There’s never been a better time to be working with orchestral sample libraries, but the choice can be overwhelming. We round up some of the best in the business.
Orchestral sample libraries have come a long way in recent years, and the sort of quality and configurability that was once reserved for custom, one‑off creations shared amongst the pros is now readily available to all, and usually at a significantly lower cost, too. With so many different products now available, it can be hard to know exactly which ones are likely to suit your particular use case.
There’s a lot of variance in terms of sound and features. Some are based on smaller ensembles and focus on subtle, intimate scoring work, others sample huge symphony orchestras and capture the hard‑hitting sound that defines modern TV, film and game soundtracks — some do a bit of both! Another consideration is how much control you need over each instrument: if you’re looking to add some ‘ear candy’ to a track then pre‑defined ensembles will probably do the trick, but if you want to create a full‑on orchestral arrangement, then you’ll need to look at libraries that offer per‑section patches.
So, let’s take a look at some of the leading orchestral library bundles, and more specifically, those that offer full control over each of the core instrument sections that make up a contemporary orchestra.
8dio Century Orchestra
8dio’s flagship bundle brings together every release in their Century Orchestra series, covering all of the key string, woodwind, brass and percussion instruments along with a pair of concert harps. Both the Normale and Sordino string offerings are included, each of which feature a chamber‑sized ensemble (6/4/5/4/3), cover a wide variety of articulations that remain consistent across each instrument, and boast a polyphonic legato function that allows for multiple simultaneous legato transitions.
Moving on to brass, the collection includes three components: Solo Brass, Artisan Brass and Ostinato Brass, delivering a mixture of freely programmable solo and ensemble sections and a selection of repeating rhythmic phrases. Ostinato Vol 1: Flutes & Clarinets and Vol 2: Oboes & Bassoons then offer an array of rhythmic woodwind patterns, while Ostinato Strings I and II extend that courtesy to the string section; it’s worth noting that the Century range doesn’t currently include ‘standard’ solo or ensemble woodwind libraries. Century Harps then captures a pair of contrasting concert harps, with one offering a bright, shimmering sound, and the other delivering a more mellow, rounded tone.
All of the included offerings run in Native Instruments’ Kontakt, and require the full paid‑for version rather than the free Player variant.
$399
$399.
8dio.com/products/all-century-orchestra-bundle
Cinematic Studio Series
Created specifically to meet the needs of modern TV, film and video game composers, Cinematic's Studio Series collection of orchestral libraries deliver a Hollywood‑style sound captured at Trackdown, Australia’s premier scoring stage.
Cinematic Studio Strings kicks things off with a 35‑piece section (10/7/7/6/5) delivering a sound that sits somewhere between chamber and fully fledged symphonic ensembles. A wealth of short and long articulations are present, and the library promises “stunningly realistic” true legato transitions, with yet more authenticity provided by a collection of rebow samples. Solo Strings then complements the full section with solo violin, viola and cello instruments. Cinematic Studio Brass then includes trumpets, French horns and trombones (both solo and ensemble) along with solo bass trombone and tuba, capturing a wide dynamic range that pushes into the hard‑hitting territory of modern scores. As for woodwinds, the series includes flute, oboe, clarinet and bassoon (solo and ensemble), as well as solo piccolo, cor anglais, alto flute, bass clarinet and contrabassoon.
All instruments across the series have been captured from multiple mic positions, with each library offering a choice of Close, Main and Room signals (Century Woodwinds also includes a fourth Overhead position) along with a stereo Mix option. Helpfully, the signals can be mixed within the library itself, or routed out to different DAW tracks. Everything runs in Native Instruments’ Kontakt, and will play nicely with both the paid‑for and free versions. The collection doesn’t currently extend to percussion, although there is a section for it listed on their website, and the company have stated that a Cinematic Studio Percussion library is in the works.
$399 per section, Piano $69.
$399 per section, Piano $69.
Cinesamples CineSymphony Complete / Core
Cinesamples’ offerings come in the form of their CineSymphony series, which brings together an entire orchestra captured on the MGM Scoring Stage at Sony Pictures Studios in Los Angeles, and is available in two tiers: Core and Complete.
