Hollywood Strings User Interface
From ACADEMY AWARD, C.A.S. (Cinema Audio Society), BAFTA, and EMMY award-winning sound engineer SHAWN MURPHY, 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; and multiple award-winning EASTWEST/QUANTUM LEAP virtual (software) instrument producers DOUG ROGERS and NICK PHOENIX; and composer and orchestrator THOMAS BERGERSEN, HOLLYWOOD STRINGS offers unprecedented control over sound and performance, and is a must have compositional tool for serious composers.
OVERVIEW

EASTWEST/QUANTUM LEAP announces the debut of its latest release, HOLLYWOOD STRINGS virtual (software) instrument — a collection of 44.1khz 24-bit string instruments with unprecedented control over sound and performance, all supplied on a hard drive (*see conditions below) for ease of installation.

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.

“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.

The Hollywood Strings production team (L-R): Doug Rogers, Shawn Murphy, Nick Phoenix, Thomas Bergersen
The Hollywood Strings production team (L-R): Doug Rogers, Shawn Murphy, Nick Phoenix, Thomas Bergersen
Prices and specifications subject to change without notice
SPECIFICATIONS AND SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
MAC MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
  • 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
  • 310GB free hard drive space / iLok Security Key (not supplied)
PC MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
  • 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
  • 310GB free hard drive space / iLok Security Key (not supplied)
MAC RECOMMENDED SYSTEM
  • Mac Pro Quad-Core Intel Xeon 2.66GHz or higher
  • 8GB RAM or more
  • 7200 RPM or faster (non energy saving) hard drive for sample streaming
PC RECOMMENDED SYSTEM
  • Intel Core 2 Quad or AMD Quad-Core 2.66GHz or higher
  • 8GB RAM or more
  • 64-bit Windows/Host Sequencer
  • 7200 RPM or faster (non energy saving) hard drive for sample streaming
MAC OPTIMAL SYSTEM
  • Mac Pro Eight-Core Intel Xeon 2.26GHz or higher
  • 16GB RAM or more
  • SSD (Solid State Drive) for optimal sample streaming
    *SSD adapters are available for Mac Pro at MAX Upgrades and other online resellers
PC OPTIMAL SYSTEM
  • Intel Core i7 2.66GHz or higher
  • 16GB RAM or more
  • 64-bit Windows/Host Sequencer
  • SSD (Solid State Drive) for sample streaming

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.

EASTWEST PLAY Host/Sequencer Compatibility Matrix
Supported Host Mac
OS X
(Intel)
Windows
XP
(32-bit)
Windows
XP
(64-bit)
Windows
7 / Vista
(32-bit)
Windows
7 / Vista
(64-bit)
Required Version
Standalone YES YES YES YES YES
Ableton Live1 YES YES YES 6.07 or higher
Cubase/Nuendo YES YES YES2 YES YES2 4 or higher
FL Studio1 n/a YES YES YES YES 7 or higher
GarageBand YES n/a n/a n/a n/a '08 or higher
Logic YES3 n/a n/a n/a n/a 7.2 or higher
Performer YES3 n/a n/a n/a n/a 6.02 or later
Pro Tools5 YES YES n/a YES n/a 7.4 or higher
Sibelius YES4 YES YES 6.0 or higher
Sonar n/a YES YES YES YES 6.2 or higher
1 Ableton Live and FL Studio do not support volume automation via polyphonic aftertouch, which is required by WordBuilder for Symphonic Choirs.
2 Cubase/Nuendo 4.1 or later are required as 64-bit hosts.
3 DAE (RTAS in Digital Performer and Logic) is not supported at this time.
4 Sibelius 6.0.3 or higher is required to run in Snow Leopard. Sibelius' Snow Leopard compatibility page
5 Ethernet control surfaces are not officially supported (ex: C24)
All other hosts and versions are untested at this time, but may be compatible.

* The hard drive on which Hollywood Strings ships is a bare (internal) drive. If you don't want to install it to copy the data, we suggest purchasing a hard drive dock from retailers such as Amazon, Newegg, etc. 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/Soundsonline assumes no responsibility or risk if the drive is used for other purposes.

