A cinematic orchestral sample library drawn from the acclaimed ProjectSAM catalog, offering ensembles, solos, choir, percussion, keyboards, and sound design in a streamlined single-microphone setup.
Purpose and Scope
Orchestral Essentials 2 is a stand-alone sample library that distills the cinematic character of ProjectSAM’s larger collections into a focused, playable toolkit. It is designed for composers who already have core orchestral sounds but want additional colors and combinations without the complexity of multi-microphone mixing.
The library presents a curated selection of sounds taken from the Symphobia, True Strike, and other ProjectSAM libraries, each reworked to fit the Orchestral Essentials concept. Every instrument is available in a single microphone position, either close or stage depending on the source, ensuring a consistent and immediate sound. It works independently of Orchestral Essentials 1 and does not repeat its content.
Key Capabilities and Instruments
The library includes mixed orchestra patches that are genuine live recordings of sections playing together, such as full orchestra with choir or strings with brass, with no post-recording layering. Individual sections cover strings (sordinos, flageolets, spiccato, ponticello), brass (an eight-player French horn section, tuba, trumpet), and woodwinds (flute, oboe, clarinet with contrabassoon).
Five legato instruments were recorded with note-to-note transitions for all intervals up to an octave: solo trumpet, solo flute, solo oboe, cellos with bassoon, and bass clarinet with contrabassoon. Percussion includes big drums, timpani rolls, vibraphone, bowed cymbals, and bell tree. Keyboards offer a grand piano, box organ, cimbalom, and prepared piano. A full choir and a Dystopia sound design section complete the palette.
Workflow and Integration
The 2.0 version introduced a new engine with an all-in-one browser, reimagined Multis, an improved legato engine, envelopes, filters, and Adaptive Sync. These features support fast navigation and inspiration. The library is NKS-compatible and includes a Kontakt Player license, so it runs without a full version of Kontakt.
Programs are organized by category: Mixed Orchestra, Strings, Brass, Woodwinds, Percussion, Keyboards & Harp, Choir, and Dystopia Sound Design. Thematic Multis combine instruments into ready-to-play setups, useful for sketching or immediate playback. Tuning and concert hall silence options are included as bonus patches. The audio pool is 22 GB (11 GB on disk) at 44.1 kHz/24-bit.
Practical Applications and Limitations
This library fits composers who need a streamlined orchestral palette for film, TV, or game scoring, particularly for adding distinctive articulations and ensemble colors. The single-microphone design speeds up template loading and keeps mixing simple, while the legato instruments suit melodic writing. The mixed orchestra patches excel for dramatic hits and cinematic swells.
Users of Orchestral Essentials 1 will find all-new content, and the new volume complements rather than replaces it. Owners of full Symphobia libraries should note that Orchestral Essentials 2 offers only one microphone set and fewer articulations per instrument than the originals. It does not include any content from Orchestral Essentials 1, and a license for that volume is not required.
Key features
- Brand-new selection from the ProjectSAM catalog
- Mixed orchestra patches recorded live, no layering
- Five legato instruments with note-to-note transitions
- Full choir articulations and new epic percussion
- Intimate piano, box organ, and cimbalom keyboards
- Dystopia sound design section
- Kontakt Player license and NKS support
Best for
Best for composers seeking a self-contained cinematic orchestral palette with immediate playability, especially those wanting to expand a basic template with distinctive ensemble recordings, legato solo instruments, and thematic Multis without multi-mic mixing complexity.