Yes, I know no software can truly capture the sounds of a real instrument. The nuances of a live performance, the real vibrato, the dynamics in real time. But I'm looking for some new libraries that are pretty damn close.

Outside of kontakt, EASTWEST had a few string libraries that tricked my ear and pianoteq was excellent for pianos.

Inside of kontakt Ilya Efimov guitars have impressed me, Orange tree guitars, symphonic expressions for strings, Cinesamples Tina Guo cello (this one sounds phenomenal), embertone Joshua bell violin,and cinebrass twelve horn ensemble...

I'm really trying to go for realism... I have to make a song for a client and I only have access to "in the box" choices, but I want the song to feel less plastic.

Maybe professionals will know the difference, but I'd like to "trick" the average listener and show software can sound just as real (or as close as possible) be that synths, guitars, pianos, strings, brass, percussion, drums, you name it!

 

Agree, but it's not a kontakt library, it's a physical modelled instrument.

The range of instruments you specified it's too wide, maybe you can shrink to a specific one, then I'm sure it will be easier for AS users to suggest libraries.

 

Last edited: Aug 10, 2023

I think the question isn't what libraries "are" realistic, it's what libraries "can be" realistic. Like, Shreddage guitars can be realistic when processed correctly, used in the right context and not pushed beyond its limitations.

 

Some of my favorites that aren't that well known:
- Swam Instruments are amazing! (Brass/Woodwinds/Strings)
- Naroth Audio - Mood Guitars. Super light lofi guitars.
- Best Service - Accordions 2. Who doesn't need accordions in their tracks?
- Splash Sound - Ukulele. Very simple for laying out rhythm patterns.
- Vocal Colors Bronte. Many vocal samples and articulations to play with.
- XBass. All purpose lightweight bass.

 

Thank you see, this is what I'm asking for. I'm aware I'm asking for a "Wide range"... this time im not looking for SPECIFIC instruments but OVERALL realistic favorites from everyone that you actually use in mixes. I'll try some of these out! and I hope others can drop their recommendations.

 

LASS strings... any pipe organ... I've done good things with Impact Soundworks Pedal Steel...

 

Depending on how you go shopping, I would consider doing a search of all *available Kontakt libraries, and then sort it by the number of people who have kept the library around after they checked it out. Then with a small amount of common sense and a little more research, i'd probably have a pretty damn good list put together. Of course, some of the best libraries are not created with realism in mind, but most of the "best" ones are exactly that.

 

I'm not sure about other instruments - but I use a lot of guitar libraries in my recordings and the ones that I keep going back to (due to their ability to sound very realistic with the right fx) are Impact Soundworks' Shreddage (especially Telos and Archtop), NI's Session Guitarist series, and of course, Orange Tree Samples. With very little effort and creativity, it's easy to get them to sound more than passable - especially when layered.

 

I use Tokyo scoring strings a lot, and recently I was impressed with the e-instruments Rhodes and straight ahead jazz horns. acoustic drum kits, pianos, choirs.... these are best to have multiple options to see what fits best imo. I have limited Internet and space currently or I'd want to check the Tokyo drum ensemble out. oh impact soundworks pan flutes especially kick ass lol