Which one do you prefer and why?

 

Spitfire Albion or Strezov Afflatus or The Orchestra Complete 2 (Best Service) are better than the 2 you mentioned in my opinion.

 

my top to go and all i need (epic/chamber)

Metropolis 1-4
Cinematic Studio Strings
CineStrings
Afflatus

 

Last edited: Feb 14, 2022

CAAAAAAATTTTT!!!1!1

I made a project a while ago an needed some big brass ensembles and strings, aside from that it was pretty much you typical rock stuff (bass drums, guitars and a synth) with a very mid-rangey sound, then did something similar with a black metal band with a very high-rangey sound. Cinesamples And orchestral Tools were the only libs that maintained some kind of clarity, the rest just kind of made everything wobble around in a very bad way. And yes, all of that was before mixing.

Anyway. If it's for exclusively orchestral music, i think you're good with any of the two. I find Audio Imperia to have a bit of a silky thing going on in the highs, so Cinestrings may be better if you want more agressive textured sound. If you're mixing orchestral with a bunch of other instruments, then CineStrings will most likely give you an easier time mixing later on.

 

I think it's actually the other way around..

I consider Areia to be Fast, Intense, Bright and the most Aggressive.
While Cinestrings are more Lush, Round, with a tasty Timbre and more refined in terms of Dynamics..

That being said, I would choose None.. lol

-After many years trying string libraries I haven't yet found one that's the best,
absolutely flawless library that can be a real Workhorse in all scenarios..

I still use LASS because I love the Shorts, the Cellos, and it's got a nice legato..
And well, after so many years working with them,
I managed to make them sound OK with their Stage/Color feature + external EQ and Reverb..

But in essence all string libraries are flawed/limited in one way/another.

It would take me Too Long to elaborate on that.
But Alas that's my opinion..

And I've tried many:
MSS, LASS, NI Symphony, SFSS, SFCS, CSS, Cinestrings, Areia, Afflatus, Berlin, Cinematic, EWSO,
Chris Hein, Venice, LS-CS2, Sonivox SSC, Hyperion, Miroslav, GPO5.. etc

Ofc most of them are Usable, and would be a good/great fit in one Context or another.

Many ppl stayed with CSS, Cinematic, LASS, Berlin or SF,
because they found they could fit the style/music they work on, and their workflow,
and made them their workhorse library..

But yeah, in essence all of them have considerable compromises, and are flawed in one way or another.

So it's more about which one suits the style and your needs/workflow the most,
and then work/adjust it to make the best out of it.

-Still, following the human nature premise of "what you don't have always looks better",
at this point I think some of the best all-round workhorse Symphonic Strings libraries could be:
Vienna VSL, EW Hollywood.

Other interesting libraries I haven't tried:
SF Studio, BBCSO and Hans Zimmer..
(oh and Samplemodelling Ensemble Strings)

Someday I may try them and who knows, maybe find the definitive workhorse library.
But yeah, meanwhile I think I'm staying with LASS..

 

Last edited: Feb 15, 2022

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I always go back to LASS. Every single time. Metropolis does rock that BIG sound though.

 

Cinestrings:
-Could have been the Best strings library Ever, being made on the Sony Pictures/MGM Hall,
but (I heard) there were some technical problems/conflicts, things got messed up and it didn't turn out as great it could/should have been..

-They have a very good/tasty Timbre/Tone, and it's very Balanced in all terms,
it's Lush/round enough to have a good mellow character, so they can be Soft, but they can also be Aggressive,
they are very Expressive, and have all that Dynamic Range/capacity (unlike many other libs).

-However they got some unavoidable problems..
The response is a bit over the place, it's hard to control how fast/slow the legato/other transitions are,
and the strange/complex controls don't help it.

(I say complex and they were at the time, also quite massive,
but comparing with modern libs alla Audiobro they are much more average now..)

Also note transitions are a bit abrupt/jumpy sometimes,
it's hard to predict/adjust them, but note to note transitions could certainly be smoother..

They are a bit Slow in comparison with other Faster/more immediate strings alla LASS, CS2, Areia..
Although in comparison with modern MSS they will actually be quite Fast..

(As Great, Polite and incredibly Featured as MSS are, they are quite Slow/sleepy and kinda Dull/blurry in comparison,
and that's saying a lot in pro of Cinestrings..)

The Mix is pretty much perfect in terms of Wetness,
the Sony Hall is great and very fitting, so we can assume Dennis Sands did a good job..

However they are a tad too Bright, and the Panning is too Wide for my taste,
and that makes them be a bit Harsh, and have a less Cohesive sound than they could/should have had.

Cellos could be Warmer, Basses could also improve.

All in all, I think they are very Tasty and balanced in terms of Timbre/color, and are very featured, (probably advanced to their time..)
they could have been the Best strings ever if it wasn't for the strange/flawed response and Programming, and the Excessive Brightness and Width of the Mix.


