All sections featured hand-picked musicians from contemporary Berlin orchestras. Learn more and download SINE here. Tell your friends about Layers and share your new creations by tagging us in your posts. This is due to doubled costs for downloads and licensing. Easy access to orchestral sound Layers is a free orchestral VST instrument, and an easy way to add orchestral sounds to your compositions and productions.
Layers puts pristine orchestral sound right at your fingertips—for free. Why is Layers free? Highlights Free orchestral VST instrument. Full orchestral patch plus individual string, woodwind, and brass sections—each with several articulations.
Multiple, mixable mic positions and configurations. How do I get Layers? Sonatina is a classic MIDI orchestra plugin with a lot of capability, especially for making traditional orchestral arrangements. The free plugin comes with full sections across the spectrum of orchestral instruments including strings, brass, woodwinds, keys, choir and percussion. The library of samples are meticulously recorded and makes a great option for use as a fairly serious tool for orchestral composition.
Overall, for composition tasks that demand standard orchestral arrangements, this is a great option. The Total Composure Orchestra is a full orchestral sample library. It was created by using samples that are in the public domain. The public domain consists of creative work that has no exclusive intellectual property rights.
All the samples in the total composure orchestra are pre-cleared for use in your music. The Free Orchestra by Project Sam is a collection of samples from many of their paid products. This is perfect if you want to get started with Kontakt libraries without the commitment of buying the full version. The Free Orchestra features incredible options for sound design. Parameters such as envelope controls, effects, octaver, and reverse make it one of the most versatile plugins on this list.
Discover was designed to make orchestral scoring accessible to all music creators. In the past, you would have to make an investment of hundreds of dollars or more to begin composing with an orchestra. Discover includes 35 instruments and 47 techniques. All the instruments are premixed into one mix signal. This gives you a bit less control than a paid library, while still boasting a professional sound. Even so, relative beginners like being able to flesh out full compositions without having to dig under the hood.
Equally suitable for pop and classical productions as well as film scores, Essential Orchestra provides excellent value for the money. Traditionally, orchestras included strings, brass, woodwinds, and percussion sections. There are also smaller orchestras that omit the percussion section entirely, and even ensembles consisting of only one or two sections, such as strings and woodwinds.
You may not need an entire collection, but your composition or production style may only call for strings or brass. Then the Orchestra Sections is for you. Otherwise, having at least one complete full orchestra collection is a good recommendation.
This tops off your collection with a well needed variety of orchestral sounds and colors for your projects. The Strings set consists of 90 string programs, each crafted for accuracy and realism. The bulk of the bundle is made up of string ensembles that you can use to flesh out arrangements quickly or fill out the background of your compositions. You also get individual sections that provide more control over assembling your string parts. These sections comprise first and second violins, violas, cellos, and contrabasses, with a wide range of articulations provided for each.
Of course, samples are only as good as how they were recorded. Minimal post-processing was applied to ensure that the sounds are as organic as possible. The raw quality of the samples and the extensive articulations also consistently won praise from more discriminating users. Even if you are well-covered in the strings department, this is one library that you will want to add to your collection.
This library is not intended for traditional orchestral use, but finds its home in modern musical styles. You get solo instruments that you can use for composing evocative lead lines, plus vintage synths and a handful of unique sound design elements. Although this collection does excel in traditional string sounds, its focus is more on warm and vibey tones that will fit right into any modern electronic production.
You also get a slew of solo string instruments, characterful vintage synth patches and effects processors, and quirky sound design elements that offer a welcome alternative to typical string libraries. Control over the sounds is provided by the powerful user interface, which combines a deep modulation matrix, two arpeggiators, and a couple of tape loopers.
You also get a flux sequencer, which is your ticket to intriguing rhythmic variations. Many users of Analog Strings were initially drawn to the quality of the samples, but the extensive modulation capabilities are what ultimately won many of them over.
The user interface is one of the most powerful in a string library, giving users access to sounds that go well beyond the capabilities of most string ensembles. Output Analog Strings is more than just your average string library. The vintage synths and effects, sound design elements, and deep modulation options make it a useful all-arounder for most studio productions. EastWest is known for some of the most realistic and highest quality libraries around, and its string collections, in particular, are good enough to hang with the best of them.
This gives you a choice between a light and affordable library and a more fully-featured selection for a little bit more money. The good news is that even the Gold Edition packs a good range of string ensembles and solo instruments. All instruments are recorded from a single mic position in industry-standard 16 bit, This is certainly adequate for most productions, but if you want more sounds and mic options, you could go for the Diamond Edition, the content of which comes in and bit versions.
