Buying a new VSTi can be a confusing experience. The sheer amount of choice out there is baffling, and it can take a lot of research to find the right one to suit your needs.
As a producer / composer whose ears are well-trained from years of working extensively with both live musicians and samples, I feel that the technology has reached a critical stage in its maturity: I can no longer reliable tell whether a score is recorded live or constructed using well-programmed samples in a DAW. This raises all kinds of interesting philosophical questions that explore the increasingly blurred distinction between humans and the machines we use (Look up the Turing Test). No doubt that these are very interesting times to be working as a composer.
Orchestral sample libraries tend to fall into one of three camps: All-in-Ones, Section or instrument specific libraries, and libraries specializing in a particular effect, soundworld, or style of playing. Each has merits and drawbacks, and when used in intelligent combination, can yield startlingly good results. So how does a person decide what libraries to invest in? It’s not an easy decision, and should not be made without lots of research and consideration. Orchestral libraries tend to be more expensive than their synth / EDM counterparts, as well as taking up a comparatively massive amount of storage to hold thousands upon thousands of samples. So there are a lot of factors that will go into choosing a library, and it’s a choice that should be made carefully. Indeed, it’s arguably a more important decision than what DAW to use (as all DAW’s do more-or-less the same thing, but different sample libraries, even ones with an identical focus, sound profoundly different to one another)
If you are looking to pick up your first library as a newcomer, you’ll probably want it to cover you for an array of instruments so you can get started in making music right away. This means going with an all-in-one solution until you get the chance to grow your collection to more specialized libraries over time.
Once you have gained some experience writing, and own one or two decent all-in-ones, then it’s time to think about expanding and diversifying your arsenal with specialized, focused and section specific libraries. This way, you will be able to design your own virtual ensemble from scratch that does exactly what you need it to do. The major advantage a specialized library has over a general one is the level of detail in the sampling and control possibilities. In your typical string library, for instance, you are given an array of articulations to choose from as well as some very clever scripting which helps note-to-note transitions, vibrato, portamento and so forth sound more convincing.
Ideally, you’ll invest in a good library for each section of the orchestra (strings, woodwind, brass, percussion). In addition, I highly recommend investing in a good piano library, even if you are not a pianist, as writing at the piano I feel is very useful for writing and trying out ideas (not to mention the prominence the piano takes in much classical / orchestral music)
Here is a list of ten things to consider before shelling out for a new sample library.
1. Price
Can you afford it? Do you expect to get a return on your investment, or are you simply buying it for the pleasure of using it? Some of the largest sample libraries clock in at over a grand (the complete 8dio bundle costs… wait for it… 9,999 dollars)
2. Size
How much storage does the library take up? A deeply sampled library can really blaze through even a large storage device- some of the larger string libraries take up over 115GB all by themselves!) So make sure you either have enough space to house your samples, or consider leaving your samples on a separate drive. Also plan for backing up your instruments, and consider how much space that will take.
3. Sound
How good do the samples sound? 16, 24 or 32 bit? Mono or Stereo? Listen to the demos on the manufacturers website and make sure it sounds like something you’d be happy to pay for. Watch review videos by amateurs, too. The pro demos by the manufacturer can be misleading, as they represent the product in the best possible light.
4. Resources
Is your computer powerful enough to use the library with ease? Especially taking into account all the other things that you use during a mix that drains processing power, like Vis, Effects, Automation etc. No use in buying a 50GB library on 2GB of RAM!
5. Purpose
Do you need a really thorough, deep-sampled library for one specific thing, or do you need an all-in-one solution that will cover you in a variety of situations?
6. Compatibility
What sampler is the library written for? And what version? Is my sampler updated such that it will run the library? What plugin format does it use? And is it available in 32 bit or 64 bit or both?
7. Functionality & Features
What features does the library have that I would find useful? Does it do everything I need it to do? What angle does the library take, and how does it compliment my other libraries?
8. Interface
Is the interface well-designed, is everything clearly accessible and is there clear visual feedback?
9. Control
How much of the sound is user-controllable? Does it offer a sufficient degree of control that would allow me to create natural sounding music? What about included effects, filters, mic positions…
10. Articulations
Does it include a range of articulations that accurately represent what the instrument is capable of in real life? And how are those articulations accessed (separate patches, keyswitch, continuous controllers…)
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