WHICH IS THE BEST STRING LIBRARY | COMPARISON 2021

[@FaceTheStreets]

For me in this particular piece of music Afflatus has the best overall sound and balance. It sound much more lively than the rest.

[@marcelochagra3307]

I thought it was just my impression, but I see we agree. All other libraries (except Jäegger, Nucleus), if they don't sound cumbersome, sound weak. Afflatus has a round sound. Warmth, clarity, sweetness, sound space, etc. It seems to me that with Jäegger the library was not set up well, because it normally sounds luxurious.

[@toddfrombethesda6963]

Albion one has some really nice sounding lows.

[@ronricherson6685]

Nice to see someone take the time to do this. Spitfire products were the best to me; more musical and the rooms they record in and the quality of the mics come through. I have one of the better East/West orchestras, would have loved to have heard them in comparison.

[@marcelochagra3307]

In my opinion, no spitfire sounds pleasant (I come from techno, and the sonic precision in this style, also in psytrance, is the standard for a balanced and defined sound). They sound heavy, cumbersome, in some cases with exaggerated bass, and the strings are quite dispersed.

[@ronricherson6685]

Thanks for your perspective. I own a LOT of orchestral libraries but have found myself using Spitfire less and less. Heavy and dark seems to be what they like. It could be they are catering to filmmakers/composers who are stylistically dark and moody. I've asked them to make products that are lighter so-to-speak.

[@TheAlburp]

Spitfire chamber + solo for the higher strings would make for a great combo imo. maybe sprinkle in some albion in there too 😋

[@angelvoicemusic]

Nucelus sounds good to me and what is important to me: It has a good timing, playing not too late as many others...

[@mateythegreat1399]

Nice video but sorry to say that is not fair to just slap the same midi file without the modification needed for the library in use . Loved the composition. Thanks keep up the great work mate

[@LordComradeAnarchoCapitalus]

Metropolis Ark for life! Now, if only they could have a sale...

[@MarcumStewart]

Was torn between Metropolis Ark 4, Spitfire Chamber Strings, & Nucleus/Jaeger but after checking out more audio samples/demos from the official websites then I was convinced Metropolis Ark 4 was the most realistic sounding out of them all. I liked them the most off this demo as well, but wanted to be 100% sure. Surprisingly the Jaeger ended up being my second preference. Thanks for doing this demo test and showcasing all the libraries! Very informative indeed

[@eastdevil]

Seems like you have the similar taste as me. That's how I felt too.

[@michellew.3691]

Most sonic changes you hear could you recreate by sound design techniques like the sonible bundle, upwards/downwards compression, eq-match/transfer, saturation etc.

[@AnthonyPhanMusic]

Good Comparison! Personally, my favorite is Afflatus. The tone is simply amazing! I use it in just about everything, so I might be biased😅

[@MediaManProductions]

I agree, in terms of realism it gave me the most emotion when I was listening back... closely followed by `spitfire symphonic and then Spitfire studio.

[@HollowPlanet]

By far the best.

[@aarongrubbmusic]

I believe it was the Spitfire Symphonic Strings that I liked best

[@alainjulot3490]

Albion one is warm, alive, soft. love it !

[@StephanSchipper]

Albion one is still amazing but Afflatus in my ears has more character and details. In the end it is also a question of the composition and orchestration.

[@DjorMil.CineMusic]

Everything is good for something... hard to decide. We need to understand what we are going after i guess. Afflatus sticked to my heart the most i guess. Its very emotiona and "alive"!! MA1 has nice epic vibe...but such a short range? OMG...

[@grailgnosticism2342]

the symphony series has the most character, emotional expression and high end detail, imo; world-class product

[@Risuaita5886]

Its absolutely astonishing out-of-the-box sound, but its very wet and colored for those seeking more dry libraries.

[@kadejito1]

LOL I own the Symphony Series and now I wish Id gone with Albion 😅. SS in this presentation sounds muddy and grey, while Albion is just alive with resonant warmth.

[@grailgnosticism2342]

@@kadejito1 Nothing to do with this thread, but i woishthere was an AI machine or program that created mock-ups; because my eyesight is going, and it is all i can do to use the Sequencer Staff, never mind anything else on the DAW'; unless DAWs like Cubase have some kind of template system to help with midi mock-ups.

