Vienna Symphonic Library Forum
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  • Positive experiences with VSL

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    I have been a user of VSL products since the very start, with their libraries for EXS24 through to the current time. Whenever I have had issues with the software (seldom), I have received really fast and efficient support from VSL, either here on the forums or direct from VSL support.


    Over the years, some really difficult customers have posted at these forums but their anger (and sometimes, abuse) has been tolerated by the VSL team who have always bent over backwards to help.


    I'm writing about this because it is contrasted by my recent experience with EastWest. I bought their Ra library and soon found several problems - bad loops, delays before notes started and more. These were the kind of problems that made certain instruments unplayable. I posted on their forums and was told to submit a support ticket, which I did. A year later, the problems have still not been fixed, and Ra is still for sale, as is, at their website. 


    I have been posting regularly at their support forum, complaining about the lack of response. Last week, an update to Ra was posted that fixed other problems that I hadn't encountered, but not the ones I'd reported. (I actually gave up on using Ra out of frustration.) I posted a new topic at their main forums about bad service, and received this remarkable response from their Admin:

    [QUOTE]The producer of the product has told you it is as good as it gets, as it was recorded many years ago, so I don't know what you expect anyone else in the company to do about it. I'm sure you have found plenty of value in the other 99% of the product ... time to move on.[/QUOTE]


    For me, "as good as it gets" is simply not good enough. Ra may have been created many years ago but it's still for sale right now, with no warnings that several samples are badly looped and that instruments don't play properly. 

    I was also shocked at the attitude of intolerance in general. I started a new topic to express this, but the new topic was completely removed by Admin, further demonstrating their lack of transparency and hiding any evidence of my frustration.

    This whole episode serves to re-inforce just how great the team at VSL are and I wrote this whole epic to express my ongoing thanks to them.

    Sorry for the rant...
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    I can only agree with you, I had similar bad experiences with RA and Gypsy, out of tune and missed off loops etc, so I took the same advice from EW that I guess you will - "time to move on.."  I wouldn't consider Hollywood anything.

    But to ensure this thread isn't just an EW bashing topic, I own and have used a lot of EW libraries and the Symphonic Orchestra served me well for how much it cost, there are instruments in Silk, Gypsy and RA that are not covered in VSL so I do still use them.

    EW libraries are good hobbyist libraries, but VSL is totally professional, and when you need something to be right, you do need to pay the price for professional quality. I do appreciate that not everyone can afford the full VSL library, so other more economical but limiting libraries will always exist.
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    @andyjh said:

    I can only agree with you, I had similar bad experiences with RA and Gypsy, out of tune and missed off loops etc, so I took the same advice from EW that I guess you will - "time to move on.."  I wouldn't consider Hollywood anything.

    But to ensure this thread isn't just an EW bashing topic, I own and have used a lot of EW libraries and the Symphonic Orchestra served me well for how much it cost, there are instruments in Silk, Gypsy and RA that are not covered in VSL so I do still use them.

    EW libraries are good hobbyist libraries, but VSL is totally professional, and when you need something to be right, you do need to pay the price for professional quality. I do appreciate that not everyone can afford the full VSL library, so other more economical but limiting libraries will always exist.

    I have to say, you've pretty well pegged this about as much as I think is possible. I completely agree!

    I don't hate EW at all. I have a friend who owns everything EW and rants about VSL so I tend to get sick of hearing about EW, but after using his setup for quote some time in collaborating and such- I can't stand their work at all. By all means, I respect the people and their love for music. I simply think they do poor quality work with a less thought-out approach. I like the idea of RA. I always have this hope that someday VSL will do it, or someone will at least do a VSL quality alternative. Hollywood strings has moments where it really shines, but usability, flexability, and the consistent lack of a better sampler leaves me saying "not in a million years!". I do like their symphonic orchestra. It's not great, but it certainly seems to have it's uses. I think it sounds better for Sibelius than anything Sibelius or Avid has done, but it's nothing compared to the professional quality and flexibility of VSL. Again, I don't hate them at all. I'm sure the people are great people, and they do make a few things I've seen uses in. But the vast majority of their offerings I've though were shabby and thrown together at best.

    -Sean
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    EDIT: Competitor bashing comment removed [;)]
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    since we're talking about EW quality, can anybody please tell me what thier experience is with EW symphonic choirs, becasue from the demos and videos, it sounds great and the best choir in the market, is this true?
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     Please no discussions of other developers products on this board.

    thanks

    Herb
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    @Mayyar Namek said:

    can anybody please tell me what thier experience is with EW symphonic choirs

    Per Herb's request- I'll not respond to this request directly. If you want to email me at my username at live.com you can. I'd share my experiences with it. I don't own it, but have used it on a friend's machine; I'd give what I see as effective and ineffective about it, if you want that feedback anyway.

    Regarding the previous discussion- I get a little 'bashing' towards some companies from time to time. I tried to avoid that here and probably didn't succeed very well. [;)] But to be fair, I'd like to make a very open ended statement regarding VSL vs other companies (hopefully Herb won't mind...?)

    By all means, other products from differen't companies aren't bad at all. I just get defensive of the approach I like when people criticize it. If VSL didn't exist, I'd think everything was an even playing field for me to choose from. Regarding the actual topic of this forum... I just think that VSL does things the right way. There isn't even a 'right way' but a way that works best for what I prefer. Many prefer the VSL 'way' otherwise VSL wouldn't exist. That is true of any company. The VSL approach is something I wish was adopted by other companies, for world instruments and so on. As no other companies seem to have the same recording approach and playback options (such as VI Pro) then I'll have to hope that VSL may consider expanding the offerings. Ultimately if we don't like the way any company does things- we should probably be looking at doing it ourselves. And if we do like an offering from any company, indulge! [:)]

    -Sean
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    Herb: sorry for the inconvenice and of course your want will be granted, i was just thnking yesterday about where to find the rules to post in the forum, would you please advice?

    iscorefilm, i surely want the feedback, and my message is on the way :)thanks for your help :)