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simple sample libraries.


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The simplest ones are most likely the Garritan libraries - maybe the EWQL Silver. These are nearly 10 years old now.

Higher Tier stuff comes from:

Cinesamples (www.cinesamples.com) My own company. We record at SONY scoring stage, union.

I also favor LASS from audiobro and the VSL woodwinds from the SE

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Even EWQLSO Silver is bloody expensive to somebody like me, though (I was lucky to have mine off a friend who managed to save up for the Gold version and no longer needed Silver, but I had looked at the prices beforehand).

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I think your word expensive is really just a point of view. Having paid for making these libraries, they costs 100's of thousands of dollars to produce. Having access for $399 or whatever is quite friendly.

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I use EWQL silver (budget version) I think it's about $200USD? I also use Garritan Personal Orchestra 4 which when used with ambience produces some really nice ( but still synth) sounds. Garritan is excellent value for money and it includes heaps of instruments and articulations that you can play with.

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I guess you are right.

Expensive really is a point of few. ;)

I'm just looking to doodle away the lonely hours with something that sounds more realistic them MIDI. 399 is way to much for that.

There's a lot of free more realistic than midi libraries called SoundFonts or VST's out there that'll work with a lot of standard programs. If your program supports sound fonts, these are good resources:

http://www.sf2midi.c...ge=sdet&id=7109

http://www.hammersound.net/

No need to spend $300 or $200 or even $99 if you're just doodling.

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I would listen to the demos of affordable libraries like Garritan, East West, et cetera, and then decide. If you want to fool around with plenty of virtual brass and wind instruments, you can download the free trial version of Wallander Instruments. It's fun but you do need a keyboard with aftertouch and controllers (or a midi wind controller) to make them expressive. The great thing about WIVI is that it takes hardly any space on your hard disk.

http://wallanderinst...de=news&lang=en

Alex

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I found someone fairly close by selling a second hand copy of Garritan Personal Orchestra 4 for cheap, so I will probably go for that.

What's good, simple software to record, mix and edit music from a sample library? Cubase?

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But why?

Even if this stuff is geared towards a professional user, there is no reason developers can't make it easy to use.

That's what made Apple so big.

It took me a day for Garritan to work and record in Cubase5, and I'm not even sure how I did it, or that I could do it again.

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I feel the same, Stefan. I am currently trying to do the same as you...figuring out Reaper. My issue is that I'm too busy with work to get a decent ammount of hours set aside to figure it out.

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I use FL Studio, too.

I had many inferior samples, and some even missing, so I had to hunt around. Since then I've deleted over half the stuff it originally came with, re-organized the folder system, and added new instruments and replacement instruments from various sources: many of which professionally recorded, some sounding fantastic, like the cor anglias, bassoon, solo violin.

If anybody has FL Studio and wants to pay shipping and packaging, I can burn what I have to CD-Rs and tell you where to put it*.

* = not dirty.

Here's some music I've created with it (no training, mind you):

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  • 2 years later...

So.

Two and a half years on. Have sample library software become easier to use?

Isnt there a program out there where everything just comes in one package, without having to have all these separate programs, plug-ins or library's running?

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Anyway....

So.

Two and a half years on. Have sample library software become easier to use?

Isnt there a program out there where everything just comes in one package, without having to have all these separate programs, plug-ins or library's running?

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Yeah. For the second and third functions, you really need to have a DAW with the sample library engine running as a plugin. Some sample engines like ARIA have very limited functionality with recording and playback but I doubt you'll be satisfied.

You ended up getting GPO4 right? That would be my recommendation, and running it in either Logic or GarageBand (I think it works with the latter). Don't be put off by the supposed lack of quality of the library, and ignore the sentiment that "expensive is just a point of view". Of course something like Cinesamples or VSL takes a huge budget to produce and they are, somewhat, appropriately priced for it. But you don't need to invest in that level of stuff to produce good sound. If you're willing to tweak the Garritan samples a bit, and you know how to create a good virtual "space" and place the instruments in it, you'll be on your way. The samples bundled with Logic, as well as all of the freeware Soundfonts available around the internet, are priceless resources as well.

I know it all sounds convoluted, but take it from me, it really isn't. I'm not a computer guy either, and I was really put off by all of this when I first started, but I got through the learning curve unscathed - and this was a number of years ago when this technology was far less user friendly.

Get GarageBand if you don't already have it, load up ARIA/GPO in the VST slot, and mess around with EQs, reverb, and pans until you're happy. I'd be glad to give you more in-depth pointers if you decide to go through with it.

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For my limited needs I found Sibelius with the Kontakt player really helpful and easy to use.

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