A quick tip for getting the CPU usage down in Oscillation Strings - go under the hood in Kontakt and next to where it says "TM Pro" deselect "keep formants" and "HQ mode" then go back to the instrument page and deselect "legato". You won't be able to move freely note to note during a phrase but it'll cut your CPU usage right down and get right of any clicks you may hear as a result.
Another excellent demo. Very informative. I have maybe half of Ben's stuff. I'm a huge fan of his work. I don't have these two libs so it's good to see a comprehensive independent demo of them.
haha! Couldn't resist writing a peace with Oscillation Strings huh? I'm impress with Ben's evolution, that one really impressed me with the legatos etc. Was not gonna buy Pattern Strings v1 but now that v2 is out and improved i can't resist. Plus it's on sale at vstbuzz right now. Thanks for the review.
Great Cory, I was thinking "whatever I probably don't need those", but now I'm the opposite. Wish I never bought Spitfire Symphonic Motions. That's actually the only library I really regret buying.
I painstakingly chose each colour one by one until I achieved gradient bliss. If you so happen to use Studio One 4 I can send you my template if you'd like.
Thank you Cory for this good review :-) I search the same thing but for orchestral strings (not for solo), I hesitate between Sonokinetic, Red Room Audio and Project SAM. (I don't know how to decide) What is the best choice according you?
May I ask Cory, how do you use these types of libraries alongside the full string libraries you have? Do you use them for sketching? Or is it that, because of the way they've been developed, they sound more "authentic" than the alternative of programming the phrases using a conventional string library? Thanks
I tend to use these kinds of libraries as a pulse bed, which I then build a song around and sometimes swap the violins out for a legato patch in Afflatus for example. Generally if I need something that has a slow ostinato, these kinds of libraries are the only things that can really perform it convincingly due to most libraries not having the right marcato lengths, round robins for sustains, bow movement etc. These libraries solve a very specific problem.
So, this is like NI/Sonuscore's Action Strings and Emotive Strings, but for solo strings, with division between instruments and more leverage over what's being played? Interesting.
What stopped me buying this otherwise lovely library was the fact that some essential for me at least simple patterns were missing, such as crotchet and two quavers or semi and two Demi-semi quavers. I find that these can often add momentum without tripping the smooth flow of a pattern in the way dotted patterns can. Put those in and I’d buy it like a shot
@@CoryPelizzari hi Cory - I have to disagree. To me a quarter note followed by two eighth notes is just as simple as quarter note and three eighth note or a dotted quarter followed by a single eighth. The patterns I mention are far more common than some of those included.
@@bergerecossais Yeah but you're after a specific set that the dev chose not to record (for whatever reason), so you're going to have to go with a live quartet. The phrase you mentioned may be common in live playing but a library that covers this area is not common, so there's no comparison to draw here. There's a gap that really needs to be filled with deep sampled phrasing that devs haven't tapped into enough yet.
@@CoryPelizzari Sorry, what I mean was, do you have any actual piece of music example that utilize Pattern Strings? It sounds really good, but I can't think of any good use case for an ostinato solo strings library, thanks.
@@CoryPelizzari Yes, watched it twice indeed, from start to finish. The piece at 5:18 is a repetition of a few chords at 16th notes which is more like testing out the library and shows how it sounds. What I am looking for is a piece like the one at 11:35 which is like an actual composition to show how Pattern Strings can be used in the context of an actual composition. The example at 5:18 shows what Pattern Strings can do, but it does not show how useful it is. I am still wondering what is the different if I use the spicato articulation of other strings libraries to achieve the same result. I have quite a few strings libraries already. I just want to make sure this one does compliment them by listening to some pieces that show how it can be used in an actual composition. Hope I did explain better this time, thanks.
@@SheldonTam You'll just have to decide if your spiccatos do a decent enough job for the types of phrases you're going for. If you feel they need more movement or bow stroke, then Pattern Strings can be a good solution. They're not going to sound like other string ensemble libraries though because of their intimate solo sound.
That's probably my computer bottoming out. This is precisely why I'll be doing less spotlight videos in the coming months and saving like crazy for a new computer. Kontakt 6's TMPro has absolutely garbage optimisation compared to Kontakt 4 and even 5, so holding three notes has been spiking my CPU up to 50.
@@CoryPelizzari Love the Oscillation Strings library, although I've experienced similar problems on a reasonably powerful computer. Clicks are also audible on Ben's TH-cam demo when he changes chords. I've found that rendering the part(s) to audio helps to mitigate the problem, though obviously not ideal if you want to keep parts fluid as MIDI, and find the clicks offputting.
Maybe... Maybe not... For Pattern Strings the tempo was set to 100bpm and for Oscillation Strings it was set to 120bpm, which was the original recording speed for the half and quarter notes. The whole point of the tempo sync is to be able to match the DAW's tempo so I don't feel the tempo I chose was too high at all.
A quick tip for getting the CPU usage down in Oscillation Strings - go under the hood in Kontakt and next to where it says "TM Pro" deselect "keep formants" and "HQ mode" then go back to the instrument page and deselect "legato". You won't be able to move freely note to note during a phrase but it'll cut your CPU usage right down and get right of any clicks you may hear as a result.
"Problem solvers" is the best way to describe these. Spot on, Cory.
Very nice Melody....!
Another excellent demo. Very informative. I have maybe half of Ben's stuff. I'm a huge fan of his work. I don't have these two libs so it's good to see a comprehensive independent demo of them.
Thanks for another great spotlight video. I just got Pattern Strings along w/ Sospiro Strings based off of your video demonstrations.
just got free upgrade to V2, really love the new friendlier interface .. thanks for the video
haha! Couldn't resist writing a peace with Oscillation Strings huh? I'm impress with Ben's evolution, that one really impressed me with the legatos etc. Was not gonna buy Pattern Strings v1 but now that v2 is out and improved i can't resist. Plus it's on sale at vstbuzz right now. Thanks for the review.
