EastWest / Hollywood Orchestra OPUS Edition

[Muziksculp]

Hi,

I just wanted to mention that I'm super happy with EW-Hollywood Orch. OPUS Edition.

imho. it's one of the best library purchases for me this year. I can't complain.

Loving everything about HOOPUS. The OPUS engine is fantastic, great GUI, loading patches lightning fast, Purge feature works great, and allows me to load a huge amount of patches with minimal RAM usage. The Included Effects are very useful to sculpt the sound to taste, and the Sordino Emulation is very useful, and sounds very close to real sordino.

The OPUS engine also loads my other EW Libraries, like RA, Silk, SD2, SD3, and I just purchased Hollywood Choir, which is on sale. Their Installer works great as well.

I wonder if EW has plans to develop any additional orchestral libraries to complement HOOPUS ?

Cheers,
Muziksculp

[Guy Rowland]

This is good to hear Muziksculp.

I wonder if they'll ever allow single section updates to Opus - I have strings and brass, not too interested in the rest.

[FriFlo]

The OPUS engine also loads my other EW Libraries, like RA, Silk, SD2, SD3, and I just purchased Hollywood Choir, which is on sale. Their Installer works great as well.

Really? I have missed that information. Thank you for letting us know! So, you just install Opus and direct the software to your library content downloaded for play? How does the GUI look like? Is all the functionality available as with the Play version?

[Ashermusic]

The OPUS engine also loads my other EW Libraries, like RA, Silk, SD2, SD3, and I just purchased Hollywood Choir, which is on sale. Their Installer works great as well.

Really? I have missed that information. Thank you for letting us know! So, you just install Opus and direct the software to your library content downloaded for play? How does the GUI look like? Is all the functionality available as with the Play version?

The functionality is better.

[FriFlo]

Thanks, Jay.

[Muziksculp]

The OPUS engine also loads my other EW Libraries, like RA, Silk, SD2, SD3, and I just purchased Hollywood Choir, which is on sale. Their Installer works great as well.

Really? I have missed that information. Thank you for letting us know! So, you just install Opus and direct the software to your library content downloaded for play? How does the GUI look like? Is all the functionality available as with the Play version?

Here is Gypsy in OPUS Player.

[Muziksculp]

I would love it if EW develops new Sample Libraries, since they now have a great sample player (OPUS).

Their current catalog of libraries is pretty old.

i.e. Add new Orchestral Solo Instruments for HO-OPUS, also maybe RA2, Gypsy 2, Silk 2, all with new, and improved, more detailed content, ...etc. etc.

[Ashermusic]

I would love it if EW develops new Sample Libraries, since they now have a great sample player (OPUS).

Their current catalog of libraries is pretty old.

i.e. Add new Orchestral Solo Instruments for HO-OPUS, also maybe RA2, Gypsy 2, Silk 2, all with new, and improved, more detailed content, ...etc. etc.

Well there have been newer ones, just not orchestral, like Hollywood Pop Brass, Hollywood Backup Singers. Voices Of Soul, etc.

[Guy Rowland]

I think Doug said ages ago after Hollywood Orchestra he was done with orchestral, didn't he? Not that you could take that to the bank, but I do understand the weariness. Huge, expensive endeavours in a very crowded market. It would have to be something very different to justify it.

What's the current deal with Opus? Is it free to all? Packaged with new releases? Or any release from them at this point? Any compatibility issues with their older stuff?

[Muziksculp]

I would love it if EW develops new Sample Libraries, since they now have a great sample player (OPUS).

Their current catalog of libraries is pretty old.

i.e. Add new Orchestral Solo Instruments for HO-OPUS, also maybe RA2, Gypsy 2, Silk 2, all with new, and improved, more detailed content, ...etc. etc.

Well there have been newer ones, just not orchestral, like Hollywood Pop Brass, Hollywood Backup Singers. Voices Of Soul, etc.

I have no interest in any of these new libraries.

I want some really expressive, and high quality orchestral solo instruments to complement HO-OPUS. , and as I mentioned earlier, the next generation of their older popular libraries like RA, Silk, Gypsy, SD3, Hollywood Choirs..etc..

[FriFlo]

Uh! So, they even have skins for the other libraries. That is good to know.

[soundbylaura]

Will I be able to upgrade to the Opus engine without buying Hollywood Orchestra Opus Edition?

Currently you must purchase Hollywood Orchestra Opus Edition to get the OPUS software. People who purchase any other EastWest product post-release will also get OPUS. All ComposerCloud members will automatically get OPUS. But we are going to wait a while before allowing previous PLAY product purchasers to upgrade in order to assist our support team during this major upgrade period. When we do provide that option, it will be a paid upgrade.

[Guy Rowland]

Will I be able to upgrade to the Opus engine without buying Hollywood Orchestra Opus Edition?

