Vienna Symphonic Library
Vienna Symphonic Library has been building orchestral sample libraries since 1998, and its libraries are the reference point most others are measured against. The distinguishing feature is depth of articulation — where many libraries give you a sustain, a staccato and a legato, VSL records dozens of playing techniques per instrument, along with the transitions between them. That is what makes a mock-up sound like a performance rather than a keyboard part.
We stock the full VSL range in Australia — the Synchron Series, the Studio Series, Special Edition, Big Bang Orchestra, the Synchron pianos, and Vienna Ensemble Pro — priced in Australian dollars and delivered as a serial number and download. Prices run from $66.75 for a single Synchron Prime instrument to $2,221.70 for the Studio Special Edition Bundle.
Synchron Series or Studio Series — which do you need?
This is the first decision, and it is about the room the samples were recorded in rather than the instruments themselves.
The Synchron Series was recorded at Synchron Stage Vienna, a large scoring stage. The room is in the recording, along with multiple microphone positions you can mix between. Load a Synchron library and it sounds finished — big, cinematic, sitting in a coherent space with the rest of the orchestra. This is what most people want for film, television, games and trailer work.
The Studio Series (the original Vienna Instruments libraries) was recorded on the Silent Stage, a near-anechoic room. There is essentially no room sound in the samples. That gives you complete control — you place the orchestra yourself with reverb or a room simulator — but it also means the raw sound is dry and unimpressive until you do. This suits classical and concert work, and anyone who wants to build a specific hall rather than accept one.
If you are unsure, start with Synchron. It is the easier path to a usable result and it is where VSL has concentrated its recent development.
Standard Library or Full Library?
Most Synchron titles are sold in two editions. The Standard Library includes a mixed-down set of microphone positions — enough for a finished mix, and considerably smaller on disk. The Full Library adds the individual microphone channels, so you can build your own balance between close, mid, room and surround positions.
For almost everyone, Standard is the right purchase. Buy Full only if you are mixing orchestral recordings professionally and genuinely want control over the microphone balance — and note you can usually upgrade from Standard to Full later, so it is not a decision you have to get right on day one.
The ranges we stock
Synchron Prime — the entry point
Individual sections at accessible prices: Prime Strings I and II, Prime Brass, Prime Woodwinds, Prime Percussion and Prime Harp, from $66.75 each. Synchron Prime Orchestra bundles the lot. If you are buying your first VSL library and want a complete orchestral palette without a five-figure outlay, start here.
Special Edition Vol. 1–7
The long-running value series, built on the Vienna Instruments libraries. Vol. 1 Essential Orchestra is the classic starting point at $511.30, with Vol. 2 Extended Orchestra, Vol. 3 Extended Strings, Vol. 4 Special Winds & Voices, Vol. 5 Dimension Strings, Vol. 6 Dimension Brass and Vol. 7 Historic Instruments extending it. The Studio Special Edition Bundle collects them.
Big Bang Orchestra
Recorded at Synchron Stage and designed around full-section performances rather than individual articulations — tutti chords, riffs, clusters and effects that sound enormous immediately. Available as Strings, Brass, Woodwinds, Choirs, Percussion, Riffs and Tutti from $152.30, or as Bundle 2.0. This is the fastest route to a trailer or action-cue sound.
Synchron pianos
Instrument-by-instrument recreations of specific concert instruments: the Steinway Concert D-274, Bösendorfer Imperial and 280VC, Fazioli F308 and F212, Yamaha CFX, Blüthner 1895, and a German Upright 1904. Essentials versions are available on several at a lower price and smaller install size.
Solo strings, percussion and the deep libraries
Synchron Solo Violin 1 and 2, Solo Viola and Solo Cello, sold individually or as the Solo Strings Bundle. Synchron Percussion I, II and III. Synchron Brass, Synchron Woodwinds and Synchron Duality Strings for full-depth section writing.
Vienna Ensemble Pro and Vienna Suite Pro
Vienna Ensemble Pro is the piece of VSL software that people underrate. It hosts your sample libraries outside your DAW — on the same machine or on a networked second computer — so a large template loads once and stays loaded, instead of being re-opened with every project. If your orchestral template is straining your machine, this solves the problem more cheaply than new hardware. Vienna Suite Pro is the mixing and mastering plug-in set, including the Synchron Stage Reverb.
Where to start, by budget
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Under $250 — a single Synchron Prime section, or a Big Bang Orchestra title. Enough to hear whether the workflow suits you.
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$500–$600 — Special Edition Vol. 1 Essential Orchestra, or two or three Synchron Prime sections. A genuinely complete orchestra.
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$1,000 — Synchron Prime Orchestra, or Big Bang Orchestra Bundle 2.0 for a cinematic palette.
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Beyond that — the full-depth Synchron section libraries, solo strings and the piano collections, added as your writing demands them.
Not sure which fits your work? Tell us what you are scoring and what you already own, and we will point you at the shortest route rather than the largest bundle.
Browse the full VSL range below, or see our wider software instruments and software and plug-ins ranges.