Which string library is the best? Help!

[Gate 13]

What is the best library (in terms of realistic sounds, articulations etc) between the following 4?
1) EWQLSO Symphonic orchestra gold edition (hollywood strings are out of my budget!)
2) LASS strings
3) VSL strings
4)Kontakt 4 strings
5)Any other library suggestion?

I don't mention symphobia because they don't have individual strings but only ensembles)
Please advise

I forgot to mention that I own the kontakt 4 library and the EWQLSO gold edition ORCHESTRA...
So here is another question....is anyone here has the EWQlSO and the LASS or VSL stings so that he can help me ....
I mean, is VSL or LASS that much better THAN EWQLSO STRINGS?
Thanks

[bricker]

My vote is for LASS. It's a really damn good library - the only one that can produce convincing fast, legato string passages, and its legato at any speed is really good.

I would say that Kontakt is definitely out for "best", and VSL, while good, is only okay compared to LASS in how "real" it sounds. Of course, for the same price as LASS (which is just strings), you also get a full orchestra with VSL.

[mhschmieder]

Depends on what you're looking for, and how much variety you need.

My personal favourite is VSL Chamber Strings, but I HATE HATE HATE the Hollywood approach (reinforced by the worst movie I've seen in a decade, "Battle: Los Angeles").

I layer Chamber Strings with Solo Strings and occasionally Appassionata. I also make sure to have at least one variant articulation between the members of the string section in cases where they are otherwise playing rhythmic unison (whether simplified in the lower parts or not). But I am by no means an A-level MIDI programmer when it comes to strings.

I really hope LASS improves on future releases, as I love the programming aspect and having True Divisi. I simply don't like the timbre of their demos, or the phrasing. But I hold out hope for them, and check now and then for newer demos from other people. Just my personal taste though -- it's obviously a very good library, as is EWQL Hollywood Strings.

The VSL route is way more expensive, no question.

I recommend you IMMEDIATELY buy the $15 no-brainer deal at audiomidi.com for the light edition of Miroslav Philharmonik and get some idea of what it is like to work with a well-recorded string library, to help inform what you would want in a better library.

[daniel.sneed]

[...]I recommend you IMMEDIATELY buy the $15 no-brainer deal at audiomidi.com for the light edition of Miroslav Philharmonik and get some idea of what it is like to work with a well-recorded string library, to help inform what you would want in a better library.

Done! Thanks for sharing!

[jloeb]

but I HATE HATE HATE the Hollywood approach

+++
Finally, someone says it out loud!!

Good recommendations all around. Especially to jump on that Miroslav library and get some experience on the cheap before going further.

The question requires you to answer questions of yourself: How much do you have to spend on this? What types of music will you be making and what styles of play and types of ensembles will you rely on? Do you want to spend the full amount on getting the best strings possible, or do you need representation of a full orchestra?

I use EWQLSO Plat, LASS full & VSL Solo Strings I&II (and Synful for certain brass & woodwinds). LASS & VSL are definitely "better" in the sense that they are more flexible in the styles of play you can convincingly pull off. They are newer libraries. For some things, Platinum is fast to use and still can work - typically not where you are directing the listener's full attention to the strings themselves though.

IF money were no object - at all - then VSL (the full Pro versions, not Special Edition) would be the way I'd go. Some people complained about stylistic limitations or coldness to VSL SS; I, for whatever reasons, just don't hear that and with the solo strings at least, have been able to make them fit whatever niche I need quite well. VSL has the most varied collection of playing styles and a very up-front sound when untreated.

The best "overall value" (if you are looking for strings exclusively and you already own Kontakt 4) is probably LASS - it's quite flexible in that it lets you vary the ensemble size significantly from solo to small ensembles to full sections to divisi thereof. Playing styles are not completely exhaustive like VSL, but it definitely will handle most of what you need.

If you need whole orchestras inexpensively, there are VSL SE, EWQL Platinum/Gold etc, or more exotic combinations that you can assemble yourself from the many products available out there.

Google this topic on the boards, if you have a lot of time to read: this is one of the most discussed topics on the musical internets (besides analog summing and audio bitrate ) And listen, listen, listen to demos.

[Gate 13]

Great tips...thanks everyone...I already ordered miroslav for $15...I doubt though it will be that worthy...but a software plugin for that little money is definitely a no brainer deal!

My last question, Lass lite means it does not have the divisi and the first chair but everything else is the same, right? or maybe the full edition uses 3 mic posiitons like EWQLSO and not one?
thanks

[jloeb]

There are no mic positions in LASS that differ with respect to the same players, i.e., the full section patches are simply mixes of the individual divisi patches; this is what allows you to switch back and forth between them and have it sound coherent. There's no close/stage/omni miking scheme like in certain other products; it's all close-miked with early reflections so that you can situate them with late reflections (if any) in a chamber size that suits your purposes.

