Soft Synth upgrades...IK Multimedia or Others???

[AlexHall74]

Hey all,

I just bought Tracktion 2; that includes SampleTank SE (stripped down version) as a plugin.

I am eligible for an upgrade to SampleTank XL for $349 or for a cross grade to SonikSynth 2 for $349.

SAMPLETANK 2 XL: http://www.sampletank.com/Main.html?prod_ST_XL

SONIK SYNTH 2: http://www.soniksynth.com/Main.html?prod_SS

Both seem like great tools, but my question is:

Considering that both these product's sample libraries are proprietary (e.g. not able to be read by Kontakt or other 3rd party product), should I invest in them OR spend the money on more open ended solutions like Kontakt 2, etc?

NI's products are alot pricier than Sonkik Synth 2 and SampleTank 2 XL with no upgrade option.

Also, I don't know of a comparable product to SonikSynth 2 right now.

For the money, I could buy Spectrasonics Atmosphere.

Anyway, I am just musing and wondering what others might do in the same shoes.

All the best,

-Alex