Originals Emotional Cello

Name: Originals Emotional Cello
Price: 29 USD
Author: Spitfire Audio

by Spitfire Audio · Instrument · Solo cello library

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Originals Emotional Cello by Spitfire Audio

A solo cello made with London cellist Reinoud Ford and recorded at Spitfire Studios.

It has 11 techniques, ten presets and three mic signals, for $29.

Best for: Acoustic Instruments. Genres: Ambient & Cinematic, Jazz, Acoustic & Classical.

Keywords: strings, solo strings, film & game audio, simple, bright, cinematic, dark, eerie, multisampled, neutral, sample-based, textures.

What it does

Originals Emotional Cello is a low-cost Spitfire library of a single solo cello played by London cellist Reinoud Ford. Spitfire says it covers the instrument's range "from tender and lyrical to visceral and unsettling."

Long techniques: Normale, Flautando, Tremolo, Aggressive, Mournful, Circular and No Rosin, with natural vibrato and breathing dynamics.
Short techniques: Mandolin Pizz, Soft Sul Tasto and Sul Pont Staccato.
Presets: ten presets, one for each technique.
Mics: Close (a ribbon spot plus close condensers), Room (a stereo pair) and Vintage (a ribbon run through an analogue chain of saturation, EQ and compression).
Controls: Reverb, Tightness, Release (longs only) and an EQ that sweeps from bright to dark, neutral at 50%.
No legato: the technique list has no legato patch, so lines are played note by note.

It runs in the free Splice INSTRUMENT plugin. Students and educators get 40% off.

Source: Spitfire Audio product page

When to use it

Emotional Cello is a quick, cheap way to get an expressive solo cello with character. Compared with BBC Symphony Orchestra Core and Hollywood Orchestra Opus Edition, it is a single instrument with no section writing or deep articulation control, but its mournful, circular and no-rosin longs and its vintage mic give more colour than a standard orchestral cello patch. Compared with Berlin Strings, it has no legato and far fewer articulations, so it suits pads, drones and simple melodies more than detailed solo lines. Its controls are few, which makes it fast to use.

Best for: emotive cello textures, long held notes, tremolo beds and simple melodies in film, TV, ambient and songwriter productions.
Genres: cinematic, ambient, neo-classical and singer-songwriter.
Look elsewhere if: you need legato solo lines or a full section (Berlin Strings or BBC Symphony Orchestra Core).

What producers say

Buyers love the sound but many dislike the move to the Splice INSTRUMENT platform.

Trustpilot users rate it 3.8 out of 5 from 31 reviews, calling it "haunting, beautiful, soulful" and lighter on CPU than other Spitfire libraries.
Criticisms: the Splice interface (one called it "fussy, fiddly and confusing"), reports that it must be online at each start, some audible loops on held notes, and no legato.
VI-Control thread one poster passed on it for its lack of legato.

Where to buy

Spitfire Audio: $29

Tutorials and reviews

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