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  • Wanting to buy, but confused about all the libraries!!

    T
    T

    Hello All

    I don't yet own any VSL library but am looking to purchase in the near future.

    I have been looking through the VSL web site as well as my local vendors (Digital Village, Turnkey and Dolphin Music). I am thoroughly confused by all the options! If I can summarise what I've found, maybe somebody could correct me whereI've gone wrong please.

    As far as i can tell from the VSL site, there are 6 string, 7 winds and 5 Perc/keyboard libraries. Of these, 10 can be purchased in a special package called symphonc cube. Most of these libraries have extra "extended" versions containing extra articulations and so on. There is also a "special edition" package particularly useful for laptops.

    Ok - but the i get confused. On the local vebdors' sites I also see reference to Horizon, Opus, Performance Sets, Pro Edition, EXS24 set, Giga set and so on. I'm hoping that these are just"old" sets no longer available (at least, I can't see them on the VSL site).

    Is it important that I choose an EXS24 set (I am using Logic 8)? Do I have to worry about "Pro editions" or "Performance sets"? Or are they all contained within the sets I can see on the VSL page?

    Sorry for all these questions, but this will cost me a lot of money and I want to make sure I get it right!

    Thanks in advance

    Tyrone Howe 
  • D
    D

    OK. There are basically two products:

    1) The legacy products, which include Giga, EXS, Kontakt HALion. These have things such as Pro Edition. Performance Set, Horizon series.

    2) Vienna Instruments. the current product that uses its own player.

    Only you can tell which way you want to jump, but if you want any recent products from VSL it will have to be the Vienna Instruments. There is an upgrade path from most of the legacy products, but you might find it better just to buy the new stuff.

    Almost all the VI has Standard and Extended. Both exist on the DVD discs that you get. You can use the Extended for a short time, without paying, to try it out, but after a while they will not be available to you until you add this licence to the Syncrosoft dongle.

    One caveat; now that the product is protected by a dongle, you have one licence for each Collection. Therefore, if you decide that you want 1st Violins on one computer and 2nds on another, you will probably have to buy the Collection twice.

    Feel free to ask any more questions as they occur to you.

    BTW I would steer clear of Dolphin. They have the worst customer service of any vendor that I've had the misfortune to buy from.

    DG
  • T
    T

    Hello DG

    Many thanks for your quick reply. I will take you up on your offer to answer more questions :)

    So the legacy products are effectively sample libraries and you would need a sample playback engine (such as Giga, Kontakt, ESX24 in Logic) to play back the samples? The legacy products are not copy protected with a dongle?

    Whereas the VI version has its own AU/VST instrument for playing back the samples and is protected with a Syncrosoft dongle. Aahh I really hate using dongles, especially for such expensive software.

    So when you say “Only you can tell which way you want to jump”, you mean am I happy to  use a sample library with EXS24 (I use Logic) or would I rather use the VI. Hmmmm.

    I assume the samples in the newer VI are the same as those available in the legacy products?

    I am also not sure why at Digital Village the “Pro Edition Complete Package (ESX24 Format Sample CD” is £3660, whereas the “newer” Symphonic Cube Standard is “only” £2600. Does the Pro Edition contain extra samples/instruments that the Cube does not? Could this be because the Pro Edition already contains all of the “extended” styles that you have to pay extra for with the Symphonic Cube?

    Sorry about all this! Trouble is I can’t find any information on the VSL site about these legacy products and can only go by the scant information I have found on the Digital Village (and other) sites.

    To conclude, I have no idea whether to go for the legacy products or the new VI stuff. I am tempted with the VI way (because it is current) but am worried of what I might lose by not going the legacy route. Has anybody else recently made this decision?

    Finally, anybody know what VSL’s policy is about lost dongles? Is it the “Steinberg” method (lose the dongle, you have to re-purchase everything) or the “Apple” method (some re-purchase but at very reduced rates).

    Thanks again to DG and any others who can help me

    Tyrone Howe 

  • D
    D

    Legacy products are protected by the Performance Tool, but this was not really much protection, hence the move to the dongle for the newer products. You are correct that they need a sample player.

    All the samples available in the legacy products are available in the VI and there is 50% or so new stuff and new instruments as well.

    The new Cube Standard Edition has a sort of half and half; some new samples, some not. If you are thinking to buy the complete Cube including Extended do your sums very carefully, 'cos it might even be cheaper to buy the Pro Edition and then upgrade, plus you'd have both formats of samples. The new stuff is also 24bit, rather than 16bit.

    I have all the legacy products and haven't used them for nearly two years. I also have two copies of the Vi Cube, so that tells you what I think of the new product.

    VSL has a very sensible policy about dongles. make sure you register them, and if there is a problem they will help you out. If you are in doubt contact support and ask them. This is VSL, not Crapple or Steinborg........!

    DG