Orchestral Soft Synths As Of Spring 2012

[DaddyO]

I may stumble into a little bit of money shortly, so I am beginning to look at moving from my fairly budget library (GPO4) to another orchestral library, that or supplement it. I'd like to solicit opinions on the lay of the land as of spring 2012, and I'm interested in any comments the denizens of this forum have regarding them.

I would like to stay in the ballpark of $500 if at all possible for whatever library I might buy. I can move the ballpark fences in our out some, but I cannot double it.

Also, I am beginning to thing seriously about investing in separate libraries for each instrument family instead of a complete orchestral library, starting with strings. On that note I am wondering what people think of the new Cinematic Strings 2.0 (currently right at my price point) and the upcoming Adagio by 8dio.

One particular goal I have with any library is to be able to capture a fairly full range of orchestral expression and sound, not just the current Hollywood cinema craze. So I'm wondering if, for example, Cinematic Strings (or Hollywood Strings) have this capability despite their name, or if there is some library more suitable.

Also, I would really like to avoid getting too bogged down in controllers and settings, though I know they are a necessary part of synthetic orchestral composition. It seems to me some of the newer libraries are trying to make this a more achievable goal. Out of the box good sound is preferred. I can tweak it from there.

Yes I can, have, and will look at demos. But if you have some knowledge of current orchestral soft synths I value your input. I do not want to narrow the focus of your responses, so feel free to comment in whatever fashion suits you.

I tried to figure out which sub-forum would be best for this post, but I could not find one that seemed appropriate. Moderators, I won't mind a bit if you see fit to move this post to the most appropriate sub-forum.

[wcreed51]

If you're working with Notion, you really want to stick with libraries that Notions suports directly without needing to write extinsive custom performace rules.

That gives you two choices: EWQLSO (often on sale from half price), and VSL SE. Both do pretty well at covering all the bases at the price point you've mentioned.

[DaddyO]

Well, I have in mind to work initially in Notion for score composition (Notion is SO good in that regard), then take that and use Sonar for actual production sounds. That way I don't have to limit myself to libraries compatible with Notion.

You mention EWQL and Vienna, of course those two are already compatible with Notion and I think sound better out of the box than my GPO4. I have had to put off a pondered purchase of EWQL until now, but now that the time may be getting near when I can act I'm wondering if "tried and true" EWQL is getting a bit dated, and I'm intrigued by some of the newer options.

Since the only available demos are pre-packaged audio productions instead of a chance to put the libraries through the paces for yourself, it makes input from hands-on users extremely important when weighing options.
That and videos either on company websites or YouTube.

In the end, I very well could end up going the route you suggest, but I want to consider my options carefully, since my chances to purchase are quite limited.

[wcreed51]

While EWQLSO is a bit long in the tooth, it's still well regarded and widely used. Sometimes if on sale for 50-60% off, which is a great opportunity.

What sort of music do you write? That could be helpful in making suggestions.

Another great resource is the "Sample Talk" section of the VI Control forum, where there are many conversations on this very topic.

http://vi-control.net/forum/index.php

[DaddyO]

First of all, thanks for the heads up about the VI Control forum. I was not familiar with that at all. I checked it out and it looks like a good resource.

Second, I primarily work on classical style hymn arrangments. They run the gamut of classical styles, some epic, some subtle, and plenty in between.

Thanks for your feedback.