A Geek Q : Advice on Strings/Orchestral sounds

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Hi... I want to get something that does convincing string/orchestral sounds. Do I need to buy a hardware sampler and ££££ of sample CDs? Would a software sampler do? Recommendations? I have a JV1080 module, is the orchestral card for that any good? Also where can I get good disco strings? Dunno if anyone knows anything about this stuff, but thort I'd ask.

― Steve.n, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Call the local musician's union. They'll be happy to send out as many strings as you need. Make a big pot of coffee and put out some cookies and they'll do anything you ask.

― Andy, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Yes, I remember fondly the gigs where they paid us in food. Couldn't make the phone bill, but I never went hungry.

― dleone, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Ignore those facetious cretins Steve.

They're just, erm, facetious cretins.

I don't know much about hardware samplers but from what I heard and read a software sampler WILL do, although you will need a decent soundcard and a fair bit of RAM (128MB at least).

The Creative series of cards (e.g. Soundblaster, Audigy etc) have an inbuilt sampler supporting the popularish Soundfont format. If you don't have a Creative (or compatible) card fear not, you could always go for Cubase and use the Halion VST sampler. If you go down that route you should prepare yourself for several weeks of headaches which will blossom like Baudelaire's flowers of evil once you work it all out. The Nemesys Gigasampler is the proverbial dog's bollocks but needs a pretty high end sound card and a dedicated computer setup.

To help you along the way I recommend:

www.cubase.net

and

www.harmonycentral.com

The recording forum at the latter site is particularly helpful.

Good luck mate.

― chris sallis, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

You will just about always get better strings from a sampler with 128mb worth of multi-samples vs. a ROM-pler with 16mb of compressed data for its' entire sample set.

The EMU romplers are nice tho...

― mt, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Scabs!

― Kris, Tuesday, 16 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Ok, thanks guys... Just suppose for a second I was going to buy a hardware sampler, what would be a good choice to buy second hand?

― Steve.n, Wednesday, 17 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Ok, thanks guys... Just suppose for a second I was going to buy a hardware sampler, what would be a good choice to buy second hand?

Get a Yamaha (A3000, 4000, 5000). They've been discontinued so there are some going cheap in music stores. They're great for sound manipulation (minimum of fifteen diff. filter types plus minimum of three simultaneous onboard effects). If you intend to edit sounds on the PC then send them to the sampler via SCSI, a Yamaha isn't recommended though (SCSI is slow and can be problematic I've heard). I don't see the need to work that way so it's not a problem for me.

Someone will probably turn up soon and recommend Akai or EMU, but I love my A3000.

― David, Wednesday, 17 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

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