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

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 ?

--- 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, 
 
> 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 ?



http://www.emu.com/online_shop/byproduct/xl7_shop.html

Click on the "more info" prompt to get to the download section for a 
demo of this ROM # 9061.

For ROM #'s 9085 and 9086, click on the "more info" prompt as well 
but then click on the word "here" at the top of the page to get to 
the demo page.




> PS: How is the world expansion rom ?

http://www.emu.com/products/planetearth/mp3.html

The ROM is the same as in the module.  Above is the link to the demo 
page.

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 ?