This page about Vienna Symphonic Library Special Edition is a stub. You can help improve it:

Pricing and availability

* Product prices and availability are updated by Equipboard every 24hrs and are subject to change. Equipboard may receive compensation for purchases made at participating retailers linked on this site. This compensation does not affect what products or prices are displayed, or the order of prices listed. For more information, please refer to our affiliate disclosure.

Description

The Vienna Symphonic Library Special Edition is a comprehensive virtual instrument suite designed for musicians and composers who demand a wide array of orchestral sounds at their fingertips. This software package offers an extensive collection of meticulously sampled instruments, bringing the rich, dynamic sound of a full orchestra into your digital workspace. Whether you're crafting intricate compositions or simply adding depth to your music projects, this library provides the tools you need with remarkable authenticity.

Featuring an impressive range of articulations and dynamic layers, the Vienna Symphonic Library Special Edition allows for expressive performances and realistic emulation of live instruments. Its intuitive interface ensures seamless integration into your workflow, whether you're working in a professional studio or a home setup. This edition is also optimized for efficient use of resources, ensuring smooth performance even in complex arrangements.

Ideal for composers, arrangers, and producers, this virtual instrument collection covers everything from strings and woodwinds to brass and percussion, making it a versatile asset for any music production. The library is compatible with all major DAWs, providing flexibility and ease of use across different platforms.

Key Features:

  • Comprehensive collection of orchestral instruments
  • Detailed sampling with multiple articulations and dynamic layers
  • Intuitive interface for easy navigation and use
  • Optimized for efficient resource usage
  • Compatible with all major DAWs
  • Includes strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion instruments

Product specs

Plugin Format VST
Operating Systems Mac, Windows

Reviews

Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Vienna Symphonic Library Special Edition.

Features and functionality

  • The legato patches are praised for their quality, contributing to a realistic cinematic orchestral sound directly out of the box.

    Source
  • The Vienna Symphonic Library Special Editions allow stereo panning of each instrument or section, providing control over spatial placement within a mix.

    Source

Use cases and applications

  • The library is pre-configured within the Synchron Stage, enhancing ease of use for beginners in cinematic music production.

    Source
  • VSL samples require meticulous automation and convolution reverb to achieve a natural classical sound, unlike libraries that offer immediate cinematic impact.

    Source

Software and compatibility

  • ILIO provides customer support for compatibility questions, offering detailed assistance for users needing help with VSL products.

    Source
  • Vienna transitioned licensing to iLok/cloud as eLicenser servers may eventually shut down; future users will need to transfer licenses through Vienna.

    Source

Value and pricing

  • A handling fee, historically 10% of the library's list price, may apply when transferring a Vienna license to a new owner.

    Source

User experience

  • The VSL Special Editions are noted for their winds, with some users finding the strings to feel cold or senza vibrato, despite not being explicitly labeled as such.

    Source

Comparisons

  • VSL Special Edition 1 is considered a step up from Logic's studio strings, indicating a higher quality in orchestral sample offerings.

    Source

4.0 out of 5

Based on 0 Reviews and 3 Ratings

5 star
4 star
3 star
2 star
1 star

Artist usage

Add artist
See how Deadmau5 uses Vienna Symphonic Library Special Edition

Deadmau5

Music Producer

BSOD

...
Verified via Twitch.tv

Can be seen working on a clip on the Vienna track at 47:36

See how Infected Mushroom uses Vienna Symphonic Library Special Edition

Infected Mushroom

Music Producer

Infected Mushroom

...
Verified via Audiofanzine

Eisen: It’s expensive shit, the Vienna, really expensive, but nothing compares to it. It sounds so realistic. And if you write it in the right way, it’s unbelievable. The Vienna is amazing. Even the built in Cubase 5 plug-ins are sounding really good. The synths themselves, the sound quality is good.

See how Stewart Copeland uses Vienna Symphonic Library Special Edition

Stewart Copeland

Singer, Guitarist

The Police

...
Verified via KeyboardMag

Stewart states in this interview that he uses Vienna Symphonic Liibrary.

