It looks like there's no longer a distinction between Standard and Full libraries. If I sold a Standard instrument, would the buyer be able to download the Full content?

Some interesting and temperate comments in the thread thus far. For those of us who have been using the VI series for many years it has certainly been a not entirely welcome surprise even if understandable from the business / future development angle. With some computer / software companies you sort of get used to the idea of some of the packages being transient and subject to relatively short lives. VSL seemed to belong to another tradition, which realistically can't be so.

I have a specific point: it seems at present not possible to upgrade single instruments to synchronized versions. I asked about this since I have Flute 1, Clarinet Bb, French Oboe, and Cor Anglais - and was directed to the Woodwinds package - but that has many additional instruments I'm not sure I need.

Hello!

if the library install size is 100 gb & the sample amount is 300k or 320k, do I need to have 350 gb free space on my ssd or 100 or 120 gb of free space can suffice? This always confused me.

Vivasswan SriHarsha

Hello everybody,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

I'd like to answer a few questions here:

@Bill: It looks like there's no longer a distinction between Standard and Full libraries. If I sold a Standard instrument, would the buyer be able to download the Full content?

A: No, the buyer will be able to download the Standard content, like you.

@Oceanview regarding VI Single Instruments: There is indeed no equivalent to many of the Single Instruments we offered with the VI Series at this point. In the course of the product cycle (more than 15 years), prices have gone down considerably and we have also seen that our customers are often confused by the sheer amount of options.

@vivasswansriharsha: If the library install size is 100 gb & the sample amount is 300k or 320k, do I need to have 350 gb free space on my ssd or 100 or 120 gb of free space can suffice? This always confused me.

A: 120 GB (20 GB headroom) will be enough. The sample number is just additional information. The "Installed File Size" you see at the end of each product page is reliably correct.

My intention in posting the other day was to try to promote a more temperate (good choice of word, @Oceanview) dialogue, having seen things getting a little heated. I think it's better to take a positive attitude, try to understand other people's viewpoints, etc. Re: Upright Bass, as @patdup says, it should be possible to cross-grade VIs bought as single instruments singly. Plucked Instruments is particularly frustrating as it includes three instruments whose pluckability is about the only thing they have in common. I suspect I'm not the only guitarist who bought the UP bass - the real-world instrument is large and many of us have space issues plus it's played in a totally different way. It seems unfair to expect me to pay for instruments I'd never use. Ironically, with Woodwinds, which naturally go together in a way the PI don't, there are Single Instruments cross-grades.

I think it also needs to be recognised that it won't only be VSL who have a lot of work to do: switching from VIPro to the SP also involves a significant learning curve (it took me several months to feel comfortable after so many years) and also a huge amount of reprogramming work. It's not a seamless transition.

Ultimately, while I wouldn't expect VSL to give all cross-grades away for free, there is that thorny question I raised: what exactly are we paying for? This is the crux of the matter from a PR point of view and VSL need to handle it carefully or risk losing a lot of people (N.B. I don't mean myself). Though they still sound great and it's becoming harder to find drier sources now, these are fairly elderly samples now, for which we've already paid, and the Synchron Player is free software. A "cross-grade" isn't even the same as an "upgrade", which suggests getting something new for the money. A lot of people may think "if I've got to learn completely new software, reprogramme all my arrangements and spend a four-figure sum, I might as well get the dopamine hit of something new and look at other companies' products". I'm a very loyal VSL user (as @Paul can attest having seen my account!) but a couple of decades ago I was earning good money, so I decided to invest in the best orchestral samples available at the time. I really did see it as an investment, I knew might not always have that kind of budget. Nowadays I simply don't have €1000 to spend on cross-grades over a couple of years. I'd have to find the money for those essential to my work then, for the others, either do without those libraries or look at cheaper alternatives from other developers. This is not what I want to do but... needs must.

I've always found VSL to be a company that listens more than most and this is fairly fundamental so I'm optimistic they will here. I suspect higher-earning users will already have cross-graded. I thought about it when it looked as though there might not be an Apple Silicon VIPro but was put off by the cost, plus I needed Duality Strings 😜. If I had to cross-grade more than a few old libraries I'd be unable to buy any new ones for a long time (no dopamine...)

