String Libraries - What are you guys using these days?

Now that the price has dropped on some of these string libraries, I think it’s time to add one or two to my collection. Here are my impressions:

Hollywood Strings - sound nice, but the whole “ships on a hard drive thing” throws me off a bit.

Cinematic Strings 2 - Realistic, but to me, slightly grating.

Cinestrings Core - I like how these sound, and all the different articulations.

LASS - Expressive, I like the Divisi, but at twice the cost of everything else it seems a little pricey these days.

Albion - Sounds like it could be good for mixing into other libraries, but not really my thing.

Vienna Dimension Strings - very cool. Not quite a full orchestral, but would be great for other things.

Berlin Strings - Nice, but like LASS, a bit pricey.

8 Dio - meh.

70 DVZ Strings - ummmm, huh?

What’s everyone using?

Let’s avoid the “it’s not what you have, it’s how you use it discussion.” :slight_smile:

It’s not what you have, it’s how you use it. Just kidding :wink:

Using VSL original strings, Hollywood Strings, Cinestrings and Henrik S String Runs.

All have their strengths I find. Briefly speaking;

VSL for the sheer range of articulations possible - I use With Mir PRO and sounds truly tremendous.
HOLLYWOOD for the great slur and string runs. Not a huge PLAY fan though.
CINESTRINGS sounds great out of the box. I love the harmonics and same note bow change legato even! Great value.
BERLIN STRING RUNS adds great trills runs and flourishes to give a really authentic touch.

Hey ! Didnt know about Berlin strings ! Just godness sound, will definately acquire that library.



My list of libraries:

Cinematic Strings

My main library, easy options and easy to work with


Monster Stacattos

Using sometimes, depending on a track. Strong, powerful sound


LASS

Mostly my working library, love its articulations and feeling of “live” strings


PocketBlakus - Emotional Cello

Unreal realistic sound, but very characteric. Using rarely.


Albion, Loegria

Always using like a low freq subtle parts, very warm, smooth and good addition to your live sounds strings


Symphobia

Using this library sometimes, not often. Depending on a mood of composition hard, because this library has its own character.


Cinestrings Core

Using quite often, also very good library


8DIO Solo Studio Violin

Still didnt get to this one :smiley:


Embertone Friedlander Violin

Very nice realistic sound with very low octave, sounding more like viola. Again, due to its character, using rarely, when composition must be build around the vioin.


Symphonic String Collection: Basses, Cellos

Sometimes, when i need to achieve some feelings of smooth and lite composition and when other libraries couldnt give me such.


Sonart Audio Venice Instruments OrchestraStrings

Very rarely. I used to.

“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure”.

Personally, I adore some of the stuff Troels and the guys have put together over at 8dio. I use Adagietto quite extensively these days on my corporate productions, as their whole tonality fits incredibly well.

Not being a purist orchestral composer, alongside being an avid supporter of smaller, less mainstream companies however, I’m mildly ignorant of the differences between these other major string libraries. To me, it feels always akin to comparing mineral waters.

One of my biggest investments a few years ago was in the LASS strings. At the time, the price between them and the Hollywood strings was the same.

It turned out to be a GREAT investment for a lot of piano/string vocals I was producing.

However, it’s main application is in the more “chamber” sounding, smaller ensemble sound. (It’s really quite amazing at that, in my opinion.)

I’m still in the market for a more “lush” hollywood sounding set, such as “hollywood” (of course) or the “cinematic strings”. So I don’t have a recommendation there.

(and it’s only money, right? :wink:

I always enjoy string related threads!

I would love to have any of those you listed. I’m just using the strings included in Omnisphere right now. I really need to invest in a good orchestra, it’s on my list of things to buy eventually. Does anyone have an opinion on strings and orchestra that is a bit more affordable? Hard for me to drop $800 bucks just for a nice string section. I’ll only have enough really for one major orchestral investment, so I’m debating VSL dimension series or East West Composer collection. Unfortunately I think I have to wait and upgrade my computer first since I don’t think it can handle these nicer sounds as is… I have lots of wishes when it comes to this kind of stuff. :slight_smile:

I pretty much exclusively use Hollywood Strings, and, aside from a few weird quirks I’ve been genuinely happy with it. I find that its strengths are mostly in the spiccato/staccatisimo arena, but the legato patches can be absolutely gorgeous in most situations.

HS has great range of articulations and ensembles-- divisi versions of every section are provided, and the depth of effects like measured tremelo and trills is really useful.

It is missing a Harp, which I find bizarre, but overall I think its definitely worth it.

I have an old college friend who works on the CineStrings library as well, and I’ve heard some truly amazing demos from him using that library. I’m thinking it will be my next big string library purchase.

delgibbons said

Using VSL original strings, Hollywood Strings, Cinestrings and Henrik S String Runs.

