8.8Great
Spitfire BBCSO is a full orchestra library family recorded with the BBC Symphony Orchestra: free Discover (~240MB), Core (~28GB, £399), and Professional (~630GB, £899).
Plugin comparison
Spitfire Audio BBC Symphony Orchestra vs Vienna Performer
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
Vienna Performer by VSL renders your MIDI as played orchestral parts from models trained at Vienna Synchron Stage. Nine instruments, from €9.99/month.
Technical matrix
Specs compared
| Signal | Spitfire Audio BBC Symphony Orchestra | Vienna Performer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free+ | €9.99/month |
| Dubspot Score | 8.8 | — |
| Formats | VST, VST3, AU, AAX | VST3, AU, 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 | — |
| 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 | — | AI performance renderer (virtual instrument plug-in) |
| Instruments | — | Solo Violin, Cello, Flute, Clarinet, French Horn; 1st Violins (14), 2nd Violins (12), Violas (10), Cellos (10); Trumpet and Double Basses next |
| Output | — | FLAC renders with Room (Decca Tree) and Close stereo pairs |
| Plans | — | Entry €9.99 (140 min), Standard €19.99 (360 min), Pro €49.99 (1,000 min) per month; yearly at 10x monthly |
| Top-ups | — | €50 per 500 performance minutes, never expire |
| macOS | — | macOS 12+, VST3, AU, AAX |
| Windows | — | Windows 10+, VST3, AAX |
| Requirements | — | VSL account, active subscription, internet for rendering; no iLok |
See the full plugin database for more comparisons.