Goodbye VI - 50% OFF EVERYTHING until October 22nd, 2024

[Paul]

Hello everybody,

We are getting closer to completing the transition of all VI Collections to the SYNCHRON-ized Series, and while we're busy finishing that task, all VI Collections are now 50% OFF! Go grab those sounds you always wanted!

Some examples:

• VI Super Package Full - 2.8 Million Samples - 2,845 EUR (without any upgrade discounts!!)
• VI Symphonic Cube - 764k Samples - 995 EUR (without any upgrade discounts!!)
• VI Special Editions Complete Bundle - 430k Samples - 997 EUR (without any upgrade discounts!!)

Check YOUR PRICE when you are logged in and let us know if any questions pop up: support@vsl.co.at!

On October 23, 2024, all VI Series products including Single Instruments, Collections, Bundles, the VI Special Editions and the MIRx Reverb Expansions will be discontinued. We will support the Vienna Instruments Pro player at least through the end of 2025.
After this date you can continue using these products, but we might no longer release updates for the latest operating systems and hardware.
You will also be able to upgrade to the SYNCHRON-ized versions.

[antcarrier]

Noooooooooo

VI pro is the best, please don't discontinue this!! Especially for the dimension series instruments, VI player is perfect.

The amount of work it would take to change my current projects, all which heavily rely on VI Pro, to Synchronised versions, would be monumental and probably take me months.

[Ben]

@antcarrier said:
The amount of work it would take to change my current projects, all which heavily rely on VI Pro, to Synchronised versions, would be monumental and probably take me months.

No worries, the VI Player will not suddenly stop working and we will update it if necassary until the end of 2025.
But even after that it will continue to run as long as you have it installed on a compatible operating system and hardware.

[shArkFinn]

Ugh. I use VI-Pro for the alternative tuning support. What are my upgrade options? Last I checked, VI-Pro is the only VSL product that supports alternative tunings.

[Bill]

Will the license transfer cost be the same when selling VI libraries after EOL? Will they still be downloadable via VA?

[Paul]

This post is deleted!

[Raymonde]

It is the end of an era, sad and happy all at once, as I've grown quite fond of the Synchron Libraries. 😢😄Many nostalgic memories as I look back at some of my first projects from 2009. Naivete!

Ray

[takaeku]

I am one of those who was introduced to the VI series, what a series it has been for 20 years!
There are good and bad, but I am amazed at the response from users in their YouTube comments.

[vivasswansriharsha]

This sale IS pretty darn tempting.

Vivasswan SriHarsha

[Paul]

Hi Bill,

License transfers of products that are not available on our website anymore will not be possible.

[nick.halliwell]

I think some clarity would be helpful on a few points. I've got a mixture of VI, Synchron-ised and a couple of Synchron products. As I've been buying VSL stuff since Gigasampler I've quite a lot but unfortunately I've less money nowadays than I did (thanks to Brexit). I see the logic of focussing on the Synchron Player - personally I think each has different strengths but the SP is getting better all the time.

Where I think we need some clarity is on the thorny issue of cross-grade pricing. For example:

Years ago I bought the VI Upright Bass Single Instrument, for around €70. Recently I looked at a Synchron-ised cross-grade but the only option is Plucked Instruments, where my personal price is €165 - more than twice what I paid! I'd get two extra instruments, but both guitars and it's far easier for me to pick up one of the various guitars I own and play in the part so I'd never use them. There may be a genre that regularly uses Upright Bass, Concert Guitar and Overdriven Guitar but I've yet to encounter it... 😀 It ought to be possible to cross-grade just what you originally bought.

Then I have all VI WW except saxophones. Cross-grade cost (split into two collections): €145+€127 = €272. This feels a lot for no new content, and possibly not everything I have in VI.

It'd also be useful to know what cross-grade pricing will be like for the things that haven't yet appeared. I have Orch St I and II, Brass I, II and Special... I worry that to cross-grade all my VIs could potentially cost several thousand pounds, for samples I've previously paid for (when I had more money!)

