My Top 7 Strings Sample Libraries (For Every Purpose)

These are my best strings libraries for orchestral music production in 6 categories.

=== SOCIALS ===

00:00​​​​ My strings use-cases
00:46 General Strings Library #1
03:11 General Strings Library #2
04:55 Join "Become A Pro Composer'
05:22 Solo Strings #1
06:18 Solo Strings #2
07:35 Solo Strings: Honorable Mention
08:19 Free & Low-Budget
09:13 Modern/Hybrid Orchestral
10:36 Thematic/Atmospheric
11:57 Thematic/Atmospheric: Honorable Mention
12:13 Emotional Romantic
13:30 Emotional Romantic: Honorable Mention
13:36 Share your top strings libraries

Other Videos:

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Description tags: best strings library, strings sample libraries

Thanks For Watching!

Hashtags: #samplelibrary #composer

[cbmtrx]

Kevin I just like you. This is well presented and easy to watch. Great info.

[vivo-audio]

I often feel that Audiobro's 'Modern Scoring Strings' and it's accompanying 'Expanded Legato' are often overlooked. The strings are lush and dynamic with many articulations, and include one of the most powerful and intuitive engines on the market, in my humble opinion. They're certainly more mellow sounding than 'LASS 3', but absolutely worth considering for a place in your arsenal. We really are spoilt these days and I've been using samples since the Akai S1000 was first released.

[AlbertKimMusic]

Do you know how to prevent Pacific from constantly doing that unwanted portamento. It can't seemed to be mapped or controlled by velocity or anything like CSS.

[studioonetutorials]

7:05 How beautiful does this passage sound!?!? 🤯♥

[LotusEater]

What I use:
Solo strings - Cremona Quartet (NI), Gypsy Violin (EW), Lyrical Cello & Violin (Sonuscore).
Ensemble strings - Session Strings Pro 2 (NI), Intimate Strings (Spitfire), The Orchestra Complete 3 (Sonuscore).
I have many more libraries, but these are foundational with me coming back to them often.

[spiral-m]

Areia has great shorts especially, which cut through the mix very nicely where many other libraries sound washed out. There are some issues though like Setting vibrato to zero on legato patches exposes vibrato on the sample start. The transitions in legato sound clunky in some patches. Pity they messed those up or just cut costs. I've just been listening to spitfire Appassionata and they sound really great but I'm not sure if you can get rid of vibrato if you need to.

[UXMetalVTuber]

Been waiting for a video like this for a long time. Very much appreciated!

[DJKLProductions]

For a long time I only had CSS as my workhorse, but for a few years now I've also owned the Berlin Symphonic Strings, which have replaced CSS as main library. However, I still use CSS for layering. So I use BSS as the front, while CSS runs in the background at -5 to -8 dB to round off the sound.

Otherwise, I also use the standard Berlin Strings if I need to fake divisi. If I need muted strings, the Berlin Con Sordino Strings are my choice. For effects, I like to use the corresponding expansion packs from the same series.

[MBynum]

I tend to use the same two or three string libraries regulary and some of my others for layering or supporting background sound. I tend to compose romantic and melancholic music with minimal instruments. I just purchased Berlin Symphonic Strings today, so it'll be fun to see how well that one sounds.

-Everyday Use: Spitfire Appassionata, CSS
-Solo Strings: Sonixenima Intimate Legato Cello
-Free/Low Budget: Spitfire Originals Intimate Strings
-Thematic/Atmospheric: Albion One, Contemporary Drama Toolkit
-Modern/Hybrid Cinematic: Albion One, Areia
Romantic/Emotional: Spitfire Appassionata, CSS

[MikeBurnsArrangedAccidents]

