Symphonic Strings Vol. 1 v1.0 KONTAKT
19 May 2021 | KONTAKT | 6.30 GB
This is a light version of the Spitfire Audio BML Mural Symphonic Strings Vol. 1 library. The library features a 60-piece string section featuring 16 first violins, 14 second violins, 12 violas, 10 cellos, and 8 basses. The sound of the strings is very smooth and lush, and while the range of dynamics is adequate, the library excels in the softer dynamics. The library also features a good number of essential articulations, but the flautando articulation is a great addition. The biggest strength of this library is its wet, lush sound with the lovely AIR Studios natural ambience. It fits Cinematic compositions extremely well. It also makes the library a good tool for layering with drier libraries. The sound of the softer articulations like the flautando and the harmonics alone make it worth getting. So while the library may not be the most versatile option, it excels in emotional, cinematic contexts with a lovely sound that’s hard to get tired of!
Following changes were made to the library:
1. The “Ambient”, “Outrigger”, and “Leader” mic position sample groups were removed. The default “Tree” mic position has enough natural ambience, and the three mic positions that were removed were mostly left unused. The included “Close” and “Tree” mic positions allow for a great deal of flexibility while preserving the sound of the hall the strings were recorded in as well.
2. The samples in the original release were in 24-bit 48kHz format. The samples were converted to 16-bit 48kHz and repacked into NKX containers. A null test results in a peak of -85dB, which won’t be audible at all. Also, after quite some testing, no issues were found with noise floor build-up when playing lots of notes. The conversion process takes the size down to 6.30GB from the original 31.2GB, which is a 80% reduction! 
NOTE: Kontakt v5.8.0 or higher is required. This is an Open format library, so it can be used in both legit as well as k’d Kontakt.