What are your favorite instrument plugins?

[E_Anderson]

Pianoteq
...
Kontakt... though resorting to it feels like defeat.

1) Pianoteq is amazing, I want to buy it at some point, maybe this BF. Not sure how the Felt model sounds next to LABS/Noire or whatever the NI Felt Piano is, but it’s probably great and Pianoteq itself is amazing.
2) If you mean resorting to Kontakt for like a pad or something, yeah, I feel you there. But for some things it’s the only option. I.E. Audio Ollie orchestral libraries, Performance Samples etc. And if you mean you protest the lack of development, I also feel you there.

[jamcat]

2) If you mean resorting to Kontakt for like a pad or something, yeah, I feel you there. But for some things it’s the only option. I.E. Audio Ollie orchestral libraries, Performance Samples etc. And if you mean you protest the lack of development, I also feel you there.

Both are fine interpretations. But what I really mean is I'm a big proponent of physical modeling (as you might tell from EVERY other VSTi I listed), and it's a big letdown when I have to resort to common, vulgar samples.

[BONES]

Possibly a valid concept 20 years ago but these days samples shit all over anything else. The things you can do with them are almost mind-bogglingly creative. I used to think using samples was sort of cheating, or admitting defeat in some way, but once you try a proper Kontakt instrument, you have to change your mind. The one that changed mine was Output's Substance, which is probably the most inspiring and creative instrument I own. I still mostly use V/A type VSTi but whenever I get stuck or want something a bit different, I load up Kontakt and start looking for Substance or one of my Heavyocity instruments to do something wonderful for me. They rarely disappoint.

[E_Anderson]

I agree with Bones here, honestly. My goal isn’t to synthesize everything myself, even though I used to think so. Otherwise I would have made my own oboe! I want to write cinematic psychedelic orchestral postrock music and I would die 100x before getting what I wanted if I didn’t use a sample of a violin. It’s satisfying, very much, to capture a sound with synthesis. I love synthesis and I do a lot of sound designing constantly, but I also use sample libraries for the appropriate instruments religiously. Strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion from all over, choirs, 10 kinds of flutes, an electric guitar, acoustic, uke... But also a crapton of synthesis.

Pianoteq is great though! And I think modelling is the future, but we’re not there yet. And I have to spend my time not modelling instruments lol

[Prototech]

TC Powercore Virus