These threads are theraputic... I've spent well over 40 hours on string libraries this week...learned sooooo much.
 

• 8dio's strings are unique in that they have spent a huge amount of time, GB's and money capturing "bowings", half and quarter bowings, sometimes multiple styles within this catagory, which totally changes the emotional content/realism of the library... they aren't faking it with "crossfades"...Other libs have nothing like this... they haven't sampled this stuff...  This is huge.
• Similarly, they've captured a zillion bowing volume changes,vibrato changes, ups and downs, in what the call Dynamic Bowing (Natural Flowing Gesture) all addressable via keyswitches.  Huge...
• OK... they also have this, and it is really cool:  louré (portato)– separating and swelling at the beginning of each note in a series of notes taken in a slur; this differs from up-bow and down-bow staccato in that each note’s re-articulation is gently emphasized while continuing the bow in the same direction. This also differs from hooked bow, as the bow stroke does not completely stop, nor does the sounding of the string become stifled from the bow motion interruption. for example, they have just in an ensemble patch:
  
  • • Ens Loure Expressivo (9 reps) w/ intentional attack (MF)
    • Ens Loure Expressivo (9 reps) w/ fluency (MF)
    • Ens Loure Expressivo (5 reps) w/ DynBow Attack (MF)
    • Ens Loure Expressivo (5 reps) w/ fluency (P)
    • Ens Loure Expressivo (5 reps) w/ alt. dynamics (P)
    • Ens Loure Expressivo (4 reps) w/ DynBow (P-MF-P)
    • more, all keyswitched...

Lots more stuff like the above, a lot of which is in Adagio...not to mention a zillion legatos, slurs and other things... Huge library.  It's all about capturing everything a player does... is it confusing?  Well, there's a lot more there than anywhere else so yes, maybe...but I love it.
 
As a result, I've totally changed my order... Oh, the  Adagio Basses!!! UN F'n believable with all the quarter/half bowings/intensity changes, pulsing tempo volumes/vibs... all real, not faked. So:
Adagio Violins for Kontakt VST-AU-AAX$119.00 Agitato Legato Arpeggio for Kontakt VST-AU-AAX$53.00 Agitato Sordino Strings for Kontakt VST-AU-AAX$89.00 Adagio Basses VST-AU-AAX - Kontakt Instruments & Samples$59.00 Adagio Violas for Kontakt VST-AU-AAX Samples$89.00 Adagio Cellos Vol. 1.5 for Kontakt VST-AU-AAX$119.00 Coupon: 
 
Total$528.00



 
Actual total, with the extra 10% off coupon, is 475.  Having such tools available is wonderful... Should have them by next wednesday!
 
 
 

These threads are theraputic... I've spent well over 40 hours on string libraries this week...learned sooooo much.
 

• 8dio's strings are unique in that they have spent a huge amount of time, GB's and money capturing "bowings", half and quarter bowings, sometimes multiple styles within this catagory, which totally changes the emotional content/realism of the library... they aren't faking it with "crossfades"...Other libs have nothing like this... they haven't sampled this stuff...  This is huge.
• Similarly, they've captured a zillion bowing volume changes,vibrato changes, ups and downs, in what the call Dynamic Bowing (Natural Flowing Gesture) all addressable via keyswitches.  Huge...
• OK... they also have this, and it is really cool:  louré (portato)– separating and swelling at the beginning of each note in a series of notes taken in a slur; this differs from up-bow and down-bow staccato in that each note’s re-articulation is gently emphasized while continuing the bow in the same direction. This also differs from hooked bow, as the bow stroke does not completely stop, nor does the sounding of the string become stifled from the bow motion interruption. for example, they have just in an ensemble patch:
  
  • • Ens Loure Expressivo (9 reps) w/ intentional attack (MF)
    • Ens Loure Expressivo (9 reps) w/ fluency (MF)
    • Ens Loure Expressivo (5 reps) w/ DynBow Attack (MF)
    • Ens Loure Expressivo (5 reps) w/ fluency (P)
    • Ens Loure Expressivo (5 reps) w/ alt. dynamics (P)
    • Ens Loure Expressivo (4 reps) w/ DynBow (P-MF-P)
    • more, all keyswitched...

Lots more stuff like the above, a lot of which is in Adagio...not to mention a zillion legatos, slurs and other things... Huge library.  It's all about capturing everything a player does... is it confusing?  Well, there's a lot more there than anywhere else so yes, maybe...but I love it.
 
As a result, I've totally changed my order... Oh, the  Adagio Basses!!! UN F'n believable with all the quarter/half bowings/intensity changes, pulsing tempo volumes/vibs... all real, not faked. So:
Adagio Violins for Kontakt VST-AU-AAX$119.00 Agitato Legato Arpeggio for Kontakt VST-AU-AAX$53.00 Agitato Sordino Strings for Kontakt VST-AU-AAX$89.00 Adagio Basses VST-AU-AAX - Kontakt Instruments & Samples$59.00 Adagio Violas for Kontakt VST-AU-AAX Samples$89.00 Adagio Cellos Vol. 1.5 for Kontakt VST-AU-AAX$119.00 Coupon:  
Total$528.00




 
Actual total, with the extra 10% off coupon, is 475.  Having such tools available is wonderful... Should have them by next wednesday!
 
I assume 8dio's rescripting all of this amazing performance capturing to be more automatic and/or consolidating the many parts they've developed over the years.  It must be a mammoth task now that I understand the soul capture approach they've tried to achieve over the years.  Kontakt can't do as complex of scripting as Falcon/Bohemian Violin can do so AI auto configuration of all these playing styles into rules will be more difficult... but I hope they can do more of it in their much delayed Century Strings...and I can see why it's taking them awhile... But it must be close... Thus this sale! 
 
Have a lot more respect for them now that I've come back to take a look after several years with other costly libraries...
 
 
 

Go get 'em V-man!

Vastman, nice post! You may have double posted? I'm not sure, it's barely noticeable!  :)
 
I agree with your respect for the 8dio offerings. I have Adagietto which covers a lot of ground. I very much like the "a  la carte" approach at lower prices, as opposed to the "whole enchilada" approach at big $$$$$.
 
I will tell you, I also have the Ostinato Builder, which is great, but the timing of those fast phrases is not 100% rock solid - there is a little drift, at least with Sonar. It's manageable.
 
I'll check out the "Basses" thanks for highlighting that.
 
-Tom

I picked up three of the Agitato libraries this evening (violins, violas and cello ensembles). I've only just started using them, but already I really like the results I'm getting. Very expressive; a great set of accessory patches to my other string libraries. At $44 each, I think they are a huge steal.
 
In particular, they mesh stunningly well with Sonokinetic's Da Capo -- to my ears, anyway -- and that is kind of a big deal. Da Capo has a legato articulation for its string patches, but I don't find it particularly special or expressive, and anyway the range of the Da Capo strings stops about an octave short on the high end, which I find a bit irritating. While there is a lot about Da Capo that I genuinely like, I do find that the lacklustre legato and smaller note range does limit how much I use it.
 
However, the Agitato Ensemble Violins work really, -really- well with the Da Capo sustain strings patch. They both have a very similar timbre and style, it seems. I can see them as a great one-two combination, especially for romantic/melodramatic/over-the-top string arrangements (for which I have an admitted soft spot). Pretty cool.
 
Up to now, I wasn't really thinking of grabbing the Sordino library (of any of the Adagio libraries), but now I'm seriously reconsidering that...