I’m interested in starting to write for a string quartet, piano quintet, or any other classical composition. I currently own Cinematic Studio Strings and am considering getting Note Performer to enhance my projects. Has anyone here used this combination, and would you recommend it for classical music?
I’m also pondering whether to invest in “Berlin Strings” or “Spitfire Strings” to combine with Note Performer. Unfortunately, Cinematic Studio Strings does not include a solo double bass, so I might have to use the bass included with Dorico. Given this situation, I’m leaning towards looking into “Berlin Strings” or “Spitfire Strings”.
For quartet, quintet etc. I’ve been extremely happy with Spitfire’s abbey road 2. I felt it was the very best available about a year ago when I bought it, though libraries keep improving.
It has solo 1st & 2nd vln, vla, vlc and double bass. There is the pro and a less expensive version differing in mic choices.
AFAIK it is not meant for note performer - it’s made for you to manipulate a “tightness” cc parameter when working with shorter notes, and a “release” cc parameter for longer ones to do the kind of phrasing you might think of in note performer. In addition to control of expression, there’s cc for vibrato, bowing and others depending on the version.
IMO these kinds of parts are so exposed that tweaking is just mandatory. I like this collection for knowing that , and so it is designed to make that process comparatively easy - but it is a process.
Also FWIW, if I had to choose, I’d go with the cheaper version and spend the money saved on a 3D spatial processing tool like Dear Realities dearVR pro if you don’t have Mir. Play with the dearVR 30 day demo - ambisonics etc. is a for real technology - every reverb will ever after seem like flat Stanley to you It is evil of them to give you the demo. And I find that especially true with what you are attempting to do with solo instruments. IE when I want both the immersion but also the tight instrument localization. Otherwise if I have enough reverb or mics/surround to get one, I lose the other. Anyway, my nickel on the grass.