What are your thoughts on Modern Scoring Strings?

I know many composers have loved the old LASS string library for years, but now there is a complete remake by AudioBro called Modern Scoring Strings. The interface is packed with features (perhaps too much?), and the sound is nice to my ears at least.

What are your initial thoughts, and will you buy it personally? :slight_smile:

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Ah, the never ending quest for more string libraries :smile: To my ears they sound quite similar to Audio Imperia’s Areia library with a bit better quality maybe. The divisi feature? Wow! Something that’s sorely missing in most libraries; really need that sometimes to keep a rich harmony, but with more subtle instrumentation.

Overall, I think this sounds great. Wonder if this video is the “out-of-box” sound? Will check it out, but I just bought Abbey Road One. I was finally convinced. It may be an ensembles library but MAAAAAAANNN does it sound good–so many mics, you can really dial up that classic John Williams, Hollywood film sound and beyond. Hopefully Spitfire will add legatos to it in the near future, making it truly a secret weapon!

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More libraries should include divisi, because it’s impossible to get very expressive, minimal “focused” parts without it.

The ostinato, runs features etc. seems great on paper, but I would probably end up simply recording (writing) every part as I always do lol. Meaning, those features would become redundant for me anyway.

I have BBCSO, would you say you prefer Abbe Road One, and if so why?

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Hey Mikael! I agree. Another one of the reasons i tend to use my scoring software, Dorico Pro, when I want to do a full orchestral piece with all the instrument sections. It allows me to orchestrate realistically with harmonizing the two flutes with two clarinets or separating the harmony between horns 1 + 2 with 1 trumpet and horns 3 + 4 with 2 trumpet etc. Plus you can divisi so you can maintain a rich harmony with less and quieter instrumentation.

As far as Abbey Road One versus BBCSO, I think it’s a personal taste. I decided to get it after watching a Guy Michelmore vid where he did up a short piece then played it with a few different libraries and I thought that the Abbey Road One version was the best “film score” sounding.

BBCSO is great from what I’ve heard many on the forum doing and it’s nice that all the instrument sections are separate–there’s much more there than ARO. If you want individual instrument textures, other than trumpets or horns (for what ever odd reason) you’re not going to get it with ARO, it’s all high and low section ensembles.

However, for me personally, I like ARO over BBCSO for “style.” The winds in BBCSO are a3 whereas ARO is a2, which really is subtle, but I notice it (I don’t need 3 bassoons!:laughing:) My main issue with BBCSO is that they recorded it in their regular scoring stage which has a tonne of natural verb and a very “wet” sound I just don’t like.

ARO on the other hand, was recorded at Abbey Road Studio with LSO players, where John Williams and other big name film composers recorded many of the great film soundtracks. It comes with something like 8 or so different mic/mic positions so you can really dial up a vintage sound. The horns in particular are great. BBSCO is the whole package for full scoring and ARO is more a scoring tool for quicker writing, but for me it’s just got a magical sound to it. Spitfire just needs to put in some legatos to make it really great.

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