-Areia is a very different animal tho..
As I said, I consider them to be very Fast, Tight, Intense, Bright/Cold, and some of the most Aggressive strings out there..

They are very Dry and Textured, however they take Reverb very very well,
and that's proven by the stock Reverb, which being the Simplest algo reverb gives a Great result..

In a way they are a bit like LASS but:
More Bright/Cold, more Intense, and much more Simple to use.

LASS can also be very Direct/Fast, and quite Intense..
But they are a little bit more Warm/mellow in tone, and have more advanced features which also give you more options/control.

Areia includes a very strange feature that alters the tone of the 2nd violins.
I don't know what was the idea/purpose of that, but it sounds strange to me..

It would have been better to include those alternative tones in a recorded way, rather than an emulated one.

All in all Great Strings,
they could fit some styles/contexts more than other, like say an Intense Sci-Fi Trailer/Movie/Game..
and have all the necessary features > they can get the job done.

They could be more Featured, and could improve a bit in terms of Dynamics..
They could be Warmer, but then.. they won't be Areia

And that's pretty much it..
(If I think of something else I will add it later)


-Besides, I agree with Trurl,
doesn't matter how many libraries I try, I always go back to LASS too..

Once you really learn/understand how they work, and put the time to perfect and polish the whole setup,
they just Work.. where other strings may be too Undefined or have a Confusing/Messy, Distant or Blurry sound,
LASS are much more Clear and Intelligible.

They may be a bit more Stiff sounding than other modern libraries,
but they are also very Controllable and well behaved,
so if you put the proper work on the performance, they can also be quite Dynamic too.

And I don't know, all in all they get the job done,
and that's very important.

However they may not be the best fit for all situations/context or media forms..

IMO they're good enough for VGM soundtracks,
but for Movies I'd consider something more like Afflatus, or ofc BBCSO,
or why not even MSS, SFSS, Cinestrings or Berlin Strings..


(Berlin are some of the Best and most Deeply sampled/featured Strings ever, and they could fit more contexts/media forms..
however you got to like the Mix, and the Teldex Hall, and very alas that's not my case..

I just don't like Teldex, too Reflective and messy, and that screws the Mix..
I certainly prefer the Cinestrings Sony Hall.. or heck even Spitfire Air Hall if their libraries weren't so undefined/distant..
But I'd take LASS Dryness, MSS strange neutrality, or Cinestrings Hall, rather than Teldex Reflectivity..
maybe my taste is different, or I'm just missing the point altogether tho, which is possible )

 

Last edited: Feb 21, 2022

I would go Cine of the 2, but only because I use them and not the other, and find they are a great library, but I do prefer the setup and sound of things like Spitfire Strings, and I personally feel their interface and usage is a little easier than how Cine is set up. I also think Spitfire (like Stufio Strings / Woods etc.. Pro is easier to get different sizes approximated. Cine is more of big sound (obviously really given the name), but I think there is more versatility in the Spitfire stuff. It can be small and intimate depending on the patches, or big and cinematic, and whilst I may not be getting the best of what Cine can offer, how I use it, I don’t feel that versatility is there.

 

^
I would go with Areia,because of its price & flexibility ,CineStringds Core will cost you $529,Areia will cost you $399,Areia IMO is more flexible because in can go from intimate to aggressive/epic & I like its sound better
Here is a good review :

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If you go with the Metropolis Ark series I highly recommend Ark 2,more flexible than the others in the series in different scoring scenarios.
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If you're into classical/Fantasy film score oriented projects I highly recommend BBC Symphony Orchestra Core Edition,but wait for it to go 30-40 % off, don't pay the full price
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If you value my opinion & since you didn't express what you'll be using the strings for here are some alternatives that I use & I'm satisfied with :
Albion Solstice has become one of my favorite & most used libraries, you will love the strings & all other parts of the library,here is a good review & once again wait for for it to go on sale :

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Appassionata Strings is sooooooo good & detailed, but be aware it is for intimate/romantic/chamber style compositions, buy it regardless if its on sale or not,it is a great value for money :

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If you go the SA route,do not underestimate some of the Originals,Intimate Strings will give you some of the best strings, regardless of price (Albion Loegria recordings),& Frozen Strings is a steal @$29 especially if you don't own Tundra ,nothing beats today Legendary Low Strings for the application this one was created for :
^ the above "bundle" will cost you only $110 & it is so flexible across many compositions :


^^^
hope all the above Helps You,good luck & have a great day, cheers !

 

Last edited: Feb 19, 2022

I'm sure it has everything to do with genre... I don't do orchestral music with everything exposed... it's always an arrangement behind something else and I want it to be silky and pretty, generally, and not too thick.