Good find. Neither my PC or Mac workstations are normally online, but I have to connect them from time to time for updates, etc. I guess I've just been lucky up until now that this process has been happening transparently. 

After realizing that the project I had discovered the problem on had, by weird chance, not one other of my many iLok-licensed plugins in it, I tried loading some. Sure enough, it was iLok all along (Insert WandaVision music here). Unlike VSL, some other plugins did specifically report there was no valid license even as I stared at them in ILM. I'm not 100% sure what the issue was, but the iLok needed to be refreshed. Maybe due to a recent re-up of ZDT? I'm reasonably certain I received no notifications of any needed actions, so the lack of feedback is annoying, and this is the first time I've run into this after many years of iLok use. In any event, problem solved, though the source remains a mystery.

Yes, ILM is current, the iLok is working and all the libraries are authorized. But I am starting to suspect the problem is related to the iLok licensing, since none of the libraries show up in either Synchron Player or VI Pro even after they've been newly re-installed on a different drive.

I moved one of the installed libraries to a different drive and used Vienna Assistant to re-locate it. Still nothing. I've got a message into support. Does anybody know if they respond on weekends?  

This afternoon, out of the blue, all of my VSL libraries stopped loading. Both in the Synchron Player and VI Pro, none of my libraries show up. The drives where the libraries are stored are intact and working. I've re-booted and re-loaded Logic several times, but it's as if everything had been deleted. No idea why or what to do. 

Fantastic, thank you! Sounds like Synchron Strings Pro is everything I'm looking for. 

Agreed. And not just about upgrading to Synchron Strings Pro, which is fairly new, but about the general experience of moving from Special Editions to Full Editions. 

Thanks, Paul. I understand the new Synchron libraries are new recordings, and while I've always been happy with the VSL sound, would love to take advantage of that. And clearly the full libraries include many more articulations. But my main reason for upgrading would be for improved basic playability and realism. Most importantly, I'd love to have more velocities for smoother crescendi and decrescendi, and better transitions for medium and fast legatos. Is this something I can expect, when compared with the SE versions? 

I've been using the Special Editions forever, and have all the Synchron-ized versions. The sale on Synchron Strings Pro is very attractive, but I've never really known what the specific differences are between the SE and big boy libraries. What real-world improvements can I expect if I upgrade? 

Thanks, Paul. I got an email from Andreas with that information. I completely missed that the Synchron libraries had a different library management system. The Directory Manager did work for my VI libraries, but by the time I got the info on the Synchron libraries, I had already re-downloaded everything. All is working properly now. 

Oh, and I'm assuming the SE Editions do need separate libraries for the two versions, correct? 

Okay, it's just not working, and I'm giving up and re-downloading everything. Ugh. This begs another question, though. Can my older VI SE libraries and my Synchro-nized versions of the same share the same sample set, or do I need to download and install both? I'm using the Synchron versions exclusively now, of course, but I have a lot of old projects that use VIP, so I'll need to make sure those are still viable. 

Hey, all. I'm just finishing up setting up a new Mac, and having the same problem. Neither VIP or Synchron Player sees any of my libraries, whether standalone or in Logic. eLicenses are up to date, everything is properly installed and I've dragged the library locations into the Directory Manager more than once. Did you ever figure out a solution to this?

Thanks for that. I've been using the SE libraries for many years but just recently got the Synchronized versions. I've been focusing heavily on strings thus far, and after figuring out how to disable the IR's to get them to sound more like the original SE versions, have found the updated programming in the Synchronized versions to be much more responsive and playable out of the box. So in that regard they've definitely achieved their purpose. But as you suggested, I will go through the wind and brass presets and compare the two at some point. I'm well stocked with high end dymanic, EQ and effects plugins, so I'm not concerned with needing to add processing. The VSL IR's are nice, but I usually prefer my other options anyway.

