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DrDan Offline OP
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I don't want to dwell on all the controversy regarding this historical product. Bottom line is it is on sale now for 20 USD only for four days. The quality of the sounds have never really been the subject of the controversy. I personnally love KH sounds and have a number of his libraies. At this time I really I don't have much need for this, but 20 bucks is essentially giving away the bank.

https://vstbuzz.com/deals/diamond-symphony-orchestra-by-kirk-hunter/



BIAB – 2025, Reaper (current), i7-12700F Processor, 32GB DDR4-3200MHz RAM, Motu Audio Express 6x6 - My SoundCloud (Tip: No need to create a SC account to hear music - just hit ESC ).

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If one doesn't have a decent orchestra this is a no-brainer.
Note that it is not GM.


I'm no longer allowed to go caroling at the psych hospital.
I guess Do You Hear What I Hear was a bad song choice!

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You'll need the full version of Kontakt to run it.

If you decide that you only want a couple of the sounds (like the strings and solo violins) you can always choose to delete the folders that you don't want (assuming you have a backup somewhere) and save a bunch of disk space.


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My virtual singer development blog

Vocal control, you say. Never heard of it. Is that some kind of ProTools thing?
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$499->$20 sounds distinctly in the "too good to be true" bracket and the website has recently changed hands. Anyone know if this is really legitimate?

Last edited by Gordon Scott; 10/22/25 03:51 AM.

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DrDan Offline OP
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Fair question. I had mentioned I did not want to get into the controversy regarding this product. However, your question is not the controversy I was referring to. I have a good reference where folks are purchasing it now.

https://vi-control.net/community/threads/kirk-hunter-diamond-symphony-orchestra-20-at-vstbuzz-until-27-10-25.167247/page-3

If your still concerned... Give me some time to get my coffee and I will purchase it and let you know how it goes.

Dan


BIAB – 2025, Reaper (current), i7-12700F Processor, 32GB DDR4-3200MHz RAM, Motu Audio Express 6x6 - My SoundCloud (Tip: No need to create a SC account to hear music - just hit ESC ).

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Originally Posted by Gordon Scott
$499->$20 sounds distinctly in the "too good to be true" bracket and the website has recently changed hands. Anyone know if this is really legitimate?

I can not tell if this is legit or not but I can comment on the price. $499 was the initial price many years ago. Yes this is an old and dated program that I bought in 2011 for $137. I would rate the sounds better than a GM orchestra but way behind the newer VSTis. YMMV

Last edited by MarioD; 10/22/25 07:49 AM.

I'm no longer allowed to go caroling at the psych hospital.
I guess Do You Hear What I Hear was a bad song choice!

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OK, all is well. The download and installation with Pulse went smooth and easy. I had a bit of an issue with Kontakt, but for 20 USD I am not going to make any negative comments. I was able to play the sounds and am happy.

Last edited by DrDan; 10/22/25 07:56 AM.

BIAB – 2025, Reaper (current), i7-12700F Processor, 32GB DDR4-3200MHz RAM, Motu Audio Express 6x6 - My SoundCloud (Tip: No need to create a SC account to hear music - just hit ESC ).

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Yes, the $20 is legitimate, as Dan already demonstrated.

There's controversy because Kirk made a number of promises about his libraries going on sale for the last time, as well as about the guy who bought Kirk's libraries and owns VSTBuzz as well as the Pulse downloader.

But it's 100% legit.

This is an orchestral library, so how useful it is in a songwriter context is debatable. The instruments aren't close miked, so you won't get an intimate, detailed sound out of these instruments. That means they don't really fit into most pop mixes.

The sampling doesn't seem to be very deep. I found the woodwinds to be unimpressive. The brass, horns and strings are good if you're looking for a big sound. There are a couple nice solo violins (you can hear one in the video), which isn't surprising considering that Kirk is a violinist.

While it doesn't feel deep, it is broad. There are a lot of articulations. It really does sound like the demos.

So if you want that sound - it's got it in spades.


-- David Cuny
My virtual singer development blog

Vocal control, you say. Never heard of it. Is that some kind of ProTools thing?
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Working on my first project using KH DSO.
I can honestly say I am very pleased with the sounds and articulations avialable. I put a small orchestral arrangement of violins and cellos in the back ground of my "R&B 80's rock" project and it fit really well. I am confident I will find a keeper with some minor listening.
I want to give this product my highest recommendation, but I have understanding of some limitations I wanted to share first.

- you need the full Kontakt. I have V7. But I don't consider this a real issue since if you want to play with the big boys you need big boy tools. If you don't already own this then just leave now.
- you will need a lot of fast disk drive space. The specs are easy to find.
- here is some good news, the installation and download of this huge package is really optimized. 1 click only to get it downloaded and installed. I already owned the free Pulse which is the download file manager and installer.
- the organization of the file contents borders on being a nightmare and Kontakt don't help all that much. I was prepared for this since I have worked with KH libraries in the past. You just have to do a lot of browsing and picking and being patient.
- you don't need a separate midi controller keyboard. You can take any midi set (even from biab) and jsut route the chords to the VST. But you really should get one (even a cheap one) so you can literally play these luscious instruments.

With that said, you have my highest recommendation to go ahead and drop 20$. If you get stuck in setup and operations just let me know and I will try to help.

Dan
-


BIAB – 2025, Reaper (current), i7-12700F Processor, 32GB DDR4-3200MHz RAM, Motu Audio Express 6x6 - My SoundCloud (Tip: No need to create a SC account to hear music - just hit ESC ).

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Thanks everyone. I picked it up. After my next concert I'll have time to play with it.

The purchase and installation were straightforward. I am glad I have Gigabyte Internet, because that made the download only about 5 minutes.


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I paid the $20. No idea if I'll ever use it but, if I do, the twenty bills will be well spent.

At 45GB, it's the smallest orchestra VI that I own. We'll see...


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