World Music Library: UVI World Suite or Best Service Ethno World?

[taldt33]

Hi,

I am looking for an extensive world instruments library (Ethno stuff + Mediaval + Celtic+...).
I am interested in UVI World Suite or Best Service Ethno World, what are your thoughts or are there any other suggestions?
Does UVI or Best Service do usual Black Friday sales?

Thanks in advance for your advice

[Brother Greg]

Can't answer your questions, sorry, but take a look also at MOTU's Ethno product while you're at it.

[Brother Greg]

To be a little more helpful, UVI does have sales from time to time. Don't know about Best Service. I've never seen MOTU have one. My own preference, and I am waiting for a good opportunity for it, is to go with UVI. Their sales seem to range about 25-30% off.

[Ben H]

I own both as well as a bunch of other ethnic libraries and individual ethnic instrument libraries. I would say that Ethno World is the better of the two.

There is a little bit of overlap between the two, but not much They actually compliment each other quite nicely.

To describe the difference between the two, I would say that UVI World is more European focussed and Ethno World is more Asian focussed.

EW is now at version 6, so it has been updated a number of times with new instruments. They still include all the old samples with the new stuff. So the version 1-3 instruments are not as good as the newer recorded stuff which is more deeply sampled. You will probably only want to use them as "spices" though, rather than as featured or solo instruments. It's still nice to have them included though. The v4-6 instruments are all good though.

World Suite includes all the material from MOTU Ethno 1 & 2. It also contains a LOT of new material. I don't remember exactly how much off hand, but I think it was double the size of Ethno 2. So you can think of it more as Ethno 3. The instruments are alright. I don't like the programming though. Sometimes you have multiple instruments on the one patch and you have to use the MOD WHEEL to choose between them. This is daft. To me you should have a separate patch for different instruments. I can't remember specific examples off hand because its been a while since I have used it, but there are a few quirks like that.

So if I had to pick just one, it would be Ethno World 6.

Neither really contain medieval instruments though IIRC? (My music computer is in the shop atm, so I am unable to check).

If you are specifically interested in Celtic and Medieval instruments, you could also try Celtic ERA and ERA II Medieval Instruments from Best Service. They both run in the ENGINE player (which I find rather ordinary), but the sounds are exemplary. They would be more specifically targeted to your interest than the other more general purpose ethno libraries you suggested, however it wouldn't cover your bases for the rest of the world instruments.

WRT to deals:
Best Service normally run a 2for1 sale on Black Friday. Buy one selected Best Service branded library and get a same priced or cheaper one for free. So you could probably purchase Celtic ERA and get ERA II Medieval Instruments for free.

If you are interested in EW6 Complete you can also buy half and get the other half for free. EW6 Complete contains both instruments AND voices, but they also sell it in 2 halves, allowing you to buy just one or the other, in case you don't want both. But in the 2for1 sale you can buy the instruments and get the voices for free.

Sorry for the long-winded reply.

Hope this helps.

[Syncopator]

@Ben H: I'm not the OP, but I had the same question, and I just want to say how much I appreciate your thorough comparison and review. Very helpful! Thanks!

[BBFG#]

+1 on Ethno World Instruments.
Even though I've worked hard at not using Kontakt as much as possible, EWI6 is the one library I open it for without hesitations. But I originally got them in a 2-4-1 also, but never upgraded the voices. They're good, but I realized that I live in a hypersensitive multi-cultural area where someone always ends up offended by them.

But I also like the SonicCouture offerings (Pan Drums mostly) and might pick up the Nickleharpas on this sale. I think their Conservatory set has some medevial instruments in it? I remember there being a Hurdy Gurdy in it that interested me the most.

[Syncopator]

Even though I've worked hard at not using Kontakt as much as possible, EWI6 is the one library I open it for without hesitations.

Why have you "worked hard at not using Kontakt"?

[Blaster]

but never upgraded the voices. They're good, but I realized that I live in a hypersensitive multi-cultural area where someone always ends up offended by them.

I wish people would care less about stuff like this. It's ruining society.

[fmr]

but never upgraded the voices. They're good, but I realized that I live in a hypersensitive multi-cultural area where someone always ends up offended by them.

I wish people would care less about stuff like this. It's ruining society.

What is is so offending in the voices?

[jancivil]

this 'PC is ruining the world' garbage is HPC material. If caring about that 'offense' (which no serious person, let alone one with impact on real events would take really) means a choice in your use of software, that's pretty weak-willed. But you're taking the piss in order to make that little stand, aren't you.

[BBFG#]

but never upgraded the voices. They're good, but I realized that I live in a hypersensitive multi-cultural area where someone always ends up offended by them.

I wish people would care less about stuff like this. It's ruining society.

What is is so offending in the voices?

It spawns the "cultural appropriation" rants. Just not worth the noise for a couple of effects that were easily replaced by something equally as effective.

Even though I've worked hard at not using Kontakt as much as possible, EWI6 is the one library I open it for without hesitations.

Why have you "worked hard at not using Kontakt"?

Just increasingly getting tired of NI-BS.