Best violin VST for less than $60 (on sale)?
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- KVRian
- Topic Starter
- 1403 posts since 10 Jul, 2018
Tempted by SWAM but judging from their BF sale last year it won't go down below $100. (Do have the SWAM Noise packs but they can't be used as AU and there's apparently no way to load midi into Noise to export. I'd like something for my PC AI to play.)
Any recommendations? Hyperion Strings Micro looks promising....
I've already got a few violins in Collective, though their relative quality seems to vary with speed---two sound good fast but bad / too synth-like slow, one sounds good slow and okay fast, at least when played by Orb's AI.
Any recommendations? Hyperion Strings Micro looks promising....
I've already got a few violins in Collective, though their relative quality seems to vary with speed---two sound good fast but bad / too synth-like slow, one sounds good slow and okay fast, at least when played by Orb's AI.
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- KVRAF
- 7540 posts since 7 Aug, 2003 from San Francisco Bay Area
I just picked up all of the Audio Modeling libraries to use with a LinnStrument. It’s an amazing experience! If you’re looking for solo instruments to perform with an expressive controller, I don’t think you can beat those. Pretty sure they’ll be doing another Black Friday sale like the one they had in October.
If you’re looking for more ensemble type libraries to use with Orb, you might want to look at cheaper libraries. I’m not an authority on the subject. I have all the NI libraries, and I’ve been picking up 8DIO libraries on sale for the past few months. Those are all great for my needs, but others can probably make better recommendations.
If you’re looking for more ensemble type libraries to use with Orb, you might want to look at cheaper libraries. I’m not an authority on the subject. I have all the NI libraries, and I’ve been picking up 8DIO libraries on sale for the past few months. Those are all great for my needs, but others can probably make better recommendations.
Incomplete list of my gear: 1/8" audio input jack.
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- KVRian
- Topic Starter
- 1403 posts since 10 Jul, 2018
Should add: that don't require the full version of Kontakt.
Yeah, Audio Modelling = SWAM (name of their engine), I got the Noise iOS versions for around $15. Their playability on the Seaboard and Lightpad Block is certainly nice (though they don't make use of Slide or Lift), but the sound, at least for those light versions, isn't to my ear considerably better than Collective.... hmm, just listened to demos on their website, with good headphones... nice, but not mind-blowingly so. Their BF sale has been announced, 20% off individual instruments and 35% off bundles. Which puts their solo violin at about $100 with tax....
Yeah, Audio Modelling = SWAM (name of their engine), I got the Noise iOS versions for around $15. Their playability on the Seaboard and Lightpad Block is certainly nice (though they don't make use of Slide or Lift), but the sound, at least for those light versions, isn't to my ear considerably better than Collective.... hmm, just listened to demos on their website, with good headphones... nice, but not mind-blowingly so. Their BF sale has been announced, 20% off individual instruments and 35% off bundles. Which puts their solo violin at about $100 with tax....
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- KVRian
- Topic Starter
- 1403 posts since 10 Jul, 2018
This thread has been somewhat helpful:
viewtopic.php?t=462045
Embertone dropped their solo string prices by 40% to $75 last BF, and they had already dropped their prices to $99 "in advance of a major overhaul" so they might dip into the $60 range... have to look into it more. Bohemian Violin is $200 but there's a freebie light version. Auddict would be good for $55 but requires full version of Kontakt.
Maybe Novo Intimate Strings Pack 1, $75 at Plugin Boutique?.. hmm. Could probably use some additional stringed instruments for Orb's AI.
viewtopic.php?t=462045
Embertone dropped their solo string prices by 40% to $75 last BF, and they had already dropped their prices to $99 "in advance of a major overhaul" so they might dip into the $60 range... have to look into it more. Bohemian Violin is $200 but there's a freebie light version. Auddict would be good for $55 but requires full version of Kontakt.
Maybe Novo Intimate Strings Pack 1, $75 at Plugin Boutique?.. hmm. Could probably use some additional stringed instruments for Orb's AI.
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- KVRAF
- 4026 posts since 2 Jul, 2005
Embertone is by far the best quality for the money. The older friedlander violin might be cheap now that the newer josh bell violin is out. Generally speaking all of the extremely well scripted “Kontakt Player” libraries that don’t require owning a full license are at least $100. Spitfire has some nice solo violins, but only one is available on its own (not in a bigger library). EastWest have solo instruments and often sell all their products at extreme discounts. I’m not personally a user of their post Kontakt libraries and I haven’t heard particularly glowing reviews of their solo string libraries from users. If VSL ever sells their solo strings as individual instruments (as they’ve done with most of their other instruments) then they have a very good solo violin still. I’d keep an eye on embertone.
Don't F**K with Mr. Zero.
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- KVRist
- 39 posts since 21 Sep, 2018
20% off, so $96
Still too high for me, but better than last year.
I want t try their Bass Clarinet, but I'm not that interested in the Clarinet. But they are priced together, so that's not happening.
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- KVRian
- 958 posts since 22 Apr, 2004 from Switzerland
Check out https://fluffyaudio.com/
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- KVRian
- Topic Starter
- 1403 posts since 10 Jul, 2018
Unfortunately that requires the full version of Kontakt.
The Embertone Black Friday sale just reduced it to $80 this year... not as good as last year.
I upgraded to Orb Composer Pro and installed the update, and now the violins in Collective are playing without any audible issues... so far. The samples themselves sound great. On the other hand, I realized that the "Viola" in Collective is actually a Solinda Cello Viola string machine. But the solo violas in Sakura sound pretty good (though I wouldn't recommend Sakura, the other physical modelers are better).
The only inexpensive, high quality violin or viola VSTs seem to be orchestral ensembles, not solo. Might pass on them for now....