8.8Great
Spitfire BBCSO is a full orchestra library family—free Discover (~240MB), Core (~28GB, £399), and Professional (~630GB, £899)—recorded with the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
Plugin comparison
Spitfire Audio BBC Symphony Orchestra vs Vienna Essential Orchestra
Specs, price and the Dubspot Score, side by side — with our verdict on which sampler to buy.
Independent score / workflow fit / buying signal
Contenders
The side-by-side
8.0Great
Vienna Essential Orchestra is VSL's €9.99/month subscription with Synchron and Studio orchestras in Synchron Player. 115,025 samples, 24.8 GB.
Score verdict
Which should you buy?
On the Dubspot Score, Spitfire Audio BBC Symphony Orchestra comes out ahead (8.8). That said, the right pick depends on your workflow and budget — read both reviews before deciding.
Technical matrix
Specs compared
| Signal | Spitfire Audio BBC Symphony Orchestra | Vienna Essential Orchestra |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free+ | €9.99/month |
| Dubspot Score | 8.8 | 8.0 |
| Formats | VST, VST3, AU, AAX | AU, VST, VST3, AAX, macOS, Windows |
| Library family | BBC Symphony Orchestra Discover / Core / Professional | — |
| Orchestra | BBC Symphony Orchestra (Maida Vale heritage recordings) | — |
| Player | Dedicated Spitfire Audio plugin (VST/VST3/AU/AAX); Spitfire Audio App required for install | Synchron Player, Flow View |
| Discover size | ~240MB package; ~34 instruments, ~47 techniques, 1 mix signal | — |
| Core size | ~28.2GB; ~44 instruments, ~344 techniques, curated mix signal, legatos for melodic instruments | — |
| Professional size | ~630GB class install; ~57 instruments, ~468 techniques, ~12 mics / 3 mixes, ~20 signals | — |
| Discover price | Free (Core/Pro owners also receive Discover) | — |
| Core list price | £399 (confirm regional pricing/sales) | — |
| Professional list price | £899 (confirm regional pricing/sales) | — |
| Discover extras | Now includes BBCSO Piano (per Spitfire product messaging) | — |
| Platforms | macOS & Windows 64-bit; Intel and Apple silicon supported; recommend multi-core CPU + 16GB RAM class systems | — |
| NKS | NKS ready / compatible (edition dependent) | — |
| Type | — | Dual-orchestra sample library (subscription) |
| Orchestras | — | Synchron (Stage A) + Studio (Silent Stage) |
| Sections | — | Strings (solo + sections), brass, woodwinds, percussion, harp |
| Library | — | 115,025 samples, 24.8 GB |
| Channels | — | Synchron Room-Mix + Close; Studio single channel |
| OS requirements | — | Windows 10+, macOS 12+, SSD, 8 GB RAM min |
| Authorization | — | iLok account, dongle 2/3 or Cloud |
See the full plugin database for more comparisons.