Orchestral Sound Libraries - A Must-See for DTMers! Sick Sound Libraries that You Need to Try!

Hello! Kaoru the composer here!

This time, I would like to talk about some awesome sound libraries: orchestral edition.

Orchestral instruments, which appear not only in classical music but also frequently in J-POP and other genres, are essential for raising the quality of your tracks!

However, even when I say “orchestral sound libraries”, there are many types, such as:

• Strings
• Brass
• Woodwinds

…and it can be confusing for many people.

So!
I’ll carefully select and introduce software libraries available on Sound House!

UVI / Orchestral Suite Software Library (Orchestra)

This is an orchestral sound library from UVI, a software maker that I really love.

It includes over 60 classical instruments, covering major sections such as:

• Brass ensemble
• Brass solo
• Percussion
• Pitched percussion
• Strings ensemble
• Strings solo
• Woodwinds ensemble
• Woodwinds solo

Because it also includes FX and the tricky-to-program string runs, it allows for highly expressive programming that’s hard to achieve with MIDI alone.

It also runs smoothly with low CPU load, which is a common concern with orchestral sound libraries.
With a total size of 4GB, it doesn’t put much pressure on your HDD/SSD.
This single package includes almost all orchestral instruments, making it great even for beginners!

This sound library runs on UVI Workstation (free).
Please download it from the official website!

BEST SERVICE / CHRIS HEIN HORNS COMPACT/KP5

This is a brass & woodwinds sound library that I have been using for many years.
I was introduced to it after being blown away by the official product demo.

It is suitable for genres such as:

• Jazz
• Pop
• Funk
• Big band

My personal impression is that it has a clear and poppy sound that works perfectly for idol songs.
By using key switches, you can easily switch playing techniques, making it ideal for performances.
Simply loading the presets allows you to call up sections in various arrangements.
This library runs on Native Instruments KONTAKT 5 (or later).

Audio Modeling / SWAM Solo Strings

A solo strings library praised by the famous music producer Takamitsu Shimazaki, who is active on the front lines of the industry.

The SWAM Strings library bundles four instruments:

• Violin
• Viola
• Cello
• Double Bass

The feature of this library is that it uses physical modeling.
The flexibility unique to physical modeling allows for detailed expressive performance.
The natural phrasing and dynamics of strings especially feel extremely lifelike!!

SPITFIRE AUDIO / SPITFIRE STUDIO STRINGS

A strings-focused library from the professional-favorite software maker SPITFIRE AUDIO.
It’s used not only for vocal tracks but also in game music, films, and various other contexts.

By using the improved DFD (Direct From Disk) feature, the samples are streamed directly from the hard disk without loading them onto the RAM. This allows handling large-scale sounds beyond the computer’s memory capacity, meaning minimal CPU load.
DTMers don’t have to worry about performance drops as much, so it can be used safely.

Using flexible output routing, you can perform detailed sound design, making it perfect for those who want to carefully craft their sound.

This library runs on Native Instruments KONTAKT 5 PLAYER (free).

EAST WEST / EastWest Hollywood Pop Brass (Download Delivery)

A software brass library by EAST WEST, popular for orchestral instruments and various other sound libraries, optimized for arrangements in pop and similar genres.
It delivers everything from bright, clear sounds to passionate tones, giving the impression that it blends easily with band sounds.

The sound carefully captures the sharp resonance unique to brass instruments, making even straight MIDI sequences sound quite realistic.
It also supports expressions such as sustain, marcato, staccato, trills, and growls.
Key switches arranged with the player’s perspective in mind make it ideal for performance!

When purchasing from Sound House, only the serial number is delivered to the registered email address, so you can start enjoying the brass sounds immediately!

That concludes my recommended sound libraries: orchestral edition.
Orchestral instruments may seem intimidating at first, but there are many affordable libraries, so I highly encourage you to give them a try!

Use this article as a reference!

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