Akai Studio Strings for MPC | $79

I received this email offer from Akai today. Anyone have thoughts on this?


Get World-Class Dynamic String Arrangements with Studio Strings for Just $79

https://www.thempcstore.com/mpc-plugin-instruments/studio-strings.html


Power up your MPC with the rich and elegant sound of Studio Strings - just $79 for one week only.

4 orchestral stringed instruments: Bass, Cello, Viola, and Violin
Includes 100 presets that cover popular string sounds
Choose the string section size with options for a whole orchestra, a chamber set, or solo instruments
Nine instrument articulations are available, including Marcato, Staccato, Sustain, and more
Adjustable portamento and string bend range for more natural-sounding string performances
Craft your original string sound with 30 timbre effects, plus delay, EQ, and reverb

Why not just make ALL the plugins $79 now (actually should be $50)? That would work out to a little under $500 for the whole bunch.

I understand that there are costs involved, but it's a stretch to just jump into the Spectrasonics Omnisphere price point and expectation of quality right out of the gate. If the choice is between Native Instruments Komplete and Akai, most people (other than "old heads" like me) will choose NI because they are known for making pro sounds.

Glad to see Akai pivoting on the price structure though. Glad they're listening. Just saying.

I just bought it and installed it on my MPC One real fast. Can't wait to mess with it after work and this weekend. All I want now is OPX4 and then I'll be good with that, Fabric, and Strings. I don't need the Stage Piano stuff... Fabric is good enough with that as well as the free instruments.

Here we go.
79$ is the lowest price until now.
Fabric was 99$.
Ok, studio strings is quite useless if you have good keygroups as Fabric was quite useless if you have Hype, but prices are going down and that's a good news.
Akai is slowly moving to a realistic price range for plugins.

I think those was the plan all along.. they will go on sale in order one after the other, that way you can still save a bunch of time by buying the bundle of you want them all, same price, or get them al e carte

What’s the overall thoughts on Studio Strings? I’ll probably try the demo over the weekend , but everything I hear sounds off.

Straker wrote:Fabric was quite useless if you have Hype,.

I disagree. While there certainly is some cross pollination between the two, Fabric XL has a much nicer selection of evolving pads with movement, and a variety of other things that Hype is missing. I'd never pay its full MSRP though.

EnochLight wrote:

Straker wrote:Fabric was quite useless if you have Hype,.

I disagree. While there certainly is some cross pollination between the two, Fabric XL has a much nicer selection of evolving pads with movement, and a variety of other things that Hype is missing. I'd never pay its full MSRP though.

Yep, I have been too rough with Fabric, but I just tried it a day and thought, well, just a rompler, I already have Hype.
But I am sure you are right, there can be some good use of it, it's just not my style.
In my opinion, Hype is a great tool but presets have too many effects and doesn't give you a good idea of its potential.
If you take time, switch off effects and tweak parameters and make your own user preset folder, it sounds really good and covers many fields.
For example, Hype has a great acoustic piano, hidden between presets and full of fx. If you switch off fx, it sounds very natural, I guess it's sampled from Mini Grand. And there many more sounds like that. The problem is that there are too many presets and you get lost easily and it's all full of effects.

Newbie MPC guy coming over from iPad and desktop.

OBX4 is the coolest of the MPC plugins.

Fabric has lots of very good and useful sounds. Missing some nice woodwinds and brass, IMO. But it is so vast, it's hard to be fair and be sure of what it can't do. But I can say that none of the presets completely knock my socks off.

TBH, UVI VSTs sound better than anything. And some iPad apps, esp. the Moog stuff, sounds better than what I've heard from MPC.

I have NOT really spent a lot of time with the MPC keygroups or expansion packs. So much yet to explore!

Oh, yeah, my main point is I DO think the Studio Strings sound pretty nice! As nice as the IRCAM Solo strings on UVI? No. But for most purposes, Studio Strings sounds pretty good.