Do You Need Multiple Sample Libraries? The Art of the Sample Library Collector

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of sample libraries to choose from. From simple libraries that sample a single instrument through to complex libraries sampling some of the world’s finest musicians and orchestras, there is a plethora of virtual instruments to choose from. When first breaking into the game, or when you start to branch out and contemplate that next purchase, it is a daunting task that awaits you, sifting through hours of YouTube videos of instrument walkthroughs and demos. It is easier nowadays to become paralysed when deciding on a sample library than by learning the DAW that controls them (Comprehensive guide to virtual instruments, 2020).

So, how do you choose one library? Spoiler alert: You don’t. Let me tell you why.

Let’s say you are looking for a strings sample library to play on your next big track, it will be the pinnacle of the piece and a really emotional tug on the heart strings. Maybe you gravitate to Native Instrument’s Emotive Strings library, the name alone sounds promising. Then, while checking out a YouTube walkthrough for Emotional Stings, the 8Dio Intimate Strings library catches your eye. Could the warm, intimate sounds of this small studio ensemble be better for your track? You ask a friend which one you should go for and they say neither, because you should be looking at Spitfire Audio’s Symphonic Strings. A detailed, rich library with a traditional sound, could this suit you better than the more contemporary sounds of the other libraries? You check out the price. Woah! Ok, what alternatives are there? East West has a Symphonic library with strings that sounds quite nice and is promising a lot of control, but those controls look intense and you just want something that sounds great “out of the box”, so to speak. Heavyocity’s Novo Library, that looks like a simple, lush string library.

Guess what, you’ve just checked out 5 sample libraries and you are no closer to an answer. What’s worse, you haven’t even scratched the surface of what libraries are out there. I can hear you saying, “but, what one is the best!” The answer… It doesn’t matter, it’s better to have all of them. I can hear you again, “woah, the money you would be slapping down on that is far too much!” Of course it is, please don’t rush out and buy them all at once.

Now is the time to learn the art of the “sample library collector”.

Check Out Novo by Heavyocity

A modern strings library that takes the string orchestra to a new level.

Who Should Become a Sample Library Collector?

If you are a composer reading this article, chances are you already have what you need to compose music. You can easily use the sample libraries included in DAW software programs, like Logic Pro X, or notation programs, like Dorico and Sibelius, to hear your compositions and road test them before you send them off to the performers, ensembles or printing presses (Earl, 2012). However, if you are a composer looking to mock up a realistic example or a produce a digital deliverable, or an audio engineer or music producer working on a track for public release, you are working on a final performance that will be heard as you have created it. That demands a level of realism that your notation software just doesn’t know exists.

You are a prime candidate to become a sample library collector, so keep reading!

A Brief History of Sample Libraries

Sample libraries are collections of audio clips that contain samples of an instrument’s notes, articulations, tones and potentially motifs (short musical phrases or melodies). These audio clips are then organised and mapped to a keyboard, often controlled by a physical MIDI keyboard, that play the samples corresponding to the keyboard note. Often libraries are mapped so that when you play a note softly it triggers a quieter audio sample and when you play a note harshly it triggers a louder audio sample, and many have controls to change the note to different articulations, like going from long legato notes to short staccato notes (Comprehensive guide to virtual instruments, 2020). This allows you to play any instrument that you like “virtually” while playing a MIDI keyboard or another MIDI controller device.

These virtual instruments started out small and basic, with Native Instruments’ Generator (Comprehensive guide to virtual instruments, 2020) and Steinberg’s Neon (Jones, 2017) among some of the first virtual instruments on the market. The market expanded rapidly, though, and before long entire orchestras and massive custom ensembles were being recorded, with huge sample libraries that took up gigabytes of space (Computer Music Specials, 2018). The quality is constantly improving and today it is often hard to tell the sample library apart from the real deal (Sweetwater, 2020).

Action Strings by Native Instruments

A great sample library that focuses on creating motifs and rhythmic passages, rather than creating a fully playable instrument, a great solution for realistic ostinatos and dramatic cinematic passages.

Why Do You Need Multiple Sample Libraries?

Even though sample libraries have become nearly indistinguishable from the real orchestras they sample, there is one clear and constant draw back to virtual instruments and the samples they are built on. Virtual instruments don’t have ears. When you stand in front of the orchestra, you can get them to play in a clear and transparent way, in a strained and anxious way, in a rich and romantic way, in a sharp and aggressive way, and in an ambient and loose way, all with a few simple words from their conductor. In short, tell them how you want it to sound and they can listen to you and respond with the tone of your desire.

Now, try and get an emotive string library to play a Bartok piece, or an action strings library to play a romantic swell. If you have tried that before, chances are you are already on your way to becoming a sample library collector. Sample libraries, while they attempt to capture every note, articulation and texture that orchestra has to offer, will often contain an overall stylised tone that can restrict you when trying to play outside of that style. Think about the strings libraries you have seen or heard. Think about the example at the start of this article. We named five different libraries that all have a different tone and feel to them that are uniquely suited to different playing styles.

Symphonic orchestral sample libraries often sound transparent, clear and traditional. Pop strings have a smooth and slow feel to them. Cinematic strings can sound bold and rich, while horror strings can sound hollow and harsh. In the world of real orchestras, this can be the case too. The Vienna Philharmonic is world renowned for its classical tradition, but the Hollywood Studio Symphony Orchestra is known for its more cinematic film score sound. Therefore, when sample libraries are being recorded and created by virtual instrument companies, the companies aim to create and market the product with a specific style and sound that is in line with that orchestra’s strengths and what they are known for.  It makes the library more manageable, with less samples to record and store on a user’s computer, and gives a consistent tone and vision to aim for when attempting to make the virtual instrument as authentic and real as possible.

Albion Neo by Spitfire Audio

The next chapter in Albion’s cinematic libraries for film score composers, a really different approach to the sampling process of orchestral instruments.

One Library to Rule Them All?

This is the primary reason for becoming a sample library collector. There is no one library to suit them all. Even if you purchased one of the most expensive libraries possible, it is still a single library that captures that style and vision for the library. Quality is important and price can often indicate a libraries quality, but the key to building a library of your own with all the sounds you need is diversity. So, don’t be afraid to purchase the library that suits your needs right now for that one track. You may not use that library for the next track, you may have to buy another, but from now on you will have a choice of that library on all future projects, and as you buy more libraries and instruments you will develop a wide variety in your collection to choose from, no matter the occasion.

Reference List

Comprehensive guide to virtual instruments. (2020). Retrieved from https://www.ujam.com/blog/comprehensive-guide-to-virtual-instruments/

Computer Music Specials. (2008) The beginner’s guide to: Virtual instruments. Retrieved from https://www.musicradar.com/tuition/tech/the-beginners-guide-to-virtual-instruments-179640

Earl, S. (2012). Home music production: A complete guide to setting up your home recording studio to make professional sounding music at home: Getting started. SearlStudio Publishing.

Jones, A. (2017). The essential guide to virtual instruments. Retrieved from https://www.musictech.net/guides/essential-guide/essential-guide-virtual-instruments/

Sweetwater. (2020). Virtual instruments buying guide. Retrieved from https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/virtual-instruments-buying-guide/