Finally, I hope VSL will consider this: while of course the true credit for their success belongs to @herb, Paul and everyone else at the company, they wouldn't've got far without those of us who spent thousands, tried things out, discovered new ways of using the samples, suggested ideas, contributed feedback, helped one another out with problems, etc. etc. We've contributed to VSL's success too - I started with Gigasampler, EXS and Kontakt, then switched to the original Vienna Instruments when that came out, then VIPro and now Synchron Player.

Anyway, thanks to Paul for his assurances that VSL will take this on board, we'll look forward to hearing what they come up with.

Nick

Thanks to Nick for taking the time to express some of these issues. I've been with VSL since 2008. I agree with his point: 'switching from VIPro to the SP also involves a significant learning curve'. With limited funds and past investments I'm currently reflecting on what to do concerning the September discounts and further purchases.

@Paul said:

Hello everybody,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

I'd like to answer a few questions here:

@Bill: It looks like there's no longer a distinction between Standard and Full libraries. If I sold a Standard instrument, would the buyer be able to download the Full content?

A: No, the buyer will be able to download the Standard content, like you.

@Oceanview regarding VI Single Instruments: There is indeed no equivalent to many of the Single Instruments we offered with the VI Series at this point. In the course of the product cycle (more than 15 years), prices have gone down considerably and we have also seen that our customers are often confused by the sheer amount of options.

@vivasswansriharsha: If the library install size is 100 gb & the sample amount is 300k or 320k, do I need to have 350 gb free space on my ssd or 100 or 120 gb of free space can suffice? This always confused me.

A: 120 GB (20 GB headroom) will be enough. The sample number is just additional information. The "Installed File Size" you see at the end of each product page is reliably correct.

Thanks@Paul! That’s helpful. I think I can now look on for what I would like to buy.

Vivasswan SriHarsha

Greetings from Rio!

I have been with VSL since 2011, and share many of the views expressed in this thread. Long- time users, who have invested in the VI Series, are worried about future upgrade costs, what to buy until September 30^th, what to do with the VI Pro projects and so on. However, changes are inevitable and I am certain VI Series users (including myself) will do whatever possible to “synchronize” themselves to continue using VSL’s great products. At this time I would like to place two questions/suggestions, relevant to crossgrades and to some extra time to complete the transition to the Synchron libraries.

1) Would VSL consider extending VI-Pro support beyond 2025? Or, perhaps wait a few more months to see how the transition is progressing before setting a final date to end support?

2) Vouchers

The use of the Vienna Voucher is a good strategy, particularly for those of us outside the Euro Zone. But, could it be more flexible? Could there be a way to use just part of a voucher’s value?

Thank you,

Octavio

Hi,

I’ve been a VSL user since Gigasampler First Edition. I understand the need to change and grow as a business and I’ve adapted with the technology improvements VSL has continued to bring. I really bought into the dry sample concept, as most of the work I do is with very small ensembles. I appreciate the flexibility of moving instruments and using MIR to place the instruments in small rooms, etc.

Synchronized edition updates have been wonderful. It’s the best of both worlds - the dry samples I know in a better interface with more flexible programming, compatible with MIR. I’ve upgraded to all available Synchronized libraries.

I’m concerned now that I’ll effectively be losing the Brass library, as it hasn’t been integrated into the Synchron player. I’ve considered Synchron Brass but I’m not convinced that the room sound baked in will blend with what I do, and the bulk of the library seems focused on large ensembles, which I do not need.

Is there any plan to transfer the Brass library to Synchron player? If not, what alternative is there for dry solo and very small ensemble brass once the VI player is no longer supported?

@leowolfe said:
I’m concerned now that I’ll effectively be losing the Brass library, as it hasn’t been integrated into the Synchron player.

SYNCHRON-ized Brass is still in the making; no worries! 😊

@somcentral said:
The use of the Vienna Voucher is a good strategy, particularly for those of us outside the Euro Zone. But, could it be more flexible? Could there be a way to use just part of a voucher’s value?

Yes, we agree - this is why we have also started offering vouchers in a smaller 50 EUR option. I am afraid, at this point, we can not process parts of a voucher.

