Orchestral Libraries Compared: $1700 / $450 / $50 vs FREE (Which is The Best?)
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 มิ.ย. 2020
- Download the comparison project: gum.co/mpsorchestralib
Download the 'Now You See Me' Logic Project: gum.co/mpsseeme
0:05 Intro
0:59 Technical Details
1:53 Intro To Comparison
2:14 Comparison
4:00 Results / Reveal
4:40 Thoughts On The Sounds
6:52 Thoughts On Practical/Creative Aspects
8:25 Full Playthroughs of All Libraries
Watch The Tutorial for the 'Now You See Me' Logic Project: • Video
We compare 4 orchestra libraries, ranging from free (stock Logic Pro X sounds) to $49 (Spitfire BBC Discover) to $449 (Spitfire Albion One) to $1699 (Spitfire Symphonic Orchestra). This video is not sponsored by Spitfire - we actually use them for professional media composing work. For the comparison, we arrange 4 versions of the same song - Brian Tyler's cue for Now You See Me. This way, we can objectively compare the various sounds for each library.
Watch the video and let us know in the comments what you think of Library A, B, C and D before you find out which ones are which!
One of the points I'd like to illustrate in this video is that if used well, stock Logic can also sound pretty good - I like how it turned out, even compared to the more expensive libraries! Of course, you get much more flexibility with subsequent each tier of pricing, but no matter how good the sounds or how many articulations you get, nothing can substitute for learning how to layer sounds and use different textures and colours to create something that evokes feeling. All these require training and learning to develop the ear and knowledge and palette so that you can be a better arranger/producer/composer. - เพลง
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WOW. I actually liked the logic stack one the most. Thought it was definitely one of the expensive ones.
yeah, it was so much more clear and awesome!
I fully expected that it would turn out that the Logic one was the most expensive one...As a Logic user, I'm pleasantly thrilled that it was the one I liked the most over all. I bought his session to look at how he had things configured so I can learn how to do a better job with the tools I've got.
Despite the low amount of views, this was probably the most helpful video I’ve seen about orchestral libraries. Kudos!
Thats super great to know, thanks!
wow I was thinking the opposite
This was a wonderful comparison. I was very surprised by just how well Logic held up against the other Libraries. You can definitely hear the differences, but it really brings home the idea that I should master the tools I have first before investing in more. Once I've hit the limitations of one, then I can move up to the next. This was extremely useful. Thank you.
I like what you say! And i agree to also do the same
Can we just appreciate how good the (free) BBC SO Discover library is without having to resort to getting a premium product such as Logic Pro X. Any free or budget DAW such as Reaper or Cakewalk will do the trick. While it may not sound better than the other three, as someone tinkering around and learning how this stuff works (as a hobby) it is absolutely brilliant.
Yes, totally! It's amazing, the tools we have at our disposal these days. All we basically need is a computer!
The thing is, Logic is also one of the cheapest DAW, and probably the most complete of them all. Is such a ridiculously great deal, that spending $200 on it feel like a steal.
@@ricardotorres5524 which Mac would you recommend for logic?
And beyond that it's an amazing stepping stone to BBCso Core. That's the library I'm currently using and it's truly great!
Logic is probably the biggest value you can find in the DAW world considering the instruments and effects you get with it. I mostly use Studio One because I prefer the actual DAW, but Logic as a package is hard to compete with.
Absolutely brilliant video. To my utter ignorant ears, stock Logic library sounded the best. Maybe I've been biased by the red color, or maybe by the fact that it was the first I heard, anyway that was my impression. Chapeau!!!
There are subtle difference with each set, but it was surprising that I didn't think that the stock Logic library sounded bad in comparison to the others. Sitting in a theater, you'd never notice a difference.
NGL, I frequently use the Logic Library in pro projects. I don't think it should ever be the ONLY thing in there, but especially for things that are further in the background or blended with several instruments it works just fine.
It's the total opposite. Many people think, that the stock Libraries aren't good, but the Logic stock Library is actually quite good. I mean, you do pay your money for it, so I guess that's also what to expect.
