Orchestral
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By Felix Ward
Best Double Bass Ensembles (2026): Orchestral Lows
The foundation. We review the best orchestral bass sections (Majestica, Berlin) for massive low-end weight.
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Last Updated: January 2026
The Composer's Guide to Orchestral Libraries (2026)
Building a virtual orchestra is an investment.
The best libraries don't just sound realistic; they inspire you to write better music. In an industry flooded with mediocre options, it is hard to know where to spend your money. We focus on tools that work when the director is waiting.
Read Full Introduction
We tested the Best Orchestral VSTs and high-end Kontakt Libraries in actual production environments.
The Criteria
We prioritize three things:
- Legato Quality: Are the interval transitions smooth and realistic?
- Consistency: Are the short notes tight and the long notes expressive?
- Playability: Can you perform the parts live, or do you need to draw in every MIDI CC?
Our curated lists below cover the essentials.
Building a virtual orchestra is an investment.
The best libraries don’t just sound realistic; they inspire you to write better music. In an industry flooded with mediocre options, it is hard to know where to spend your money. We focus on tools that work when the director is waiting.
We tested the Best Orchestral VSTs and high-end Kontakt Libraries in actual production environments.
The Criteria
We prioritize three things:
- Legato Quality: Are the interval transitions smooth and realistic?
- Consistency: Are the short notes tight and the long notes expressive?
- Playability: Can you perform the parts live, or do you need to draw in every MIDI CC?
Our curated lists below cover the essentials.
Orchestral
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By Louis Raveton
Best Convolution Reverbs (2026): Real Spaces
Put your instruments in a real hall. We review the top IR reverbs (Altiverb, Spaces II) for authentic orchestral blending.
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Orchestral
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By Louis Raveton
The Best Cinematic String Libraries for 2026
We tested the top string libraries for film scoring. From the lush legatos of CSS to the intimacy of Spitfire, find the best VSTs for emotional writing.
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Orchestral
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By Louis Raveton
Best Chamber Strings (2026): Intimate Detail
Small sections, big emotion. We review the best chamber string libraries (Spitfire, Tokyo Scoring) for intimate, detailed scoring.
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Orchestral
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By Louis Raveton
Best Boy Choirs (2026): Horror & Fantasy
Innocent yet creepy. We review the best children's choirs (Mercury, Liberis) for scoring horror intros and fantasy wonders.
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Orchestral
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By Louis Raveton
Best Action Strings for Fast Ostinatos: A Composer’s Guide
Need strings that can keep up? We review the best libraries for driving action cues, featuring NI Action Strings 2, aggressive spiccatos, and run engines.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which string library is best for beginners?
For beginners, all-in-one packages that include strings, brass, woodwinds, and percussion are ideal. They ensure all sections play well together and offer a unified workflow for learning orchestration.
What is the difference between dry and wet libraries?
Wet libraries are recorded in a hall with natural reverb (baked-in room tone). Dry libraries are recorded in a silent stage, giving you more control over spatial placement but requiring more work with reverb plugins to sound realistic.
What is 'Legato'?
Legato is a playing style where notes are connected smoothly without silence in between. In VSTs, 'True Legato' involves recording the actual transition intervals between notes for maximum realism.
Do I need an SSD for orchestral libraries?
Yes. Orchestral libraries stream thousands of samples in real-time. A standard Hard Disk Drive (HDD) cannot keep up, leading to audio dropouts and clicking. An NVMe or SATA SSD is mandatory.
How many mic positions do I need?
At minimum, a 'Mix' mic is sufficient. However, separate Close, Decca Tree (Main), and Ambient/Surround mics give you professional control over the depth and perspective of the instrument in your mix.
How much RAM do I need for orchestral templates?
For a basic orchestral sketch, 16GB is the minimum. However, for a professional template with multiple mic positions and articulations loaded, 32GB is recommended, and 64GB+ is ideal for full Hollywood-style templates.