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Why VSL (still) rocks

I've had VEP since 5 came out though. I don't use SE much, since I have most of the full and extended libraries except brass.

What I meant in my previous comment: "I just hope they're not planning on making Vienna Instruments/Pro obsolete" was about making us buy the Synchronized versions and trying to shift us from using VI/P. I have no problems with VSL making new Synchron libraries, I just hope they keep VI/P up to date with OS updates.

You know, at this point I'm resigned to freezing my current machines where they are. If I need to run new stuff, I'll buy a new machine when I get to that bridge.

For me it's more that I want to run old stuff without updating everything!
 
You know, at this point I'm resigned to freezing my current machines where they are. If I need to run new stuff, I'll buy a new machine when I get to that bridge.

For me it's more that I want to run old stuff without updating everything!

I'm already running/keeping 4 generations of frozen machines! Been doing this since 1993 lol. I honestly prefer keeping good products like VI libraries alive rather than paying for Synchronized versions of my stuff that uses the same samples just to keep them current on operating systems.

Edit: Also, Synchron player is nowhere near the capabilities that Vienna Instruments Pro is actually.
 
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You know, at this point I'm resigned to freezing my current machines where they are. If I need to run new stuff, I'll buy a new machine when I get to that bridge.

For me it's more that I want to run old stuff without updating everything!
Ditto, ditto and ditto. My only beef with VEP (which I consider absolutely essential) is that VEP7 breaks 32 bit capability, and VEP 5 has been my kind host for old, hoary 32 bit instruments.
 
I forgot to add that VSL still rocks! ;) And will most likely do for quite some time. Good record takes from humans playing real instruments in post 2000 audio resolutions are still current, VSL already had an edge into scripting before everyone else. I'm not worried about aging VSL samples at-all!
 
Ditto, ditto and ditto. My only beef with VEP (which I consider absolutely essential) is that VEP7 breaks 32 bit capability, and VEP 5 has been my kind host for old, hoary 32 bit instruments.

Yeah, I know.

They removed the 32-bit server because it's already broken on Mojave. The plug-ins still run, but they all have weird graphic bugs. I suggested they add a warning screen, but they just removed it.

For me the answer has been to move as much of my old stuff as possible onto my Windows 7 machine. Addictive Drums, for example.
 
Very neat video of Rite of Spring intro mockup and look into the VSL techniques utilized:


This video is fantastic. It shows the depths that you may go with VSL samples. May many more of these videos come our way. Thank you
 
Edit: Also, Synchron player is nowhere near the capabilities that Vienna Instruments Pro is actually.

Yeah, simplicity and power are usually on opposite sides of a scale.

I admit to preferring the balance to tilt to the former, because in the heat of battle I just want to play and not look at instructions.

The best interface I can think of on a complicated instrument is Omnisphere's. It has a lot of parameters if you need to get at the details, but they're presented in a way that you don't have to re-learn the instrument every time you don't use it for a while.
 
Really makes you wonder why they're investing so much time switching things over to Synchron.
Because people are never happy with what they have and always need the next new thing. As for the video, it sounds lifeless to me. It takes an amazing piece and sucks all the emotion out of it.
 
I think the video itself is fascinating and reminds me how powerful VI-Pro is. It would be good to do a blind comparison with a live-orch version .. perhaps add a little chair squeak or music-rustling to the VI version as subtle cues.

I also wonder how far someone could go in this Rite exercise with the SE+ edition only. His bassoon has lots of artics:

upload_2019-5-15_7-56-48.png

My SE bassoon has only:

upload_2019-5-15_7-58-57.png

SE is missing certain things ... but how important are they.
 
With SE, if you get ViPro, then some of the things he talks about in that video would be useful tricks for you to extend your smaller set of articulations into more variations and nuance.
 
I think the video itself is fascinating and reminds me how powerful VI-Pro is. It would be good to do a blind comparison with a live-orch version .. perhaps add a little chair squeak or music-rustling to the VI version as subtle cues.

I also wonder how far someone could go in this Rite exercise with the SE+ edition only. His bassoon has lots of artics:

upload_2019-5-15_7-56-48.png

My SE bassoon has only:

upload_2019-5-15_7-58-57.png

SE is missing certain things ... but how important are they.
Just wanted to point out - that isn't all the articulations in SE+ by any means. It's just the shorts. And none of the repetition samples on those shorts, either, so - your SE bassoon definitely shouldn't only have those.
 
The SE and SE+ packages are a great value and you can do a lot with them. But some articulations I will not miss after upgrading to the full instruments. For example the performance trills, different repertitions and the different dynamic articulations. Also the full libraries have more velocity layers and mostly sampled in half-tone steps.
 
The SE and SE+ packages are a great value and you can do a lot with them. But some articulations I will not miss after upgrading to the full instruments. For example the performance trills, different repertitions and the different dynamic articulations. Also the full libraries have more velocity layers and mostly sampled in half-tone steps.

Do you feel like this improved granularity makes for a noticeable difference when composing, playing, and/or listening? Outside of a couple instruments, I only have SE and haven't been able to rationalize getting the full instruments yet.
 
Do you feel like this improved granularity makes for a noticeable difference when composing, playing, and/or listening?
Yes, even the same articulations sound so much more vivid thanks to more samples and velocity layers.
If you using VSL just in a notation program, upgrading to the full instruments is imo waste of money. But if you take time and tweak the midi, you can get so much out of it. And the different additional articulations can inspire you during composition.
(Look out for sales; at the moment you get 30% on all upgrades)
 
If you using VSL just in a notation program, upgrading to the full instruments is imo waste of money. But if you take time and tweak the midi, you can get so much out of it. And the different additional articulations can inspire you during composition.
I'm always using the SE within Sibelius and the bassoon preset that Sibelius drives is:
upload_2019-5-15_12-51-27.png
which contains most of the SE+ bassoon articulations but not all. [@bbunker is correct about the matrix I posted earlier.] Like @dsblais I haven't yet come across any evidence that upgrading will substantially change the game for me. The VSL soundset for Sibelius allows you to be productive quickly, but also perhaps discourages experimentation. Now that I am trying out Dorico, I am thinking its expression map feature will allow easier mixing and matching of VSL articulations (i.e. creating my own matrices) and tying them to score notations.
 
If you are using the basson in a DAW you get so much more with the upgrade to the full instrument. Full articulation list:
upload_2019-5-15_23-16-10.png

Highlights not in SE+: different shorts with(out) vibrato, marcato legato, tons of dynamics, perf. trills
 
If you are using the basson in a DAW you get so much more with the upgrade to the full instrument. Full articulation list:
upload_2019-5-15_23-16-10.png

Highlights not in SE+: different shorts with(out) vibrato, marcato legato, tons of dynamics, perf. trills

Wait, wtf. Is that an articulation list? That many articulations?
 
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