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Monday 12.14.15 The 30 Best Sample Libraries For

Posted by Paul
Cecchetti Orchestral Scoring- 2016
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Compiling a general survey of orchestral sample libraries available

becomes more and more di8cult every year. The sheer number of
companies producing top-quality software for orchestral sampling
has increased substantially of late, and there are more options now
for the digital composer than ever before in this ever-expanding
ecosystem. We in the audio tech world revel in choice and variety,
not least so when it comes to virtual instruments. The quantity and
quality of libraries available is frankly staggering.
So as Christmas draws near, we've had a look at some of the very
best instrument plugins available for orchestral scoring. This list is
by no means complete, but we at S1E feel that these 30 plugins
represent the latest and greatest Orchestral VIs currently available.

All-In-One Packages

East West: Symphonic Orchestra

"Recorded by 11-time Grammy

nominated classical recording
engineer Prof. Keith O. Johnson,
the EASTWEST/QUANTUM
LEAP SYMPHONIC ORCHESTRA
is the most awarded orchestral
collection ever, including
winning Sound On Sound's
Reader's Choice Award an
EWQL Symphonic Orchestra
unprecedented 3-times, and the
Srst orchestral collection to be
recorded in a "state of the art" concert hall where orchestras mainly
perform."

http://www.soundsonline.com/Symphonic-Orchestra

Project SAM: Symphobia Series

 "Symphobia is not your
traditional orchestral sample
library. Instead of focusing on
individual instrument multi-
samples, Symphobia offers
Symphobia 2 ensemble multi-samples in
various orchestrations and
orchestral groups. These
playable ensembles cover different sections and groups from the
orchestra as well as the entire orchestra playing together."

https://www.projectsam.com/Products/Symphobia-Series/1389

IK Multimedia: Miroslav Philharmonik

"Miroslav
Philharmonik
is a powerful,
integrated Orchestral
Workstation
incorporating the
legendary Miroslav
Vitous Symphonic
Miroslav Philharmonik
Orchestra and Choir
Sample collections into
a dedicated plug-in
instrument speciScally tailored for classical
sounds and arrangements."

http://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/philharmonik/
Garritan Personal Orchestra

“Garritan Personal
Orchestra gives you a
complete orchestra –
strings, brass,
woodwinds,
percussion, and
Garritan Personal Orchestra keyboards – with over
200 instrument
choices, along with the
techniques and control to hear your music with
breathtaking realism. This award-winning
collection has set the standard for orchestra
sample libraries.”

http://www.garritan.com/products/personal-orchestra-4/

SpitLre Audio: Albion

"Everything you need to make

epic modern music in ONE box.
At its heart is a 109 piece
orchestra accompanied by a
Spit`re Albion III thunderous cinematic
percussion section,
dynamically layered loops
designed by award winning music makers, an enormous steam
synthesiser and many more surprises. "

http://www.spit`reaudio.com/shop/instruments/orchestra/albion-
one/

Big Fish Audio: Complete Orchestral Collection

 "Complete Orchestral
Collection is a brand
new compilation of all
Big `sh Audio Complete Orchestral
Peter Siedlaczek
collection
libraries ever released
by Best Service. This
new product combines
Peter Siedlaczek´s String Essentials 2nd Edition as
well as the well-known Complete Classical
Collection 2nd Edition in one Kontakt Player 5
instrument with 26 GB of uncompressed sample
content and more than 2800 Kontakt instruments."

http://www.big`shaudio.com/detail.html?
1;16;2:115:::::::::A115::517293

Vienna Symphonic Library

"The huge quantity and

variety of articulations
with nuanced details,
enhanced by the
seamless integration
with the Vienna
Instruments sample
player helps you create
VSL
the most realistic
renderings of your
composition."

https://vsl.co.at/en/Products/Instruments
Strings

8dio: Adagio Strings

"Produced by Academy
Award, TEC and
G.A.N.G Award
Winning Composer,
Troels Folmann and
Emmy Nominated
Composer and
Orchestrator, Colin
8dio Adagio Strings O’Malley, 8Dio Adagio
String Series is a new-
generation orchestral
sample library and the most expressive collection
of deep-sampled strings ever created."

http://8dio.com/instrument/bundle-9-all-adagio-strings/

East West: Hollywood Strings

"HOLLYWOOD
STRINGS has many
groundbreaking
features not found in
any other collection.
Finger position is, for
 the Srst time,
controllable by the
Hollywood Strings user, so you can play
as far up the strings as
you want, and get a
fuller more romantic Hollywood sound. Vibrato
intensity and extensive dynamics are controllable
by the user. Extensive multi-dynamic true legato
has been sampled for all sections in three different
categories: slurred, portamento, and bow change.
This results in unsurpassed legato performance
that has never been available."