You also get five mic positions, so you have more options to set your sound stage the way you want. Both the Gold and Diamond Editions are generally well-regarded among composers and producers, although some did lament the less realistic short articulations that come with the Gold Edition. The Gold Edition of Hollywood Strings provides excellent value, and most composers will find it sufficient for mockups and even finished productions.
However, the Diamond Edition provides more instruments, extended ranges, additional mic positions, and more articulations for not much more money. We, therefore, recommend shelling out for the Diamond Edition right at the outset.
How many string samples do you really need? No matter what your answer is, Vienna Symphonic Library — Dimension Strings definitely has enough to fill your needs. No less than 1. Whether you need a quick mockup or a fully-fleshed out orchestral masterpiece, Dimension Strings has got you covered. The result is a performance that is as close as you could get to a live concert.
And because each player was recorded with a separate mic, you have full control over the mix and spatial balance. What makes Dimension Strings stand out for discerning users is the depth of control over the individual players. Hardly any other string library compares in terms of legato transitions, short articulations, and harmonics.
Even owners of huge multi-terabyte libraries turn to Dimension Strings when only the most convincing performances will do. Dimension Strings is by far the most deeply sampled string libraries around. Of course, you do have to pay a premium for the privilege.
But it does come with a pretty steep price tag, which could make cash-strapped producers consider other options. But the comprehensive range of instruments and the depth of control the plug-in gives you makes it a worthy contender among all the other string-focused collections out there. Nearly articulations are available for the entire collection, along with several round-robin, dynamic layering, and mic positions. With Symphonic Strings, your ensemble performances can be just as detailed and convincing as your solo lines.
Spitfire libraries are widely praised for their quality and realism, and Symphonic Strings is no different. For many producers, the quality of the base samples easily measures up to the best string libraries, with even more value care of the extensive articulations and excellent user interface. Like the best string libraries, it is deeply sampled, with a wide range of string instruments that should cover most orchestral needs.
Weighing in at nearly 40GB, the library consists of meticulously sampled natural instruments, as well as a handful of more unusual selections that add spice to your orchestral creations. But what tweakers will really appreciate is the ability to shape the bundled sounds in numerous creative ways. Much of this power is due to the Cycle dynamic playback engine, which gives you a wide range of tools with which to sweeten the string patches or warp them beyond recognition.
From traditional swells and swirls to pulsing rhythms, glitch effects, stutters, and more, Cycle provides sound-shaping capabilities that go beyond what you would expect from a string library.
The versatility and intuitiveness of Modern Strings is what seems to impress users the most. The ability to morph standard string parts into outlandish electronic textures makes this plug-in a popular choice among producers who need more esoteric flavors from their string libraries.
Modern Strings could easily handle most of your bread-and-butter string requirements, but its strength lies in creating modern and synthetic textures. Whether you are looking to create convincing orchestral mockups or you are in search of creative inspiration, Modern Strings will deliver. Part of the Orchestral Companion series, Woodwinds provides a comprehensive set of ensemble and instrument programs that cover most orchestral applications.
For the price, you get a good selection of full woodwind ensembles, which are useful for sketching out orchestral compositions in broad strokes.
You also get smaller wind sections that provide more detailed performances, plus solo instruments that could serve as the lead elements of your arrangements. With multi-velocity layers and modulation swells, you could easily craft woodwind parts that almost sound as if you are in the same room as a world-class woodwind ensemble.
Experienced producers also liked the orchestrally-correct seating, which helps simulate a more authentic orchestra experience. The attention to detail that went into the creation of this plug-in is pretty apparent.
Woodwind parts can be difficult to approximate in a sample library, but Woodwinds does a great job of helping you deliver convincing performances. You can therefore choose between a basic sound set and a more detailed collection. With either version, you get high-quality woodwind sounds that will fit right into a major Hollywood blockbuster.
You also get a good range of options by which you could tweak them to perfection. From the moment you load up a patch, it immediately becomes apparent that Hollywood Orchestral Woodwinds is all about expression.
Most every aspect of the instruments can be controlled for maximum expressiveness, resulting in ensemble and solo performances that stand out for their realism.
The Gold Edition comes with a full range of articulations, including dynamic legatos, double tonguing, repetitions, and stirring runs. Notes sustain convincingly, and round-robin selection is provided to keep your staccato performances from sounding artificial. The Diamond Edition includes all that and more, with the addition of five mic positions that let you set your sound stage to perfection.
