Ultra-modern chamber strings techniques
London Contemporary Orchestra Strings gives you everything you need to make cutting-edge chamber strings music. Unique among our String libraries, it offers you tools that capture the unconventional techniques and stunning performances of an extremely exciting group of musicians. With over 100 never-before-sampled, dynamically controllable articulations, this library provides a rich set of diverse recordings that are both ultra-playable and musical, giving you access to their widely sought after experimental palette. The library comprises six violins, four violas, three cellos and two basses, with the cellos in octaves, expertly recorded in a tight, dry studio at Spitfire HQ, giving you extra control and a crisp, modern sound.
Over the last decade, the London Contemporary Orchestra has collaborated with a distinguished array of composers, artists and brands and are known for their long-time collaboration with Radiohead, as well as game-changing performance and arrangement credits on blockbuster scores including Moonlight, There Will Be Blood and Under the Skin.
- You can buy now and download any time
- Students & educators save 50%
- Download user manual
- Includes Kontakt Player (free download)
- Compatible with NKS
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Spitfire Audio App required
Listen to London Contemporary Orchestra Strings
Awakening - Paul Sanderson
Approaching Umbriel - Mathias Pedersen
Is It Alive - Mathias Pedersen
A Tear Drops Part 1 - Oliver Patrice Weder
A Tear Drops Part 2 - Oliver Patrice Weder
A Fisherman's Heart - Homay Schmitz
In Action
Building Tension with LCO Strings
Cutting edge strings
Step into the world of the London Contemporary Orchestra, 15 players performing over 100 cutting edge articulations, recorded on our dry stage at Spitfire HQ by in-demand engineer Joe Rubel and Spitfire's Head of Product, Stanley Gabriel. In recent years, there has been a shift in string writing that is fast becoming a global movement, based on innovative techniques and performance styles notoriously impossible to program with the tools currently available. We recreated their popular workshop approach to curate a deeply versatile and most importantly, playable set of never-before-sampled articulations and playing styles that give you, at long last, the ability to demo and create cutting-edge, sophisticated string writing — the kind of work that is winning promising composers plaudits across the compositional landscape.
From sharp and angular to sincere beauty, these upfront strings are designed to make you think differently about string writing. In collaboration with the London Contemporary Orchestra, we have embraced technology to deliver a unique set of tools and instruments you would never hear outside a sampler.
Main features
- 6 Violins, 4 Violas, 3 Celli and 2 Basses, with the Celli in octaves
- Recorded in a tight, dry recording space, for extra control and a modern sound
- Over 100 articulations captured across all sections
- A unique ‘Detuned Open String’ instrument for each section
For each articulation
- 2 mic positions, Close and Room
- 2 individual stereo mixes, Full and Pumped
- 2 additional, printed analogue FX
- Integrated reverb, matched to the room, with control on the GUI
Behind the samples
The members of the LCO became interested in collaborating with us when we started experimenting with our Evolutions libraries. Over a period of two years, we worked together to create a library unlike any other, capturing the unique techniques and performance styles of an extremely exciting group of musicians for use in our own compositions, and creating new instruments with them only be possible by harnessing the power of modern sampling technology.
Winner of the Ensemble category at the Royal Philharmonic Society Music Awards in 2015, the London Contemporary Orchestra has established itself as one of the world’s most innovative and respected ensembles, focused on commissioning and developing new music and scores, and performing live all over the world. Formed in 2008 by co-Artistic Directors and conductors Robert Ames and Hugh Brunt, the LCO is at the top of their game, having collaborated with a wide array of musicians, creative figures and
platforms, including Radiohead, Frank Ocean, Jed Kurzel, Steve Reich, William Basinski, Mica Levi, Actress, Arcade Fire, Goldfrapp, Beck, Foals, Nike, Secret Cinema, Boiler Room, NTS, Resident Advisor, Terry Riley, Hannah Perry and Vivienne Westwood. Highlights include sold-out performances at renowned venues such as the Roundhouse, Printworks, Tate Modern, Southbank Centre,There Will Be Blood: Liveat the Barbican, the critically-acclaimed site-responsive series Imagined Occasions, and live broadcasts on BBC Radio 3. The orchestra has a strong arrangement, recording and performance record for world class film and television music, having recorded soundtracks such as The Master, Alien: Covenant, Macbeth, Phantom Thread,Assassins’ Creed,You Were Never Really Here,McMafia, Suspiria,American Animals,Moonlight, There Will Be Blood and Under the Skin, and featured heavily on Radiohead’s 2016 A Moon Shaped Pool.
The overview panel
This is the main interface for melodic instruments. Its default view displays all available playing techniques, has a simple microphone mixer and includes the main feature controllers.
General controls panel
This view allows further in-depth control of the instrument, showing all available signals and feature controllers, as well as the ability to purge techniques from memory to reduce system usage.
The Ostinatum
In this view you can add notes to a pattern sequencer, select which key it triggers on and then play for instant ostinato creation. It’s like an arpeggiator on a synthesiser.
