We’ve searched the web and bringing you our updated list of libraries tailored for film and video game scores! There are many greatones, but few that stand out you will find right here.
We created separate article on just Kontakt libraries that works for film scoring. The previous post was too long including plugins so if you want to check regular plugins great for film scoring you can do so here!
So here is our list at glance:
4. Native Instruments & Orchestral Tools Arkhis
6. Sound Yeti Revelation Scoring Grand
7. Native Instruments Schema: Dark
9. Native Instruments Symphony Series Woodwind Ensemble
11. Native Instruments Ashlight
12. NI Symphony Series Strings
13. Audiobro – Modern Scoring Strings
With that said, hold tight and enjoy our list starting with Gravity 2:
14 Best Kontakt Sample Libraries For Film Scoring
1. Best Service The Score
The Score is an all-in-one Kontakt library and an ultimate programming and sound-designing machine for composers.
It provides access to 160 well-crafted instruments across various genres. With 150 animated preset stories, you can effortlessly create dynamic arrangements that trigger varying emotions and depth.
Key Features:
- Diverse Instrument Collection
The Score offers an extensive library of 160 unique instruments, encompassing orchestral, synth, percussion, and world music sounds. With 77 multisamples and 43 wavetables, you get many tonal possibilities.
Additionally, you get 150 animated stories, each showcasing different musical arrangements and variations. These stories are labeled with their tempos and classified into categories of time signatures.
Sounds are also classified into Genres (action, adventure, fantasy, etc.) and Styles (fast-paced, rhythmic, etc.). You get 13 genres and 12 styles.
- Advanced Modulation Tools
The Score features innovative tools for real-time modulation, including the Mod Wheel. You can also adjust parameters like attack, decay, and sustain, providing a highly expressive performance experience.
- Customizable Chord Studio
The included Chord Studio lets you design your own chord progressions and harmonies. By importing existing chord progressions, you can experiment with new ideas.
- Comprehensive Toolset
The plugin includes 4 innovative tools: Chord Studio, Melody Studio, Dynamic Mixer, and Adaptive Customizer. The library has a customizer that specifically allows for the manipulation of 10 distinct layers of melodies and harmonies.
Compatibility:
Best Service The Score is available as a Kontakt (version 7.8.1 or higher) instrument and is compatible with Windows and Mac operating systems.
2. Heavyocity Gravity 2
Gravity 2 by Heavycity is a Kontakt-based scoring that you can use for films, video games, songs, and other mediums.
It consists of 1000 pre-loaded samples, 144 playable loops, and 250+ single-shot sounds comprising rich rhythmic layers, exhilarating transitions, compelling soundscapes, dramatic effects, memorable signature strings, and everything you need to enhance your musical narrative.
Key Features:
- Versatile Presets/Pre-Loaded Sounds
Gravity 2 consists of 600+ pre-designed presets and acts as “cue creators” that help you discover the sound you’re going for. You also get a fresh collection of 144 playable loops that range from gentle and subtle to bold and complex.
- Easy, intuitive, and useful workflow
Gravity 2 features three distinct engines equipped with an intuitive browser that allows you to access over 1,000 sound sources across three banks. It includes a MACRO knob for dynamic control and sequencing, as well as channel-specific FX controls for shaping envelope, tone, and more.
The advanced mixer offers options like Drift, Scatter, and recordable automation. Performance controls enhance tempo synchronization, while the custom master effects section includes tools like compression and reverb. Additionally, Gravity 2 menus come with 36 and 72 keys, respectively, enabling easy sound management and customization with filters, EQ, and tuning for each sound source.
- Mood-based categorization
You can enhance your musical narratives with rich and evocative textures, categorized into three distinct styles: Tonal for melodic elements, Atonal for haunting atmospheres, and Modal for clear chord progressions. These mood-enhancing components allow you to add depth, dimension, and vibrancy to your projects.
- Dramatic Impact Sounds
Gravity 2 features a comprehensive library of 36 powerful impact sounds designed to bring intensity and strength to your tracks. With separate Sub, Mid, and Tail layers, you can create everything from thunderous hits to subtle dramatic effects.
- Thrilling Transitions
Gravity 2’s transitions are organized into Low and High categories for easy integration. This collection includes tempo-synced elements like Reverses, Swells, and Risers, each providing unique sonic excitement.
Compatibility:
Heavyocity Gravity 2 is compatible with Kontakt 7.6.0 (Player) or later engines. It requires you to have Windows 10/11 or macOS 11 (or later) operating systems, along with DAWs that support VST, AU, and AAX plugins. It’s also available in standalone version.
