My setup is basically all about the orchestra!

I have a few non-orchestral libraries.

-------------------------------------------------------

Master Computer:

Athlon 64 X2 4600+,
2GB DDR2 800
150GB 7.2krpm
350GB 7.2krpm
150GB 10krmp

(Relevant) Master Computer Software:

SONAR 5: SE
SoundForge 8
MIDIOverLAN
Guitar Rig 2
Guitar Rig 3

External Hardware:

TASCAM US-428
Sony MDR-7506
AKG C1000S

---------------------------------------------------
Slave Computer:

Athlon 64 3200+
4GB DDR2 800
40GB 7.2krmp
3x 74GB 10krmp
Audiophile 2496

Slave Software:

Kontakt 2.2.3.003
MIDIOverLAN

Sample Libraries:

EWQL SO Gold XP
EWQL SC
QL SD
QL RA
WGS Modular Clarinets
WGS Modular Oboes
WGS Modular Flutes
WGS Modular Bassoons
WGS Modular French Horns
SAM Solo Sessions
SAM Trumpets
SAM Trombones
SAM Horns
Prominy LPC Clean
Alex Pfeffer's DISTORTED
Sean Beeson's Tsaiko
Pingus Waves
Scarbee Black Bass
Kontakt 2 Libraries
custom made libraries

---------------------------------------------


My Slave computer ONLY runs Kontakt. It's the most stable computer I've ever used, never crashed in the year and a half I've had it.

Currently, I get around 320 to 400 stereo voices in Kontakt, which is pretty good.

What I would really like is SampleModeled's THE TRUMPET, I would like SoniVox's Flying Hand Percussion, maybe one of the True Strike Libraries, I would probably like CineToms or one of the Bela D Media Anthologies...

I would like some altiverb, hahah, I would love Ozone or some kind of mastering suite and I have use for iZotope's RX.

I would love one of the Waves suites, for sure... I'd like to have the latest interation of SONAR Producer.

I would probably get use out of other orchestral libraries like Sonic Implants or VSL, but I want to stick to Kontakt at the moment, I'm not interested in moving over to plain VST or any of the proprietary sample engines like PLAY or VI. :(

My wish list, though, can't be complete without asking Native Instruments to switch to 64bit and have modular MIDI ports, limiting it to 4 MIDI ports is silly and evidence of lazy programming, and I would like Native Instruments to integrate VSTfx in their interface, I would love to be able to run Guitar Rig INSIDE Kontakt.

Here's my gear:

Computer:
PC Intel C2Quad Q6600 2.4GHz
8GB RAM (by XP 64bit with FXTeleport)
5xSATAII 7.2rpm (250+250+160+80+500GB)

Displays:
22" - HP w2207h
17" - Samsung 173P+

Audio interface:
E-MU 0404 USB

Keyboard:
M-AUDIO Keystation 88ES

Speakers:
a pair of Roland DS-5

Headphones:
AKG K240Studio

Software:
Cubase 4 Studio
Kontakt 3
EWQL Symphonic Orchestra Platinum Pro XP
EWQL Symphonic Orchestra Gold Pro XP
EWQL Symphonic Choirs
Stormdrum
Stormdrum 2
Ministry of Rock
Voices of Passion
Vapor
VSL Upright Bass
plus some free stuff

Wishlist:
PC to run it all smoothly. Another pair of speakers plus a subwoofer and Cubase 4 upgrade for 5.1 mixing. A room dedicated for all this stuff.

Everything in time, 2 years ago I almost had nothing ;)

- Piotr

Great responses guys, thanks!

Hey Piotr,

How is the VSL Upright Bass? Is that the downloadable one? Is that in the Vienna Instrument format or is it in another standard sample format?


Nathan, which EW sample sets are on your priority wish list?

My PC:
- Athlon XP 3000+, 1GB memory, 250GB Internal HDD
- Two external WD MyBook USB2 HDDs (750GB total)
- RME Hammerfall sound card and MultiFace breakout box.

It may seem severely underspec-ed, but I'm not a fan of upgrading when it's not necessary

Software:
Cubase SX3
Ableton Live 4
EWQL Symphonic Orchestra Silver
Toontrack Drumkit From Hell Superior and Custom & Vintage
Wusikstation 3
A whole bunch of free plug-ins

Controllers:
Korg PadControl
Edirol Midi keyboard (pretty crappy, but useful for piano and synth lines)
Evolution UC33e fader controller (hardly ever used)

Outboard gear:
Roland XV5050 Synth
TL Audio PA-1 Tube Mic Preamp
Behringer Bass V-Amp Pro

Mics etc
Shure SM57 and SM58
Haipheng Large-Diaphragm Condenser Mic (Neumann ripoff, but it's quite good)
SE Electronics Reflexion Filter
Three different mic stands.

Musical instruments:
Ibanez UV777PBK
Ibanez K7
Ibanez SRX705
Jackson Kelly Standard
Takamine classical guitar w. digital preamp
Taylor acoustic guitar w. preamp

Amps:
Line6 HD147
2 Mesa Boogie half-back vertical 2*12 speakers
VOX AD15VT (surprisingly un-crappy for semi-distorted sounds).



