String Quartet Comparison - Abbey Road 2, CSSS, MSS

[@D20Music]

They all sound really good. Got to hand it to AR2 though. It is completely dry and crisp, therefore manageable with any verb and really does what it's supposed to... Eleanor Rigby sound. the players also pop into the position nicely around you when wearing good headphones, as if they are positioned just right. I own CSSS and love that too and It's the better sound compared to MSS, but AR2 is impressive.

[@bulentkamali]

I can only afford to buy the AR2 Core today. On the other hand, I have a coupon for the CSSS that would cost me $ 235 (tax included). Which one is superior considering my budget limitation?

[@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed]

Well, they have pretty different sounds and uses. Also CSSS works really well with CSS. AR2 has a pretty unique sound. I think the answer has more to do with which sound you like better or will find more useful.

[@MyronDavismd]

they all sound remarkable. CSSS sounds more like a live ensemble, to my ears. I think for this composition, at least, CSSS in the right choice

[@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed]

Agreed. It has an unfair advantage because I wrote it with CSSS.

[@gffg387]

What's CSSS?????

[@MyronDavismd]

@@gffg387 Cinematic Studio Solo Strings!

[@gffg387]

@@MyronDavismd thanks!

[@manuelfilho11]

I'm still waiting for an AR2 legatos demo that sounds good and natural. Not even Spitfire could make those articulations sound authentic. Most solo strings libraries shorts sound good.

[@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed]

I can try to do one more video before the sale ends.

[@bonzology322]

As a mixer its not close, AR2 gives me options to create the space i need

[@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed]

Good choice

[@christophelalevee8371]

Hello I guess CSSS short for cinematic strings but MSSS ?

[@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed]

Modern Scoring Strings by Audiobro www.audiobro.com/modern-scoring-strings/

[@tunesofeleven]

What mac are you using currently?

[@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed]

I do most of my work on a 2018 MacBook Pro i9. I’m testing a Mac Mini M1 8GB and use it for editing video.

[@tunesofeleven]

@@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed I see, I saw your video on the m1 MacBook, where you demonstrated 96 tracks with 32gb of swap memory, just wondering, if everything worked so good then why did you return it?

[@johnhawkinshawkins1284]

AR2 fifth column advertising - by far the best.....IMO

[@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed]

Cheers! Thanks for commenting.

[@gffg387]

What is CSSS?? I know CSS is Cinematic Studio Strings.

[@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed]

The extra S is for Solo, the first chairs basically.

[@jazzybeeff]

Thank you. The most dry and intimate sound in Abbey Road Two. So it will be easier to wash them as you want. And this makes it even better for popular music genres.

[@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed]

Agreed, AR2 sounds great for "pop" stuff

[@jazzybeeff]

​@@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed Yes i still believe it. But i did not order it because of Spitfire Audio's Black Friday policy for this year. I prefered CSS Solo Strings. I hope i won't regret.

[@now_im_here3698]

No reverb on AR2. Way more dry. I think it would sound better with reverb.

[@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed]

Yeah I think most would agree. But, it’s mix 1 of the product, the product was relatively new, and I wanted to let the product speak for itself in this one. If I’d added reverb, someone would have (eventually) asked for it without reverb. :) Maybe I should have presented it both ways, but then this would have turned into a reverb video and not a string quartet contrast.

[@dendeduktiveborger884]

I think the spitfire audio library takes it...

[@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed]

Thanks for your comment!

[@whatshisface7450]

Pointless comparison! Abbey Road string slathered in reverb. CSSS Strings Slathered in even more reverb. MSS strings Very Dry, Remove the reverb from the other two and balance the volume, between the three, then we can talk. This is not a review or a comparison it is completely Biased.

[@NathanDavidCarltonSoundbed]

Some people enjoy an “out of the box” type of comparison. If you pulled up the products and wrote, here’s an example of what you might get. I have some other videos where I carefully volume balanced and reverb matched products, to which people say it’s “so much work” to get a “good sound” out of a particular product. Different strokes, I guess 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@colinjames2469]

Abbey rd was the driest by far. So.... your comment was totally pointless. Get your ears tested. 🤣