I can't thank you enough for taking the time to make this in-depth video. I am new to orchestral music and you made exactly what I was looking for. Cheers!
To add to what ProjectSAM Lumina is for: Fantasy, Mystery & Cartoon You get some rare choices of instruments like Bell Tower, Celtic Harp, Elven Choir & Lumina Choir. Great textures though for scoring. Especially for animation or generally other shows where anything can happen.
Mustis1524 I started with Cinesymphony Lite was what I bought after this video, but I also ended up picking up Majestica (when it was on sale) and I just bought Metropolis Ark 1 recently. So far I think Ark 1 is my favourite. Sounds incredible.
Thanks! That narrows it down even more for me. I'm really digging the Heavyocity lineup, though admittedly it's their percussive libraries that truly stand out. Keeping my eyes peeled for the libraries "Gravity" and "Ensamble woods collection" and hoping against hope that there will be a sizable discount at some point. Especially fitting for intense sci-fi-esque compositions which I adore. I highly recommend checking them out if you haven't already. Though I suppose you could argue that they fit the category of libraries suited towards those that know what they're after beforehand, but nonetheless my mouth is watering just thinking about it.
Mustis1524 no worries man. I know how you feel. It's an expensive addiction haha.Ya heavyocity has awesome stuff. I bought their master session ensemble drums. Wish I had held out for Damage though, that looks like a more vast library with lots of variety.
This video was VERY informative. A find. Thank you for your simple explanations and clear presentation. This is my go-to guide on where to start with orchestral libraries.
WoW This is the greatest video I’ve seen explaining everything I wanted to know, and with such detail, before I bought Albion One. Thank you for the guidance.
Tbh I have Symphobia 1 and 2 with Animator and Orchestrator, but I can use it for some Cartoony stuff, and for getting even some of the best choir is: 8Dio Lacrimosa Choir And tbh you're explanation it's important and nice.
East West has two full-orchestra libraries: Symphonic Orchestra Hollywood Orchestra Both of which include all the interface you could ever want, and there's no proprietary/premium client needed to run any of them. In my opinion of the gold version of each, Symphonic Orchestra has a good solid general acoustic sound. It's leaner than Hollywood in terms of crazy off-the-wall patches, but what it has is very useful. Hollywood Orchestra has a bigger (though not necessarily better) sound, and it's not afraid to be different. It's awesome in sort of the way Metropolis Ark 1 is if it didn't worry about having snappy attacks and smooth-sounding sustains. It's a bit abrasive, so know what you're getting into. It has great brass mutes, though, which is a neat bonus.
Thank you this is the most informative video on youtube abt the orchestral libraries. I am going for symphobia because i hv just started and i love the instant gud sounding patches in it. Will save for albion one. Thankyou
There are actually older VSL releases for Kontakt, hundreds of GBs of some of the best sample content I've ever composed with. It's also funny how you kind of just scratched the surface, there are so many more full orchestral libraries I use all the time that you might not even know about :p
@@BryanELx Nog vergeten vermelden: maak alvast een account aan, download hun free labs (aanrader) en zet je favoriete libraries op je wish list. Vorige jaren gaven ze soms enkel korting op de zaken die op je wish list stonden en dan heb je pech natuurlijk als iets niet op je wishlist staat. Je korting kan ook afhangen van het feit of je al bestaande klant bent of niet. Enfin je ziet het wel. Ik hoop dat je 'm aan 30% kan kopen en verwacht niet te veel van black friday. Kerst kan interessanter zijn. Albion one is mijn favoriet trouwens. Mijn eerste library ooit (de legacy wel) dus dat heeft een speciaal plaatsje he :-)
Thank you for this great video! I started to produce epic metal music and after trying with Sonatina Orchestra it was about time to move on to the real shit! Today I got the Metropolis Arc 1 for 399 € (+ 75€ VAT, Germany) and I think it is the right choice for that kind of music. :)
the only issues i found with eastwest play is the engine r doesn't allow you to purge samples like Kontakt does also it can be a pain to transfer licence between machines those are the reasons i switched to Kontakt
Metropolis Ark 1 looks quite interesting, if the only purpose is to create epic scores. I can only imagine how epic it sounds with StormChoir2. Still if you have a library clean and crisp enough it should be possible to achieve the same result, but I can totally see someone picking it up and jumping straight into making trailer music in no time.
