Ah! You're using the same VST I was using! :P
You can adjust the attack with the "expressiveness" slider. That's one of the most important adjustments in there. The default is Fortissimo, so if you're not adjusting that slider, you're getting a really loud, harsh sound on everything, like the orchestra is at full blast. Then they also have the circular wheel which I think just adds the reverb of the room back into the mix, which is what I used instead of manually creating my own reverb.
I used a midi controller rather than scoring anything for mine - this really helps to humanize the whole mix. To get smooth transitions, I had a slower attack on the violins, and then I played in such a way that they overlapped each other.