Natural Orchestra(?)

[ruhestrom]

Years ago, when i didn´t really know what a DAW was, i stumbled across a plugin/ stand alone VST.. i THINK it was called Natural Orchestra and was from Native, if i remember right... it was a free VST, and the sounds were just awesome, sounded VERY natural (hence the name? ^^) and there were tons of instruments in it ... Does anyone know if it´s still available or if there is a good alternative? (might even spend a few bucks on something like it, but my budget is tight, new guitar incoming)

i´m especially looking for some nice celli, violins, maybe sax and percussions, which don´t sound that artificial like most do (like that background "waving" on sustained sounds etc)

[AHornsby]

Hello. It would seem that if some VST was as good as you suggest, there wouldn't be a problem in finding it, especially if it is/was a 'Native'(Kontakt?) product. I hope you're right though.

I've heard some really cheesy sounding 'strings' on some high cost software... which is why I use Mixcraft (well, one of the reasons now after having lived with it for over a year) because I haven't heard the equal to those.

-h

[Rolling Estonian]

Not to be rude or otherwise unhelpful but if you search for free orchestral vst you'll get a bunch of hits. I know you're looking for peoples experiences but I've found testing and trying out is usually the best answer. There are a bunch of factors for me when I look for new vst/i, work flow/ease of use being the main one. That said, I haven't really had the need or desire for a big orchestra package, it's tough enough just working with guitars! lol

M

[chibear]

Are you possibly thinking of Edirol Orchestral? That was put out by Roland and hasn't been supported by them in years and is only available on the pirate sites.

There are several excellent orchestra libraries available for under $200 like Eastwest Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestral Silver, Kirk Hunter Diamond Orchestra, and Miroslav Philharmonik.

Whether a library sounds 'artficial' or not is usually a matter of personal opinion plus a general weakness in a person's MIDI programming skills and/or just plain poor musicianship. Don't expect the VST to do it for you.

[ruhestrom]

Well... yes, es mentioned, it´s been several years and i had it for like one day..back then i had no idea i could use it one day
Might have been the Edirol, i don´t know..

As for "testing myself"... I do that, alot... you don´t wanna see how many VSTs i have in my folder and on DVDs by now ...

i was just hoping someone would know about a nice collection ... The closest to my likings i found so far were some Celli and Pizzicato Strings in Reason, but i don´t use Reason anymore, for several "reasons" (no pun intended lol)...

but thanks for the replies nontheless, i´ll just keep looking... I´ll look into the ones you mentioned, Chibear

But one little "no" has to be added:) i don´t think that "artificial sound" is just a matter of opinion... There are some very real differences... If you are saying, it´s a matter of taste wether or not artificial sound bothers you, well yes, then i agree ..and of course it´s also a matter of what you wanna do with a certain sound... a live-recorded string ensemble might not always be the optimal choise for a song