Hi Everyone,
I'm considering purchasing one of the SA Evo libraries during the current sale. I am mostly interested in non-traditional, pad-type sounds, and am considering Fragile String Evolutions or one of the Olafur Arnalds products (Evolutions or Chamber Evolutions). Does anyone here have experience with these? If so, which of the three would you say has the greatest flexibility for the creation of more non-traditional textures?
Thanks in advance!
Spitfire Audio Evo Libraries - Which One?
-
- KVRAF
- 2315 posts since 11 Mar, 2003
I have Fragile, OA Chamber Evolutions and many more. Do not have OA Evolutions. They're all great but different to be honest.
Fragile I find more an aleatoric/horror type stuff, but less so than Angular Strings, somewhat softer, more haunting perhaps.
I really like Woodwind Evolutions, very underrated. Not on your list but worth a listen.
OA Chamber Strings is brilliant, but probably more useful for adding movement to traditional strings, especially good with Spitfire Chamber Strings. Maybe not what you're after.
LCO Textures is probably the least traditional, maybe have a look at that.
Sorry not much help, I like all of them.
Fragile I find more an aleatoric/horror type stuff, but less so than Angular Strings, somewhat softer, more haunting perhaps.
I really like Woodwind Evolutions, very underrated. Not on your list but worth a listen.
OA Chamber Strings is brilliant, but probably more useful for adding movement to traditional strings, especially good with Spitfire Chamber Strings. Maybe not what you're after.
LCO Textures is probably the least traditional, maybe have a look at that.
Sorry not much help, I like all of them.
Last edited by Mr Arkadin on Wed Dec 28, 2022 4:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
-
- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 2405 posts since 3 Mar, 2010
Thanks for your message - this is actually a very big help. After I posted this, I did actually decide to go with Woodwind Evolutions, as well. So, now to decide between Fragile and OACE. It's very hard - both of these seem to have a lot going for them. I know that OACE is more traditional, but I have seen many in other forums suggesting this one as the one to get as your first string Evolution library. I think they added many additional useful evolutions in the Fragile library, though, when they ported it to their own app. It's a tough call 
.
One additional question for you. I see that you can load individual instrument sections in the Fragile library (i.e., violins, violas, etc.), but OACE loads as the full chamber orchestra. However, I assume that if you only play notes that are only in the cello range in OACE, for example, you will only hear the cello section - is that correct?
Thanks again for your help!
.One additional question for you. I see that you can load individual instrument sections in the Fragile library (i.e., violins, violas, etc.), but OACE loads as the full chamber orchestra. However, I assume that if you only play notes that are only in the cello range in OACE, for example, you will only hear the cello section - is that correct?
Thanks again for your help!
-
- KVRAF
- 2315 posts since 11 Mar, 2003
There's a few things happening on OACE.
Firstly the chamber part is Violins 1&2, Violas, Celli with the Basses as a separate section. In the Grid articulations they used a technique they call 'feathering' I believe, so that not all the players are always playing at the same time. I assume the lower cello range you hear only celli, that there is a crossover point where the violas will also be playing in their lower register and likewise crossover from violas higher registration to violins lower reg, with violins higher register being only violins of course. But with the 'feathering' it's not so obvious whats happening, so you don't really notice the crossover points.
There's also the Waves. These are great but I'm not sure how much use you'll get out of them. I like them a lot though. Consider them an addition to the main Grid Library.
OACE is my favourite of the Evo libraries, with Woodwind and LCO Textures a close second. I think the Symphonic Evolutions is my least favourite. I think that was their first go at the Evolutions idea and isn't as varied or useful somehow. But I got it cheap so I'm happy with that one.
Firstly the chamber part is Violins 1&2, Violas, Celli with the Basses as a separate section. In the Grid articulations they used a technique they call 'feathering' I believe, so that not all the players are always playing at the same time. I assume the lower cello range you hear only celli, that there is a crossover point where the violas will also be playing in their lower register and likewise crossover from violas higher registration to violins lower reg, with violins higher register being only violins of course. But with the 'feathering' it's not so obvious whats happening, so you don't really notice the crossover points.
There's also the Waves. These are great but I'm not sure how much use you'll get out of them. I like them a lot though. Consider them an addition to the main Grid Library.
OACE is my favourite of the Evo libraries, with Woodwind and LCO Textures a close second. I think the Symphonic Evolutions is my least favourite. I think that was their first go at the Evolutions idea and isn't as varied or useful somehow. But I got it cheap so I'm happy with that one.
-
- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 2405 posts since 3 Mar, 2010
Thank you very much for your help! I ended up going with both Woodwind and Fragile Evolutions. I chose Fragile over OACE (at the moment) because I liked the more non-traditional, aleatoric aspect to it - plus, they seemed to have added other types of textures in the Spitfire plugin (2x stretch, 8x stretch, etc.). I can certainly see myself picking up OACE in a future sale, though. At some point (I tell myself) I have to stop purchasing .
.-
- KVRAF
- 2315 posts since 11 Mar, 2003
A little late now, but worth checking for future reference is this thread I just found on VI-Control comparing Fragile to OACE:
https://vi-control.net/community/thread ... fx.133175/
Audio examples from page 2 of the thread.
Same guy has started an LCO Textures thread too:
https://vi-control.net/community/thread ... ng.134568/
I love this stuff and also like libraries from Ben Osterhouse, Crocus Soundware, Bunker Samples and Dan Keen.
Also there's a Drone Grid set of Evos in Albion Solstice which I forgot to mention. There's so much in that library I've barely scratched the surface. That's a more folk/pagan/folk-horror type sound though.
https://vi-control.net/community/thread ... fx.133175/
Audio examples from page 2 of the thread.
Same guy has started an LCO Textures thread too:
https://vi-control.net/community/thread ... ng.134568/
I love this stuff and also like libraries from Ben Osterhouse, Crocus Soundware, Bunker Samples and Dan Keen.
Also there's a Drone Grid set of Evos in Albion Solstice which I forgot to mention. There's so much in that library I've barely scratched the surface. That's a more folk/pagan/folk-horror type sound though.