December 28th, 2009 – These days, one of the most powerful tools that accompanies a good DAW is an included sampler and a sample library full of a variety of instruments. Realizing this, almost all DAWs include a decent starter kit of samples for you to produce with. However, these kits can only take you so far, before you want to expand to something more powerful and articulated.

If you’re looking to expand your orchestral instruments, there are two big names that rise to the top of the pile: Vienna Symphonic and EastWest/Quantum. Both have incredibly articulated, meticulously recorded, and ridiculously complete libraries. In fact, most of the Hollywood soundtracks you hear, are produced entirely with these libraries since they sound fantastic, and it’s expensive to record with a real orchestra.

Vienna Symphonic is perhaps the premiere library, but it’s also far out of the financial reach of a basement composer at $9,000 for a full package. The EastWest/Quantum Complete Composers Collection is on sale right now for $1000. But even if you don’t have a thousand dollars to drop on a sample library, you can get the EastWest/Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestra Starter Edition for free. Just fill out a survey and you’ll get your download codes. I downloaded it a couple nights ago, and you get about 1.4 gigs of goodness.

EastWest/Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestra Starter Edition via Synthtopia