Of course, the other option would be newer Synchron products but I often need drier samples plus, of course, that's another sizeable investment. I hope VSL will make use of the drier second Synchron room, as with the Duality series and continue to offer drier samples as well as the "cinematic/classical hall" ones (lovely as they are).

Please don't get me wrong: I totally understand where VSL are coming from on this so this isn't a "how can you do this to us!!!" moan. I just hope we'll see some accommodation for the most loyal customers, I've been using this stuff for well over 20 years and while I know it'll keep working for a while, there'll come a point where I have to decide between upgrading my OS and losing access to years' worth of investment and projects.

So any clarification or advance information would be really welcome. Let me repeat this isn't intended as a moan and VSL's decision is entirely understandable after so many years, it's just a bit of a worry.

Thanks!

Nick

[Paul]

Hi Nick,

Thanks for posting!

While I can't predict the price for the future upgrade exactly, it will definitely be in line with the other VI to SYNCHRON-ized update pricing. I have "scanned" your products quickly and upgrading all your VI Collections to the corresponding SYNCHRON-ized collections will be around 1000 EUR.

As with all specific requests, it makes sense to contact us directly, so we can share the details with you: support@vsl.co.at!

Alternatively, you can also simply add the SYNCHRON-ized versions of your existing VI products to your basket to check.

[vivasswansriharsha]

I've checked Paul, thank you. Yes, there's no Sul Ponticello legato for the VI series Strings libraries but there's Sul tasto (although a different technique) legato in the Dimension Strings III. Love the idea of the Dimension Strings.

[nick.halliwell]

Thanks @Paul - if you've scanned my account you'll've seen I've bought most VI collections over a period of 20-odd years, the majority when I was earning a lot more and that recently I've bought a few Synchron products. However I prefer drier samples (with MIR3D), so with Duality I mostly use the "B" ensembles. I hope some drier recordings will continue to be made in this way.

I speak to Marnix at support regularly (and have mentioned the Upright Bass example); the reason I posted is that I've seen a few "this is a betrayal!"-type posts here and thought it might be useful to say something more nuanced, trying to see both sides. It's tricky, we were told "never pay twice for the same samples" - the corollary of which is that VSL don't offer discounts on similar products with different samples. That's fair enough but begs the question: if I'm not paying for the samples (again) or for the Synchron Player (free), on what am I spending +/-€1000? I don't think there's any new content and some seems to be missing - I looked at the Synchron-ised Chamber Strings contents and couldn't see my favourite espressivo patches. It's even harder where Synchron-ised collections are organised differently (e.g. UP Bass, Woodwinds), and impossible to plan for those that haven't been released yet (Orch Str./Brass/Jazz Drums, all of which I have).

To some extent I'm playing Devil's Advocate here, politely - I hope! - airing questions I suspect a lot of people are thinking about to give VSL a chance to explain, without it getting antagonistic. I can see it's more work updating two different systems. If I'm trying to see VSL's POV, I hope the company will also try to understand that of really long-standing customers such as myself. Realistically there's no way I'll be able to afford to cross-grade everything in a year or two (it took well over 20 to buy them!), especially if I want to buy something new every now and again - and we all like to do that. I'd have to prioritise and abandon some things.

It'd be good if VSL acknowledged those of us who've been loyal but can't afford to cross-grade 20+ years' worth of purchases in roughly a tenth of that time with some kind of tiered offer, e.g. cross-grade three libraries, cheapest is free. Or a graduated discount (1 library full price, 2 = 10% off, 3 = 20%, etc.) There are lots of easy-to-implement options.

Essentially it's about each side seeing the other's POV. I'm trying to imagine what it'll be costing VSL to port and re-edit vast numbers of samples, I hope VSL will consider that when people spend money generally they want something new (something to do with dopamine, I think?) - this is human nature.