3. Native Instruments Lores
A special scoring tool for adding mystery, ambiance, and beauty to your tunes, Lores blends rich layers of traditional and ancient sounds.
Native Instruments releases LORES in collaboration with the Evolution Series. The new tool provides high-quality sounds, vibrations, and melodies in different genres.
A set of expressive and realistic instruments has been made by Native Instruments. The new Kontakt library provides a wide range of sound creation options in conjunction with the Evolution Series and is guaranteed to be a useful addition to any producer’s toolset. LORES is available now from the Native Instruments website.
Key Features:
- Samples
LORES also includes 72.3 GB of audio files, and 373 factory presets. You may get into the engine and build brand-new soundscapes from scratch, or you can utilize the supplied presets for fast enjoyment.
For example, you may amplify sounds with dynamic effects or stage them inside three-dimensional smoke plumes.
- Instruments
Over 300 hand-played joints and 16 instruments make up the core. Woodwinds, traditional strings, rare chordophones, and unusual instruments like the guitar, shakuhachi, Mongolian violin, or medieval pipes are some sound sources used in the compositions.
But then, all of this is included in a well-designed user interface that enables you to combine up to three separate sources.
- Humanizer
The human experience of telling stories via song is universal, and LORES carries on this long tradition with unique embellishments. On the performance level, unpredictable swells, unanticipated tremolos, and stray harmonics produce genuine movement in the music played by the musicians who sampled
In addition, instruments may be physically staged in three-dimensional smoke plumes using multi-mic recording, giving dynamic realism to your shows.
Compatibility:
The full version of Kontakt 5.8.1 or higher is needed. It runs on macOS 10.9 or higher (64-bit only) and Windows 7 or higher (64-bit only).
Summary:
This collection is ideal for those who wish to give their music a little more reality and motion. More than 300 hand-played articulations are used to voice the 16 instruments, allowing you a lot of flexibility in how you may design your soundscape. The outcome is a distinctive and adaptable collection since they meticulously captured the instruments to maintain their original character.
4. Native Instruments & Orchestral Tools Arkhis
Manufactured in collaboration with Orchestral Tools, ARKHIS is an amazingly versatile plugin that focuses on delivering the best results for any score with its highly modern layering engine and a prized sample library.
Recorded at Teldex Scoring Stage in Berlin, ARKHIS features acoustically treated samples with cinematic sonic enhancements. The incredibly intuitive interface and pleasant design of the Native Instruments library make it a highly friendly tool for any composer.
With many effects controls, you can add texture and color to the instruments’ notes. The library is optimal for pitching, sculpting, and tweaking any signal by offering many envelope parameters.
Key Features:
- Presets
ARKHIS is complete in terms of presets. You can improve their scores by selecting highly versatile presets in various categories: Pads, Motions, Sparkles, Stutters, Sub, Swells, and Textures. Each section features more in-depth presets; for example, in Pads, you can select between nine pads instruments with different and unique sonic characteristics.
- Master Envelope
In the Master Envelope segment, you can shape the sound to whatever dynamic color you want. The Master Envelope offers controls for Attack, Hold, Decay, Sustain, and Release. All of these parameters will behave on the layers globally.
For more experimentation, you can set the amount of influence the Master Envelope controls will inflict on individual layers by setting values for Wet/Dry knobs featured on each.
- Effects
Native Instruments’ ARKHIS features six effects that are highly modern and intuitive. Filter, Chorus, and Delay work intuitively and provides easy-to-use interactive controls. Bits is an exciting distortion effect that provides low-resolution to the sounds.
The “FX” section will offer Distortion and Flanger knobs, which results in colorful experimentations. The Convolution is a highly modern Reverb that features fantastic algorithms for simulating realistic early reflections on a virtual or physical space.
- Three Layers
ARKHIS has three highly interactive layers that you can blend and stack consistently. For optimal arrangement, you can use one layer for low-end cinematic presence, a second layer for exciting mid-range sounds, and the third layer for bright instruments to fill the high-end. Each layer will feature controls for Volume, Pitch, Envelope, and Effects.
Compatibility:
Native Instruments Arkhis is compatible with Kontakt 6.2.2 or later. Kontakt 6.2.2 requires Windows 10 or higher for PC and macOS 10.14 and comes in VST/VST3/AU/AAX formats for 64-bit systems only.
Summary:
Native Instruments offered precious technological procedures for making ARKHIS. By applying modern algorithms, usually reserved for plugins, the renowned plugin manufacturer made a Kontakt Library featuring an intricate engine, exciting effects, three stackable and blendable layers, and highly versatile presets.
With ARKHIS, you will create scores for any project at outstanding loudness levels using a highly intuitive Master Envelope.
