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View Full Version : Which is more realistic: VSL or Sonic Implants strings?


dcoscina
03-04-2005, 09:31 PM
I have a couple demo patches from both libraries that came with GS3. On the surface, I would have to say I prefer the Sonic Implants. Man, the sounds are gorgeous. I'm looking for a great string library and I know that VSL has great performance tools that enhance the playability of their strings (without it they don't sound as nice as the SI).

Does anyone out there use one over the other, or both?
MwaileyBear
03-04-2005, 09:46 PM
Let me predict how this thread will turn out. You're going to get a bunch of people saying things like this:
"This has been debated before"
"You can't say which is more realistic, its all so subjective"
"VSL has its strengths and SI has its strengths"
"SI is easier to use out of the box, whereas VSL takes more work, but ultimately can bring about more realism"
"You're comparing apples to oranges"
"SI is more Hollywood, VSL is more Classical"
"SI is better for chamber music,"
And then there's always one guy who will say, "I don't like the way SI sounds".
And then some one will mention something about VSL's lack of reverb and it will start an argument between EWQLSO users and VSL users, and the argument will only end when some one makes a "GPO or Silver?" thread and it moves over there.
On page 3, Lux will point out that I forgot to mention some one recommending that dcoscina "buy both".
KingIdiot
03-04-2005, 09:53 PM
this has been made fun of before

:D
MwaileyBear
03-04-2005, 10:06 PM
I eagerly await attending your Sampling Masterclass! :D
Frederick
03-04-2005, 10:09 PM
What MwaileyBear said :D
FredProgGH
03-04-2005, 10:11 PM
You can't really say which is more realistic; it's all so subjective.
Frederick
03-04-2005, 10:14 PM
VSL has its strengths and SI has its strengths.
Theodor
03-04-2005, 10:20 PM
This has been debated before
Nayi
03-04-2005, 11:36 PM
tomato/tomato
Jordo
03-05-2005, 12:12 AM
Seriously though... SI is easier to use out of the box, whereas VSL takes more work, but ultimately can bring about more realism
josejherring
03-05-2005, 12:32 AM
Apples....hmmmm......oranges......hmmmmm.....apple s again......oranges?
giles117
03-05-2005, 12:34 AM
You have to realize....

SI is more Hollywood, VSL is more Classical
jc5
03-05-2005, 01:31 AM
From what I've heard so far, I don't like the sound of SI.
theiss2003
03-05-2005, 01:57 AM
SI is better for chamber music.
JackB
03-05-2005, 02:20 AM
I'm glad you brought this up, because I had a similar question about GPO and Silver. Somebody told me I should compare GPO with Gold, but that doesn't seem right because of the price difference. If that kind of comparison were accurate, that would make GPO an incredible value for the money. In any case, this is off-topic here, so I'll start a new thread....
KingIdiot
03-05-2005, 02:42 AM
SMClass will consist of alot of stuff, someof you may like it at first, some may think its old and pretty typical news. It will be an ongoing series, trying to touch on tricks I've learned and thought up over the past few years.

mostly on trying to show that it doesn take forever to do some things if you do them right! :)

glad you guys are looking forward to it....it actually kind of scares me that you are :)
Nick Batzdorf
03-05-2005, 02:44 AM
Come on King, you know you're The Man. :)
Veron
03-05-2005, 03:05 AM
You guys are really funny LOL
Good sense of humor :D
handz
03-05-2005, 03:26 AM
SL has great performance tools that enhance the playability of their strings (without it they don't sound as nice as the SI).

Does anyone out there use one over the other, or both?

Yes, there is something about that;)

I dont know if anyone using both, but know that many using both+ewqlso+gos+custom;)
Alexcremers
03-05-2005, 03:40 AM
I don't have SI or VSL but judging from the freebies that came with GS3 I also would have to say I prefer the Sonic Implants. The sordino patch is one hell of a great strings pad. It's very easy to play and the setup reminds me of the old Roland 'Full Strings' patches. On the other hand, some of the (strings) demos from the VSL site are pretty mind-boggling. I think that the staccatos from SI are less "familiar" sounding.
dcoscina
03-05-2005, 09:23 AM
Thanks Alex. I also find the SI string ensemble patch to be excellent. And I've heard some demos from Simon Ravn which are pretty great. Even the SISS Mini.

I'll be keeping my ears peeled to hear what SISC sounds like. I know it will be mucho expensivo but I liked Sharmy's demo from it so that might be a viable alternative.
Bruce A. Richardson
03-05-2005, 09:40 AM
It's the witch, not the wand, fellas.

Any and all of the mainstream "deluxe" libraries will get you a long way. VSL has some amenities which are unique, and which allow a more microscopic detailing. Whether that is a valuable thing depends entirely upon whether you intend to take it to that level.

If you have not used VSL or SI in GigaStudio 3, then you have not really seen them at their best...I'll say that for sure. Both of these libraries roar to life with tasty use of GigaPulse, and in an organic way which is very different than applying convolution after the fact.

Obviously, one can't judge VSL on the merits of the Giga bundled content alone. There is just so much there, it's really mind-boggling.

I still very much depend upon GOS, VSL, and SISS for string sounds. I have found that layering VSL legato with SISS legato sustains is really nice. There are just to many variables in any situation, it is hard to know what is going to be the magic sound in any given production. Because I cover a lot of stylistic ground, I am less concerned with a homogenous "orchestra" than with expressing the particular line at hand, so my comments are very definitely slanted that direction.

And...yes, this has been discussed absolutely to death 1000 times. Search.
kid-surf
03-05-2005, 02:39 PM
In short--- get both.

