You're probably right about their encryption slowing things down.  I've replicated the same set of instruments in VSL for some of my projects.  VSL's samples are 24bit while SOGold is 16bit - the load times is VSL seem lightening fast.  They also have a USB dongle for security.  I don't know what VSL is doing but they are experts at software.  VEPro is doing some very complex things and it is like a de-facto standard for composers using huge libraries.  And their Instrument player is very well designed - so flexible.  It does so much yet the design is so simple to understand.
 
It's too bad EW didn't just stick with Kontakt.

guyz i hear you with VSL , but their offers is so unclear !!  if you want the equivalent of Orchestral essential or some like that : what to get 
 
also i like the diffrent univers you can get with EW and some other Kontakt based lib , VSL is really all about orchestral that are not often used in my project ...just when needed here and there ....

You're right Zo.  When I was first researching Orchestral Libraries I couldn't make sense out of VSL and chose EW partly because I couldn't understand VSL.  EW Website seems easier to understand (except why do they call it SoundsOnline?).  The problems I have with Play made me look closer.  I wanted a "do all" orchestra, not bits and pieces.  SOGold is like that (SOSilver is way too limited).  And on the VSL line the closest equivalent is Special Edition Volume 1.  That's where you start.  You can always add:  Special Edition Volume 1 plus, Special Edition Volume 2, Special Edition Volume 2 Plus, and so on - adding articulations and instruments along the way, but Volume 1 has all the basics.
 
And you're right - EW has a lot of other stuff too.  
 
An unfortunate thing is EW requires and iLok and VSL requires the eLicenser dongle.  (Steinberg system) So you may need a couple different kinds of dongles if you combine.
 
You might be better off with Kontakt - I don't know I don't own it yet.  
 
It's a complex mind blowing dilemma - which one to buy first?  Which company to invest in?  These are expensive libraries and they each have plusses and minuses.  And you don't really know unless you really try them and work with them.
 
 

Zo,

VSL, Orchestral Essentials & Albion.
They're are all good libs, just depends on budget & what you need.
I usually layer from several until it 'works'.

Briefly & very general here-
1-VSL traditional type orchestrations & styles, pop, ballad: dry & can use different verbs. 
2-Albion- softer, film, new age, soundtrack, ambient, baked-in verb 
3-Project Sam  Orchetral Essentials- Film, soundtrack, good all purpose.
4-EW HS+HB for soundtrack, pop. I use these more to cut through a mix with band type or driving projects with gtrs, bass/ rock, fusion 

And if you do look at EW I'd check out HS+ HB Silver on sale $99.00 each. Limited version but can't beat the price, works well for general use.

carl  - Albion sounds fantastic.  
 
I've got a question for you since you have so much more experience with this stuff than me.  While I do like the SOGold sounds, one of my pet peeves is being able to control volume swells with realistic tonal changes.  On a real stringed instrument or brass, as you hold a note and grow in volume, the highs will become brighter.  With SOGold it seems the way that is prescribed is to use a combination of patches and do manual crossfades which is a pia and grows the track count - or - use one patch and just grow the volume with the expression controller, but you don't get realistic tonal changes.  With VSL they've got a Velocity Crossfade which works really well on all instruments, so you don't always have to add tracks for the same instrument.  My question is which libraries do a good job with this aspect?  Albion sounds fantastic, but it's hard to know what's under the hood, and how complex the midi arrangement needs to be to get this realism?

guitartrek
carl  - Albion sounds fantastic.  
 
I've got a question for you since you have so much more experience with this stuff than me.  While I do like the SOGold sounds, one of my pet peeves is being able to control volume swells with realistic tonal changes.  On a real stringed instrument or brass, as you hold a note and grow in volume, the highs will become brighter.  With SOGold it seems the way that is prescribed is to use a combination of patches and do manual crossfades which is a pia and grows the track count - or - use one patch and just grow the volume with the expression controller, but you don't get realistic tonal changes.  With VSL they've got a Velocity Crossfade which works really well on all instruments, so you don't always have to add tracks for the same instrument.  My question is which libraries do a good job with this aspect?  Albion sounds fantastic, but it's hard to know what's under the hood, and how complex the midi arrangement needs to be to get this realism?

Use velocity for volume swells or changes.  That's what I do and the timber changes with volume.  No need for any cross fades since the instruments were recorded at various volumes/velocities.  I set CC7 (volume) for the overall volume of the track and do all my dynamics with velocity curves.  The achieves what you are looking for and that is how the library was desingned to work.

Thanks vintagevibe.  Just want to make sure I understand what you're saying - using velocity curves in Albion is like the VSL velocity crossfade?  In SOGold, whatever velocity at of the midi note determines the timber, and then you can adjust only volume from there, which isn't good.  Sounds like Albion is like VSL in that you can control intensity / timber of a long note using a velocity curve (not the midi on-note velocity).  Correct?

Same here,
I use mod CC1 for dynamics/ x fades, CC11 expression, sometimes main volume envelopes for typical fades & dims. CC 16 to change the speed between legatos.
IIRC using the mod on the brass ensemble changes the timbre & vol. similar to EW, on the String Ensemble it's more volume. (or not as extreme or smoother) 
It also has a nice ostinatum feature you can use for certain articulations.
 

guitartrek
Thanks vintagevibe.  Just want to make sure I understand what you're saying - using velocity curves in Albion is like the VSL velocity crossfade?  In SOGold, whatever velocity at of the midi note determines the timber, and then you can adjust only volume from there, which isn't good.  Sounds like Albion is like VSL in that you can control intensity / timber of a long note using a velocity curve (not the midi on-note velocity).  Correct?

I think you are correct about SOGold. If Albion and VSL can change the timber of one note that is quite cool.  I work mostly in Cubase and with note expressions I can assign a controller to a singe note but the VST has to support it and AFAIK SO doesn't. 

I think some Komplete  9 Ultimate stuff uses modwehll for expression ...is that what you're trying to achieve ?
 
thks guyz for the feedback 
 
I own K9 Ultimate , all Heavyocity , and REV from output ...in the kontakt world ...i don't think kontakt is that great but the lib dev offers is the most complete around !!!
 
I kept a good souvenir of the EW quality and ussually it sounding way better thant kontakt content (back in EW kontakt day ...tried those to see how it sounded)
 
What i like about Albion is that there's a volume for each style ....im' interested in the Albion 3  ... and also they provide additionnal sgoodies like dark synth sand all
 
Project Sam OE looks complete also ... in fact i want a good interface , simple with bread and butter when i need it .....it kills me to go thorw all the komplete stuff 
 
The syncrosoft thing is a deal breaker for real ...as a owner of ilok .. i don't want another thing