5. Native Instruments Fables
“Native Instruments Fables” is an evocative orchestral library designed to empower composers, music producers, and sound designers with the tools to craft immersive and expressive soundscapes for film scoring and music production.
This cinematic library offers a unique blend of natural and synthesized timbres, allowing you to combine lush acoustic instruments creatively. Fables offers a collection of blendable choirs, string sections, tuned percussion, French horn ensembles, woodwinds, low brass, pads, and even the distinctive waterphone.
This rich palette of sounds allows for the creation of hybrid cinematic textures that combine the warmth of acoustic instruments with the versatility of synthetic tones. It is powered by polyphonic aftertouch, enabling expressive control over each note.
Musicians can infuse their compositions with subtle nuances and dynamic variations by effortlessly adjusting MIDI parameters such as volume, panning, filters, pitch, and modulation.
Key Features:
- Immersive Sound Capture
Recorded at the renowned Studios 301 in Sydney, Fables benefits from the studio’s unique acoustics and high-quality recording equipment. The meticulous capturing of details, including swells, tremolos, and harmonic nuances, adds depth and human character to the sound library. You can also blend between two microphone positions for precise sound control.
- Instrument Inspector
This section provides essential controls for each of the three instruments within a preset. It allows you to toggle instruments on/off, set them to solo mode, and adjust volume levels. You can also explore different instrument presets and lock a preferred instrument to maintain consistency when changing presets.
- Instrument Stage
Each instrument contains an Instrument Stage equipped with an XY pad. This real-time mixing tool lets you position the instrument’s sound in a virtual room. Vertical movement adjusts the sound’s distance, while horizontal movement controls panning. The XY pad utilizes actual microphone position recordings for authentic spatial effects.
- Performance Controls
These controls include the Modwheel for dynamic volume modulation, the Reverb parameter for crafting acoustic space simulations, Noise adjustment to introduce textured nuances, Boost for accentuating low and high frequencies, Power control for finely tuning parallel compression, and Expression for seamlessly fading layers in and out.
These controls add depth and character to the music and enable expressive performances and creative sound design, making this instrument a versatile tool for musicians and composers alike.
- Layer Editor
The Layer Editor is a versatile tool within this instrument, offering in-depth customization of sound layers through four switchable tabs: Layer Controls, Mapping, Motion, and Filter. With the Layer Controls, you can adjust each layer’s parameters like volume, pan, pitch, and envelope characteristics.
- Layer Controls
Mapping provides keyboard range and triggering options, allowing layers to respond to velocity or expression values. Motion introduces dynamic realism via low-frequency oscillators (LFOs) for modulation of volume, pitch, or pan. The Filter tab offers fine-tuning of filter parameters for sound shaping.
- Layer Grid
The Layer Grid enables layer selection, prioritization, and access to the Layer browser, enhancing the instrument’s flexibility and sound design capabilities. Whether it’s crafting nuanced textures or dynamic soundscapes, the Layer Editor empowers you to shape your sonic creations with precision and creativity.
Compatibility:
Fables is compatible with the Free KONTAKT PLAYER or the full version of KONTAKT (version 7.5 or higher), making it accessible to users of Windows and Mac since Kontakt is compatible with almost all DAWs. It offers a massive 57 GB of downloadable content, ensuring a comprehensive set of tools for music composition and production.
Summary:
To summarise, this plugin is a remarkable orchestral library that transcends traditional boundaries, offering a captivating range of timbres for crafting immersive soundscapes. Musicians and producers can perform with unparalleled expressiveness thanks to its polyphonic aftertouch capabilities.
Featuring 16 hand-played instruments meticulously expressed through over 400 articulations, including unique instruments, this instrument unlocks a world of creative possibilities. Whether seeking evocative orchestral richness or pushing the boundaries of sonic exploration, this plugin empowers you to achieve musical excellence with depth and versatility.
6. Sound Yeti Revelation Scoring Grand
The Steinway Grand Sound Yeti’s intricate and nuanced rhythmics and rich piano textures will help inspire your next chapter.
All of this is complemented by a great assortment of emotional solo grands would help if you broke the norms and dogma surrounding merging acoustic and synthetic sounds. With a single preset and sounds so expressive, it’s the only instrument you need to create fully realized inspired cues and compositions, from melodic meditations to concert hall fullness.
Key Features:
- Layers
Any composer, musician, or sound designer can find something useful in Revelation Scoring Grand. If you need some motivation for your next chapter, put on some music with some magnificent underscore, some glittering hybrid keys, some subtle and nuanced rhythms, and some rich piano textures.
An excellent variety of heartfelt solo grands complements the whole thing. There should be no rules or orthodoxy when combining natural and artificial sounds. It’s the only instrument you need to realize completely realized inspired cues and songs, from melodic meditations to concert hall grandeur, and all with only one preset with sounds that are so expressive on their own.
- Package
The multi-sampled Steinway Grand Piano serves as the basis for Revelation. Your ears will be able to machinate on an extraordinary range of tones and timbers thanks to the four microphone perspectives that have been captured here: sub, near, mid, and far. As a result, more precise control over the tones than even the most advanced live session can offer.
- Expressions
The ability to freely apply subtle character and mechanical acoustics to one’s mic and tonal expressions is a powerful tool. Use the Pedal, Felt, and Mechanism Release to inject a hyperrealistic dose of analog reality into your piano’s vocal range.
Compatibility:
The library is available for Kontakt 6.2.1 or higher. Kontakt 6.2.1 is available for Windows 7 or higher 32-bit and 64-bit and macOS 10.10 or higher 64-bit. It comes in VST 2, AU, and AAX formats.
Summary:
This sampled Steinway Grand Piano may be the foundation of any score, and with the help of Sound Yeti, it can become much more. This piano may be the only piano you need for your cinematic score since it features many effects, a three-layer system, and many preset to get you started.
7. Native Instruments Schema: Dark
Schema Dark is a Native Instruments library that offers dark cinematic loop content for music creation.
Its four-layered Kontakt interface allows for layer mixing and pan, loop playback speed, direction, and sample reverse modes. The plugin has a dark tonality ranging from field-recorded sounds to orchestral recordings. Each layer can be edited using intuitive macro knobs, mix controls, and studio-grade effects.
Key Features:
- Multi-layer loop player
One of the plugin’s key features is its multi-layer loop player, which enables you to chop loops into 16 slices and play them back in any order according to the chosen pattern. You can fine-tune each step in the pattern, giving them precise control over the timing and rhythm of their music.
- Easy GUI
Plugin’s main page provides access to specialized editing pages and controls, allowing you to tweak their sound and create unique and intricate patterns. Macros and performance controls are always visible at the bottom of the instrument, providing a user-friendly interface for playing and tweaking key parameters.
- Presets
NI SCHEMA: DARK has 343 professionally designed presets that can be easily tweaked and swapped to suit individual preferences. The plugin also includes a built-in way to generate sounds with a knob and the option to roll a virtual dice in each of the four loops, giving you even more creative possibilities.
- Random knob
DARK has a built-in way to generate sounds using the “Random” knob. This allows you to roll a virtual die in the four loops, creating unpredictable and unique sequences. This feature can be used as a starting point for further tweaking and customization, adding experimentation and randomness to the creative process.
Additionally, the ability to slice and rearrange loops in any order according to the chosen pattern allows for endless possibilities and variations in the sound, making it a versatile and adaptable instrument for various musical styles.
Compatibility:
The NI SCHEMA: DARK plugin has specific system requirements for macOS and Windows, including the latest updates, Intel Macs (i5 or higher), or Apple Silicon Macs via Rosetta 2. It also requires graphics hardware support for Direct 3D 11.1 (Feature Level 11_0) or higher and at least 4 GB RAM (6 GB recommended for large KONTAKT Instruments).
Further, the Kontakt plugin is available as a standalone or in VST3, AU, and AAX formats for macOS and standalone, VST3, and AAX formats for Windows, with support for 64-bit only.
Summary:
The instrument offers editable patterns for each layer, filters, decay, volume, and pitch controls. It is created in collaboration with pro sound and instrument designer Tobias Menguser. All these features make it a great library for trailers SFX and arpeggiators.
8. Heavyocity – Damage 2
Damage 2 is an upgraded version of the first Damage Kontakt library. The library contains solid elements for aggressive and perforative drum sounds.
Damage 2 can deliver tempo-synced giant, epic, explosive drum patterns for any score, featuring more than eight hundred new loops with modern parameters and controls.
At skywalker sound, a famous LucasFilm subdivision that works on audio editing, mixing, and sound design, Heavyocity recorded punchy epic percussion, providing a genuinely next-gen workflow.
Key Features:
- Source
Damage 2 features an immense quantity of intense and exciting recordings. A convenient tool in selecting the sources for crafting many designs is the “Category” section. In category, you can choose between nine segments full of exquisite and unique instruments and recordings, such as drums with different inches and even a trashcan.
By browsing through Monster, Organic, Taikos, Ethnic, Cymbals & Gonds, Found Sounds, Hybrid, Damaged, and Transitions, you will craft all sorts of explosive, evil drum mixes.