It was great to see Areia in the running. Can't wait to check out the new additional legato articulations in the recent update. Highly underrated library. It even manages mono compatibility for close and tree mic samples, something which only LA Strings can do from what I've gathered. CSS was a godsend when I was first starting out. Absolute quantum leap forward in quality and ease of use over my 8 Diablo strings. Audiobro's Modern Scoring Strings is almost certainly the biggest workhorse library of them all. It can do everything I need it to do other than sound quite as gorgeous tonally as some of the other libraries that have less flexibility and fewer articulations. I can get it really close with EQ curve matching and Altiverb though. Actually, the close mics of Modern Scoring Strings are far better samples than CSS, which relies much more on its excellent Decca Tree recordings for it's sound.
I must be the only one to be as put off by Pacific Portamentos as I am. It's so popular. Is there any way to sub out that glide with a shorter legato sound? Pacific is a great company though that usually has me at not having to fiddle with my MIDI notes for timing, with every sample locked to the grid using a brilliant look-ahead feature.
I'm almost obligated to buy Afflatus as a thank you to Strezov for making the best choir library of all time. I never thought choir would be one of the first sections for me to say "I'm good" on.
Aaron Venture has me covered on winds and brass. Not sure what the status of Infinite Strings is. That might be my final string library.
Good to see the overrated Berlin not in the running. Beautiful tone on the long notes. Cannot handle speed. It does, however, boast the only double bass section whose tone I absolutely love: smooth and non-whoopie cushion sounding. Good to see Cinestrings not in the running. Don't have it, but even if it were 10 times better than their severely overrated horns, I'd still like it less than CSS.
For solo I've got Joshua Bell. Utterly insane sample library, which again, I'm shocked that something as delicate as a violin would be one of the first instruments to say "I'm good" on and not feel the need to make another purchase. Solo by Audio Imperia is absolutely solid. The ancient Nocturne cello is still my favorite cello solo overall. Sorry Tina (though her library's legato work is best in class).

[MultimediaExpressCourses]

All this years I tried many of plugins. Near to close and natural sound I can say with confidence for me it`s 8dio products.

[Leomonsang]

Nice video ! What do you think about DOLCE of Audio Imperia?
Do you test it?

[hersh_yt]

Hello, can anyone please tell me Disney or Cartoon/Animation movie like sounding strings

[matthiasrother]

After a longtime user of vsl se 1 plus and hoopus I discovered sample modelling strings and since a couple of weeks Audio Modeling strings. It works absolutely great. I studied the cello. That helps me to understand how Audio Modeling is working. And especially with the solos I can achieve almost everything I can imagine. From scratchy banded tremolos to con sordino sul tasto with unparalleled consistency. They still have to improve the sound a little. But to be honest: if the people I write for like the composition, they don’t care if I use east west or modelled strings. But as I said: with AM I can do everything (except col legno, which sounds horrible in the solos and don’t even exist in the sections)

[MarikaSchanz]

I love your videos! Its fun to watch thanks for the recommendation. :)

[FrancoPianoStudio]

Subscribed!🎉 You’re fantastic!🎉happy 2024

[campar]

i still really like chris hein ensemble, wonder what your thoughts on that one is, and embertone stuff

[andrewfeazelle]

idk which one would you suggest for more old school classical writing? My style is retro-early 20th century British school of music: Walton, Bax, RVW. When I wrote my 1st symphony like over 10 years ago (actually all three of my symphonies), I was using the Vienna Symphonic Library, first edition, and not to its fullest extent. I was mostly just trying to make a score and parts for live musicians, and the midi recording was an after effect. And I have some sort of Vienna Instruments samples for solo strings, but it sounds very nasally and brash regarding the violins. These newer libraries sound more like an end product on themselves, and not just a means to make a mock up for a conductor to listen to.

[rasmussgaard]

You're next level dude! 👍 Do you have a recommendation for a string quartet or quintet library suitable for pop and folk music? Thanks!

[KevinKuschel]

What are your top strings libraries for the following purposes? Fill the template with your picks!
- Everyday-use:
- Solo strings:
- Free/Low-Budget:
- Thematic/Atmospheric:
- Modern/Hybrid cinematic:
- Romantic/Emotional: