To avoid future misunderstandings I'd like to point out that the Performance Articulations of the Horizon Series in Kontakt and HALion format still need our Performance Tool. Only the Legato and Repetition Performances that come with Kontakt 2 can be played with Kontakt's script processor.

Best wishes,
Martin, Vienna Symphonic Library

Thanks Martin.

Can you please tell me definitively whether or not there will be a Kontakt2 version of your Symphonic Editions products?

(And if you say "no", I shall carry out my hunger strike in the front lobby of VSL headquarters. You wouldn't want an international incident on your hands, now would you?)

Cheers,

Scott Rogers

@Scott Rogers said:

[...] I shall carry out my hunger strike in the front lobby of VSL headquarters. [...]

[:D] Scott, you wouldn't do that. Our "Lobby" is maybe not exactly what you would usually call one.

Herb thought that the money our users pay should be better spent on new recordings than on new buildings ...

/Dietz

I'm afraid I can't tell you anything currently, nothing is decided and even if it was I couldn't tell you right now...
Martin

So then, I have some more questions:

1) Will your Horizon series products such as Opus1, Chamber Strings, and Epic Horns, which were made to work inside Kontakt, work just as well in Kontakt2? Would I have to convert anything? Any compatibility issues, etc.?

2) If I purchase Opus1, and six months later you release Symphonic Editions for Kontakt2, would I be able to upgrade for the difference in cost between the two products?

Cheers.

Hello Scott,
Sorry for the sluggish conversation, it's Easter Holidays in Austria...
So here are your answers:
1. All of our Horizon Series products in Kontakt format work perfectly fine in Kontakt 2. All of them have been tested successfully. You don't have to convert anything. Just download the Kontakt programs (.nki files) from the User Area of our website and use them with the samples (.wav files) which are included on the Horizon Series discs.
2. Yes! When you upgrade from Opus 1 to the Complete Orchestral Package of the Pro Edition, no matter which format each of them, the full price of Opus 1 will be credited.

Best wishes, Martin

Thanks Martin. Good to hear.

(By the way, when did they move Woodland Hills to Austria? I hope you didn't take Fry's Electronics with you.) [:D]

I'm in Austria in preparation for Musikmesse Frankfurt, I'll go back to Woodland Hills afterwards. Looking forward to Whole Foods and Chipotle, Fry's not so much [;)]

@cwillsher said:

I too am really waiting for the next big leap in Mac processor development before I take the ultimate plunge - do you know when the next G5's are being released in the US?

Colin [:D]

Colin, thought I would update you on this. The new word on the street is that a new line will be introduced at NAB in mid-April.

Specs are said to be:
Dual processors running at 2.0, 2.5, and 3.0gHz
Support in the higher-end models for 32Gigs of RAM using 4Gig RAM sticks.

Mind you, this is just a rumor, but in my experience a lot of these rumors prove to be very accurate. Additionally, it appears that Tiger is on the verge of release. If this is all true, at NAB I suspect they'll also announce the new Final Cut Pro loaded on the 3gHz model dancing realtime rendering circles. Stay tuned.

Thanks for the update Scott.

I also followed up your previous response regarding the talk of Quad processors - how cool would that be? Mind you one post I read was written back in 2001, so it's difficult to know what to believe, but I'm sure we can expect a useful upgrade soon.

I'm also a Final Cut Pro user, but I find current music software and soft-samplers much more demanding in terms of processors and RAM. Now how much is 32Gb of RAM likely to cost??? And is there any chance you'd give me a loan?

Colin

@cwillsher said:

Now how much is 32Gb of RAM likely to cost??? And is there any chance you'd give me a loan?

Colin

32gigs of RAM using 4gig sticks will run you about $24,000.

Loans? Sure. After I've purchased that much RAM, you can have all the money I have left.

Scott,
Couple of thoughts for you.

If you are a happy DP user - stick with it.
I have been a DP user from the very first version of Performer. I am also a Pro Tools Jedi.
Logic simply kicked my ass.
The most basic editing concepts that DP users take for granted are an ordeal in Logic.

Since moving back to DP and using my Pro edition in giga format life is simply great.
You should consider going the giga route for one reason only - being able to have your template loaded at all times.

There was no bigger drag than waiting for Logic to open a huge composition. 5 minutes plus at times.
And crashes (which there are way too many) become torture.

By having my pro edition up and running at all times with my preset template I can go from tune to tune in seconds.

Mac G5 with quad processors will not help the enourmous sample loading time that ensues with Logic/exs and load times are even slower with Kontakt.

PC's are cheap to build and the convenience of having an orchestra loaded and ready to roll makes them worth the $$. I'd bet in the end its cheaper to have 3 pc's and a moderately powered mac than a quad processor.

But back to your original post - Your assesment of VSL vs the competitors is very accurate.
To really compare apples to apples - compare demos from different libs by the same composer. (user demos).
My decision was made by comparing Thomas J's demos for both ewqlso and vsl.
VSL was the clear winner in terms of realism and the fact that more intimate moments ONLY can be achieved with VSL.

Best of luck - there will be much to learn and it will be totally rewarding.