Opting for Core gets you the company’s CineStrings Core, CineWinds Core, CineBrass Core and CinePerc libraries, which contain all of the mainstay instruments that grace modern orchestral scores. CineStrings includes some unique features which are said to set it apart from the competition, including the Hairpin Creator, a built‑in tool for creating natural‑sounding crescendos and decrescendos that are linked to DAW tempo. Complete, as its name suggests, gives you access to the company’s entire CineSymphony line‑up.
Pro versions of the string, woodwind and brass libraries equip each section with a wider range of playing articulations, while CineStrings Runs and Solo deliver pre‑recorded string phrases and solo instruments, respectively. The flagship collection also increases the number of instruments included, with an array of additional woodwind and brass expansions joined by CinePiano and CineHarps libraries. If it’s an entry point into orchestral scoring you’re looking for, then CineSymphony Lite delivers a packed‑down collection that includes a set of essential instrument sections at a greatly reduced cost.
All of Cinesamples’ libraries run in Native Instruments Kontakt, or the free Kontakt Player.
CineSymphony Core $1499, Complete $3499.
CineSymphony Core $1499, Complete $3499.
EastWest Hollywood Orchestra Opus Edition
EastWest Hollywood Orchestra Opus Edition
Said to be “the best‑selling and most awarded orchestral virtual instrument ever created”, Hollywood Orchestra Opus Edition delivers an in‑depth orchestral collection captured at EastWest’s own studios — a facility that regularly records top‑tier artists and film scores, and has played host to everybody from Frank Sinatra to the Rolling Stones.
Hollywood Strings captures a symphony string section comprising 57 players (16/14/10/10/7), delivering the large, expansive sound associated with modern blockbusters, and is complemented by Solo Violin and Cello instalments — there’s also a solo harp included. Hollywood Brass includes a set of ensemble patches for the likes of French horns, trombones and trumpets, along with solo cimbasso, French horn, trombone, trumpet and tuba — its timbral range covers everything from fanfares and romantic melodies to full‑on, monstrous low brass.
Orchestral Woodwinds takes a similar approach, with ensemble bassoon, clarinet and flute patches joined by an assortment of solo instruments, including bass clarinet and flute, contrabassoon, oboe and piccolo. Orchestral Percussion then rounds off the collection with an array of tuned and untuned instruments available in individual and combo patches.
A standout feature is the Hollywood Orchestrator, a built‑in sequencer‑style tool designed to make quick work of creating orchestral arrangements. Over 600 customisable Ensembles, Ostinatos and Scores presets are included, allowing the tool to carry out everything from simply dividing a chord’s notes between different instrument sections to generating entire arrangements based on the chords being played. Each library includes five mic signals: Close, Mid, Main, Surround and Vintage, which make it possible to tailor the overall sound of each section to suit the task at hand.
The collection is also included in EastWest’s mammoth ComposerCloud+ bundle, which provides access to every single sample library and virtual instrument in their current line‑up for a modest monthly or annual fee.
Hollywood Orchestra $599, ComposerCloud+ $179/year.
Hollywood Orchestra $599, ComposerCloud+ $179/year.
www.soundonsound.com/reviews/eastwest-hollywood-orchestra-opus-edition
www.soundsonline.com/orchestras/hollywood-orchestra-opus-edition
Native Instruments Symphony Series
Native Instruments’ Symphony Series comprises six libraries that capture all of the key orchestral sections, along with a set of solo brass and woodwind instruments. String Ensemble provides a 60‑piece section recorded at Studio 22 in Budapest, and takes the unusual approach of separately capturing A and B divisi groups for each instrument section; an Auto Divisi function then automatically divides notes in a chord between the two, helping to deliver a more natural sound and avoid ‘sample stacking’.
Brass Ensemble then delivers a 30‑piece section recorded at St Paul’s Church in San Francisco, and comprises four eight‑player sections: trumpets, horns, trombones and tubas. A Brass Solo instalment includes solo trumpet, horn 1, horn 2, trombone and tuba patches.
