Cinematic Strings 2 reivew

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For those that have been around here for a few years, you may remember my review of Cinematic Strings.

That was very early in the days of my reviewing and was probably the first if not one of the first “high end” libraries I ever reviewed for Kontakt.

Fast forward about 3 years and thousands of products later, and today I’m checking out Cinematic Strings 2

I feel I have much more of an idea in terms of what I look for in a library, what sounds good compared to other libraries, and overall product concepts.

So let’s just jump into this thing!


What is Cinematic Strings 2?

cinematic-strings-2-guiThis is a professional grade orchestral string library geared towards film, tv, media, and video game composers.

Of course…you know I feel you can use any sound in any situation when producing music, but this is definitely made with professional composers in mind.

Compared to the first version they definitely streamlined the interface, much to my delight, as you only have one patch for each section.

What they did is put all the articulations into the same patch per section so you can easy switch between them on the fly.

Though having all articulations in one patch does make for longer load times, there are always ways to get around things like that.

Quick Specs

  • content: 21.1GB, 5 section patches with all articulations for each section, 2 full ensemble patches
  • format: Kontakt and Kontakt Player 5
  • price: $499.00

How does it sound?

Reel to Reel Tape RecorderThis library has a really smooth and very rich tone to it.

I absolutely love how smooth the legato is, really makes for a realistic sounding string part.

I also love that you can adjust the envelope on the ensemble, as well as the attack/release on the short samples.

Being able to add or remove a staccato layer on the sustain patches is also really cool.

The overall sound isn’t too big or wide, not too much ambiance so you can still adjust to tastes.

The included reverb sounds good and having the control right up front with a big knob makes dialing it in very simple.

Overall I really dig the sound of these strings, they have a nice warm vibe to them.

So what’s the bottom line?

At the end of the day, Cinematic Strings 2 sounds and plays awesome.

I love the fact that they simplified the interface as well, even though it still takes a while to load the full patches.

4andhalfsubsI give this library 4.5 out of 5 subs, it’s a great follow up with many improvements as well as a down right great sounding library in it’s own right.

If you really need a good collection of high end orchestral string sections with smooth legato these are definitely some you want to take a look at.

Of course they have way more information on their website where they showcase a lot of the features and functions of the library so make sure you go over and check them out.

http://www.cinematicstrings.com/

Leave me a comment below and let me know what you think

56 Comments

  1. I always loved cinematic strings but because of its loading time, I never want to buy it. Instead, I am using LASS. But for legato patches, cinematic are best imho. Thanks very much for the review and efforts you put into your work.

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  2. I have the MM bass and have listened to the demos for all of the other Scarbee basses. I agree–the Rickenbacker is by far the most convincing Scarbee bass by a fair margin.

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  3. Idunno. That’s 500 bucks. I’d rather spend twice as much for a full bundle from EastWest that would include something great even if not AS great as this one. You know? I mean, for 2-300? Sure. But 500?

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    • To someone like a composer that makes that money back with a few seconds of music, it’s worth it. Sometimes you have to splurge if you want the high end ๐Ÿ™‚

      Though this isn’t something “just to grab” you definitely have to be looking for this specific toolset to justify it. It’s cheaper than the first version though and it’s vastly improved.

      EW isn’t always cheaper, though they always have sales. This would be comparable to their “hollywood strings” which is not cheap either.

      It’s all a matter of what you’re doing and what you’re looking for, stuff like this isn’t gonna be a general buy for everyone.

      Reply
  4. i like these a lot – just watched this twice… and then listened with the monitor off…these sound sick….

    the interface is nice too – the look of those envelopes are nice – when i expand my strings, i think this is the winner…. what do you think compared to hollywood strings?

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  5. It sounds great. Maybe a comparison with LASS would be more acurrate? There’s something about EW that just doesn’t fit to me….
    thanks for the report, SJ

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  6. I have as well, check this out and tell me what you think if you wish: watch?v=LpNQWuyCzw8 this was a song My friend and I made for a competition.

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  7. This is Library review what I consider good!I fucking hate those endless talks about features.. IDGAF for features if sound quality is shit! This Library is DOPE! Thanx man for the review! Please, continue reviewing this way! ALL THE BEST!Subscriber

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  8. What impresses me the most with CS2, must be the articulations. I’ve been through a whole bunch of string libs over the years. Okay there are a few pointing out, but very often so does the price. CS2.1 comes close to LASS2, but it’s less heavy to load, yet it doesn’t drain quality a bit! I will for sure use CS2.1 in my new cinematic soundtrack! By taging along this tutorial/overview, yes I am more than convinced! Peace out ๐Ÿ™‚

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  9. SJ: These strings are pure in sound. The sound quality really delivers that “Wow” factor. The price is steep,but the layout and quality justifies the $$$ amount. Another great video review.

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  10. Nice to see that you gave this library such a good review. I think this will probably be my next purchase.

    BTW, re: price. The price of this library doesn’t seem too high to me at all – the quality is apparently great, and furthermore I started buying sample libraries twenty years ago, and let me tell you – EVERYTHING today is cheap. Considering that MOST soundware and music software developers today are struggling to get by, I think the price of these products is the last thing to complain about. We’re incredibly lucky as musicians to be making music in these times when amazing tools are available for very little money.

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    • Indeed man, it’s really cool and yes the price is relevant with the product and target market. It’s all about what you’re used to for sure, I do remember the early sample libraries for akai samplers and such, they could get expensive simple for a drum cd! lol.

      thanks for the comment!

      Reply
  11. In my opinion, if you’re looking for a well produced library and ease of use, Cinematic Strings is the way to go. I’ve had the library for about 5 months now and it has never disappointed ๐Ÿ˜‰

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  12. To hear some songs that use Cinematic Strings 2, check out my channel! The songs “Hope Amongst the Ashes” and “Road to Victory” use this library! Hope it helps! ๐Ÿ™‚

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  13. In the same MIDI file with Sustain LONG NOTES (Arco), I want to put more volume in just some notes and vary the volume of the other notes. Controlling the dynamics with the Modwheell this looks impossible! What should i do???

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  14. I was told I needed a quad core processor to run this correctly on my 2010 iMac (dual core). However, they said the dual core could be used if notes are used sparingly. Thoughts?thanks for the great review! BTW does streaming sound on You Tube do the patches justice? Just wondering….

    Reply

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