@@DPPOfficial doesn't GarageBand use the same instrument files as Logic?..
@@SineEyed Not entirely. Especially in the string compartment (and other orchestral instruments) there's a lot missing
Your observations about the crafting of the music itself are very well said. The demo makes that particularly clear. “I’d make great music if I only had ____ library” seems to be an emotion that drives a lot of composers. There are things like workflow efficiency that can be a factor but getting the musical fundamentals right is even more effective I believe.
Its a common theme amongst composers/guitarists/synthheads and just about any special interest creators. It's much easier to focus on the form rather than the function, because making good works that connect to people isn't an easy thing and that can be scary.
Everything you said at 7:26 was spot on. Thank you so much for demonstrating it so effectively! I can't believe I would pay even $50 for something like this when the truth is, I wouldn't even have the skills to use it!
Totally. Its about HOW we use the tools to shape the music rather than the tools being the be-all-end-all.
Thank you. After hundreds of other videos, your comparison, and the way you presented these four libraries, was the best.
When you talk about upgrading our skillset more than out tools, it really hit home. Was looking to buy a library but after hearing that, I'll just go and work w what i have. Thanks, incredibly helpful!
I love your methodology. Best I've seen. So great to hear the different versions one right after the other.
Great comparison. You summed up tools vs skills in the best way possible. So true and often overlooked. Thank you
Its jaw dropping what you managed to squeeze out of the stock Logic and SO. Masterclass.
Brilliant idea! I felt relieved about rather developing your skills than technical side. My weakness...I always think: I would be happy when I have that soundbank:)
It is the same as in photography: it’s not the camera, but the person behind it!
Very enlightening! Thanks a million!
Thanks very much for doing this. Very helpful and quite a surprising result from my perspective! I also appreciate it that you made the logic project available since it will be a big help, in the future, in evaluating different libraries.
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you so much for making this really very helpful comparison and giving some much appreciated insight! Great piece of music, as well! Best!
Ohh I love the NYSM Soundtrack! And your cover was really well done!
Thank you so much!!
The spitfire symphony orchestra def sounds the most dynamic and "real" with repeated listens, but, you could CERTAINLY build excellent cues with albion one and logic, and even the BBC one, although, something sounds "off" with it to my ears. It sounds "remote", "dead" and lifeless (redundant, eh?) to my ears compared to the others.
Very helpful. Very well thought out presentation. I will stick with spitfire BBS symphony Discover for now. Sometimes the choice of sounds we have gets in the way of the composition.
Great! Thank you. I was surprised that Albion didn't sound that good to my ear! I really appreciated your comments about skill development! Thanks for the wisdom.
Amazing comparison! Great video!
Thanks for the really great comparison, but especially for the reminder to focus on the emotional connection to the audience. Wise words!
Glad you like it Dave, thanks for your comment. Function over form 👍
Good thoughts on skills vs tools. Thanks for the video.
Thank you. I am just embarking on this journey of film scoring. I like your observations and though pattern on concentrating on the craft. That is so perfect.
So glad to know that! Thanks
Enjoy the journey and never say never.
Great video! I honestly liked the BBC discover ($49) the best. Probably it's because I like the larger hall sounds and more depth in ambience. I found out spitfire is giving this for free. Thanks!
Excellent. Thank you. Very enlightening.
Great vid, I was surprised how good the stock Logic Pro library sounded! I think it’s more about supplementing what you have as opposed to replacing it, they all have their strengths and weaknesses.
Totally agree!
I thought the first and third were my favorites. I really liked the articulation and clarity on three, but the first sounded fuller, to me.
Thank you.
Astounding - they sound so close when you do a blind comparison! I was also very surprised that D was my least favorite.... despite it being the most expensive! This was great. Please make more like this in the future.
It was also my least favorite.