I didn't expect Smart Orchestra to be able to compete with the SE stuff, but since Epic Orchestra is made up of kind of a mish mash of instruments, I wondered if any of it might be different enough from and high quality enough to be able to complement the SE libraries. Guess I can't get out of having to figure that out myself. 

p.s. All my VIP SE libraries include the velocity crossfade option, so I'm not sure what you're referring to with regard to a missing crossfade feature.

No opinions on the relative merits of these libraries? Surprising!

That's a good idea. With the IR engaged, it really does take on enough of a timbral difference to function as a separate section. I've been actually using violins from different libraries to accomplish this, but this method would keep things more consistent from a performance standpoint.

Hey, gang! Forgive me for trying to tap into all of your experiences, but having no shame, that's exactly what I need to do.  I find myself now owning all the original SE libraries, all the Synchronized SE libraries, Epic Orchestra 2.0, and Smart Orchestra. So in order to keep me from spending so much time comparing each and every preset and never actually getting to any composing, I have two questions: 1. Having the Synchronized versions, is there any reason whatsoever to open any of the original VIP versions ever again? And 2. Are there instruments in the Epic Orchestra (or Smart Orchestra, for that matter), that are worth exploring that would improve upon or complement what's in the Synchronized SE libraries?

Any advice or opinions greatly, greatly appreciated, as it will vastly improve my chances of writing at least one piece of music before I die of old age.  

Ah, thank you. I hadn't found that previously, subtly hidden in the main channel parameters as it is. And with a slight tweak of the filter settings, I've got them sounding pretty much identical now. Good to know that option is there as it actually adds a completely different set of flavors. Guess I need to go through the tutorials...

Hey, all. I'm a long time user of all the SE libraries, and after playing around with the Smart Orchestra a bit and being very impressed with the Synchron interface, I upgraded to the Synchronized SE versions. I fully expected these to be simply re-purposed from the original sample material, but have been a little suprised and disappointed that the sound is quite a bit different, and, especially in the case of the Appassionata Strings, inferior. The Synchronized versions, even when choosing the close presets with all reverb off, are less warm and more ambient. I do love the flexibility of the Synchron controls, and the libraries are overall more playable, but I'm curious as to why there are such marked sonic differences. Am I just missing something here, or have the libraries been modified in some way by design? 

So...there's no answer to this question?

I own all the original SE libraries, and just purchased the Synchro-nized crossgrade for them. In the process of installing and seeing the file hierarchy of my old installation for the first time in years, I notice that in my SE folder, in addition to all the individual library folders with their specific .dat files, there are files generically named "SpeciaEdition001.dat" up to 113 in the root folder. Are these installation files that didn't get deleted, or are they a necessary part of the SE library? It's a substantial amount of storage, so I'd like to zap them if possible.  

Excellent, Paul, thanks. In my workflow I've never actually needed the features of VE Pro, but with EO 2.0 it now looks like a no-brainer. Someday hope to be able to justify upgrading to some of the big libraries, but for now, between all my SE libraries, VSO and EO, I should be well covered. 

Hey, all, finally getting around to digging into VSO. I own all the SE libraries, Bonus, Plus, etc., but got VSO to hopefully encourage more writing due to its simplicity. Very encouraged by what I've experienced so far! But now VEP 7 is including a free version of Epic Orchestra, which I actually wasn't familiar with. Will EO offer any sonic or performance options or improvements over what I already have with VSO and my SE libraries? 

One other question: What I'm missing most in VSO is my Appassionata Strings. I know that can't be accessed from VSO, but am I correct in that there is no upgrade path from any SE library to a Synchron version? 

Ah, thanks, I didn't realize that. Makes sense, though.

Yes, browsing through the SE manual and the online specs confirm that. The SE Appassionata legato patches have two velocity layers, while the sustain patches have three. So I guess the answer is: it depends. 

I realize the full libraries have all the possible articulations and other options, but do they also contain more actual samples of the articulations that are in the Special Editions? Specifically, I'm wondering if the velocity crossfades are smoother? I'm generally happy with the expression I can get out of the SE libraries I have, but some patches are definitely better than others in this regard, and if the full libraries have more velocity layers to work with, that would be a major upgrading selling point for me.