VSCO Pro also comes packaged in a handy flash memory stick which might be essential if your internet connection can\t handle the 15Gb download' the flash memory version is still only 249 Euros; the Kirk Hunter is rather good for placing instruments sections on a virtual stage, which adds to realism. What concerns me is that i understand that NI Kontakt License does not support a subscription based way of paying for libraries,
FYI, Symphobia 1, 2, and 3 are on sale for US$289 only. Hope this can help some of you make your decision easier. I am seriously thinking of buying them as well although I have quite a few orchestral libraries already.
NI Komplete Ultimate has a old trimmed Version of VSL Library --> choir AAs EEEs etc… Lot of Sounddesign Tools in Reaktor. In Kontakt: Rise&Hit, Session Strings (Like a String Chamber orchestra), Action Strings, Symphony Essentials in NI KU11 . Think also what a DAW can have (e.g.: Logic X has a lot of orchestral Sounds inside, don t know others).
Even Garage Band has some amazing samples & synths…Drummer is an amazing plug in that's free I've got some good sounding orchestral patches. I was thinking of IK orchestral package I have the SampleTank Free & it's got some amazing stuff that's free!!! I just picked up a VX49 w/VIP software that's basically the same keyboard controllers as the Akai Advanced 49 but w/better key bed. Oh is much cheaper but has the same features owned by the same company Aleis / Akai probably made in same factory that VIP software is something else something to ponder the power of it arrogating all your VST's by category 10,000's of different software VI's at yer fingertips even some shareware is mapped Ozone is mapped & comes w/88 Eighty Eight & the Air VI's that come w/Protools.I wondering what would be the best cheapest library .
ARK 1 doesn't include the full orchestra.. It's missing woodwinds. But for the type of music it is made for (the 30's hollywood movie scores, loud, big), woodwinds are barely used. If you do require woodwinds (for softer music) you should go for ark 2 (it's made for emotional soundtracks, with lots of legato's etc)
Thank you for your very informative overview of orchestral software.I am happy that Native Instraments 11 Ultimate is your main go to software.It is on sale for 900 dollars currently and I think I am going to get it.I have been playing keyboards for over 30 years,mostly Roland keyboards and arrangers and now a Korg arranger.But creating music on a computer is all new to me, so I have some questions.What DAW works best with NI 11?Also is it best to get a controller keyboard like the new NI Komplete Kontrol S61 MK2,or will one of my keyboards work almost as good?And one last thing,can you or someone give me the building specs of a PC that will be powerfull enough to handle all that is going to be asked of it.Thanks in advance for any help I might receive here.
I bought The Orchestra 6 months ago. It sounds great ánd loud but is limited in possibilities. Feel free to specify your question or listen to a short composition on my YT page.
you might want to check also Cinematic studio strings (and cinematic solo strings) these are great for emotional strings and maybe also Spitfire symphonic strings and what about cinematic strings 2 ?
Lots yeah. Developers have to buy licenses for Kontakt Player if they want to release their products for it. All libraries that runs in player will say so on the buy page.
ewql orchestra platinum/gold/silver is a very old library series, the ewql hollywood orchestra libraries are the new ones, with new samples and programming.
Hi Jeroen. With this video in mind I downloaded several Manuals and wrote e-mails to a few companies just to see if I got a response. I stumbled upon "The Orchestra" from Sonuscore and was amazed by the sound and possibility's of the library. Because I thought it could fit my needs to grow I also mailed them. They were the first to respond and took the time to answer my questions. They've brought out 2 patches since the first sale. Not because of errors but just to implement wishes they got from users. I'm in no way related to any of the companies but this kind of service is certainly good to notice. My actual question is: Do you know Sonuscore (the orchestral library)? And could you give a short comment on my question? Thanks in advance for your time. Ed
Ed s I know sonuscore. This video was made before the release of the orchestra. It seems indeed like a great library, especially because of the possibilities, a bit less for the sound (that is what I heard in some comments). I dont own the library because I dont want to upgrade to a higher version of Kontakt. Personal choice I made for now but I might change my mind in the future.
