Best orchestral sampling for around $150?

Yes, Intel Mac needs Kontakt. Kontakt and Kompakt, initially don't have many differences, if I may say so. Of course Kontakt can be hugely more complicated, since it's a sampler and not a player, but at the basic level it's a little bit the same.

You should google "midi" and learn a little bit before buying anything however. As for Sibelius, I'm not 100% sure that it will work well with EWQLSO. Maybe you should wait for Sibelius users to chime in on this.

Originally Posted by nikolas

Yes, Intel Mac needs Kontakt. Kontakt and Kompakt, initially don't have many differences, if I may say so. Of course Kontakt can be hugely more complicated, since it's a sampler and not a player, but at the basic level it's a little bit the same.

You should google "midi" and learn a little bit before buying anything however. As for Sibelius, I'm not 100% sure that it will work well with EWQLSO. Maybe you should wait for Sibelius users to chime in on this.

Good idea! I'll probably ask around on the Sibelius forums tomorrow also. Can't wait for Sibelius to be delivered tomorrow so I can hopefully post my first piece on here!

I know this an old topic, but I want to readdress it for a second. When buying software or hardware, it is of my opinion that you should buy the best you can possibly buy. I think this way because if you buy the low end product, find out that it doesn't do everything you need it to do, you'll need to make a new invest to get the better product anyway, but with less funds.

Save your money and get the best that you will need or the best out there. Make sure to read the manual! Make sure to actually learn your tool! Make sure you get ever dime out of your program and become a master.

expensive isn't necessarily the best. sometimes you don't want the best, especially when you're just starting out, you'd rather have something that doesn't hold your creativity back , so you wouldn't have to deal with (or even have the options in the first place) parameters for mic positions, release trails, amplitude envelopes, filters, etc. etc. you'd rather have it sound good straight away and be user-friendly.

I'm thinking about getting EWQLSO silver, but they don't have silver xp available, does anybody know why?/

Hadn't noticed... brrr...

Originally Posted by robertn

expensive isn't necessarily the best. sometimes you don't want the best, especially when you're just starting out, you'd rather have something that doesn't hold your creativity back , so you wouldn't have to deal with (or even have the options in the first place) parameters for mic positions, release trails, amplitude envelopes, filters, etc. etc. you'd rather have it sound good straight away and be user-friendly.

You're right expensive isn't necessarily the best, thus I didn't say buy the most expensive product there is. However, often times people go for the cheapest and then find, it doesn't do what they need it to do. I simply feel it is important to find the best product for you and not settle for something cheaper.

Originally Posted by Reth

I'm thinking about getting EWQLSO silver, but they don't have silver xp available, does anybody know why?/

No idea, but Silver is enough. Trust me

How can you say that something is "enough"?

I have bought GPO, because I wasn't satisfied with the sibelius sounds anymore. They were better than midi anyway, true, but still I wanted more.

And now that I've composed quite some using those sounds, I find that still I lack many instrumental samples I would Like to use!!

But to expand it further, I would have to buy Sibelius 5, the sound libraries of choice, and maybe even a computer (I only have laptops at the moment, and they're surely not best to get those programs running...)

So, what I want to say by this, is that, if you get more, you still want more....

(I would get all those things if I really NEEDED it, or if I could AFFORD it!!)

Originally Posted by blueygh2

How can you say that something is "enough"?

Because you don't buy things becasue you fancy them simply. you don't go about "OH! This VSL looks great! Here's $12,000!" You have to think on what you need, what your clients need, what your projects need. I mean if all you want to write is solo piano music, what good is an orchestral package?

Then you have to make the maths. You don't spend money with no hopes of making them back, on way or another. This means that you either could be a student (towards a degree), you take advantage of the student discount and give yourself a few years to "make back" the money. The other is being a professional. I don't have anything ethnic or world as far as sample libraries go. I don't plan on buying and I don't like this kind of stuff to be honest. Still I won't say no to a gig which needs such instruments. I'll go out and buy it. and certainly my fees will cover the expenses. This is hw I've built what I have thus far...