the new Kurzweil K2600.

I've noticed this too. I never thought there would be such a demand for orchestral strings. I have at least 6 different libs and I can't handle another one. The size is getting way too large. The orginal VSL that I have was the biggest thing around at the time at ~50gb, but the current version is ~150gb on 34 DVD's! A few libs that size and I'm going to have an entire hard drive dedicated for string libs alone. It's gotta take like half a day just to install 34 DVD's.

I'm going to stick with the ones I currently have. The VSL, Dan Dean, and EWQL (to mention a few) I already have, still sound good to me.

Well, I think soon a saturation will appear, if only for the excess of options one has these days. I mean, really, one CAN make a pretty good string section using something like Omnisphere or Korg M3, which I own. Also, a solid 10Gb Vienna string section is enough to make a traier or a game soundtrack. The big ones are for the big guys, that have the time and the techies to install and maintain hundreds of gb of data, to make perfect renditions...that will most probably be used as demos, really

It is insane to think that I already have EWQLSO, Symphobia, and VSL Appassionata Strings (not to mention oldies like Garritan Orchestral Strings and heck even Advanced Orchestra) and yet I really want to drop another grand or two on the new libraries.

I think the market will support these new offerings for a couple reasons:

1.) Workflow. Anything these new libraries do to improve workflow is a huge bonus. I like the sound of some of the QLSO string patches, but having to load up a dozen different articulations and bounce around between them to write one string line is a huge pain. Anything that simplifies the writing process while still preserving quality is going to attract attention and buyers. Make it easy for me to focus on composing instead of programming string lines and I will want your product.

2.) Perfectionism. Composers are crazy. I am. I think I can safely generalize and say that if someone makes a library that sounds 10% better than the last one, we will want it. Or if someone manages to hit -just- the right sound, or comes up with some cool workflow improvement. If a developer offered a DVD that let us perfectly recreate the Boston Symphony Orchestra in all its detail and nuance, and every composer bought a copy for some exorbitant fee... we would still buy the London Symphony Orchestra edition when it came out. By 2020, we will be virtually conducting the LSO with patented Mind Control technology and we will still want more because it could sound just a bit better.

That said, it would be nuts if anyone else tried to launch a string library right about now. I wonder if a wave of brass libraries will follow... I kind of hope so.

Well so far my money's on one no-one has mentioned (well ok, a variation no-one has mentioned) - working title LASS Lite. The developer Andrew Keresztes has said this will be available by Christmas, and has all the features of the full blown LASS except no divisi and 16 bit. With a price at "no more than $499" complete with true legato, sordinos, that ART script and an upgrade path, that's a killer deal imho for those who want to go up to the next level without topping $1k.

Would love to see some TLC on orchestral brass...

I think the reason for so many libraries is just a result of progress and technology.

Computers are now getting to the point where legitimate string libraries can be sustained. Sure, there are great libraries that have been out for years. But not with the playability and extensiveness of libraries like LASS and others.

The problem in the past has been transitions. You just haven't been able to, as of yet, synthesize the right sounding transitions between notes. So now that 64 bit is coming along and computers are more powerful, libraries are starting to contain full compliments of legato recordings from every note to every other note on each string. When you add various release samples, glissando, portamento, etc., the library size jumps up BIG time.

Devs are starting to figure out what is missing, and what has been missing was a good compliment of legitimate, life-like, playable string libraries. And with libraries like LASS, they are starting to realize that you need more than a couple of violin section patches. Full section patches can only take you so far and work in certain styles of music.

These are just a couple of different things that come to mind. I do think that you are seeing many libraries at once because people WANT strings. They are incredibly hard to emulate properly, and just as with any instrument, there are so many different sounds you can have between different manufacturers of the instruments.

I don't think the market will saturate. Strings are like pianos; you can never have enough, IMO. How many piano libraries are out there now? HUUUUGE libraries even. And pianos are much easier to get sounding realistic than strings(still come complications, but not as hard). But people still want more and better pianos. I think the same will happen with strings.

I'm looking forward to whatever Sample Modeling comes up with, as well as WIVI strings.

Brent

Brent, the problem still is, transitions. And dynamics as well.

Something that plain ordinary sample triggering just can not address. Not only does this paradigm rob you of expression and a sense of human interaction, it also robs you of system resources - resources that could go towards recording and tracking. Instead of 8 tracks using bloated sample libraries, you could have literally dozens and dozens of tracks using WIVI/Samplemodeling.

It is the reason why I have pretty much postponed my songwriting career. I am basically just sitting here waiting for these things to be developed and released. So that humble musicians like myself will not need to dispense with my dignity. My music is something I want to be proud of. I cannot achieve that with silly sample libraries that can not do justice to the instrument. Now, I could be waiting another 2 years. But why would that bother me? I've been already waiting 5+ years for realistic instruments.

Which is why I, too, am also looking forward to what Samplemodeling and WIVI can bring to the table. You can be sure it will sound a damn sight better than anything currently available today. You see, it's not so much the timbre and tone that I am most concerned with, but rather the behaviour and expression.

I'm also waiting for what Mokafix Audio will bring to the table. I know he has released BlueReeds and GlueReeds and they sound amazing, especially considering the options for changing the sound. He has also released some effects, which also sound great.

Ben

I'm not saying that libraries are perfect now, but transitions are a whole lot better now than the emulated legato in older libraries that didn't sound like legato at all.

Listen to some LASS demos. They are excellent, IMO. Perfect? No. But sampling has come a long ways.

I'm with you though. If WIVI can come up with strings as good as their brass, that would be stellar. So many advantages to WIVI. But I'm fairly satisfied with what current libraries can do. And to be honest, in a mix, and with a typical audience(which doesn't consist of picky musicians and audiofiles like us), it's perfectly acceptable.

Word on the street is that Arne is now finally at a point where he will soon be able to focus solely on strings. Of course, that probably means that Brass 2 is around the corner as he's hinted at NAMM being a good release time.

Time will tell.

Brent