And with a full complement of articulations available, your woodwinds will sound as convincing as ever. The Diamond Edition is even more impressive, with the range of articulations and mic options making the already spectacular collection of sounds even better.
With the added articulations and mic options offered by the Diamond Edition, we strongly recommend that you go for the higher-priced option. The realism and performance capabilities of the previous versions have been retained, with the added advantage of being optimized for the new Synchron Player. With this release, you get access to an exquisite sounding collection of production-ready ensembles and instruments that will fit perfectly with your most complex orchestrations.
The articulations have been reworked extensively, providing better interaction with the other instruments in the woodwind sections and the rest of the Synchron Series.
Samples team seamlessly from disk, with a wealth of articulations and performance options available. With the Synchron Player, you can get amazingly expressive performances with a few simple controls.
Users of Synchron-ized Woodwinds love how easy it is to come up with convincingly realistic parts. The Synchron Player allows for a full range of control over various aspects of the sound. Many sample libraries and orchestral plug-ins claim to offer production-ready sounds out of the box, but Synchron-ized Woodwinds is one of the few that delivers convincingly. Spitfire Symphonic Woodwinds gives you all the power and authority of a world-class woodwind section in a convenient and easy-to-use package.
This intriguing plug-in offers you the depth of expression and range of control that you would normally expect to find in much pricier plug-ins. The sound quality is impeccable as well, owing to the state-of-the-art recording process that has captured some of the most accomplished woodwind players in the U.
Better still, all of these can be made more expressive by a wide array of articulations. You also get three mic positions that enable you to set the sound stage just how you want it.
All the standard woodwind sounds are present in this collection, and you get a few more esoteric options besides. Along with alto and bass flutes , the selection also includes rich-sounding contrabass clarinets, which greatly expands the sonic range you can cover.
Some users did find the sounds a bit too present and over-the-top. But for those who like their woodwinds big and bold, Spitfire Symphonic Woodwinds ticks all the boxes. Spitfire Symphonic Woodwinds is a huge collection in terms of sound and scope. The sounds lean more towards the massive and cinematic as opposed to subtle and intimate. But if that is what you are looking for in a woodwind library, look no further than Symphonic Woodwinds.
For the price, you get a rich array of sounds that are especially suited for modern cinematic scoring. More than organic articulations are included in the Modern Woodwinds package, along with tempo-synced loops and a hundred hybrid snapshots.
The articulations are perfect for adding a dose of realism to your sequenced tracks. But the loops and snapshots give you the ability to create sounds well beyond the scope of most woodwind libraries. With these tools, you can quickly go from uplifting, pastoral motifs to broodingly dark and evolving soundscapes that defy categorization.
Of course, Modern Woodwinds provides enough quality samples to let you come up with period-authentic woodwind parts if you wish. But if you are after rich and distinctive textures that blend in with more contemporary cinematic scores, Modern Woodwinds has the tools that allow you to get them quickly. Modern Woodwinds appeals to composers who prefer a more hybrid approach to film scoring.
Although the plug-in can be used to create more traditional-sounding themes and motifs, the ability to crank out dark and menacing drones is a big selling point for this plug-in. If you already have a woodwind plug-in that covers the traditional end of the spectrum, Modern Woodwinds is an excellent alternative for darker, moodier tones. Definitely check this out if you are looking for woodwind-based sounds that depart from the ordinary.
Like any respectable collection, you get full ensembles and smaller sections, along with a complete array of solo instruments. All the major elements of the typical orchestral brass section are present here, including trumpets , trombones, French horns, and tubas. The selection of articulations is quite comprehensive as well, with different types of tonguing, staccato and sustained notes, swells, mutes, and sforzando and marcato voicings. The authenticity and realism of the sounds are easily the high points of SONiVOX Brass, with most users praising their fidelity and consistently high quality.
Many producers also appreciated how little post-processing was applied to the sounds, which gave them more leeway to shape the patches to their preferences. There are other plug-ins with a wider range of sounds to be sure. This new collection contains five of the finest brass ensembles from the earlier series, so you have access to the same production-ready sounds right out of the box. As expected, you get a good selection of articulations, along with a few other goodies that will enable you to craft some truly impressive brass parts.
Volume 6 of Dimension Brass comes with a decent array of instruments including trumpets, French horns, trombones, and a nice selection of Wagner tubas. There is also a great sounding Low Brass ensemble that is perfect for cooking up dark and brooding drones.
