Plugin comparison
Specs, price and the Dubspot Score, side by side — with our verdict on which sampler to buy.
Independent score / workflow fit / buying signal
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Contenders
Sinphonica Maestosa Strings is IK Multimedia's 60-piece symphonic string library recorded in Milan, with PALCO 3D stage placement and a 133 GB sample set.
Vienna Essential Orchestra is VSL's €9.99/month subscription with Synchron and Studio orchestras in Synchron Player. 115,025 samples, 24.8 GB.
Technical matrix
| Signal | IK Multimedia Sinphonica Maestosa Strings | Vienna Essential Orchestra |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $499.99 | €9.99/month |
| Dubspot Score | — | 8.0 |
| Formats | AU, VST3, AAX | AU, VST, VST3, AAX, macOS, Windows |
| Type | Symphonic string sample library | Dual-orchestra sample library (subscription) |
| Sections | 16 First Violins, 14 Second Violins, 12 Violas, 10 Cellos, 8 Double Basses (60 players) | Strings (solo + sections), brass, woodwinds, percussion, harp |
| Recorded at | Officine Meccaniche, Milan | — |
| Library size | 133.1 GB complete (sections 20.0 to 34.4 GB) | — |
| Positioning | PALCO 3D stage placement from captured impulse responses | — |
| Expression | True legato, articulation morphing, keyswitch presets | — |
| Formats | AU, VST3, AAX (Windows: VST3, AAX) | — |
| System | macOS 10.15+ or Windows 10 64-bit+, 16 GB RAM, 250 GB free space | — |
| Orchestras | — | Synchron (Stage A) + Studio (Silent Stage) |
| Player | — | Synchron Player, Flow View |
| 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.