@@ggboot1 i for sure thought it was the stock ones, my favorite was probably c
I also liked D the least, B was my favourite
@@rapakko B, which was BBCSO Discovery, was also my favorite. I own 3/4 of these libraries, so I'm really pleased.
thank you so much for this video =)
I'm currently checking out different orchestra plug ins and VSTs because I used now for quite a while the "BBC discover orchestra" and also often the free sonatina orchestra libary, the good thing about those libaries was that I needed to understand how important mastering is like working with the reverb, working seperatly on the sustain or some other effects for specific atmospheres - I truly love how the BBC discover sounds, but I think especially the brass section does not have enough power behind it and it is hard to give the instruments a "small room" feeling to it, because it used a big reverb on every instruments - especially on the harps for example
I learned a lot new things through this video - thank you so much for this great analyse and the tipps you gave to us =)!
That's great! There's just so many things we can learn about the tools we already have, or have free access to. It's an exciting world of making music :)
I'm still pretty hyped on the old Spitfire BML/Mural libraries I got years ago - I really like the extra mic positions, especially for strings. Not sure why Spitfire had to axe them for SSO. If you are spending thousands on an orchestral library, surely you have the RAM and SSDs to run the extra mic positions? Incidentally, I bought East West Hollywood Orchestra recently, and I'm not thrilled with it. For one, the decision to record at 24-bit depth...why? It just makes the library 33% bigger. I had to upgrade to 64 GB Ram just to be able to load everything I wanted in a project. It's a bit dry and less natural sounding compared to Spitfire, even after slapping in my own hall verb. Worst of all, weird things happen with their software player; sometimes notes won't sound unless you randomly adjust thei midi position...it's weird. I think recording reverb tails was the way to go. I will continue endorsing Spitfire stuff for the conceivable future, although, like everything, it does have its quirks (noise in the reverb tales, rough looping/cross-fading, ect. but maybe they've addressed that with SSO?). Anyway, I've pretty much been able to do everything I need to with the Spitfire stuff and it often comes very close to sounding like a live orchestra when properly mixed/programmed, at least to me.
Very helpful! Thank you for posting!!
this is a great video man, very helpful, thanks!
Yuri - BIG THANKS! Always admire your unique ability to re-create popular tunes with Logic Pro X stock libraries. RE: symph. orchestra - can you show an example of re-creating orchestral "run" (e.g., a rising "splash" of strings / woodwinds, often used by composers to mimic the sounds of oceans, winds)? I saw Kontakt libraries doing just that, but they are pricey, and it is always more fun to do it yourself and learn.
I'm still thoroughly impressed with the BBC Discover. For the comparisons in the beginning, I preferred Albion One over the Spitfire Symphonic Orchestra. However, you said it best when you said that it depends on the emotion of the music and what the audience feels. Good job on a great video! Thank you.
You're welcome! I'm currently scoring a film for cinema release and the preference is Albion One, even over SSO. Sometimes, the workflow that allows the greatest ease of transforming ideas to emotions is the best one.
Holy poop! The stock library sound was so good!
This is the best comparison I've ever seen!
Thanks!
Genius arrangement to showcase each library.
Thanks!
Spot on! Very knowledgeable insight.
Interesting. I thought that discover was a chopped version of symphonic orchestra, but it was far more dynamic than I'd have expected.
good comparison video and good demo and good philosophy!
Thanks Tony! Glad to know
Hey bro, thank you for your kind words, that is what music realy is for, for feelings and emotions, i went crazy about finding good and affordable libraries and upgrades, forgetting about the fun and joy music can and should bring.
Thank you
Hmmm...but it still seems very difficult to make with free orchestra library indian music and rythm...🤔
Logic library sounded the best for me, great video! Subbed
Not gunna lie. I thought the first one sounded the best, not watered down and very dynamic and I was afraid it was going to be the most expensive one. Here I am, in awe that it was logic stock. Thank you so much for this video!
I thought the same....and wow...I was suprised
exactly! i was shocked!
Add another person with the same thinking...I thought they were top to bottom most expensive to least expensive.
Awesome comparison! Thank you
IMO I preffered the Symphony Orchestra the most when listening to the four pieces being played in full at the end. The warmth of the instruments is better to be heard.
2022 and still usefull, thank you so much!
Awesome video Bro!
Instant Subscriber😊
Excellent video. Very useful!!