This particular set contains the most important normal and muted articulations, which add life to even the most static and repetitive arrangements. You could switch between different sizes of ensembles, so you can tailor your brass sections to fit specific scenarios.
For users of Dimension Brass, the option to specify the number of players in every ensemble is a welcome feature. Many also appreciate being able to automate the volume of each player within the Synchron Player, which allows for more precise control over the mix. Even so, there are many options for customizing your sounds via the flexible and powerful Synchron Player.
EastWest has become a standard of sorts for producers who need quality sounds quickly without a lot of tinkering. With Hollywood Brass, EastWest shows that it is equally capable of delivering outstanding horn sounds.
With this plug-in, composers and film scorers have an impressive selection of quality instruments and powerful tools at their disposal. The Gold Edition comes with all the instruments in the Hollywood Brass series, recorded in bit resolution from a mid mic position.
The plug-in also includes all the available articulations, arrangements, and alternative-style performances. The Diamond Edition consists of GB of samples, covering ensembles of different sizes and configurations. Each can be milked for maximum expression with the bundled articulations, and five microphone positions are provided for custom sound staging. For most users, the highlight of Hollywood Brass is the depth and dimension of the sound.
Many also make full use of the high-quality convolution reverb, which goes a long way in recreating realistic performance spaces. The sound quality is the main reason to go for the Hollywood Brass collection. Whether you choose the Gold or the Diamond Edition, you are assured of a great sounding and fully controllable collection of world-class brass instruments. Almost every imaginable type of brass instrument is included in Symphonic Brass, from trumpets to tubas and trombones, with several useful variations of each.
There are even more esoteric options such as cimbassis, contrabass trombones, and contrabass tubas, which opens up your range of sonic possibilities considerably. Spitfire has also seen fit to include instrument groups for solos, chamber music, symphonies, and cinematic applications. Unlike other libraries that limit you to a single set of instrument groups, Symphonic Brass provides enough variations for more creative orchestration.
The overview and general control panels give you a wide range of control over mixing and performances. You also have an ostinatum panel that lets you set up ostinato pattern sequences just as you would with an arpeggiator. Users of Symphonic Brass find the range of sounds to be amazingly detailed and diverse, with most of the traditional brass instruments covered. Those in search of more unique sounds also appreciate having lesser-known variants of trombones and tubas on board.
Spitfire Brass is a gorgeous sounding library that impresses with its power and range. With the comprehensive collection of sounds available plus the extensive control options, this could be the only brass library you will need for a while. Although you can certainly use the plug-in for period-correct compositions, much of its content leans more toward the contemporary end of the sonic spectrum. The Modern Brass collection includes most standard brass instruments along with a few variations.
Although a bit lacking in more exotic brass options, there is more than enough range here to cover a wide variety of orchestral applications. Experienced composers and orchestrators especially like having a range of complex articulations at their disposal.
For more discriminating users, articulations such as cluster bends and random flutters make Modern Brass essential for expressive performances.
The core of any library is its sample content, and Big Bang Cinematic Percussion definitely delivers the goods. Each instrument offers multiple velocities and takes presented in round-robin format, which helps provide a much-needed dose of realism to your drum parts. SONiVOX also includes a variety of tools that enable you to squeeze every last bit of expression from the drum programs. You get full control over aspects such as pitch, dynamics, and panning, and there is even a dedicated filter page with a good choice of excellent sounding filters.
Picky producers like having such a wide range of sound design options with Big Bang Cinematic Percussion. The huge array of sounds also makes the library a popular choice among composers that need a full range of percussion options for action-packed scores.
Although a bit lacking in more exotic percussion instruments, Big Bang Cinematic Percussion is a solid library that should cover the bulk of your percussive needs. A carefully-curated set of percussive instruments, it includes thousands of samples covering a diverse range of sounds.
Better suited for accents and orchestral punctuation than rhythmic accompaniment, Orchestral Percussion is nevertheless an essential addition to your growing library of samples. For the price, you get wood blocks, castanets, triangles, and a couple of shakers. Performances were captured in different speeds and meters, with a wide variety of articulations thrown in for good measure.
With all these options, Orchestral Percussion I allows you to create some very convincing percussion parts. For most composers, the best aspect of Orchestral Percussion I is the noticeably high quality of the samples.
The natural reverberation baked into many of the patches was also surprisingly useful, allowing composers to lay down parts quickly without spending too much time on post-processing. Orchestral Percussion I is a decent set of percussion elements that you will find useful for most productions.
0コメント