Woodwind Ensemble and Solo take the same approach as the brass, offering both a 36‑player group (flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, tenor saxophones and bass winds) and solo flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, tenor saxophone and contrabassoon, all recorded at Montclair Presbyterian Church in Oakland.Features exclusive to the woodwinds include an Arpeggio Module designed to generate everything from phrases and runs to trills and chords, and an Expression Release function designed to automatically create natural‑sounding decays.
Returning to Studio 22, Percussion includes 55 tuned and untuned percussion instruments with up to seven articulations each. All of the instalments in the series include Close, Medium, Far and Spot mic signals. The series also comes in an Essentials version that includes fewer articulations and single mic mix, and comes in at a reduced cost.
Both variants can also be accessed via Native Instruments’ Komplete bundle, with Essentials included in the Standard tier and the full versions making up part of the Ultimate tier. As you’d expect, all of the Symphony Series offerings are provided as Kontakt libraries.
Symphony Series $999, Essentials $399.
Symphony Series £899, Essentials £359. Prices include VAT.
www.native-instruments.com/en/products/komplete/cinematic/symphony-series-collection/
Orchestral Tools Berlin Series
Orchestral Tools Berlin Series
All of the instalments in Orchestral Tools’ flagship Berlin Series range have been captured at Teldex Scoring Stage in Berlin in traditional seating positions, offering a comprehensive and cohesive bundle that’s available in three tiers: Full, Pro and Max.
Opting for Full gets you Berlin Symphonic Strings, a large 68‑player section that spans from pianissimo to triple forté and includes three legato modes; Berlin Brass, which offers solo and ensemble horns, trumpets and trombones along with a tuba; Berlin Woodwinds, a collection of core instruments such as flutes, piccolo, oboes, English horn, clarinets and bassoon; Berlin Percussion, which includes over 100 tuned and untuned instruments; Berlin Strings First Chairs, a set of solo string patches; and Woodwinds additional instruments, which adds a bass clarinet, Eb clarinet, contrabassoon and contrabass clarinet.
Pro then augments the core content with Berlin Strings (a smaller 8/6/5/5/4 string section) and some additional brass and woodwind offerings, while Max includes every Berlin Series instalment, including extra soloists, a whole host of additional string, brass and woodwind articulations and some harps, grand pianos and harpsichords. Everything is hosted in Orchestral Tools’ own Sine Player software, although the original Kontakt versions of some components are still available.
If you only need a small selection of orchestral goodies, or are just looking to try out something new, Berlin Free Orchestra includes a basic selection of instruments for free. There’s also Berlin Orchestra, a bundle developed alongside Berklee College of Music that offers a more comprehensive scoring collection created from the same samples used for the Berlin Series, but at less than half the cost of the cheapest Berlin bundle. Unusually, Orchestral Tools also allow users to purchase individual instruments from each collection.
Full €799, Pro €1399, Max €2499.
Full €799, Pro €1399, Max €2499.
www.orchestraltools.com/guides/full-orchestras
Sonuscore The Orchestra Complete 4
Sonuscore The Orchestra Complete 4
Sonuscore’s approach to product design focuses on reducing complexity, and all of the libraries in their range have been created with the aim of offering an intuitive experience that puts playing first and programming second. Their full orchestral offering comes in the form of the aptly named The Orchestra Complete. Now in its fourth iteration, the collection captures a full 80‑piece ensemble, and offers individually playable string, brass woodwind and percussion sections, along with a whole host of extras including harp, grand piano, church organ, choir and more.
Along with the core content, the library also includes a selection of expansions — Forces Of Fury, Woods Of The Wild, Horns Of Hell and Strings Of Winter — that bolster the main sections’ content with a wealth of additional instruments and articulations. Thanks to the company’s focus on playability, the collection is kitted out with an array of performance features designed to help players create new parts quickly and easily.