[@MBynum]

Metropolis is very impressive. Currently have Nucleus Lite Edition and I'm enjoying it despite it not having legato. Spitfire Chamber is quite impressive and that's on my wishlist as well as Areia and maybe String Ensemble.

[@gandalf2867]

Why not just upgrade Nucleus first? Wait for Black Friday .. Aeria is probably worth getting to, Lite edition is already awesome. (from what I hear, don't have eitehr nucleus or aeria myself)

[@KilianK]

@Mer Luzo lul don't hear that anywhere ^^

[@immax79]

Uhhh.., Gotta say i love the Spitfire Symphonic Strings.. The Spitfire Chamber strings was a big surprise in comparison to the others, meaning they sounded really really good🔥🤘🏼 The Albino had a incredible good low end, and for solo Spitfire is also the place to go BUT only for solos instrument layered on a good library.. Jaeger was a vig dissapointment from Audio Imperia (i've got the Areia library)... One thing i'm missing though, was HeavyoCity's strings... Damm i would have love to hear them in comparison to the others..❤️🤘🏼🔥❤️ Anyway, thanks for the video🔥❤️🙏🏼 Nice job 👍🏼

[@HyperNova137]

Hard choice for ensembles... But for solo strings, I'll still take the Chris Hein EX library over anything out there.

[@haustmonet]

based

[@HaharuRecords]

Feels like I just need one of the Libraries and an EQ...

[@petruhe]

listened with closed eyes and was surprised on albion. Used it so many times but in my hands in doesn't sounds so life. in afflatus opened eyes to check what's that cheep "factory library" is.

[@ziadkhalaf198]

That's lots of work. Thank you. I wish you had included BBCSO

[@xsoundstudio]

I hope to be able to make a review in the future

[@fabl.5408]

Thanks for this. Wish there would be the same with choirs comparison. :D

[@secreho6216]

Благодарю за подбор и за ваш труд!

[@andrewkeys]

when it comes to comparing different string libraries I think it definitely depends on what you have in your head whether you want something to sound more realistic, however, as fingerhorn4 mentioned there is a tendency to judge the quality of the sample library and not the the music composition. I’d say that it’s very appealing to compose on a string library that inspires you

[@thatxyz3072]

Definitely the Chamber Strings from Spitfire. That sound is beautiful

[@VeeIsDead]

I liked ARK for this demo tbh, but at the same time I can't completely judge when the dynamics dont't seem to be adjusted

[@Emmanuel-Jacob]

Hello George... You are actually comparing various string libraries on spiccato / staccato articulations, while the title says (BEST STRING LIBRARY). Well, in my opinion, spiccato - staccato and some quite simple sustains, are not enough to judge a string library.

[@xsoundstudio]

Hi, I'll try to make other samples more detailed in the future. Thanks!

[@caseyfulton6932]

I also like Afflatus but I think if you worked on the mixing and mic signal choices and stereo/ panning etc you could make another library sound quite similar to any other library here. So if you have one of these libraries you don't necessarily need to buy another but work on the mixing/ mastering instead.

[@xsoundstudio]

I agree, but you have to calculate that some libraries are made for certain techniques and others sound more aggressive (ff) or softer (pp). In the end, it also depends on the kind of music you compose.

[@kadejito1]

I was thinking the same thing. I thought I had it made with Symphonic Strings, but it sounds so quiet and dull here. Would definitely need a little extra tweaking to make it come alive. I guess thats why the ones that sound great out of the box cost a little more, eh?

[@DarthMadV]

These all need to be equalised to the best you can make each sound, and then compared.

[@quion6931]

I love Chamber Strings

[@fingerhorn4]

There's too much obsession with sample quality instead of MUSIC quality. Everyone has an opinion on samples and how effective they are or how good they sound. But there is almost zero discussion or opinions on musicality, skill in orchestration, voicing parts. Orchestration and compositional flare has now become a lowly third place to sound "design" , whatever that means. Most decent samples are very useable. But it's the quality of music composition and how those samples are used that matters.

[@xsoundstudio]

You are absolutely right. first goes the musicality. The libraries are the tool to make your beautiful melodies and your orchestrations breathe and sound more realistic to you.

[@Durtlepower]

Yeah limitations are very important try composing 8 bit for the NES with only 3 melodic channels!

