Still confused about VI SE 30 days/180 starts

[Eric]

Well I finally ordered my very first VI, the Special Edition. While I am very excited, I still can't clear something up, as I've read conflicting information from previous posts.

1. Do I need to purchase a Vienna Key seperately, or will one come with the SE since it's my first ever VSL product?

2. As for the extended library demo for 30 days/180 starts, is it whatever comes FIRST or whatever comes LAST? Example, say I use this program only sparingly, and start it only once a week (hypothetically of course), does that mean I will get only 4 uses total?

3. I understand a "start" is anytime you load an instrument. Is there a way to audition each sound without "loading" it and using a start? Example, say I am looking for the right violin articulation, but I need to try out 5 different articulations. Can I hear a basic audition of those 5 sounds, or do I have to load them all one by one, using 5 "starts" ?

[dsstudio]

I try to answer [:)]
1- You need to buy Vienna Key to able to demo extended library [steinberg key will work but you will have to send a demo request]

2- I bought some Library at NAMM show [Jan 07] - and I still can able to load extended library today, so good chance is 180 start and not 30 days
Please correct me if I am wrong

3- No audition, when you load a sound, it means "1 start"
Sonny

[Conquer]

Here's how I understand it: a 'start' is when you open the Vienna Instrument. Once it's open, you can audition as many patches as you like. Having shut it down, the next time you open it counts as start #2, and so on. After 30 days the extended library will no longer function, but it will stop working sooner if you exceed 180 starts.

[Maya]

Hi,

detailed information about Demo mode 1 and 2 can be found on the Vienna Key product page:

http://vsl.co.at/en-us/211/344/251.vsl

<<Demo Mode #1
Even before registering your VIENNA INSTRUMENTS Collection you can test the product on any computer with a new ViennaKey plugged in. There are 180 “starts” available. This number doesn’t refer to starting up the computer or to starting a new session.
Each of the following procedures is a “start”: Instantiating the VIENNA INSTRUMENT, loading a Collection, or loading an instrument from the Extended Library. So the period of time you can use the VIENNA INSTRUMENTS in Demo Mode #1 depends on how often and how many instruments you audition. Therefore we recommend registering your products as soon as possible.

Demo Mode #2
This is the 30 day demo mode after registering your Vienna Instruments Collection which is available upon request only: If you have bought only the Standard Library, you can try out the Extended Library for 30 days. You have 30 starts available in these 30 days. If you’ve used up your 30 starts before your 30 day trial period has expired, please connect to the Syncrosoft Server using your License Control Center to get another 30 starts.

Please note that your Vienna Instruments Patches, Matrices and Presets for a saved project won¹t load anymore once the corresponding Demo License for the given Extended Library has expired.
You might want to purchase and register the Extended Libraries used in your arrangement well in time before the Demo License expires.>>

I hope this explains it.

Best regards,

Maya VINSON

[Eric]

@Maya said:

Each of the following procedures is a “start”: Instantiating the VIENNA INSTRUMENT, loading a Collection, or loading an instrument from the Extended Library.

This is what confuses me. First of all, I know nothing about programming, so tell me in layman's terms what you mean by "instantiating" the VEINNA INSTRUMENT? Pardon my stupidity. [:D] And how is a collection different from a sound in SE? Also, if all I use are standard instruments and never touch the extended instruments, will I be conserving those 180 starts until whenever I do decide to use them? (By the way, are all instruments in SE clearly categorized under "standard" or "extended" so I know what I should use if I don't want to lose any sounds when the demo period expires?)

And finally, when does the demo period begin? First use I assume? Or is it date of purchase?

Thanks in advance for your answers.

[Conquer]

"Instantiating the Vienna Instrument" means opening it. A 'Collection' is what VSL call each of their Vienna Instrument titles, meaning a collection of samples. I don't know what "Loading a Collection" means, because clearly you can't load a whole collection at one time! Your computer would explode.

Comparing the Standard / Extended versions of the SE (PRODUCTS -> VIENNA INSTRUMENTS II -> SPECIAL EDITION -> Std / Ext library), it seems that the difference between the two is in instrumentation rather than in playing styles. With the Extended you get chamber strings, appassionata strings, woodwind ensembles, extra woodwind and brass solo instruments, harp, saxophones, harpsichord, organ and guitars.

You should be able to hear demos of all these instruments on the site, which might help you decide whether you want to buy them without using up any of your precious 'starts'!