Best string library ? Garritan ?

Spirit · Post by **Spirit** » Tue Jul 01, 2003 10:24 am

I'm looking to buy a good strings library.

The best at the cheap end looks like Sonic Reality's Symphonic Strings for US$99. But I think I'd like something a little better...

So what I'm looking at is the Garritan Strings (Akai version) for US$299. (Is it US$200 better though ?)

Does anyone have experience with Garritan Strings (Akai), or perhaps recommend something else in the same sort of price range ?

thanks for any replies...

Thalamus · Post by **Thalamus** » Tue Jul 22, 2003 2:51 pm

I've borroved the Garritan (giga) for a session once, and no doubt its pretty much the ÜBERstring library for orchestor ensembles. It has near all the timbres available.

Over the time I tried many strings labraries, Miroslav, Sonic Implants, Garritan, Vienna. I liked the Vienna best myself. It's closed miked, so you add your own ambience, and the sound is so silky. The Garritan is more edgy, and sounds absolutely brilliant on fx rock music.

I have a recent magazine running through all those string labraries, I'll catch up when I return home, it's good reading.

kensuguro · Post by **kensuguro** » Wed Jul 23, 2003 7:33 am

Thalamus, how's Garritan different from VSL in terms of learning to harness the thing? I understand Garritan has special software to assist you in playing the patches. How does VSL accomplish this?

Also, did you buy VSL strings? performance set? Which package are you using?

What ever it is, I'm looking for a package that does not require too much MIDI programming cuz I was never a MIDI editing maniac. Something realitme controllable. Maybe sound quality comes second. What's the deal?

mr swim · Post by **mr swim** » Wed Jul 23, 2003 8:48 am

As I understand it, the great thing about the VSL libraries is that they are heavily velocity-layered . . . so play the key gently and you get a quietly played violin, whack it, and the violin whacks too. Also I take it that in the gigasampler, you can set parameters such as tremolo on aftertouch etc, so there really is quite a lot you can pull out of it in real time. Obviously the nuances of something right up in the mix will need more fiddling - or an actual fiddle (

). Still, I'd LOVE LOVE LOVE to have VSL. It looks astounding.

Will.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: mr swim on 2003-07-23 09:49 ]</font>

eliam · Post by **eliam** » Wed Jul 23, 2003 10:52 am

Ken, if you want to investigate more, you may go on vsl forums, there you'll read plenty of discussions of people who own the thing. There seem to be a few issues with vsl (no loops), but most of the demos I heard were nice and people seem happy with it.
http://vsl.co.at/index?
You might also want to check the
http://www.northernsounds.com forums.
Lots of stuff there too, lots of arguing too, so one might want to sift through. Garritan has a forum there and replies readily.

Thalamus · Post by **Thalamus** » Sun Aug 10, 2003 11:23 am

Sorry for being a little late for my reply.

In the May 2003 issue of Electronic Musician, there's a big article called "In the search of...The ultimate string ensemble" by Rob Shrock, which is very good and comprehensive.

They ends up with Garritan, Symphonic String Collection (sonic implants) and Vienna as the state af art for the time being. But the smaller libraries, like Prosonus Orchestral Collection, Miroslav and Denny Jeager are still very good and has their uses.

Spirit · Post by **Spirit** » Sun Aug 17, 2003 12:14 pm

Ended up with Garritan. Very good, but Kontakt has some major problems opening the programs. Frustrating. That sampler is way short of NI's breathless hype.

Of course they all open fine in the STS3000 !