http://www.soundsonline.com/Hollywood-Strings

Orchestral Tools: Berlin Strings

"First True Adaptive

Legato(including 4 legato
types: Slurred, Agile
(scripted), Fast Runs and
Portamento), Smaller
Sections for more
Berlin Strings de`nition and detail, 129
GB of samples in NCW
format (268 GB uncompressed"

http://www.orchestraltools.com/libraries/berlin_strings.php
Cinesamples: Cinestrings

"CineStrings is
revolutionary in its
power and simplicity
for recreating the
sound of the orchestral
string section. The
library was designed by
composers, for
CineStrings composers, with direct
feedback from the Slm
music community
during its development. The result is a string library
that is easy to use, composer-friendly, with
unparalleled recording quality."

https://cinesamples.com/productBundle/cinestrings-runs-
cinestrings-core-bundle

Audiobro: LA Scoring Strings

"LA Scoring Strings 2.5

(LASS) brings you a
whole new set of tools
and revised sonic
proSles providing a
new level of
L.A Scoring Strings expressiveness,
realism, real-time
playability and
program-ability to sampled strings."

http://audiobro.com/lass-2-0/
Cinematic Strings

"Cinematic
Strings 2 is
a completely
redesigned and
updated version of the
original orchestral
strings sample library.
Whilst retaining the
warm luscious tones
Cinematic Strings produced in the world
class Verbrugghen Hall
of the Sydney
Conservatorium, the new version features a sleek
new interface and even smoother legato."

http://www.cinematicstrings.com/

Brass

East West: Hollywood Brass

"Hollywood Brass is the

 most powerful,
realistic and extensive
brass library ever
created. There is a
focus and ease of use
in this Virtual
Instrument that is
Hollywood Brass unprecedented.
Hollywood Brass runs
iawlessly in the
completely revamped PLAY 3 engine and has 10
times the content and detail than its closest
competitor, without any additional complexity or
clutter."

http://www.soundsonline.com/Hollywood-Brass

Impact Soundworks: Bravura Scoring Brass

"Bravura Scoring Brass

Bravura Scoring Brass
scripting, BSB is an ideal tool for Slm, TV & game
is a complete
collection of orchestral
brass ensembles,
soloists, and aleatoric
FX recorded with
stunning depth in a
large scoring studio.
Featuring three mic
positions, extensive
articulations, and
incredibly powerful
 scoring."

http://impactsoundworks.com/products/orchestral/bravura-
scoring-brass/

8dio: Century Brass (Upcoming Library)

"8Dio Century Brass is the most comprehensive

collection of deep-sampled expressive Brass ever
created. We are recording over a month (+240
hours) and the project includes both Solo, Divisi
and Ensemble Horn(s), Trumpet(s) and
Trombone(s) and assorted Solo Brass (ex. Fluegel
Horn, Cimbasso, Tuba etc)."

http://8dio.com/blog/century-brass/

Cinesamples: Cinebrass

Cinesamples: Cinebrass
"CineBrass is the
expansion to the
popular CineBrass
Core library. CineBrass
is comprised of entirely
new orchestral brass
sample content, using
 the Srst-call Los Angeles musicians at the SONY
Scoring Stage, mixed by Dennis Sands. Our
CineBrass core library, released in June 2011,
covers the essentials of the orchestral brass
section, and functions as a solid foundation in our
composing templates."

https://cinesamples.com/product/cinebrass-pro

Project SAM: Orchestral Brass Classic

"Orchestral Brass
Classic is the re-issue
of the most respected
symphonic brass
series on the sample
market: SAM Horns,
Project SAM: Orchestral Brass Classic SAM Trombones, SAM
Trumpets and SAM
Solo Sessions. known
for its ambient, cinematic sound, orchestral brass
classic is the only brass library that no Slm, tv or
game composer can afford to be without."

https://www.projectsam.com/Products/Other-Libraries/1388

Woodwinds

Orchestral Tools: Berlin Woodwinds

"Berlin Woodwinds has

 True Legato (interval
sampling) for all
instruments and
sections! To achieve
the highest level of
Berlin Woodwinds
realism and detail, we
have recorded every
interval up to an
octave. That means you will hear the natural
transitions from one note to another. Every true
legato patch is sampled with three dynamic
crossfade layers!"

http://orchestraltools.com/libraries/berlin_woodwinds.php

8dio: Claire Woodwinds Bundle

"The Claire Woodwind

Bundle 10 VST
contains Alto-Flute,
Bassoon Virtuoso,
Clarinet Virtuoso,
English Horn Virtuoso,
Flute Virtuoso, Oboe
8dio: Claire Woodwinds Bundle
Virtuoso and Piccolo
Flute. All the libraries
contains advanced
legato and articulations to cover all your
compositional needs"

http://8dio.com/instrument-
category/woodwinds/#instrument/bundle-10-claire-woodwind/
Cinesamples: Hollywoodwinds

"Hollywoodwinds is
cinesamples’ award-
winning orchestral
woodwind library
developed exclusively
for Kontakt. Featuring
wonderfully organic
recordings, and
Cinesamples Hollywoodwinds
groundbreaking
programming, HWW is
quickly becoming the
leading woodwind solution for composers around
the world."

