If you have SONAR Producer, it may be worthwhile checking out some of the strings in Dimension too.
 

Funny GPO would come up... actually not funny, but I just reinstalled Aria, GPO and JABB again last night.

I'm currently using libraries from KHS and Project Sam, and the quality (not as in good or bad, but as in tonal quality) is quite different! I'd have a difficult time going back, and in fact plan to go forward with LASS or Cinematic Strings or Spitfire or Cinesamples or... well you get the idea.

HOWEVER... I do not think there is a better tool than GPO for learning electronic orchestration! Part of that is that you do not have dozens of articulations, so you can focus on choosing the right instrument and articulation without pulling your hair out. A bigger part is that you can, and really must, build you ensembles from individual instruments.

They are never going to compare favorably with libraries costing 10 times as much - nor should they. But check out the magic that some folks have created with nothing but GPO, some mad orchestration skills, and some killer mix skills.

I still recommend it as a first library when I'm thinking straight!

wst3
Funny GPO would come up... actually not funny, but I just reinstalled Aria, GPO and JABB again last night.

I'm currently using libraries from KHS and Project Sam, and the quality (not as in good or bad, but as in tonal quality) is quite different! I'd have a difficult time going back, and in fact plan to go forward with LASS or Cinematic Strings or Spitfire or Cinesamples or... well you get the idea.

HOWEVER... I do not think there is a better tool than GPO for learning electronic orchestration! Part of that is that you do not have dozens of articulations, so you can focus on choosing the right instrument and articulation without pulling your hair out. A bigger part is that you can, and really must, build you ensembles from individual instruments.

They are never going to compare favorably with libraries costing 10 times as much - nor should they. But check out the magic that some folks have created with nothing but GPO, some mad orchestration skills, and some killer mix skills.

I still recommend it as a first library when I'm thinking straight!

I'd have to agree with Bill, I started with GPO and still use it along with their Instant Orchestra a lot.
The price is certainly fair also. 

+1 for EastWest Orchestra (which includes strings, brass, woodwinds and percussion).  The Platinum is ideal because it is 24 bit and has 3 different mic positions, but I opted for the cheaper Gold which is 16 bit and one mic position and still sounds pretty good if you use the proper articulations for each run… Both the Platinum and the Gold have the same samples and articulations (different bit depths and mic positions)
 
As is true for all the "higher end" libraries, what you get out of them relates directly to 1. How much you're willing to spend and 2. How much work you're willing to put in to make your track sound really great (i.e.,using the proper articulations)
 
I do believe that orchestral libraries are one instance where more expensive actually does mean better.  These companies put A LOT of work into recording these samples using great instruments, great musicians and great spaces.  It's worth it.
 
All the best,
Rob

East West Platinum and Vienna Dimension - both great.
 
 I would love to try the Hunter Strings - from what I have heard in the recordings of others - they are great.  If someone knows when they go on sale - I would appreciate it.

deswind
East West Platinum and Vienna Dimension - both great.
 
 I would love to try the Hunter Strings - from what I have heard in the recordings of others - they are great.  If someone knows when they go on sale - I would appreciate it.

Sorry to say, but you just missed it... I imagine it will be another year before they have as big a sale. It was a group buy and the discounts ended up being very good.
 
Regards,
Dan
 
 

NI's Session Strings Pro and Action Strings are great for adding some background strings to a mix, they're quick and easy. The articulations are very easy to configure and use via keyswitches. You wouldn't use them for a full on orchestral part, but for pop/funk/ballad type string parts they are great. They have an animator which you can use as a sort of sequencer for simple repeated rhythmic phrases. I find legato string parts hard to mix though. They always seem to sound dull and get lost in the mix no matter what I do. For this reason I've found myself gravitating towards pizzicato parts instead, as they nearly always instantly sound great! The Session Strings animator + pizzicato = magic!

robert_e_bone
Joel, you may not know it yet, but your wife has been orchestrating YOU for some time now, so I would think she would continue to be a valuable resource.
 
.........

Bob, you are indeed 100% correct!!  LOL! We've been together for 4 years and I finally decided I better marry her or someone else will, so on March 7th we tied the knot.
 
Anyway, we're VERY excited to be working musically together. I think we're going to "make great music together"!!!
 
Again, thanks for all the ideas. I'm a little short on time to research at the moment, but will get to it in the next couple of weeks.

This is a great thread, I don't often have need for serious strings parts but I had been wondering what good affordable stuff was out there (as in, not Vienna et al). I have Session Strings Pro and Action Strings, plus the stuff included in X3. I have been a little disappointed with Session Strings Pro to be honest, although the articulations are indeed easy to configure, plus they're quite extensive so they can really help the realism along. I just find them to sound a little bland and I can't seem to get any kind of energetic performance from them. Action Strings are nice but only if you're ok with using their loops. It's more versatile than I had originally thought but still limited, if that makes any sense.

I was honestly positively surprised by SI Strings and have used it as much as Session Strings at least. When properly tweaked it's pretty nice for background parts. I do mostly pop type stuff though.

I'm gonna check out the EWQL stuff, thanks!

stevec
If you have SONAR Producer, it may be worthwhile checking out some of the strings in Dimension too.

Especially the Garritan Pocket Orchestra instruments that came with Dimension Pro.  I actually use these alot, and with some reverb, they are not that bad.