Personal orchestra

Many virtual instruments makers have some sort of bundle in their catalog or subscription (EW composer cloud, Soundiron Omega)

When I think to the meaning of the word “complete” I imagine some sort of “everything bundle”. NI Komplete is not so complete so there is also Komplete Ultimate. When looking at the list of included products there are some oddities :

Many pianos libraries
Many drums libraries (in fact all the drums they have)
Older stuff like Heavyocity Evolve (from 2008) which is surpassed with AEON. Even Evolve mutation bundle is a better buy. So they offers also Evolve mutations 1 and 2
No Emotive Strings, Strum Guitar
Now that Reaktor is at 6th reiteration You get only Reaktor 5 with Komplete

That means that maybe the other products will be included in a Komplete Ultimate Turbo Extra upcoming version…

The ideal deal would be a package in which customer can choose differents elements like EW packages (7 products for xxx$) or a subscription based.

We may find many products when seeking for instruments libraries category “Strings” (this is also true for percussions!)

So first I will list some and then review them one by one (or redirect to already excellent reviews made by others), for now we are speaking of orchestral music the solo or small ensembles will come later.

Diverse strings ensembles which I have in mind and for some I experienced:

From within an orchestral library

the basics are in the older one’s like Edirol HQ orchestra (discontinued) or IK Multimedia’s Miroslav Philharmonic. The last beeing still in sales (only 32 bit). REMARK this is not the same as the Miroslav’s Strings
Complete orchestral collection (Peter Siedlaczek). Here we have many patches with keyswitches. It is a mixed dish and may take time to explore and find the needed one.
Garritan’s Personal Orchestra, the other one beeing Instant Orchestra (remembering ProjectSAM’s products)
East West products, they always in a variety of options. Symphonic Orchestra Silver, Gold, Platinium and Platinium Plus! The funny thing here is that Silver and Gold are also named “complete” but only the platinium plus is “complete” Prices ranging from around 100€ to 500€. Beware that the great sounding demos are mainly from the top end product.
ProjectSAM’s Symphobia 1 and 2, accompanied with Orchestral essentials 1 and 2. OEs are selection of the preceding ones so do not except to get a complete range of instruments. As Garritan Instant Orchestra ProjectSAM have also readymades ensemble textures and/or progressions named Animator and Orchestrator.
Cinesamples are also offering a variety of products from Cinesymphony lite to the full range of cinesymphony Core and bundles. Also the readymades Cinestring runs and Cineorchestra
Spitfire’s Albion and BML series (Sable & Mural). I found the strings in Albion just superb!
Sonokinetic have also a “normal” playable orchestra named Da Capo. Their other products are “ready made” transitions, runs and phrases.
VSL products which I do not know at all (unless the basics VSL included in Kontakt Factory Content counts). They have been pioneering the instrument libraries for long but for some reasons I have kept myself out of it.
One honorable mention to Indiginus Solid State Symphony which is not an orchestal library but an inspiring small all-in-one synth tool.

Libraries about strings only

Cinematic Strings, I will go more in detail with this one!
Berlin Strings, relatively unknown (not marketing agressively) and not cheap at all. The patches includes also a mini phrase sequencer à la Albion.
Audiobro’s LASS (LA scoring strings) serie. LASS include sophisticated scripting about articulations, dynamics and more.
East West, Hollywood strings Gold and Silver editions
Miroslav’s String Ensembles 2.0, this one is 64bit.
Cinesamples Cinestring CORE
8DIO have some of the best products, the Adagio collection with ensembles, divisi and also solo instruments. Adagietto released after Adagio, purpose to serve an whole strings orchestra ready to play. Agitato serie in which are some very developed scripting automation in favor of playing and sounding realistic.
Native Instruments Action Strings, readymade articulations and rhytms.