Hello.
Are there any sample libraries or virtual instruments that you are particularly proud of owning or at least knowing about?
This could be a reference for musicians that are looking for more samples.

https://www.digitalsoundfactory.com/

Has a lot of commercial collections of samples from classic synthesizers and sound-modules.
Interesting for people looking for a more vintage sound or just a lot of samples to play with.

http://www.dskmusic.com/category/vsti-all/
A few freeware instrument VSTs. Includes an SF2 soundfont player VST.

http://www.soundsonline.com/Goliath
A good all-purpose library. Much better quality than any GM soundfont you may find around the internet.

"8Dio - 8Dioboe" - it is hard to program, but has an absolutely amazing and charming oboe sounds!

"Cinesamples - Hollywoodwinds" - the best library for tonal/atonal wood runs. Suitable for every scene.

"EWQL Stormdrum 2 and 3" - the best epic drums ever.

"Orchestral Tools - The Glock" - the best glockenspiel ever.

"Cinesamples - Piano in Blue v.2" - the smoothest piano. Very comfortable :)

These are libraries I really proud for!

A bit of a tanget but it can become really easy to become a sample library junkie. Buying every new thing that is out instead of taking the time to really learn your current libraries. Any library can sound bad when used poorly.

Having said that I use almost all of the East West stuff, have a large amount of the 8Dio libraries as well as Cinesamples, Native Instruments Ultimate, Spitfire and some Vir2 Instruments.

Agreed, you can lose focus really quickly if you're not careful.

I didn't know about the 8Dio and Cinemasamples libraries, they have some beautiful sounds.

I've remembered of ProjectSAM, of which the highlights are True Strike and Orchestral Brass: http://www.projectsam.com/Products/All-Libraries

A bit of a tanget but it can become really easy to become a sample library junkie. Buying every new thing that is out instead of taking the time to really learn your current libraries. Any library can sound bad when used poorly.

I have to agreee with your words. But living in Moldova, a country with average income of 300 USD per month, you can hardly afford buying lots of new stuff. So here you cannot be a "sample library junkie" even if you want to

One from Eduardo Tarilonte, Accordions:

http://www.samplelibraries.com/?page_id=792

Great flute from Orange Tree Media, Passion Flute:

http://www.orangetreesamples.com/passion-flute

IndigiSounds' Kontakt library for the Caribbean Steel-Drum instrument:

http://www.indigisounds.com/

A couple from Eduardo Tarilonte.

Simply great libraries! But a bad, bad, very bad sampler Engine 2, which crashes permanently. It is impossible to work with it. PLAY Engine is a WAY better and more stable than this one ...

You are right, and after some more investigating his flute library at least is not being sold by the original maker (Bela D Media) anymore.

Replaced with another one from Orange Tree Media which is good still, and uses Kontak 4 / 5 (retail versions).

If you also want Accordion sounds with the PLAY engine, there's EWQL's Gypsy library.

Speaking of Eduardo Tarilonte.

I own "Forest Kingdom II" and "Era: Medieval Legends". There are some rare instruments. With the new Engine update it became more stable. As a result, scratches in convolution reverb are gone

And of course, the greatest library ever made: "Complete Composers Collection 2 Pro". Haven't bought it yet. But planning to do this next year .

Eduardo Tarilonte's stuff is ace. My Music Department has the Medieval library - I came up with this using it: https://soundcloud.com/infreaquent/medieval

I'm a big fan of LASS for strings. For retro stuff you can't beat VOPM vst with the pack of sound presets ripped directly from a bunch of MegaDrive/Genesis cartridges! Can't remember where I found that though.