VSL Big Bang Orchestra Strings v1.1

Vienna has always been the city of strings – a place where craftsmanship, artistry, and centuries of musical tradition converge. On our own scoring stage, the string sections of the Vienna Synchron Orchestra embody that legacy, blending seamlessly with the grand acoustics of Stage A to create a lush, luminous sound that has become a defining hallmark of the Big Bang Orchestra.

Overview

String ensembles playing in unison and in octaves

Includes a massive 112 piece string ensemble

Multiple microphone positions, additional close mic positions

Real legatos, glissandos, espressivo, swells, trills, pizzicatos, etc.

Flow View for easy, intuitive and effortless playing

Let Your Strings Flow

Combining the full sample content of the previously available BBO Packs Lyra (High Strings), Musca (Low Strings), and the monumental string ensembles of Zodiac (Supermassive Ensembles), BBO Strings brings together the full force and beauty of Vienna’s string power in one comprehensive collection. Enhanced by our intuitive Flow View, every articulation and ensemble is at your fingertips, ready to inspire seamless creativity and effortless symphonic flow.

High Strings

The High Strings patches capture the soaring elegance of Vienna’s finest string players. With 14 first violins, 12 second violins, and 8 violas performing together – the violas an octave below the violins – this ensemble offers a broad and balanced tone that is ideal for lyrical melodies, sweeping themes, and radiant textures.

Recording all three sections performing together allows for perfect musical cohesion. Each player instinctively adjusts intonation, tone color, phrasing, and vibrato to the collective sound, resulting in an organic unity that feels alive and deeply expressive. The result is a seamless orchestral timbre that shines in any mix, whether used alone or layered with the full Big Bang Orchestra tutti performances.

Low Strings

The Low Strings ensemble – six cellos and four double basses performing together in octaves – provides the solid foundation and emotional depth essential to any orchestral arrangement. Their perfectly balanced interplay creates a resonant, homogeneous sound that anchors your compositions with warmth, gravity, and subtle power.

As with the high strings, recording both sections together ensures the natural interaction and micro-adjustments that make a live performance so special. The result is an incredibly coherent and full-bodied tone – rich in resonance, yet articulate enough to support detailed orchestral writing.

Supermassive Ensembles

When 112 string players unite, the result is nothing short of breathtaking. These uber-large ensembles offer a truly monumental sound that expands and enriches your arrangements with epic depth and grandeur – not just a bit louder, but smoother, broader, and more enveloping.

1st Violins – 30 players

2nd Violins – 26 players

Violas – 20 players

Cellos – 22 players

Basses – 14 players

The Tutti patches feature all sections performing together, either in their natural voicing across six octaves or in condensed form spanning four. Octave combinations between sections – such as violins/violas, violas/cellos, or cellos/basses – create richly layered textures ideal for dramatic builds and cinematic crescendos.