[@NakulKrishna]

There is not zero discussion. There’s plenty of channels that go into orchestration, tone colour choices, analysis of famous pieces etc. “sound design” is a very important facet of modern music composition and production, either one without the other will result in a subpar result. You check a video on sound libraries and expect a discussion on orchestration that doesn’t make sense. Besides it goes without saying the only individuals who make something of themselves in this profession are good or amazing at both.

[@studieslessonstheoryetc141]

“Sound design” is the design of sound, pretty straightforward. And there’s all kinds of content focusing on composition, if you’re frustrated by videos comparing the quality of certain tools for the craft, stop watching them.

[@Torrington7]

🤝👍🏻

[@matrixate]

Cinematic Studio Strings and Albion One. This is only based on string sound though. For actual work, where you're programming MIDI, Cinematic Studio Strings player is by far the easiest to go from idea/concept to product. Not that the others require that much more work, but when it comes to ease of playability, it seems CSS beats everyone. The library is NOT perfect. No library is. You have to literally, buy them all. You mix and match according to taste. Albion One is so dated though. Spitfire's new player that they use with the Abbey Road series and BBC Orchestra...is so good. That it's so easy to record passages quickly and move on. The legatos require no work...it just automatically comes out the way you want to hear it. I find...that VSL is almost a requirement for anyone owning any libraries because they can layer into anything. I'm talking about their original series...not that Synchon powered stuff. It sounds great...but it you have to tweak it to make it layer nicely. Now, CSS on the other hand...that is truly a masterpiece. If only Spitfire would just update the player for Albion One....that would be revolutionary.

[@Zarabozo]

Good demo. It's a pity you don't have VSL's Appassionata Strings with MIR Pro. It would leave all of these smashed on the floor. :-)

[@rsmanikeys]

Yes i feel the same

[@navneet9630]

great writing man

[@jamesr141]

The comments here are so great. Everyone has their own ideas of which is best.

[@DycayBeats]

I just discovered AFFLATUS CHAPTER I Strings only after black friday/cyber monday... This library sounds very dynamic suits my need the best!

[@sebastianobenatti5839]

It is 60% off now!

[@DycayBeats]

@@sebastianobenatti5839 already bought when the sale started

[@sunnyschramm9650]

I would use Spitifre Symphonic Strings PLUS mixing in a little bit from Jaeger on top for definition.

[@minhleviet4472]

best

[@GuyVignati]

Missing my personal favorite: Vienna Synchron Strings Pro

[@xsoundstudio]

I hope to be able to make a review in the future

[@GuyVignati]

@@xsoundstudio think you’ll like ‘em 🙂

[@АнатолійПоливяний-и2к]

Ark1,Jaeger,Afflatus😊

[@mededmoon6265]

Would've like to have seen 8dio in the line up as it is a good contender, que no?

[@dezinerAhmad]

Hey Thsnks for the Overview.... Can you share the midi I also want try on 8dio MAJESTICA and Anthology Strings

[@roman_fedorchenko782]

Cool!

[@SREE0018]

❤Kaththi movie bgm ❤

[@g.m.1672]

First I'm fooled by the power of Metropolis Ark 4 but Afflatus is more open sounding IMO.

[@Fralibers]

Excellent! Thanks for this . Have you tried audio imperia solo ?

[@xsoundstudio]

I'm glad you liked it! Νo I haven't tried them, but I'll check it out. Thanks!

[@ABE2000]

I hope you can test with Areia from Audio Imperia.

[@DjorMil.CineMusic]

Thats basically Jeager

[@Musica-Biblia]

Personally, I like Albion 1 better. Unfortunately, I don't have a computer. I create music on the iPad. I am using the BeatHawk library. Sorry, I can't start the link ... is at my place. For a 27 euro library that is not bad at all.Greetings 👋

[@5ammy13]

Nice comparison. Which one do you see yourself going to more often and why?

[@xsoundstudio]

Personally, I think there is no one library to go to for everything. I use Ark1 and Albion one for shorts (Aggressive, Trailer music) / Afflatus as layering mostly for everything / Cinematic strings 2 and Spitfire Symphonic Strings for Longs / Spitfire chamber strings most for classical pieces for the low-mid dynamics that they have. But still, I experiment for every track and combine 2-3 libraries as layers.