What's Included
Instruments
- Violins
- Violas
- Celli
- Basses + Celli
Individual Articulations
Violins
- Violins - granular tremolo
- Violins - long detuned open - granular trem
- Violins - long detuned open - irregular trem
- Violins - long detuned open - normale
- Violins - long detuned open - granular to ord
- Violins - long granular to ord
- Violins - long harmonics
- Violins - long molto sul pont
- Violins - long slackened
- Violins - long spectral scrubs
- Violins - long sul pont
- Violins - long sul tasto
- Violins - long twitchy
- Violins - long woozy vib - quick pulses
- Violins - long woozy vib - slow pulses
- Violins - long woozy vib unmeasured
- Violins - vivid long
- Violins - short harmonics
- Violins - short percussive pizzicato
- Violins - short slackened
- Violins - short vivid spiccato
- Violins - short staccato dig
- Violins - short super pont scrapes
- Violins - tremolo sul pont
Violas
- Violas - granular tremolo
- Violas - long detuned open - granular trem
- Violas - long detuned open - irregular trem
- Violas - long detuned open - normale
- Violas - long detuned open - granular to ord
- Violas - long granular to ord
- Violas - long harmonics
- Violas - long molto sul pont
- Violas - long slackened
- Violas - long spectral scrubs
- Violas - long sul pont
- Violas - long sul tasto
- Violas - long tailpiece
- Violas - long twitchy
- Violas - long woozy vib - quick pulses
- Violas - long woozy vib - slow pulses
- Violas - long woozy vib unmeasured
- Violas - vivid long
- Violas - short harmonics
- Violas - short percussive pizzicato
- Violas - short slackened
- Violas - short vivid spiccato
- Violas - short staccato dig
- Violas - short super pont scrapes
- Violas - tremolo sul pont
Celli
- Celli - long detuned open - granular trem
- Celli - long detuned open - irregular trem
- Celli - long detuned open - normale
- Celli - long detuned open - granular to ord
- Celli - long granular to ord
- Celli - long harmonics
- Celli - long molto sul pont
- Celli - long slackened
- Celli - long spectral scrubs
- Celli - long tailpiece
- Celli - long twitchy
- Celli - long woozy vib - slow pulses
- Celli - long woozy vib unmeasured
- Celli - vivid long
- Celli - short percussive pizzicato
- Celli - short slackened
- Celli - short vivid spiccato
- Celli - short super pont scrapes
Basses & Celli
- Basses + Celli - long detuned open - granular to ord (bass only)
- Basses + Celli - long detuned open - granular trem (bass only)
- Basses + Celli - long detuned open - irregular trem (bass only)
- Basses + Celli - long detuned open - normale (bass only)
- Basses + Celli - long granular to ord
- Basses + Celli - long harmonics
- Basses + Celli - long molto sul pont
- Basses + Celli - long slackened
- Basses + Celli - long spectral scrubs
- Basses + Celli - long twitchy
- Basses + Celli - long woozy vib - slow pulses
- Basses + Celli - long woozy vib unmeasured
- Basses + Celli - vivid long
- Basses + Celli - short percussive pizzicato
- Basses + Celli - short slackened
- Basses + Celli - short vivid spiccato
Extended Techniques
- Violins - long techniques
- Violins - short techniques
- Violas - long techniques
- Violas - short techniques
- Celli - long techniques
- Celli - short techniques
- Basses + Celli - long techniques
- Basses + Celli - short techniques
Other Patches
- Violins - economic long
- Violins - economic short
- Violins - light resources
- Violins - time machine
- Violas - economic long
- Violas - economic short
- Violas - light resources
- Violas - time machine
- Celli - economic long
- Celli - economic short
- Celli - light resources
- Celli - time machine
- Basses + Celli - economic long
- Basses + Celli - economic short
- Basses + Celli - light resources
- Basses + Celli - time machine
Mics & Mixes
Mics:
- C - Close
- R - Room
- FX1
- FX2
Mixes
- MX1 - Full mix
- MX2 - Pumped mix
LCO Strings — Behind The Scenes
Testimonials
This is a really interesting library offering vast articulation options. It’s beautifully creative. Work with it and you will be rewarded with sonic gold.
FAQs
LCO Strings is different to what I'm used to and I'd like some help getting started with it
We strongly advise getting to know this library like you would any new instrument and remember this library is no less responsive than our others so imagine the players playing and use that modwheel! The walkthrough will also help you get the most out of the library. Watch it here.
How do I orchestrate if you don't include how the articulations are made?
A lot of these articulations are made in a workshop environment where the players bounce ideas off each other and are produced by our team, these articulations are born of that process. Most orchestrators will have a rough idea of how these sounds are made and playing the demo to the strings leader will be the fastest way of getting a close match.
Why are the Celli and Basses recorded together in LCO Strings?
In order for the ‘workshop’ system to work the players have to vibe off on each other in a group, the violins and violas are larger selections but many of the unique LCO bass work is based on blending the basses and celli together.