Introduction
At Spitfire Audio, we believe that having the ability to choose sounds that work for you is important and thus, we have created a wide variety of string libraries for every music maker. It is natural to feel a sense of “choice paralysis” when navigating our catalog. Below is a handy guide to our ever-growing collection of libraries featuring traditional stringed instruments and ensembles.
It should be noted that this focuses on libraries that include strings only; full orchestral libraries that also include strings have been excluded. That said, there are excellent, comprehensive string sections in our BBC Symphony Orchestra Series, our Albion Series, and in our Abbey Road One Series, etc. We encourage you to take a look at these libraries if you are looking for an "all-in-one" package.
FREE Strings Libraries in Our LABS Series
We offer a free series of libraries called LABS which includes several string ensembles. LABS is a great way to become familiar with the Spitfire Audio ecosystem without having to make an investment. All LABS libraries run in our award-winning dedicated plugin and offer broadcast-quality sounds for composers, producers, and anyone looking to add an eclectic edge to their music. We would recommend checking out the following LABS strings libraries:
LABS Strings, LABS Strings 2, LABS Frozen Strings, LABS Scary Strings, LABS Cello Moods, LABS Amplified Cello Quartet, and LABS Harmonic Flights.
Affordable Strings Libraries in Our Originals Series
The next step when considering investing in a Spitfire Audio strings library would be our ultra-affordable Originals series. All Originals libraries are 29 £/$/€ and are housed in our dedicated plugin accessible directly within your DAW, just like LABS. The Originals series string libraries are ensemble based and feature a variety of classic articulations. Another great feature of Originals are the mic positions and signals included; these allow you to tailor the mix as needed. All three libraries below were recorded in Lyndhurst Hall at Air Studios in London.
Originals Epic Strings is a large string orchestra that is perfect for action and adventure scoring where a “wide-screen” sonic landscape is essential.
Originals Intimate Strings is a small chamber-size string orchestra offering a delicate and detailed sound, ideal for setting contemplative moods.
Originals Cinematic Frozen Strings is an extremely small ensemble made up of two first and second violins, two celli, and two contrabassi yielding icy, cold textures and “scandi” sounds.
Spitfire Audio String Ensembles & String Orchestra Libraries
The next series of libraries are catered toward professional users offering hyper-realistic/human sound, comprehensive arrays of articulations and patches, mic positions, signals, mixes, and more.
Fractured Strings was created in collaboration with Bleeding Fingers Music, a composer collective founded by Hans Zimmer, in an effort to capture sounds their team developed for the BBC installment, Frozen Planet II. It features instrumentation consisting of violins and celli, and musically mimics glacial ice cracking, fracturing, and blooming. The sounds you’ll hear in this library are raw, unscripted recordings. This library includes a new feature called “Scale Mode” that allows you to tailor the key signature you’re working in. It is perfect for cold, tragic, splintering string passages. This library runs in our dedicated plugin and was recorded in Lyndhurst Hall at Air Studios.
Olafur Arnalds Chamber Evolutions is technically an Evo Grid library in the Olafur Arnalds series which also includes traditional non-Evo patches. The subtle string ensemble instrumentation is perfectly balanced and the articulations are similar to Fractured Strings featuring sampled phrases in various durations which can add excitement and movement to your compositions. Recorded at Air Studios, this library runs in Kontakt Player and is a perfect companion to Olafur Arnalds Evolutions.
London Contemporary Orchestra Strings, as the title suggests, was made in collaboration with the London Contemporary Orchestra strings section and offers a vast variety of unique and experimental sounds, articulations, and techniques. It is applicable to many styles, ranging anywhere from modern concert composition to horror and thriller scoring. It was recorded dry at Spitfire Audio HQ which makes the library quite flexible during the mixing process. This library runs in Kontakt Player and blends well with Alternative Solo Strings.
Spitfire Appassionata Strings is our flagship legato strings library featuring new legato scripting technologies bringing you ultra-convincing humanism and realism. The library is beautiful, extremely expressive, and equally easy to play. A variety of legato styles are offered as well as other select articulations. It fits in well with our Symphony Orchestra Series and was recorded in the Hall at Air Studios. This library runs in our dedicated plugin.
Spitfire Studio Strings and Spitfire Studio Strings Professional are part of our flagship Studio Orchestra Series and were recorded dry in Studio 1 at Air Studios. These libraries were designed to give you complete freedom when it comes to your mix as they are almost completely void of ambiance. They are perfect for pop arrangements where a drier sound is sometimes essential and for that classic “Hollywood” sound. These libraries run in Kontakt Player.
Hans Zimmer Strings was designed and recorded in collaboration with Hans Zimmer himself in Lyndhurst hall at Air Studios and features an enormous string orchestra comprised of hundreds of the world's finest string players. If you’re looking for the iconic, epic sound of Hans Zimmer, this is the library for you. It is quite versatile as it can sound titanic and voluminous but also soft and delicate. This library runs in our dedicated plugin.
