Which Orchestral Kontakt Library would you pick if it were up to you?

Audio Imperia - Jaeger

or​

Orchestral Tools - Metropolis Ark 4

Is there another one you prefer?

 

Last edited: Dec 13, 2022

Ark 4 wins hands down for me. However, Ark 4 is focused on unusual instrument combinations (which by the war are very cool), so won't be able to access your typical orchestral instruments on their own. That could be a problem.

When it comes to orchestral libs, they are all awesome for some things and absolutely suck for others, it would really help if you told us what are you going to use it on.

 

Cool, thank you for your input and opinion! I'm looking for a general orchestral library with everything in one package to make Experimental/Avant-Garde Blackened Death Metal.

I'm pretty much lost when it comes to Orchestral Libraries since I grew up on Edirol Orchestral which used to blow my mind unironically, haha. But today there are so many libraries geared towards every direction, it's very daunting. Too much to look through, it gives me a headache.

 

Bump. Any more opinions?

 

So after even deeper looking I'm siding with you, Metropolis Ark is definitely winning over Jaeger for me. You sound like you know what you're talking about, while I'm lost. Are there more you would put next to Ark 4? I would like to check more.

 

I'm currently working on a symphonic project and I'm using Amadeus Symphonic Orchestra (concise, with all the necessary instruments and articulations, perfect for mixing with higher quality ones or just for a rough draft), The Orchestra Complete 3 (complements perfectly with Amadeus), Native Instruments Symphonic Series (it has a very reasonable woodwind ensemble) and, finally, Audio Imperia Jaeger (the best quality among everything I tried, but with an annoying thing: the strings don't have pizzicato!. ..).

 

Excellent answer.
Also, if memory serves, Jaeger only has Strings, Brass and Percussion. Thus, it lacks woodwinds. And it's meant to be that way, not the most complete entire orchestra, perhaps only the most "epic" parts. Though will probably add the woodwinds eventually.
Even so, surprising that doesn't have pizzicato.

 

Since it's for metal i'd say don't overthink it, most "general use" libraries are unique fon orchestral stuff but when you put loud distorted sounds around them it's hard to tell them appart.

I'd sugest you go for ease of use. CSS, Native instruments and Spitfire come to mind. CSS might be the more neutral of the bunch (and probably best choice), NI symphony series is better for big sounds at the expense of mid presence, Spitfire has a lot of libraries some of which are thematic (definetively worth taking a look in your case).

I personally find audio imperia stuff to be too loud and high-mid heavy, very epic, not something i would put on something that's supposed to be dark sounding, but maybe it'll work for you. If so, take a look a Nucleus.

 

This question demonstrates to me you're not quite grasping things.

Audio Imperia's Jaeger is a full suite of instruments designed to replicate a modern, epic style film scoring orchestra. It has almost everything included, except some instruments that aren't used much in this modern and epic genre, such as woodwinds. Other than these minor bits, it tries to replicate an entire suite of what you would need, albeit with that modern, epic flavour.

However, Metropolis Ark 4 is nothing like Jaeger. Orchestral Tools' Metropolis Ark series is pretty much set up as Metropolis Ark 1 is the core (and probably closest things to compare to Jaeger), whereas 2, 3, 4 and 5 are add-ons or different flavours to add to the sound, e.g., more epic percussion, or rarer or more unique instruments, and so on.

Therefore, comparing Jaeger to Metropolis Ark 4 is not comparing like-for-like. Therefore, which one you want/need is entirely subjective depending on what you are needing it for.

As for Amadeus mentioned by @Dr Pablito , it is awful in every way based on my experience, and the time spent learning how to work with it will be wasted once you realise it's features and sound is nowhere nearer other libraries.

For me, if I were starting now, I'd go with Spitfire Audio's free BBC Symphonic Orchestra (non-Kontakt), Audio Imperia's Nucleus for an all-in-one with all sections and neutral-ish sound (at least compared to Jaeger), or Spitfire Audio's Albion ONE (though has limitations of section rather than specific broken down instruments, e.g. you have strings, high brass, low brass, and so on, instead of violins, violas, celli, trumpets, and so on)

Watch this, as it's a pretty good and accurate overview if you're trying to decide on the best all-in-one type of orchestral library to go for:

 

I'm a bit lost with the different Orchestral Tools libraries. Well, it's a child play compared with Spitfire but still...
If I'm getting it right, the most epic one is Metropolis 2. Am I right?

 

As epic as listening to Morrissey while swallowing a bucket of sedatives, indeed .

Seriously though, Ark 2 is ment to be the subtle one, some patches don't even go past mf.

 

They say Epic in their website... so which Metropolis would be the Epic one? It seems to be the One. the third doesn't cover some important articulations...

PS: Ok, it seems according to the company all Metropolis are epic. Nice, that really tells the story.

 

The guy I posted above has a decent video about the differences in the Metropolis Ark series:

 

Thanks, saw that. That guy's videos about libs are good although I don't agree on some of his opinions, which is fine.
I finally read a brief remark on a review of the Ark 3. Four lines explaining more that their entire website. Oooray...

I'd go with the One.

 

I agree, which is why I mentioned drafts. But there are times when I experiment with several other libraries and come back to Amadeus as the best solution for that particular instrument or passage. As for the Spitfire, I try to like it but it doesn't suit my work and I find Kontakt's interface not very user friendly.