- Stage
On a stage panel, you can monitor the perceived stereo placement in which the sound source is present. Each of the three octaves will be given control of the stereo field, with an additional five-position selection for the microphones, Close, Room, Hall, Crush, and LFE.
- Settings
Each key can be customizable by you in the exciting Settings section. For performance improvements, you can change parameters like Velocity, Modwheel, and Expression. Time and velocity can also be set for different techniques such as Crescendo, Swell, Flam, Roll, and Repeat. With a randomization tool, the library offers easy creation and experimentation of realistic performances.
- Punish
The plugin offers a custom effects chain, including Heavyocity’s unique Punisher technology. Effects such as EQ, Saturation, Compressor, Filter, Reverb, and Delay can be organized and dragged to fit an ideal processing order in the effects chain.
The custom Punish effect will inflict a sophisticated destruction level, the signature of the Damage series, in three selectable intensity levels. Nightmare, Hurt Me Plenty, and Gently Now are the three destruction levels you can switch between in the instruments.
Compatibility:
This library is available for Kontakt Player version 6.2.2 and higher.
Summary:
With Damage 2, every track will have the additional textures of destructive and intense drums. Composers can benefit from the many instruments recordings featured in the library selection for scoring action, post-apocalyptic, monstrous projects.
By adjusting parameters in the settings panels, you can administrate expression levels and drums’ intensity.
The acclaimed Punish effect by Heavyocity will offer three destruction levels, giving composers the possibility to make any drum pattern extremely explosive.
9. Native Instruments Symphony Series Woodwind Ensemble
An all-purpose woodwind section that includes solo instruments with top-quality sound.
The second installment of the partnership between Native Instruments and Soundiron featuring a simple user interface with all the controls necessary for a realistic and expressive performance. This collection features two separate libraries for solo and ensemble.
Recorded in Oakland at the Montclair Presbyterian Church, the line-up for this collection includes flutes, oboes, Bb clarinets, bassoons, tenor sax, contrabassoons, bass and contrabass clarinets for the ensemble; the solo library features the same instruments except the bass and contrabass clarinets.
Key Features:
- Articulations:
Instead of just one patch to cover all articulations, these are spread across several NKIs (patches, presets…) for CPU usage saving. These NKIs are Effects (arpeggios, valve clicks, and flourishes), Expression (crescendo, decrescendo, sforzando, swells), Sustain, Staccato, Legato (main, piano, mezzo forte, and forte), and a Woodwind (Quintet for solo) patch that distributes the instruments across the MIDI controller with the option of switching articulations.
- Mixer & FX:
In this section, we find 4 channels – stereo, close, mid, and far – with faders, mute toggles, and pan sliders for adjusting the volume and placement of the instruments.
Below we can adjust the effects for timbre and sound-shaping; a three-band parametric EQ, compressor with threshold/ratio/attack/release controls, filters with cutoff and resonance knobs, and convolution reverb with a lot of impulse responses, many of them by Soundiron. All settings in this section can be copied and transferred to other instrument sections with the Transfer Settings feature.
- Arpeggios:
Soundiron included an arpeggio function, as it is tradition for them. The phrases for these arpeggio runs were recorded live and are included in the main, legato and staccato articulations.
The Arpeggio Run Tool controls for runs, speed, number of notes, and Mode, allowing users to choose from runs up, down, up and down, down and up, as played, and random. In addition, in the TYPE menu, you can choose major, minor, augmented, diminished, and trills.
- Performance:
Control over the performance is dedicated in the performance tab. For the main controls, there’s a big knob for dynamics that controls volume as well as the intensity and is mapped to the mod wheel. Additionally, below the dynamics knob, there are attack, release, tightness, and motion slider controls.
Then, further below are located the specific settings where we can select the articulation we want or edit the mapping to our MIDI keyboard and other controls like speed and tools like repetition or arpeggio, depending on the articulation we’re playing.
Compatibility:
The library is available for Kontakt Player 5 or higher. Kontakt is available for Windows 10 or higher and macOS 10.14 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, and AAX formats.
Summary:
This collection is a great choice for epic cinematic soundscapes Star Trek-style. The large number of samples and how the GUI is presented make it really easy for a detailed and authentic performance, and many of the effects like the saxophone runs or the oboe trills are beautifully executed.
The sound by default is too wet – in other words, it has too much reverb – making even the solo instruments lack definition, especially when wanting a more intimate chamber ensemble sound.
This can be solved by toggling off the stereo channel and balancing the mics properly giving it priority to the close mic and reducing the release to taste in the performance tab. Symphony Series Woodwinds is a force to be reckoned with, so consider it when looking for a woodwind orchestral library.
