NI / Orchestral Tools sale - up to 63% off

[Guy Rowland]

Whoa, didn't see this coming...

INSPIRE COLLECTION
Includes: Berlin Orchestra Inspire 1, Berlin Orchestra Inspire 2
Value of individual products: £859.00
Now only: £315.00

METROPOLIS ARK COLLECTION
Includes: Metropolis Ark 1, Metropolis Ark 2
Value of individual products: £1,239.00
Now only: £449.00

BERLIN ORCHESTRA INSPIRE 1
Regular price: £430.00
Now only: £215.00

BERLIN ORCHESTRA INSPIRE 2
Regular price: £430.00
Now only: £215.00

METROPOLIS ARK 1
Regular price: £589.00
Now only: £294.50

METROPOLIS ARK 2
Regular price: £639.00
Now only: £319.50

METROPOLIS ARK 3
Regular price: £589.00
Now only: £294.50

SYMPHONIC SPHERE
Regular price: £279.00
Now only: £139.50

ORCHESTRAL STRING RUNS
Regular price: £279.00
Now only: £139.50

THE ORCHESTRAL GRANDS
Regular price: £135.00
Now only: £67.50

https://www.native-instruments.com/en/s ... ral-tools/

[Lawrence]

I was about to post this. Any feelings about Inspire 1&2?

[wst3]

I own Albion ONE, all three Symphobias, and yet it was Metropolis Ark 1 that finally unlocked the concept of working with ensembles as opposed to working with instruments or sections. In fact, I had only Lumina, OE1, and Albion 1 when I tried MA1. Once I started working with MA1 I was able to go back and make use of the rest of them.

At which point I wanted to expand the palette a bit. I listened to demos of the other Arks and the other Symphobias till my ears fell off, and ended up with Project Sam because I think they are a little less pigeon holed - MA is fantastic for epic sounding themes, where Symphobia covers a wider range, at least to me.

Now MA2 and MA3 are almost within reach, as are the Inspires. I think if I did not have the Project Sam libraries Inspire would be an easy purchase. The Arks, on the other hand, would be useful if I were writing more fantasy or epic stuff, which I am not, at least not at the moment.

I will probably spend some time listening to demos of the Inspires over the next couple of weeks. I don't feel an urge to buy them, but they do sound gorgeous.

[Guy Rowland]

Symphonic Sphere is the one I’m most interested in comments on. The harp came up again recently as still one of the very best out there, with some very smart feature.

[Scoredog]

I was about to post this. Any feelings about Inspire 1&2?

I know the libraries fairly well having done demos for them, the question is what are you missing that these would entice you?

Basically low footprint libraries very easy to write with, not a ton of arts (well actually with both Inspire's there are quite a few arts) or dynamic layers but enough to get most jobs done. Easy on the computer and very well recorded.

[Luciano Storti]

Symphonic Sphere is the one I’m most interested in comments on. The harp came up again recently as still one of the very best out there, with some very smart feature.

Exactly the same here, for the same harp-ish reason. Anyone able to comment please?

[Lawrence]

I was about to post this. Any feelings about Inspire 1&2?

I know the libraries fairly well having done demos for them, the question is what are you missing that these would entice you?

Basically low footprint libraries very easy to write with, not a ton of arts (well actually with both Inspire's there are quite a few arts) or dynamic layers but enough to get most jobs done. Easy on the computer and very well recorded.

The only OT product I have is Ark 1. I thought the Inspires would give me a way to get a mix of their strings and winds.

[KyleJudkins]

I love the OT harp, but its pretty massive library for just harp.

As for me, now that im sitting pretty with B.O. and since I have ark 3, I think ill definitely try to scrounge up for ark 1 and 2, given theres only a few things I really WANT from those libraries - that ironically aren't even epic XD

[Scoredog]

I was about to post this. Any feelings about Inspire 1&2?

I know the libraries fairly well having done demos for them, the question is what are you missing that these would entice you?

Basically low footprint libraries very easy to write with, not a ton of arts (well actually with both Inspire's there are quite a few arts) or dynamic layers but enough to get most jobs done. Easy on the computer and very well recorded.

The only OT product I have is Ark 1. I thought the Inspires would give me a way to get a mix of their strings and winds.

Probably good, especially Inspire 2 as it generally softer than the Ark 1so it helps fill in that gap some. Inspire 1 is also quite different than Ark 1 as it is a good general set, Ark 1 is pretty bombastic.

[Lawrence]

Craig, when you use the Inspires as sketching tools, do you generally replace them or use your track as is?

[KyleJudkins]

Ark 2 is pretty soft I think some patches are even softer Dynamics then the Berlin orchestral sections

[Scoredog]

Craig, when you use the Inspires as sketching tools, do you generally replace them or use your track as is?

