Overview

Now available in PLAY format with a new intelligent performance section including portamento, repetition, legato and improved micro-tuning. "Quite simply, RA is the best collection of world or ethnic sampled instruments I've ever used." - SOUND ON SOUND

Quantum Leap - RA - PLAY Edition, THE DEFINITIVE RARE AND ETHNIC VIRTUAL INSTRUMENT now available with the advanced featuers of PLAY

In addition to PLAY's intuitive custom interface, Quantum Leap RA - PLAY Edition includes many other features, such as:

• 64-bit* with 32-bit compatibility for PC (*see system specifications)
• Full memory access with MAC (requires 64-bit MAC)
• Mac Intel compatibility
• Intelligent performance section including portamento, repetition, legato
• Features round robin reset
• Offers improved articulation window and controls
• State-of-the-art convolution reverb with pre-delay
• Improved micro-tuning
• Improved sound quality with high-resolution audio engine
• Hi-fidelity one pole filter for natural cross-fades
• Stereo image editing is now possible using channel sourcing
• The instruments featured in the PLAY Editions are newly-programmed for PLAY from the original recordings

Quantum Leap RA - PLAY Edition provides composers with access to a variety of rare and unique instruments from Africa, Europe, India, the Americas and Australia, the Far East, and the Middle East and Turkish Empires. Musicians will find that RA has an amazing sound quality and they'll marvel at the articulation of each instrument which has a wide range that goes from controlled to expressive. All of the instruments and ensembles featured in the collection were sampled extensively as a means of preserving the true character and expression of each instrument. For the first time with the Quantum Leap RA - PLAY Edition, users will have more control over the sounds offered in the collection along with the ability to load even more instruments than ever before

"With ethnic instruments, the key to authenticity of sound is expression," says Quantum Leap Producer Nick Phoenix. "Now with the incorporation of our advanced PLAY sample engine, with its built-in sensing technology that monitors a player's style and adjusts the software and sounds accordingly, users will experience a level of detail that was lacking in other products in the market, making their projects come to life with range and emotion."

Details

In ancient Egypt, RA was regarded as the creator of everything, the god of the sun. RA is usually represented with the body of a man and the head of a hawk, holding an ankh & sceptre. The chief location of RA worship was Heliopolis (a Greek word meaning city of the sun). RA is an appropriate name for the largest, and most comprehensive rare and ethnic virtual instrument ever made.

RA was born a few years ago, as a sample library called “Rare Instruments.” All of the sounds from Rare Instruments are included in RA, but this only represents approximately one-tenth of the content. The other ninety percent of RA was recorded at a top studio in Hollywood. Because of the size and complexity of the project, I brought in two talented producers, Pacemaker and Tony Austin to co-produce RA with me. They have worked on some other Quantum Leap projects and had some great ideas for RA. We spent time hunting down the best ethnic artists on the West Coast. Los Angeles is so ethnically diverse and blessed with excellent institutions like Cal Arts, it is actually the ideal place to record a rare and ethnic collection.

You will find RA has amazing sound quality. RA was captured with a phase accurate 8-mic setup that gives a complete 3 dimensional image of the instrument. It is this type of sound that takes to artificial or sampled reverb extremely well. The sound is clear and broad. Mics used were Neumann U67 (U47s as alternates), Neuman M50, AKG C12 and Shoepps.

Another cool aspect of this virtual instrument is the fact that we recorded ethnic ensembles. This was done with African drums, bagpipes, gamelan and a Middle Eastern string section. The sound of these ensembles cannot be realistically simulated by layering solo instruments.

RA was a very expensive project, but well worth the cost. A lot of thought went into selecting instruments that would appeal to composers of all types, from dance music, to film. You might want to put the middle eastern string section in your next pop tune, or the hardanger fiddle in a sweeping romantic score ala LOTR.

You might also be surprised at how little percussion is included in this giant ethnic collection. The reason is, we already covered much of this in Quantum Leap Stormdrum. Stormdrum is the ideal companion to RA. The percussion in RA compliments Stormdrum perfectly.

You can have a lot of fun with RA. The possibilities are simply endless, especially when you mix the sounds of different cultures together. Load up the middle eastern string section, apply an Indian or Egyptian tuning from the micro-tuning presets and play octaves. Make a really cool groove with the didgeridoo fx and the Vietnamese jaw harp. Take a classical filmscore piece and replace all of the instruments with their ethnic counterparts: strings with middle eastern string section, solo violin or cello with electric baritone violin, hardanger fiddle or erhu, french horn with alpenhorn, flute with dizi, oboe with duduk, percussion with taikos and African percussion, harp with kora, trombones with rag dung etc. etc.... Or perhaps try the hurdy gurdy, hardanger fiddle, washburn guitar, mandolin and the dizi and make an interesting folk ensemble or the gamelan ensemble with the ney flute, duduk and esraj. And don’t forget the reverb!

Instruments and Articulations

Interface

RA is powered by EASTWEST'S PLAY 64-bit (and 32-bit) Advanced Sample Engine

This VIRTUAL INSTRUMENT combines intuitive handling with excellent sound quality, and functions as a plug-in instrument, without the need for a sampler.

PLAY is a 64-bit (with 32-bit compatibility) Advanced Sample Engine. PLAY is Included with all new EASTWEST/QUANTUM LEAP Virtual (software) Instruments.

FEATURES

SUMMARY

PLAY isn't just a sampler, the PLAY SYSTEM is a professional fully integrated sample playback software solution for those with the most demanding production requirements

• Offers native support for more platforms than any other software engine
• Network support* for large, expandable systems
• The latest in technology (64-bit, supports next generation operating systems)
• The highest sound quality (ground-up effects, highest quality interpolation)
• The best virtual instruments from the multiple award-winning EASTWEST/QUANTUM LEAP producers
• The most intuitive controls, custom designed for each library
• Complete portability

*This feature will be available after release as a free download for all registered users.

System Requirements

• 14 GB Free Hard Disc Space
• DVD Drive
• iLok Security Key, not included (a free soundsonline.com account is required for retrieving and managing iLok licenses)
• If you do not own an iLok Security Key you can purchase one at your local authorized EASTWEST retailers, or here.

More details about the new iLok copy protection for our PLAY SYSTEM powered products is available here

Desktop Wallpaper

There are a number of sizes in each .zip file for both standard and widescreen monitors including (800x600, 1024x768, 1280x960, 1600x1200, 1280x800, 1440x900, 1680x1050, 1920x1200).

Mac files (JPEG)

Windows files (BMP)