The hard drive is covered by our "Limited Replacement Only 30 Day Return Policy". If the hard drive develops a defect, it may be returned to Soundsonline 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 Soundsonline, and not the mere issuance of an RMA. Beyond 30 days, the manufacturer's warranty will apply and returns and service must be arranged with the drive manufacturer. EastWest/Soundsonline will replace the data should a drive replacement become necessary.

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.
Instrumentation
All sections except the Basses 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)
Instrumentation
  • 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:
    • 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 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
VIDEOS
Legato Tutorial #1
Short Articulations and Mic Positions
User Tutorial
Introduction
An extended video introduction to the sounds and features of this
incredible new virtual instrument.

After downloading zipped videos, unzip the file.
All videos are in Quicktime MPEG 4 format.
Play with the QuickTime Player.

UPDATES

EastWest/Quantum Leap always recommends downloading and installing the latest PLAY software and all instrument updates. Please consider your timing, however, if you are in the middle of a project.

Hollywood Strings Instrument Update 1.0.1
Changes and enhancements in Hollywood Strings Instrument Update 1.0.1
  • some patches' default mic position was loading all mics, fixed
  • measured tremolo patches' base tempo in time stretch options corrected
  • pre-recorded runs now use time-stretch and sync to host tempo by default
  • 1st and 2nd violins Stac Runs and Spic Runs patches now have legato intervals out to an octave in either direction
  • various small mapping and sample errors corrected
New "light" instruments in Hollywood Strings Instrument Update 1.0.1

1st Violins, 2nd Violins, Celli, Violas, in the Legato / Legato Divisi folder:

  • Leg Slur LT 3 Ni
  • Marc Leg BC + Slur + Port LT 6
  • Marc Leg BC + Slur LT 6
  • Marc LegBC LT 6
  • Marc Leg Port LT 6
  • Marc Leg Slur + Port LT 6
  • Marc Leg Slur LT 6
  • StacSl Leg BC + Slur + Port LT 6
  • StacSl Leg BC + Slur LT 6
  • StacSl Leg BC LT 6
  • StacSl Leg Port LT 6
  • StacSl Leg Slur + Port LT 6
  • StacSl Leg Slur LT 6

Basses / Basses Divisi

  • Basses Leg Slur LT 3 Ni
  • Basses Leg Marc Leg Slur LT 7
  • Basses Leg Marc Leg Slur Slower LT 7
New instruments in Hollywood Strings Instrument Update 1.0.1

1st Violins, 2nd Violins, Celli, Violas, in the Legato / Legato Divisi folders:

  • Marc Leg BC + Slur + Port
  • Marc Leg BC + Slur
  • Marc Leg BC
  • Marc Leg Port
  • Marc Leg Slur + Port
  • Marc Leg Slur
  • StacSl Leg BC + Slur + Port
  • StacSl Leg BC + Slur
  • StacSl Leg BC
  • StacSl Leg Port
  • StacSl Leg Slur + Port
  • StacSl Leg Slur

Basses / Basses Divisi

  • Basses Leg Marc Leg Slur
  • Basses Leg Marc Leg Slur Slower

Full Strings / Full Strings Divisi

  • Full STR + 1st Vin Leg
  • Full STR + 2nd Vin Leg
  • Full STR + Vc Leg
PLAY Software Update v2.0.9
Changes and enhancements in PLAY Software Update version 2.0.9
  • fixed Cubase GUI crash
  • fixed drop note when playing at voice limit
  • full snow leopard and windows 7 compatibility
  • re-designed browser window for enhanced control and overview of loaded instruments
  • several new convolution reverb IR's and presets
  • optimized streaming engine on all platforms
  • optimized memory footprint and CPU utilization in all platforms
  • fixes to offline bouncing and freezing in several host platforms
  • several other fixes and enhancements in all host platforms
  • additional fixes to prevent stuck notes on some hosts
  • new micro tunings for QL Silk and QL Ra
  • extended streaming setting dialog with reset engine functionality
  • fixed sustain pedal threshold
  • improved fonts for Stormdrum 2 and Orchestra
  • hard limit to 0dB on the audio output for standalone
  • implemented poly aftertouch automation
  • product libraries entries in the browser now can be changed/added/deleted
  • fixed portamento and first silent note issue

