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  • SE strings Plus Download Collection vs. Full editions of Solo/Orchestral/Chamber Strings?

    If I have the Vienna Special Edition and then purchase the SE strings Plus download collection, which instruments/samples/articulations from the full Vienna Strings collection am I missing? I don't want to purchase the full editions of the Chamber Strings, Orchestral Strings and/or Solo Strings if I the download collection will suffice. At the same time, if I buy the SE Strings Plus download and then decide that I want the full edition of one of the String collections, surely I will be paying, in part, for the same thing twice.

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    Hi smallfry. If you buy Special Edition extended version and download SE Strings Plus you'll have all the string instruments and sections - solo strings, orchestral strings, chamber strings and Appassionata strings, all playing a good range of styles. What you won't have are the more elaborate articulation variants that come in the full version - stuff like (in the case of the solo violin) legato with progressive vibrato, marcato, spiccato, Zigane (gypsy) style, fast legatos, 'harsh' deliveries, performance trills, octave runs, grace notes, glissandi, harmonics etc. The articulations are all listed in 'sample content' for each individual product on this site.

    @smallfry said:

    At the same time, if I buy the SE Strings Plus download and then decide that I want the full edition of one of the String collections, surely I will be paying, in part, for the same thing twice.
    Yes - that is, unless VSL offer an upgrade path between the two products. Bear in mind that the Special Edition is a budget compilation aimed at people who don't need all the musical options.


  • Thanks Conquer. I am loving my Vienna SE so far (after only a few days). It's such an enormous step up from the many orchestral libraries I have already for my EXS24 both in terms of sound quality and, most especially, playability. It's inspirational to be able to play without at the same time having to think of all of the tweaking and editing you'll have to do to get it sounding believable. I think I might go for the download strings plus for the moment and hope that VSL provide an upgrade path so that people like us can expand our VSL libraries incrementally without financial penalty. cheers

  • We are preparing an upgrade path from SE and SE Plus products to the larger collections.

    It should be available in a few month (Q3 2008)

    best

    Herb


  • That's good news, thanks Herb.


  • Yes thanks Herb. I purchased the SE strings Plus download collection today and they're great but I already realise that I want to get the Orchestral 1 and II libraries. Guess I'll just have to wait for the upgrade path to be established. It can't come soon enough for me.

  • same here! thanks for the smaller upgrade possibilities! looking very much forward to coming updates.. so that i can one day upgrade to the cube ;)

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    @herb said:

    We are preparing an upgrade path from SE and SE Plus products to the larger collections.

    It should be available in a few month (Q3 2008)

     

    best

    Herb

    Q3 2008 seems so far away! Isn't it just a matter of working out a price structure? Thanks for a great product regardless

  •  Thanks Herb, i think that the VSL staff has sniffed the right direction where the market's moving. And that it's definyng a new paradigm: modularity, customizability of the libraries.

    For beginners with small budget, like me, the SE represents just the "first" step to join the fantastic universe of VIs. As for many others owners of SE, very happy and fully satisfied of my buy, yesterday my question was: "and now?, if i want more, does i have to spend the money for a whole new collection, that i will use at 10-20%, paying twice for the samples  i already have with SE?". So, the chance to buy incremental upgrades without money penalisation is a BIG news that permits to users like me, to go forward building my own library, following both my needs as my budget.

    The best, every SE user here knows, should be the possibility to buy the single articulation taken from EVERY collection, and also to buy a complete collection with a discount based on the packages i already have. I know it's a very complex system, but i'm sure that this move will bring lot of new VI users.

    For now, many thanks for this first download collections (at my advice very cleverly designed), hoping that VSL one day will became completely "building blocks".

