Sonuscore LUX Orchestral Brass Brings Six Dynamic Layers
Sonuscore LUX Orchestral Brass records six real dynamic layers on the LUX Strings stage, with Auto Divisi and 53 mics. Features, specs, price and rivals.
Sonuscore released LUX Orchestral Brass on 15 October 2026. It's the second library in the LUX series, recorded on the same scoring stage as LUX Orchestral Strings. If you already write with those strings, this is the brass section built to sit in the same room, and that's the main reason it matters.
At a glance: LUX Orchestral Brass costs $499 / €499, or $299 / €299 as a crossgrade for LUX Orchestral Strings owners. The Brass + Strings bundle is $799 / €799. It runs in the free Kontakt Player 7.10.9 or later and needs at least 59 GB of free disk space. It offers up to six recorded dynamic layers from pp to fff, a full American brass layout, Auto Divisi with Polyphonic Legato, and six mic positions plus a Full Mix. Version 1.0.0 is the initial public release.
What is LUX Orchestral Brass?
LUX Orchestral Brass is a Kontakt brass library from Sonuscore, and it follows LUX Orchestral Strings in the same series. Sonuscore describes its approach as depth rather than width. It isn't pitched as another big Hollywood brass library with a long menu of effects and special techniques.
Instead, Sonuscore asked working Hollywood composers what they reach for day to day. The answers were sustain, legato, several marcato styles, staccato, staccatissimo, fortepiano and repetitions. So the recording time went into those core articulations rather than into countless extras. The full dynamic range was recorded, not built artificially with filters and volume curves.
It also sits apart from Sonuscore's other orchestral products. The Orchestra Complete is about quick, playable motion and ensemble writing. The Score leans on pre-arranged performances. LUX Brass has no predesigned arrangements at all. It's meant for detailed writing you play in by hand, line by line.
You can find the library in our plugin database at Sonuscore LUX Orchestral Brass.
Features and what they do for you
Six recorded dynamic layers
Each instrument has up to six separately recorded dynamic layers, from pp to fff. Every long articulation gets the full six. That matters because brass changes character as it gets louder, getting brighter and more aggressive. With the mod wheel you're moving through recorded timbres, not just turning a soft sample up. CC11 Expression handles volume on its own, and Dynamic Input Smoothing helps tame jumpy controller data.
One room, not two libraries
The brass was recorded on the same stage as LUX Orchestral Strings, with each section in its natural orchestral position. Sonuscore also matched the bleed microphones, so both libraries share an acoustic signature. Its phrase is "one room, not two libraries." If you've ever fought to glue brass from one vendor onto strings from another, you know why this is the headline feature.
53 microphones and the bleed concept
The brass sessions used 53 microphones. Twenty-two handled the main capture across close, Blumlein, tree and far setups. The other 31 were close bleed mics placed at the strings, woodwinds and percussion positions to record the brass spilling into them. You end up with six mic positions: Close, Mid, Tree, Far, Brass Bleed and Orchestra Bleed. A ready-made Full Mix is there when you don't want to balance mics yourself. The Orchestra Bleed position is the clever part, since it recreates how a live brass section leaks into the rest of the orchestra's mics.
Full American layout
The section covers Solo Horn, Horns a2 and a4, Solo Trumpet, Trumpets a3, Solo Tenor Trombone, Tenor Trombones a3, Bass Trombone, Bass Tuba, Contrabass Tuba and Cimbasso. Having both solo and section patches lets you voice a lone horn line or a full horn choir from the same library.
Auto Divisi with Polyphonic Legato
French Horns, Trumpets and Trombones get Auto Divisi instruments with Polyphonic Legato. The patch keeps the original section size. With four horns, one note plays all four players. Two notes give you two horns each, and four notes give you one horn each. You can write divided harmonies on a single track without splitting parts or worrying about doubled players stacking up unrealistically.
S.A.T. (Seamless Articulation Transitioning)
S.A.T. carries over from LUX Strings. It lets you change articulations inside a held note, for example Legato into Sustain or Sustain into Espressivo, without retriggering. Hit the key switch gently and the shift is gradual. Hit it harder and the change happens quickly. That gives you real control over how a long note evolves.
Morphing articulations and Articulation Combis
Morphing articulations blend between related playing styles: Staccatissimo to Staccato, Staccato to Grand Marcato, and Sustain to Sustain Espressivo. Articulation Combis are also included. In practice you get a range of shades between two articulations rather than a hard choice.
Ensemble Instrument and Intelligent Note Selection
The Ensemble Instrument covers the whole section. It offers 10 ensemble combinations, from Full Brass down to pairings such as Horns & Trumpets, and 12 voicings. Intelligent Note Selection spreads your MIDI across the instruments, so a chord you play comes out orchestrated. It's handy for sketching before you write the parts out properly.
Adaptive patches
Adaptive Legato, Adaptive Fanfare, Adaptive Shorts, Adaptive Sustain and adaptive repetitions pick articulations based on how you play and how long you hold notes. They're good for fast drafting when you don't want to manage key switches.
Repetitions, aftertouch and 8vb
Repetitions are playable and tempo-synced. The mod wheel sets the rate across 8ths, 8th triplets, 16ths and 16th triplets. Polyphonic Aftertouch is supported, and an 8vb function doubles your line an octave below.
Tuning, key switches and extras
Temperament Control offers Equal or Werckmeister III, with fine-tuning based on the root key. You get up to 24 customizable key switches across articulation pages. Trumpets add Half Tone Falls, and trombones add Slow Bends.