AUDIO DEMOS

Allegro Agitato (Bergersen)
Soaring Over Hollywood (Bergersen)
Love Suspended (Bergersen)
Threnody Divisi (Bergersen)
Missing Letters (Phoenix)
Desiderata (O'Malley)
Haunting (Frulio)
Hollywood Spiccati (Frulio)

TECHNIQUES

Runs
Hollywood Strings offers a unique set of patches called "Playable runs" which allows you to play fast scales and have it sound very realistic. The Vivaldi demo uses two alternating playable runs patches: slurred runs and spiccato runs.
Runs (Vivaldi)
Measured Tremolo
Hear how Hollywood Strings' groundbreaking measured tremolo patches respond to changes in tempo. You can also listen to different mic positions.
Close and main mics, plus reverb
Divisi mics
Main mics
Close mics
The instrument-specific technique examples below are 24-bit, 44.1kHz wave files.
Mixed mic positions are used unless otherwise noted.
Violins
Legato Slur Molto Vibrato Fast
Legato Big Interval Steps
Legato Slur Arpeggio Dynamic
Legato Bow Change, Slur, and Portamento (close mics)
Legato Bow Change, Slur, and Portamento (main mics)
Legato Bow Change, Slur, and Portamento (mid mics, con sordino)
Legato Bow Change, Slur, and Portamento (mid mics)
Legato Bow Change, Slur, and Portamento
Legato Slur and Portamento
Legato Slur and Portamento 2
Celli
Legato Bow Change Ostinato
Legato Bow Change, Slur, and Portamento (mid mics)
Legato Bow Change, Slur, and Portamento (close mics)
Legato Bow Change, Slur, and Portamento (main mics)
Legato Bow Change, Slur, and Portamento (mid mics, con sordino)
Legato Bow Change, Slur, and Portamento (close, main, surround)
Legato Bow Change, Slur, and Portamento (close, mid, surround)
Legato Bow Change, Slur, and Portamento (surround mics)
Legato Slur Fast
Legato Slur Fast 2
Legato Slow
Violas
Legato Slur Fast
Legato Bow Change, Slur, and Portamento (close mics)
Legato Bow Change, Slur, and Portamento (main mics)
Legato Bow Change, Slur, and Portamento (mid mics, con sordino)
Legato Bow Change, Slur, and Portamento (mid mics)
Legato Bow Change, Slur, and Portamento
Legato Bow Change Slow
Hollywood Strings is now available
at a special introductory price (save $200)!
List price: $
Introductory price: $
Hard drive format:
NOTE: Each drive must be built to order, so your account will be charged immediately. Please allow additional time for shipping.

EASTWEST END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT: Please read the terms of the following audio samples License Agreement before using these audio samples. By opening the packaging and installing these audio samples, you agree to become bound by the terms of the License Agreement. If you do not agree with the terms of the License Agreement, do not open the packaging or use these audio samples. East West Sounds, Inc. ("Licensor") guarantees that all of the samples with these discs have been created and recorded specially for this project, and any similarity to any other recording is unintentional. 1. The audio samples recorded with these discs remain the property of Licensor and are licensed, not sold, to you for use with your sampling software or equipment. 2. A right to use the enclosed sounds is granted to the original end-user of the product (Licensee) and is NOT transferable. 3. The Licensee may modify the sounds. LICENSEE MAY ONLY USE THE SOUNDS FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES WITHIN MUSICAL COMPOSITIONS. 4. This license expressly forbids resale, re-licensing or other distribution of these sounds, either as they exist on the hard drive, or any modification thereof. You cannot sell, loan, rent, lease, assign, upload to or download from any server, or transfer all or any of the enclosed sounds to another user, or for use in any competitive product. 5. Licensor will not be responsible if the contents of the hard drive does not fit the particular purpose of the Licensee. If in doubt over usage, please contact East West Sounds, Inc. by fax: (USA) 323-957-6966 or email: licensing@eastwestsounds.com. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ©2010 EAST WEST SOUNDS, INC. • Windows XP/Vista/7 are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Pentium is a registered trademark of Intel. VST Instruments is a registered trademark of Steinberg Media technologies AG. OS X, Audio Units and Core Audio are registered trademarks of Apple, Inc. All other product and company names are trademarks of their respective holders. All specifications are subject to change without notice.