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But I ran though your list (real quick) and since solo strings and “bite” were your big requirement I’m surprised that you DIDN’T go for London Solo Strings?

That's a good question. On paper, London Solo Strings looks like a good deal. It's got a ton of articulations, and is relatively inexpensive, and I spent a lot of time looking into it.

Much of the problem is that it's hard to get a good idea what a library sounds like from just a couple of samples, and the reviews are sparse. So there's not a whole lot of information available on the library.

There aren't a lot of places I could find audio demos for the library. There are some on the Big Fish Audio site, and a YouTube review review.

The Big Fish Audio demos didn't impress me. The instruments sound shrill and metallic - a restrained and severe string quartet sound meant more to blend than to be a solo instrument. For long, sustained chords, they sound OK, but not very pleasant. In the YouTube review at 4:08 the Violin Cresc Med sounds rather nice for a "gypsy" sort of violin, but again, each note is detached.

I can't imagine being able to use the library on a legato, singing melody line. The notes don't seem to flow together into melodic phrases.

There aren't many people who are posting examples from this library. I was able to find this video and this video, and they confirm my feelings that it doesn't lend itself to cantabile playing.

Again, that's all very subjective, and based on not enough information. If I had a chance to play with the library itself, I might change my mind. It certainly looks like it should be a good library.

-- David Cuny
My virtual singer development blog

Vocal control, you say. Never heard of it. Is that some kind of ProTools thing?