I have a LOT of libraries, including all the ones you mention. I also use Portable 8.7.1.
I don't have a single library that does not appear in the Libraries tab. Every single one comes up.
As long as you have installed from the root of each library, it will appear.
If the library does not have an nicnt file it will not have a wallpaper unless you have added one manually. But it will still be there and will have usable instruments.
I have been installing libraries for 10 years at least, since Portable 6 and they all turn up in new versions of Portable, as long as you migrate your whole UserData folder each time you move to a new version of Portable. I've never had to reinstall a single library.

 

Thanks for that, I didn't know about migrating the UserData folder each time, I will remember that in future!

 

I tried Tokyo Scoring Strings and it sounded great maybe better than VSL but it didn't run well on my computer.

 

I have just started using the Synchron player and I already like it better than most Kontakt instruments I've messed with, but I am just a hobbyist so my depth of knowledge is limited to "what is fun" (well, not always "fun", but at least "interesting to me").

The controls Synchron has set up covers a lot, and the easy adjustments of curves,etc, makes it a lot easier for me.
So far I can really only manipulate 2 things with any skill (expression pedal & mod wheel) but it justs seem quicker / easier to set up and do it. Recording extra expression onto existing tracks has always been a barrier for me, and I end up drawing more than recording (maybe my own lack of practice), but I can see recording more.

I'm not sure if I like the libraries so far - the arrangement of libraries' browser is a bit weird IMO, where different parts (strings, brass, etc) are scattered among the different collections.

If I want a trumpet does it matter which collection it belongs to?
If it is a free one does it suck so badly i should never look in there?
Is a "Big Bang Orchestra" violin so different from a "Duality" violin that they should be segregated in a browser?
Well familiarity with the products will help with that, but still a "derp" IMO

 

@Mynock - as per usual, a fine analogy

 

The UserData folder contains no libraries, but it contains all the info many libraries need to function.
So that is likely why many of your libraries don't work like they should

 

I'll ask it here as well (in the other thread someone clicked funny for my post for some unknown reason):
Does VSL player handle playback better than Kontakt when you use it with notation software and want to have the attack of a note and legato transitions in tempo? Kontakt has had this problem based on the midi protocol that could not send information of a note earlier then the actual time of it. Recently invented a method in some libraries (probably after Kontakt added that possibility), something like Smart Delay that sends the notes certain amount of seconds ahead and plays the music with that delay, so the library's script can react better with that extra time and adjust the transition of linked notes or adjust the short notes' attack.

In short, how is the integration with notation software compared between VSL and Kontakt?

 

Last edited: Dec 5, 2025

Hi all,
Does VSL offer any more authentic/realistic or more playable DRY brass compared to Spitfire Studio Brass Pro specifically for jazz arrangements?

Thanks to all contributors!!

 

I'm very surprised by how quickly instruments load in VSL compared to how slow Kontakt is.
I'd also point out that VSL has the largest and most consistent repertoire.
In short, I'm removing libraries from Kontakt to make room for VSL's.

 

Answering my own question in case it might help someone else. Yes, you can delete mic positions and individual instruments and everything just works fine without any issues or error or pop ups. All the files are very conveniently named so you can test, see what you like and only keep that and delete the rest.

I'm currently trialing Elite Strings and I really like it so far. Reminds me of Spitfire Chamber Strings a little, and that is my favourite library. I really like the playability, it's very responsive and a joy to play on a keyboard. I'm not a fan of default settings of the library, but Synchron player is surprisingly customizable and allows me to rebuild everything to how I like it, which unfortunately will take me quite a while to do for all instruments.

I've also tried Apassionata and I'm not impressed with that one. I don't like the tone, the dry studio doesn't sound that great.There're no mic options at all, you just get 1 stereo mix and that's it. Not a fan of built in compensation reverb either.
I'm satisfied with Elite Strings for the chamber sound but I hope there is something in VSL collection that can offer great symphonic section as well because I do really like the programming and playability. I love the sound of Spitfire Symphonic Strings but I honestly would love to replace them with something less janky and properly programmed.

 

Let me ask you,
are the close mics in VSL Elite Strings more or less DRY compared to close mics in Spitfire Chamber Strings?
Thank You.

 

Synchron Player has built in timestretch with extensive control over automating stretch with different conditionals like trigger speed or CC among several others. Additionally, Auto Speed is available in essentially all libraries they offer that have multiple legato speeds. This is of course library dependent, so you won't see the option if the library doesn't support it.

This only addresses your specific question about Synchron Player being able to adjust things like sample attack or the speed of the legato transition according to the tempo (so literally the speed of the audio itself, as opposed to the speed at which the audio is triggered), which is completely different from the idea of Lookahead or Smart Delay. Those kinds of features, as you correctly stated, are provided by the script in the library, not an inherent capability of the sample player, but I think you misunderstand how they function and what their role is in playback.

