Epic Brass Comparison - Talos, Tom Holkenborg's Brass, CineBrass Pro, Jaeger, Metropolis Ark 1

A quick comparison of the Horns and low brass from the following sample libraries: Talos Horns (Audio Imperia), Tom Holkenborg's Brass (Orchestral Tools), CineBrass Pro (Cinesamples), Metropolis Ark 1 (Orchestral Tools) and Jaeger (Audio Imperia).
Some additional comments: It is worth noting that the Horns and low brass from Talos have the most extensive set of articulations, but not the highest number of dynamic layers (that's Tom Holkenborg's Brass). Sustains and Staccatos from Talos' low brass are also included in Jaeger - in order to not play you the same thing twice I used Jaeger's Trombones and Tubas patches for the low brass showcase. Tom Holkenborg's Brass and Metropolis Ark 1 don't have prebuilt low brass ensembles with different instruments, so I built them myself using Trombones and Bass Trombones for Tom Holkenborg's Brass and Bass Trombones, Cimbassi and Tubas for Metropolis Ark 1.
The reason the Horns from Jaeger and from Talos suffer from the same bad dynamic crossfading is that they're the same recordings! I was unaware of that at the time of making this video - sorry for the confusion!
All sounds in this video are unprocessed except for a bit of external reverb (Cinematic Rooms Professional).
If you are interested in this kind of content, consider subscribing to my channel and giving the video a like. Also feel to leave a comment with feedback, questions or video requests. In the comment section you will also find a link to my "Jaeger vs Metropolis Ark 1" comparison video - maybe give that one a watch too! :)
0:00 Intro
0:09 Horns Legato
2:41 Horns Staccato
3:41 Low Brass

[@c-c-laurin-lenschow]

Check out the video description for some thoughts on the patches I used for this comparison!
If you like this kind of content, you may also be interested in my comparison of Jaeger and Metropolis Ark 1: th-cam.com/video/Sisrfc-naz4/w-d-xo.html
Also consider subscribing to my channel if you don't want to miss my next uploads!

[@Noctarilfate]

Love this type of comparison. When you hear things side by side, it's so much easier to tell which you prefer.

[@c-c-laurin-lenschow]

Thanks - I'm glad you enjoyed the video! There will likely be a few more of these direct comparisons over the next couple of days :)

[@chaddonal4331]

Tom H for the win! CineBrass runner-up. Thanks for posting this.

[@synec7597]

Thank you for this!

[@c-c-laurin-lenschow]

The reason the Horns from Jaeger and from Talos suffer from the same bad dynamic crossfading is that they're the same recordings! I was unaware of that at the time of making this video - sorry for the confusion!

[@invisiblemusician]

I saw a review of the Audio Imperia libraries in the last month or so - that called out that fact - they re-use sounds between different named libraries. Unfortunately - I had already bought a number of their libraries and suspected that to be the case between the Areia Lite and Jaeger. That really dissapointed me in their product line and not sure I would buy from them again as a result

[@c-c-laurin-lenschow]

​@@invisiblemusician I believe they are not trying to hide this - admittedly, the information about which sounds were reused in what library are a bit hard to find, but they even offer crossgrade prices between libraries that have shared recordings (like Nucleus and Jaeger for example). They've also stated that they won't continue to reuse recordings for new releases, so you don't need to hesitate when buying from them in the future - I understand why you're upset though.
Now, on the other hand, there are the guys from 8dio that just sell you the same choir legato recordings in different products without ever mentioning it, offering crossgrade discounts or even admitting it when being directly asked about it. Make of that what you will...
(That said, 8dio also makes some fantastic libraries and does awesome sales, so it's not all black and white 😅)

[@andrewqualls]

@@invisiblemusician HOLD UP ARE YOU SERIOUS???? IS THIS FOREAL???!!!!

[@invisiblemusician]

@@andrewqualls Yes - here is the review that confirmed my suspicion - I already own a good number of their libraries which is how I began to suspect. th-cam.com/video/K68PovScxfw/w-d-xo.html

[@andrewqualls]

@@invisiblemusicianWOW ........... That’s messed up, I’m glad that Jaeger and Cerberus are the only ones that I own.... otherwise I would’ve been PISSED

[@Canqwertz1]

Ark 1 best bang for buck. You get strings, choir, percussion, good deep loud brass

[@jrettetsohyt1]

Thanks! Useful, but could you also do a version 2 of this with volumes matched and custom dynamics control? Then we can better compare their sound. Thanks!

[@c-c-laurin-lenschow]

Thanks for the feedback!
Volume matching: Good suggestion, I will keep it in mind when doing future comparisons and possibly a version 2!
When it comes to custom dynamics control I must admit I'm a bit torn about this. One of the main difficulties when comparing libraries is that different libraries will respond differently to the same midi input, so from that perspective I agree with you; shaping the dynamics for each library individually would make sense. On the other hand, if I don't use the exact same midi for all of them, it's not just about the sound of the library anymore but also about my skill (or lack thereof) to use them to their best abilities. That skill is going to vary from library to library depending on how often I use them, so at that point it's not really a fair comparison anymore. Using the same midi for all of them may not use the libraries to their full potential, but at least they all have the same chance and it's not dependent on how experienced I am in working with them.

[@alyxgonzales]

torn between 4:55 tom low brass and 5:23 ark 1 low brass, wondering why you didn't include tom's cimbassi and tuba

[@c-c-laurin-lenschow]

If you're going to buy one of them I'd recommend the low brass from Tom Holkenborg's Brass over Ark 1 because THB can also do softer stuff and Ark 1 can't.
Tbh I don't remember if I had any specific reason not to include the cimbassi and tuba from THB.

[@alyxgonzales]

​@@c-c-laurin-lenschow thanks for the reply! part of why I'm torn is because Ark 1 has what I need and is much cheaper, but THB just sounds more epic in your example with just the trombones

[@c-c-laurin-lenschow]

@@alyxgonzales Well, THB is certainly more flexible than Ark 1 and especially the Trombones are just gorgeous. It will probably come down to how much the difference in price matters to you.

[@snarf1504]

Christ the crossfades are terrible on Talos...