Best Virtual Instrument Set For My Needs

[Matthew M.]

So I'm a musician who has been, for years, wanting to write and record an album (join the club, I know). I'm primarily a keyboardist and, through the use of virtual instruments, I would like to do the entire album myself. A one man show, so to speak, but convincing, as if a real band performed it.

I'm running Logic 9 on an original Intel Core Duo iMac and, while I absolutely love Logic, some of the sounds just aren't meeting my needs. Particularly the electric guitars, which not only don't sound that great, but are incredibly hard to blend in a mix (then again, that could say more about my mixing abilities). I write mostly pop/rock (think a hybrid between the Beatles/Beach Boys), so I'd like to purchase a virtual instrument set that provides as much realism towards band type instruments as possible (drums, keyboards/pianos, guitars, bass, strings, etc.).

One particular set I've been looking into is Kontakt 4, as I hear good things about it and it's cheaper than the newer edition. However, my knowledge in this area is very limited, so I'm curious what other suggestions (or comments) you guys might have, as I try to inch towards my quest.

Thanks!

 

[kidkage]

I don't know much as of yet. But I'm looking into similar stuff, so the only help I can give is to let you know what I'm looking at: Komplete and Halion 4

 

[cobaltaudio]

virtual drummer has got a pretty good reputation, you might try that out

 

[exhnozoaa]

Native Instruments has a free version of Kontakt with way less sounds. You might want to try that out before buying the huge set, so you can see how you like their software and their sounds.
I really liked Kore, but they killed that product.

It's pretty much impossible to find convincing guitars, except maybe virtual nylon guitars for arpeggio stuff.
One more tip on guitar: I find that it sounds better to get a clean virtual guitar and run it through plugins than it does to get a virtual distorted guitar.

 

[grimtraveller]

It's pretty much impossible to find convincing guitars, except maybe virtual nylon guitars for arpeggio stuff.
One more tip on guitar: I find that it sounds better to get a clean virtual guitar and run it through plugins than it does to get a virtual distorted guitar.

Virtual instruments are one of the elements that, in my opinion, have revolutionized home recording. It's enabled dreamers like me that dreamed for 25 years of recording songs with instruments like sitars, saxophones and steel pans and many others to do so. But the existence alone of the VSTis doesn't guarantee glory. Because the real heavy weather is twofold ~ hunting down the VSTis and testing them out and then learning how to tweak them to realistic ends.
Personally, my quest began in 2004 and to some extent, still hasn't finished. I've got friends that play steel pans and I was about to buy one a couple of weeks back. I'm glad I delayed while looking for a 14 note pan because I found this fantastic sampled steel pan for free ten days ago. It is fantastic, it is not some synthesized fake, but a real played pan. The reason I mention this is twofold ~ firstly, there are some good free ones out there in cyberspace. You have to look and find and be disappointed. The same applies to the ones you buy. People will recommend but all our tastes are so different. I have an almost monomania about instruments sounding authentic. Sampling was great for that because at least you were getting the genuine instrument. But in order to get to the point where you are pretty much settled in what you have, you have to go through alot of packages and searches. It takes alot of time. This is part of an answer that I gave to this question some time ago. It still applies;

I have the software sampler Sampletank 2. It comes with more instrument sounds than even Quincy Jones and Queen could use in a lifetime. These sounds are actual samples of actual instruments, rather than synthesized versions of instrument sounds that didn't really sound accurate. When you play the sounds on Sampletank you're getting those sampled sounds. Now, to me, they are VSTis, which I understand to be virtual instruments. I have other VSTis such as Celtic Instruments, Danny Thompson double bass and Zero G harmonica which I have loaded into Sampletank. They contain single notes so you can play whatever melodies or notes you want to play. They also contain riffs and melodies that I suppose you can work into whatever song you're recording, if you are that way inclined (I tend not to be). On the other hand I also have Cubase 5 loaded into my recording computer (I used to have Cubase SE) but because I use a standalone DAW, I use Cubase to house my other VSTis. So loaded into Cubase is First call horns, MTRON (a mellotron), Lounge Lizard (electric piano), B4 (Hammond organ), Miroslav Philharmonik (orchestral instruments) and Swar systems (Indian instruments). These give me a range of colours to add to my recordings. They vary in quality, but again, to me they are VSTis (virtual instruments), though they are referred to as samples and sometimes sample sound libraries.

. You could add to that Sonik synth and Garritan personal orchestra. Sonik and Sampletank have guitars but I've never heard a good electric guitar VSTi. Sonik has one good acoustic guitar sound but I sold Sonik and have since learned how to get a good level when I mic an acoustic guitar so I don't feel a loss.
I would try to combine real instruments with virtual ones if you can. It's the combination, I find, that prevents the virtual ones standing too much scrutiny !
Hope this all helps.

 

[FunkDaddy]

Personally I find the stock Kontakt library a little lacking. Since you mentioned the Beatles, have you checked out East West's "Fab Four" collection? Seems like it might get you started in the right direction, though it might be a little too specifically designed

For drums, I always recommend ToonTrack...either EZD to get you started or Superior Drummer if you're pretty sure you're going to enjoy tweaking drum sounds.

 

[soundchaser59]

I am biased against Kontakt. If it works for your computer, you are lucky, but I never was completely satisfied with the sounds. If it has trouble with your computer (crashes, lockups, etc) it will never work completely right, and you will end up pissed. It never worked right for me. Everything else I have worked fine, so Kontakt went out the window and will never be allowed onmy machine again.

Cant speak to the virtual guitar, since I play guitar and mic tube amps. Nothing virtual ever sounds right.

Best drums for a newb are by far the Toontrack stuff. Nobody anywhere has combined drag n drop song construction with real drum sound quality as well as Toontrack, not even close. If you want to have a software drum machine where you program your own drum patterns, then the recommend might change, people like Jamstix and Addictive Drums for that. But I bought Toontrack to get away from programming drum patterns.

Best piano sound is the piano modeller Pianoteq. No big samples library, but it is processor intensive as it calculates the grand piano sound real time as you play. A fast core 2 duo or better should be able to handle it.

Other sounds I get good results from SampleTank, but I like Sonik Synth II better. Both have free demos you can download. For the real natural collection (orchestral, traditional instruments) get a demo from Garritan. It works better and sounds better, imo, than Kontakt.