The library is based around Sonuscore’s Ensemble Engine, a feature that’s capable of creating everything from rhythmic patterns to full arrangements from chord inputs — everything is generated in real time based on the user’s playing, with no pre‑recorded loops or phrases involved. Users are able to control which instruments play which notes using a voicing section (over 100 preset options are provided, too) and set up comprehensive keyswitches to quickly transition between different ideas or sections of a cue, while Sequence Designer, Arpeggiator and Velocity Envelope provide familiar interfaces for carrying out more in‑depth programming and tweaking.
$479.
£355 including VAT.
www.soundonsound.com/reviews/sonuscore-orchestra-complete-4
www.sonuscore.com/shop/the-orchestra-complete/
Spitfire Audio BBCSO / Spitfire Symphony Orchestra
Spitfire Audio BBC Symphony Orchestra
Spitfire Audio BBC Symphony OrchestraBBC Symphony Orchestra has proven to be a hugely popular member of Spitfire Audio’s range, capturing the British Broadcasting Corporation’s orchestra performing at their then home at London’s Maida Vale Studios. String, woodwind, brass and percussion sections are present, with the latter offering a comprehensive collection of tuned and untuned instruments. Two versions of the library are available, Core and Professional, both of which provide largely the same set of instruments — Pro introduces solo leaders for each string instrument section, and gains a few less common offerings such as a bass flute and clarinets, cor anglais, contrabassoon and contrabass tuba, trombone and clarinet. The big difference is the number of mic positions provided: Core includes a single pre‑mixed signal, while Pro comes loaded with a mammoth 20 mic signals for each section.
The recently re‑released Spitfire Symphony Orchestra then offers a contrasting sound captured in AIR Studios’ Lyndhurst Hall. Along with the original content — which spans all key orchestral sections along with harp and piano — the library has recently been treated to new solo string patches and Motif Brass, an expansion that adds new trumpet, horn and trombone ensembles.
As for software, BBCSO is hosted in Spitfire’s own sample player, while SSO requires Kontakt Player. Spitfire have kindly created free Discover versions of both the BBCSO and SSO libraries, allowing news users to try their hand at orchestral programming without needing to part with any cash.
More recently, the company have set about creating an all‑new collection in another of the world’s most famous facilities: Abbey Road Studio One. The line‑up currently covers a range of string, woodwind and percussion sections, with new instalments still in the works.
BBCSO from $449, SSO $629.
BBCSO from £399, SSO from £499. Prices include VAT.
www.soundonsound.com/reviews/spitfire-audio-bbc-symphony-orchestra
www.spitfireaudio.com/collections/abbey-road-orchestra
VSL Synchron Series
VSL Synchron Duality Strings
VSL (Vienna Symphonic Library) are renowned for their orchestral sampling prowess, and the current flagship range comes in the form of the Synchron Series. It’s a sizeable collection that includes comprehensive orchestral sections along with choirs, pianos, harp and organs, all of which have been captured at the company’s own Synchron Stage Vienna — a fully fledged scoring stage that’s regularly used to record for film, TV and game scores. The bulk of the libraries have been created in the studio’s spacious Stage A room, while some have been recorded in the drier, more intimate‑sounding Stage B — the Duality Strings instalments even feature small and large ensembles playing simultaneously in Stage A and Stage B, and allow users to blend seamlessly between the two rooms.
Breaking down the libraries on offer could easily take up this entire article, but it’s safe to say that whatever orchestral instrument your piece requires, you’ll almost certainly find it in the Synchron Series! The company pride themselves on attention to detail, and go to painstaking lengths to ensure that the series delivers a natural, lifelike sound, while still providing plenty of in‑depth programming capabilities. Each library can be purchased in Standard and Full versions, with the former offering the same set of articulations and core samples but with fewer mic signals — those looking to work in surround and immersive formats will be pleased to see dedicated surround and 3D positions in the Full versions.
Everything runs in the company’s own Synchron Player, and offers tight integration with VSL’s MIR Pro convolution reverb and Vienna Ensemble Pro LAN hosting software. The detail‑oriented approach and sheer scale of the series means that the full bundles are a serious investment, although it’s possible to purchase just the libraries you require individually.
Synchron Series Package From $8959.
Synchron Series Package From €7999.