Emu XL-7 & MP-7 User's Group

Sound on Sound magazine and Keyboard Magazine both gave the Emu 
Virtuoso very good ratings. Keyboard gave it a best buy. The 
Virtuoso contains Orchestral Sessions Vol. 1 and 2. I would not 
recommend buying one ROM without the other but you can buy one at a 
time and add the second at a later date. I am still torn between 
getting the two ROM's, or paying $300 more and getting the Virtuoso. 
I plan to wait until I see my tax return, then decide. Depending on 
what you are doing, Peter Siedlaczek Advanced Orchestra may be a 
better option but it does not contain any orchestral percussion.

As for the World Expedition, that is next on my list, got great 
reviews for playability, and has excellent world percussion. It 
seems a natural fit in a command station with those touch pads that 
are great for programming percussion parts. I always thought that 
with my XL-7, Sounds or the ZR, World Expedition and Peter 
Siedlaczek Orchestra I could compose anything thing my little mind 
could imagine and have the needed sounds in one unit.

--- In xl7@y..., "modulation_matrix" <modulation_matrix@y...> wrote:
> If I had an XL-7 and really good orchrestra sounds for creating 
> symphony type songs, which would be the best ? From the Emu.com 
site, 
> I know there are the following:
> 
> Sound ROMs  
>  
> 9063 - Beat Garden $349.00   
> Beat Garden is the much-anticipated 32 MB ROM sound set by Rob 
Papen 
> which combines techno and dance instruments with acoustic 
instruments 
> and percussion. The result is surprising blend of the acoustic and 
> electric worlds which will point new directions for your own 
music. 
>  
> 9061 - Peter Siedlaczek Advanced Orchestra $395.00   
> The Peter Siedlaczek 32 MB expansion ROM offers you some of the 
> finest orchestral samples ever recorded from one of Europe's most 
> respected sound designers. This spectacular collection brings 
> together the finest string, brass, wind and percussion ensembles 
of 
> Siedlaczek's legendary Advanced Orchestra library, performed in a 
> variety of styles (i.e. vibrato, tremolo, pizzicato, con sordino, 
> etc.). 
>  
> 9062 - Pure Phatt $349.00   
> Pure Phatt takes over where E-MU's legendary Planet Phatt left off 
> with 32 MB of fresh new sounds. This ROM is loaded with sounds 
that 
> will move the masses. 
>  
> 9088 - Sounds of the ZR $349.00   
> The Sounds of the ZR Expansion ROM faithfully reproduces the 
diverse 
> sounds of ENSONIQ's popular ZR-76 keyboard, including William 
> Coakley's Perfect Piano. You'll find everything from synths and 
> orchestral instruments to one of the finest pianos ever sampled in 
> one soundset. Put this collection of ENSONIQ's finest sounds to 
work 
> in your XL-7 today! 
>  
> 9087 - World Expedition $349.00   
> The World Expedition sound set consists primarily of ethnic 
> instruments and percussion collected from the far corners of the 
> planet. This expertly sampled collection will take your music to 
> places it's never been before. 
>  
> 9086 - Orchestral Sessions Vol. 2 32MB $395.00   
> The Orchestral Sessions Vol. 2 expansion 32MB ROM offers you the 
most 
> realistic and comprehensive collection of woodwinds, brass, 
> percussion, and solo strings available - the same sounds featured 
in 
> E-MU's Virtuoso™ 2000 sound module, complete with velocity 
switching 
> between p/mf/ff samples, special presets for 4 speaker 
applications 
> and a percussion battery with over 20 instruments. 
>  
> 9085 - Orchestral Sessions Vol. 1 32MB $395.00   
> The Orchestral Sessions Vol. 1 expansion 32MB ROM offers you the 
most 
> realistic and comprehensive collection of section strings 
available - 
> the same sounds featured in E-MU's Virtuoso™ 2000 sound module, 
> complete with legato, spiccato, pizzicato and tremolande samples, 
and 
> includes special presets for 4 speaker applications. 
>  
> 
> 
> Now the 3 that I'm currently interested in are:
> 
> Peter Siedlaczek Advanced Orchestra 
> Orchestral Sessions Vol. 1 32MB 
> Orchestral Sessions Vol. 2 32MB 
> 
> However I don't know which one is the best, or has the best 
sounding 
> sounds. Any help ?
> 
> 
> 
> PS: How is the world expansion rom ?