VSL Opus 1&2 VS EWQLSO Gold XP VS Miroslav VS ?

[DZComposer]

I have decided to step up from GPO (OMG! THE SHOCK!).

I've been saving up a bit and I think I am ready to buy a upper-midrage orchestral library.

Ones that have impressed me:

VSL Horizon Opus 1 and 2

What I like:

Awesome sounding strings and woodwinds.

Good Low Brass. The Firebird Demo sold me on the low brass.

Awesome horns.

decent trumpets

Available in native Kontakt format.

Can be suplemented with other VSL horizon instruments (which cost between $200-500 )

provides an upgrade path to full pro VSL libraries

Hell, it's VSL

What I don't Like:

A little pricey for what is included

Trumpets can be a little MIDI-ish in the upper register on hard attacks.

--

EWQLSO Gold XP

What I like:

Awesome strings

Nice brass

Decent horns (though VSL's sound better)

Comes with a piano

more articulations than VSL

Kompakt instrument, which means Kontakt format.

What I don't like:

Heavilly plugin-based. May have the same problems GPO does when used in Full Kontakt.

More expensive than VSL (though you get more articulations)

--

Miroslav Philharmonik

What I like:

comparatively cheap

crapload of articulations

decent solo trumpet

decent strings, though they are easily out-done by EWQLSO and VSL

Piano

Organ

Harpsichord

Chior

What I don't Like:

Poorly designed website

heavilly plugin based

Brass sound a bit MIDI-ish

Horns sound like crap

Sample Tank format

Weakest sample quality of the three (included due to huge articulation list)

Do any of you have expiriance with any of these libraries?

What other libraries are yout here in this price range ($600-$1200)?

$1200 is really really pushing my budget, which is why I am probably not going to go with EWQLSO.

Is it fair to include Miroslav in this comparison?

[zircon]

I have QLSO Gold (not w/ the XP addon, which is additional articulations) and I have part of VSL Opus 1 & 2, as it's bundled with K2. Generally speaking, I prefer the brass of Gold for a big, dramatic sound, and it's sustained string patches seem "warmer". However, I like the percussion from VSL more, and the marcato patches MUCH more. You can't get those aggressive string hits with Gold, in my experience. VSL is recorded up close and dry, meaning all those attacks are preserved. If you want to hear a demo, I used pretty much all VSL orch elements in my "Subterranean Opus" remix up until about 2:15, where I switched to Gold because I wanted a more dramatic sound.

One thing I don't like about Gold is that it has the reverb built in, and it also has release tails built in. That can be annoying.

[tgfoo]

If I were in your situation, I'd go with Gold Pro. I like the sound VSL Strings and Woodwinds more than that of QLSO, and for brass for me it's a toss up depending on what type of sound you're goign for. Gold Pro brass would be better if you're more often going for the big brass sound. Gold Pro though overall would give you more to work with articulation wise, so unless there is something about the sound of Opus that you really prefer over Gold, I'd go for more articulations. And about Gold Pro's extra cost, if you can wait about a month or so, I'm sure soundsonline will have a Halloween sale (they always do) and you'll be able to get the bundle for 30% off. (I own Gold, but not Gold Pro or Opus, but I have used the VSL included with both K2 and GS3)

I personally wasn't very found of Miroslav's sound. I think it would make a decent secondary library but would never use it as my main library. The only other library that comes to mind in that price area is Kirk Hunter Emrald (i think it's about $350). It sounds pretty good for it's cost, but the only thing that I actually like about it is that it has good sounding strings, the rest of it is kinda meh to my hears from what I've heard (Going from the demo's on their websites and a couple user demo's I've heard).

One thing I don't like about Gold is that it has the reverb built in, and it also has release tails built in. That can be annoying.

You can delete the release triggers. Aside from allowing more control of the reverb, it also saves RAM and CPU (lower polyphony). I went through and created a set of all of the Gold patches without releases, only took about an hour or so.

[zircon]

You mean in Kontakt, right? I guess I should do that at some point...

[tgfoo]

Actually, you can do it in either the Kompakt player or in Kontakt, though it's much easier to do in Kontakt.

[DZComposer]

I too have Kontakt 2 as well, so I do have the bundled VSL sounds. I do like them for the most part, but I don't use them mainly because GPO provided the sounds I was happy with at the time. I suppose I'll have to play with them a bit.

So, I suppose this question is in order: other than the obvious increase in articulations, what is the difference between Opus and K2 Orch?

I'm not so sure it's fair to use K2's library as a substitute for Opus in this comparison.

With this much money involved, I wish there was a place I could go to try out these libraries before I bought them. Sadly, none of the music stores in my area seem to do this.

If anyone knows of a place in Houston or Austin Texas where I could do this, please tell me.

[FM]

The general consensus I've read seems to be that the Opus series can't touch QLSO when it comes to making that big Hollywood sound, but VSL is a much more diverse tool, and if you're into writing music for solo instruments, small ensembles, and less "in your face' types of orchestral music, VSL gives you a much greater degree of flexibility and control.

But the trumpets suck, and the horns are mediocre. I'd augment them with Sam Brass, if you've got the cash.