@ Dreq. Nice Tune :)

The K2 included library is very nice. The orchestra is sufficient, but it is meant to be complemented with another library, and the EW samples complementb K2 perfectly.

Sean

so you would reccomend getting kontakt 2 with ewqlso silver? what is missing in the library included with kontakt 2 that is complemented by ewqlso silver (which is one third the size)?

edit:

hmmm... just saw that one of the shops here offers peter siedlaczeks complete classic collection for 69€ as OEM (normally 239€) with a masterkeyboard (which i need anyways...) and this is also kontakt player based afaik and should thus be eligible for the k2 crossgrade... anyone know this library? (listening to a few demos right now and they sound quite good, but those demos can be very misleading)

[Edited by - l0calh05t on June 13, 2006 10:39:01 AM]

It is a nice sample library, but MAKE SURE, it is legit. OEM software, especially the ones that function on the NI sampler engine cannot be installed and registered by two people, so make sure that you can use that software.

Silver is a nice piece of software as well. I like it because all of EW samples have a very crisp, tight, and powerful sound, whereas the VSL stuff needs a lot of help and you also must be skilled in sequencer programming to be able to get an acoustic like sound.

Sean Beeson

from all the demos i have heard, i always found the vsl demos to sound the most real (it is also the most pricey). otoh, real is good for classical but in movies and games you probably want that "movie sound" which the ew libraries seem to capture very well.

if the package is still sealed i guess i'll probably be on the safe side. i'll go check it out on saturday if i find the time.

and though it's off topic to this thread, have any of you tried the m-audio axiom keyboards?

Quote: Original post by LongeBane
I strongly recommend against edirol orchestral. It is very old, and the sounds only sound a step above soundfonts. Plus roland still had the price at unreasonable levels. There is just no reason to get this outdated library.

I totally disagree.
Ok, I went and bought EW silver roughly a month ago now. I've been a long time Edirol user and spent the last few weeks comparing them. I now use silver in conjunction with Edirol and still find myself using way more of the Edirol sounds. I'll be using some of the Silver string sounds and some of the percussion, but Edirol has far more useful brass and woodwinds, alot more articulations for all instruments (EW Silver is unbelievably limiting) and Edirol has a warmer more organic sound overall (and better reverb) whereas Silver tends to have a thinner more metallic sound in general.
If I'd bought Platinum, I'd sure as hell be pissed off at the sound quality of some patches. The trumpet section is virtually unusable. Plain awful. Same with most the brass. Some crap woodwinds too. What a terrible oboe. I think alot of EW products rock but Silver is overrated. I couldn't have done half of my music with Silver. It's simply far to limiting. I mean, there's no pizz or spicc articulations for any of the strings except for stacc '11 violins' (which doesn't sound that great either). That's unacceptable. And the only 'full ensemble' sound available is pizzicato. Crazy. Hell, there isn't even a solo viola! These things may not be important to those who've never owned an orchestral plug-in before but once you've had these articulations you can't do without them.
Listen to my track called "7th Sense" at:
http://www.mp3.com.au/track.asp?id=128750
There's just no way I could have done this with EW Silver.
If I had to choose between Edirol and EW Silver, I'd choose Edirol any day. Oh, and Edirol has way more percussion too...

Michael.

http://www.audioarchitect.com.au
http://www.mp3.com.au/audioarchitect
http://www.soundclick.com/audioarchitect

Quote: Original post by BodweiserVII
I would advise, if you're looking for a cheaper option, to go with Symphonic Orchestra SILVER Edition. The entire series of samples were recorded with three microphone positions. SILVER uses the close-up microphones so you'll need to create some virtual atmosphere to make them sound "professionally" recorded.

Actually I believe it's the 'stage' position microphones that were used for EW Silver, not the 'close mics' and depending on the project you sometimes don't need to add any reverb to some of sounds. I still almost always do though.

http://www.audioarchitect.com.au

well, i got the siedlaczek complete classic collection now, and for something that cost me less than nothing (ok, acutally 69€ but as i'll buy kontakt 2 sooner or later and can now get it 140€ cheaper as a crossgrade...) i'm very satisfied. ok, you can't make realistic legato runs, but that isn't really possible with most others either (although i think with some work i might be able to improve them a little), otoh it also includes the so called "smart violins" which is a collection of runs for the violins. the choirs... aren't really usable as anything but a pad, but i didn't really need choirs anyway. the good things: fairly large collection of percussion and percussive sound effects (pepared piano, violin fx, cello fx)

check out http://www.recordingproject.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?p=323262 if you want to listen to the first piece i made with the library

OK, here is my 2 cents.

I have had the opportunity to work with live orchestra during my composer experience, but not all projects have the budget for live (as many of you know), so what I am currently using is this:

East West platinum ($$$$)
Garritan ($)
Vienna solo strings (Gigastudio) ($$)
Garritan (Gigastudio) ($$$$)

2 Computers running all plug-ins

I will use all at once to achieve depth, articulations and nuances. The intonation issues actually work to my advantage, because even in working with some of the players with the San Francisco Orchy, they are not computers so I have hear a few gaffs with them.

Here is an example of a rough unmixed cue:

http://www.scorela.com/bloodscorch/The%20Inevitable%20Final.mp3

If I had to choose one for strings, it would be the EW. I would recommended if you like something that is out of your current budget, save. It is worth being patient for. You get one chance to make a first impression and you don't want to be the composer with the unrealistic solo violin vibrato like some of the demos I have heard here. (some of them sound like I cranked the mod wheel as hard as possible!)

I hope this helped!

Can I put in a really strong plug for EWQL? I know it's a somewhat limited library, but it never claims to be the catch-all library for every articulation/style imaginable (that's VSL's job! :)). Instead, it's just really good at what it's for - full sounds, big sounds, well-blending sounds, and space simulation. I use EWQL Silver along with VSL nowadays, and it's invaluable for adding life to VSL's surgically precise samples.

I'd really recommend starting off with EWQL Silver and keeping those while you upgrade later on to stuff like VSL. GPO, Kirk Hunter, or Edirol might seem like more "versatile" choices, but if you ever upgrade, you'll probably end up ditching them. EWQL will always be useful though, even for an occasional percussion or brass part. The ambient samples will give you a good sense of space, even if just used for background parts. It'll even help your other instruments blend with each other.


And for people who are interested in Gold but also want those silver extras (piano, choir, organ), just contact the soundsonline people and they'll give it to you for free (or for a very small fee). Don't try to do the whole upgrading thing to get it - you'll end up paying more, and I'm not even sure they even do the upgrades program anymore now that the prices are lower. Also, for the best price on EWQL silver, try scitscat.com. I think they have it at $129 or so.


Wilbert Roget, II
Composer
RogetMusic.com