Is it REALLY worth it?

[Jackson Hugh]

I'm thinking about buying samplefusion's Orchestral sample CD; is it really worth it?

[zircon]

No, save your money for a dedicated orchestral plugin such as Garritan Personal Orchestra or Miroslav Philharmonik.

[Jackson Hugh]

I'm trhinking about the Vienna Symphonic Library instruments.

[Zephyr]

No, a $50 samplefusion cd going to be any sort of respectable quality. Only the bigger names will have anything that you can get any sort of slightly realistic sound out of. Expect to pay at least $200 for even cheaper sets. On top of that Direct Wave isn't exactly a top of the line sampler either, I for one find it rather confusing.

[Blue123]

I'm trhinking about the Vienna Symphonic Library instruments.

VSL is good, if you can afford it. Alternative VSTs are Garritan Personal Orchestra and EWQL Symphonic Orchestra. Get these, they will be much more flexible. EWQL sounds better out the box, but can be hard to use and I've heard the new player is glitchy. GPO and VSL require some tweaking to get to the same "quality" (for want of a better word) because they're recorded dry.

[Jackson Hugh]

Can these products play on FL Studio Producers Edition?

[Blue123]

Yes.

... you know how to use FL Studio, right?

[Jackson Hugh]

Should I mix up the instruments; like buy miroslav brass, East West Samples, etc.?

Yes, I know how to use FL.

[Blue123]

You can do almost anything. Mix and match to your desire. Although beware, if you're using sounds from lots of different libraries, they may clash or may not be of the same quality. It's not a major problem but you may encounter it. I notice you're going for different products for different areas of the orchestra. It's down to personal preference, but I think this might be a bit costly- just get a single product for now. EWQLSO Gold is my favourite.

[Dyne]

My suggestion, if you're just starting out in making music, would be to start with default samples, and learn how first. Again, that's only if you're just starting out. I would go with anything that zircon has suggested, provided you have the money for it, because buying samples from East West can be expensive, but well worthwhile. Trust me, they have great, great quality samples.

I myself have Sonik Synth 2, I love it, I like using it. It was a little confusing at first, but I understand how to use it now, and I love the sounds it makes. If you're looking for something a little less expensive, maybe within a small budget, or even free, I suggest looking at KVR Audio (http://www.kvraudio.com/) because you can search for a pretty diverse range of instruments, both virtual and sampled. I found some really great VSTs that I like to use for electronic music.

[dannthr]

East West's Symphonic Orchestra is actually quite affordable for its league.

VSL's Special Edition is advisable for start-up set-ups.

SI Symphonic collection is a bit overpriced, in my opinion.

[lazygecko]

The tools will never be better than its user. You can expect to put a lot of careful work programming and sequencing even the most posh sample libraries right to get any believable quality out of it. That's going to take experience and dedication.

[dannthr]

The tools will never be better than its user. You can expect to put a lot of careful work programming and sequencing even the most posh sample libraries right to get any believable quality out of it. That's going to take experience and dedication.

Hopefully the OP understands that that is a given.

[Yoozer]

Yes, I know how to use FL.

Then you shouldn't need to ask

Can these products play on FL Studio Producers Edition?

As for mixing, a classical composer I know mixes sample libraries with synth string sounds (from a Korg X5DR module - these do not contain the full articulation/playing methods and all that jazz), an experiment that was also done in Sound On Sound. It gives more body while the price can stay low, but it's about knowing when you can do that and how.

[dannthr]

Combining orchestral libraries almost always results in a better sound so long as you can exercise the mixing ability to put them into the same space.

[Jackson Hugh]

I got some $ for Christmas, now I have $330!!! What would be the best samples to buy with that...

[Blue123]

We've given you information and our opinions, but now it's up to you to go and decide which product you want. My inkling would be to go for EWQLSO Gold, although that would mean you'd have to find another $300 somewhere. But as I said, it's your choice...

[Zephyr]

Firstly do you OWN a DAW, I know you know how to use FL Studio, but good luck doing an entire orchestral song in one sitting. Buying a DAW is just as important as the samples.

Edit: saw it in the gift thread,

[zircon]

Don't get EWQL's Symphonic Orchestra. It uses PLAY which is a horribly inefficient engine. I've never seen so many complaints about a single VSTi.

[Yoozer]

Or add just $100 and get Kontakt 3 which comes with a selection of VSL.

[dannthr]

I would highly second Yoozer's recommendation of Kontakt 3. Aside from the fact that it comes with a pretty fair collection of samples, it will also open up the doors for smaller, more independent sample libraries that are released for Kontakt and similar sampling platforms because the overhead for using their own VST software or licensing an existing sample-engine is prohibitive.

There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of fantastic and affordable Kontakt libraries including OCRemix's own Zircon/Bustatunez's Sitar Nation.

[Jackson Hugh]

I have done some extensive research and am thinking about getting the Strings pack by Audio Impressions Inc, and when it comes out, I am also going to try to get the Brass and Woodwinds package. I need to know how much it costs first, though.

[dannthr]

AI's set up is going to be expensive and I don't think that it's worth it. DVZ is like a running joke in the sampling community, their first two attempts at decent demos failed horribly with LOTS of negative reaction and their setup originally quoted something like 6 grand for the minimum as you had to buy their proprietary hardware as well.

We'll see if they can create a competitive package since, afterall, they've spent and respent and respent TONS on R&D.