Hoi Jeroen, Thanks for your fast reply. I'm confused about you saying " I dont want to upgrade to a higher version of Kontakt". It works with the free Kontakt version so only if there's another reason that prevents you from upgrading I'm very curious why? What I also noticed while listening to many reviews of libraries in general and other add-ons for production is, many 'hounest' reviews are sponsored by the companies themselves. Recently I bought a library that was absolutely out of tune. Even the company itself noticed it after I mailed them about it. They were glad I reported it so they could correct it in a patch. None of the reviews I've seen about this library mentioned this, so I'm skeptic about reviews. Anyway, looking forward to your reply about Kontakt. Groetjes, Ed Edit: I've checked to make sure. In the Manual of Sonuscore the required Kontakt version is 5.6.8. or higher. I use version 5.8.1. So I think I could use this version or am I wrong?
Ed s I have the full version of Kontakt (5.5.2 I believe) and I dont think I can use the free version of kontakt (another version) next to that. As of version 5.5.6 there are some significant differences such as the way libraries need to be added. I prefer to not elaborate more on why I prefer to stick to my old version. Feel free to send me a pm on facebook if you like.
Sonuscore the orchestra? I own it...Don't do it. It's not made with the composer's choice 100 percent in mind. In a way, it creates the music for you through loops. Well, don't do it if you plan on it being your MAIN library. It's good for a complimentary add on for sure tho.
Thanks for your reply Steven, but I'm afraid I also learned the hard way and bought The Orchestra. Like you said it's nice as second library. Nevertheless with a little fantasy it can offer some great sounds. Recording is a "b!tch" if you want to keep in tempo cause the different instrument / ensembles have different attack-speeds. Do you any recommendations for a good future investment? M-Ark1 perhaps? Btw I'll think more than twice next time ;-)
HELLO ! .A QUESTION ..CUARTETO OR STRING QUINTETO .. WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST ME .. OR WHAT IS BETTER .. AND MORE REALISTIC .. AND COMPLETE TO WORK ARTICULATIONS .. ??? ... I WOULD LIKE TO APPRECIATE YOUR OPINION ... GIVE THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
Can't really blame them, orchestration is too damn expensive (because equipment and recording sessions are expensive). I bought ton of stuff over the years and it's still not enough to achieve exactly what I want. I've got Sonivox Premier Collection, Stagelight with StorePass, Staffpad App, and as of recently Iconica Section & Players. I'm pretty sure that's not the end of it, but I try to work with what I have. But if feels nice knowing artifacts can be used commercially and there are no viruses on my PC what so ever (hopefully).
Just subscribe to East West and pay monthly (something like $25). This is a safe way to enter the orchestral music making world without spending too much and later figuring out how hard it is to find work. Some libraries are watermarked in which case you could get in trouble. I'd go with East West until you can afford VSL (which is the most detailed in my opinion).
It's just so tough to pirate the Kontakt stuff cause Native Access works hard to make sure you have a legit serial code. Such a pain in the ass to go and pirate all this.
I can't thank you enough for taking the time to make this in-depth video. I am new to orchestral music and you made exactly what I was looking for.
Cheers!
I second this. Thank you very much!
To add to what ProjectSAM Lumina is for:
Fantasy, Mystery & Cartoon
You get some rare choices of instruments like Bell Tower, Celtic Harp, Elven Choir & Lumina Choir.
Great textures though for scoring. Especially for animation or generally other shows where anything can happen.
This was super helpful thanks! Not many videos that go in to this much detail. I think I've made my choice on library after this.
Which one did you end up getting and are you happy with it?
Mustis1524 I started with Cinesymphony Lite was what I bought after this video, but I also ended up picking up Majestica (when it was on sale) and I just bought Metropolis Ark 1 recently. So far I think Ark 1 is my favourite. Sounds incredible.
Thanks! That narrows it down even more for me. I'm really digging the Heavyocity lineup, though admittedly it's their percussive libraries that truly stand out. Keeping my eyes peeled for the libraries "Gravity" and "Ensamble woods collection" and hoping against hope that there will be a sizable discount at some point. Especially fitting for intense sci-fi-esque compositions which I adore. I highly recommend checking them out if you haven't already. Though I suppose you could argue that they fit the category of libraries suited towards those that know what they're after beforehand, but nonetheless my mouth is watering just thinking about it.
Mustis1524 no worries man. I know how you feel. It's an expensive addiction haha.Ya heavyocity has awesome stuff. I bought their master session ensemble drums. Wish I had held out for Damage though, that looks like a more vast library with lots of variety.
This video was VERY informative. A find. Thank you for your simple explanations and clear presentation. This is my go-to guide on where to start with orchestral libraries.
Even more than a year later, this was a really helpful summary of what's out there! Thank you so much!
