Native Instruments Session Strings Pro 2 Review

[Berenguer Miramontes]

Whenit comes to mocking up large-scale orchestral strings, there are plenty of sample libraries that address the subject, often brandishing buzz-words such as 'Hollywood', 'Cinematic' and 'Epic' amongst their USPs. The price tag and system requirements for such libraries can be equally epic, requiring a substantial financial outlay; not just for the software, but also for a system capable of realising their full potential. What isn't so commonly addressed is the need for a smaller string section suitable for pop productions, where a grandiose 64-piece string section is frequently inappropriate. Session Strings Pro (SSPro) aims to provide just that, at a relatively affordable cost.

Five articulations, a default plus four performance-dependent alternatives, can be set. The knob below Expression Control sets key signature, so SSPro can 'intelligently' select half-tone or whole-tone trills.

The single ensemble of Session Strings is multiplied fourfold in SSPro. Once again, each of the four 'sections' comprises four violins, three violas, two celli and two double basses, organised into two preset groups for Sections 1 & 2 and Sections 3 & 4. A Section 1 & 2 preset, for example, will load those two sections together, the balance between the two being adjustable from the 'Main' tab. As well as providing all-in-one 'ensemble' presets, SSPro includes separate presets for violins, violas, celli and basses. Not only does this afford each instrument its full playable range, but it allows for different articulations and custom dynamic control over each part, greatly enhancing an arrangement's realism. The four sections differ in the following ways: Section 1 (closely equivalent to that of Session Strings) has a close, dry sound, with the basses placed centrally. The celli are panned equally to each side of centre, with the violas spread wider still, giving the violins the widest stereo panorama. Section 2 employs the same orchestral seating, but with the mics placed further from the players. Although the Section 1 and 2 samples sound like the same sampled performances (ie. not double the number of players), a mix of both sections provides a warmer and fuller tone than either section on its own. Section 3 and 4 presets follow a similar close/far mic placement pairing, but with traditional orchestral seating (basses to the right, progressing to violins on the left) for the closer-miked section 3, and the opposite stereo placement for the distant-miked section 4. Of course, you can layer Section 1 & 2 presets together with Section 3 & 4 equivalents on the same MIDI channel, for an even fuller sound. However, what isn't clear is whether Sections 1 & 2 are actually separately sampled performances to those of Sections 3 & 4. All four sections layered together certainly doesn't sound like a 44-piece ensemble, but I found that detuning Sections 1 & 2 against Sections 3 & 4 (about 10 cents seemed a good amount) gave a reasonable impression of larger resources.

Production presets are optimised for recording, and provide up to six possible articulation choices, selectable via latching keyswitches. There is no default articulation here; the one that plays is the last one you selected. No two keyswitches can share the same articulation, but you can leave as many as you like empty, so only the articulations you need are loaded. The default keyswitch assignments can be fully customised if you wish, with the caveat that if a keyswitch is placed within the sounding range of an instrument, the keyswitch function presides, and that note makes no sound.

Words that come to mind when describing the overall sound of SSPro are clear, precise and intimate. Some may feel it's a little too precise, considering that SSPro is primarily aimed at pop productions, which often benefit from a few rough edges. This could well be due to the extremely accurate tuning. A little laxity here, especially with regard to the very close unison tuning between instruments in the same group, might help SSPro sound a little less 'genteel' for some applications. The individual instrument types have very distinct characters; the basses are very focused, packing low-end weight without sounding muddy. The celli are warm and expressive, benefiting from occasional touches of the portamento and glissando articulations. The Violas are quite possibly the star of the show; rich, warm and authoritative, with a lovely resonance, they carry a melody particularly well. The violins sound best in their lowest octave, but above that the sustaining articulations feel like they lose momentum. My personal feeling is that their loudest dynamic is underplayed, and a smidgeon more vibrato wouldn't have gone amiss to impart a more energetic feel.

The Ensemble presets can be very demanding on polyphony when both sections are active and dynamics are controlled by the mod wheel rather than key velocity. In these circumstances, as many as 12 voices are playing at once for each note, and this can mount up to 24 when playing notes that fall within positional crossfade zones. It's not unusual for a three-note chord to gobble up 48 notes of polyphony, and the release samples can cause this to climb above 100 if you're playing legato, and reasonably quickly! If this becomes a problem in a busy sequence, you can halve the polyphony, at the expense of tone, by setting the level of section 2 (or 4) to 'off'. Alternatively, programme each part using the individual violin, viola, cello and bass patches. They don't make use of positional crossfades, so they consume marginally less polyphony, and make for a more natural-sounding result, with independent control over each part's dynamics and articulations.

String libraries offering similar weight and function to SSPro appear to be scarce, and the following three examples were the closest candidates. Miroslav String Ensembles: Composer's Dream offers both large and smaller ensembles, the smaller representing significantly more players than SSPro. Although VSL Chamber Strings comprises a similar number of players to SSPro, its tone and performance style is distinctly classical, and not specifically geared to 'modern' styles. Audiobro LA Scoring Strings: the full version of LASS provides the means to build ensembles to the required size, making it the most likely to match the equivalent 'weight' of SSPro. It also includes the ART Script tool, which surely inspired SSPro's own Animator. And the cost? Session Strings Pro is approximately half the price of the first two examples, whilst LASS carries a substantial four-figure price tag.

Realistic note transitions (such as true legato) were once the Holy Grail for sampled instruments, and most high-end libraries now boast their own implementation of this feature. Whilst SSPro doesn't rise to the same levels of sophistication as the bigger libraries in this respect, it nevertheless makes a brave stab at the task. SSPro provides three monophonic transitions: legato, glissando and portamento. The legato articulation is fairly believable across one- or two-semitone intervals, but as the intervals become progressively larger they don't 'smear' quite as seamlessly as they should. Ironically, when large-interval transitions are played with the polyphonic sustain articulation and butt-joined notes, the release samples provide enough glue to create fairly seamless joins. Glissando transitions use a fixed-speed semitone slide up or down to the target note, regardless of the starting note, and these can work well when used sparingly for smaller intervals. Larger interval glissandi can be faked by playing a rapid scale of overlapping notes, triggering a series of slides that blend the 'missing' notes together. Portamento is a faster, more subtle version of the glissando articulation, and again works best when treated in the same way as glissandi.

SSPro sits neatly in the gap between chamber ensemble and symphony orchestra, with a clarity that makes it easy to place in a mix. It's nearly 20 times larger than its predecessor, featuring four sections, each with seating and mic-placement characteristics, more articulations, and preset configurations optimised for live and sequencing situations. This library delivers strings on a smaller 'pop' scale, but is actually suitable for many musical genres.

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Native Instruments Session Strings Pro puts meticulously sampled contemporary studio strings under your fingertips. Be the composer and conductor - what a power trip! Session Strings Pro lets you stack up to four ensembles consisting of four violins, three violas, two cellos and two basses - and the sounds are simply sensational. Native Instruments set the stage with the original Session Strings. Session Strings Pro ups the ante with separate instrument groups, numerous instrument placement options, a palette of articulations, and massive sonic range. Sweeten your tracks to perfection with Session Strings Pro.

In addition to outstanding sample quality, articulations are a must for authentic, expressive sample-based strings. Within Session Strings Pro, Native Instruments has provided 29 articulations - many with custom control options. Session Strings Pro also lets you define define a root key for trills, ensuring that they automatically use the correct intervals. Glissando lets you control glide speed using your controller, while control over bow noise adds a convincing finishing touch.

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