Recommend a library for Strings

[radiospace]

I'm preparing to take a college-level course in composing for strings, and I'm thinking about picking up a sample library to help me work out my compositions. The key thing is that I have a good selection of articulations for violin, viola, cello and bass. Whether they are solo or sections is of less importance. (I'm not going to be turning in any sampled recordings as homework, it's just to help me compose using the full range of each instrument).

Of the 3 obvious VSL libraries (Solo Strings, Chamber Strings, and the Opus Bundle), are there any that give a particularly better or worse treatment of the strings in terms of offering a relatively complete selection of articulations?

I'm probably going to be upgrading to Kontakt 2 simultaneous with this purchase, so I will have the VSL elements included in that library, if that is any consideration. (I doubt there's a very complete selection there, but you never know...).

Right now I'm favoring Solo Strings because it is inexpensive, and because my compositions will be performed by solo instrumentalist in class (or, in some cases, string quartet), so it appears to offer the closest approximation of the voices I'll be writing for. At the same time I'd love to have the Opus bundle and that $500 puts me that much further away from owning it.

Any of your thoughts appreciated.

[Dietz]

Welcome Radiospace!

@radiospace said:

[...] Right now I'm favoring Solo Strings because it is inexpensive, and because my compositions will be performed by solo instrumentalist in class (or, in some cases, string quartet), so it appears to offer the closest approximation of the voices I'll be writing for. [...]

I'd say then your choice is already made. [:)] I'm sure you won't regret it.

All the best,

[Martin Bayless]

If you can possibly swing it financially, consider opus one simply because your teachers (and you own obvious curiosity) are eventually going to lead you to do more than just string writing. It could really become a critical part of a young person's education that I wish I had had access to when I was in school.

[PolarBear]

I'd just like to add a little thing that is not really fitting the topic, but the context you are using it in: I found compositions written for strings, or more in general orchestra, do sound a bit different than those written for the sample libaries. This is because I found sample libraries sometimes limiting in choice of what to compose, because this and that can't be realized the way I'd like it to, and therefore I maybe find a workaround, or maybe recompose the whole thing as I know my composition won't be performed by real players anyway. On the other side having the immense palette of sounds at your fingertips I also found that I wrote something I'd perhaps not have though of if not using the samples I got.

A little bit OT [;)]
PolarBear

[hermitage59]

Radio, I wish you good luck with your course, and choice of samples.

Martin made a great point of taking the opportunity to expand your horizons, and the products available today. And like him, I wished for this sort of quality when i was at school, and remembering the early days of making your own samples, coping with what seems now to be awful imitations of strings, w/w etc., and the time and modification needed to get a sound even halfway decent.
You're living in the right time, Radio!

Regards, and again, good luck,

Alex.