WoW This is the greatest video I’ve seen explaining everything I wanted to know, and with such detail, before I bought Albion One. Thank you for the guidance.
Thanks for taking the time to make this comprehensive and detailed video
Tbh I have Symphobia 1 and 2 with Animator and Orchestrator, but I can use it for some Cartoony stuff, and for getting even some of the best choir is:
8Dio Lacrimosa Choir
And tbh you're explanation it's important and nice.
Very competent and articulate presentation of current market options ... Thank You ...
East West has two full-orchestra libraries:
Symphonic Orchestra
Hollywood Orchestra
Both of which include all the interface you could ever want, and there's no proprietary/premium client needed to run any of them.
In my opinion of the gold version of each, Symphonic Orchestra has a good solid general acoustic sound. It's leaner than Hollywood in terms of crazy off-the-wall patches, but what it has is very useful.
Hollywood Orchestra has a bigger (though not necessarily better) sound, and it's not afraid to be different. It's awesome in sort of the way Metropolis Ark 1 is if it didn't worry about having snappy attacks and smooth-sounding sustains. It's a bit abrasive, so know what you're getting into. It has great brass mutes, though, which is a neat bonus.
This definitely answered most of my questions about sample libraries. Thanks for the detailed video!
Thank you this is the most informative video on youtube abt the orchestral libraries. I am going for symphobia because i hv just started and i love the instant gud sounding patches in it. Will save for albion one. Thankyou
thanks so much for explaining the Kontakt player mystery. I finally get it.
Great video, Jeroen!
One thing to note- VSCO 2 Pro will be available for Kontakt Player as well in about a month.
This is very helpful. Thank you for your time and effort.
Excellent video mate 👌
Metropolis Ark in not only for epic trailer music, it works also with dark theme, same with Albion II.
Albion ONE also includes the legacy Albion library. Best value!
Thank you very much for this video. Very informal.
There are actually older VSL releases for Kontakt, hundreds of GBs of some of the best sample content I've ever composed with. It's also funny how you kind of just scratched the surface, there are so many more full orchestral libraries I use all the time that you might not even know about :p
It's also a pretty outdated video hehe
Thank you!!
This is very helpful! :D I really enjoyed it!
All the best
Rune
Thank you man, im just starting making orchestral music and this video was very helpfull.
Super informatieve video! Ik heb beslist om voor Albion One te gaan. Hopelijk komt er volgende week een mooie korting met Black Friday.
Andere jaren was kerst interessanter dan Black Friday. Wacht op 30% korting, zou ik adviseren.
@@JeroenVanHiel Bedankt voor de tip.
@@BryanELx Nog vergeten vermelden: maak alvast een account aan, download hun free labs (aanrader) en zet je favoriete libraries op je wish list. Vorige jaren gaven ze soms enkel korting op de zaken die op je wish list stonden en dan heb je pech natuurlijk als iets niet op je wishlist staat. Je korting kan ook afhangen van het feit of je al bestaande klant bent of niet. Enfin je ziet het wel. Ik hoop dat je 'm aan 30% kan kopen en verwacht niet te veel van black friday. Kerst kan interessanter zijn.
Albion one is mijn favoriet trouwens. Mijn eerste library ooit (de legacy wel) dus dat heeft een speciaal plaatsje he :-)
@@JeroenVanHiel Super! Zal ik doen. Bedankt!
Since you can't get Albion II Loegria anymore, check out Albion Tundra. It's the spiritiual successor.
Thank you for this great video! I started to produce epic metal music and after trying with Sonatina Orchestra it was about time to move on to the real shit! Today I got the Metropolis Arc 1 for 399 € (+ 75€ VAT, Germany) and I think it is the right choice for that kind of music. :)
Komplete 10 does have choir patches, though they might not have everything you want. The choir patches are in the Kontakt Factory Library
the only issues i found with eastwest play is the engine r doesn't allow you to purge samples like Kontakt does also it can be a pain to transfer licence between machines those are the reasons i switched to Kontakt
Metropolis Ark 1 looks quite interesting, if the only purpose is to create epic scores. I can only imagine how epic it sounds with StormChoir2. Still if you have a library clean and crisp enough it should be possible to achieve the same result, but I can totally see someone picking it up and jumping straight into making trailer music in no time.
