The Vienna Symphonic Library (VSL) has announced that the first five Vienna Instruments Collections of the Symphonic Cube are now shipping - Solo Strings, Chamber Strings, Orchestral Strings I, Orchestral Strings II, and Woodwinds I are now available worldwide from distributors and dealers. The second part of the Symphonic Cube will be available within the next two months: Woodwinds II, Brass I, Brass II, Harps and Percussion are in the final stages of production and testing.

The Vienna Instruments embed intelligent Performance Algorithms in an easy-to-use VST/AU plug-in to orchestrate a vast array of samples. Hundreds of articulations can be combined in one Preset and on a single MIDI track. Vienna's proprietary Performance Detection analyzes intervals, repeated notes, patterns, and even speed in real-time and automatically summons the appropriate articulation or nuance.

The Symphonic Cube will eventually contain a combined total of over 550 GB / more than 800,000 stereo samples in 44.1kHz/24 bit quality. It will include all of the samples from the Pro Edition and the Horizon Series, plus much more, for example, Fast Interval Performances, Trill Performances (using the speed controller), gypsy and harsh styles, ponticello, sul tasto, ricochet, mordents, arpeggios, etc. New instruments include a small clarinet in Eb, a triple horn, new timpani, and taiko drums to mention but a few.

The streaming audio-engine can pre-load up to 25,600 stereo samples (e.g., on a 1.6 GB RAM Windows system), and play back a theoretical total of 3,456 Articulations (Patches) on one MIDI channel. Load times are extremely low due to pre-caching, and the RAM optimizer kicks unused samples out of memory. The lossless real-time de-compression minimizes the use of RAM and hard disk resources.

The Vienna Instrument Engine:

• Powerful proprietary streaming audio engine, developed by Vienna Symphonic Library's Christian Teuscher.
• Up to 3,456 Articulations (Patches) on one MIDI channel.
• RAM pre-load of up to 25,600 stereo samples (based on 1.6 GB available RAM under Windows; 48,000 samples on a 3 GB Mac G5).
• 64 stereo voices per instance streaming from disk.
• Extremely low load times (average 1 sec. per Patch) using pre-caching.
• Lossless real-time de-compression for using less RAM and hard disk resources.
• RAM Optimizer kicks unused samples out of RAM.
• Pre-configured Patches.
• Performance Detection algorithms integrated in Patches without the need to switch manually between articulations.
• Trigger comprehensive sets of articulations using hardware controllers (MIDI learn), key switches, and speed, without ever leaving the current MIDI channel.
• Layer Articulations for simultaneous or crossfade performances in one Preset.
• Easily design your own Instruments using Drag & Drop.
• Switch Velocity Crossfades and Release Control on/off on the fly.

The Vienna Instruments are available for Windows and Mac OS X in VST and AU plug-in formats, with RTAS and Intel Mac compatibility expected later this year. A Syncrosoft USB key (dongle) is required for every computer running a Vienna Instrument - a ViennaKey is provided on purchase of the complete Symphonic Cube, however, it is not included with each Collection (it is available to buy separately). Users who already have a Syncrosoft USB protection device (from Steinberg for instance), can use it for the Vienna Instruments too by downloading the latest "Syncrosoft License Control Center" from the Syncrosoft website.

Each of the 10 Collections comes with the Software Instrument, Standard Library and Extended Library on DVD; pricing varies - please see the VSL website for more information. For each Collection's "Standard Price" customers get the software instrument (i.e., the audio engine with its user interface) and the Standard Library. Registered users of Vienna's existing sample libraries will be granted extensive discounts to upgrade to the Extended Libraries of the Vienna Instruments. The price of a Collection's Extended Library depends on how many single instruments a user is adding and how many sample libraries he or she has registered. The price of the Extended Libraries can be determined using the Discount Calculator.