The biggest question for me about this is whether Session Strings Pro 2 designed to be played live as Session Strings Pro 1 was.
(I don’t have Session Strings Pro but I understand from this forum that Session Strings Pro 1 was meant for live performance as well as for studio).
It is really dependant on what SSP requires, and what your computer is able to handle. I would love to use Omnisphere live, but my laptop would probably not be able to handle it.
You can basically use anything live, but it doesn’t mean you will like it in that setting. I have found strings in M1 and Roland SRX are lighter on resources and sound much better in a live situation than the larger libraries. It boils down to computer abilities, venue needs, and personal taste. Sometimes there are sacrifices, but such a wide array of VSTs makes it easier to get close to what you need.
You can’t always get what you want, but you get what you need
For me the most important thing for live usage is how it respond to velocity, and whether it let me to play expressively like a piano player with dynamics-velocity correlation.
For me the most important thing for live usage is how it respond to velocity, and whether it let me to play expressively like a piano player with dynamics-velocity correlation.
I believe that a strong laptop can carry those VST instruments, it is just a matter of investment.
That’s why companies do allow demo downloads. Nowadays, many do not. Only you can make the judgement. I have been bitten several times purchasing a VI based solely on the slick company ads and no demo. If SSP2 allows no demo, then you need to google reviews, then either you pull the trigger or not. I mostly will not purchase a product now without a demo, because only I know what I expect, and so many VI’s have let me down. Again, only you can make that judgement.
SSP2 looks like other Session (whatever). There are separate controls for studio and playing live. Playing live has Key Switches (MIDI notes 0-12) that can trigger various articulations. I’ve been using key switches with Session Horns Pro to add trumpet shakes and such. With bindings, just about anything can cause the key switch to trigger. I’m using current versions of Session Horns Pro and Session Strings Pro (1.4) on a couple of songs and they don’t seem to be any heaver than anything else Kontakt. Session Horns does take a while to load, though. I haven’t tried @brad’s shiny new profiler on either. Hopefully, tomorrow.
I haven’t figured out what SSP2 has that SSP (1.4) doesn’t, but the upgrade is US$149. It’d have to be pretty exciting.