The Most Beautiful, Realistic Instruments

What software do you think has the most beautiful and realistic orchestrial, drum, and chorus instruments?

EWQL Symphonic Platinum Pro XP

Vienna Symphonic's full line

EWQL StormDrum/StormDrum 2

SAM TrueStrike/TrueStrike 2

EWQL Symphonic Choirs

You can buy a car for the price of all those libraries though; it's expensive stuff.

EWQL Symphonic Platinum Pro XP

Vienna Symphonic's full line

EWQL StormDrum/StormDrum 2

SAM TrueStrike/TrueStrike 2

EWQL Symphonic Choirs

You can buy a car for the price of all those libraries though; it's expensive stuff.

Yeah EWQL is pricey as hell.

My friend uses Garriton Orchestra and Garrition jazz, they're both pretty good.

My friend uses Garriton Orchestra and Garrition jazz, they're both pretty good.

*GARRITAN

I'm sorry. Looking at it was painful.

I use EWQL silver. I got it... for free... because my mom is... the tooth fairy. It's excellent for chamber ensembles and medium sized orchestras, and the sound is purdy.

best?

OUch!

VSL and EW are pretty much at the same level (talking about VI and platinum here).

Then Sam Brass is extra good, but westgate studios french horns rocks the earth (and btw, cgempire hosts a competition with a prize exactly those horns ;)).

Solo strings is dead on garritan strad and gorfiller! Nothing else beats that!

Choirs are EWQL Symphonic Choirs, but they have limited range so be aware of that...

Piano: Ivory, Pianoteq (which is amazing and was the last sponsor of cgempire competition, btw ;)), Akoustik (NI), and truepianos as well. All are very good. EW will come out with new pianos, which should be pretty good, but at 270 GB of hard disk space required, I'll take my chances with pianoteq/truepianos!

Solo woods: Dan Dean are very good and expressive but very limited in articulations sadly... :)

That's all from me.

Edwin: VSL is usually more expensive than EW... VSL can end up at 10,000$, while Platinum (with xp pro) is around 2000$ atm. Major difference ;)

Just imagine: When you order EWQLSO Platinum Pro XP what will you all get for that? Than i mean, what software, what library's?

I'm lost...

What do you mean?

Wha would you getr instead of Platinum? Or something else?

I'm lost...

What do you mean?

Wha would you getr instead of Platinum? Or something else?

No i mean... Image i order the Platinum version... What is all in that package? I mean you'll get the library's, but does that package also include software, to use those library's? Or do you have do buy that seperatly? And what is the name of the software you'll get

You don't get software, other than Kontakt Player (now discontinued by Native instruments) or something like it. But if you wait a while, they're going to release PLAY to replace Kontakt Player. More info on PLAY

What you do get:

- ~68 GB of high quality 24-bit samples (I think you might need a new hard drive! :P)

You can use any VSTi host to load up the library. Say like Finale. Or you can use a sequencer because most of them have VST support.

Hope I'm not forgetting anything...

Yup you get Kompakt player (not kontakt, with an m), which is a simply a player for EW libraries. Platinum is 68 Gb and another 70 for xp pro. then you get PLAY. More or less what xanic said.

bottom line is that with EW products you don't need a samplers. :P

:P Simple mistake, didn't mean to do that

You don't need a sampler, but you need something to use the samples with.

A good computer helps too

Where is the best place to purchase these samples? It is cheapest to go directly through Eastwest's website, or are there other options that offer discounts, etc? I noticed that Finale users get a discount on GPO software. Is the same true for other samples?

Well...

Depends on where you live probably...

In the states usually SOL (the official EW site) has free shipping for over 200$ buys, so you save that. But then again there is Welcome to Sweetwater.com | Call Us @ 800 222 4700 which makes sales at some points...

In Europe (UK) you also have SOL Europe, but you also get the usual suspects to check out: Untitled Document , Studio Equipment, Pro Audio, Recording Equipment at DV247.COM (I think that's the link, if not forgive me), Sample CD ROMs and Virtual Instruments from Time+Space.

Other countries have other stores to look for. Check them out and decide for yourself which is cheaper...

Hmm, I wish sampling techniques become more organic in the future so you can actually convincingly and conveniently produce slurs and subtle variations in tone. Too bad everyone seems so set on sampling that synthesis simulation is being left in the cold...

Hmm, I wish sampling techniques become more organic in the future so you can actually convincingly and conveniently produce slurs and subtle variations in tone. Too bad everyone seems so set on sampling that synthesis simulation is being left in the cold...

check out the WestGate Modular series.

Not only!

Pianos: Pianoteq , truepianos

Brass: Wivi

Solo Strings: Garritan Strady, Garritan Gofriller, Dan Dean Solo Strings

orchestra: synful

and so on...

Plenty of stuff around to make anyones day ;) (Of course most of the above are only synthesis, or modules, but still the strings are based on samples)

When you Purchase the finale 2007 software does the garritan personal orchestra software comes in the package?

check out the WestGate Modular series.

Hmm, these do sound than the norm for dynamics and expression, though unfortunately it's mostly only woodwinds. Also, does anyone know if there are more synthesizers like this one - Tao - Screenshots, Sounds and Scripts - which exclusively uses physical modelling but produces somewhat convincing sounding instruments (real or imagined)? Unfortunately, the software in the link has seemingly dropped off in development.

Marius nailed it. Those are the top-of-the-line sound libraries covering every field. If you're looking for the ultimate sound library collection, write those down, get about $15,000+ and go have fun!

Almost nailed it, actually; I have to add that SAM's brass is also fantastic, especially in combination with the rest.

I have to say, I'm not a huge fan of the EWQL Symphonic Choirs. For the purposes of this thread, the library is the most beautiful and realistic (especially given the word-builder) choir available but honestly it doesn't come near the sound of an actual choir and has significant range limitations that to anyone who works in choral music (which is to say, actual choral repertoire instead of the cinematic purposes the program is essentially created for) become a huge shortcoming. I'm planning on waiting for a few years until something more versatile appears (which is not to criticize the creators of Symphonic Choirs because for what they were working with and aiming for they did a pretty fantastic job); I hear that Garritan is working on a choir which I'll be looking forward to.

Yes, Gary is working on a choir, for a long time now. Last I heard, he did want to implement some word building plug in.

Now about EWQL Symphonic Choirs. Indeed the ranges (Especially the sopranos, and bass), are a big mess, but as you say, if you are working on more... cinematic music, it does work. Still there is one member in NSS and SOL forums whose works are undenyably amazing! Try to search for "Beach", his real name Roberto. He's done some amazing work with the choirs and Finale (no sequencer btw).

The choirs are taught as hell to learn and get them right, but they do work well after all... Still I would assume that it's far easier to get a real choir than spending ALL that time on your computer :) hehe