Ready to make a purchase ...

[Cruciform]

I think I would somehow save the extra money and buy the EW Composers (actually compared to Komplete Ultimate - the difference being it ships on a hard drive - is similar in price). Heard good reports on EW stuff. Supposedly better quality samples, somewhat fewer but better quality. And Omnisphere. In reality I went both, the Yamaha MOX 6 and the Spectrasonics trio (Omnisphere, Trilian, Stylus RMX Expanded).

Hi chuck, the EW composer's collection is a different kettle of fish to Komplete. If one was forced to choose, the EW CCC is focused on sampled instruments only, geared more towards orchestral/filmscore. Komplete has a vast array of sounds and effects, 4 great synths and the industry standard sampler (Kontakt). It can address a very wide range of genres with its weak spot being orchestral/choral samples. So if one wanted the more symphonic/score side, CCC would be a decent entry point. For anything else, Komplete would be a better entry point.

As I've started to fill out my toolkit with better quality current samples (all of which require Kontakt), I'm using CCC less and less.

I think the focal point is deciding what we need most when we first start out. And as we go along we end up collecting everything anyway.

[matto]

I would agree that Komplete is much more well rounded than EW CCC. For one thing, there is really nothing in the CCC that covers modern pop music production with any degree of credibility. Nothing against EW, I have a number of their libraries, but they are better bought 'a la carte', i.e. buy exactly the product(s) you wish...especially now that they are 50% off.

Additionally, many of the instruments offered in the CCC are getting a bit long in the tooth and have been superseded by better offerings by EW themselves (e.g.'Hollywood' series orchestral VIs) or the competition.

Also the vast majority of composers find EW's Play engine to be significantly inferior to NI Kontakt (to put it nicely), so making Play the centerpiece of your VI collection is not something I could personally recommend.