I was surprised that there wasn't a huge difference between any of them. Before the reveal I was leaning towards the logic sound library and Spitfire symphony orchestra. Based on the this short sample, I wouldn't necessarily say that one was head and shoulders above the rest. Each one could potentially be the best option based on the particular piece of music you're working on and the sound you're style you're going for. Great video!
After listening to the full play throughs, I do think that symphony orchestra is the clear winner here. I just think the level of realism, articulation, dynamics, and clarity is a step above the rest. I'm still leaning towards logic as my second favorite. But wouldn't say there is a huge difference between the other three. Whether the additional price tag of symphony orchestra is worth the improvement in quality is really an individual choice. Can't really go wrong with any of them.
I enjoy the BBC Symphony Orchestra and just got the PRO for half off. Its really nice.
For the section patches it’s all about if it can play fast, and how the user interface experience is. Assuming you get all the articulations included. I’ve been using Cinematic studios for the ease of use. Cinesamples has IMO the most character
Thanks for your nice work!
I decided by color as I was listening which I liked the most to least: blue, green, red, yellow. I didn't realize they were all going to be Spitfire libraries aside from the stock library
I'm blown away by Logic honestly. All things considered, the fact it's all bundled into Logic is hard to believe. I've only dabbled on orchestral compositions, but planning on getting M2 Mac soon, so I'm quite excited I won't have to invest a ton into extra AU's to get started. Although, Spitfires new Colossus sounds friggan amazing, so that might be in the cards someday.
Congrats on the M2 Mac! It'll be enough to power you through all your musical ideas. Yes Logic's stock AUs are just amazing really. Spitfire stuff is also great, take your time honing the skills you need!
Great video - very helpful!
0:01 Intro
0:59 Technical Details
1:53 Intro To Comparison
2:14 Comparison
4:00 Results / Reveal
4:40 Thoughts On The Sounds
6:52 Thoughts On Practical/Creative Aspects
8:25 Full Playthroughs of All Libraries
Thanks
Send me ur mail I'd sir
there is a good message here and a good moral. Creation matters more than the race to get the better tool. All those libraries are made to be self sufficient. And they are. . I love hearing talented people encouraging others to be happy with what they have . Some time , having a little or less, makes you work more.. Nice video and beautiful music !
Thank you! Appreciate that you resonate with the ideas presented here. In this age of instant gratification , I think there's a space for learning how to make better work with less.
@@MusicProSessions That is both true and wise. I constantly try to stick to that , while I'm attracted by all those fancy tools (Synth and effects). I already have a hundred time more that I would have dreamt 30 years from now. Today , sometimes , I 2 parameters on an extremly powerful synth, and want this other one, because it can do so many things !... Very small things can do surprise tricks, whith experience and imagination. That said, Thanx again for your message. Have a great day , take care
Wow that was a fantastic video!
I was very surprised to find that, for this cue, at least, my favorite was the stock Logic soundset.
Love this comparison! Thanks!
It actually confirmed my suspicions on myself being a long-time sucker for 'ear-candy'. Although this definitely doesn't help my career in being a composer/producer though!
But I believe when I hear something is good...then it's good 😉
Well I think I'll turn out as an arranger then....what's the difference anyways? Seriously asking.
Download the Logic projects at www.musicprosessions.com
Tutorial for the 'Now You See Me' Logic project:th-cam.com/video/ufMxETEPAr8/w-d-xo.html
Very good conclusion! :)
Great video, thank you! Ps: the blind test was amazing, I think I've something wrong with my ears, I though Logic string were the best! Lol
Good things can come from unexpected places ;) Glad you enjoyed it!
Fantastic!!! Thank you
Amazing Video! Thank you
i guessed all right (and my favorite was the yellow) but that wasn’t difficult as mixing engineer (still i listened of phone). very good video
Great comparison. My favorite was the "red" one, and I was very surprised that it was the Logic Stock. Why pay a fortune for hamburgers on town when you have tournedos at home, is my spontaneous reaction :-)
Especially when home tournedos fulfil you as much as outside burgers! :D
Happy making music. And a new year to.
Well done, well done.
great video. I'm sticking to free and stock.