All have their strengths I find. Briefly speaking;

VSL for the sheer range of articulations possible - I use With Mir PRO and sounds truly tremendous.
HOLLYWOOD for the great slur and string runs. Not a huge PLAY fan though.
CINESTRINGS sounds great out of the box. I love the harmonics and same note bow change legato even! Great value.
BERLIN STRING RUNS adds great trills runs and flourishes to give a really authentic touch.

Play seems a little shoddy compared to Kontakt or even native programming.

AlumoAudio said

“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure”.

Personally, I adore some of the stuff Troels and the guys have put together over at 8dio. I use Adagietto quite extensively these days on my corporate productions, as their whole tonality fits incredibly well.

Not being a purist orchestral composer, alongside being an avid supporter of smaller, less mainstream companies however, I’m mildly ignorant of the differences between these other major string libraries. To me, it feels always akin to comparing mineral waters.

I think it mostly comes down to what sounds good. Articulations are a good factor. The arranger in me would like LASS simply for the ability to do party righting and have it sound “correct.”

slamblood said

Hey ! Didnt know about Berlin strings ! Just godness sound, will definately acquire that library.



My list of libraries:

Cinematic Strings

My main library, easy options and easy to work with


Monster Stacattos

Using sometimes, depending on a track. Strong, powerful sound


LASS

Mostly my working library, love its articulations and feeling of “live” strings


PocketBlakus - Emotional Cello

Unreal realistic sound, but very characteric. Using rarely.


Albion, Loegria

Always using like a low freq subtle parts, very warm, smooth and good addition to your live sounds strings


Symphobia

Using this library sometimes, not often. Depending on a mood of composition hard, because this library has its own character.


Cinestrings Core

Using quite often, also very good library


8DIO Solo Studio Violin

Still didnt get to this one :smiley:


Embertone Friedlander Violin

Very nice realistic sound with very low octave, sounding more like viola. Again, due to its character, using rarely, when composition must be build around the vioin.


Symphonic String Collection: Basses, Cellos

Sometimes, when i need to achieve some feelings of smooth and lite composition and when other libraries couldnt give me such.


Sonart Audio Venice Instruments OrchestraStrings

Very rarely. I used to.

That’s quite a collection my friend.

One thing I forgot to mention is the DRM. I’m not sure which library requires you to have an ILok (East West Probably) but I’ve had horrible experiences with ILok. Mine broke after about a year (just started flashing) and Ilok wanted me to send it in and pay $120 for replacement/transfer my authorization - what a JIP! My Steinberg USB dongle has been working fine for years.

Sounds like everyone digs the Cinestrings. Could probably afford some Hollywood strings at this point too if it wasn’t for the aforementioned issues.

I use:

Cinematic Strings 2 which is okay for the initial attacks to cut through a mix

I blend Omnisphere “Adagio Warm Transparent Strings” low in a mix to fatten the string section

Symphobia 1 & 2 for string effects

8DIO Black Edition for individual and section strings when internally stacked with it’s varying articulations and the Omnisphere patch mentioned above sound monster big.

I have also discovered on QL Gypsy a most expressive solo violin - not orchestral but an amazing character rich instrument.

Project sam orchestral essentials
Sonokinetic Decapo

I’ve been looking at adding something new to my collection as well. I still use EWSO Gold (as part of the Complete Composers Collecition) and often layer it with the Cinematic Strings Monster Staccatos freebie, Blakus freebies, Kontakt factory library and Omnisphere.

I think I might get Albion or OE. I really want em all. Haha. Cinematic Strings 2, Lass, Cinestrings, you name it but I have to be a realist.

I use the Albion series together with Lass lite and Omnisphere.

I’m using LASS and Cinematic Strings

Also using LASS, and have Native Instruments Action Strings, which is frustratingly underwhelming by their usual high standards. Not tried Omnisphere as I thought it was more of a synth. Is it realistic?

GoMusic said

Also using LASS, and have Native Instruments Action Strings, which is frustratingly underwhelming by their usual high standards. Not tried Omnisphere as I thought it was more of a synth. Is it realistic?

It’s a synth and not realistic but it’s great as a filler when layered with a realistic sound. Of course not really applicable if you’re working with purely orchestral pieces. It won’t sound natural. Although Omnisphere is a great synth to use in hybrid orchestral music.

I find myself using Symphobia and LASS most of the time.

GoMusic said

Also using LASS, and have Native Instruments Action Strings, which is frustratingly underwhelming by their usual high standards. Not tried Omnisphere as I thought it was more of a synth. Is it realistic?

Action strings always seemed like a mix bag to me. All those pre-recorded phrases seem like a nice idea, but in practice they seem like they’d get old after awhile.

I hope now that Reason update the sdk in the new 7.1 version to be able to get some of that libraries inside it…

Cinematic Strings 2 got a new price: $399.00. From what I hear it is a very good library.

I personally use LASS (incl. LA Sordinos), Symphobia 1 and the Albion range. I often blend Action Strings and Minimal underneath to give it some "movement