    Fabius 


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    welcome fabius,

    whereas it has been obvious some SE users would wish to upgrade sooner or later and as we read herb is consideing several options there are technical limitations because of the existing hierarchy of licenses.

    clearly upgrades can only go from SE standard to [module] standard as well as from SE extended to [module] extended library where [module] represents a collection as listed on the product pages (some collections don't have an extended library)

    for the collections of the symphonic cube *) there has initially been the option to purchase licenses for single instruments (which still exists, but only backoffice currently) with the other collections there is not such an option (eg. there is no appassionata strings violins only extended license).

    also keep in mind the standard libraries are always grouped (eg. there is no solo strings violins standard only license)

    also technically speaking there would be of course the possibility to configure totally new products (down to single articulations) but the amount of needed licenses would be enourmous and make no sense - neither regarding organizing nor for the resulting scan times.

    christian

    *) the Symphonic Cube (I) contains solo, chamber orchestral (I + II) strings, harps, woowinds (I + II), brass (I + II) and percussion


    and remember: only a CRAY can run an endless loop in just three seconds.
  • reply to myself:

    clearly upgrade options would apply to the SE download products (sections) accordingly - eg there can not exist an upgrade path from SE strings to VI woodwinds ... just to have it mentioned ...

    christian


    and remember: only a CRAY can run an endless loop in just three seconds.
  • what about a "reverse upgrade" path? what i mean is, that i have already spent nearly $2,000 on the Orch Strings 1 and 2 packages. I would love to be able to get the Dowload SE Strings+ collection to augment my orchs with some basic solo and chamber instruments, but  seeing as how they are sold as an entire "string" package i would be basically paying AGAIN for the Orch String basic articulations included in the SE Strings package (which i already HAVE in my full versions of Orch Strings.)

    Is there a discount already being shown to me when i check the prices (couldnt seem to find the Discount Calculator page) ?

    Or am i basically just out of luck and have to pay twice for part of a collection i already have purchased? 


  •  a *reverse upgrade path* would definately not be an upgrade ... let us call this an oxymoron ...

     

    as already mentioned (please see above) all standard libraries and extended libraries other than from the symphonic cube cannot be splitted into single instruments.

     

    a discount schema is currently considered, so you can't see it somewhere

     

    another question: would you expect to receive a star wars I DVD for free just because you purchased the star wars collection bundle already?

    christian


    and remember: only a CRAY can run an endless loop in just three seconds.
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    @cm said:

     a *reverse upgrade path* would definately not be an upgrade ... let us call this an oxymoron ...

    as already mentioned (please see above) all standard libraries and extended libraries other than from the symphonic cube cannot be splitted into single instruments.

    a discount schema is currently considered, so you can't see it somewhere

    another question: would you expect to receive a star wars I DVD for free just because you purchased the star wars collection bundle already?

    christian

     

    No, Christian, of course i wouldn't! However, i wouldnt be buying a Star Wars DVD for $2,700 dollars, now would i?  [;)] But seeing as how we are talking about software for music production, let me use this analogy. When i purchased N.I.'s Reactor 4, i was then offered a discount upgrade path to Reaktor 5 at a discount. When i purchased my TC Powercore PCI Mk 1, i was then offered an upgrade discount when the MK 2 was released. I know, i know.. every company is different, so i  realize i cannot hold VSL to the same standards that another company holds. However, i think we are all in agreement here that VSL is the Lamborghini (or Ferrari, if you prefer) of music production software. And seeing as how i, as a devoted customer was willing to shell out a rather large amount of money for this elite software, i feel there is a sort of "loyalty" that should be afforded to those who have taken the dive into this upper-eschelon of amazing software products. However, this is simply my opinion, and i fully respect VSL's right to make whatever decisions they choose about their phenomenal product.

    Please understand, i am not trying to be a trouble maker. Im merely bringing into the forum a concern that i feel i have the right to ask about, seeing as how i have paid for part of their premium products.

    I've heard it mentioned before that no VI/VSL collection is ever meant to be an "a la carte" system, which i fully respect. But in that example, i am not asking for the ability to download just one articulation; "Please sell me the Orch Strings Viola Fast Repetition @ 150 BPM only, please for 38 dollars." That truly would be a mix and match "a la carte" and obviously would be ridiculous to expect. However, i guess my point is that if i had a wish list, it would be just a bit more of dividing the SE products down in each category, i.e. making the solo, chamber, and orch strings each their own individual D/L package. And if the price for each of those was slightly increased, to me that would be worth the extra money to have that ability to get the product i need. However at this point (as you stated above) they cannot be "splitted" into single instruments. So i guess that is that. 😊

    Anyhow, im sorry if im coming off as negative or demanding or complaining. 'Twas not my intention at all. I just simply want to offer my suggestions as a VSL customer and feel compelled to at least mention these things to as its obviously in MY best interest to try to save money if and where possible... And who knows, things may change in the future, and maybe then more options will be available. We've seen a LOT of improvements over the last year, many of which i am delighted to now have available.

