By "built-in" EQ etc. do you mean like the new channel strip feature in Digital Performer 7, which is just a short-cut for having to insert some of the most common plug-ins individually into each channel?
I don't know what you mean by speed-varying phrases etc. I guess you're referring to some of the tempo-based Performances? I never use those -- it's just not the way I work. But maybe you mean speed-sensitive articulation? If so, VSL has that in spades, but mostly in the Extended licenses. I use them all the time, and they are quite organic and smooth. In fact, I doubt I would have invested in the extended licenses without them.
I forget the other question now. Too bad replying to a topic hides the topic from view.
Edit: OK, micro-tuning. This could be useful, if you're talking about creating scales (you can find pitches not in the standard scale via pitch bend, of course). There are a number of ways of going about this, in hardware, with MIDI controllers, via MIDI mapping, pitch bend, in software, etc. I think this topic was discussed in depth here a year or so ago, even if in the context of ethnic music (you may be thinking more in terms of contemporary classical scoring though). I seem to recall VSL responding that it wasn't worth the effort, but offering many suggestions on different approaches, each of which would have different merits and pitfalls depending on your context and whether you compose at a keyboard, in a notation program, or inside a DAW.
