Does VSL give demo licenses to retail locations?
If not, they should. I'm currently trying out a few things that way. Granted, if you're not buddies with the guy who runs the store, you would have to check them out IN the store, but still.
I would've NEVER bought a $2k synth back in the day with getting to test drive. I'm fearful of this paradigm switch. Sure, when we were talking about instruments that were $180 or something, maybe one could risk that based on audio clips...but, now that we're walking into $300-$5k instrument libraries? No thanks.
Right now, I'm auditioning a piano library which I don't want to name...but, a popular one...that I think plays pretty awful. I have 8 year old piano samples I think sound better. But, if I'd not been able to audition them? Anyway--the flipside is true, too. He gave me a demo copy of another, which didn't sound like my kinda thing, but turned out to really spark me musically with it's sound.
I've bought orchestral libs before that I was utterly disappointed in.
I own the VSL VI for Solo Strings and Chamber Strings. The only thing I'm disappointed in is price. [:O]ops: I must say that overall, they are easily the "best programmed" strings I've used. Meaning, with a little CC set up and practice, you can actually PLAY most of what you need to live on the keyboard. They also sound nice--although, honestly, there are a lot of libs that sound nice, IMO.
So, I feel for you. I do. I'm the WORST about not wanting to lay down money on "hyped libraries" having been burned so often. Luckily, FWIW, I don't feel that way about the VSL instruments. They've worked flawlessly for me and allowed me to do things much easier due to the instument/patch/matrix programming.
On reverb...ehh...I get that. these samples are dry as a witch's...well, they're dry. They long for verb. Good verb is highly underrated by the "grew up recording ina computer" set. "Good" is also relative. I use a PCM91--I know folks who would say that's barely useable. [:D]
