Best sample set for strings?
 

I'm looking to buy some realistic, extensive and expressive samples for strings:

- Violin, viola, cello and bass samples
- Solo performances (not ensemble/orchestra)
- Multi-sampled (same as how a good drum kit has soft > hard hits)
- Completely dry recording (I'll add my own reverb, delay, etc.)
- Preferably with a "no vibrato" option (I'll add it via pitch shift so it matches tempo)

So far, I've seen lots of orchestra stuff, but nothing for solo instruments. Any suggestions?

And please, save the "Just hire real musicians" crap. I would if I could, but I can't, so I shan't

Thanks!

Re: Best sample set for strings?
 

www.garritan.com

Garritan Personal Orchestra sounds good to me.

Re: Best sample set for strings?
 

Seems to be all orchestral samples, not solo instruments...

Re: Best sample set for strings?
 

No, there are solo samples for everything.

Re: Best sample set for strings?
 

Really? Interesting...

Thanks for the info!

Re: Best sample set for strings?
 

This is correct, go here:

http://www.garritan.com/audition/

"Listen to a violin in a musical passage" an option in the violin section...for example.

Take Care,
Gene

Re: Best sample set for strings?
 

O.K. here's one.... Garritan is awesome, but I've read it's hard to run in PTLE.
Here's a really good one.
The Silver as you'll see is the entry level one. Plus it comes with some -Voices Of The Apocalypse- samples!!!!
Actually picking it up next week!
Reasons' Orkestral strings isn't that bad. Is it....

Re: Best sample set for strings?
 

I have Garritan, it's an RTAS plugin, uses the NI player, I don't see how it's any harder to use than EWQL, which also uses a similar NI player.

Full disclosure: so far, I've only used GPO on my Windows PTLE system.

Re: Best sample set for strings?
 

There are definitely solo instruments. I wrote this piece below with GPO and it uses Solo Violin, Solo English Horn, Solo French Horn and Solo Piccolo Trumpet.

http://www.hopkinsmusic.com/Space%20Aria%202.mp3

There is a very well documented problem with the current GPO Kontakt player and if you are using it as an RTAS within Pro Tools it functions at about 30% of what people using Sonar on PC are getting.

I have been using GPO in PT (RTAS) on my Mac and confer that it really taxes your CPU. I can get no more than about 8 dry voices going at the same time before I get a nasty CPU spike that crashes my session.

PC users claim over 30 voices with reverb.

Gary Garritan has said there is a new version coming out that may improve things on Mac, but it may be a while. Digital Performer and Logic uses claim better performance but still not as good as PC. Sonar seems to be what most people use it with according to a recent poll on their website.

Re: Best sample set for strings?
 

dubaifox

That sounded really good, great job!

May I ask how long it took to do that? Other than the solos you mentioned, how do you get all those other instruments to do what you want, including the voice? How many other instruments/sections do you have to "play"? Just trying to get a feel how one goes abuot building orchestral arrangements and perfromances using GPO.

Thanks Lauren