Orchestral Suite by UVI is a symphonic orchestra that includes brass, percussion (atonal and pitched), strings, woodwinds, choir, and many additional instruments such as the celesta, guitar, harp, harpsichord, and organ. UVI aims to deliver a complete essential orchestra with a small footprint on your PC/MAC. UVI did send me a review copy with no strings attached.
Installation
After purchase, you receive a registration code which you use to register the product with UVI. Then you have the option to download the single file directly or by using torrent. You need to launch the iLok License Manager and activate the license that UVI has issued to you. After activation, you can use the Orchestral Suite in UVI Workstation or UVI’s Falcon. The entire orchestra in a 4.62 GB on your hard disk.
Sound
I did find instruments and sections that I did like, however overall the library sound to me at least dated compared to many of the available libraries in the market. There are many options today to purchase a starter library or subscribe to a whole catalog. The sound of many of the included instruments did not click with me. Having in mind that I did experience the music of this library based on my experience and most importantly my taste you may find those included instruments more useful. I was not happy with the sound of some string and brass instruments and included sections.
In my judgment, the Orchestral Suite is not for creating realistic orchestral scores. Orchestral Suite fits for pop, dance and potential games soundtracks. Sound design, hip-hop, and EDM producers who look for a comprehensive low footprint library may find what they need in Orchestral Suite. All instruments can be located through IRs used in the included convolution reverb into a different room.
User interface & Usability
You can switch articulations via menu or key-switch, instruments are velocity based playable. You have access to the central control of the instrument on a single page.
Rating: Three out of five stars
UVI makes outstanding synth and electronic libraries, for me Orchestral Suite does fall into the category of affordable orchestra libraries. I do see the best use of this library is for hip-hop, and EDM producers or use it as a sound design source within the UVI Falcon or use third-party plugins and hardware sampler to create something entirely new. Keep in mind that my rating is based on my taste of working with this library; it just did not click and compare to many available libraries. UVI positions this library as an essential symphonic orchestra collection, delivering 60+ instruments within an affordable package at a price tag (which also get discounted sometime) at 199€.
