Albion one or Miroslav Philharmonik 2 (for orchestral trance)

[hhuang9611]

Hi guys,

I am diving into the orchestral trance right now and I am thinking about getting a better library than the one that comes with Ableton Live Suite. I found Albion one and Miroslav Philharmonik 2 quite interesting, but unfortunately, I can only afford one right now. (I can get edu discount of 50% off for Albion and MP 2 is currently $99 at JRR)

I like the cinematic feel of Albion from its trailer, but I am not sure if it would be too much since I am not doing any scoring, just wanting to add some orchestral elements to EDM. But I fear that I might be missing something if I choose Miroslav instead. For example, the Miroslav has no percussion sound.

Any suggestions? Thanks in advance

[DSmolken]

For orchestral trance, you might want a drier sound and smaller section than those - Albion One is especially wet and is a "broad strokes" tool, so you can't just get, say, a flute to play a line. Miroslav kind of works like a deluxe version of a 90s rompler, but for trance that might be OK. For complete orchestras at that price, there's not really much else. VSCO Standard Edition and GPO 5 are both also pretty limited in terms of detail. I'd go with Albion out of those.

Also look at Soundiron Hyperion Strings Elements ($99) and Light and Sound Chamber Strings ($120) or maybe Spitfire Studio Strings if the edu discount will help enough there. I might be biased as a bassist, but I would rather have nice strings and mediocre everything else, especially for styles like trance where you can use strings a ton. Plus with those smaller studio recordings you'll have a better chance of making it sound like you actually hired a few string players, instead of getting the sound of an impossibly huge orchestra. You got VSCO Community Edition, Virtual Playing Orchestra etc. on the free side. For piano, Estate Grand LE and Ivy Audio Piano In 162. They'll be upgrades over the Ableton stuff, and fill in the woodwinds and percussion and stuff you probably won't lean heavily on in trance.

[Fleer]

Great advice from DSmolken.
You may also want to look into the free SpitfireAudio LABS series.

[hhuang9611]

For orchestral trance, you might want a drier sound and smaller section than those - Albion One is especially wet and is a "broad strokes" tool, so you can't just get, say, a flute to play a line. Miroslav kind of works like a deluxe version of a 90s rompler, but for trance that might be OK. For complete orchestras at that price, there's not really much else. VSCO Standard Edition and GPO 5 are both also pretty limited in terms of detail. I'd go with Albion out of those.

Also look at Soundiron Hyperion Strings Elements ($99) and Light and Sound Chamber Strings ($120) or maybe Spitfire Studio Strings if the edu discount will help enough there. I might be biased as a bassist, but I would rather have nice strings and mediocre everything else, especially for styles like trance where you can use strings a ton. Plus with those smaller studio recordings you'll have a better chance of making it sound like you actually hired a few string players, instead of getting the sound of an impossibly huge orchestra. You got VSCO Community Edition, Virtual Playing Orchestra etc. on the free side. For piano, Estate Grand LE and Ivy Audio Piano In 162. They'll be upgrades over the Ableton stuff, and fill in the woodwinds and percussion and stuff you probably won't lean heavily on in trance.

Thank you very much for the detailed suggestion! I will check those libraries you mentioned!

Great advice from DSmolken.
You may also want to look into the free SpitfireAudio LABS series.

Thanks! I will check it out.

[Ah_Dziz]

I have a bizarrely huge amount of orchestral sample libraries, and few have been as much of a letdown to me as miroslav philharmonic. It reminded me very much of old soundblaster sounds. Between those two (if the sound is your main concern) I would go with Albion in a heartbeat. If it’s still available in some form, I would prefer garritan personal orchestra. That has a not especially in depth set of recordings, but the recordings there are, sound much more alive and less like the kind of orchestral sounds you would find as an afterthought on a second hand rompler.
This is all just my opinion, but I’ve never heard anything made with Miroslav that sounded appealing to my ears. I know there are lots of folks who use it and get the results they want and are happy with it so I may just be listening for different aspects of the sound. It is one of the only things I’ve ever bought that I have never found a single use for.

[hhuang9611]

I have a bizarrely huge amount of orchestral sample libraries, and few have been as much of a letdown to me as miroslav philharmonic. It reminded me very much of old soundblaster sounds. Between those two (if the sound is your main concern) I would go with Albion in a heartbeat. If it’s still available in some form, I would prefer garritan personal orchestra. That has a not especially in depth set of recordings, but the recordings there are, sound much more alive and less like the kind of orchestral sounds you would find as an afterthought on a second hand rompler.
This is all just my opinion, but I’ve never heard anything made with Miroslav that sounded appealing to my ears. I know there are lots of folks who use it and get the results they want and are happy with it so I may just be listening for different aspects of the sound. It is one of the only things I’ve ever bought that I have never found a single use for.

Thank you very much for the input. I guess I won't be getting the Miroslav since no one has perferred it over Albion yet.

Also, it just came to my mind that I am also eligible for EastWest subscription for $9.9/month and getting access to their entire product line. Would this be a better choice?

[DSmolken]

The EW subscription is a good way to get an idea of how a very wide range of sounds might work in your music. So, yes, if you're OK with the subscription model in general, it could be a good choice. You'll get a nice full orchestra, choir, and also access to a lot of ethnic stuff in Silk and Ra if you decide you want to use it.

[Ah_Dziz]

Ewqlso is a nice package. I still have the Kontakt version and play has had issues for me, but it can get lots done with the material it has.

[Anlon]

I guess I won't be getting the Miroslav since no one has perferred it over Albion yet.

I just bought Miroslav 2 I had some IKM jam points, so I paid even less than $99.
I don’t think the library is good enough for proper orchestral work, at least not by today’s standards and it certainly is not worth the RRP of $500. For pop or EDM it’s quite decent. The instruments are drenched in effects, but once you turn those off, the sounds are quite dry and you can easily add your own flavour.
The GUI is straightforward and I find it very intuitive to use. I have Sampletank 4, so for me it is very good addition.

However, as DSmolken has said, with Trance you might be better off, starting with a dedicated string library and add to that.

[DSmolken]

How about doing a month or two of the EW subscription, use that time to learn more about what you like and where the EW stuff might not be ideal for your needs, and then seeing what's on sale around Black Friday and Christmas?

[hhuang9611]

Ewqlso is a nice package. I still have the Kontakt version and play has had issues for me, but it can get lots done with the material it has.

Cool, I will check it out. Thanks!

I guess I won't be getting the Miroslav since no one has perferred it over Albion yet.

I just bought Miroslav 2 I had some IKM jam points, so I paid even less than $99.
I don’t think the library is good enough for proper orchestral work, at least not by today’s standards and it certainly is not worth the RRP of $500. For pop or EDM it’s quite decent. The instruments are drenched in effects, but once you turn those off, the sounds are quite dry and you can easily add your own flavour.
The GUI is straightforward and I find it very intuitive to use. I have Sampletank 4, so for me it is very good addition.

However, as DSmolken has said, with Trance you might be better off, starting with a dedicated string library and add to that.

Thank you for the suggestion!

How about doing a month or two of the EW subscription, use that time to learn more about what you like and where the EW stuff might not be ideal for your needs, and then seeing what's on sale around Black Friday and Christmas?

Sounds like a great plan! Thank you!