10. Spitfire Albion ONE
Albion ONE by Spitfire is an all-in-one scoring tool featuring a 109-piece orchestra and many synth sounds.
This library is probably the first thing people recommended you to buy when you stepped into the film scoring world, and there’s a reason for it. Albion ONE offers an extensive range of sounds fit for modern films and games, including orchestral multis and synth sequences.
Key Features:
- Orchestra
Albion ONE features a 109-piece orchestra featuring acclaimed players from London. They were recorded performing various articulations: short notes, long notes, tremolos, pizzicatos, etc. The sounds are divided into sections: Brass Low, Mid and High, Woods High and Low, and Strings. Hence, you cannot play each instrument individually.
- Techniques
Albion ONE features phrases for commonly-used orchestral flairs that are triggered using a single note. Similarly, you will have four mic options: close, tree, outriggers, and ambient. And finally, it features an ostinato designer or sequencer for tense, rhythmic pieces.
- Percussions and Loops
Of course, the library also features an extensive collection of percussions ranging from gentle vibes to action-packed blockbuster strikes. Furthermore, you can mangle and manipulate hundreds of percussive loops using the built-in Brunel Loop module.
Compatibility:
This library requires Kontakt Player 5.6.8 or higher, which requires Windows 7 or macOS 10.10 or higher for both 32-bit and 64-bit.
Summary:
Overall, you will find Albion ONE to be a mix of traditional and modern film scoring cultures, capable of producing a wide range of sounds. In addition to what we’ve talked about so far, you will also find synth loops and hybrid sounds for good measure. It’s truly a versatile library that every score composer should have.
11. Native Instruments Ashlight
Native Instruments layered water phones, cymbals, feedback cycles, and synths, among other grain sources, to create the sound of this library.
Ashlight is the third library from Frank Elting’s granular instruments trilogy. It’s a very dark-sounding library that offers highly immersive atmospheres, bass pulses, and the possibility of combining its textures with one-shot samples, like hits or snares.
This library provides you with micro and macro controls. It has a highly user-friendly interface that keeps you creative, making it suitable for experienced and beginner sound designers.
Ashlight’s sound is full and deep; you can quickly twist and customize it with endless possibilities, making it an excellent deal for videogames and film scoring.
As with the Straylight library from the same series, Ashlight also offers you the sample and grain engines that compose the two sound layers you’ll get to play with on this library, as well as the XY pad to perform in real-time.
Key Features:
- Sample module:
You can load any sample, layer it with the grain textures, and transform them into different sounds. Blend in choirs, noise, percussion, pulses, and even multi-sampled instruments in this module to get patches with more attack, or use the arpeggiator if you’re looking for more melodic results.
- Polyphonic modulation:
The latest addition Native Instrument has done to Ashlight is the MIDI polyphonic expression support to the engine so that you can play more dynamically by controlling each note and pitch, timber, and pressure.
Its flexible modulation system allows you to root polyphonic expression inputs to any parameter in the grain engine. Ashlight works with your existing MIDI board or keyboard, but make sure to enable this feature on your host.
- Sample arpeggiator:
Ashlight includes an arpeggiator on the sample layer, which drives odd rhythmic patterns, and it’s fully integrated into the modulation system. The arpeggiator allows advanced settings like restricting its impact to the lowest key to generate a bass line.
- Effect panel:
Each layer has its effect pannel, which counts with four effect slots that you can re-order and assign freely and choose from ten effect types with predefined presets.
Compatibility:
Free Kontakt Player version 6.2 and higher, or Kontakt version 6.2 and higher.
Summary:
Whether you are into film or game scoring, sound design, or music production, Ashlight offers a lot of exciting colors to add to your pallet. It delivers a solid start point with production-ready sounds, from monochrome landscapes and pulsing textures to even leads, hits, and transitions.
12. NI Symphony Series Strings
Recorded in Studio 22, Budapest, in collaboration with Audiobro, an ensemble perfect for modern cinematic scoring.
An ensemble of 60 players was used for this library. There are patches for violins, violas, cellos, and basses. There’s also an Ensemble patch to control the whole section for pads, simple and slow passages, or experimentation and creative process.
The GUI is consistent with its predecessor’s Symphony Series: Brass. Simple and Intuitive, it offers all you need to achieve a realistic string section. In addition, there are three tabs or sections in which you can make adjustments: Performance, Mixer, and Setup.
Key Features:
- Articulations:
Up to 10 articulations, including legato sustains, pizzicato, staccato, spiccato, tremolo, con sordino, and trills (violins and violas only) come with each section with presets assigned to eight key switches. For example, the legato sustains feature crossfading dynamic layers controlled by the mod wheel.
