What was said earlier is so true LIVE or STUDIO use, are you able to do key switching during performance? Do you have a dedicated keyboard and are 88 notes are available on it (for setup of switches)? I personally use a combo of programs, for mute sounds and Bones (sometimes SAX to) I use Vienna Instruments horns here is example of me using the mute https://open.spotify.com/track/7cO5akMeFgHjQMBQHYKtwQ?si=Y3CafDCQRaK_whXUCG1HDw
Here is Horn section I did with Vienna Instruments/Kontakt Pro Horns/
https://open.spotify.com/track/0ZrWd2aJNbQjWedhfQPVHh?si=kp6aklCzRkmlKgMNRkci0g
Live though I find that easy is better and Native Instruments Session Horns more than gets the job done and is stable. Those VIR horns look fantastic just not sure how they would translate into a live setup?
That is true pianopaul. Although it would help my budget to get get off the ground running with sounds that would cover 70-90s soul pop and rock. I realize that’s a big task.
After I have plugins to do most tasks then I can work on “collectibles” lol.
Zkeys I’m doing this as primary live setup. I do have an 88 keyboard for controller and could sometimes use the keyswitches. I see that as a need for a midi foot switch probably.
I’m not sure about vir for live either. My Pc runs keyscape without any trouble under gigperformer. Not even close to hitting 50% cpu. Vir lists similar specs.
I will look at session horns.
The only thing I don’t like about Vienna instruments is you need an ilok. So that gives me something else to keep up with while traveling and it’s a small item.
Great feedback
Thanks guys
D
I’m leaning towards the session horns pro now after watching videos. I like the interface and the sound. Thanks for the tip on that.
Also will save me $200 
which is a plus.
What you guys think?
D
For Live it is great! So easy to use and nothing to do for setup, it just works lol I think it is perfect for the R&B and Funk Rock or stuff
Interesting to hear that you made good experience with it. I tried it 1-2 times in a live setting and then changed to my Motif brass sounds because they fit better in the band mix and were easier to handle. Also some years back… maybe I should give them a change once again.
If you have fewer than 88 keys you can still access key switches for articulation. Create 2 MIDI input blocks and connect both to the plugin. Transpose the blocks and set key range on each to fit your keyboard.
Cool. I think pro session horns is what I will try.
Thanks everyone for the input. I been playing over 30 years using hardware synth so this is new to me. But I have it working and cant wait to use it on a gig.
Im using session horns live and to me it sounds great but I may try some of the other ones you all are suggesting. Cheers
One band I play in has a set list that includes Earth Wind and Fire, Stevie Wonder, a lot of Motown and other classic funk and soul.
I own Session Horns Pro but it does take a lot of memory resource and I found that the trumpet doesn’t go as high as I wanted, or sound convincing in the higher registers. I use Chris Hein Horns Compact and layer it with a bit of synth brass. Apparently layering real horns with synth brass was an old Quincy Jones trick and it does beef the sampled brass up.
Chris Hein Horns is getting on a bit, but is geared towards funk/soul brass and the pricier versions have enough articulations to keep most people happy.
Why do you use keyswitches live? And which? Falls? Staccato/legato? I don’t want to care about keyswitches when I play live. And I think a well designed brass sound (for gigs) should be playable without the need of articulation switching. That’s a studio thing imho.
I’ve used key switches on a few brass solos, but prefer not to use them live. Session Horns Pro maps falls and rips to the pitch bend wheel by default. I map brass swells to key velocity. You can alter the length of the swell by increasing or decreasing the song tempo.
Hi Dwayne.
Take a look at Vintage Horns from Big Fish Audio.
They have an upgrade, but the older version works just fine for small section stuff…
I usually work behind one tenor player or three horns with no bari, or no horns at all.
This pack has done me well because I can build the section of my choice and change each instrument to suit the music type, and I am playing the same types of music you listed, and the bari always kills it on TOP stuff, no matter what else is in front
Split the bari into its own two octaves and build a tenor, tenor, trumpet, trumpet section above it, or whatever suits you…
Dr T
Thanks Dr t. I just listened to the demos of vintage horns and I do like it. I think that would cover most of the songs I need.
Is it light on memory and CPU?
Thanks
D
How sound the sections compared to Kontakt Trumpet and Trombone Sections?
Really EZ on both…
This stuff is all used live, so I really had specific requirements.
The only thing I have to go elsewhere for (Kontakt Factory) is a bass trombone or a tuba, and they are what they are…and work fine.
I probably should spend more time with the expanded version of Vintage Horns, but this one has served me perfectly well and kicks like the real thing, not like symphonic or String Of Pearls stuff, but the hard south side Chicago, Oakland, Vegas explosive velocity that sounds like live players with diaphragms. Nothing agains any of the other companies.
Dr T
i play Bari and Valve Trombone, as well. The Kontakt sections didn’t seem to have the robust spark for live performances in a small ensemble, unless you were doing larger orchestrations. I guess after working in Vegas and being a TOP junkie for years, I was looking for the off-the-front-of-stage section velocity from my keyboard that gave those small sections “pop”, and, the other stuff was more expensive and didn’t quite fit that format without a ton of work that made them sound contrived.
But… we are all different
Dr T
Sorry to revive an old post but I was looking for some Tower of Power type horns and checked out Vintage Horn’s website sound demos, based on your recommendations on this thread… and it seemed to be the ticket…
However struggling to get them to play. Do they require full Kontakt or do they work with Kontakt Player?
I have been happy with NI Session Horns (not Pro). One of my first purchases for us in GP and, even though I paid full price, no regrets.
(But I also have separate sex and trumpet libraries).
hey what you do in your own time is your business 
@organdctor, all
So I got vintage Horns working in Kontakt player… for some reason I had to load them in the Player app first before they would work in GP as a VST, despite the fact that I licensed them before opening them in GP. Anyway…
I am liking the sounds a lot, perfect for this Little Feat song I am learning… but the horns have seemingly random behavior between playing long notes and playing bent note trills at the end of stabs. I can’t seem to figure out the rhyme or reason to this behavior and maybe others with Kontakt expreinece know the cause. I am not changing modulation or expression or radically changing how I play anything when it alters it’s behavior.
Any thoughts?
Hah Ha!