East West Hollywood Fantasy Orchestra - Brass and Winds now released

[Guy Rowland]

A whole new orchestral range from East West starts with Fantasy Strings, designed to complement and not replace Hollywood Strings. The headline is - a different range of instruments aimed squarely at the fantasy genre. Here’s the line up:

3x Handanger Fiddles
3x Lutes
3x Viola De Gambas
Low strings - 8x celli, 4x basses recorded in octaves
High strings - 8x violins, 4x viola recorded in octaves
3x Mountain Dulcimers
2x Hurdy Gurdys

Listening to the walkthrough it doesn’t sound perfect in all areas to me, but the overall effect is pretty impressive, and does nail the overall sound. The whole thing hosts in the rather lovely Opus player.

On the website there’s multitrack demos, videos and more information. Price is $399 initially, or part of Composer Cloud.

The rest of the orchestra is due over the coming 6 months or so, click on BUY NOW to see the projected dates.

https://www.soundsonline.com/orchestral ... -orchestra

EDIT - Hollywood Brass released on May 18.

[Ashermusic]

I beta tested it. I think EW has lost the plot, but maybe our musical interests have diverged.

[Lawrence]

It's clear to me they're now aiming squarely at the subscription model, as the cost of subscribing to the whole series will be far more than subscribing for a good number of years.

[Guy Rowland]

I beta tested it. I think EW has lost the plot, but maybe our musical interests have diverged.

Badly executed, designed or both?

[Ashermusic]

I beta tested it. I think EW has lost the plot, but maybe our musical interests have diverged.

Badly executed, designed or both?

Neither of the above. Just not sure who needs "three lutes."

[Guy Rowland]

I beta tested it. I think EW has lost the plot, but maybe our musical interests have diverged.

Badly executed, designed or both?

Neither of the above. Just not sure who needs "three lutes."

3 lute players?

B'dum.

Think it's rather effective at the 10 minute mark in the video for That Sort Of Thing, esp the tremolo.

[Luciano Storti]

While I have little interest in this, admittedly, I do quite like the sound. I think they did well with the sound palette. I'm only confused as to why "Fantasy" became synonymous with "Middle Ages."

[Guy Rowland]

While I have little interest in this, admittedly, I do quite like the sound. I think they did well with the sound palette. I'm only confused as to why "Fantasy" became synonymous with "Middle Ages."

I guess we have to blame that Tolkien chap for some of it, but it’s a fair point. Quite why middle-aged technology is synonymous with magical power… I believe he was influenced by seeing the natural world decimated by the industrial revolution. There’s a long-held trope of human technological progress destroying natural powers I guess. Now, like everything, it’s become cliche.

[Ashermusic]

I just don’t envision getting hired for a project for which I would need it, especially considering I have several of Tari’s wonderful libraries that sadly I have little occasion to use,

[Guy Rowland]

I just don’t envision getting hired for a project for which I would need it, especially considering I have several of Tari’s wonderful libraries that sadly I have little occasion to use,

Yeah, that’s the thing eh? While I think this does have a distinctive tone - and scale for these epic fantasy things is part of the deal - Tari’s stuff plus maybe Lumina for size would do most of us.

I suppose you could argue also that elements of the library might find a use outside cliche. The plaintive tone of the Hardangers for example would suit other genres. And those lute trems would find other homes too.

At some point the entire Fantasy Orchestra will be $299 and the lure of the ring will become inexorably stronger.

[Scoredog]

Who doesn't want to relive The Plague through virtual instruments?

[Tanuj Tiku]

I think this will be very useful for lots of film and TV composers around the world because there are a lot of 'Fantasy' films, tv shows and games being made. Composers are always looking for new samples as using the same samples gets boring. It also allows for good writing tools to get the mock-ups done and then to replace it with real instruments or not!

Sounds very decent and I may actually get it for a new project. Probably the subscription !

[Luciano Storti]

Right, Tolkien. Point taken. It's just that, well, that story has been around for a while now and despite having established a standard that productions might want to emulate, I still think we should collectively have more "Fantasy" when it comes to the, err, Fantasy Genre.

But I digress and ultimately it's not important.

The library really sounds quite good to me and the instrument selection covers a few instruments I actually don't have represented in my repertoire. I'm not jumping on it now, but if the need arises, I'd definitely consider it - certainly through the subscription.

By the way, are the Tarilonte libraries still on that Engine player? Last time I tried that things it was not stable at all and I never purchased anything using it again. But I do like his stuff.

[Ashermusic]

They are, but I haven’t found Engine to be any less stable than Kontakt or UVI Workstation

[Guy Rowland]

The only real problems I’ve had with Engine are authorisation issues - every once in a while it seems to forget i have licenses and I then need to reauthorise. Because of the limit of number of activations, more than once I’ve had to request more but they’re always good about it at least.

