06-10-2018, 08:26 PM
(06-10-2018, 07:28 PM)peastman Wrote: But I worry whether I'm missing something by relying entirely on free and inexpensive libraries. I can work within their limitations, and in a lot of ways I think it's amazing how much they can do. But do more knowledgeable people hear my music and think, "This sounds like it was made with cheap instruments. It would have sounded better if he had used a better library?" I'm totally willing to spend more money if I'm certain of getting something valuable for it. But I don't want to spend $600 and then discover I wasted it on a library that's no better than what I already had.
Well... keeping in mind what I have said previously, both in this thread and in others, I'm probably not the right person to answer this question. To reiterate, I'm not into modern hi-tech libraries, I don't own any, and I'm not overly interested in them either. I guess I'm more of a "retro-VO" composer than someone who lives at the bleeding edge of sampling, looking for new ways to take the realism of my music to the next level. I still feel that I'm limited more by my skills as a composer rather than the shortcomings of the libraries I have at my disposal (basically, there are examples of virtual orchestration from the very early 2000's that sound far more convincing than anything I've ever done, which means technology isn't the main issue here). So this is my $0.02.
Personally I would be OK with just using freeware and cheap libs today. I mean, in a desert island type of scenario, where I just had freeware to choose from, I'd have no problem making some cool music with it. There is just SO much stuff to choose from nowadays compared to just 10 years ago. Sure, you won't be able to cover all bases and you'd be limited in terms of versatility, but sound quality is the least of your worries. Even free stuff sounds pro-level these days -- you're usually limited in terms of articulations and dynamics instead. But creative usage of samples should get you a long way.
(06-10-2018, 07:28 PM)peastman Wrote: But do more knowledgeable people hear my music and think, "This sounds like it was made with cheap instruments. It would have sounded better if he had used a better library?"
I can only speak for myself, but people who are more into the technological aspects than the music itself is not my target audience and I honestly don't care what they think They're missing the point IMO, and while you should always strive to make your music sound the best it can on all levels, getting obsessed with sample quality and "sounding professional" is counterproductive. Just use the tools you have and make some good music. If you eventually find that you need better tools, get them. No one else should tell you that your music would be better if you had better samples, that is just stupid and safe to ignore.
"Well that Jimi Hendrix guy was a decent guitarist, but he would have sounded much better with a modern guitar and amp." Said no one ever (I hope)