BBC SO vs OPUS 

OPUS sounds like a Hollywood flavor, while BBC SO sounds more traditional. I'm glad to have them both in my arsenal though, because mixed and matched you can do some really great things.

I think opus sounds way more like an actual recording

The full ochestra sample sounds surprisingly similar! Almost as if the only difference was slight change of reverb tone/brighter snare drum in BBC SO.

Awesome exercise. OPUS holds up really well considering the price. Their completely collection is really massive and is perfect for cinematic scoring and video games.

One thing I noticed in HOOPUS is that it's much more manual than BBC SO in terms of control in attack, as showcased in 6:40. The strings sound slightly late, making it a little bit off for that dynamic layer. I'd say BBC SO is much better in terms of just plopping music in with it working, which is something HOOPUS could definitely improve upon in terms of mixing. This obviously leads to misunderstanding in quality, though, which would be incorrect. I would personally say HOOPUS Diamond and BBC SO Pro are about equal in terms of quality, although one could suit the needs of someone, and the other could suit the needs of another. All-in-all, HOOPUS is almost half the price of BBC SO Pro on sale during sales, so I would recommend that if you're on a budget. Otherwise, get both!

I bought OPUS, have Spitfire Symphonic Strings and Symphonic Motions, but for me BBC SO is the winner. It has been recently recorded and sounds more precise and more clean...I think I shoud have bought BBC SO...plus a lot of bugs with OPUS!

Great thanks a lot. At first listen I will say a preference for the BBC. But I'll come back and listen ...

Thank you Fabio!

I feel like if you listen to the individual sections the BBC might sound better at some points, but especially listening to the harp and perc it just lacks a natural depth IMHO. If you listen to everything combined to me personally the OPUS sounds way more realistic and just flat-out better. I haven't made a decision yet watching this thinking about pulling the trigger on OPUS

Great work, subscribed.

Thank you .

Nice comparison

I think our modern ears are attuned to brighter sounds and OPUS sounds more open but brighter. BBC is more controlled but perhaps a bit richer in sound. I have BBC and E/W HO but had not upgraded to OPUS yet, but probably will. I'm an absolute sound hog with several orchestral libraries. I love them all! Audio Imperia Orchestral Core is also very good, possibly the best. I have lots of Cinesamples and the lifetime Musio, their is a "smoothness" to their strings that are hard to beat.

Opus is not loud because they give you a mixing headroom.Articulations are very dynamic and u have to mini mix them yourself..

you know what is interesting, when isolated I find great advantages in BBC on these ADAM ax7s and sub but then when it call comes together Opus crushes it in my opinion. Then Opus strings crushed it one on one. Like it could just be basic mixing from out of the box kinda the deal and how the MIDI responds to reach, I have the snare on Jaegar and needed it vs Other all in ones and stuff so I have that if it's even just mixing. I personally will never probably buy BBC I'll round out my collection so far with Nucleus and Aria I already have Jaegar. the Arks are the next for me when they come down in price some. and oh gosh do I have so much other stuff now and guitars. My Opus is downloading so stoked. I have so many other Libraries as well is perhaps why not BBC. I will get Tunda and Albion when I feel like it on sale they are in my happy price range then. The most stunning Strings I've been hearing I don't own though is the Impact Soundsworks Tokyo. I love love love their approach. Those strings make me want to cry. Perhaps next black Friday or 1st sale. I feel even if I had those Tokyo Strings/Tunda and perhaps Sunset strings I'll be good ... of course all the Arks when they drop the price and I'm ready. Right now 8dio is pulling some heavy weight and I really love United Strings of Europe the legato/porto and emotional Cello is my favorite Cello with MSS Solo Viola Auddict. Showroom Violin and Virtuoso by Auddict. See someday I'll upgrade my Komplete I don't own the Cremona series which may even keep me off of Emotional Viola/Violin. Their Symphony Series Complete has been great once I figured out how to use it I love how wet it is when I want that and Furia Staccato by Impact Soundworks the 8Dio Majestica is massively wet but I figured out how to fit them in too when needed. But yeah all the Arks, Toyko String, Tunda, and Nucleus and Aria I believe in since Jaegar cuts through the mix so well. Kirk Hunter Diamond is super cheap sometimes I love some of those patches there is so much I won't dog any of it for when it came out, price point and it's been great and sometimes just fits in one of my favorites that's been there forever. I own all 8dio strings except Intimate Studio which is another must have for me on sale. I have so much more too I'm not mentioning I know a lot of people have a lot more but gosh once I figured out the woodwinds in Symphony Complete NI It really connected a lot for me, but it looks BBC has so much covered I won't ever justify this and now I have Opus. Aria stuff I find totally unusable. I'm sorry to say that. Every time I try I fail. I think the ticket to entry is insane honestly, I wish companies made it easier, I know we can use cheaper libraries but it's not the same in my experiences when stuff just pours out and you have all these ready to go patches panned and reverb or dry and not or intimate or whatever I better get back to my hard rock song. Stoked about Opus though I'm producing Hard rock, country , pop, bluegrass at the moment lol also stoked to try the Opus options like Jaegar has to change the mix styles or something classic epic modern buttons or whatever I wish Microslav Philharmonic had Purge. I used them on a demo before and the strings like hit me so deep the piece I was like whatttt this is that library just a part of my Total Max bundle but no purge but some good stuff in there! Even cheap stuff I could get like Sonivox Companion Orchestra worked so well in EDM Dang I want those Tokyo Strings and the Arks. SOOOO glad though and thankful I've been able to have so much. It's hard keeping it all backed up. I'm at nearly 15tb active sounds