Great Cory, I was thinking "whatever I probably don't need those", but now I'm the opposite. Wish I never bought Spitfire Symphonic Motions. That's actually the only library I really regret buying.
Yeah Symphonic Motions is just another gimmick library. It's totally outclassed by Sunset Strings from Realitone.
Very cool library. On my list for the next purchase.
Great video as always!
Pattern Strings v2?? When did that happen??? 🧐
Totally off subject here but how did you get your track colors in a smooth gradient. Did you run some type of function or did you manually do it?
I painstakingly chose each colour one by one until I achieved gradient bliss. If you so happen to use Studio One 4 I can send you my template if you'd like.
Thank you Cory for this good review :-)
I search the same thing but for orchestral strings (not for solo), I hesitate between Sonokinetic, Red Room Audio and Project SAM. (I don't know how to decide)
What is the best choice according you?
There's not much like these two libraries out there, so the closest you could get would probably be the Sonokinetic stuff.
May I ask Cory, how do you use these types of libraries alongside the full string libraries you have? Do you use them for sketching? Or is it that, because of the way they've been developed, they sound more "authentic" than the alternative of programming the phrases using a conventional string library? Thanks
I tend to use these kinds of libraries as a pulse bed, which I then build a song around and sometimes swap the violins out for a legato patch in Afflatus for example. Generally if I need something that has a slow ostinato, these kinds of libraries are the only things that can really perform it convincingly due to most libraries not having the right marcato lengths, round robins for sustains, bow movement etc. These libraries solve a very specific problem.
@@CoryPelizzari Good to know. Thanks
Would be interesting to see your take on Action Strings 2 if you have it.
Some Cool patterns can be made with this for sure...fun tool ...for $50 ..I'd say thumbs up
Hey Cory - where was that sale on? Im checking their loot audio listing and they're still on £66 and £72...
Hmm, try VST Buzz.
So, this is like NI/Sonuscore's Action Strings and Emotive Strings, but for solo strings, with division between instruments and more leverage over what's being played? Interesting.
What stopped me buying this otherwise lovely library was the fact that some essential for me at least simple patterns were missing, such as crotchet and two quavers or semi and two Demi-semi quavers. I find that these can often add momentum without tripping the smooth flow of a pattern in the way dotted patterns can. Put those in and I’d buy it like a shot
That's a very specific thing you're looking for there. Maybe a live quartet would be a better bet for you.
@@CoryPelizzari hi Cory - I have to disagree. To me a quarter note followed by two eighth notes is just as simple as quarter note and three eighth note or a dotted quarter followed by a single eighth. The patterns I mention are far more common than some of those included.
@@bergerecossais Yeah but you're after a specific set that the dev chose not to record (for whatever reason), so you're going to have to go with a live quartet. The phrase you mentioned may be common in live playing but a library that covers this area is not common, so there's no comparison to draw here. There's a gap that really needs to be filled with deep sampled phrasing that devs haven't tapped into enough yet.
@@CoryPelizzari you're right Cory. Ben very nicely responded to me about this so... so I bought it any way
...Its OK I found the deal on pattern strings on VST Buzz. None on Oscillation though?
The Oscillation Strings deal is on now.
Your example here at 11:35 uses Oscillation Strings only. Do you have any example that uses the Pattern Strings library? Thanks.
Yeah the first half of the video.
@@CoryPelizzari Sorry, what I mean was, do you have any actual piece of music example that utilize Pattern Strings? It sounds really good, but I can't think of any good use case for an ostinato solo strings library, thanks.
@@SheldonTam Have you watched the whole video?
@@CoryPelizzari Yes, watched it twice indeed, from start to finish. The piece at 5:18 is a repetition of a few chords at 16th notes which is more like testing out the library and shows how it sounds. What I am looking for is a piece like the one at 11:35 which is like an actual composition to show how Pattern Strings can be used in the context of an actual composition.
The example at 5:18 shows what Pattern Strings can do, but it does not show how useful it is. I am still wondering what is the different if I use the spicato articulation of other strings libraries to achieve the same result. I have quite a few strings libraries already. I just want to make sure this one does compliment them by listening to some pieces that show how it can be used in an actual composition. Hope I did explain better this time, thanks.
@@SheldonTam You'll just have to decide if your spiccatos do a decent enough job for the types of phrases you're going for. If you feel they need more movement or bow stroke, then Pattern Strings can be a good solution. They're not going to sound like other string ensemble libraries though because of their intimate solo sound.
At 8:22 there's a click between every phrase. A fault with the library?
That's probably my computer bottoming out. This is precisely why I'll be doing less spotlight videos in the coming months and saving like crazy for a new computer. Kontakt 6's TMPro has absolutely garbage optimisation compared to Kontakt 4 and even 5, so holding three notes has been spiking my CPU up to 50.
@@CoryPelizzari Love the Oscillation Strings library, although I've experienced similar problems on a reasonably powerful computer. Clicks are also audible on Ben's TH-cam demo when he changes chords. I've found that rendering the part(s) to audio helps to mitigate the problem, though obviously not ideal if you want to keep parts fluid as MIDI, and find the clicks offputting.
Apparently these were recorded at 80 and 90 BPM, so your tempo was too high to sound natural.
Maybe... Maybe not... For Pattern Strings the tempo was set to 100bpm and for Oscillation Strings it was set to 120bpm, which was the original recording speed for the half and quarter notes. The whole point of the tempo sync is to be able to match the DAW's tempo so I don't feel the tempo I chose was too high at all.