This is a nice improvement on the original VSO Smart Orchestra, that used the old Silent Stage recordings. I think the newer Synchron stage recordings used here are the best in the business as recordings, although some of the processing/mixes others do are interesting. I wonder if an "XP" add-on will be released for this, I have that for the old VSO, it provides additional solo instruments (e.g. Violas, English Horn, Bassoon, etc.). I'd add that if it appears...
The choir here is nice, I think it's a lot more natural sounding if you push attack to 35 and release to 85. The Harp is really really nice! The celeste sounds like the old actual celeste but a better recording in a better space. The percussion is nice, you don't mention it much on the page but it's Synchron percussion. The tuttis are all way better than the original VSO tuttis, the soloists are generally better too, although some of the old soloists were pretty good. The organization is a bit simpler than the old one.
I think this has a good place in the VSL product line, a nice sketching library, and unlike the old one, this one sounds good enough to just stick with if the result is working for you. The Synchron player is universally acknowledged as the best player in the industry. This is a good starting point for either a piece or a virtual instrument collection. You will want an 88 key keyboard to drive this well, and a good expression pedal (or even breath controller, but those are costly) you can map to VelXF so you can jam with both hands rather than ride the mod wheel. I also have the drum pads on my controller mapped to the keyswitches. It's a lot faster to write a piece that two-handed way if you can do it, and you can just stay in this simple library and embellish plenty, and add in the "Hello!" free VSL libs too.