Wow thank you. I have real trouble getting separate libraries midi to coexist in a single piece. Any chance of a 2 minute tips vid to show how it’s done?
You're welcome! Not exactly sure what you mean - do you mean getting the sounds to work together in a cohesive way? Or is it some technical issue?
Symp Orchestra I heard it right away! Best of all!
Wow! I definitely wasn't expecting the logic one to sound so decent.
EDIT:
I also didn't expect the Spitfire Symphony Orchestra to be the one I disliked the most. It might just be the headphones I'm using, but everything from the yellow parts sounded kind of tinny. Another quick edit upon listening a little bit further. Not tinny, but it felt a little too "spacey" to me. Like there was too much room in between the sounds.
i was guessing green one is free library. but i am shocked logic's stock is sounding batter.
No joke--I sat up in my seat at the reveal. I actually dug the "red" track the most...They all sound great though and I think any library utilized in a track can be tweaked/adjusted to sound damn near perfect to anyone's liking. BTW, great closing statement, great vid overall.
Very good comparison. Wouldn‘t there be more orchestral libraries or is the spitfire orchestral library the best one of the expensive ones?
Looking for expensive? Vienna Symphonic Library was king long before Spitfire made its mark. Orchestral Tools makers of Junkie XL Brass as well as other well-respected Libraries. You are correct, there are several very good orchestral sample libraries on the market today. So no Spitfire is not alone but they are very good.
wow, great video!
Fantastic, you made my day! Now I know, that I don't have to pay thousands of dollars to get an orchestra complete. I will purchase the discovery version from spitfire for sure! :-)
Its free
Despite the somewhat poor reviews of the BBC, I was thoroughly impressed by it, speaking from the point of view of a person who hears too much orchestral and concert works, surprisingly that spatial and wet recording is exactly what is heard when sitting in the balcony of a concert hall.
Overall though, your talk on how the musical emotion is more important than the timbre of the sample is spot on.
I get you on this - the sense of space in BBC is very 'real', for want of a better word. Ultimately, it's horses for courses when it comes to the sounds/tools of choice for crafting your work!
smart commentary. Thank you
Great video, thanks. I was surprised by the reveal; I thought for sure the bottom one was BBC Disco and the top one was the most expensive. I was totally wrong lol.
I have a question - more like advice really... so, I make music as a hobby - mostly orchestral stuff but I play a few instruments too. I use GarageBand as my DAW. I would love to get my first full orchestral library but I don't have a lot of money and most of them that I think would be best suited to the music I write are out of reach. I've done a bit of research into a few mid-range libraries, but I never get too serious about it because it feels like a tease since I'm not looking as if I'm actually going to buy. Why torture myself with things I can't buy, right? So I don't look too hard. Before today, I thought if I ever came up with enough money I would purchase Best Service's The Orchestra. I love the way those instruments sound in that one. I saw that you have it when you were scrolling through your Kontakt stuff -- do you like it? Probably good for writing sketches, but not too much beyond that, huh? Ugh, sorry I'm rambling. Lemme get to the question...
As I post this, I have a 16 hour window of opportunity to perhaps get my first, real, orchestral sample library. Spitfire Audio is running a special briefly, where they offer 50% off any single library purchase. I went to their website today and listened to the libraries that I might now be able to afford, and I think Albion One is probably going to be my best fit out of the available choices.
My thinking is: if I'm able to get GarageBand's instruments to sound good enough to keep people from running away when I sit them down to listen to something I wrote... some of them even enjoying what they heard 😅 then I think I'm at a level where I can justify spending the money. In your opinion, considering my position, do you think Albion One would be a good purchase for my first sample library? I'm very new to Kontakt player but I've started exploring a little with that starter set they give away. I know there's a bit of a learning curve with Native Instruments stuff; do you think it's worth the hassle? If I buy Albion it will be my only library besides BBC Discovery and GB's native stuff -- so I won't be supplementing my music with strings from over here, and woodwinds from over there... it'll be all that I've got. I'm not writing to film, but I think I would want a full and somewhat comprehensive library with which to write my modest tunes.
