Orchestral Tools vs Zenhiser
Orchestral Tools
orchestraltools.comZenhiser
zenhiser.comSide by side
| Figure | Orchestral Tools | Zenhiser |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 9 | 1 |
| Spec score · Music Sample Libraries | 8.7 (#2) | 7.3 (#29) |
| Audience | Its products are used by professional composers, producers, performers, and sound designers around the world. | The catalog is designed for producers, remixers, and film scorers, and the company says it serves producers at all levels. |
| Company | Orchestral Tools describes itself as an independent German company with offices in Berlin and Freiburg. | Zenhiser says it was founded in 2005 by Tony Rapacioli. |
| Founded | 2005 | 2005 |
| Product | Orchestral Tools creates virtual instruments, focusing on acoustic sound sources that it conceptualizes, records, and produces. | Zenhiser sells downloadable sounds, loops, MIDI, and presets for music production. |
| Support | Orchestral Tools provides a Helpdesk with FAQ, update, billing, SINE collection, Kontakt collection, and product guide categories. | Zenhiser says it endeavours to reply to customer inquiries within 24 hours on weekdays, with longer response times possible on weekends. |
Plans
Orchestral Tools
- Berlin Free OrchestraFree
- SINEplayerFree
- Splinter intro offer€199, paid once
- Inspire Bundle€209, paid once
- Habitat€229, paid once
- Berlin Orchestra Created with Berklee€299, paid once
- Berlin Orchestra Full€799, paid once
- Berlin Orchestra Pro€1,399, paid once
- Berlin Orchestra Max€2,499, paid once
In their own words
Orchestral Tools
Orchestral Tools makes virtual instruments from acoustic sources that it conceptualizes, records, and produces. Its free SINE player runs on macOS and Windows, either as a standalone application or in VST, VST3, AU, and AAX formats. The included SINEfactory library has instruments such as piano, strings, and percussion. The free SINEplayer plan lists one orchestral collection, 46 instruments, 242 articulations, 43 total legatos, full dynamic layers, limited round robins, and one microphone position. Users can choose individual instruments and microphone positions rather than download a full collection. SINE offers customizable articulation lists, dynamics and round-robin controls, multiple legato options, and mixing that can combine microphone positions into a single channel. The minimum listed memory is 8 GB RAM, with 16 GB or more recommended on both Mac and Windows. The company was founded in 2005 and describes itself as an independent German company with offices in Berlin and Freiburg. Pricing is freemium: the plan is free, with paid options from €299.
Zenhiser
Zenhiser sells downloadable sounds, loops, MIDI and presets for music production. Its catalog is aimed at producers, remixers and film scorers, and the company says it serves producers at all levels. The Technology sample pack includes song starters, loops, stems, drum sounds and one-shots; its listing specifies 461 samples, 5.1GB unzipped and no MIDI, with drum kick samples also identified. Technology audio is supplied as 24-bit WAV and described as 100% royalty free; the listed sample format is 24-bit 44.1 kHz WAV. The pack is priced at $53, paid once. After an order is complete, download links appear on the order page and in a backup email. Links do not expire, but each product allows five download attempts, which are IP logged. Purchases grant a non-exclusive, non-transferable license for use in musical or audio compositions; redistribution as standalone files or collections is barred. Zenhiser was founded in 2005 by Tony Rapacioli.