My wishlist: Time and space to use all of it - moving around has left me challenged for space and setting up/tearing down all of this stuff just takes too long!

Quote: Original post by Dannthr
Nathan, which EW sample sets are on your priority wish list?

For starting out fresh, I'd definitely check out the Complete Composer's Collection. For around $1000-1200 you'll get SEVEN packages (some of which usually cost around $400-500 a piece)! It is a great deal and provides a wide spectrum of samples to work with. Right now it is on sale for $995 and with the buy one get on free deal, you can pick out another set to work with as well! Check out the details here.

Keep in mind however, that some of these packages are not being updated with EW's new PLAY sampler. Instead EW has made newer versions of those packages that are greatly expanded and sold separately. Also the NI Kontakt sampler that comes with these sampler packages will not work on a Intel-Mac. For that you either have to wait for a PLAY upgrade (if one is being made for that package) or use Kontakt 2.2 or later. I use Kontakt 3 and am pretty happy with it.

I hope that helps!

Nate

Um, Nathan, no, heheh, I wasn't looking for advice, man, I was talking shop.

If you'd looked at my post, you'd have realized that I have 4 of the 7 packages in the Composers Collection and if you'd have spent any time on the Sounds-Online forums, you'd realize that I have almost a thousand posts there.

I'm pretty familiar with their products.

I was asking, in reference to your post (as I've read every post in this thread) what packages are on YOUR wish list.


Currently I use Kontakt 2 with some of the updates but not all of the updates as I make my own sample libraries and it gets harder to create compatible instruments when you create new libraries in the updated formats.

I refuse, however, to upgrade to Kontakt 3 or any new interation of Kontakt until Native Instruments cleans up their act and makes a 64 bit version with modular MIDI ports so I can have more than 4 at a time, since I often want to have a SATB choir ALONG with my 40+ piece orchestra.

It would also be nice if Kontakt included VSTfx support for their fx inserts or at least supported their OWN fx, like Guitar Rig, which is far more versatile than the guitar fx they included on Kontakt 3.

They're just lazy.

Anyway, like I said, I'm curious which EW libraries are on your wishlist, on your original post you said:

Quote: Wish list:

[...]

VST: Komplete 5, more East West samples

Why East West?


Cheers,

I am using the following hardware:

1 Host PC: Intel Quad, 2 GB RAM, several HDs, Focusrite Saffire audio-interface, Win XP Home

2x Slave PC: AMD X2 3800 with 4 GB RAM each, Win x64

the machines are connected via FX Teleport and Gigabit LAN


Software:

East West Symphonic Orchestra Gold + Gold XP, East West RA, East West Stormdrum 1, East West Percussion Adventures, Project SAM True Strike 1, Project SAM Brass (complete collection), VSL Opus 1&2, VSL Epic Horns, Westgate Flute + Oboes, X-Treme FX (Ultimate Soundbank), East West Symphonic Choirs, East West Voices of Passion, Cakewalk Rapture, Spectrasonics RMX with all S.A.G.E Expanders, Altiverb, Cakewalk Sonar Producer Edition 7, Tsaiko, Cinetoms, Cineharp...... hhhmmm... did I forget something ?

keep on rockin '

Jochen
www.jochenflach.de

Jochen, if you use RMX, then you should know that Sean released a version of his Tsaiko library through 9Volt called ACTION DRUMS: Taiko Edition. Sean put together some BAD ASS taiko loops, though I'm not a fan of loops myself, Sean did some great work.

Dannthr- Oops my bad. I would love to have the two other PLAY libraries Gypsy and Fab Four. Adding to my wish list I would LOVE to have:

Plug ins: GRM Tools and Waves Gold (or Diamond) bundles.

Samples: I've also been hearing some great things about Project SAM and am eager to give them a shot.

Personal rant: So I worked on another short film last night and enjoyed everything except the DAW I was working with: Sonar. Sonar does many things very, very well but video support is NOT one of them. I've contacted Cakewalk many times about beefing up their video support. The major problem is the cursor placement in Sonar is static. In other programs (such as Cubase, Logic, Digital Performer and Pro Tools) the cursor placement is active. Meaning I can click on a section and drag my cursor back and forth while the video will playback in relation to my cursor. Sounds like a very simple feature, and it makes working with film (especially sound design work) MUCH, MUCH faster and easier. I've worked with all of those programs I listed above and several of the versions are 3+ years old now and they STILL had this feature. Sonar is Cakewalk's flagship, supposed to be its best product and yet... it is years behind the curve with relation to working with film. This also affects us game guys when we want to "score" a sound effect to an animation going in game.

Sure you can use the "+" or "-" keys to jump frame by frame, but that becomes a major pain especially when dealing with larger projects. Frames are usually 24 to 30 per second. The film I did last night was 7 minutes long, and I had to press "+" through most of it. That took a LONG time and was very disruptive to my work flow. Some may disagree with me, but I think once you've experienced active cursor placement with video- you'll never want to go back. Morale of the story: if you're wanting to do a heavy amount of film or animation work (video or game) then don't use Sonar. Okay, my rant is done. :)