Studio Special Edition Volume 1 Essential Orchestra

Orchestral Sample Library for Composition and Arranging

Vienna Symphonic Library’s Studio Special Edition Volume 1 Essential Orchestra is an orchestral sample library for composing, arranging, and creating MIDI mockups. With over 50 instruments and ensembles spanning strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion, harp, and keyboards, it provides a practical foundation for scoring projects, composition assignments, and orchestration lessons. The included Vienna Synchron Player offers instrument placement and reverb presets, helping you move from individual parts to a balanced orchestral arrangement while exploring instrumental colors, articulations, and voicings.

Volume 1 — Essential Orchestra

• Improved, expanded and re-edited sample database of the popular VI Special Edition Vol. 1
• New, additional instruments: Steinway & Sons D-274, solo violin 2, solo cello 2
• Optimized for the free, easy-to-use Vienna Synchron Player
• Outstanding ambience of Synchron Stage Vienna
• Pre-configured reverb settings for accurate and authentic placement of each instrument on stage
• Production-ready sound, out of the box

Studio Special Edition Volume 1 (“Essential Orchestra”) contains over 50 of the most common instruments and ensembles with basic articulations.* Included are two solo violins and two solo cellos, orchestral strings, solo instruments and ensembles of the brass section, woodwinds ranging from piccolo flute to contra bassoon, harp, timpani, drums and percussion as well as celesta and a Bösendorfer Imperial.

What’s more, a glorious new addition is the Steinway & Sons D-274 grand piano, sampled at Synchron Stage Vienna with over 30 velocities! With the Synchron Piano player’s advanced engineering, it is the culmination of years of sampling expertise and inspired technology.

All sounds work perfectly in a variety of musical styles, from pop and rock environments to large symphonic arrangements. With Vienna’s Complementary Discounts you may expand your library step-by-step at any time, according to your needs and budget.
Volume 1 comes with the new, free Vienna Synchron Player that incorporates the most powerful sample playback engine on the market, featuring unprecedented streaming performance while providing a new level of ease-of-use.

* Basic articulations include staccato, détaché, sustained, sforzato, tremolo, pizzicato, legato and portamento performances.

Re-edited, re-mapped and expanded

To create the Studio Special Editions, the original recordings were completely re-edited and enhanced. All velocity levels of each articulation and all articulations of each instrument were refined to match and blend seamlessly, not only within each instrument itself, but also in interaction with the included instruments of the Studio Special Editions, as well as with all other libraries of the Synchron Series. The Synchron Player also enhances the automatic triggering of release samples and therefore contributes to the overall improved realism of all included instruments.

World-Class Acoustics

The Vienna Synchron Player incorporates a specifically designed convolution reverb derived from Vienna MIR Pro, featuring the outstanding ambience of the 540 m² (5,813 sq.ft.) main hall of Synchron Stage Vienna. The perfectly engineered reverberation and placement presets combine customized impulse responses with expertly crafted reverb settings for each instrument or ensemble. By adding the ambience of Synchron Stage Vienna’s Stage A to the relatively dry samples in real-time, the Studio Special Editions perfectly blend with any other product of the Synchron Series, resulting in a production-ready sound “out of the box”. Of course, the included Steinway D-274 grand piano is not reverberated using these impulse responses since it was recorded with the ambience of Synchron Stage Vienna.

Expandability

You may expand the instruments of Volume 1 with additional articulations, available with  Volume 1 PLUS. You may also broaden your arsenal of instruments as you add Volumes, depending on your needs and budget. The streamlined structure of all the instrument configurations, with their standardized articulations, placement and reverberation presets, keeps the learning curve low and fast!

FAQ

What is Studio Special Edition Volume 1 Essential Orchestra?

It is an orchestral sample library from Vienna Symphonic Library that brings the main sections of the orchestra into your music production workflow. Use it to write arrangements, create orchestral mockups, and add acoustic instrumental parts to songs and scores.

What instruments are included?

The collection includes over 50 instruments and ensembles, covering solo and orchestral strings, woodwinds, solo and ensemble brass, harp, timpani, drums, percussion, celesta, and two grand pianos.

Is it suitable for learning and teaching orchestration?

Yes. Having the main orchestral families in one collection makes it practical to compare instrumental colors, hear different voicings, and develop arrangements section by section. Students can audition parts while working on composition assignments, and educators can prepare musical examples for lessons.

Which sample player does it use?

The library includes the free Vienna Synchron Player. You do not need Kontakt to use it.

What articulations are available?

Depending on the instrument, articulations include sustained notes, staccato, legato, portamento, tremolo, pizzicato, and more. These playing techniques let you shape phrasing and contrast within an arrangement. See the articulation list for details by instrument.

Can I adjust the orchestral ambience?

Yes. Placement and reverb presets provide the ambience of Synchron Stage Vienna. You can also turn off the internal convolution reverb and use your own spatial processing to place instruments in a different acoustic setting.

Can I use it outside orchestral scoring?

Yes. Individual instruments and sections can add strings, woodwinds, brass, piano, or percussion to pop, rock, and other productions. You can build a small arrangement or combine sections for a larger orchestral sound.

Do I need a physical iLok key?

No. An iLok account is required, but you can activate the license using either a compatible physical iLok key or an iLok Cloud session. iLok Cloud requires a continuous internet connection during use.