Vienna Symphonic Library Studio Special Edition Vol. 2

This adds the chamber and appassionata strings to SE1 and some nice other instruments like Eb clarinet. These recordings aren’t as hifi as the Synchron era and the stereo has been collapsed on many of them but you can get the original sound and stereo back by turning off the IR. Synchron player is the best player in the biz and you can do anything with this and SE1. The plus versions give you all the articulations as well.

The default mix isn’t as contemporary as Berlin or Spitfire but it’s fine and if you do like mixing these recordings are at least as good and more flexible as they are dryer. The Synchron recordings are the best in the biz when you are ready to spend much more. I myself prefer SE1 and 2 to Prime edition which I feel is a demo of the Synchron libs and not a full orchestra like these are. I would say SE1/2 are better than BBCSO Core but not as good as BBCSO pro or the soaking wet SSO or Berlin Berklee. HOOPUS is another very competitive choice with a much more aggressive and modern sound. Pick which one you’re comfortable with for a project.