Anyway, sorry for the length but I hope everyone will take this in the conciliatory spirit in which it's written. Ultimately I love VSL's samples and will continue using them, but I might have to use fewer as my income's fallen drastically since around June 2016. Can't think why.

All the best
Nick

[Paul]

Hi Nick,

Thanks for your explanation and for your choice of words.

I'm sure that we will offer interesting upgrade offers for VI users in the future, the current special offer is really just about giving everyone a chance to get the products they always wanted at 50% OFF, before we are moving on.

It's true that we had to make a few decisions with specific products that turned out to be not_so_popular, and the re-editing and adaptation of the samples of the VI Series that makes them "fit" into the more complex logical concept of the Synchron Player is the reason why we need to charge an upgrade price from the VI Series to the SYNCHRON-ized Series.
It took us 8 years to catch up, since the introduction of the Synchron Player...

As you mentioned MIR: SYNCHRON-ized products can be used exactly the same way with MIR Pro 3D, they even come with a mixer preset that switches off all additional FX and reverberation ("99 MIR Unprocessed").

I really appreciate your input and also understand the situation you're in. This will also influence further decisions.

Once again: Thanks for taking the time, it helps us to see things from another perspective!

[Andreas8420]

Screenshot of the MIR-compatible preset available in all SYNCHRON-ized libraries:

[patdup]

Hello

First sorry for my bad english, i hope everybody could understand...

I agree with Nick for some parts of his remark. After reading the annoucements for the end of VI collection and especially for the end of the support of vienna pro, and read the rest of the message, i understand quickly that we will have to pay more and more for the collections we have already paid, even it was said that we can use the collections after 2025.

It s true, but if the configuration will change (for example evolution of Windows...) .. . 2 solutions : you have to pay another time for synchron ou synchon ized (if this one still exist ...) but what will be the prices ? or you loose your collections and cry...

This week end i bought Harps syncho ized for testing and for 34 euros, because i already have the first and full collection. For the sounds, there are the same on the paper , but i prefer the first collection for the sounds. The only thing of change was Synchron : management of the sounds and some reverberation but for me no need reverberation.

The first question is what we have to pay ? An evolution of the sounds, more differents articulations ? No i think we have to pay only for the evolution from vienna pro to synchron and for me it will be more than 1 000 euros ... incredible price for a software to manage some sounds we already have.

Another question, why can t we have a proposition for single instruments or single collections ? For example upright bass is now with guitar and with an increase price obviously and are we need guitar ? Solo string with con sordino and another violon and cello and you have to pay 335 euros more to have synchon ized if you have only solo string this is my case and i don t need con sordino.

I understand the reasons of this commercial approach, and i think everybody understand, but it could be more compliant for the ancient customers who had the collections VI, to pay only for the evolution of vienna pro to synchon and not for the collection they had already pay and completely outrageous (more than 1000 euros ...) .

For example pay 100 euros for a new manager of sounds why not, if the customers will find an advantage.

I like very much the sounds of Vienna and recognize the work but don 't exagerate. And i hope to be polite.

Have a good day.

[Bill]

It looks like there's no longer a distinction between Standard and Full libraries. If I sold a Standard instrument, would the buyer be able to download the Full content?

[Oceanview]

Some interesting and temperate comments in the thread thus far. For those of us who have been using the VI series for many years it has certainly been a not entirely welcome surprise even if understandable from the business / future development angle. With some computer / software companies you sort of get used to the idea of some of the packages being transient and subject to relatively short lives. VSL seemed to belong to another tradition, which realistically can't be so.

I have a specific point: it seems at present not possible to upgrade single instruments to synchronized versions. I asked about this since I have Flute 1, Clarinet Bb, French Oboe, and Cor Anglais - and was directed to the Woodwinds package - but that has many additional instruments I'm not sure I need.

[vivasswansriharsha]

Hello!

if the library install size is 100 gb & the sample amount is 300k or 320k, do I need to have 350 gb free space on my ssd or 100 or 120 gb of free space can suffice? This always confused me.

Vivasswan SriHarsha