What's new

Vienna Instrument libs - a good idea?

Until recently I have avoided VSL. I wasn't a fan of their dongle policy, but when they came out with their two year insurance policy thing I started to look at them more closely.

I bought the Synchronised Special Edition Bundle 1-4 when it was on special offer when launched, and I was rather smitten with to be perfectly honest.

Then I added the SE 5 package. And this month I paid the £ 130 or so to upgrade to the full synchronised Woodwinds.

The Synchronised version has a great piano included as a bonus too. This isn't included in the VI version, and there are other instruments and articulations in the SY version not available in the VI version. However, when it comes to the bigger libraries, the opposite is true.

I think it's pretty clear that going forward, however, the Synchron player is where all the effort is going.

Basically, the Synchron player and I just seemed to click. i really like the way it works, and it has been rock stable for me (Mac). I too had the VI-Pro or Synchron version dilemma, but I'm happy enough that I went with the Synchron Player version.

So I am a new and happy VSL customer.

One thing I discovered on the forum though it that you will see that if you buy the VI versions of their libraries, there are inexpensive upgrade paths to the Synchron Player versions. But it seems that you can't start with a Synchron version and then go to the VI version. Well it turns out that this is just a limitation of their website, and if you buy a Synchron library and want to go to a VI version, then you just need to email them and they'll sort something out with you.

I've since bought a few other bits and pieces too. My latest purchase is the Synchron FX Strings, which sounds stunning, but I'm wait for the licence codes to come through.

Here's the thing. If you buy from the VSL website, you have a 30 day return period for a full refund if you are unhappy with it. So there is little to lose by trying it out. The Special Editions 1 & 1 Plus are also 30% off until Monday too, so if you are tempted, now is a good time to try it out.

Of, and of course, whilst there are fees, you can re-sell VSL products. Infact there's a few currently in the classifieds. One guy is selling his SE 1 & 1 Plus.
 
If you have the money, get the VI libraries. They are amazing. And even though there will only be maintenance updates in the future, VI Pro is already a great player and you can do a lot of things with it. And there are more articulations in the VI libraries than in the SYNCHRON-ized products.
 
I use ViPro mainly, for me much better than Synchron Player (not so stable for me...). The synchron-ized version are good, but I prefer the "old" version (ViPro). I will wait for the new libraries recorded in Synchron Stage, but personally I am not interested in Synchronized version anymore.
I don't know what will be the future of ViPro, they seem investing 99% in Synchron Player.
If I had to start investing in VSL today I sincerely don't know what I would do.
Obviously this Is only my personal opinion.
 
I’ve been using VI instruments for years in my scoring career, I’ll say VSL Instruments are are very easy to produce realistic mockup before going to scoring stage. VI version of instruments are bone dry and allow me to shape the sound I want, however, the Synchron instruments are instantly sound like movies.

I also have tons of orchestral libraries from great developers out there, but VSL is still my go to library when scoring films.
 
I'm not too worried about VSL just doing maintenance updates for VIPro, since it's already perfect. They've also recently made it Catalina-compatible so it'll be working fine for many years now.

If they could add HiDPI to it, then I think it'd be complete.
 
Yes, but it seems they are not going to update the ViPro woodwinds unfortunately, even if Vi WW are still the best orchestral woodwinds library out there :)
 
How do you know they aren’t going to upgrade woodwinds? Vsl has stated they are not currently working or have any plans to work on vipro. That doesn’t neccessarily mean they won’t be adding new VI libs.
 
How do you know they aren’t going to upgrade woodwinds? Vsl has stated they are not currently working or have any plans to work on vipro. That doesn’t neccessarily mean they won’t be adding new VI libs.
From VSL forum: "With SYNCHRON-ized Woodwinds, we also didn't release a VI version, simply because it would lead to confusion, as all instruments are available both as single instruments AND in various VI Woodwinds collections"...maybe I am wrong, but I understand that there is no plan to upgrade the ViPro version. If this happens I will be happy :), but, as already said, for me ViPro WW are still the best.
I didn't mean to be too drastic ;)
 
ok so what is missing? The way I'm reading what he's saying, the VI version already has everything that the sychron version has so there was no need to update it THIS TIME.
 
As i have said before i cant imagine VSL dumping all the V I library's they sound too good and it is a store room of treasure but that is what they will be doing if they dump the V I, the old library's are so good that VSL do not feel the need to develop any more new library's haven't you noticed that they are just using the old library's and changing them to Synchron library's this speaks for it self and proves that the V I version of the library are extremely well done.

Never the less in my ears the Synchron development sounded great and still does when it first came out for the V I Synchron Strings and Synchron percussion were both new developments and came out for the V I version of the player and they sounded great, the new player to my ears has taken a lot out of the new library, and does not play as well as the V I so i did not delete my V I version of Synchron Strings and use the mics with VEpro.

To me there is something in the V I that makes Synchron Strings sing maybe its because the V I is fully developed that is more likely the case.

The new player has all the knobs and gadgets by it is lacking in sound,

In the V I version of Synchron Strings out of the box there is no added reverb or EQ and it just sounds great.

In the new player out of the box you will find EQ added and reverb added and need to be turned off manually.

I believe that even VSL understand the new player is no match for the V I when it comes to sound.

This is the reason i did not delete my V I version of Synchron Strings
 
I didn't realize synchron strings came with VI versions? How does that compare to all the other VSL strings (orchestra, appassionata, dimension) in the VI version...?
 
To me it is the their top string library in sound only, and only when used in the V I.

You Should have it on your (my VSL)

I purchased when it was just released, the strings 1st and second, then later the cellos and base at that time the new player was still in development
 
ok so what is missing? The way I'm reading what he's saying, the VI version already has everything that the sychron version has so there was no need to update it THIS TIME.
For me there are a couple of things: looped sus on Leg in every instruments and more layers in legato patches (as in Synchron version)...my prefered library doesn't mean "perfect library" ;)
 
I don't understand what you're saying I guess. Paul says the VI has everything that is in synchron but you're saying that VI version is missing some legato layers and looped sus on leg. So... I what you are saying is true, then Paul's statement above is not true...
 
Well I don't, I didn't buy synchron strings (yet). Why do you say in sound only?

It was clear in the V I version there was not an abundant amount of articulations especially when compared to VSLs other string library's

VSL did make additional content for Synchron Strings in the new player version that put a smile on many faces, also many do not see a problem with the sound in the new player.

But for me the the V I version of Syncron Strings will always be the winner in sound,
 
Top Bottom