Help Choosing Library Please

[crazyox]

Instead of just asking which Kontakt format library is the best, which will be nothing but an opinion, please tell me for each of these instruments what you have been very satisfied or dissatisfied with (It may be from an all purpose set or an instrument specific set) I will include with the list some of my feelings:

Flutes: Sounds fine on VSL but had trouble get legato and vibrato right

Bassoon: Very unhappy on VSL (Kontakt 2 Library)--harsh attack

Harp: Giga Harp was great but haven't seen a K2 version. VSL isn't bad

Trumpets: Never heard anything exceptionally good or bad

Other Brass: VSL satisfactory.

Strings: Very hard to get realistic sounding. I heard some nice Garritan demos but demos can be deceiving. The Reason Orchester has better strings than one would expect, but there is no keyswitching available.

Timpani and Percussion: The best I've heard was an Ultimate Orchestral Percussion for giga converted to K2

Upright Bass: Never found anything useable.

Organ: Kontakt Surround Organ is okay. Didn't like the other PMI organ on K2 Discs

---
Thanks for suggestions and also feel free to give me advice on whether Garritan Big Band is worth the money if only interested for the brass. I really need a nice muted jazz trumpet with controllable vibrato, legato and articulations. I wish I could play the real thing.

[JonFairhurst]

Flutes: Sounds fine on VSL but had trouble get legato and vibrato right

Check out Westgate Studios. Their Modular instruments have wonderful legato, and are available for GS3 and K2. I like the vibrato, but you'll have to listen for yourself, as it's a personal preference. As I recall the flute is available in both V and NV forms, so you can potentially add your own vibrato to the NV samples, but that, as we know, rarely sounds natural. Some claim to mix the V and NV layers to allow progressive vibrato, but I'm not a fan of laying solo instruments.

You can download the flute for $70, or add piccolo, alto and flute ensemble by getting the DVD for $130.

I would guess that a Westgate bassoon will be available late this year, but nothing has been announced, and I'm not an insider. It's just an extrapolation.

Best...

[Steve_Karl]

Harp: Giga Harp:
Excellent for glissandos! There is specific programming for each key signature to select the correct pedal setting.
Excellent for sustained notes, and harmonics.
Where it falls short is in stopped notes. There's no obvious way to have the harpist play a note and then put their hand against it to stop it dead.
It's also a bit on the dark side of tone. If it were a tiny bit smaller it ~might~ be better, but that could easily be done with EQ.

I just got the XSample harp because it has that 'stopped' articulation but haven't had a chance to really play it yet.
The XSample harp seems to have been miced a bit farther away as the sound is a bit smaller.
The Giga Harp seems to be miked very close and has a big sound ... maybe too big in some situations although it has worked for me without any EQ to this point.

Percussion:
I have UOP but I still use the percussion from EW Gold.
I suspect UOP might be more realistic sounding but EW Gold Percussion is my "go to" for orchestral percussion.
However, things might change if I get a chance to expiroment with UOP more.

KHE Trumpets:
The trumpets in Kirk Hunter Emerald are giving me everything I need other than a solo with Vibrato, and it's possible that it's in the lib. but I just haven't found it yet.

Other Brass:
I love the FHorns in KH Emerald. Plenty of warmth or plenty of brassiness
and everything inbetween. There are a few that are FSZ with swells that are different enough from each other to give a lot of variety.
Easy to be very agressive and also easy to be delicate all on the same articulation.
I've even done my own rips by playing them manually as a gliss on the keyboard and they sound convincing to me.

KHE Trombones:
are good also for me. Nice SFZ with mod whell swell.
Plenty of warm and also edge.

KHE Bass trombones:
are ... eh .... not that good for me but they seem to work when they're mixed in.
I wish the trombones would just go down an other octave.

KHE Tuba:
Pretty nice. Very warm. I wish it had a bit of 'crack' but I don't even know if a real tuba can do that. It always seems to work.

[JT3_Jon]

If I was looking to add more K2 orchestral instruments, I would look no further than westgate studios. They are doing some GREAT work right now! It will likely get a little pricey to own all of their modules, but if the playability and sound quality of their Oboe library (which I own) is any indication, it will be well worth the money!

edit: looks like my namesake beat me to the punch.

[nikolas]

Very quick reply. sorry I don't have much time:

Abour Garritan and demos. Demos in Garritans' case are not decieving! They are made from ordinary humans and not super duper composers! His site contains something like 1000+ demos around. Go listen to some more. His strings were (maybe still are) top notch when they first came out. I still love them with all my heart.

Upright bass:

not the best around but a friend (gregjazz) created a very very cheap (something like 30$) upright bass which is quite nice actually. google the word "manytone music" and you'll find it. It's not the best but it actually has a very nice sound, and is dead cheap. Even as an alternative.

Woods (flute, oboe) is westgate all the way!

Harp, not hapyp with anything I've heard so far. I always use some exta reverb on the harp...

Timp and Perc, I would argue that EW has some good stuff (especially the xp pro addition)...

[crazyox]

Check out Westgate Studios. Their Modular instruments have wonderful legato, and are available for GS3 and K2. I like the vibrato, but you'll have to listen for yourself, as it's a personal preference. As I recall the flute is available in both V and NV forms, so you can potentially add your own vibrato to the NV samples, but that, as we know, rarely sounds natural.

Best...

Yes the vibrato is one of my worst quanderies right now. Using pitch bends for vibrato and legato seems to be considered one of DAW's seven dealy sins. Perhaps I will have to go with it for now and do penance later.

[crazyox]

Thank you all verymuch. The votes are in and are backed up by other htreads (though Quantum Leap and Chris Hein came up for brass more than once too) Many peoople talk about the huge $4000 libraries but it sound like you get the quality with out the hype for a lot less from Garritan, not to mention all the stuff he does around here-thanks Big G) and Westgate is a budget option for someone only wanting one particulary instrument. So say we all!

[timzydee]

One correction. Our Flutes Module on DVD is only $120.

Our Horns Module will be available in April and will be like no other horn library out there in terms of number of instruments and articulations.

After that we will begin production on Solo Bb Clarinet and Bassoon so that they can be made available for download as soon as possible, making our downloadable orchestral woodwinds complete. Their respective DVD modules will follow thereafter.