HOLLYWOOD STRINGS

General Overview

EASTWEST/QUANTUM LEAP announces the debut of its latest release, HOLLYWOOD STRINGS virtual (software) instrument — a collection of string instruments with unprecedented control over 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 BERGERSEN and sound engineer SHAWN MURPHY.

Joining Rogers and Phoenix as co-producer on HOLLYWOOD STRINGS is Thomas Bergersen, a highly respected composer and orchestrator, and Phoenix’s partner in trailer music company Two Steps From Hell. His extensive experience in composing for orchestras and with virtual orchestras made him a perfect fit for the multi award-winning team of Rogers and Phoenix.

Shawn Murphy, is an ACADEMY AWARD, C.A.S. (Cinema Audio Society), BAFTA, and EMMY award-winning sound engineer who has recorded and mixed the scores for more than 300 feature films including Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: A Musical Journey, Jurassic Park, Jurassic Park The Lost World, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Titanic, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Bourne Ultimatum, Minority Report, Saving Private Ryan, Munich, The Passion Of The Christ, X-Men: The Last Stand, Memoirs of a Geisha and Ice Age.

“Murphy was an obvious choice for this project; who better to obtain that quintessential Hollywood sound other than someone with his credits,” says Rogers. “HOLLYWOOD STRINGS looks to expand on the success we achieved with EASTWEST/QUANTUM LEAP SYMPHONIC ORCHESTRA by providing a perfect large scoring stage sound and a more intimate scoring stage sound with divisi capability.”

“The sound of these virtual strings are as good as it gets,” says Phoenix. “We have one of the top sound engineers in the business, a famous and beautiful sounding recording studio, the most incredible selection of microphones available, the best analog and digital recording equipment, and top Hollywood string players - how could we go wrong?”

“I´ve used many virtual orchestras over the last decade, including some I developed with other composers, and some I developed myself. With each new development, I got one step closer to my ideal compositional tool.” says Bergersen. “HOLLYWOOD STRINGS includes features that I consider necessary if you want to create realistic orchestral strings on your DAW.”

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 three different categories: slurred, portamento, and bow change. This results in unsurpassed legato performance that has never been available. HOLLYWOOD STRINGS has five user-controllable mic positions, including main pickup (Decca tree), mid pickup, close pickup, surround pickup, and an alternate vintage circa 1945 RCA ribbon room pickup.

Recording

• Recorded in the famous EASTWEST STUDIOS 1
• Neve 8078 mixing console
• Meitner ADC converters
• 5 user-mixable microphone positions (use as sound options):
  - Main - Decca tree (Neumann M50s) and Brauner VM1 KHE (Klaus Heyne Edition) outriggers
  - Mid - Neumann KMi, Neumann KM 254, Sony C37A, Neumann U-47
  - Close - AKG C12, Neumann U47, Neumann U67, Nordic Audio Labs NU-47
  - Surround - Neumann KM 83
  - Alternate Room - Vintage RCA44 Ribbon
• Convolution reverbs include new impulses from Quantum Leap Spaces. These include soundstages and halls from Southern California.

Articulations

• Multiple finger positions for all sections including open strings
• 3 unique styles of legato interval sampling, including never-before-sampled bow change legato, 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:
• 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 x4
  - Marcato long, 3 dynamics, round-robin x4
  - Measured tremolo, 4 dynamics
  - On-the-string staccato, 4 dynamics, round-robin x8
  - Pizzicato, 4 dynamics, round-robin x4
  - Repetitions, 3 dynamics
  - Ricochet, 3 dynamics, round-robin x2
  - Spiccato, 4 dynamics, round-robin x9
  - Staccatissmo, 4 dynamics, round-robin x16
  - Staccato, 4 dynamics, round-robin x9
  - Slurred staccato for violins, 4 dynamics, round-robin x9
  - 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 were sampled with wide extended ranges including almost 4 octaves for violins.

• 5 mic positions plus divisi spot mics
  - 16 1st Violins (9/7 divisi mode)
  - 14 2nd Violins (8/6 divisi mode)
  - 10 Violas (6/4 divisi mode)
  - 10 Cellos (6/4 divisi mode)
  - 7 Basses (4/3 divisi mode)

Content: 310GB Supplied on hard drive*

* Hard Drive Use:
The hard drive on which Hollywood Strings ships is a bare (internal) S-ATA drive. If you don´t want to install it to copy the data, we suggest purchasing a hard drive dock. The hard drive is supplied for installation purposes and as product media only. It is not intended for daily use (such as for storing the samples for streaming). EastWest assumes no responsibility or risk if the drive is used for other purposes.

*Hard Drive Warranty:
The hard drive containing Hollywood Strings is covered by EastWest´s "Limited Replacement Only 30 Day Return Policy". If the hard drive develops a defect, it may be returned to Best Service within 30 days of shipment. Hollywood Strings may only be returned for a replacement of the hard drive. No refunds are available. "Return" constitutes receipt of the product by Best Servic. Beyond 30 days, the manufacturer´s warranty will apply and returns and service must be arranged with the drive manufacturer. Best Service will replace the data should a drive replacement become necessary.

System requirements

This library includes "PLAY 2" as a sample player already

Minimum requirements Mac

* Intel Core 2 Duo Processor 2.1GHz or higher

* 4GB RAM

* Mac OS X 10.5 or later

* 7200 RPM or faster (non energy saving) hard drive for sample streaming

Recommended system Mac

* Mac Pro Quad-Core Intel Xeon 2.66GHz or higher

* 8GB RAM or more

* SSD (Solid State Drive) for sample streaming

Minimum requirements PC

* Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD Dual Core 2.1GHz or higher

* 4GB RAM

* Windows XP SP2, Vista, or Windows 7

* Sound card with ASIO drivers

* 7200 RPM or faster (non energy saving) hard drive for sample streaming

Recommended system PC

* Intel Core 2 Quad or AMD Quad-Core 2.66GHz or higher

* 8GB RAM or more

* 64-bit Windows/Host Sequencer

* Sound card with ASIO drivers

* SSD (Solid State Drive) for sample streaming

All systems* iLok required (not included), internet connection required for one-time product activation (a free soundsonline.com account is required for retrieving and managing iLok licenses)

* Hard disk space for libray content

* DVD Drive

IMPORTANT: Some of the largest patches (in the "Powerful System" folders) can take up to 1GB of RAM to load per mic position, and are intended for systems that meet the recommended specs. "Light" versions of these patches are included for slower systems.