Recording team
Peter Fuchs engineered the sessions with StarRecordings, the same team behind LUX Strings. Fuchs is a score mixer with more than 400 film credits, including Iron Man 3 and Now You See Me, and game work on titles such as Harry Potter and Call of Duty. Microphones came from DPA, Schoeps, Neumann, Coles and others. The official demos pair a 13-piece brass section with a 70-piece symphonic string ensemble. Film composers Ramin Djawadi, Simon Franglen and Stephen Gallagher have endorsed the library.
Specifications
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Developer | Sonuscore |
| Release | 15 October 2026, version 1.0.0 |
| Price | $499 / €499 |
| Crossgrade (LUX Strings owners) | $299 / €299 |
| Player | Free Kontakt Player 7.10.9 or later |
| Formats | Kontakt Player, NKS, VST3, AU, AAX Native, standalone |
| Instruments | Solo Horn, Horns a2 and a4, Solo Trumpet, Trumpets a3, Solo Tenor Trombone, Tenor Trombones a3, Bass Trombone, Bass Tuba, Contrabass Tuba, Cimbasso, Ensemble |
| Core articulations | Sustain, Legato, Grand and Accented Marcato, Staccato, Staccatissimo, Fortepiano, Repetitions |
| Dynamic layers | Up to 6 (pp to fff), full 6 on all long articulations |
| Mic positions | Close, Mid, Tree, Far, Brass Bleed, Orchestra Bleed, plus Full Mix |
| Key switches | Up to 24, customizable |
| macOS | 13, 14 or 15, Apple Silicon or Intel i5 or better |
| Windows | 10 or 11, Intel Core i5 or equivalent |
| RAM | 8 GB minimum (32 GB or more suggested for all mics and full section) |
| Disk space | At least 59 GB free (SSD suggested) |
How it compares
| LUX Orchestral Brass | CineBrass CORE | LUX Orchestral Bundle (Brass + Strings) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $499 / €499 | $399 excl. VAT | $799 / €799 |
| Player | Kontakt Player 7.10.9 or later | Kontakt Player 5.8.1 or higher | Kontakt Player (Brass needs 7.10.9 or later) |
| Disk footprint | 59 GB free space needed | 13.94 GB download | 59 GB for the Brass alone |
| NKS | Yes | Yes | Yes (Brass) |
| Best at | Detailed hand-played brass that matches LUX Strings | A cheaper, established brass core | A matched strings and brass foundation from one stage |
LUX Orchestral Brass costs more than CineBrass CORE and asks for far more disk space. If you just need a solid brass section at a lower price and a smaller footprint, CineBrass CORE is the established, cheaper pick. LUX makes the most sense if you already own LUX Orchestral Strings. You get the shared stage and matched bleed, and the $299 crossgrade makes the price much easier to justify. Starting from nothing and want both sections? The $799 bundle saves you $199 over buying them separately.
Who it's for
This is for composers who write brass line by line and care about how a held note grows. The six-layer dynamics, S.A.T. and Auto Divisi all reward people who play parts in and shape them with controllers. LUX Strings owners are the obvious audience, since the two libraries were designed as one room.
It also suits anyone who wants an Orchestra Bleed option to make brass feel placed inside a full ensemble rather than pasted on top.
Who should skip it
If you want pre-arranged phrases or quick ensemble sketches, this isn't built for that. Sonuscore points those users to The Orchestra Complete or The Score. It's also a poor fit for laptops with small drives or 8 GB of RAM if you plan to load every mic. Players looking for a big menu of brass effects and extended techniques will find the articulation list deliberately focused.
If you're still building your first orchestral template, look at our Vienna Essential Orchestra first look and the free Discover edition of BBC Symphony Orchestra before you spend $499 on one section. Those who want a single big all-in-one library may lean toward EastWest Hollywood Orchestra Opus instead.
Pricing
LUX Orchestral Brass is $499 / €499. LUX Orchestral Strings owners can crossgrade for $299 / €299. The LUX Orchestral Bundle, with Brass and Strings together, is $799 / €799. Best Service lists the library at $499 excl. VAT, and it's in stock.
Buy LUX Orchestral Brass at Best Service or see the official Sonuscore product page.
FAQ
Do I need the full version of Kontakt?
No. LUX Orchestral Brass runs in the free Kontakt Player, version 7.10.9 or later. It's also NKS-ready and available as VST3, AU, AAX Native and standalone.
Does it work without LUX Orchestral Strings?
Yes, it's a standalone library. It was built to match LUX Strings, though, with the same stage, section positions and bleed mics. Owning both gets you the most out of it.
How does Auto Divisi work?
Auto Divisi keeps the real section size and splits players across the notes you play. With four horns, one note uses all four, two notes use two each, and four notes use one each. You can write divided harmony on a single track.
How much disk space and RAM do I need?
You need at least 59 GB of free disk space and 8 GB of RAM minimum. Sonuscore suggests an SSD and at least 32 GB of RAM if you want all mics and the full section loaded.
Does it include pre-made arrangements?
No. LUX Brass has no predesigned arrangements. The Ensemble Instrument with Intelligent Note Selection can spread a chord across the section, but the library is aimed at hand-played writing.
Verdict
LUX Orchestral Brass looks like a focused, carefully recorded brass section, with six real dynamic layers and a clear purpose. The shared stage with LUX Strings, the bleed mic concept and Auto Divisi are the standout ideas. The price and 59 GB footprint are real costs, and CineBrass CORE stays the cheaper route. For LUX Strings owners, the $299 crossgrade makes this an easy one to shortlist. This is a first look based on Sonuscore's official materials, not a hands-on review.
