gustabo

edrummist

gustabo
edrummist,
Do you know if Solo Strings 2 comes with TVEC 4 and ESA?

I actually didn't know that Kirk added Solo Strings 2 as a separate item (as it's part of Concert Strings 2) to the GB. It originally wasn't part of the GB. While Solo Strings 2 is part of Concert Strings 2, and Concert Strings 2 comes with TVEC 4 and ESA, I'm not certain if TVEC4 and ESA are also bundled when people only buy Solo Strings 2.
 
The page for SS2 states that it comes with TVEC 3 (http://www.kirkhunterstudios.com/products_solo_str_ii2.html), not TVEC 4 or ESA. I put an email in to Kirk to find out for certain, but I know he told me Friday that he had out of town plans for this weekend, so I don't expect he'll be ask prompt in his reply as usual, but I promise to post the answer in this thread as soon as Kirk gets back to me. 
 
- Peter

SS2 is listed at $64.50 at http://www.kirkhunterstudios.com/purchase.html so I figured I'd get that too but it doesn't specify what TVEC it comes with.
I already bought Pop Rock Strings during the last group buy, would it be wise to buy SS2?

 
The solo strings in Pop/Rock Strings are really just a culled down version of Solo Strings 2, as Pop/Rock Strings was made from Concert Strings 2. Pop/Rock Strings has uses less samples per octave and less articulations. So, my personal opinion would be that Concert Strings 2 would be the ideal library to step up to. Another option would be that, if don't desire to step up to Concert Strings 2 that you might consider picking up Solo Strings 1, which, while it's not as detailed as Solo Strings 2, it was made from different string instruments and at different recording sessions, so adding that library to your collection will enable to you to expand your sonic pallet/choices. Whereas stepping up from Pop/Rock Strings to Concert Strings 2 or Solo Strings 2 will provide you with increased quality, but is really a higher quality/more detailed version of the same sampled instruments and recording sessions.

I can't quite make a direct comparison, I have Concert Strings 2 and Pop/Rock Strings - they are similar, but they are not the same. If you are writing in more classical or epic styles I think you'll like Solo Strings 2, if they are the soloists from Concert Strings 2 - which is my impression.

The new Spotlight Strings is an entirely different animal - and my impression thus far is that I could use them for almost any style, but I'm still learning.

gustabo
SS2 is listed at $64.50 at http://www.kirkhunterstudios.com/purchase.html so I figured I'd get that too but it doesn't specify what TVEC it comes with.
I already bought Pop Rock Strings during the last group buy, would it be wise to buy SS2?

I just heard back from Kirk, he told me that Solo Strings 2 now includes TVEC 4 (but not Easy String Arranger, which comes with Concert Strings 2). I'll also PM you to make sure you see this message.

I have an announcement to make on behalf of Kirk Hunter Studios and I think it's great news:


"The copy protection on Spotlight Strings was as an anti-piracy measure intended to slow the damage done by pirates in the introduction of this new library. However, it has become clear from customer feedback that many Kirk Hunter Studios customers felt such protection negatively impacts the user experience and the user experience is our first priority. Consequently, beginning February 24, 2014, Kirk Hunter Studios libraries will no longer require authorization (with the exception of Pop/Rock Strings, which as a KONTAKT Player library, uses Native Instruments' authorization process). "
 
--- ### ---

Kirk told me that he expects that the updated libraries that do not require authorization should be available tomorrow afternoon PST.

Well I has a happy. I am not a copy protection fan and the fact that he's getting rid of it is great.

I'm looking forward to using it and putting the sounds in my pieces. I bought Spotlight Strings, but so far haven't been able to either follow the install directions or something is missing. I'm sure I'll get it sorted soon, but it has been complicated. Kirk has emailed me to reassure me he'd help me out soon.

Sycraft
Well I has a happy. I am not a copy protection fan and the fact that he's getting rid of it is great.

Yeah, I'm with you. I hate copy protection and especially stuff like iLOK where legitimate customers are forced to pay for something that not only has no real value/benefit or utility for them (okay, it might for a small percentage of users, but not for most customers), still some software companies expect them to directly take on these costs -- which are among the most costly anti-piracy measures a company can do.

Kirk and I have had a lot of talks on this topic. These kind of decisions really aren't easy, as Kirk's intent was to slow the pirating of a new library so it wouldn't hurt his new library's (Spotlight Strings) initial sales badly. But after seeing his customers post and email with him feedback, he made the choice that his customer's user experience wasn't going to be trumped by anti-piracy measures. As a sample user, including as a Kirk Hunter Studios user, I'm sincerely very grateful and I hope Kirk is rewarded by customers for taking this step.

I'm not sure that it helps that much in terms of slowing piracy, either. I mean if you go with something really complex and overbearing like iLok or eLicenser then ya. However short of that, it'll probably get cracked if there's enough interest in it. Even the overbearing stuff gets cracked if people really care. Look at Blu-ray. The complexity of the AACS key tree and BD-J protection is pretty staggering and yet there is software out there to easily bypass it. Audio software sometimes avoids that since less people care about it, but still.
 
I'm also not convinced it helps sales that much. A copy pirated is not necessarily a sale lost. Plenty of people will go and download something for free, but wouldn't pay for it if they couldn't, they'd just do without. I remain unconvinced that piracy and sales really have a whole lot of correlation.
 
So, I'm happy, I think it is the right decision. I'd reward it, but, well, I've already bought all his libraries so I'm pretty much done :).

Boy, I just don't get all this whining about copy protection... sure, it take a few moments... even ilok is just a couple minutes.  I WANT developers to get paid.  Friggin' lazy whiny people...We are in BAD shape if ya can't take a couple minutes to complete a challenge/response or sign in to NI and put in a few numbers...
 
Wastin' hours every day glued to your frackin' phone screen and can't even put in a few numbers...
 
bunch a cows

lawajava
I'm looking forward to using it and putting the sounds in my pieces. I bought Spotlight Strings, but so far haven't been able to either follow the install directions or something is missing. I'm sure I'll get it sorted soon, but it has been complicated. Kirk has emailed me to reassure me he'd help me out soon.

I will say that the install process was unlike any library I've ever purchased, but I've got them installed. I still need the actual "instrument" files from Kirk, but he emailed me on Sunday and said they would be out today. Looking forward to playing with this library.
 
Regards,
Dan