Best known orchestral sample libraries

[Nikolas]

Hi!

I'm planning on writting a lengthy article on orchestral sample libraries and I would like to make a comparison between the best known ones.

I personally use EW, so that's covered. And I also know someone who uses Miroslav Vitous samples so that's gone as well.

What other big sample libraries do you know (I'm refering to companies not the different version of the same one): I know the following:

East West
Vienna
Miroslav Vitous
Garritan Personal Orchestra
Dan Dean

And this is where my knowledge stops. Do you think I'm forgetting anything?

A second question is this: No matter how hard I try I can't find the articulations for Vienna library, for example. As I said earlier I own EW so that's no problem, but still the EW website has a list of all articulations. Do you think there is a way to find the articulations for he rest of the libraries?

Thank you for your time reading this and hopefully answering.

Nikolas

[uselessmind]

Its almost a crime not to include Sonic Implants.
They are just too good.
There is also Project Sam, Kirk Hunter and Westgate Studios and some new stuff from Peter Siedlaczek.
Not all have full Orchestra Stuff though.

[WillieJenkins]

Kirk Hunter Emerald
Sonic Implants

[jeffn1]

I would check out the threads and perhaps post the question here:

http://www.northernsounds.com/forum/for ... y.php?f=16

That should ensure that nothing will be left out (unless they censor (or self-censor) comments about developers who do not advertise there).

They do love their orchestral sample libraries at Northern Sounds.

jeffn1

[zircon]

Motu Symphonic Instrument too.

[enarmonico]

I would also include synful, even if it's not just a sample library.
Have a look at http://www.synful.com/

gabri

[sghoughton]

EMU also has one called Modern Symphonic Orchestra

http://www.emu.com/products/product.asp ... duct=14274

[fitch]

and don't forget the saga that is VSL too with their upgrade from pro ed to cube ...

[M Gardner]

They do love their orchestral sample libraries at Northern Sounds.

jeffn1

I checked in there a couple of weeks back after not having visited for ages and the place seems to have become one big advert for the Garritan libraries and Bela D Media's vocal stuff. Its really gone down the pan. There use to be EastWest on there but they seem to have disappeared.

I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with the Garritan or BelaD stuff but Northern sounds used to be a lot more of a vibrant informative place with a lot more developers on site. Its such a shame. I don't know where all the regular posters went. Its certainly no longer the top place to get an informed opinion on sample libraries.

[beej]

Don't forget the older and smaller Roland sample libraries, many of them worked on by Ezza Pezza and still very good despite their compactness...

[StrangeCat]

Larger Hollywood sound(like your going to be able to use an orchestra of that size after a moch up) is EastWest Symphonic Series.
The best strings by far is Sonic Implants, actually all there orchestra stuff is amazing!
The newest most amazing thing now is VSL VI
Being able to control all articulations and everything and style on one channel!

Kirk Hunter is putting out a few that have promise.
Garritan's GPO is still amazing and can give total professional results.(takes a lot of tweaking)

Miroslav Akai is still very playable and beautiful
Miroslav the VST 'er well it can't be loaded in Kontakt2 but can in Sampletank2 it's still those beautiful playable samples. Ahh I didn't like it.

and that's about it.