String ensemble library?
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- KVRian
- Topic Starter
- 820 posts since 25 Nov, 2005
Any recommendations for a string ensemble library? I'm looking for a more intimate chamber ensemble sound, not epic/Hollywood type of strings, preferably with some more advanced articulations, like harmonics and Bartok pizzicato (not exceeding $300). Something you would hear during an eerie suspense scene or good for modern atonal music with some unusual effects...
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- KVRAF
- 2003 posts since 11 Aug, 2012 from omfr morf form romf frmo
That's the hard part. Bartok is hard to get by itself or in a smaller bundling.szurcio wrote:(not exceeding $300)
You're looking at 8Dio Century Ensemble Strings or Adagietto, Spitfire Symphonic, Chamber, or Sacconi, EastWest Hollywood Strings, VSL Strings, Cinestrings, Orchestral Tools. Least expensive option is to get EW Composer Cloud for as long as you need it for your project.
Could also jump on the $99 VSTBuzz deal for Aria's bundle, which includes a string library with Bartok Pizz. The strings in general are passable but you get what you pay for.
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- KVRist
- 223 posts since 19 Apr, 2011
Yeah you're probably not gonna find that for $300, not a really good one anyways. You're probably going to have to at least double that figure to get a quality library that does what you're asking. I have not used Aria so for all I know it's good, but most people that have used it say that it's passable at best. The above recommendations are good, provided you are willing to spend some more money or sign up for the Composer Cloud, which is a reasonable suggestion.
- KVRAF
- 2810 posts since 8 Dec, 2008 from Global Cowboy
Session Strings Pro is a very good chamber string ensemble...
No auto tune...
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- KVRian
- 513 posts since 26 Nov, 2009
Check some Spitfire audio stuff, but I think that only this is close to your price range.
https://www.spitfireaudio.com/shop/inst ... ral-swarm/
https://www.spitfireaudio.com/shop/inst ... ral-swarm/
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- KVRist
- 39 posts since 14 Feb, 2015
I just picked up Spitfire Studio Strings, but I haven't installed it yet. I bought NI Session Strings Pro 2 during the holiday sale, but Spitfire was having a flash sale at 40% off, so I picked up that library too. Any feedback on the Spitfire Studio library?
- KVRAF
- 25050 posts since 20 Oct, 2007 from gonesville
If you want a good regular set of articulations plus Bartok pizz, artificial harmonics, gliss, harmonics gliss, col legno (col legno trem, etc) and the lot per typical scary music scores, the $300 hard limit probably means this is out of reach.
- KVRAF
- 25050 posts since 20 Oct, 2007 from gonesville
scratch that,
VSL Solo Strings has the basics here in the standard version at 275 euro. NB: this is not an ensemble (and you won't make it one by multiplying instances), but you can have a string quartet with these for this kind of money.
https://www.vsl.co.at/en/Solo_Strings_B ... le_Content
actually the new Spitfire Studio Strings MIGHT get you there. Surprising price and bang for the buck for them. They've changed their evil ways. Baby
VSL Solo Strings has the basics here in the standard version at 275 euro. NB: this is not an ensemble (and you won't make it one by multiplying instances), but you can have a string quartet with these for this kind of money.
https://www.vsl.co.at/en/Solo_Strings_B ... le_Content
actually the new Spitfire Studio Strings MIGHT get you there. Surprising price and bang for the buck for them. They've changed their evil ways. Baby
- KVRAF
- 10427 posts since 31 Aug, 2013 from Somewhere near the Morgul Vale.
Doesn't VSL have ensemble strings in the SE series in Chamber Strings, and an orchestra full of them in the Appassionata? I think they are SE 2 and 3, respectively.
“You can blow out a candle, but you can't blow out a fire.
Once the flame begin to catch, the wind will blow it higher.”
--Peter Gabriel
Once the flame begin to catch, the wind will blow it higher.”
--Peter Gabriel
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- KVRAF
- 2003 posts since 11 Aug, 2012 from omfr morf form romf frmo
I picked up Spitfire Studio Strings recently. It's $249 and has Bartok and other articulations. I agree with jancivil, it's great bang for the buck, I don't know anything else that offers this breadth at this level and pricepoint. Instruments are grouped by section. Nice medium-sized sound with the one mic position. Has falls/scoops for disco, even.
- KVRAF
- 25050 posts since 20 Oct, 2007 from gonesville
VSL SE doesn't have those articulations. For that matter, the Synchron Strings don't.
Wait, are their prices going down? Chamber Strings Standard is 295 euro. There is no sul pont, no col legno trem, but it has the snap pizz and artificial harmonics.
Wait, are their prices going down? Chamber Strings Standard is 295 euro. There is no sul pont, no col legno trem, but it has the snap pizz and artificial harmonics.
- KVRAF
- 25050 posts since 20 Oct, 2007 from gonesville
Getting into the beyond, VSL Synchron FX Strings has all these long glisses, harmonic glisses, rises, pizz swarms, 'harmonic rubbing', many cluster things, vertical tremolo, and genuinely spooky shit all over. And they provide a nice flanger, delay, reverbs, saturation now. It's the Synchron product meaning very detailed mic'ing of that room and a mixer, with 4 aux for sends, and this is all automatable. The very cool aspect here is you can switch articulations in midstream and it intelligently crossfades.
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- KVRist
- 250 posts since 31 Dec, 2012
I picked up Spitfire Audio Studio Strings Pro for the extra mics and even without the extra mics this library can't be beat at this price point. Air studio is a drier sound but that's what I like about this library and engineer Simon Rhodes has done a spectacular job recording the instruments and players. Top notch!!
- KVRAF
- 25050 posts since 20 Oct, 2007 from gonesville
Very tempting, indeed.
Another thing for the avant-garde or 'scary' strings is Spitfire Evo I strings. But it's not the direct and simple switch to the articulation you want, it's stacks of note groupings doing a certain kind of thing and then you parse that into other groupings, your decisions will be this evolving into that.
I don't love the interface because you can't automate the choices of these groupings, you have to load .nkis for the different evolutions it looks like to me. But, the effect of this idea can be killer. It's that same $249. There are swarms of pizz in it, some of them are clearly snap aka Bartok.
Another thing for the avant-garde or 'scary' strings is Spitfire Evo I strings. But it's not the direct and simple switch to the articulation you want, it's stacks of note groupings doing a certain kind of thing and then you parse that into other groupings, your decisions will be this evolving into that.
I don't love the interface because you can't automate the choices of these groupings, you have to load .nkis for the different evolutions it looks like to me. But, the effect of this idea can be killer. It's that same $249. There are swarms of pizz in it, some of them are clearly snap aka Bartok.