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.
In this page:
- Hard drive delivery available at checkout
- You can buy now and download any time
Spitfire Audio App required
15 players
4 mics & 2 mixes
100+ articulations
Kontakt Player
Listen to London Contemporary Orchestra Strings
The overview panel
General controls panel
The Ostinatum
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
Videos
Reviews
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.
Read more FAQs for this productTech specs
Mac system requirements
Mac OS X 10.10 or later
Intel i5
Machine must be connected to the internet during install
PC system requirements
Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 10 (latest Service Pack, 32/64-bit)
Intel i5 or AMD Ryzen
Machine must be connected to the internet during install
File size
56.20 GB disk space required during install
28.10 GB download size
Too large to download? Choose hard drive delivery at checkout
Kontakt player
Kontakt Full or Kontakt Player 5.6.8 or higher