    All that being said, i still absolutely LOVE my Orch Strings and Soprano Choir and SE Brass They are the ultimate and nonpareil of music/software/sampling and i have NOT ONE complaint about them!

    except the Tuba. i really had no interest in paying to download tuba samples!  [:P]  <--- sarcasm!

    ok thanks for reading my lengthy diatribe. keep up the great work, Team VSL -- we love you! 


  • Christian, i realize now that the technical realisation of the download for the single articulation should be quite crazy: it will create a terrible chaos for the management of so many licences and in addition i was not considering the different structure between SE and the other libraries.

    But the final goal should be permitting to SE users to gradually expand their library adding modular packages. And to receive some discount for buying other VI  libraries, based on the packages i already have.

    An example: SE, then i buy Strings Plus, and then i need some other strings articulations: i have to buy Orch Strings I or II?: why i should pay full price if i already have, say, half the content?

    An idea should be to build additional upgrade levels for the download products (something like "Strings Plus2", 3..) permitting to completing the library at the final level, reaching the same content of the whole boxed library.

    In short: SE + Strings Plus + Strings Plus2 + .....= OrchStrings + Solo Strings libraries (obviously paying more in total, but with the advantage of a gradual upgrade). The extended versions will provide Chamber and Appassionata Strings.

    Something similar obviously for Woodwinds and Brass.

    For my opinion this will be a good solution for not bringing SE users to a "dead alley"and for giving more value to the download products.

    Fabius 


  • i understand the wish to expand gradually, however the orchestra strings + strings PLUS are ~50.000 samples, whereas the corresponding DVD strings products are ~ 260.000 samples in total (just to show we are far away from the half) ... extrapolating this would mean another 8 products (each divided in standard and extended) until we reach the level of the DVD product .... i fear this would result in an explosion of licenses ....

     

    however be assured the old VIP price system will find a dignified successor for the Vienna Instruments - it will be announced when it is worked out.

    christian


    and remember: only a CRAY can run an endless loop in just three seconds.
  • Christian,
    My idea born seeng some weeks ago the apparition of a subscription plan for the singles packages of plus libraries (only). I was wondering if this concept ever should be extended to all the Vienna libraries. But now, everithing is gone....

    Yes, unfortunately from the user side, often the things seems so simple but, as you clearly explained, this proposal is quite impossible to realise for obvious technical problems. [:(]

    Anyway, i hope you keep in consideration my "hamletic" dilemma that is: now that th "plus" packages are out what i can do:

     1) Buy a plus package, hoping the release of further future upgrades, considering also that in the plus package still are missing some very useful (for me) patches like fast legato. 

     2) Wait for a future iphotetical buy (when i will get the money) fof the DVD library, that probably i will use at 50%

    If there will be aivailable a good discount policy for permitting the "painless" passage from the "railroad" of SE and download packages to the DVD complete versions, i think that this will be a good solution for every SE user. [Y]

    Cheers

    Fabius 


  • Why don't VSL go for more simple packaging structure? For example 3 full packages contains the entire range of instruments:

    1. VSL First Eddition (Basic articualtions of all instruments).

    2. VSL Second Eddition (More advanced articualtions of all instruments).

    3. VSL Third Eddition (The rest of articualtions of all instruments).

    Here the upgrade path is clear and the licensing schema is simple.

    Basic Edition could be affordable, the higher editions may have more price.

    A customer gets a discount in case of purchasing the entire library at once(bundle).

    That is it![Y]

    Emperor


  • Is there any more news on the upgrade path? I have the SE and all of the Se Plus downloads. I have also purchased the Solo Violins. I don't want to purchase any more full collections only to find out that I could have received a discount if I'd waited. Thanks in advance

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    @Emperor said:

    1. VSL First Eddition (Basic articualtions of all instruments).

    2. VSL Second Eddition (More advanced articualtions of all instruments).

    3. VSL Third Eddition (The rest of articualtions of all instruments

     

    This might seem cheeky, but:

    1. VSL First Edition = Special Edition

    2. VSL Second Edition = SC Standard

    3. VSL Third Edition = SC Extended

    *Rob