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  • Upgrading from special editions to collections and bundles

    Hello,

    I'm a happy owner of https://www.vsl.co.at/en/Special_Editions/Special_Edition_Complete_Bundle with VI Pro 2, VEP 6 and MirX bundle. I'm using most of the time VSL in Sibelius 8.7.2 through VEP 6. The kind of music I'm writing is film/rock band with orchestra.

    I'm looking for a better sound and a good orchestra balance (using MirX).

    Being tempted by upgrading to collections and bundles, I would first like to have answers to a few questions:

    1 - Here is a list of what I would like to update to: do you think it's homogeneous?

    • Woodwinds I & II
    • Brass I & II
    • Percussion
    • Orchestral Strings

    And possibly:

    • Boesenderfer Imperial
    • Vienna Choir
    • Harps

    2 - In https://www.vsl.co.at/en/Strings_Complete/Orchestral_Strings_Bundle#!Sample_Content, do the standard library have con sordino basic articulations or not at all?

    3 - Are Orchestra Strings a "better" choice (in my case) than Appassionata Strings? I tend to choose Orchestra Strings because it has things I'm using like harmonics. 

    4 - Do all these libraries collections "mix" well together (not talking about Synchron ones).

    5 - Do the standard libraries and full libraries have the same number of dynamic layers?

    6 - Do I need https://www.vsl.co.at/en/Strings_Complete/Harps?

    Thanks a lot for your answers!

    Regards,

    Gil.


  • Hello GilP,

    1: don't know what you exaclty mean, but the collection looks good. You should see if upgrading to the symphonic cube is cheaper https://www.vsl.co.at/de/Instruments/Symphonic_Cube

    2: No. Only the Full-Library

    3: The App strings are great if you need a nice string-sound in the background. But if you need more articulations I would go with the orchestral strings. You can layer your current App Strings from the SE library with the orchestral strings. Sounds great!

    4: Yes they do. You can even mix SE with Collection instruments, no problem. The strings layer beautiful (I mostly layer Solo + Chamber + Orchestral). There is no other library out there (in my opinion) which has such a consistence when it comes to sound, quality, volume, etc.

    5: If you buy the Collection Instruments, the number of vel. layers, etc is the same. If you buy the single instruments, it is lower (for example one sample for two keys).

    6: If you don't need thouse additional articulations, not really. I would get the Harp II instead so you have two different harps. But as said in the beginning: You should consider buying the symphonic cube.

    Best, Ben


    Ben@VSL | IT & Product Specialist
  • Hello Ben,

    Thanks for your detailed answer!

    Excellent tip for Symphonic Cube, my bank account will thank you :)

    Just a precision on point 2: I posted my message on the VSL facebook group and someone said that Orchestral Strings I come with con sordino (even if the extended version comes with more articulations for the con sordino patches): https://www.facebook.com/groups/790997337616747/?multi_permalinks=1601477546568718&notif_id=1516911070117264&notif_t=feedback_reaction_generic&ref=notif

    And on point 5, he seems to say that satndard and full libnraires have the same number of velocity layers...

    Can seomeone from VSL confirm that please?

    Thank you!

    Regards,

    Gil.


  • last edited
    last edited

    Hi,

    @Ben: Thanks for chiming in here, much appreciated!

    @GilP: Yes, Orchestral Strings come with a basic selection of con sordino articulations.

    Regarding Velocity Layers: Yes, Standard and Full Libraries have the same number of velocity layers.

    Best,
    Paul


    Paul Kopf Product Manager VSL
  • Hello Paul,

    Thanks for your "official" answers :-)!

    It is sometimes a little bit hard to find these kind of answers without having access to documentation...

    Regards,

    Gil.


  • https://forum.vsl.co.at/topic/48303/Standard Vs Full Again/269371

  • Hi Gil, 

    Which differences do you mean? I'm afraid I cannot follow. Can you point me to it?

    Best, 
    Paul


    Paul Kopf Product Manager VSL
  • Hello Paul,

    Sorry if I've been unacurate: here's the quote from the before last post from PaoloT in https://www.vsl.co.at/community/posts/t48303-Standard-vs--Full--again:

    "An example is the Trumpet (C), where the Staccato articulation haa, for example, 3 velocity layers and 2 round robins in the Standard version, and 5 velocity layers and 4 round robins in the Full version. I've compared several instrments during the past months, and I've seen this happening in various instruments."

    So I was wondering if Standard and Full Libraries have the same number of velocity layers.

    Concerning your answer to the Orchestral Strings con sordino articulations, my question was about the Standard edition: so does the Standard edition include con sordino articulations or not at all?

    Thanks for your answers!

    Regards,

    Gil.