See how Danny Elfman uses Vienna Symphonic Library Special Edition

Danny Elfman

Singer, Guitarist

Oingo Boingo

...
Verified via YouTube

In this interview, Danny Elfman talks about using Vienna Symphonic Library.

See how Max Richter uses Vienna Symphonic Library Special Edition

Max Richter

Composer

...
Verified via Soundonsound

The heart of Max Richter's current system is formed by his Apple Mac G5, with dual 2GHz processors and 4GB of RAM. "I dislike OS X, because it's much less stable than OS 9," says Richter, "but in order to run the VSL library, I have to run OS X. Logic is sequencer-wise the way to go. It's really very evolved. You can set it up any way you want, it's very quick and very easy to use, and it's pretty stable. Melodyne is by far the best pitch and time tool out there — massively better than, er, the one everybody uses, which sounds phasey and nasty. I don't really like messing with people's pitch and timing — I'd rather get good takes — so I don't use it for that, more for abstract type stuff like changing the tempo of audio from say 80bpm to 0.003bpm.

See how Roger O'Donnell uses Vienna Symphonic Library Special Edition

Roger O'Donnell

Keyboardist, Music Producer

The Cure

...
Verified via Gearjunkies.com

"I think I already mentioned that I use the Vienna Symphonic Library for their strings, the samples are unbelievably good. When I first used them I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry!"

See how Alexandre Desplat uses Vienna Symphonic Library Special Edition

Alexandre Desplat

Composer

...
Verified via Vsl

"Since I'm working in Hollywood it requiers a vast library and that's why VSL is really useful."

See how Grant Kirkhope uses Vienna Symphonic Library Special Edition

Grant Kirkhope

Composer

Grant Kirkhope & Graeme Norgate

...
Verified via Squareenixmusic

"I was using Gigastudio loaded with the Vienna Symphonic Library and Pro tools for the music for Ghoulies."

(The VSL Listing here is incorrect and outdated. Instead Grant use Pro and First Editions instead.)

See how Tony Anderson uses Vienna Symphonic Library Special Edition

Tony Anderson

Keyboardist

...
Verified via Tonyandersonmusic

It is mentioned in his list of strings on the source link.

See how forgotten future uses Vienna Symphonic Library Special Edition

forgotten future

Keyboardist, Composer

...
Verified via Julius Dobos

Listen on the equipment page of artist's website, also seen in studio photos and interview videos. Version number is not confirmed.

See how Jason Hayes uses Vienna Symphonic Library Special Edition

Jason Hayes

Composer

Critical Hit

...
Verified via Blizzplanet

"I generally use Emagic’s Logic software on a Mac workstation, and have 3 PC computers on the side that act like instruments, because I run a software program called “Gigastudio” on them. This software basically turns each PC into a powerful sampler. Into each of the Gigastudio computers, I load instruments from various libraries, such as:

  • Miroslav Vitous Symphonic Orchestra (for solo instruments- especially winds- and some percussion)
  • Peter Siedlaczek’s Advanced Orchestra
  • Garritan Orchestral Strings
  • Vienna Symphonic Library

…And some others, too. Just lately, I’ve also been using the “EXS24” software sampler, which allows you to load in many of the same types of instruments directly in Logic on the Mac, which is very convenient because everything is located within the same environment, and you avoid the complication of all the extra cables."

See how Steve Burke uses Vienna Symphonic Library Special Edition

Steve Burke

Composer

John Cafferty & the Beaver Brown Band

...
Verified via Twitter

Composer Steve Burke mentions using the Vienna Symphonic Library Library on Gigastudio, alongside other tools such as Miroslav, East West orchestra, and the JV1080 for creating diverse musical textures, including twinkly bells. This information is shared in his Twitter post discussing his music setup.

(VSL showcase is outdated and incorrect instead Steve Burke use Pro Edition for Kameo)

Genre Usage

Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.

Used With

Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Vienna Symphonic Library Special Edition, it is most commonly used with the following gear.

More Vienna Symphonic Virtual Instrument

Community setups

Similar

Gear Guides