Best Strings for Shorts & Ostinatos?

VST & Plugins
1

What are your favorite String Libraries for Shorts & Ostinatos? :smile:
Hello composers, Mike here, and I’ll be honest. I love to write rhythmic strings, and ostinatos, so I am always looking to improve the sound with layering and using different libraries with various tonal aspects, articulations, control etc.

Here are some of my go-to string sample libraries for shorts:

  • Cinematic Strings 2
    If I want lush ostinatos and shorts, this is my favorite library. It works amazingly well if I want to blend in the ostinatos and rhythms more into the background of the mix.
  • NOVO - Modern Strings
    When I want really powerful, focused and sharp shorts I love this library. It can sound very dry and in your face. I especially love the lows preset, mixing between marcato and spiccato.
  • Afflatus Strings
    I am mainly using this for comping and rhythmic strings (block harmony rhythms), as it doesn’t have articulations per se, but it does have a couple of different presets with very different tonal and mood quality.
  • Symphobia 1
    This is an old library, but I still love the tone of it. It lacks in legato, but it does have some very powerful short note articulations, and I love using it especially for stabs and accents.

Now it’s your turn, share you favorite Strings for shorts and ostinatos! :slight_smile:

Sincerely,
Mike

2

I’m still a fan of the shorts in LASS as they have plenty of bite and are recorded fairly dry. Paired with a wetter library like Albion One or Metropolis Ark works for me on the more epic side of things.

I hear good things about fluid shorts as well from performance samples.

I like the size of the shorts in Met Ark 1 but the editing is pretty sloppy, especially for faster patterns.

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3

Css all the way I guess… I tweak the mic mix setting often now to get more efficient mix that I want, in your face, really roomy etc… But mostly the default settings are the best for many situations…
Sometimes I like to layer measured tremolos over this spiccatos to get a special tensed feel… :sweat_smile:

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4

Nice, I need to get CSS! :stuck_out_tongue:
Btw, do you add any other library as layering on top of CSS ostinatos?

5

As always I say, the best strings, brass etc etc are best if they fits to you.

I mean, sometimes if I need CSS for a smooth slow ostinato ok, use it, instead if I need a strong string sound well… LASS :smiley:

What I mean is this, the best Library depends on what kind of emotion, feeling, tempo, and of course piece that you are scoring

so I agree with you it changes based on what you need :slight_smile:

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6

Still love and use a lot Cinematic Strings 2. But also I like:

  1. Metropolis Ark
  2. Action Strings
  3. Novo - Modern Strings
  4. CineStrings
7

Think I’ve said before but I paid Albion one which is soooo wet with spitfire studio string which I’ll absolutely love.

This gives me the most versatility out of just having one library. I can then mix in the exact amount and I have full control of that via automation.

A really great library is action string which is super dry… downside is the rhythms are preset… this can be used to your advantage with a bit of tomfoolery though :wink: as of yet I’ve not needed any other libraries, I’ve been extremely satisfied with them so if I do get another library it would be spitfire solo strings for even more detail… though tbh there’s tonnes of detail in studio strings anyways.

8

I agree mixing spitfire studio strings with Albion one works a treat, and their low end stuff in Icenni is great! comes with some lovely brass as well

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9

Yeah the brass isn’t bad. Definitely not the best but it’s above average. I personally think the brass has a bit more versatility than most libraries, but it doesn’t really specialise in anything. Fantastic on just orchestral stuff though. As soon as you get into that trailer area it starts to lack a little oomph… so I just put the low brass from Atlantic’s with it and that works a treat. Forgo is awesome for that trailer sound though :ok_hand:

10

spitfire albion one is very good sound for ostinato
for short string sound (tenuto or short depend on the library) i have used spitfire symphonic string in the studio of my friend, this library is amazing,
i use eastwest library and also projectsam orchestral essential

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