What do you think... buy it, or forget it?
Thanks for taking the time to read all that. I'm sorry to go on and on, it's just that it's important to me and I worry about getting it wrong. I would hate to end up with a library I didn't really like. Even at the reduced price, it's still a big purchase for me. I got the impression from this video that you have a sense of honor towards the craft, and so you would - if time allows - give me your honest opinion. I would greatly appreciate any words you have to offer in response. Thanks again, truly.. 🙇♂
To answer your first question on The Orchestra, I wouldn't recommend it if you're looking for an orchestra you want to arrange yourself and not having pre-arranged phrases for you to work with, which is it's strength.
As for Albion One, it's one of my favourites, I have scored complete films using 90% Albion One and its still my current favourite. It's a big spend for a first orchestral library, and I purchased it only because I use it for scoring work. So it depends on a number of factors: how much you're willing to spend, how much you'll use it, and how much value it contributes to your musicmaking. All the best!
Nice presentation.
So impressed! Stock logic is legit!
Awesome bro!
Woweee.... That Logic Library was my fav honestly.... When it was blind
I bet it sounds that good cause he's a freakin' pro. Way to go!
Great video,thanks .
For all those who don't know , actually BBC DISCOVER it's for FREE.
If you decide to pay the $50 it's up to you.
thank you - sincerely a student
The nice thing is, its compatible with the more expensive BBSO core, so once you get the money to upgrade , your music will still work without modification (Though of course you'll want to get in there and add all those missing articulations and monkey about with the mic settings etc)
This video is perfect. It’s just perfect.
Thank you for your thoughts. I realize at least now that I'm not the only musician slowed by "getting more' and "getting better stuff" because collecting is so much easier than practicing. (The stuff can be things or software.) I'm not so sure I can change, but *maybe* I can start. :) Good luck. Jim
P.S. Please write your name down so we can address you properly.
Change comes from starting! All the best Jim, I'm sure you'll make some amazing work. Warm wishes, Yuri.
Interesting, but it's difficult to really hear the details in the examples. Mostly likely the TH-cam sound has taken a lot of the quality out of the different versions, though it is good to have them. I haven't checked how much processing you did with the tracks - for example use of compressors, rebalancing the instrumental sections etc., though you did mention using Space Designer for ambience.
i only learned from this is that if you know what you are doing you can make any of these libraries sound really good
That's the essence of my message - investing in skill is worth much more than investing in sounds!
very well done!
Thank you!
@@MusicProSessions You're welcome
Going in blind I liked the blue the most, looking forward to the reveal :)
Awesome setup, having the direct comparisons and having us listening without knowing what we were listening to. :) Definitely blue and yellow, they have more depth and living character, and no notes that stand out too uncomfortably synthetic-sounding...
Great analysis of the difference as well!!
Frankly I agree on the emotional message importance as well! ;) I'd just like a set of tools that enables me to make my emotional compositions sound emotional by capturing at least a good portion of the dynamics and feel of a good orchestra.
Glad to be of help! Thanks for watching! :)
I actually liked the stock logic sounds the most! Is it possible to use them in other daws?
unfortunately not
the stock string libarys from kontakt are pretty good if you compare it to the bbc libary or in general xD
Kontakt alone costs more than BBC SO tho
I've been using Logic Pro X for 8 years now. Great stock orchestral sounds. However, the Spitfire brass is best here. Although not in this comparison, I prefer East West orchestral libraries, but it will set one back a few BIG bucks: You get what you pay for!!!
"Sonuscore The Orchestra Complete 2" or "Nucleus Orchestral Core" for symphonic ("classical") non-cinematic music?
The stock logic sounded very good
I use spitfire for everything! I’ve been working on music for 10 years and 2 years have been film scoring. Any tips on finding work in the movie industry?
Love spitfire stuff. Your question for tips on finding work is a great idea for a future video; will try to work on something relating to that. Thanks and be well!
@@MusicProSessions that would be an awesome video
I liked 1 and 4. Curious to find out now...
Wow. Stock sounds better for me. Thanks for sharing!