Spitfire Chamber Strings and Spitfire Chamber Strings Professional focus on detail and sonic intimacy. They are the crowning jewels of the Spitfire Audio strings catalog, featuring a chamber orchestra of just sixteen players, beautifully recorded in the hall at Air Studios. Designed as part of our Symphony Orchestra Series, these libraries feature an incredible volume of articulations and patches as well as performance legatos and extended techniques which make them some of our most comprehensive and encyclopedic string libraries to date. They are versatile as workhorse libraries, being able to become delicate and sonorous but also powerful and dominant. They also include multiple mic positions, mixes, and signals to give you choice in the mixing process. This library runs in Kontakt Player.
Spitfire Symphonic Strings and Spitfire Symphonic Strings Professional are the final step in completing your strings collection and go hand in hand with our Chamber Strings and Solo Strings series. Featuring a large, symphonic string orchestra recorded in the hall at Air Studios, this library yields the ultimate cinematic sound to any score. Symphonic Strings includes hundreds of patches and articulations, as well as the usual mic positions and signals making this a professional tool for any composer. This library runs in Kontakt Player.
Spitfire Audio Solo Strings Libraries
The next addition one should consider making to their collection is a solo stringed instrument, either to blend with larger ensembles and orchestras, to be used for intimate chamber music passages, or as a soloist accompanied by an orchestra. We offer many solo stringed instrument libraries varying in sonic color, style, and genre.
Spitfire Solo Violin and Spitfire Solo Cello are extractions from Spitfire Solo Strings (Recorded in the Hall at Air Studios) and include the Total Performance Legato Patches for each instrument. They are affordable and offer advanced features including mic positions and signals and the ability to crossfade between different articulations via the expression slider. These libraries run in Kontakt Player.
Spitfire Solo Strings includes all five instruments in the standard, western stringed instrument family: violin, viola, violoncello, and double bass. There are three different styles of solo violin including Virtuosic, 1st Desk, and Progressive so that you can utilize the type of sound that fits your score best. There are three mic positions, and a comprehensive array of patches/articulations including legato, and advanced performance legato. This library runs in Kontakt Player and was recorded in the hall at Air Studios, designed as a part of our Spitfire Symphony Orchestra Series.
Ingenous Electric Cello is a legacy library that is a part of our Producer Portfolio series and was made in collaboration with Peter Gregson. The library runs in Kontakt Full and offers a searing, processed sound perfect for adding a contemporary yet classic edge to your music.
Alternative Solo Strings is related to Spitfire Solo Strings featuring the same instrumentation. It was designed to give an unconventional, unique sound perfect for darker, more dramatic scoring. This library runs in Kontakt Player and was recorded in-house at Spitfire Audio HQ.
Spitfire Sacconi Strings Quartet is another legacy library that serves as the ultimate string quartet writing tool featuring standard quartet instrumentation (Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola, Violoncello) which features Sacconi String Quartet recorded in London’s Wigmore hall. It is perfect for scoring that requires a traditional "classical" sound. This library runs in Kontakt Full.
Abbey Road Two: Iconic Strings (Core Edition) and Abbey Road Two: Iconic Strings (Professional Edition) are libraries made in collaboration with our partner, Abbey Road Studios. Offering a classic yet modern pop strings sound, you can instantly capture the character of "Eleanor Rigby" by the Beatles. Recorded in Abbey Road Studio Two, the library is very dry, giving you freedom when it comes to your mix. This library includes vintage signals that were recorded using the same equipment used on legacy Abbey Road recordings and runs in our dedicated plugin.
Spitfire Audio Evo Grid String Libraries
Our “Evo Grid” libraries offer something different than the traditional strings library. Evo Grids allow you to improvise and gain inspiration by relying on "randomness by design" to create characterful passages, textures, and soundscapes that evolve over time.
Angular Strings Evolutions and Evo Grid 3 are derived from the same sample content; Angular Strings Evolutions runs in our Dedicated Plugin and Evo Grid 3 runs in Kontakt Full. Described as “tense” and “spine-tingling,” this library is perfect for shimmery, mysterious and delicate tone beds. The library was recorded dry at Air-Edel studios.
Fragile Strings Evolutions was designed in the same vein as Angular Strings Evolutions but features more Avant-guard techniques which provide a darker sound pallet. The library was also recorded dry at Air-Edel studios. It runs in our dedicated plugin.
Spitfire Symphonic Strings Evolutions is an Evo Grid library that runs in Kontakt Player and uses sample content from our Symphonic Strings library. It is designed to achieve improvisatory sound beds and random movement but with a more traditional, symphonic sound. This library is perfect for people who have already purchased Symphonic Strings or Chamber Strings or are looking for Evo Grid technology that yields a standard string orchestra sound.
Olafur Arnalds Evolutions is another Evo Grid library that runs in Kontakt Player and was created in collaboration with Icelandic producer and composer Olafur Arnalds. It features a chamber-sized string orchestra and is perfect for creating delicate, warm, and cozy tonal beds with the perfect level of movement in your scores. Included also are warped patches that offer a processed sound for those looking to add a contemporary edge to a classic sound.
Spitfire Symphonic Motions is our solution to creating driving string ostinatos where realistic re-bowing is essential, a sound that is difficult to achieve with traditional samples. The Evo Grid allows you to tailor the pattern of the sampled ostinatum making the library particularly easy to play and create your own individual sound. There are plenty of presets to help you get started. This library runs in our dedicated plugin.