https://cinesamples.com/product/hollywoodwinds

Cinesamples: Cinewinds

"CineWinds PRO is the

long-awaited
expansion to the next-
generation orchestral
CineWinds CORE
library. CineWinds PRO
expansion Slls out the
remainder of the
Cinewinds orchestral woodwind
section, and also offers
an eclectic choice of
ethnic, Renaissance, and period wind instruments
most often used in Slm scoring."
https://cinesamples.com/product/cinewinds-pro

Percussion

Impact Soundworks: Rhapsody Orchestral Percussion

Impact Soundworks Rhapsody Orchestral
Percussion
"This exquisite
symphonic collection
for KONTAKT features
a comprehensive
collection of 50
traditional & extended
percussive instruments
recorded through three
mic positions."

http://impactsoundworks.com/products/orchestral/rhapsody-
orchestral-percussion-kontakt/

Project SAM: Truestrike

"ProjectSAM's
acclaimed True Strike
 series holds the
percussion libraries of
choice for Slm, tv and
Project SAM: Truestrike game composers
requiring cinematic,
powerful percussion
samples. True Strike, the Srst volume in the series,
focuses on orchestral percussion. Offering 51
orchestral percussion instruments in multiple
concert hall mic positions, True Strike is the only
orchestral percussion library you will ever need."

https://www.projectsam.com/Products/True-Strike-Series/1386

SpitLre Percussion

"A comprehensive
orchestral percussion
library featuring the
renowned Joby
Spit`re Percussion Burgess in Lyndhurst
Hall at Air Studios.
Alongside a huge array
of large and small percussion, timpani, bass drums
and cymbals lie a collection of mallet instruments
described by Sound On Sound magazine as "to die
for"."

http://www.spit`reaudio.com/shop/a-z/spit`re-percussion/

Cinesamples: Cineperc

"CinePerc PRO is an
extremely useful part
of our large CinePerc
library; the next
installment of our
popular orchestral
 series that includes
CineBrass and
CineWinds. Like those
Cineperc libraries, CinePerc was
recorded at the SONY
Scoring Stage in Los
Angeles, and mixed by master engineer Dennis
Sands. This package includes many more
percussion instruments for your template"

https://cinesamples.com/product/cineperc-pro

East West: Stormdrum

"Stormdrum 3 is the
Srst virtual instrument
to include EastWest's
new PLAY 4 software.
In PLAY 4, EastWest
replaced some third
party components;
added Avid's new AAX
format that will allow
Stormdrum Pro Tools 11 users to
use EastWest's virtual
instruments 64-bit,
greatly improving performance; added new time-
stretch software optimized for loops (with sync to
sequencer); added a new mixer page (with sub-
channels for mic positions), added background
loading, and other new features."

http://www.soundsonline.com/SD3
SpitLre Audio: Hans Zimmer Percussion Series

"The deSnitive
collection of Hybrid
Cinematic Widescreen
percussion ensembles,
produced by the man
who created the idiom;
Hans Zimmer.
Recorded by Geoff
Spit`re Audio: Hans Zimmer Percussion Foster at Air Studios
Series
and mixed by 4
Grammy winning
composer/ producers"

http://www.spit`reaudio.com/shop/artists/hans-zimmer/

Piano

Imperfect Samples' EBONY Concert Grand

Imperfect Samples' EBONY

 Concert Grand is the
World's Largest* sampled grand

piano. Commanding a powerful

and magniScent sound, the piano

behind this sample library is an

Imperfect Samples' EBONY Concert Grand
imposing hand-made FAZIOLI ten

foot Grand Piano, created by the

makers of world's most expensive grand pianos, and is considered by many

to be the Elite of all grands.

http://www.imperfectsamples.com/website/sampl
es/fazioliconcertgrand/fazioligrand_extreme2.php

Synthogy Ivory II

http://www.synthogy.com/

The Virtual Piano that started

it all, Ivory Grand Pianos
redeSned what virtual
instruments could do,
Synthogy Ivory II combining stunning, world-
class piano samples with a
powerful, software/DSP
engine and custom user interface. Ivory’s worldwide critical
acclaim and popularity has made it the industry standard, and the
virtual piano of choice for the world’s most elite musicians

Addictive Keys
 Addictive Keys isn't
just a collection of
sampled keyboards.
That's easy. Anyone
can do that. What
Addictive Keys does is
to capture the soul and
essence of great
Addictive Keys
instruments from
multiple angles. That's
hard, but Addictive
Keys instruments pull
it off and make it look effortless.

http://www.xlnaudio.com/addictivekeys

Waves Release New

Virtual Instrument -
The Clavinet & The
Pianos And Keys
Bundle With
Introductory Pricing

The 30 Best Sample

Libraries For
Orchestral Scoring-
2016
Ten Tips For Buying
An Orchestral Sample
Library

tags: Samples, Virtual Instrument

categories: Samples, Production

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