Back, briefly, to fantasy - Willow or stuff like The Dark Crystal was a different kind of fantasy I guess without being quite so heavy on those medieval tropes. Dungeons and Dragons - the game - is perhaps another important touchstone, and of course the Harry Potter universe. They do all tend to evoke old stone buildings of the medieval period, though the likes of Lord Of The Rings and Game Of Thrones lean more towards the “realistic” end of the spectrum I guess - brutal sword fights versus Elder Wands. Musically they’re all in a similar ballpark it seems to me though, and there’s no denying as a genre it’s still pretty massive.

[GR Baumann]

What an interesting thread! I wasn't aware that LOTR is somewhat a trendsetter for this genre, of which I did not consume any of the other films mentioned here. *shrugs*

[Malachistos]

... I think is is nice?
Very specific, but it scratches that Witcher/RPG itch.
Probably not that usefull for film. But seems great for games.

I'll get it if I need it. Honestly just nice to see that they can still make new libraries.

Kontakt would be more usefull. I finally have a good, stable template running. Not really looking for more complications.

Edit: Price! Not shure why it needed to be early access. But for all of this, actually okay.

[Nick Phoenix]

Jay, This is very disappointing. You worked for East West until recently and what now you are some revenge kick? I’m sorry that you personally don’t get any work in the fantasy/video game/film realm. But it is a very valid genre that many of us love. This library is a complete orchestra with a unique tilt to it. The sections of an orchestra are replaced with sections of similar but unique instruments. It’s a cool concept in a very boring landscape.

[Ashermusic]

Nick, of course it’s not revenge. I am always rooting for EW and continue to praise and recommend many of the libraries, especially the Hollywood series, to my Logic Pro clients.

People here can verify that I still say that the Hollywood Orchestra is the best sounding and most complete, and how much I like Opus.

As for this specific library, the marketplace will decide and I no longer do reviews, so my opinion will have no impact on that, if it ever did.

[Lawrence]

Jay, This is very disappointing. You worked for East West until recently and what now you are some revenge kick? I’m sorry that you personally don’t get any work in the fantasy/video game/film realm. But it is a very valid genre that many of us love. This library is a complete orchestra with a unique tilt to it. The sections of an orchestra are replaced with sections of similar but unique instruments. It’s a cool concept in a very boring landscape.

You joined so you could spank Jay, (who’s been a big advocate for EW despite his separation) because he didn’t care for your recent offering?

Classy.

[Nick Phoenix]

Pretty much true. The comments are just silly and just show a disconnect with reality. Is it classy to post like 6 times about how you think we have lost it and our engine doesn’t work on his 2002 Mac? All you have to do is watch the walk through video to know.

[Ashermusic]

Pretty much true. The comments are just silly and just show a disconnect with reality. Is it classy to post like 6 times about how you think we have lost it and our engine doesn’t work on his 2002 Mac? All you have to do is watch the walk through video to know.

You know, Nick, are you talking about me?. I did NOT:
1. Post six time about EW losing it.
2. Say that it was poorly executed.
3. I have a 2022 MacStudio Max and Opus runs great on it.. I have praised Opus from the gitgo.

You have been a developer for what, forty years? How is that you STILL have not learned to just accept and simply disagree with a critical comment from A FRIEND OF EW!

[Lawrence]

Pretty much true. The comments are just silly and just show a disconnect with reality. Is it classy to post like 6 times about how you think we have lost it and our engine doesn’t work on his 2002 Mac? All you have to do is watch the walk through video to know.

You know, Nick, are you talking about me?. I did NOT:
1. Post six time about EW losing it.
2. Say that it was poorly executed.
3. I have a 2022 MacStudio Max and Opus runs great on it.. I have praised Opus from the gitgo.

You have been a developer for what, forty years? How is that you STILL have not learned to just accept and simply disagree with a critical comment from A FRIEND OF EW!

Easy. Nick, genius sample developer though he is (and I’ve said that for at least 20 years) is childish and petulant.

[Nick Phoenix]

I think it comes down to this. Are we here to learn something? Or are we here to support our club, or friends or whatever? I learned a lot from forums in the past. I have every right and actually a responsibility because I actually have everyone’s interest at heart, to say something in this case. I am not a genius sample developer: but thanks for the complement. I am a composer who is lucky enough to be able to make instruments that I and others can use. I think many composers could make good or great virtual instruments if they were in that position. It’s not rocket science if you understand music. Jay’s comments are way off base. If you guys can’t handle the truth, what are you doing here? Jay is a Logic Audio expert. Forums are sometimes a place where people pretend to be something that they are not.

[Ashermusic]

I have zero problem with Nick disagreeing with me. I don’t claim to be an expert on anything other than Logic Pro, but like every sample library user, I am entitled to be interested in or not in what I am interested in and am not and say so.

What he is not entitled to do is accuse me of having a grudge I do not have or attributing statements to me that I didn’t make.

Doug Rogers understands that and trusts my intentions towards EW, even when he disagrees with me. Which is why our relationship is still solid.

If Nick doesn’t like that, aw gee, I guess that I will have to find a way to live with it.