Currently you must purchase Hollywood Orchestra Opus Edition to get the OPUS software. People who purchase any other EastWest product post-release will also get OPUS. All ComposerCloud members will automatically get OPUS. But we are going to wait a while before allowing previous PLAY product purchasers to upgrade in order to assist our support team during this major upgrade period. When we do provide that option, it will be a paid upgrade.

Right... thanks Laura, that's staggeringly badly worded, isn't it?

Currently you MUST purchase HO.

Or any other product.

Or be a member of Composer Cloud.

[FriFlo]

Well, it is not as bad of a cash-grab as the recent Audiomodeling updates, I must say. Here, you pay once and get some new content plus reworked existing one for a moderate price. Audiomodeling charges for each instrument you purchased separately. Also, Play is not really discontinued. v2 of the Audiomodeling software however is officially discontinued ... I recently got a slightly annoyed answer from AM on my question why they act like this.

[Guy Rowland]

Here, you pay once and get some new content plus reworked existing one for a moderate price.

It's only the Hollywood series that has new content, right?

[Ashermusic]

Here, you pay once and get some new content plus reworked existing one for a moderate price.

It's only the Hollywood series that has new content, right?

Yes.

[Lawrence]

Ss I understood from reading one of the many sales, if you own a piece of HO (I own HB and HS Gold and HW silver) there's an upgrade price to full HOOPUS, yes?

[Guy Rowland]

Ss I understood from reading one of the many sales, if you own a piece of HO (I own HB and HS Gold and HW silver) there's an upgrade price to full HOOPUS, yes?

Huh - I never saw that Larry. I too have HB and HS Gold. I just checked their website, there's an upgrade button but it seems to be only from the original HO (complete) or the Gold version of Opus upgrading to Diamond.

Oh well.

[Lawrence]

Guy, I could swear...hmm. I think it's in the fine print somewhere, or I misread, or it was specific to that sale (but I doubt that.)

[Linos]

Guy, I could swear...hmm. I think it's in the fine print somewhere, or I misread, or it was specific to that sale (but I doubt that.)

Yes, there was that option. If you owned one part of the Hollywood Orchestra you could upgrade to the full HOOPUS at the upgrade price of 295$. Worked for me. I don't know if it still works that way. I would ask Eastwest directly.

[Guy Rowland]

Hey you're both right! I actually bothered to look in the Q&A and there is is in white on black:

Q. Can I upgrade my Orchestra or any section of the Orchestra to the Opus Edition?

A. Anyone owning portions of the Hollywood Orchestra are welcome to upgrade to the full Hollywood Orchestra Opus Edition.

So yeah I guess that's $295 all-in. I can't see a Gold version of Opus though... can't see that in the FAQ either... I thought there was a Gold version or have I become confused again? It's nearly bedtime.

EDIT - hey that multitrack demo thing on their website is really great. That's how all demos should be.

[Ashermusic]

Hey you're both right! I actually bothered to look in the Q&A and there is is in white on black:

Q. Can I upgrade my Orchestra or any section of the Orchestra to the Opus Edition?

A. Anyone owning portions of the Hollywood Orchestra are welcome to upgrade to the full Hollywood Orchestra Opus Edition.

So yeah I guess that's $295 all-in. I can't see a Gold version of Opus though... can't see that in the FAQ either... I thought there was a Gold version or have I become confused again? It's nearly bedtime.

EDIT - hey that multitrack demo thing on their website is really great. That's how all demos should be.

No Opus Gold.

[Geoff Grace]

My understanding is that there was a Gold version of Hollywood Orchestra Opus to begin with, but East West decided to discontinue it pretty quickly.

Best,

Geoff

[FriFlo]

Well, I think paying half the price of the full price as owner of Hollywood Orchestra for getting about 10% additional content is a typical East West move. Especially consider that any new customer is probably gonna get the full product for half off in a year or so …

With these kinds of libraries you can almost watch your investment melt witch each month. It is sad IMO that this kind of business attitude is getting more and more common. I am getting more and more reluctant to buy anything at higher prices.

[Guy Rowland]

Geoff - ah that explains it, that's why there's a reference to upgrading from Opus Gold.

I hear you FriFlo, but in my position it's a lot more tempting. Jumping from HS and HB Gold to this for under 300 bucks is a pretty remarkable deal. (Though I'd need to get a new SSD on top).

Here's where I am with it. I like HS Gold in particular and I've made me peace with its idiosyncrasies, set up the template so the key patches work as I want them. From what I've heard, the new violins sound lovely. HB is a good library, I use it much less though as it overlaps so much else I have. No-one here is really interested in the orchestrator it seems, that looks terrific to me. I've always liked (and used) Symphobia's multis, especially the very playable ones and this seems considerably more advanced and highly useable. I don't know how easy it is to tweak, but the demo is really impressive and I like you can route all the elements out easily enough it seems.

So my primary interest is actually the thing no-one here so far has been interested in! And the new violins in particular. If that can earn its keep with a fast workflow it might lure me, so if anyone does want to admit to using it I'd be all ears - most interested to hear if it really does play as well as the demo suggests.