I've been loving VSL as a demo listener, then I recently decided to actually spend my budget to form a nice, solid library of my own.
I already decided that I'm going to buy the Wind bundle Extended and Appasionata Strings Extended bundle , but I'm having a very tough time deciding for the String (regular orchestral strings section) and percussion libraries. I know many would suggest to hear the demos on Youtube or elsewhere, but this did not work for me, because my intention of using virtual libraries are exclusively for classical music, whereas other companies' demos focus more on "epic" cinematic (or movie soundtrack) sounds. Thus I found VSL demos really helpful, since they have bunch of classical music demos. Not to mention that my type of writing really reflect on Stravinsky's ballet music, especially Firebird, and how amazing it was to hear the demo of this piece! I already know that I love VSL sounds. I just wanted to ask about other string libraries such as LASS or Spitfire, so I have more sense of what other string libraries have to offer in contrast to VSL. Also, I thought that everything great in Firebird or Rite of Spring's demo, except I found the percussion sounds didn't stick out too much. I love to have good explosive moments with burst of energy in Percussion from timpani, bass drum, gong and such, but the demos didn't quite show that. It's kind of hard to express in words.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgEvco07TWw 1:20:18 Something like that.
I would like to hear some experiences with other percussion libraries that can match up to something I said, or is VSL percussion capable of doing it? Of course, I can't make a judgement out of hearing demos, as I know how great VSL is already.
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Trouble with getting the right string/percussion libraries.
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@FireDance said:
... I love to have good explosive moments with burst of energy in Percussion from timpani, bass drum, gong and such, but the demos didn't quite show that. It's kind of hard to express in words."I can highly recommend the VSL-Percussion Library"
Hi and welcome in the Family of VSL
VSL-Percussion instruments are recorded dry and crispy as well. We know it from all other libraries. Most of the mallet instruments are recorded with felt, wood or plastic mallets. In case of the Timpanis for example you get two types: The Timpani as we used to have it nowadays and a baroque one with wood mallets (Example1). I always was able to realize what I wanted to do with this percussion library. Because of the dry sound you will be able to get any explosive sound you want to have. Of course it depends on the use of the right effects combined with the correct articulations (Example2 - listen the end of the example for percussion sounds. Mixed in 2007 - would be "more explosive" today... because of even more experience in mixing samples).
All the best
Beat
- Tips & Tricks while using Samples of VSL.. see at: https://www.beat-kaufmann.com/vitutorials/ - Tutorial "Mixing an Orchestra": https://www.beat-kaufmann.com/mixing-an-orchestra/ -
I agree that VI would be a much better place to ask something like this. But, I'll say that even though I love everything VSL, LASS and CinePerc might be a good addition to your VSL collection. CinePerc is big and has a lot of low end (LFE channel on bass drums). LASS is similar to VSL strings in that they're recorded dry, but they have a little room sound to them, have great and easy to use legato, and blend well with VSL libs. Some people will take something like Albion I, which has a very baked in room sound, and use the ambient mics to overlay it to the VSL strings.
That being said, head on over to VI and see what your friends there think.
Regards, Steve Steele https://www.stevesteele.com -
Definitely not the best place to get advice for non-VSL stuff. Keeping things within the VSL family, if you're already thinking of going with Appassionata, Dimension Strings might be your best complimentary library to get the best of a large ensemble and a small ensemble and everything in between. I don't own VSL's percussion, but I can't imagine that they wouldn't have a good set of gong and cymbal samples, as used in your video. With VSL's dry sampling you should be able to do whatever you need with it. Here's an interesting demo of their percussion http://www.vsl.co.at/Player2.aspx?Lang=1&DemoID=4794
VSL's woodwinds are definitely the absolute best for orchestral music, and that's an opinion you'll find reflected pretty much everywhere else, from VI-Control onward.
As for LASS, it is an amazing library, but if you're going with Appassionata you might be overloaded with big-sounding strings. I'd suggest going with DS plus either of those two large-sounding libraries.
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Hi,
Reverb is probably the most important thing to consider (besides proper EQ and compression adjustment, of course) when you want to sound big. If possible, try to listen to CinePerc in dry (or close ?) position without any room/tail ! You'll see that other companies do not have "bigger" percussions, the just sell them with baked verb. But don't even try to get a decent sounding mock-up of smaller pieces like, for example, Bartok's sonata for 2 pianos and percussion, with these.
About the strings, Casquire is right, Appassionata Strings will already give you a large-sounding string section. Adding an other big string library won't bring you as much as the realistic detail of Dimension Strings (or other). I use, almost everyday, the combination of Dimension Strings with Appassionata (the Epic Orchestra version only) and, I manage to get in one of these libraries what I miss in the other one.