VSCO Pro also comes packaged in a handy flash memory stick which might be essential if your internet connection can\t handle the 15Gb download' the flash memory version is still only 249 Euros; the Kirk Hunter is rather good for placing instruments sections on a virtual stage, which adds to realism.
What concerns me is that i understand that NI Kontakt License does not support a subscription based way of paying for libraries,
What about East West Symphony? Probably getting a bit dated now but a good starter.
FYI, Symphobia 1, 2, and 3 are on sale for US$289 only. Hope this can help some of you make your decision easier. I am seriously thinking of buying them as well although I have quite a few orchestral libraries already.
a very useful video for a starter, thanks !
Very helpful video, thanks! I'm probably going to get Albion One.
NI Komplete Ultimate has a old trimmed Version of VSL Library --> choir AAs EEEs etc… Lot of Sounddesign Tools in Reaktor. In Kontakt: Rise&Hit, Session Strings (Like a String Chamber orchestra), Action Strings, Symphony Essentials in NI KU11 . Think also what a DAW can have (e.g.: Logic X has a lot of orchestral Sounds inside, don t know others).
Even Garage Band has some amazing samples & synths…Drummer is an amazing plug in that's free I've got some good sounding orchestral patches. I was thinking of IK orchestral package I have the SampleTank Free & it's got some amazing stuff that's free!!! I just picked up a VX49 w/VIP software that's basically the same keyboard controllers as the Akai Advanced 49 but w/better key bed. Oh is much cheaper but has the same features owned by the same company Aleis / Akai probably made in same factory that VIP software is something else something to ponder the power of it arrogating all your VST's by category 10,000's of different software VI's at yer fingertips even some shareware is mapped Ozone is mapped & comes w/88 Eighty Eight & the Air VI's that come w/Protools.I wondering what would be the best cheapest library .
ARK 1 doesn't include the full orchestra.. It's missing woodwinds. But for the type of music it is made for (the 30's hollywood movie scores, loud, big), woodwinds are barely used. If you do require woodwinds (for softer music) you should go for ark 2 (it's made for emotional soundtracks, with lots of legato's etc)
Very informative video! Thank you!
Excellent review. This helps. Thanks!
I bought albion one.....it's nice....but I can't help but want to try out some of the other albions, and maybe pickup some other solo libraries...
Amazing video, helped me with the choice, thank you.
Thank you sir,very informative
Thank you for your very informative overview of orchestral software.I am happy that Native Instraments 11 Ultimate is your main go to software.It is on sale for 900 dollars currently and I think I am going to get it.I have been playing keyboards for over 30 years,mostly Roland keyboards and arrangers and now a Korg arranger.But creating music on a computer is all new to me, so I have some questions.What DAW works best with NI 11?Also is it best to get a controller keyboard like the new NI Komplete Kontrol S61 MK2,or will one of my keyboards work almost as good?And one last thing,can you or someone give me the building specs of a PC that will be powerfull enough to handle all that is going to be asked of it.Thanks in advance for any help I might receive here.
amazing guiding!! Thank U so much
LOVE PROJECTSAM ! 8dio !!
Nice very helping thank you
Thanks brother... very helpful.
Will Albion one work fine on a 32 bit 2011 MacBook Pro.
Thank you so much it is very helpful video
Best choice: Albion One & OE1!
What is OE1?
What about Sonuscore - The Orchestra? Any experience, anybody?
I bought The Orchestra 6 months ago. It sounds great ánd loud but is limited in possibilities. Feel free to specify your question or listen to a short composition on my YT page.
today symphobia is on sale through Native Instruments at 50% discount - for all volumes.
Thank you so much
love the video!
Thanks great vid!
Wow! Quite helpful!
you might want to check also Cinematic studio strings (and cinematic solo strings) these are great for emotional strings and maybe also Spitfire symphonic strings and what about cinematic strings 2 ?
Impromptu what is « the aussies »?
Impromptu ooh yeah of course (french here) do you know for a fact that they are working on brass and wood?
Alexandre yes, they are. They’re coming up with a brass library soon!
so i can buy a kontakt library that does NOT play in kontakt player ?
Lots yeah. Developers have to buy licenses for Kontakt Player if they want to release their products for it. All libraries that runs in player will say so on the buy page.
Hi, I have been told that there is a EWQL Orchestra Platinum edition, do you know if there is one?