These layers have progressive increments in vibrato, giving the section a more expressive sound; the amount of vibrato can be controlled with the legato vibrato control (Legato Vib. Ctrl).
The trills come in whole tone, half tone, and major and minor thirds, of which the key signature can be set for the latter two, but keep in mind that this can only be done through the GUI, so it is necessary to set several trills to the key switches in case you need them in different key signatures.
- Divisi:
To ensure the experience of a live orchestra, the Divisi function divides the number of players when playing up to four notes simultaneously for violins and two for the rest of the instruments, preventing the buildup of players in the section.
This is possible since all sections were recorded in two parts, A and B, distributing the numbers as follows: Violin I, 16 players divided into 8 for part A and 8 for part B; Violin II, 14 players divided into 7 for part A and 7 for part B; Viola, 12 players divided into 6 for part A and 6 for part B; Cello, 10 players divided into 5 for part A and 5 for part B; Bass, 8 players divided into 4 for part A and 4 for part B.
- Mixer and FX:
The mixer has mute controls (presented as a toggle on/off), 4 channels for stereo, close, mid, and far microphones, volume faders and a panning slider.
In the effects section below the mixer, we can find a three-band EQ, a compressor, and a convolution reverb, which comes with 104 impulses, most of which were made by Adiobro. It’s possible to copy and paste the setting in the mixer with the Transfer Setting feature as long as the other sections reside in the same Kontakt instance.
- Repetition:
The staccato, spiccato and pizzicato articulations have a Repetition toggle on/off option for repeating the same note while pressing a key within a strict tempo-synced time (1/8th, 1/8th triplet, and 1/16th). In addition, this very convenient tool comes with three preset accent patterns and a no-accent option, which allows the user to control accents with the mod wheel.
Compatibility:
The library is available for Kontakt Player 5 or higher. Kontakt is available for Windows 10 or higher and macOS 10.14 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, and AAX formats.
Summary:
With a very simple and intuitive interface and great functions like the Divisi, Legato Vib. Ctrl, and size setup, SSSE is a great contender in the string plugins competition.
It grants a lot of flexibility weather your looking for a small, calmed, and intimate sound or an epic cinematic soundscape. It is quite expensive though, so keep in mind that all these great features also require a big investment.
13. Audiobro – Modern Scoring Strings
Recorded at a cinematic-sounding scoring stage, Modern Scoring Strings features a string library with great performance controls on techniques and articulations.
Audiobro delighted the music community with the release of an incredible Kontakt strings library recorded on different divisi sections. After the acclaimed LA Scoring Strings release, Audiobro spent twelve years upgrading and enriching their sampling techniques, particularly for string instruments.
With modern and technological algorithms, Modern Scoring Strings can combine many divisis according to Orchestral positionings and different microphone mixes, delivering cinematic possibilities for any score.
Key Features:
- Ostinato
One exciting, powerful point of this library is its incredible performance for building authentic Ostinatos. Modern Scoring Strings features an excellent 8th-note legato and ostinato recording quality.
In addition, major and minor seconds and thirds and perfect fourth and perfect fifth inserts into chords and phrases with a unique and technological Smart Engine developed by Audiobro.
- Smart Mode
Apart from offering a brilliant engine, Moder Scoring Strings also features highly modern “smart-modes.” You can switch between over a dozen of these smart-modes, which provide exciting techniques such as Diatonic Held Note Mode, Diatonic 16ths Mode, and Diatonic Triplets Mode.
The intelligent mode will work as a play-assist tool to make strings sound great in any key.
- Variable Performances
By offering many attacks, sustain, and dynamics ranges, Modern Scoring Strings makes it possible for a significant amount of control to shape the notes. Audibro’s developers made actual attack samples at various amounts to build a good array of attack and sustain variations.
By doing so, they made it possible to select between Bloom/Crescendo Sustains, Normal Sustains, and Bowed/Accented Sustains.
- Diversification
Many playing methods are available for you to select in Modern Scoring Strings. The highly versatile Kontakt Library by Audiobro offers you exciting playing techniques such as Martelé, Staccato, Staccatissimo, Spiccato, Pizzicato, Col Legno, Octave Runs, Aleatoric (horror and tension), Bass runs, and Bartok Pizzicato.
Compatibility:
This library is available for Kontakt Player version 6.0.4 and higher.
Summary:
With Modern Scoring Strings, producers will set any kind of vibe and feeling through highly versatile string samples. The incredible engine of the library by Audiobro is remarkably modern with its featured Smart mode.
