What makes you choose one or another?
Split oatches are like libraries spitfire symphonic strings and combos are like berlin inspire.

I found myself doing extra job with split patches and i get it way faster with combo ones.

Some say its better to use split patches to learn better orchestrating, how true is this?

 

Split patches are the "old" way of doing it, as in the past keyswitched patches were not commonplace. I would say split has more advantages. You can seamlessly transition between various articulations, freeze each track individually, and avoid the hassle of searching for the right spot to place KS. Also with timeline reset (when you place the cursor at 1.00), the combo patch might be running incorrect articulation, so you'd have to put extra KS before the first note.

 

With combos you are faster, do doubt, but at the same time less accurate and realistic.
For instance:
- all sections will have the same (attack, sustain and release) articulation
- some melodies don't fit with sections (because of the limited range of the instruments)

 

Thanks guys, and not to open new topic, may you recommend split patches 3 libraries (Strings, Brass and Woodwinds) that are not Cinematic Studio ones,a nd that does not go over 100GB per library, and that can do this hollywood or epic style of music?

 

Oh I get it, you meant instrument vs ensemble patches, not all articulation in one vs. separate patches. Then definitely instrument ones are a way to go. Ensembles are still useful, but only for quick ideas.

Can't help here, apart from CSS and maybe some percussion libs, I don't use many sample libraries in my production.

 

Hollywood and epic (do you mean modern trailer type sounds?) are different... And you can do these with any library, it's up to your composing and midi skills (to make it sound semi-natural, not mechanical).
East West and Cinesamples libraries are decent for Hollywood; 8Dio Majestica or OT Metropolis ark 1, or Symphobia 1 (+2) or Audio Imperia Jaeger may be good for trailer epic stuff.

 

I'm totally in love with the "small" Sonuscore The Orchestra.

Can't say about pure sound quality, but the incredible programming it uses lets you do cinematic style (big patches) while you can still use one instrument/section/ensemble patches.

Give it a try that's all I advice you.

 

Umm, yes modern style, and not at all hybrid style.
I am thinking of Cinesamples right now actually, I ahd it when I was starting with orchestral music, for some reasons this time I did not liked it, but probably it was because I did not understand anything well at this point, but they do have great sound.

Cinestrings Core
Cinebrass Core and Pro
Cinewinds Core and Pro
Cinepercs Core, Pro, Epic
Lacrimosa Choir
Damage

Good?

 

You can cross out the CineWinds Pro and CinePerc Pro/Epic if you're not looking to do huge trailer stuff. These libraries just add additional flavors like bass flutes, Irish whistles and bagpipes (CineWinds Pro) or drumkit, marimba and celeste (CinePerc Pro). You don't need them to get started. You also kind of don't need Damage as this is mostly distorted huge drums and electronic loops.

I'd consider Requiem over Lacrimosa - libraries hyped as "200 players at once, biggest section ever" tend to be really disappointing and they can't quite fit with other, regular-sized ones.

Things I can recommend:

• 8Dio Agitato Grandiose Violins - these do just one thing - super smooth emotional lines, but it's worth it!
• 8Dio Adagietto - basically Adagio without 8 types of dynamic bowings, this one has really nice legato stuff for cellos and whatnot
• ProjectSAM Symphobia 2 - oldie but goodie, lots of useful patches (Flute + Piccolo, Horns + Trombones, various effects and clusters)
• ProjectSAM Orchestral Essentials 1 and 2 - really lightweight ones, nice percussion, some nice things like solo woodwinds and muted piano

Though, to be honest, Spitfire is kind of the thing to use these days, they have some great stuff.

 

Most of Spitfire is unusable, because of their reverb hall... many people like them because of it, but it's not the most practical thing ever. Spitfire managed to get really popular, because of their offensive and spammy marketing and while they have some good products in their catalogue, it's mostly marketing hype, imo.

 

Dude, it's freaking AIR Studios. Is the sound they achieved on TRON: Legacy, Interstellar, Life of Pi or Les Misearables... unusable? The single biggest feature a library can have is a great sounding room. You do realize most of Spitfire libraries are made for full-sized orchestral music, right? Of course it won't work that well in a pop track, but you expect that. While "it's not practical" to not be able to use the library in than context, it suddenly becomes extremely practical do be able to skip setting up reverb completely and use the room for great, natural and most importantly, balanced across the whole orchestra, ambiance. Not to mention they definitely have one of the best and most full-featured UIs from the pack.

 

Dude, scoring studio hall is NOT a concert hall; I can't understand why you think it's more "natural" for orchestral music. Also, the Zimmer dude and his clones you probably like use samples and synths mixed with live recordings, so it's far from natural sound (based on your first two movies mentioned)...
Still, no sample library come close to the real deal, not only in expressiveness and playable techniques, but in sound/intonation - I hope you understand that all sample libraries get autotuned to 12ET and there are actually problems when some samples don't get this treatment (8dio and Spitfire are known for "badly" tuned round-robins in some of their stuff).
Having big reverb = mud in the spectrum (especially when you use more than one mic. position) and sluggish lines and slow tempos only being playble with these libraries.
I'm OK with the "cult" of this recording studio, but telling me that it's superior, well, I know better what works for me...

 

You know it's not a scoring studio hall because it's not the original building? They're now located in a church, which is very much where orchestral music is supposed to be played.

 

What?
Are you trying to say that orchestral music is supposed to be played in a church?
This statement is beyond ridiculous.
In the Baroque era concerts were played in estates of the rich aristocrats, public concert halls and operas and in churches, yes, but if anything the instruments have little to do with their modern counterparts and later orchestral music is associated with specially built concert halls, not churches...

 

The HR- Strings are the best
Demos are here:
https://www.youtube.com/user/raidmarji

 

@23322332
I've been friends for many decades with a recording engineer who worked at Air back in 'the' day. He worked on many classic tracks we all know.
He's now a Professor of Music, and I don't think I will ever stop learning something from him every time we meet.

So, I have to say...is not the legacy of Air equally, if not more so, due to the engineers and then the fine work that came from there?
Just a thought.

 

I think both of you are right. Since the golden age of classical music there's dedicated concert halls, but it seems music in some churches sound incredibly good (reverb, reflections and all that jazz).

I remember the acoustic/Spanish guitar virtuoso Paco de Lucía being asked what place sounded the best of the hundreds he had played in. The journalist expected some famous good concert hall as an answer, but De Lucía said: "a small church in Girona"

 

This is valid for slow music only. Anything played very fast and with sharp transients will get destroyed by echoes and will lose details.

 

I'm not an expert but it makes sense what you say. I was talking about the building acoustics in general. For sure De Lucía plays very (extremely) fast often.

 

So, only the listeners near him will hear well what he plays in a church. The back rows will hear a mess.