Although I haven't got anything in the VI Series right now but bought Colors and played a little now as well. I am not sure I can post anything about here so posted in the Sample Libraries - Synchron Duality Strings. Thanks @Paul & VSL.

Vivasswan Sriharsha

I am certainly not here to talk, as it is obvious reading all the previous posts that VSL is dead set on this and I don’t want to hear any more excuses that frankly do not interest me. Iit is very clear to me that killing Vi-Player is now the definitive moment of promises broken by VSL. It was said that the Synchronized series was merely an alternative and as long as that was the case, it was ok that there are ridiculous fees for the crossgrade. It is clear now, that this was not the truth and I actually expected this to happen. Further, the promise that users would never pay twice for the same content has now been broken and any reasoning questioning that is splitting hairs.

I bought around 70% of the Vi series and also the entire Synchron Percussion and half of the strings plus some more stuff. My only influential vote in this matter can be with my wallet, which is why I am gonna say this here: I am not going to buy any more VSL libraries as long as there hasn’t offered a free crossgrade to Vi-Series owners to a player that will continue to be supported in the future for the samples they already bought. If that is not done, I just don’t consider my money invested safely in VSL products.

What happened to the special price for Synchron-ized Winds (brass and Woodwinds) I saw a couple of days ago for 420 Euros? It was supposed to be an offer good through 30 September 2024. And where are the Synchronized Brass? I just saw that, too, several days ago.

Hm ... no good news.

Are there really upgrade paths to synchronized series? Did I miss the synchronized orchestral libs or do the actually not exist? The other packages don't fit well with the VI packages. So there are large upgrade prices because we have to buy additional instruments, that we don't need. E.g. synchronied Solo strings includes solo violin2, ...

And by the way: The Synchron player is a great product but I still prefer vienna instruments pro. One example is the time stretching. Works fantastic with instruments pro. With synchron player it was unusable because tooo slow the last time I tried to use it. Many other reasons why instruments pro is my first choice.

My summary: Lose/Lose situation. VSL loses. Customers lose too.

@Raymonde said:
And where are the Synchronized Brass?

@Raymonde Hi! There is no SYNCHRON-ized Brass library, YET. (It's already in the pipeline together with other not yet released SYNCHRON-ized products).

Possibly, you are referring to the SYNCHRON-ized Dimension Brass, which features individual recordings of each brass player.

Crossgrade prices for the SYNCHRON-ized Woodwinds are still available, and they are even lower now with the Woodwinds Festival that started yesterday. If you are not seeing the prices you would expect, please email screenshots of your webshop basket to us. Thank you!

support@vsl.co.at

Best,
Andreas

PS: Today is a public holiday here in Austria, a reply might take an extra day.

@Andreas8420 said:

@leowolfe said:
I’m concerned now that I’ll effectively be losing the Brass library, as it hasn’t been integrated into the Synchron player.

SYNCHRON-ized Brass is still in the making; no worries! 😊

@somcentral said:
The use of the Vienna Voucher is a good strategy, particularly for those of us outside the Euro Zone. But, could it be more flexible? Could there be a way to use just part of a voucher’s value?

Yes, we agree - this is why we have also started offering vouchers in a smaller 50 EUR option. I am afraid, at this point, we can not process parts of a voucher.

Very happy to hear that Synchron-ized Brass is on the way! Looking forward to it.

I see there's no Synchronized Brass. I'll have to start taking screen shots.

Hi Andreas or Paul,

After the reactions of the end of VI and the prices we will have to pay to have the same collections , did you have some new thoughts and especcially for the prices for the old customers or the propositions we have seen were the only best prices you could do ? in other words have we to pay 335 euros more for solo string we already have for example or 95 euros for chamber string etc etc ? What will be the politics now for the old customers and theirs reactions.

Thanks

I see on VI-C that Ben has said licence transfers of VI products will now be allowed after sales and support cease.

Well done VSL.

Hello

I saw on august that the proposition for solo string synchro ized was for solo string 1, solo string sordino and violin and cello solo for the price of 335 euros. Now it s the same price for only solo 1 and violin and cello solo. If you calculate the price offer for the news customers who buy the series V1 it will be the same price, we have to pay 2 times. Is there a mistake or not ?