I would go for VI Pro, because there are some features I'm missing in the Synchron Player. I hope that these will come in a future update.

• Stretch function: I don't use it often, but you can achieve variations.
• Auto-Voicing: It's great for the Dimension series, but I would prefer an Auto-Divisi function (similar to LASS).
• CC thresholds: The new controller curves in the Synchron Player are good, but I prefer fixed values (as in VI Pro) instead of percentages, e.g. faster legato at a value of 80. Actually, I like Synchron Player, because you can define the starting and the ending position of a CC. @VSL: Please make this available in VI Pro!!!
• Interval map: This little feature is so important for me. With this I can imitate Spitfire's performance legato, because I can have a staccato/spiccato/marcato attack ONLY on the first note of a legato phrase. With the Synchron Player marcato presets you have the attack on EVERY single note. @VSL: Please make it available in the Synchron Player!!!

You can bypass the ambience in the Synchron Player and use the SYNCHRON-ized version in MIR Pro instead. The impulse responses are based on the MIR technology.

For me, one of the most positive thing is that the SYNCHRON-ized libraries are less expensive and you get the full library, e.g. Dimension Strings I.

with the current sales the VIPro version of the Dimensions Strings full bundle appears less expensive then getting Synchron, but a few hundred bucks.  Its close either way, that will not be the determining factor...

Based on your previous use of VI you should definitely go for the VI version, since it is the "native" and original version.  Synchron is an adaptation and processing  of  the original sound which was not recorded on that stage.  So the Syncrhon version is more for people who are exclusively using Synchron products and don't want to deal with VI, or  for people who are using BOTH VI and Synchron and want to include it with their Synchron library. 

The nice thing about the VI version is you can already use the MIR Synchron stage with it, as well as all the other MIR environments, or any other reverb in existence.    

I think this is a tricky question, as VSL has giving no information on their direction in the future. I don't disagree whith what others have said, but also think that the synchron player is where future inoviation will be.

@Bill said:

I think this is a tricky question, as VSL has giving no information on their direction in the future. I don't disagree whith what others have said, but also think that the synchron player is where future inoviation will be.

It IS a tricky question.  But its already done.  Bought DimStrings 1-3 today.  I'm a power type of user and I like the capabilties that some of you have mentioned about VIPro.  Actually what motivated me to buy VSL Cube to begin with this year was specfically the VIPro player and all the extra control it has, I feel above and beyond any other orchestral instrument on the market.  That was a huge selling point for me.  I also like the silent stage and mir pro approach.  If I wanted wet libraries I most likely would not have bought VSL at all.

It is a little troubling wondering what VSL is going to do with the VIPro line, but unless/until the synchron player can do everything the VIPro player can do (and more), there will be no point in moving that direction away from ViPro and I don't think it will go away.  Would be nice if VIPro got a bit of a facelift to look like Synchron and perhaps benefit from some of the technological advances they may be coming up with, but its hardly worth $100 per library to upgrade to the Synchron player, especially if, like me, you already have MirPro and the Synchron mirpack.   What VSL should do is rather then "synchronizing" all the libraries and charging $100+ per library to get Synchronized verisons..that are not even as full featured...  they should catch the syncrhon player up to all the features ViPro has, and able to read the Cube librares unchanged...then charge for Synchron Player Pro...like an upgrade from the ViPro instrument...not having to upgrade all your libraries the way they have done it.  The way they have done it is not interesitng to me at all...and nor is the syncron player until it can do everything VIPro can do and more..and even then, if they insist that I would have to buy upgraded libraries at what would probably amount to over $1000 to upgrade everything I have....I just can't see the value being there to be worth it.

Anyway, there it is...I have dim stirngs now.

And VSL could completely eliminate the confusion by simply making Instruments and Synchron capable of loading any of their libraries (ie. Synchron can load VI libraries and VI can load Synchron libraries). Im not going to stop pushing this idea because Vienna has successfully created angst amongst their user base. For me personally, Im not buying any other major instruments until I know what direction they are going. This insane push to use the Synchron player is so obnoxious to me. I hate the UI, it is completely unintuitive. I use it once in awhile. It looks like a fisher price toy. Perhaps, if I were using it on a touch screen, that might be an application for that kind of UI but otherwise, no thanks. The colour scheme is awful as well.

THE reason I started my library with Vienna was the dry samples and Instruments Pro. Powerful, unique, something no one else was doing. The matrix idea completely clicked with me. I wrote a song within 5 hours of downloading my first bit of sound fonts. Setting up the articulations was a piece of cake. Do I wish the UI scaled in VI? Yep. That is probably the only major thing about VI that needs an update. Running it on a 4k screen is, well, shall we say, I hope you have your telescope handy.

Stop forcing us to choose a playback engine and which version of sounds we want to purchase. If you like Synchron, you should be able to use it with all things Vienna. If you like VI Pro, yoiu should be able to use it with all things Vienna.

