How can I make realistic strings?

[Aviators]

I've used samples, I've used VSTi's, I've used SoundFonts, I've tried everything... I just can't seem to make any good sounding string-driven songs. I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions for me... What do you use to make string sounds? Any kind, Cello, Violin, Contrabass, I just want to know how to make at least somewhat realistic compositions. Any links, suggestions or advice I appreciate, thanks!

[beckett007]

One word (well acronym really):

LASS - LA Scoring Strings

They're pricey, but IMO the best sounding strings on the market. They have amazingly extensive legato scripting and allow you to record really nice sounding melodic string lines with little to no effort. I would suggest LASS lite.

http://audiobro.com/

I used them exclusively for my Ice Cap Zone PRC remix which can be heard here:

http://compo.thasauce.net/rounds/view/PRC200

Notice the violins / cellos about a minute in with the gnarly legato...

Give em a shot, you WON'T be disappointed!

Rich

[Rozovian]

I gave a quick listen to the tracks you've got here. Everything you do will sound better with a better understanding of mixing. Your main problem isn't with achieving realism, it's with giving everything its own space and deciding what's foreground and what's background. Having better source sounds helps the overall quality, of course, but while LASS gets you some really nice strings, you'll still have to mix them in with everything else.

[dannthr]

LASS is in my template as well. But be warned, it is a very raw sounding library and can easily be poorly mixed.

The entire production chain from concept: writing, harmonic voicing, to samples: scripting, MIDI programming, to engineering: mixing, mastering is a vital piece of the puzzle that makes a mock-up sound realistic.

No piece can be over looked.

[AngelCityOutlaw]

What the others said.

I did this little experiment once. I had this track, with a violin sample for the lead. However, I had it completely dry. No effects of any kind. I sent the song to this person and they're like "It's a good song but the violin doesn't sound real at all. Do you know anyone who plays?" I was like "Sure, Just give me a couple days".

I sent the song to them a few days later and they were thrilled. They thought I got a real violinist to play it because it sounded much more realistic than before.

I actually played the lead on MIDI keyboard and all I did was add reverb to the sample lol. I think a big part of realism with using a sample, is emulating the enviroment one would hear the instrument in. Rather than the instrument itself.

[Rozovian]

I think a big part of realism with using a sample, is emulating the enviroment one would hear the instrument in. Rather than the instrument itself.

Yup, a dry instrument will sound unrealistic, cuz it's not how we are used to hearing them. Those of us with a real violin probably don't also have an anechoic chamber.

Just don't starting thinking that adding reverb is the cure to all realism problems. Some instruments will sound better and/or more realistic with some reverb, but the amount is crucial here. If you overdo it, the reverb will just make it sound like a fake instrument played in a big room.

(ACO, the concept of "a sample" irks me. I'm ok with extending "sample" to mean a file with a sampled sound and not just a single point of data in such a file, but any decent sampled instrument will have more than a single sample. )

[AngelCityOutlaw]

Yup, a dry instrument will sound unrealistic, cuz it's not how we are used to hearing them. Those of us with a real violin probably don't also have an anechoic chamber.

Just don't starting thinking that adding reverb is the cure to all realism problems. Some instruments will sound better and/or more realistic with some reverb, but the amount is crucial here. If you overdo it, the reverb will just make it sound like a fake instrument played in a big room.

(ACO, the concept of "a sample" irks me. I'm ok with extending "sample" to mean a file with a sampled sound and not just a single point of data in such a file, but any decent sampled instrument will have more than a single sample. )

Realism is also in velocity, timing etc. I was just saying try emulating the enviroment you would hear strings in.

I'll admit I do tend to go a bit crazy with reverb sometimes. I love reverb....just sometimes I love it too much. Like right now I'm doing this surf rock track. Trying to get just the right amount of reverb is tricky.

The sound I was refering to in my last post was of course more than a single sample.

[dannthr]

When aspiring to realism you must directly reference a real performance and mix.

Try mocking-up a composition of which you're familiar with a live recorded version and see how closely you can use MIDI Controls (Velocity, Modulation, Expression, Volume) to emulate that performance with your own virtual instruments.

[mickomoo]

with regards to strings, or orchestral instruments for that matter, is it best to apply reverb to single instruments, or rather the entire project? Also, with strings, aside from EQ-ing them and reverbing them what's the best way to mix them?

[dannthr]

with regards to strings, or orchestral instruments for that matter, is it best to apply reverb to single instruments, or rather the entire project? Also, with strings, aside from EQ-ing them and reverbing them what's the best way to mix them?

It's an odd question.

EQ, Levels, and Panning are the fundamental elements of mixing, compression, reverb, limiting, harmonic enhancement, etc, etc are all effects and are all considerations when mixing.

What's best is to make them sound like they belong, that they live and breathe in a real environment, a real space--for virtual instruments, that means making sure that the sound matches that of the other elements in the mix, it means making sure that they stand out when they need to and sit back when they don't, it means making sure that the strings are appropriate.

Mixing is an exercise in conforming.

[Kanthos]

For reverb, you'll have more control by applying reverb to each individual instrument or, more likely for strings, for each individual section. That might take too much CPU, especially if you're using convolution reverbs, so a reverb bus would do the job. If you're trying to sound like an orchestra, panning each instrument appropriately is probably more important than individual reverbs anyway.