Modern Scoring Strings can reach a colossal field of textures to create scores for any movie genre by offering you an immensely diverse amount of playing techniques.
14. Audio Imperia – Talos
Talos is a Best-selling brass library developed by Audio Imperia. The library’s massive range of colors and textures makes it widely versatile at providing both powerful and delicate performances.
Talos is also straightforward to control and set parameters, featuring many instruments such as French Horns and Tubas. You can select mic positions and different playing techniques for precise brass performances.
Talos’ interface is straightforward to use. In a single panel, you will have complete control of the mix and presets. A convenient big knob will serve the signal with saturation.
Key Features:
- Controllers
In Talos, there are two types of controllers for setting the main characteristics of the sounds. The essential section features three knobs, Dynamics, Expression, and Vibrato; along with these knobs, a Tight toggle can set the Sample Start to the maximum value.
In the advanced section, you can operate values for Dyn. Range, Sample Start, and Leg. Smooth. The Dyn. Range will apply volume control to all articulations; Sample Start will control latency and Leg. Smooth offers crossfade in Legato Articulations.
- Toggles
Three exciting toggles are present in Talos’ interface. When Sordino is enabled, an instrument made with natural sordino performances will play, emulating authentic sounds from the actual instrument.
When you enable the 2nd Violins, a neighbor-borring feature will act on the instrument’s timbre; featured arrows will inflict an upwards or downwards shift to the timbre. A Niente toggle will provide modulations in the low-end dynamics controller’s volume, excellent for silent fade-outs.
- Articulations
The ridiculous quality of the articulations featured in Talos is outstanding. You can choose between Legato, Sustained, Pizzicato, Spicatto Fast, Spicatto Slow, Staccato, Marcato Short, and Marcato Long for selecting articulations. As brass articulations, those are highly versatile options for any score since they’re of actual recordings of expert players.
Compatibility:
This library is available for Kontakt Player version 6.3.2 and higher.
Summary:
The highly versatile brass library by Audio Imperia offers many ways of adding brass elements to any mix. With many featured instruments, Talos has many articulations and techniques, precious for many scores.
Apart from its incredible controllers and toggles, the Kontakt library by Audio Imperia will provide sounds ready for the screen with its two highly sophisticated mixes, Classic and Modern.
Bonus:
Spitfire Audio Albion Colossus
Albion Colossus is an expansive orchestral toolkit designed to easin your scoring workflow.
Combining traditional instrumentation with innovative sound design, this library includes over 160 meticulously recorded instruments (including strings, brass, woodwinds, and percussions) and 150 diverse presets that span genres, from soaring cinematic scores to eclectic contemporary styles.
Key Features:
- Dynamic Articulations
You get a comprehensive range of articulations that allow you to explore up to 62 different expressive techniques for diverse instruments. From legato and staccato to pizzicato and harmonics, these articulations give musicians the ability to create realistic and nuanced performances.
- Bespoke Tools for Tailored Composition
The plugin includes specialized tools such as Chord Studio, Melody Studio, and Dynamic Mixer to facilitate creative workflows. These tools enable you to manipulate melodies, harmonies, and arrangements with ease.
- 2 Orchestras
Albion Colossus gives you access to 2 orchestras: a chamber orchestra consisting of 42 musicians and a symphony orchestra featuring 111 players. This setup allows you to effortlessly blend strings, brass, woodwinds, and percussion. These samples were recorded at the acoustically pleasing Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.
- Advanced Sound Shaping Parameters
The Hype control in the plugin provides a tailored enhancement for each preset. The Scale feature allows for flexible adjustments to the ensemble size, seamlessly transitioning between chamber and symphonic configurations. Additionally, the Depth parameter facilitates effortless movement from intimate, close miking to expansive, ambient mixes, granting you comprehensive control over the spatial characteristics of your sound.
- Evolving Textures and Sound Design Engine
The plugin has an Evolutions feature that offers a collection of meticulously crafted, dynamic textures derived from acoustic sources within the EVO Engine. With options including 10 string, 4 brass, 4 woodwind, and 8 granular evolutions, the potential for inspiration is limitless.
Colossus’ eDNA sound design engine provides a robust selection of 995 unique techniques, fully reprocessed to deliver a fresh sound palette. That is further enhanced with 5 distinct distortion effects.
Compatibility:
Albion Colossus is available in VST3, VST, AU, and AAX plugin formats for Mac OS X 10.15 to OS 13 and Windows 10 or higher operating systems.
The Integraudio Editorial Team consists of experienced music producers, audio engineers, and plugin enthusiasts dedicated to providing in-depth reviews and guides for music production software.