Great comparison, but bring new to orchestrating, I got Opus because it was on sale and it’s my only full library. I hot I made the right choice and it seems all these libraries like BBCSO see great. They all sound great too me. Did I make the right choice with Opus?

For brass and strings got with Hollywood, the rest BBCSO!

I'm a sound designer and trying to get to scoring in last year or so (using Dorico Pro) so my perspective is more about the tone quality rather than the software features / user friendliness, etc. Although primarily Dorico users prefer traditional approach (BBCSO in this case) but I always felt that the room sound which is the highlight of Spitfire recordings make the sound less defined and the reverb tail is a bit too long for my taste. It sounds musical and round which is nice but I wish there was a more defined, transparent, yet silky and musical version of the close mic placement / sound treatment. Based on feedback I got the close-mic content of Spitfire is not very interesting and their highlight is the room sound. Please correct me if that is not the case. Hollywood tone definition and sound stage (openness) creates a sense of realism and being invigorating and it reminds me of Vienna Symphonic Library for transparency. Well I think VSL instrument tones are even more defined (may be some people don't like having so much definition, not sure) so in that case EW Hollywood ends up being in the middle of VSL and Spitfire by means of real sound of the instrument (without the room effect), tone definition, etc. Also I saw a list of string articulations / variations for EWHO and it seems up to about 28 or so. Not sure if BBCSO is in that level as well but it is important for ones using programming every nuance of the strings in Dorico (or other notation software) to use a library with as many articulations as possible. Also price-wise EWHO is more affordable (about 1/2 the price of BBCSO). The other advantage for Dorico and Cubase users is that EWHO expression maps are usable right off the bat to program the articulations (recalling in real time which sample to use for which note) with ease and convenience. The only symphonic library that is perhaps better for Dorico / Cubase is Steinberg's Iconica as far as expression map and playback template is concerned. Apparently Iconica sounds more sterile like VSL so it is not meant to be invigorating or cinematic or having embedded reverb which is good for traditional approach and control, but Iconica is 3 times the price of EWHO!!

I was astonished at how fake sounding some of the opus instruments were when I tried the composer cloud. BBCSO changed a lot for me, it’s not perfect all the way around but it’s pretty incredible what it can accomplish

OPUS!!!

this is awesome! thank you for sharing this!:):) subbed!:):)

BBC SO clears this easily.

both of them are really great ! but I personally prefer BBC better, anyway I'v got both of them already

As a long time East West user, I’m now finding that newer libraries have a brighter, crisper, maybe fuller tone, while East West has a bit more muted, muddier, flatter tone. Am I right or just going insane? Lol. Trying to get my mixes fuller and brighter, and it doesn’t seem to be a mixing issue. Time to upgrade to newer libraries I think

Personally, I think that BBCSO sounds more full and cinematic. That said, I have OPUS and love it. Out of curiosity, is the Core or Pro version of BBC? Gold or Diamond for HO?

I prefer Hollywood Opus, but both sound great. 👍

Opus sounds more modern

which one was your favorite library? would also like to see the difference using Albion One and abbey road one! that would be awesome

CORE? Professionnal?

BBC full sounds louder than Opus full. This is not fair. You’re inclined to think BBC sounds better as a result. Opus should be a bit louder, to really compare right.

And Steinberg Iconica OPUS ?

Io voto Fabio! 😄

사실적인 현장감의 소리는 opus가 좋아보인다

I have both libraries and somewhat I like BBC more from workflow to sound quality. In your comparison, you’ve successfully demonstrated the weakness of Opus. It needs more twists and mixing techniques to achieve the results. However, it doesn’t mean Opus is poor. It just needs for time and experience. Simply listen the the last several bars, the snare of Opus is nearly missing. Instead, BBC provides a very clean and clear spatial sounding throughout the song where every instrument can be heard obviously.

I prefer Hollywood Opus!

Thanks for the comparison! Is the MIDI file your own or created with EastWest Hollywood Orchestrator?

For me ewql takes easy wins for woodwinds and brass, while bbc's strings are clearly better than ewql's. My pick is ewql because I have several string libraries that I like anyway.

in my opinion OPUS sounds more realistic, especially for the string section, and for "realistic" i mean that it's closer to the sound of a real orchestra, not the boombastic hybrid sound heard in a lot of demos. They both lack in woodwind section, especially the oboe is really fake, the flute too....At the end my vote goes to Opus.

where is he free u said free but with price!!