I was trying to call you but can't find your number...

I generally keep the Inspire stuff, it is usually good enough for TV work.

[Lawrence]

Yo-just PM’d you.

[Markus K]

I’ve been looking on orchestral string runs for some time and wonder if it makes any sense to get it. My string toolbox currently is SCS, HW Str, Dimension Strings, LASS and the Albions. Would it add some serious improvement regarding runs and ostinatos over what I currently have? Does anybody work with it regularly?

[Scoredog]

I don't know about Dimension but there is no tool like OSR, that I have found, the question is whether you will find a way to have it match sonically in your template since you have no other Orchestral Tool libraries. I can get it to work with other libraries but there is certainly a sonic difference, depends on how much that thing affects you. For me not that much I go ok, slightly different but in a mix I'm ok with it.

On a side note....Larry I pm'd you too, not sure it is working here.

[cadenzajon]

there is no tool like OSR, that I have found, the question is whether you will find a way to have it match sonically in your template since you have no other Orchestral Tool libraries.

I understand that OSR was not recorded in Teldex like their other libraries anyway... do you need to tinker with reverb etc just to get it sounding good with their own products too? I have all the Arks and Berlin series *except* strings, would this fit decently along with the strings from Ark?

[KyleJudkins]

ark strings are pretty unique

[Guy Rowland]

The Ark 1 strings are very front and centre tonally, OSR are softer and probably a better match for other libraries. Its still a good library - I don't use it much because these days I don't do much orchestral I guess, and when I do it often seems to be smaller section sizes.

[Markus K]

I don't know about Dimension but there is no tool like OSR, that I have found, the question is whether you will find a way to have it match sonically in your template since you have no other Orchestral Tool libraries. I can get it to work with other libraries but there is certainly a sonic difference, depends on how much that thing affects you. For me not that much I go ok, slightly different but in a mix I'm ok with it.

On a side note....Larry I pm'd you too, not sure it is working here.

What is it exactly what it makes it so unique apart from string runs of course? Does it e.g. fast arpeggios very well?
I find you can match different strings pretty well sonicaly.

[Guy Rowland]

The runs builder is still unique I think, you put these common figures together to build patterns. Works really well.

[Scoredog]

there is no tool like OSR, that I have found, the question is whether you will find a way to have it match sonically in your template since you have no other Orchestral Tool libraries.

I understand that OSR was not recorded in Teldex like their other libraries anyway... do you need to tinker with reverb etc just to get it sounding good with their own products too? I have all the Arks and Berlin series *except* strings, would this fit decently along with the strings from Ark?

Actually you are correct it was not recorded at Teldex, it has a different sonic footprint from other OT libraries as well.

As Guy mentions the difference is the run builder, we are not talking just scale like runs up and down though they have that too. There are many run fragments that you can assemble to make larger runs or use the fragments as a their own figure. I'm surprise no one else has come up with a competing library. It can sound very realistic as it is phrase fragments can really work. The simple trick of course to get it to sit with your other libs is a matching verb. One other thing I should mention is there are meat and potato articulations in OSR so OSR can cover almost all your string needs on certain pieces. That part is probably the most overlooked part of the library and they are quite good.

[Markus K]

Thanks guys for clearing up most of my questions regarding osr. I'll consider getting it. Sounds pretty good.

[KyleJudkins]

downloading ark 1 and will start downloading ark 2 later tonight.

work the next 4 days from basically open to close unfortunately

[Vitamin Dmin]

The articulation-list sais (http://www.orchestraltools.com/resource ... _Ark_1.pdf):

• Solo Taiko

• Taiko Ensemble

• Surdo Ensemble

• Percussion Ensemble

Could someone who has it, help me to determine which instrument it is?
Metropolis Ark 1 -> Kopernikus Percussion Ensemble

C4 Taiko Ensemble?
D4 Taiko Ensemble?
A4 Taiko Ensemble?

C5 Taiko Ensemble?
D5 Taiko Ensemble?
E5 Surdo Ensemble?
F5 Surdo Ensemble?
A5 Surdo Ensemble?

C6 Surdo Ensemble?
D6 Surdo Ensemble?
G6 Solo Taiko?

C7 Tom Ensemble?
D7 Tom Ensemble?

Also what's the difference between (E5+F5) and (C6+D6) ?
The sound is not the same. Is there used a different technique, hit harder, etc?

[KyleJudkins]

not at the computer*just left for work) but theres a 99% chance that the E+F and C+D are just two of the same group. its so you can play stuff with 2 fingers

iirc the percussion ensemble is probably recorded hits from multiple instruments

im sure there is a screencast you could watch