LASS Lite has only full section patches; no divisi and no first chair.

[mhschmieder]

Thanks for clarifying that, as I was considering LASS Lite.

I need to find a way to "fake" divisi and first chair in my scores. I've been doing it so far by mixing EWQLSO Platinum. I've also printed out some hints from magazines and forums that I hope to review very soon (before completing an operatic overture that I started last month and which is due on 1 April).

Anyway, that's probably beyond the needs of the OP, but it is good to keep these longer-term needs in mind when putting out an initial outlay of cash.

[mhschmieder]

Oh, and sorry for any confusion it may be causing that jloeb and I -- both from SF Bay Area -- have the same avatar.

I chose it because one of my projects is called Moonlife (a synth-pop band). It was the only obvious choice, really.

Anyway, I know it sometimes gets confusing when we're both posting in sequence to the same thread.

[jloeb]

I chose it (first!!!!! ) because I adore Ligeti and the avatar reminds me of a certain well-known film scene in which his music figures prominently...

One can never have too many Bay area residents and views of planetoids.

[Shooshie]

I'm a great fan of the violin and cello, and all the strings, for that matter, but I'm not very competent at programming them. I prefer something that is smart enough to do the articulations I put into it in my playing… like the violin, for example. But since a violin does not an orchestra make (and it's doubtful I could make it even if it could) I use VSL strings, which have a very intelligent interface into which you can program realistic switches to different articulations when you play certain loudnesses, note lengths, ranges, attacks, or whatever.

That said, I LOVE the demos for the LASS. I'd like to get hold of it myself. I think I might be able to make realistic strings with that.

I just bought the Miroslav "no brainer" deal, and after much wrangling with missing instructions I finally got it working. It's not the perfect thing in regard to flexibility with articulations, but it is VERY WELL recorded. I think I can get some good out of it.

I have experience with a lot of the cheap strings, as I was a long time working up to VSL -- thinking I could make cheaper strings sound great just by being careful with my musicianship. That may be true to a small extent, but nothing can really make up for the care that goes into the creation of a Virtual Instrument, and that includes the interface and programming that allows for smooth, seamless keyswitching. You're best off getting the best sooner than later.

However, I think the Garritan GPO is the best of the cheap orchestras. I mean, it's quite good, really. I've heard our own DPDan's incredible orchestral recordings with it, and they compare favorably to those demos over at VSL. I wouldn't waste my time with MOTU Symphonic Instrument, though it does have some interesting instruments in it. Sadly many of the instruments in MSI are half-baked with very limited ranges, bad notes, and such, and the programming leaves a lot to be desired.

I've heard not-so-good things about East West Quantum Leap Orchestra. The samples are apparently first-rate. It's capable of great things. The problems I hear are always technical, as in crashing, or buggy. For goodness sake, do yourself a favor and don't waste time with something that crashes a lot. If someone has other experience with EWQLO, please correct me, as I don't own it; I'm just perpetuating the rumors. But I've heard it so many times from so many people who are folks I actually trust, that I really wouldn't consider it myself.

There are a lot of old string bundles you can get cheaply now, and Mach Five 2 will run them. That's the old way of running samples, using a universal sampler. It's not the easy way, I can tell you for sure. Let the creator of the samples do the hard work for you, like identifying which samples are staccato, legato, and so forth, and by providing built-in keyswitching rather than making you program your own. Of course, if you just love playing around with this stuff, and you want infinite control over things on the sample level, then Mach Five 2 is the one for you. You can fill it up with a gazillion sounds from the bargain bins, cheaply.

My vote clearly goes to VSL with a virtual vote for LASS since I don't actually use it, and I think Mirsoslav is going to fill in some gaps for me. I've used the old Miroslav (I have two old versions of it, at least) but it was hard to use in Mach Five. Using the new Miroslav in its own interface will be much less challenging.

Shooshie

[Shooshie]

I chose it (first!!!!! ) because I adore Ligeti and the avatar reminds me of a certain well-known film scene in which his music figures prominently...

And a monolithic scene it was!

[timriley]

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[mhschmieder]

Oh -- that's different than the near-to-$1000 group buy I saw recently for the full Dan Dean library set!

Hmm, might be worth looking into this one, for the solo strings. You know, mix and match and layer and all that, to get as much expression as possible from sample libraries.

[jloeb]

I chose it (first!!!!! ) because I adore Ligeti and the avatar reminds me of a certain well-known film scene in which his music figures prominently...

And a monolithic scene it was!

<AUDIENCE:> Grroaaaaaaaaannnnnn...