Brass
Cinematic Studio Brass
Alex Wallbank – Works with the free Kontakt Player
$400 / More info
STRENGTHS:
Has a great tone and fantastic dynamic range. Boasts incredibly fluid legato at multiple speeds. Most articulations that you would ask for are covered. Muted patches included. Extremely competitive pricing.
WEAKNESSES:
Some larger section sizes not included (e.g. 6 horns).
Berlin Brass
Orchestral Tools – Works with the free Kontakt Player
Main Library €800 / Additional Instruments €200 / Muted Brass €250 / French Horn SFX €170
STRENGTHS:
The way the instruments were recorded results in an unprecedented amount of options for divisi and section size customization. Covers a wide variety of articulations. Great sound and legato scripting.
WEAKNESSES:
Very expensive. Requires more tweaking and micromanaging to make the most out of its features.
Century Brass
8Dio – Requires sample player purchase (Kontakt)
Ensemble Brass $238 / Solo Brass $238 / Bundle $400
STRENGTHS:
Boasts realistic legato scripting and relatively fluid transitions between articulations. Great dynamic range with an impressive variety of instruments and articulations.
WEAKNESSES:
Highest dynamics on some patches have an interesting timbre.
CineBrass
Cinesamples – Works with the free Kontakt Player
CORE $400 / PRO $400
STRENGTHS:
It's intuitive and playable. Despite its age, this library is still one of the best sounding (in terms of tone) brass libraries straight out of the box. The PRO library packs a punch with options such as 12 Horns and Monster Low Brass.
WEAKNESSES:
Some have commented on the lesser quality of legato transitions on certain patches.
Spitfire Symphonic Brass
Spitfire Audio – Works with the free Kontakt Player
$700 / More info
STRENGTHS:
Gorgeous sound, includes a huge variety of articulations, instruments, and section sizes.
WEAKNESSES:
Sound isn't particularly aggressive.
Hollywood Brass
EastWest – Works with the free PLAY engine
Gold $265 / Diamond $400
STRENGTHS:
Great sound, playability, and value for your money. This library set the standard for modern brass sampling.
WEAKNESSES:
It has a few bugs and inconsistencies throughout, and is quite the resource hog. If you want to use it without inconvenience, use an SSD.
DETAILS:
If you are considering this library and looking for a full orchestral package, Hollywood Orchestra is an incredible-value collection including Hollywood Strings, Hollywood Brass, Hollywood Orchestral Woodwinds, and Hollywood Orchestral Percussion.
Adventure Brass
Musical Sampling – Requires sample player purchase (Kontakt)
$250 / More info
STRENGTHS:
A great-sounding collection with amazing agility and playability. Can craft very believable performances. Perfectly suited to orchestral adventure music, as the title suggests.
WEAKNESSES:
The library is somewhat niche and not very comprehensive in terms of articulations and instrumentation.