[@5ammy13]

@@xsoundstudio nice. Thanks George. Yeah layering seems the best way to go when you want that particular sound 😁 cheers and all the best 😀

[@KevinVang1000]

Jaegar sounds more like rap music, while Spitfire and Albion are more cinematic.

[@lukasmckenna9515]

Spitfire is my favorite

[@Lenjoz]

It seems to me alone that writing with the Spitfire library is easier than with Cinematic?

[@Lenjoz]

@Stysner Thanks for the answer. But I would like to ask a few more questions about: string samples in libraries known as CSSS and CSS 1. Why do many people use not only strings from Cinematic Studio Solo Strings when creating orchestral tracks, but also others like Cinematic Studio Strings , and to them also: Berlin Strings, Spitfair Chamber Strings, CineStrings Core and dl. Why are there so many strings from different manufacturers?

[@Lenjoz]

In addition to the patches that have all the musical instrumentation, such as: Albion ONE, METROPOLIS ARK1 and 4. It seems that few people use them

[@Lenjoz]

​@Stysner That is, you use the same part for all instruments, including wind instruments. Or not, And do you use the change of play from sustain to Staccato, and do you separately add effects to one of the instruments from your orchestra, for example Reverb or Slate Digital Machine and beyond?

[@Lenjoz]

And I would like to know very much whether it is worth for a large atmospheric orchestra to fashion instrumental Reverb for everything 100% with regards to wood, brass, percussion, and strings, despite their number, and set Delay to 0%?

[@Lenjoz]

Thank you for your answer, and I want to convey greetings from Russia, I myself do not know English so well, so I use a translator)

[@Wty-7373]

Cremona quartet is the best

[@EmilioMedranoMusic]

Hahahahahahahaaha

[@ELProd-tt5qo]

Just insane. A unique style, amazing.

[@Kharazm4th]

Afflatus...

[@jihunjang6684]

In my opinion, ALBION ONE is the Best, Second is METROPOLIS ARK 4 & 1 . and Worst is SYMPHONY SERIES STRING ENSEMBLE.

[@gandalf2867]

Surprisingly, I thought symphonic series was pretty great actually

[@BenBerkenboschMusic]

I agree, Sympony Series Strings sound eh... Albion One is great, but Spitfire Symphonic Strings is just a little better, obviously since it's the same as Albion One, but with more control and more expensive. I also liked Cinematic Studio strings a lot!

[@prominence2]

Did you notice that NI SS was not normalised on volume with the rest - it the quietest one? Also it's DROWN in reverb for some reason. So it sounds like ensemble sits in other corner of football field from you. I don't think NI SS was given fair fighting chance here due to these settings. I personally feel it sounds smaller than, say Albion or Ark 100%, but quite detailed. For me it has more "classical" sound, so this heroic theme is not the best material for it. I own Jaegar and SS Essentials and I find myself drawn to SS much more to just play in improvise. Jaegar clearly more "crisp", (which should work good within the mix), but as standalone instrument I prefer SS sound more. And the last one - seems like libraries treat double basses midi differently and we hear them in different octaves library to library.

[@DrGameTazo]

only CINEMATIC STUDIO STRINGS.... touch me...

[@chandananonymus3563]

Cant judge metropolis in front of anything

[@toddfrombethesda6963]

Ark 4 strings are supremely good. Always disliked the sound of ark 1s strings. Spitfire audio strings libraries are however always and will always be king. No all in one library comes close to them. Albion one has a nice modern string sound but can sound a bit synthy. Nucleus is meh ( no where near as interesting as it’s brass, same situation with Ark 1). Spitfire are my absolute go to for strings, however brass wise I have never been to impressed.

[@toddfrombethesda6963]

I should state that spitfire wins in tone and sound, legato however has always been a struggle for them.

[@toddfrombethesda6963]

Coming back just for anyone who reads this. I personally would go with CSS if starting over just for legato and playability along, however I don’t hate purchasing spitfire libraries, it’s just that they aren’t as playable, sound wise there still a 10.

[@LucasBurnMusic]

You've made something wrong with Spitfire Symphonic Strings. Orchestration isn't that simple.

[@fotisguitar123]

👍

[@voskseyur]

All to trash. VSL forever! :)

[@xsoundstudio]

I think each library has its usefulness.