The only thing that can send data ahead of when it appears on the timeline is the host, so the DAW or the Notation software. This is not what those lookahead features are doing, they are essentially buffering successive notes/midi data as it comes in, and analyzing the timing between them in order to choose which samples are best for playback. Generally speaking, the more time that is allotted for this feature, the smoother playback tends to sound, but there is a cost in terms of latency.

I wouldn't call any of this, time stretch or sample library script lookahead, any form of notation software integration. It has always been on the host to provide tools for users to customize how the notation is interpreted for conversion to midi data to better take advantage of the functionality of your sample libraries. So, in that respect, there is no difference between Kontakt and Synchron Player, as the sample players themselves have no role in what you're asking for.

 

Last edited: Dec 10, 2025

You forgot Spitfire!

 

Kontakt sounds crap in comparison to VSL.

Don't use Kontakt because generally it sounds unconvinsing or 'mechanical' depending on the interval to and you need to endlessly fiddle about to get something acceptable, think Halion cen be a bit like that too, i like to work really fast.

I'm just using the VSL in a busy heavy duty D&B track and it cuts thru the mix like butter and at very low level, the waveform is almost non existant.

The Special Edition are, er, especially amazingly realistic quality, i used the, Timpani, The choir, Alto voice, brass, and strings, all together, they sit perfectly without any processing, my engineer does classical stuff too, he's prob gonna get it next week, really loking forward to hearing it.

The free stuff and some other packs don't quite cut it but are still useable, if realism isn't your concern.

An all encompasing poweful composing tool is now at your disposal so use it to your best ability and it's guaranteed you will reap the sonic rewards, amazing stuff.

Really hope the guys can supply some of the other Special Editions, will buy if'n when feasable, many many thanks to every one involved in supply this amazing vst engine etc.

 

Thanks for the answer.
Interestingly this lookahead/smart-delay script hasn't existed for a long time, just recently a few years back. I understand that hosts have had the option to delay the midi for certain tracks but I guess Kontakt had not have the complexity to deal with that kind of script before. Otherwise why wouldn't it be used in the past?

My main question was and is about the timing of each note, not timestretching or shortening legato transition. And this needs to get the midi data in advance. And of course, it's not for live performance.

 

On the contrary, it's trivial to analyze a buffer of midi data to choose the right samples and be in time, transparent to the end user. It doesn't take much computational power, and is so much more common than you may realize, although it has its limits. The more complex sample playback is, with many different combinations of attacks, sustains, transitions, releases, across multiple dynamic layers, that is when you get the features like in CSS with its expressive mode with up to 300ms of latency.

 

Last edited: Dec 11, 2025

Honestly they're about the same. Here's comparison of the Celli playing Spitfire spiccato vs VSL staccatissimo (it sounded closer to Spitfire sound, VSL spiccato is much tighter and more like spiccatissimo).
The order is Spitfire Close Mic, Elite Close Mic 1, Spitfire Close Ribbon Mic, Elite Close Mic 2. Playing first at max velocity, then repetitions at 94 with accents at full 127. All are default settings as they come out of the box. The volume is very roughly matched.

It sounds pretty close to me, same-ish note ringing length but VSL has slightly less room due to smaller space. Note that Spitfire is absolutely terrified of recording any dynamic above mf, so we comparing that to what sounds like f-ff on VSL at highest velocity.
VSL has the release slider (default at 64/127) that you can move to cut the sound more to make it drier but same also can be done with Kontakt by digging under the hood a little.

The tonal difference between them is pretty big, and obviously VSL is way more consistent in pretty much every aspect compared to SCS. I like the sound of SCS more but VSL is better in every other way (except maybe note attacks, it feels like VSL cut too much into sample start time to make instruments more playable, while most developers leave 30-60ms predelay to make it sound more natural). They layer together very well so you can get the bigger tail of Lyndhurst and more upfront sound of VSL louder dynamics.

 

Thank You for this beautifully helpful demo, wasn’t expecting that! I prefer the sound of SCS, but Elite close mics are slightly drier. Therefore, I’m thinking it might be a slightly better option when trying to position samples from various different libraries into the same acoustical space using convolution.

 

The inherent early reflections of the instrument is not something that can be recreated, and I believe they are integral to the timbre of the sound when you hear it in a space. Even if you intend to place them elsewhere with a separate reverb, bone dry close mics with convolution slapped on sound like bone dry close mics with convolution slapped on. A more natural result comes from dialing in a bit of the original room with the close mics, at least in my experience. Brass is where this is most apparent, which is crucially dependent on the room for their sound, but the principle extends to all instruments.

 

Thank You. I’m just a newbie trying to blend my own amateur dry recordings (and few other sample libraries) with simple orchestral arrangements. Would you say utilizing orchestral librarie's mid/decca mic samples in combination with convolution reverb on my own recordings would likely sound more authentic, than using just the close mics+convolution on both? Thanks.

 

Last edited: Dec 12, 2025