BBC Symphony Orchestra vs PREMIER SOUND FACTORY

BBC Symphony Orchestra is a virtual orchestral sample library for music creators, with strings, brass, woodwinds, and percussion recorded at Maida Vale Studios. It runs in Spitfire Audio’s dedicated plugin, which supports VST3, AU, and AAX formats. The Discover edition is described as compatible with major music creation software, including GarageBand and Pro Tools. Discover contains 34 instruments and 47 techniques in a 240MB package, with one mix signal. Core provides 44 instruments, 344 techniques, and one mix signal; Professional has 67 instruments, 468 techniques, 45 legatos, and 20 signals. Owners can switch between Discover, Core, and Professional modes, which Spitfire says supports sharing and collaboration across editions. The Spitfire Audio app is required to download the library, with installers for macOS and Windows. Spitfire recommends installation on an external drive, though another location can be chosen. Discover is free; Core is £399, paid once and Professional is £899, paid once.

PREMIER SOUND FACTORY sells sampled software instrument libraries for music and other production work. Its catalog includes acoustic and electric pianos, Japanese instruments, drums, basses, and Mellotron sounds. KAWAI Legend is offered in 96kHz/24bit, with a 48kHz version for sessions at 48kHz and 44.1kHz; listed features include harmonic resonance, release-trigger, damper and half-pedal playback, and Velocity+. KAGUYA includes two koto instruments, 16 articulations, 36 Japanese scales, and 214 audio phrase patterns. Drum Tree, KAGUYA, and Shakuhachi Premier G work with Kontakt Player; other products require full Kontakt. Specifications list Audio Units, VST, AAX Native, ASIO, Core Audio, and WASAPI, along with support for several named DAWs. Standalone app and built-in samples are listed. Free products are available, and paid products start at $81. A license covers two computers, but cannot be transferred. Download links expire after one month.