Stringteq

Well IMHO the "key" (pun intended) is the controller... How could you give to a note played on a keyboard all the variety you can with a bow ???

Wahooo !!

Ok guys,

I have to agree that some of those libraries sound pretty impressive but I fear situation is quite similar with sampled pianos. They sound realistic simply because they are real in sense that they are real instruments recorded in real space. Problem arises when you start making music with them. It's hard to make them sound exactly how you like as performer or composer. I mean many small imperfections which make them "alive" start to control you instead you controlling them. Maybe I have had worst string libraries (which btw sounded great on demos) cause I've needed too much time to make them sound right. I have been scracthing my head how to make good sounding crescendos or tweaking pianoroll to make attacks times even etc. IMO Pianoteq isn't the most realistic piano sound but it's one of the most playable and flexible. With strings I could give up little of realism if I could get easier and more flexible strings. Quite often you would like to have strings "feeling" instead of ultimate realism, get kind of a perfect orchestra to play exactly how you want as a composer. And put your time and creative power to composing, not to endless tweaking of CCs, velocities, start times etc. And this is not to say that other times you may want to have realism which needs sample libraries.

Anyway many thanks for interesting tips! I am quite newbie here with string software...

P.S. I believe sample libraries perform best for percussive style (staccato, marcato) but have most trouble in long legato lines. Situation is quite equivalent with sampled vs. modeled piano sounds.

I would love a modelled string program similar to pianoteq. Especially if you could layer and split with the piano. I am supposing (far from an expert) that some of the bowing effects could be accomplished by wheels, pedals, and ribbon controllers for those who need added realism.

You're absolutely right, they sound amazing. Maybe best strings out there.

But in case I wasn't clear enough, I will one more time clarify my main point: because of those imperfections those libraries can be difficult or time consuming to use. This does not mean that you cannot make them sound good or great. I will give you an example. With my string library (which is Cinestrings Core btw) even 1 bar phrase with 16th notes can be hard to make it "groove". Some notes have different attack times than others and it's difficult to say what is the one you should put earlier or later. And if some notes are little out of tune there's nothing you can do it fix it. I am not saying that I am searching for perfect music - in perfect/quantized time or in perfect tune - quite contrary, but I would like to be in charge to decide when something is out of rhythm or out of tune and how much. With too much "imperfection" libraries can be annoying to use.

Maybe modeling would give us at least an alternative to them. As I said, in my opinion situation is quite same as it is with pianos...

The best "strings" I've ever heard were the sounds of the old analog synths back in the day, and I think I liked it more when they used some chorus effect. A good example is "Everyone's a Winner" (Hot Chocolate). Such a "wet" rich sound - better than the real thing. 

Greg.