EastWest Hollywood Strings Gold Edition

Hollywood Strings Gold Edition from EastWest/Quantum Leap is a virtual instrument featuring a huge collection of beautifully recorded string instruments, while simultaneously providing unprecedented control over the sound and performance. Recording for Hollywood Strings took place at the famous EastWest Studio 1, the same studio where many Hollywood soundtracks and television themes were recorded with a live orchestra.

 

Heading this project were co-producers Doug Rogers, Nick Phoenix and Thomas Bergerse, and sound engineer Shawn Murphy, who has recorded and mixed the scores for more than 300 feature films. The exceptional sounds of the virtual strings are the result of having a top sound engineer, a beautiful sounding recording studio, an incredible selection of microphones, the best analog and digital recording equipment, and top Hollywood string players.

 

The library provides a perfect large scoring stage sound along with a more intimate scoring stage sound. Hollywood Strings has many groundbreaking features not found in any other collection. Finger position is, for the first time, controllable by the user, so you can play as far up the strings as you want, and get a fuller more romantic Hollywood sound. Vibrato intensity and extensive dynamics are controllable by the user.

 

Extensive multi-dynamic true legato has been sampled for all sections in 2 different categories - slurred and portamento, resulting in unsurpassed legato performance. The library features a single microphone position (mid-tree).

 

Note! This item requires an iLok if one is not present on the system.

 

Recording

Recorded in the famous EastWest Studios 1

Neve 8078 mixing console

Meitner ADC converters

Single microphone position

Articulations

Multiple finger positions for all sections including open strings

3 unique styles of legato interval sampling, including slurred legato and portamento sliding legato, sampled at 3, 3 and 2 dynamics respectively, all with speed control - that's 8 passes of legato intervals, all sampled in long format so each note has time to breath

Basses only have slurred legato

Up- and down-bowed sustains, all at 4 finger positions, at least one full octave on each string:

5 dynamics at non-vibrato

5 dynamics at vibrato

3 dynamics at molto vibrato

Extensive runs

Playable runs

Spiccato runs for violins

Other articulations:

Bartók pizzicato

Col legno

Detaché up and down bows with finger positions and 4 dynamics

Flautando for violins

Harmonics for violins

Marcato short, 3 dynamics, round-robin x 4

Marcato long, 3 dynamics, round-robin x 4

Measured tremolo, 4 dynamics

On-the-string staccato, 4 dynamics, round-robin x 8

Pizzicato, 4 dynamics, round-robin x 4

Repetitions, 3 dynamics

Ricochet, 3 dynamics, round-robin x 2

Spiccato, 4 dynamics, round-robin x 9

Staccatissmo, 4 dynamics, round-robin x 16

Staccato, 4 dynamics, round-robin x 9

Slurred staccato for violins, 4 dynamics, round-robin x 9

Sul ponticello tremolo for violas

Tremolo, 4 dynamics

Trills (major and minor), 3 dynamics

Sordino effect available for all patches

Release trails for everything

Custom Python scripting

Instrumentation

All sections except the Basses were sampled with wide extended ranges including almost 4 octaves for violins.

16 x 1st Violins (9/7 divisi mode)

14 x 2nd Violins (8/6 divisi mode)

10 x Violas (6/4 divisi mode)

10 x Cellos (6/4 divisi mode)

7 x Basses (4/3 divisi mode)