strings and horns sample library for pop/rock

[munmun]

Chris Heins Horns.

[mrhudson]

I was going to mention the VSL download editions, which I have been listening to, thinking about getting. Apparently recorded fairly closely and dry. If you get the standard and extended string downloads, you get solo, chamber, ensemble, etc.. - not a user yet, but looking at those myself. Curious what other suggestions you get......

[munmun]

Is the VSL dowload you are referring to the standard edition? Any good for pop and rock?

[mrhudson]

There's the standard and extended edition for download - located under the special editions section of their website (special editions download collections). 195 euros for the standard (solo and ensemble) and then 135 euros for the extended set, which gives you chamber and appassionata strings. Fewer articulations, but I doubt I'd get into the other articulations. Nice to get the solo instruments.

I haven't bought yet, would love opinions on this, but just one option I was looking at, in case the OP was curious. Would be curious about alternatives in the sub-$500 range. I suspect the realism attained with this would depend on how well one setup midi control using their software.

[DaVinci]

I've asked this q a few times on here...


... still no feedback from anyone using mojo for horns.

Miroslav is working ok for strings... has flexability if you know how to do some arranging, and can put together a good blend. I've gotten decent results for disco type strings... but definitely not a quick fix for instant pop string sound.

[utters]

LA Scoring Strings is the best string library for pop/rock by FAR

legato patches are super easy to play and sound great

[DaVinci]

Originally Posted by Utters

LA Scoring Strings is the best string library for pop/rock by FAR

legato patches are super easy to play and sound great

I've heard that before, but I tend to do more 16th note runs.... and some stacatto stuff...how is it for something more along the lines of that old funky 5th of bethoven track?

[munmun]

I will vouch for VSL strings. Surprisingly I find the standard orchestral strings best for rock and pop because they sound most natural. The appasionatas can be a little hollywoodish.

[DaVinci]

Well, VSL is already on the someday list for me, along with LASS, but I do have strings covered at least passably for now... Struggle regularly with horns tho...

very interested in any feedback from anyone who's tried mojo. Haven't had the chance to do Chris Hein yet either...

Need crisp, funky stabs and convincing swells for stripped down Tower of Power to Kool and the Gang type party music vibe. All in one sound is great, but would also like good kit to put together basic arrangements.

Oh, and do any of the string or horn libraries take advantage of scripting the way that something like scarbee bass does where , for instance, if I'm in the middle of 16th note runs, it will change up the sound because it's in close proximity to another, or anything like that?

[dambro2]

Loving Mojo. It takes a little work, there are no "brass ensemble" patches. You have to actually arrange the horns but they sound great.

[DaVinci]

Originally Posted by dambro2

Loving Mojo. It takes a little work, there are no "brass ensemble" patches. You have to actually arrange the horns but they sound great.

got anything you can post... little snippett with horns perhaps?

I don't mind doing the arrangement so long as the payoff is there... right now, I'm doing all the work and still being disappointed... ditched horns alltogether a few times because they just weren't cutting it.

[newyorkbrass]

Then again, why not consider live horns/strings? I am not pimping us (ok I am) but maybe u have some local horny horns at school or whatnot that would be glad to blow a little...

[robertshaw]

I don't think anything beats vsl for price/performance.
They actually have a library called 'Special Edition '
or something like that , that lib has strings and horns for $400 or so.
I have the solo and chamber string libraries. I'm not going to say they
are the best I've heard, but for the price they are the best

if you have unlimited budget there may be something better

[dambro2]

The VSL Special Edition is great for "legit" sounds, but not for pop stuff.

To the NY Brass, I wish I could use local players. I've tried several times and even the top guys in town sometimes have trouble with what I need them to do. My client's budgets aren't usually large enough to support (nor should they) hand holding the brass players through a session to help them get it right.

I'll try to post some MOJO. I haven't had it too long, I've just been experimenting with it.

[CubeCity]

I used a combination of Sample Modeling's Trumpet and the Synful Orchestra horns for this.

Check out "Scarlet":

SoundClick artist: CubeCity - film soundtracks

Both the Trumpet and Synful are highly tweakable, if you willing to work at it. Synful's solo violin is also excellent.

Neither intruments take up much hard disk space. The Trumpet does eat up processing power, though.

I'm saving up to buy the Sax Brothers.

[rcb4t2]

Interested in finding some decent sounding horns (besides the ones parading down the street every other day here...) as well as some disco-vibe strings. Just a tip on the east west stuff patches tend to default to stage mics, but if you use only the "solo" (close) mics it gets way less ambient - between that and the envelope section you can get pretty punchy if you need to. I glossed over those two tips for a while before I realized they make a big diff - esp the envelope. ("duh", I now think to myself)

[newyorkbrass]

you can also download our samples...

[mistervenable]

Originally Posted by Utters

LA Scoring Strings is the best string library for pop/rock by FAR

legato patches are super easy to play and sound great

I agree... best string samples I've every used.

[injasonbow]

thanks for the advice guys. the vienna stuff sounds awesome. i like the sound of all the legato and portamento patches in particular. it seems they will take a lot more progamming work to sound perfect but i think it will be worth it. it seems LASS samples are a bit too symphonic for what i need (and prretty expensive

does anyone own any solo brass stuff/percussion stuff by vienna.. ? what are your thoughts?

[newyorkbrass]

For 90->120 an hour per instrument you can solo up a ginormous amount of songs - like 3-5 songs with live violin and brass. Why not explore this route? You record the midi overall, untill u r satisfied and then then export the notes - and overdub the solos. This is what we did in this song:

http://download.newyorkbrass.com/amit/bizet-VIOLIN.mp3

That is live violin + live brass over MIDI violin and MIDI woodwinds and MIDI brass/percussion.

Just an idea.

[CubeCity]

See attached file:

Trumpet is Samplemodelling.

Violin in Synful Orchestra (IMO a highly underrated virtual instrument)

Viola is IK Multimedia sampletank (group buy in progress)

Cello is Steinberg's HALion Symponic orchestra


I think Samplemodelling's stuff sounds ridiculously great, but it's processor and RAM hungry.

I love Synful; much less computing power needed, but the learning curve is high. I don't often get a great sound right off the bat; but you can do amazing tweaks. (Eg. Too much or not enough bow noise? Dial it up or down, or change it on the fly)

I found viola legato and staccato samples when browsing through all the SampleTank2 sounds I got for dirt cheap in a group buy that's going on right now at IKMultimedia. This is my easiest to use and least expensive sampler. More of a rock and roll vibe.

HALion's solo cello is very expressive IMO, but again, it chews up RAM.

Hope this helps.

[CubeCity]

Here's another one with trumpet and violin solos.
Trumpet is Sample Modelling.
Violin is Synful orchestra.
Backing horns are also Synful.