Vienna Symphonic Library Forum
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  4. Possible to demo Dimension Strings / other VSL libraries?
  • JT3_JonJ
    JT3_JonJ

    In my opinion its not a good system for consumers to buy sample libraries on faith or video demos alone, especially when you cannot return the product if it doesn't meet your needs/expectations. I also find it interesting how every FX plugin I know (including VSL Vienna Suite & MIR) allow for fully usable demos for as long as 30 days, while actual sample library playable demos are very hard to find. Even though they both use the same copy protection! Why is this? 

    If I remember correctly, VSL use to offer a sort of "demo hard drive" where you could try all their sample libraries for 30 days if you purchased the drive. Maybe something similar can be done, but via download, where you can pay X amount to demo a library, and if you like the library the cost of the demo will be applied to your purchase, but if you decide not to buy VSL keeps the fee to help pay for the servers, etc?
  • C
    C
    Aren't many VSL libraries available for demo via TrySound? And in any case, I think the sample libraries tend to be much higher in GB than the software, and it's costly for VSL to allow downloads of so many gigabytes for a trial where they don't know if it will pay off. So I really like the hard drive idea that they used where you purchase the hard drive and you can test ride any of the libraries. Other companies have done this as well and it has always seemed like a great idea to me. Personally I'd be much more keen to do that than spend so long downloading a library just to test it. Other than that, maybe they should put all of their libraries up on TrySound for people who prefer not to involve shipping or VAT.
  • L
    L
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    @Casiquire said:

    Aren't many VSL libraries available for demo via TrySound?
    I have only seen the special edition libraries and a piano from VSL.

    And then Try-Sound is very limited.

    There is this latency, which makes fluent playing via keyboard impossible. Then there are those annoying birds. And then you can't really make a real world use of those samples. And especially for the Dimension Strings it would be interesting to try out different settings with your own reverb-setups, etc.

    Also the servers of Try-Sound sometimes seem to be to weak.

    I tested the Special Edition today to check out the PLUS samples, and with the MIDI demos there were numerous drops of voices.

    (By the way. Is it normal to not have the PLUS articulations in the Patch-List? I only could load those samples by using the Matrixes.)
  • C
    C
    Huh, I could have sworn there were more than just those demos available. Well still I had several other reasons why it's not feasible to offer free downloads of over a hundred gigabytes when it doesn't seem like competitors are doing the same and there are other alternative options.
  • L
    L

    So what other options are there to test sample libraries before buying them? I see none.

    Also there's nothing wrong with doing better than the compitition.
  • M
    M

    Offering demos of larger libraries via downloads is actually pretty costly. High performance downloads of this kind of data costs about 12 cents per Gigabyte of transfer, making a 100GB download cost 12 USD to deliver.
  • JT3_JonJ
    JT3_JonJ
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    @MS said:

    Offering demos of larger libraries via downloads is actually pretty costly. High performance downloads of this kind of data costs about 12 cents per Gigabyte of transfer, making a 100GB download cost 12 USD to deliver.

    Which is why I suggested a paid demo, to which the demo payment could be applied towards the library if the cusomter decides to purchase, or if they decide not to buy you keep it, thereby covering your costs. Seems win, win to me!

    But perhaps its not worth the effort as no one is offering playable demos for libraries and the customers are still buying. However, I truly believe compaines would get more sales if people could demo their products, use them in a project, then realize they need to buy the product in order to keep hearing those wonderful parts in their songs.

    I know that happens to me ALL the time with plugins who offer demos. In fact, thats how I bought Vienna Suite! 
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    C
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    @LazyPeon said:

    So what other options are there to test sample libraries before buying them? I see none.

    You know, I thought I read something about the Vienna Hard Drive having demo options, but I can't find any information about that now, so you might be correct. This whole time I thought that the HD was the exact answer you were looking for. I guess I agree with you then, there should be some way to demo the libraries.
  • J
    J
    I think Best Service used to have an explorer kit.
  • L
    L
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    @MS said:

    Offering demos of larger libraries via downloads is actually pretty costly. High performance downloads of this kind of data costs about 12 cents per Gigabyte of transfer, making a 100GB download cost 12 USD to deliver.
    I really can't believe, it's actually that expensive.

    Anyways ... a lot of companies use a downloader-manager with an integrated torrent-system, so that every user also uploads data for other users while he's running the DLM.

    @Casiquire

    Oh yeah, the Vienna Hard Drive is still available:

    http://www.vsl.co.at/en/211/442/2467/2468/2469/2118.htm

    But it does not include the Dimension Strings yet.