Im going back to my hole now, I think I broke my soap box :(

Unfortunately, there will always be two dedicated library versions, because ...

1) ... both players have specific file sytems; they aren't interchangeable
2) ... VI Pro hasn't the streaming power of Synchron Player
3) ... VI Pro can't handle microphone positions (which are available in Synchron libraries)

I think that there still will be both players in the future. VSL mentioned that there will be more libraries for VI Pro, take Dimension Strings III as an example. Synchron Player is for users who don't have MIR Pro and don't want to deal with positioning, in my opinion.

I also don't like Synchron Player in general, the UI is horrible, but everyone has a different taste. :)

@Pixelpoet1985 said:

Unfortunately, there will always be two dedicated library versions, because ...

1) ... both players have specific file sytems; they aren't interchangeable
2) ... VI Pro hasn't the streaming power of Synchron Player
3) ... VI Pro can't handle microphone positions (which are available in Synchron libraries)

I think that there still will be both players in the future. VSL mentioned that there will be more libraries for VI Pro, take Dimension Strings III as an example. Synchron Player is for users who don't have MIR Pro and don't want to deal with positioning, in my opinion.

I also don't like Synchron Player in general, the UI is horrible, but everyone has a different taste. 😊

1) No reason both players cannot understand two different file systems. Winzip understands over a hundred zip file formats.

2) Not sure what you mean by streaming power. Both players load samples into memory, neither player streams data.

3) There is no reason VIPro cant be modified to handle microphone positions, or maybe shuttled off to the MIR Pro engine. Honestly, its high time that the MIR Pro engine should be free anyway, especially considering you cant do anything with the engine itself. Yes, MIR Pro would have to be upgraded to support more than two microphone positions, however, I consider that a huge bonus, one that MIR Pro desperately needs. Compared to other convolution reverbs on the market, the lack of more than 2 microphone positions leaves MIR Pro a bit behind. This isnt to say MIR Pro isnt amazing, but it certainly needs an upgrade in number of mic placement positions.

Actually, I don't know the technical details, I was just recalling what I still know about it. Synchron Player has an all-new, more powerful engine than VI Pro.

Go to the product page of the Synchron Player. The introduction text answers all the questions.

Sorry that I'll take this thread OT for a moment ...

@littlewierdo said:

[...] Honestly, its high time that the MIR Pro engine should be free anyway, especially considering you cant do anything with the engine itself. Yes, MIR Pro would have to be upgraded to support more than two microphone positions, however, I consider that a huge bonus, one that MIR Pro desperately needs. Compared to other convolution reverbs on the market, the lack of more than 2 microphone positions leaves MIR Pro a bit behind. This isnt to say MIR Pro isnt amazing, but it certainly needs an upgrade in number of mic placement positions.

Great to hear that you like MIR Pro! I know that there is always room for improvement, but let's get a few things straight:

- MIR as a whole "thinks" Ambisonics, thus you can de-code up to eight individual microphone capsules of both microphone positions. Most Venues offer four (at least three) Main Mic positions you can choose from, some of them oriented in more than one main axis.

- After all these years there is still not a single competitor's product on the market which is able to deal with literally thousands of individual impulse responses from a real stage or studio, allowing for free source-placement and rotation (of both the source and the microphones!) - let alone in (close to) real-time.

- Plus, there is no comparable (IR-based) product which is able to take into account the directivity of the recorded sources, much less the actually measured frequency profiles of real instruments.

... I would _love_ to make MIR a free product, but looking at the 15+ years of development which were necessary to realize the features mentioned above (and all the other ones, too), I would say that it's highly unlikely this will happen any time soon.

Kind regards,

"Compared to other convolution reverbs on the market, the lack of more than 2 microphone positions leaves MIR Pro a bit behind. " - littleweirdo

That is absurd

MIR is so much better than  other reverb/acoustic environments.  There is nothing that even remotely compares in sound quality, in flexibility, in ease of use.  A total non-engineer musician can use it easily to create a world-class mix.  It is the only one perfectly designed for orchestral sound mixing.  And the microphone positions are adjustable from many different perspectives. 

+1

Thanks everybody for chiming in - no need to get angry, though! MIR is the industry's best-kept secret for one reason or the other, so its Ins and Outs are not necessarily common knowledge. ;-)

Kind regards,

Hello

My Reasen for buying Synchron Player was the abelity to use (finally) AFTERTOUCH.

And its new possibilitys in the DIM/Ctr.. Now you can manage more then 2 (VI Pro) Matrices with the "SlotX/Fade".

The Handling of the "Matrix" (VI Pro) in SP is in my Opinion better.

But the Upgrade Price for the Libs should be more fair.

MIR is Great, espacialy in conjunction with VEP6. I use it also as Digital FX-Rack (as "Send-effect") in live Situations.

VSL team, please, make a range of humanizing parameters in SY player same as (not smaller then) in VIPro

Also feature requests for SY player:
Indication of impulse Bypass mode for impulse button on the mixer
Master Impulse bypass button in mixer