Upgrade Route?

[Manip]

I couldn't afford to buy any of the large libraries ... So here is my question... What is the upgrade route so you end up with all the samples?

Is this it:

- Silver
-- Silver Pro XP
--- Gold
---- Gold Pro XP
----- Platinum
------ Platinum Pro XP

And that way you won't duplicate or miss any samples?

[I am aware buying all of them separately is THE most expensive way of doing it]

Edit: Is "Quantum Leap COLOSSUS" the same sample set? Or is that a completely different set?

[Counterpoint]

Hi Manip,

Firstly, to get any of the "XP" versions, you need to have the non-XP version of that library first. So for Gold XP to work, you need to get regular Gold first. The XP versions are add-on only, and not a stand-alone product.

As far as I know, Gold + Gold XP will give you the same articulations as Platinum + Platinum XP. The difference is that Platinum also gives you three microphone positions for each articulation (where Gold typically only has one) and contains higher definition samples (24-bit)... which translates into better quality sound and more control..

The Gold and Platinum libraries also contain "release tails" for all the notes, which is a sample of the natural hall reverb that will play after you let go of a note. (It tends to sound more natural than an artificial reverb.)

Silver is a reduced collection that contains mostly a subset of articulations found in the Gold edition library.

If you're serious about wanting to produce quality music, I'd recommend going for the Gold+GoldXP first since this will give you all the articulations and produce great results for the cost. Gold will allow you a much greater level of detail in your produced recordings.

If you're just experimenting and doing music as a hobby, then Silver is a good alternative since it's a bit easier to learn and possibly the best sounding library you can get for that price.

Colossus might contain some of the samples from Silver, Gold and Platinum, but as far as I know it is more of a 'general purpose' library and will not let you achieve the same level of detail with the symphonic instruments that the Gold or Platinum libraries would give you (it's probably more on par with Silver in this regard). Colossus would be a good choice if you need a broader range of instruments though.

Hope this helps,

- Matt

[Manip]

Thank you very much.

That was an extremely informative and helpful reply that answered a lot of questions.

I do have one small question left if you would be so kind. I already own Silver (not Pro XP); and if I decide I want to upgrade to gold and or platinum, will I then have to pay the full price for either version? The reason I ask is that if I do so, I will loose my investment within Silver.

[Counterpoint]

Hi Manip,

I'm not sure about the upgrade price... I know they used to do this, but now the prices on the "non-XP" editions have been lowered, so I don't think they offer the discounted price anymore. You'd be best off going to the "Contact" link on the soundsonline page and asking this question directly to them and you'll get an official answer about this.

http://www.soundsonline.com/email.shtml

Something I noticed is that they don't seem to list the "upgrade" version for Gold anymore on the main site. (If I remember correctly, the upgrade cost from Silver to Gold was over $600, but now you can get Gold for under $500... so the upgrade price is not very practical anymore...)

Something to note about your Silver library: you have the Steinway B, Choir and Organ patches built in. These three instruments are not found in the Gold or Platinum libraries, so you might want to keep Silver installed.

Best of luck,

- Matt

[jphilpit]

Definitely check with someone at EWQL about trade-up pricing. In the past, you have only had to pay the difference in price as you move upward (from Silver Edition to Gold Edition, for example). But to get the exact cost you should either call them or write an e-mail to their sales department. Price policies may vary over time and are definitely affected by the discounts at the time of your original purchase and for the new edition you're buying.