Coachxxxl like i said in the video, I am not an ewql expert at all. I would have to start researching as much as you 😀
Yes there is , from Soundwest
Yes, I have the platinum version. Not on a monthly payment but one off purchase.
ewql orchestra platinum/gold/silver is a very old library series, the ewql hollywood orchestra libraries are the new ones, with new samples and programming.
ultra helpful :) thx
What about East West? Anyone?
Hi Jeroen.
With this video in mind I downloaded several Manuals and wrote e-mails to a few companies just to see if I got a response. I stumbled upon "The Orchestra" from Sonuscore and was amazed by the sound and possibility's of the library. Because I thought it could fit my needs to grow I also mailed them. They were the first to respond and took the time to answer my questions.
They've brought out 2 patches since the first sale. Not because of errors but just to implement wishes they got from users. I'm in no way related to any of the companies but this kind of service is certainly good to notice. My actual question is: Do you know Sonuscore (the orchestral library)? And could you give a short comment on my question?
Thanks in advance for your time.
Ed
Ed s I know sonuscore. This video was made before the release of the orchestra. It seems indeed like a great library, especially because of the possibilities, a bit less for the sound (that is what I heard in some comments). I dont own the library because I dont want to upgrade to a higher version of Kontakt. Personal choice I made for now but I might change my mind in the future.
Hoi Jeroen, Thanks for your fast reply. I'm confused about you saying " I dont want to upgrade to a higher version of Kontakt". It works with the free Kontakt version so only if there's another reason that prevents you from upgrading I'm very curious why? What I also noticed while listening to many reviews of libraries in general and other add-ons for production is, many 'hounest' reviews are sponsored by the companies themselves. Recently I bought a library that was absolutely out of tune. Even the company itself noticed it after I mailed them about it. They were glad I reported it so they could correct it in a patch. None of the reviews I've seen about this library mentioned this, so I'm skeptic about reviews. Anyway, looking forward to your reply about Kontakt.
Groetjes,
Ed
Edit: I've checked to make sure. In the Manual of Sonuscore the required Kontakt version is 5.6.8. or higher. I use version 5.8.1. So I think I could use this version or am I wrong?
Ed s I have the full version of Kontakt (5.5.2 I believe) and I dont think I can use the free version of kontakt (another version) next to that. As of version 5.5.6 there are some significant differences such as the way libraries need to be added. I prefer to not elaborate more on why I prefer to stick to my old version. Feel free to send me a pm on facebook if you like.
Sonuscore the orchestra? I own it...Don't do it. It's not made with the composer's choice 100 percent in mind. In a way, it creates the music for you through loops. Well, don't do it if you plan on it being your MAIN library. It's good for a complimentary add on for sure tho.
Thanks for your reply Steven, but I'm afraid I also learned the hard way and bought The Orchestra. Like you said it's nice as second library. Nevertheless with a little fantasy it can offer some great sounds. Recording is a "b!tch" if you want to keep in tempo cause the different instrument / ensembles have different attack-speeds. Do you any recommendations for a good future investment? M-Ark1 perhaps? Btw I'll think more than twice next time ;-)
HELLO ! .A QUESTION ..CUARTETO OR STRING QUINTETO .. WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST ME .. OR WHAT IS BETTER .. AND MORE REALISTIC .. AND COMPLETE TO WORK ARTICULATIONS .. ??? ... I WOULD LIKE TO APPRECIATE YOUR OPINION ... GIVE THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
You sound like the narrator in "there is no game"
and then there's people who just torrent them all lmfao
OH SO IS THAT POSSIBLE WITH EW AND ALBION/SPITFIRE LIBRARIES? AND WHERE?
Can't really blame them, orchestration is too damn expensive (because equipment and recording sessions are expensive). I bought ton of stuff over the years and it's still not enough to achieve exactly what I want. I've got Sonivox Premier Collection, Stagelight with StorePass, Staffpad App, and as of recently Iconica Section & Players. I'm pretty sure that's not the end of it, but I try to work with what I have. But if feels nice knowing artifacts can be used commercially and there are no viruses on my PC what so ever (hopefully).
just google it...its obvious
Just subscribe to East West and pay monthly (something like $25). This is a safe way to enter the orchestral music making world without spending too much and later figuring out how hard it is to find work. Some libraries are watermarked in which case you could get in trouble. I'd go with East West until you can afford VSL (which is the most detailed in my opinion).
It's just so tough to pirate the Kontakt stuff cause Native Access works hard to make sure you have a legit serial code. Such a pain in the ass to go and pirate all this.