KVR Audio

R_A · Post by **R_A** » Wed Oct 10, 2018 10:24 am

Hi,

I'm looking for a solo strings library for classical chamber music. Typical arrangements will be for two violins and cello; and violin viola and cello.

I have a Komplete 10 licence, so I can use Kontakt 5 libraries.

These both look good:
https://www.spitfireaudio.com/shop/new/ ... o-strings/
https://www.spitfireaudio.com/shop/prod ... o-strings/

Are there any other credible options or is Spitfire the way to go?

Thanks

jancivil · Post by **jancivil** » Wed Oct 10, 2018 7:22 pm

VSL is probably far more extensively articulated.
https://www.vsl.co.at/en/Strings_Comple ... le_Content

jancivil · Post by **jancivil** » Wed Oct 10, 2018 7:30 pm

I am looking at the manual for your first link. It's the most I've seen outside of VSL actually.
I would go with VSL as, while that looks like a lot, the one I linked to has literally all of that and more, and the interface wins by far.

BUT it costs around 50% more which is a fact that can't be argued with.

I think you'll do ok with the Spitfire Solo Strings, really. They've really upped their game recently. I'm seriously coveting the Bernard Herrmann Toolkit.

anomandaris1 · Post by **anomandaris1** » Wed Oct 10, 2018 8:05 pm

Check Audiomodeling, Chris Hein, Embertone, Virharmonic. Probably many more.
Spitfire may have good marketing and shiny website, usually offer several mic positions, but the quality and playability of many of their products is another story.
I don't think that there exists such thing as "best" string virtual instrument (or one that can replace a real virtuoso player).

jancivil · Post by **jancivil** » Wed Oct 10, 2018 9:29 pm

'best' for you depends on what you're going to do. For instance, Embertone has this Joshua Bell library which has fantastic scripting for its different legato, so for live playing it's going to be hard to beat. For me, it's kind of limited. And this approach... well the demos are hyper romantic violin, very cornball stuff and it appears to be suited best for that. It does one thing most libs do not, a keyswitch during a sustained not will switch and it's smooth. So you're in a sustained note and go for the artificial harmonics and it just crossfades that sucker right in there, it's nice. And you can portamento the harmonic.
So it's pretty attractive but for me it's about suiting its role rather than for most things.

There's an actual video on YT 'real or fake'; it may center on the Joshua Bell as it's made for doing very virtuoso romantic *soloist* violin.

R_A · Post by **R_A** » Thu Oct 11, 2018 7:34 am

jancivil wrote: Wed Oct 10, 2018 9:29 pm 'best' for you depends on what you're going to do.

Very slow melodic string music, with minimalist influences, that occasionally moves into intricate arpeggiated / spiccato sections (with some noisy bowing - though I can add these elements in with other self made samples). Is that helpful?

So it's kind of, VSL - at the no1 spot... then Spitfire, Audiomodeling, Chris Hein, Embertone, Virharmonic - fighting it out for second place, depending on the application?

jancivil · Post by **jancivil** » Thu Oct 11, 2018 6:27 pm

Ok then, the Joshua Bell isn't it, I think. I think you have a very good lay of the land actually.

bill45 · Post by **bill45** » Fri Oct 12, 2018 7:50 pm

I like the sound of the embertone cello

Mr Arkadin · Post by **Mr Arkadin** » Sat Oct 13, 2018 10:37 am

It's also worth noting that Spitfire have just updated their new Solo Strings to include a 'performance' patch for violin:

https://www.spitfireaudio.com/shop/a-z/ ... erformance

Aloysius · Post by **Aloysius** » Sat Oct 13, 2018 10:51 am

Solo string instrument

woggle · Post by **woggle** » Sat Oct 13, 2018 11:15 am

[ oops i see you are after something else - I leave this in because I think XSample gets overlooked particularly for the range of more common modern articulations that are missing from some other libraries]

xsample have a pretty good product - particularly for stuff like this Webern

or this

jancivil · Post by **jancivil** » Sat Oct 13, 2018 12:22 pm

Interesting, I didn't know about it. It seems like there was something a decade or more ago but that could be a glitch in my memory bank.

woggle · Post by **woggle** » Sat Oct 13, 2018 12:38 pm

jancivil wrote: Sat Oct 13, 2018 12:22 pm Interesting, I didn't know about it. It seems like there was something a decade or more ago but that could be a glitch in my memory bank.

not a huge library like lots are now and also I think more from the point of the European contemporary classical concert tradition rather than film and games (as lots are now). But a good overall orchestra library if that style suits. Quite a complicated interface which has held me back from exploring it as much as it deserves. That will change over the next few months though, as I'm paring back as much as I can and xSample is one library I am keeping

R_A · Post by **R_A** » Sat Oct 13, 2018 1:26 pm

woggle wrote: Sat Oct 13, 2018 11:15 amxsample have a pretty good product - particularly for stuff like this Webern

I'm very impressed... I've neaver heard of the company. This one definitely warrants consideration.

woggle · Post by **woggle** » Sat Oct 13, 2018 8:53 pm

R_A wrote: Sat Oct 13, 2018 1:26 pm
woggle wrote: Sat Oct 13, 2018 11:15 amxsample have a pretty good product - particularly for stuff like this Webern

I'm very impressed... I've neaver heard of the company. This one definitely warrants consideration.

what I've found is that there are amazing libraries with limited articulations so it seems impossible to get one library that does everything. eg this library is great but the articulations are limited so it is great at some music, less so at others
http://www.orchestraltools.com/libraries/bst_exp_d.php

It seems libraries are designed with types of music in mind - perhaps find a couple of youtube piecesin the style of music you are interested in and ask over at vi-control, where people have a lot of experience with string libraries (although like everywhere people also get excited by the latest thing)

Chris Hein Solo strings have their praises sung all the time, and are pretty comprehensive - maybe what I would get now if starting from scratch - still might come the Black Friday sales

Best library for solo string (classical chamber music)?