Personally I like to mix and match. You'll find that people rarely only use one lib. I always find I need elements from other libs to compliment.


KID
Hardy Heern
03-05-2005, 04:52 PM
I don't like the way one of them sounds...

Frank
Mike Greene
03-05-2005, 06:22 PM
In short--- get both.

Personally I like to mix and match. You'll find that people rarely only use one lib. I always find I need elements from other libs to compliment.


KID
Absolutely. I have both VSL and EWQLSO Gold, yet for slow strings, I'll still often pull up "Adagio Strings" from Atmosphere instead!

- Mike Greene
Lux
03-05-2005, 07:20 PM
Let me predict how this thread will turn out. You're going to get a bunch of people saying things like this:
"This has been debated before"
"You can't say which is more realistic, its all so subjective"
"VSL has its strengths and SI has its strengths"
"SI is easier to use out of the box, whereas VSL takes more work, but ultimately can bring about more realism"
"You're comparing apples to oranges"
"SI is more Hollywood, VSL is more Classical"
"SI is better for chamber music,"
And then there's always one guy who will say, "I don't like the way SI sounds".
And then some one will mention something about VSL's lack of reverb and it will start an argument between EWQLSO users and VSL users, and the argument will only end when some one makes a "GPO or Silver?" thread and it moves over there.

you missed that one: "BUY BOTH"....
MwaileyBear
03-05-2005, 07:40 PM
If you carefully re-read my original post perhaps you will see that I predicted something even more amazing than that. ;)
jc5
03-05-2005, 07:42 PM
Absolutely. I have both VSL and EWQLSO Gold, yet for slow strings, I'll still often pull up "Adagio Strings" from Atmosphere instead!

- Mike Greene

Really? Could you post any samples, I would be curious. I didn't know Atmosphere came with any 'regular' instrument patches?
dcoscina
03-05-2005, 10:55 PM
I also have Atmospheres and the string patches sound fairly good- especially in the upper register. I don't think I would use them solo unless I wanted a synthy type sound. The strings remind me of Roland's M-OC1 string patches. Not surprising since Atmosphere's was created by longtime Roland soundware dude Eric Persing.
Mike Greene
03-05-2005, 11:44 PM
Really? Could you post any samples, I would be curious. I didn't know Atmosphere came with any 'regular' instrument patches?
Except for some string ensembles. it doesn't.

Mind you, I'm not saying it's a replacement for good orchestral libraries and I wouldn't buy Atmosphere just for the strings! But a lot of scoring string work that we all do is slow moving "pretty" stuff. To my ears, at least, the Adagio Strings patch often works best for those situations. Better than the Roland JV strings, by the way.

I wouldn't call the sound synthy, but there is less "rosin" in the sound, which makes it prettier. To a purist, it may be less authentic sounding, but all I care about is whether or not it sounds good.

I'm not trying to sell anyone Atmosphere, by the way. I'm just adding to the idea that multiple libraries is a good thing. :)

- Mike Greene
dcoscina
03-06-2005, 09:00 AM
Mike, good points! I love Atmospheres. It's a great addition to my otherwise orchestral sample heavy library. And I wasn't trying to discount the strings. I love 'em too! Atmospheres should be in every film composer's arsenal IMHO. It's a wonderfully rich library with some beautiful patches. I love the Human French Horn patch. Reminds me of the Spectrasonics Gregorian Voices library....what was the name of that?
:rolleyes:
Herman Witkam
03-06-2005, 09:06 AM
SI is better for chamber music.

Ha....this one is pretty rediculous. They both suck for chamber music :P
Bruce A. Richardson
03-06-2005, 11:53 AM
Actually, none of these libraries is remotely realistic.

I have yet to find a violin section sample which will spend its non-playing time bitching about the gig while stuffing itself with bagels. Maybe that needs to be a release trigger.
Lunatique
03-07-2005, 03:41 AM
Actually, none of these libraries is remotely realistic.

I have yet to find a violin section sample which will spend its non-playing time bitching about the gig while stuffing itself with bagels. Maybe that needs to be a release trigger.

Ahahahahahaa! Good one.
Robert Kooijman
03-07-2005, 11:25 AM
This lovely thread made me lough out loud, thank you guys!!!

At the risk of being flamed, I really LOVE the Roland JD990 strings. Lots of movement and a very classy, warm sound. When you control both attack and release, you're in heaven. Maybe Eric Persing had a hand in these?
theiss2003
03-08-2005, 05:56 AM
SI is better for chamber music.

Ha....this one is pretty rediculous. They both suck for chamber music.

This was no serious comment, but more a (fun)-reaction on the second post of this thread.... like most all the comments btw.

Greetings,
Seb
Jamesmcwilliams
03-08-2005, 07:47 AM
Ahahahahahaa! Good one.

Well well! a fellow cgtalker!! hello there! :D
Herman Witkam
03-08-2005, 08:52 AM
This was no serious comment, but more a (fun)-reaction on the second post of this thread.... like most all the comments btw.

Greetings,
Seb

Mine was too :D
dcoscina
03-08-2005, 09:34 AM
I loaded up some VGL violin/celli patches into Kontakt last night and WOW WOW WOW! The sustain is EXCELLENT! It really sounds like real string players applying some vibrato after the initial downbow. If this is how good Vienna Giga Library sounds, I can only imagine how wicked something like Opus 1 or the full library sounds.

I still like the expressiveness of the SI Strings that came bundled with GS3, but VGL sounds a little more intimate and I dare say accurate. To my ears anyhow. :cool: