# East West Hollywood Orchestra Deal



## Lode_Runner (Oct 23, 2015)

Hi all,

East West have just sent an email saying that for four days only I can get the Hollywood Orchestra Diamond (Brass, Strings, Woodwinds, Percussion and free Harp, on a 1TB 7200 rpm USB3 hard drive) for only US$599.

While it's an incredible deal, I'm already feeling a bit stretched financially in picking up Albion ONE, and I'm feeling a bit too much pressure to decide in four days whether Hollywood Orchestra will be right for me.

I know East West do massive sales quite frequently, but I'm wondering if this is a much bigger discount than their usual sales, a now or never kind of deal. Have you ever seen Hollywood Orchestra on sale at this price before?



Edit: changed Platinum to Diamond - thanks for pointing that out Jay


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## wcreed51 (Oct 23, 2015)

I'd say that 80% off is a pretty good deal


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## Lode_Runner (Oct 23, 2015)

Also, I'm just wondering what people's thoughts are in relation to it's sound - is it versatile enough to sound good doing romantic program music through to film scores, and does it blend easily with Spitfire, Orchestral Tools, or the new Soundiron/NI brass?


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## Lode_Runner (Oct 23, 2015)

wcreed51 said:


> I'd say that 80% off is a pretty good deal



Personally, I'd say it's an incredible deal, but as I mentioned I'm also picking up Albion One this week, and with only four days to research Hollywood Orchestra, I don't feel I've got time to make an informed decision. It is still $800 Australian, which is a lot if it turns out to not be right for me. Which is why I was asking whether this deal comes around often, or if it's a once in a lifetime deal. I'd rather be able to pick it up next year if I decide to go with the Hollywood Orchestra.


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## atw (Oct 23, 2015)

I think there was such a deal already.

http://vi-control.net/community/threads/ew-hollywood-orchestra-diamond-on-unbelievable-sale.44767/


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## Lode_Runner (Oct 23, 2015)

Excellent and it was only about 6 months ago, so that's a positive sign I'll see it again. Thanks so much atw, that takes the pressure right off.


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## EastWest Lurker (Oct 23, 2015)

Just for clarity, you mean Diamond. There is no Hollywood Orchestra Platinum.


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## wcreed51 (Oct 23, 2015)

Maybe they should change Pianos to Diamond (from Platinum) just to be consistent...


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## EastWest Lurker (Oct 23, 2015)

wcreed51 said:


> Maybe they should change Pianos to Diamond (from Platinum) just to be consistent...



No most of the earlier libraries, like EWQLSO, called it Platinum.


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## jacobthestupendous (Oct 23, 2015)

Lode_Runner said:


> Excellent and it was only about 6 months ago, so that's a positive sign I'll see it again. Thanks so much atw, that takes the pressure right off.


I agonized over the deal a few months back as you are doing now. Fortunately, Jay assured me that my machine would not be able to run HWSO Diamond, which took a lot of the temptation out of it.


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## EastWest Lurker (Oct 23, 2015)

Just to be clear, I am sure I did NOT say, your "machine would not be able to run HWSO Diamond." I am certain I would have said, "with your machine you probably will not be able to run as much of HWSO Diamond as you will want to run."


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## Vlzmusic (Oct 23, 2015)

jacobthestupendous said:


> I agonized over the deal a few months back as you are doing now. Fortunately, Jay assured me that my machine would not be able to run HWSO Diamond, which took a lot of the temptation out of it.



Yes and no. If one definitely goes for Hollywood Series, Diamond makes a much better deal than Gold for that price. You don`t have to jump into multi-mic ocean right on - using just one mic, as you would with Gold, means that you load 24Bit files versus 16Bit. That is heavier, but not by much. Still - you get two different "stage" positions to choose from, mid or main (and it does make a difference). Besides, I am sure that 2 mics of less stressful, percussive one hits won`t tax a system too much. Not to mention situations, where you don`t need the whole orchestra, but just 3-4 sections with a killer sound, that means you could load additional mics into same resources that would run Gold orchestra.

And in the end, you are future proof for years ahead, when your next rig would run this set in all its multi-tracking beauty.

Just my 2 cents, but I love EW stuff , and really wish people would make the best of it.


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## Ryan99 (Oct 23, 2015)

Jay, I already have 3 of the 4 Gold products. There's only Hollywood Percussion that I don't own yet. I see the offer for the Hollywood Orchestra Gold at 399$, but is there any way to get a rebate for getting the one remaining product? And if it's not possible, and if I wait for a sale later to get it, will the free Harp available later?


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## JohnBMears (Oct 23, 2015)

Long time user of EWQLSO but only had Hollywood Orchestra Diamond for about 6 months. Got it the first time on $599 deal. If you're aware of the system needed and your machine can run as much as you'd like it to run- it is a no-brainer. I'm really happy with it. It will be a long time IMO till the Strings are dated. Brass is fantastic. I haven't utilized the woodwinds as much as I'd like, but there are very useful patches. Percussion is Traditional- it sadly doesn't replace CinePerc or True Strike for me, but good stuff.


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## reddognoyz (Oct 23, 2015)

I bought the HWSO Diamond after having bought the HWSO Brass gold and winds silver. The diamond collection is awesome and the flexibility that you get in Diamond puts it in league with the best VI's out there. I still use components of EWQLSO as well. I am not heavy with the strings, but I have a powerful slave from VisionDaw and haven't encountered any horsepower issues.


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## Rodney Money (Oct 23, 2015)

JohnBMears said:


> Long time user of EWQLSO but only had Hollywood Orchestra Diamond for about 6 months. Got it the first time on $599 deal. If you're aware of the system needed and your machine can run as much as you'd like it to run- it is a no-brainer. I'm really happy with it. It will be a long time IMO till the Strings are dated. Brass is fantastic. I haven't utilized the woodwinds as much as I'd like, but there are very useful patches. Percussion is Traditional- it sadly doesn't replace CinePerc or True Strike for me, but good stuff.


That sounded like an honest answer! So tell me more about the strings and what makes them "long lasting."


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## JohnBMears (Oct 23, 2015)

Hey Rodney, Well lots of folks may presume that libraries age, and that may be true in some respects, but the sheer amount of patches in Hollywood Strings (which is overwhelming at first), once sorted out- offer so many articulations that even new advancements in other manufacturer's libraries won't push this one out of the way. The sound of the strings is both lush but studio-like, so really shapeable. It takes some machine power, I'm on Mac, so until I get a PC Slave I can't really MAX it out, but in VE Pro my 12 Core Mac Pro with 64GB is loading 10 articulations of all 5 string Sections alongside a full lineup of CineBrass, CineWinds and CinePerc. My challenge as of late has been finding an IR that sounds like SONY to make Hollywood sit in the space where CineStrings should be.


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## Rodney Money (Oct 23, 2015)

JohnBMears said:


> Hey Rodney, Well lots of folks may presume that libraries age, and that may be true in some respects, but the sheer amount of patches in Hollywood Strings (which is overwhelming at first), once sorted out- offer so many articulations that even new advancements in other manufacturer's libraries won't push this one out of the way. The sound of the strings is both lush but studio-like, so really shapeable. It takes some machine power, I'm on Mac, so until I get a PC Slave I can't really MAX it out, but in VE Pro my 12 Core Mac Pro with 64GB is loading 10 articulations of all 5 string Sections alongside a full lineup of CineBrass, CineWinds and CinePerc. My challenge as of late has been finding an IR that sounds like SONY to make Hollywood sit in the space where CineStrings should be.


Now I have CineStrings, what's the major differences between the 2 stringed libraries in your opinion besides number of articulations?


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## SomeGuy (Oct 23, 2015)

For those of us who own part of the Hollywood series (I own Brass and Strings Diamond) is there any upgrade pricing to complete our set? Or is this deal just for new owners?

*edit: *Quote from their email:


> If you own one of more of the Hollywood series,
> this is still the least expensive option to complete the series and get HOLLYWOOD HARP for FREE!



oh well, looks like no way to upgrade so I'm out, as I dislike buying things twice.


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## EastWest Lurker (Oct 23, 2015)

JohnBMears said:


> it sadly doesn't replace CinePerc or True Strike for me, but good stuff.



Really? What does True Strike bring to the table for you that HOP does not? That used to be my "go to" but I haven't used it since I got HOP.


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## Johnny (Oct 23, 2015)

Rodney Money said:


> Now I have CineStrings, what's the major differences between the 2 stringed libraries in your opinion besides number of articulations?


 
Without stealing the thunder from Cinestrings in any way, (because I love "all" of the work that Cinesamples have produced over the years) but, because you currently own and use Cinestrings? I will humbly attempt to try and shed a little more light onto the phrase "Long Lasting HW Strings," as I equally feel the same.

Basically IMHO: (As I'm sure you've heard many times before) If you are looking for that Hollywood sound? Then Hollywood Strings is your answer- it just works. Plain and simple! For myself, here are some of the reasons as to why?

IMO: A lot of the em"pha"sis these days amongst developers, seems to solely focus upon the recording of legato transitions... That as well as the capturing of "non- static" instrumental performances... (Aka: the quality of legato performance captured) Although I do not disagree on the theory and factuality behind this principle? Sometimes I feel that our overall ideology of orchestral cohesion today is somewhat becoming distorted through the recording and sampling translation process in order to find the appropriate consumer market... (Just a thought!) Orchestral sampling is either in an awkward transitional phase? Or it is simply evolving like everything else in this world towards a hyper realistic mentality... Especially in regards to film score production value. Plain and simple, humans are forgetting how to hear the classical orchestra- this is a reality we cannot ignor. (Don't get me wrong, I equally love the ear candy too? Especially in regards to modern sound design and hybrid film scoring? I honestly love it all!) But our ears have forgotten how to hear the classic orchestral sound, and that's what HW Strings is to me- Hollywood Strings.

Anyhow, when you really listen to a John Williams Recording, especially a recording mixed by Shawn Murphy, (ex: Phantom Menace) note that each individual section of the strings are not all trying to out perform each other with 7 distinct different types of legato transitions and captured non-static emotion? They are just listening to each other and trying their best to sound transparent individually, (unless marked otherwise on the score) and are more or less just trying to sound cohesive as a whole- supporting ensemble sections as the classic orchestra should be! That being said? Obviously there is a time and place for your expressive legatos, but over all, the strings should really sit within the mix and fully support the other sections as directed by the arrangement. I believe that the term "technical restraint," is a great phrase to describe the most proficient of all musicians- true supporting players within the orchestra.

To me, that is the essence of what HW Strings truly achieved. Every string library has their own strengths of course, but HW Strings has "that" sound! IMHO, HW Strings has: the perfect E.Q. curve; the "not" overtly accentuated legato transitions; the flowing "ensemble" vibrato combined with accurate divisi and a "highly" comprehensive and realistic operational value- should you choose to delve so deep? As Thomas Bergesen himself mentioned on a thread about HW Strings a few years ago, "just as one simply does not walk into Mordor..." You can't buy a string library and expect to write music like Stravinsky without getting your feet wet : S

(Sorry again for the long winded philosophical reply. A little bit of a rant : p)
To summarize, buy purchasing HW Strings IMO you are ultimately getting:

-A fully, tonally balanced representation of true orchestral strings.
-Warm, rich, expressive, (but not overly dramatic legato) true to the classic orchestra sound.
-extremely realistic and exquisite sample production value.
-true stereo seating positioning of the ensemble sections.
-Full absolute user control, even down to the finger positions to truly dial in your texture and color.
-Cohesive orchestral strings that sit perfectly with each other in a mix, as well as with other 3rd party libraries.
-Obviously multiple mic positions.
-The room is beautifully controlled, making great flexibility when working with 3rd party convolutions and reverbs.
-The library's divi was recorded using spot mics in parallel with the ensemble sampling session, providing unprecedented pitch accuracy in relation to your ensemble samples- should you chose to blend them appropriately.
-The dynamic range is fantastic!
-And not to forget that this library was a game changer for its time, meaning: HW Strings did it first.

Although many other Devs have produced beautiful libraries improving and embellishing upon HW Strings technology over the years, HW Strings was the first "commercial" library to present these features to the public market. So in a sense, your not just buying another string library, you're buying what was deemed at the time to be the very best on the market, which I feel still holds very tightly to that claim today. It isn't an "OUT OF THE BOX" type of library, but I wouldn't want it any other way. If every human being on the planet could open up a tool box that provided them the ability to become a brain surgeon? There would definitely be a lot more brain surgeons in the world, but the "quality" of brain surgery would all become the same...

I strongly believe in what Thomas put into HW Strings with the idea that, "the power is all in your hands, should you choose to learn how to wield it!" Much like Kontakt? We all own and operate Kontakt 5, but not all of us pop open the hood and release our very own commercial sample library. If it was that easy then everyone would be doing it- thus further homogenizing the industry...

I know that I didn't answer your interest in comparing the two libraries directly, but I just wanted to provide you with a slightly different angle ; p Just another light ; )

Best,
Johnny


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## EastWest Lurker (Oct 23, 2015)

Beautifully stated, Johnny and I could not agree more.

No disrespect intended to the very talented guys at Orchestral Tools, CineSamples, Spitfire, etc.


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## Johnny (Oct 23, 2015)

EastWest Lurker said:


> Beautifully stated, Johnny and I could not agree more.
> 
> No disrespect intended to the very talented guys at Orchestral Tools, CineSamples, Spitfire, etc.


 
Thanks Jay, 
Completely agreed! I own many other string libraries and honestly, I love them all! They remind me of jazz standards in which, every developer (or jazz artist) has their own unique voice and something to say within their library; you can record thousands of versions of the same sample library (or jazz standard) and they have hold something unique. You can never have too many string libraries, but HW Strings for whatever reason just holds that special spot in my heart- it's a nice little gem!


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## Brendon Williams (Oct 23, 2015)

I keep trying new libraries, but I keep going back to Hollywood strings. To me it's just the best sounding, easiest to use, most flexible, and has the best legato (slow and very fast). That said, it also comes with a far heavier hit to cpu and RAM than any other library I've used. It also blends wonderfully with all my libraries from other developers, especially when paired with Spaces reverb. I feel the same way about the brass, but in my opinion the brass have a slightly more "traditional" brass sound, which is perfect for me most of the time. The woodwinds sound wonderful too, but it's a bit less consistent. Some of the legato transitions have audible crossfades (the clarinet, for example), while others are nearly perfect (the flutes). I don't have the percussion, but EWQLSO percussion paired with Spitfire percussion does the trick for me.


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## trumpoz (Oct 23, 2015)

Even if your PC is not up to the Diamond versions of HO - HO Gold for $399 is a no-brainer. Hell, I paid $800 for HS/HB bundle and thought that was a good price a number of years ago. 

The strings, 6FH, Low Brass, 3 TPT, Flutes and percussion are worth more than that alone in my book.


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## SaintDufus (Oct 23, 2015)

JohnBMears said:


> I'm on Mac, so until I get a PC Slave I can't really MAX it out...



John, what exactly do you mean by this?

I have a Mac as well...will I have problems with this product?


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## ptsmith (Oct 23, 2015)

Ryan99 said:


> Jay, I already have 3 of the 4 Gold products. There's only Hollywood Percussion that I don't own yet. I see the offer for the Hollywood Orchestra Gold at 399$, but is there any way to get a rebate for getting the one remaining product? And if it's not possible, and if I wait for a sale later to get it, will the free Harp available later?





SomeGuy said:


> For those of us who own part of the Hollywood series (I own Brass and Strings Diamond) is there any upgrade pricing to complete our set? Or is this deal just for new owners?
> 
> *edit: *Quote from their email:
> 
> oh well, looks like no way to upgrade so I'm out, as I dislike buying things twice.



I'm out too. I own String, Brass and Woodwind Gold (prefer Gold and don't want Diamond). I only need Percussion Gold to complete the set.

I paid a lot more for what I already have than the current deal, and I'm OK with that. What I'm not OK with is having to pay more for an EW library than someone that owns NO EW products. I'll never do that on principle alone.

Not counting Legacy libraries, I own 80-90% of EW libraries. There needs to be some sort of loyalty program to help out customers like us.


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## ControlCentral (Oct 23, 2015)

Yeah, that "pressure" is a drag, and I've made mistakes by yielding to it. But just to throw in my $.02 where it may not belong: it's really just an asset allocation question. I don't yet own any Hollywoods. I bought EWQLSO Gold a few years ago for $249. It's a great library that still works for my modest needs. But my main point is that no other library I have has paid for itself so quickly. It was well worth the price.
Please take my opinion with a shaker of salt about libraries that I do not own, but I believe each next-gen EWQL library for $150 , throw in a free harp for $600 is a no-brainer. OTOH they are not going anywhere so you_ could_ wait, but i doubt the deal would get any better.
That is all.


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## NoamL (Oct 23, 2015)

It's a really good deal compared to their usual price but I still can't justify it...

Strings - I honestly prefer LASS
Brass - I have Gold already
OrcPerc - there's a lot of competitors
WW & Harp - sadly becoming nonessential

From the demos I've heard, the *Brass* is the best of the bunch. The horns especially are incredible. Definitely scoop it up for $200 in their next 7-pack sale (get *Spaces* too!).

Regarding strings - There's no contest that HWS has perhaps four or five times the number of usable artics as LASS, including some artics I'd like to have. But, I don't like EastWest's patch based philosophy. I always spend ages with Hollywood Brass taking one line and breaking it out into 6 or 7 patches to get exactly the sound I want. 

That never happens with LASS. I had one "hell day" setting up LASS, but now everything just works. I NEVER have to mess around with the innards because I can always mold the articulation I want with a combination of keyswitches, note velocity, modwheel, finicking with note overlaps, and the sustain pedal (I use that to trigger divisi). It's still finicky work, but the point is it's all in ONE track for cellos, ONE track for basses etc. and it's all surface level controls.

So if HWS is comparable to HWB, I can't imagine replacing LASS with it.


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## Ryan99 (Oct 23, 2015)

ptsmith said:


> I'm out too. I own String, Brass and Woodwind Gold (prefer Gold and don't want Diamond). I only need Percussion Gold to complete the set.
> 
> I paid a lot more for what I already have than the current deal, and I'm OK with that. What I'm not OK with is having to pay more for an EW library than someone that owns NO EW products. I'll never do that on principle alone.
> 
> Not counting Legacy libraries, I own 80-90% of EW libraries. There needs to be some sort of loyalty program to help out customers like us.



+1 . I'm on the same boat as you do. I love the EastWest libraries, as I own most of them, but I don't like the fact that I have to pay almost as much as a new owner to get only one library I don't have, while a new owner pay just a little more to get 4 products, including the only one I don't have, and gets the free harp on top of that.

I think that EastWest should add some modulation on cases like this if they don't want to alienate their most loyal customers in the long term. Something like Spitfire Audio is doing to let buyers complete their bundle while paying only for the libraries they don't own in the bundle.


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## NYC Composer (Oct 23, 2015)

I have HW Gold Strings and Brass and Winds Silver. I think the strings and brass are exceptional and a tremendous bargain at this price even if they came with nothing else- assuming you have a strong PC with SSDs to run Diamond. I'm on Mac so I stuck with Gold.

I don't understand the winds. Maybe my download didn't go well and I'm missing something, maybe I have an older version that was fixed, but they are pretty bad sounding to my ears, and hard to play.
The legato is particulary weird.

Demos of the perc sound good to me. Even for three good sections and a harp, awfully good price.


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## Lode_Runner (Oct 23, 2015)

Thanks everyone for your comments so far. Particularly thanks JohnBMears, Johnny, Reddognoyz, Brendon Williams and NYC composer for the feedback on the sound quality of the libraries and Jacobthestupendous and Vlzmusic for giving me perspective on the streaming and CPU requirements. It's been incredibly helpful.

The general consensus I'm getting so far (correct me if I'm wrong) is that the strings are amazing (among the best on the market), the brass is amazing (also among the best on the market), the woodwinds are a bit hit and miss (some instruments have issues with audible cross-fading on the legato), the percussion is relatively less known (as a newer product many don't have it), but likely up there with the best. The sound is great for Hollywood film scoring, it's really well balanced between sections, and the library is very versatile, able to be mixed well with other products when using spaces (which I have). It does take a lot of work/expertise to use due to it's approach of loading articulations individually and it requires a very powerful PC to run the full orchestra. It's an incredible deal though even if only getting it for the strings and brass.

At the moment what's holding me back (aside from the cost of simultaneously buying Albion ONE) is whether or not it's the right library for me. I am looking for something that would be great for everything from Grieg, Tchaikovsky, Ravel etc through to film noir film scores and more modern Hollywood film scores like Lord of the Rings. I'm also looking for something with a lot of dynamic range, great legato and lots of articulations, but that is also very straightforward to use (eg load up a section and be able to access all articulations through keyswitches, velocity and modwheel, unloading what isn't needed). I am considering saving for the OT Berlin orchestra (still researching that and considering other options like Impact Soundworks, just waiting for all to complete their missing sections). While Berlin is way more expensive, what I'd be spending on Hollywood orchestra would get me about a quarter of the way there... and then of course there's the question of whether my four year old computer is up to task. I've got a lot of things to think about I guess. Thanks again everyone.


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## Lode_Runner (Oct 23, 2015)

Brendon Williams said:


> I keep trying new libraries, but I keep going back to Hollywood strings. To me it's just the best sounding, easiest to use, most flexible, and has the best legato (slow and very fast). That said, it also comes with a far heavier hit to cpu and RAM than any other library I've used. It also blends wonderfully with all my libraries from other developers, especially when paired with Spaces reverb. I feel the same way about the brass, but in my opinion the brass have a slightly more "traditional" brass sound, which is perfect for me most of the time. The woodwinds sound wonderful too, but it's a bit less consistent. Some of the legato transitions have audible crossfades (the clarinet, for example), while others are nearly perfect (the flutes). I don't have the percussion, but EWQLSO percussion paired with Spitfire percussion does the trick for me.



Hi Brendon, may I ask which other libraries you have? That is, which libraries have you had success blending Hollywood strings and brass with? I'm particularly interested in how well Hollywood Orchestra can work with Spitfire and Orchestral Tools.


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## Johnny (Oct 23, 2015)

This video is fantastic, just skip to the full ensemble sections around 15:30 through the video. He's played them all in straight out of the box with very minimal editing, which gives you a great interpretation of what you can do in a short amount of time.



I decided to post this second video only because you highlighted that HW Strings might be able to support Lord of the Rings style compositional work? So here's a great example:


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## Brendon Williams (Oct 23, 2015)

Lode_Runner said:


> Hi Brendon, may I ask which other libraries you have? That is, which libraries have you had success blending Hollywood strings and brass with? I'm particularly interested in how well Hollywood Orchestra can work with Spitfire and Orchestral Tools.



Sure! I use the Hollywood series with Orchestral Tools Symphonic Sphere, 8dio Claire Woodwinds and CAGE, Spitfire Percussion, HZ01, and Albion, and Cinesamples Hollywoodwinds. Granted, each one of these has to be treated differently in the mix to work with the others, but I've found they all work well together.


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## JohnBMears (Oct 23, 2015)

EastWest Lurker said:


> Really? What does True Strike bring to the table for you that HOP does not? That used to be my "go to" but I haven't used it since I got HOP.



Hey Jay, 
Should've clarified, yeah it replaced True Strike 1. Still need True Strike 2 for some of the stuff I am working on lately.


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## Lode_Runner (Oct 23, 2015)

Thanks Johnny and Brendon


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## Lassi Tani (Oct 24, 2015)

Lode_Runner said:


> I'm also looking for something with a lot of dynamic range, great legato and lots of articulations, but that is also very straightforward to use (eg load up a section and be able to access all articulations through keyswitches, velocity and modwheel, unloading what isn't needed



I have Hollywood Gold (Strings, Brass, WW), and I might be missing something, but it seems that the basic concept has been to have a huge amount of articulations in separate patches. For me, especially setting up harder attacks have been tough. There are separate patches for that too, but I would prefer, if note velocity would change the attack volume for a basic legato patch. Also sometimes expression is CC1 and sometimes CC11, and the manual doesn't help much there, because there is not a simple table with all the CCs for each patch. Still after all this, I love Hollywood Strings and Brass. Lots of setting up, but worth it! And I need a bigger monitor for all the patches :D


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## NYC Composer (Oct 24, 2015)

There is a Mod wheel shorts patch in HB that is so helpful, I wish there were a lot of similar patches. It gives you staccato with mod wheel at 0, slighly longer (marcato?) in the middle and a long marcato with mod wheel full , long enough to act as the sustained note at the end of a fast passage of short notes. Man, I use the heck out of that. Master patches containing multiple articulations would have been really nice too, like the old ones in EWQLSO, that I used to use the heck out of. I really really appreciate ease of use and workflow enhancements.


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## DHousden (Oct 24, 2015)

Lode_Runner said:


> Thanks everyone for your comments so far. Particularly thanks JohnBMears, Johnny, Reddognoyz, Brendon Williams and NYC composer for the feedback on the sound quality of the libraries and Jacobthestupendous and Vlzmusic for giving me perspective on the streaming and CPU requirements. It's been incredibly helpful.
> 
> The general consensus I'm getting so far (correct me if I'm wrong) is that the strings are amazing (among the best on the market), the brass is amazing (also among the best on the market), the woodwinds are a bit hit and miss (some instruments have issues with audible cross-fading on the legato), the percussion is relatively less known (as a newer product many don't have it), but likely up there with the best. The sound is great for Hollywood film scoring, it's really well balanced between sections, and the library is very versatile, able to be mixed well with other products when using spaces (which I have). It does take a lot of work/expertise to use due to it's approach of loading articulations individually and it requires a very powerful PC to run the full orchestra. It's an incredible deal though even if only getting it for the strings and brass.
> 
> At the moment what's holding me back (aside from the cost of simultaneously buying Albion ONE) is whether or not it's the right library for me. I am looking for something that would be great for everything from Grieg, Tchaikovsky, Ravel etc through to film noir film scores and more modern Hollywood film scores like Lord of the Rings. I'm also looking for something with a lot of dynamic range, great legato and lots of articulations, but that is also very straightforward to use (eg load up a section and be able to access all articulations through keyswitches, velocity and modwheel, unloading what isn't needed). I am considering saving for the OT Berlin orchestra (still researching that and considering other options like Impact Soundworks, just waiting for all to complete their missing sections). While Berlin is way more expensive, what I'd be spending on Hollywood orchestra would get me about a quarter of the way there... and then of course there's the question of whether my four year old computer is up to task. I've got a lot of things to think about I guess. Thanks again everyone.


If you're still on the fence, my advice would be to go for the Gold collection. It's less taxing on your system and more cost effective but with the same beautiful sound. You can adjust settings and add reverb to bring things closer and further in the mix; having multiple mic positions to choose from almost creates too much flexibility sometimes when you just want to write. Frankly the price they're offering it at is almost too good to be true for the quality of library you're getting and it's more than capable of covering the classical sound you're after as well as the more contemporary cinematic approach of today. Wholeheartedly recommend it for the money it's currently going for!


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## PeterKorcek (Oct 24, 2015)

If you have the machine for it and you don't mind PLAY engine - definitely go for it - amazing sound!


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## Lode_Runner (Oct 24, 2015)

Regarding my computer, it was very decent specs when I put it together four years ago, but I don't know how well it rates today. I'm running Intel Core i7 2600 3.4 GHz processor, 16GB DDR3 RAM, Intel Z68 BLKDZ68DB Motherboard, 3 x Western Digital 1TB Black SATA3 HDD's... It seems to align with the recommended specs on the East West Website, but I'm not sure.


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## PeterKorcek (Oct 24, 2015)

Lode_Runner said:


> Regarding my computer, it was very decent specs when I put it together four years ago, but I don't know how well it rates today. I'm running Intel Core i7 2600 3.4 GHz processor, 16GB DDR3 RAM, Intel Z68 BLKDZ68DB Motherboard, 3 x Western Digital 1TB Black SATA3 HDD's... It seems to align with the recommended specs on the East West Website, but I'm not sure.



I would definitely at least double the RAM if you want to run Diamond series, especially powerful patches, but obviously, there are so many variables (patches you want to run, type of music you compose, how detailed or extensive you want to get) that it is impossible to give one answer. 
There are many threads here and all over the internet about this topic, but with doubling the RAM you SHOULD be fine MOST of the time  but really it is difficult to say just YES/NO


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## dcoscina (Oct 24, 2015)

I own all Silver and Gold HO series and have a huge orchestra template set up on VE Pro with no issues at all in DP9. I also have SPACES which I treat to each section in VE with no hit to CPU. I find the strings in particular to be very well done and I use the longs as much as the legato.

I own lots of other libraries as well but I'm enjoying the uniform sound of HOS and can't wait to add the Harp next month.


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## james7275 (Oct 24, 2015)

Wow! I see a gold orchestra bundle now being included for $399. I've almost jumped a few times at the diamond deal for $599, but held off, as I knew the gold version would probably be cropping up at some point.
The good news is once east west starts to have deals on certain products or bundles we can expect to see that deal again at a later time.
It will finally feel good to be on the receiving end of a no-brainer deal like this, than paying full price on their products many times over like I've done in the past.


----------



## Lawson. (Oct 24, 2015)

I have Strings/Brass/WW. I am being forced to consider Perc now because I really want a nice harp.

My overall view:
Strings - One of the best on the market. More articulations/dynamics than any other library that I know of. The sound is gorgeous. My absolute go-to, desert island, library.

Brass - One of the best on the market. More articulations/dynamics than any other library that I know of. The solo and 2 trumpets patches aren't my favorite, and the trumpets in general seem to be missing that bite, but other than that everything is lovely. The horns are worth the price alone. Spitfire's brass does a great job covering up the few holes in this library, and with a little reverb on HB it blends right in.

WW - Not one of the best on the market. Possibly more articulations/dynamics than any other library I know of, but I think BWW has it beat. The sound is alright, but not amazing. The flutes are the best part, but a lot of legato transitions are a bit odd (overall). I also find it annoying that there is only one of each (minus Flute 2), which takes away from the "multiple instruments per section" sound. I suppose at the price it's currently at, it's a good deal, but I don't recommend it. Berlin Woodwinds is the way to go for this!

Perc - No idea. My girlfriend has it (HO Diamond, actually), and I've played around with it a bit. It sounds quite nice, but there don't seem to be many round robins and mallet variations which is a bit troubling for a percussion library. I haven't used it enough to give a full critique.

I use HS and HB with a whole bunch of other stuff (Cinesamples, Spitfire, Sonokinetic, Soundiron, etc.) and it's always the staple of my template. I usually just have a bit of Spaces on it and everything blends together nicely.

Also, HO Diamond WILL work with 16GB RAM, but on a smaller (few articulations per instrument) template. You don't need 32GB+, but it is useful.





sekkosiki said:


> I have Hollywood Gold (Strings, Brass, WW), and I might be missing something, but it seems that the basic concept has been to have a huge amount of articulations in separate patches. For me, especially setting up harder attacks have been tough. There are separate patches for that too, but I would prefer, if note velocity would change the attack volume for a basic legato patch. Also sometimes expression is CC1 and sometimes CC11, and the manual doesn't help much there, because there is not a simple table with all the CCs for each patch. Still after all this, I love Hollywood Strings and Brass. Lots of setting up, but worth it! And I need a bigger monitor for all the patches :D



Have you tried the Marc/StacSl Leg patches for the strings, and Leg Slur Accent for the brass and ww?

I don't use those patches because a) I like being able to blend in other patches to get the intended effect, and b) each instrument has used up all 16 MIDI channels in PLAY and having one extra oddball would be annoying. lol


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## DocMidi657 (Oct 24, 2015)

james7275 said:


> Wow! I see a gold orchestra bundle now being included for $399. I've almost jumped a few times at the diamond deal for $599, but held off, as I knew the gold version would probably be cropping up at some point.
> The good news is once east west starts to have deals on certain products or bundles we can expect to see that deal again at a later time.
> It will finally feel good to be on the receiving end of a no-brainer deal like this, than paying full price on their products many times over like I've done in the past.


I can't find the Gold deal on their site..can you post link?


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## james7275 (Oct 24, 2015)

http://www.soundsonline.com/Hollywood-Orchestra?l=forums


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## Ryan99 (Oct 24, 2015)

Orcel said:


> Gold is not interesting with East West. Diamond is essential. Starting with Gold is the best way to loose money.


It depends on your needs. I have Gold versions of HS, HB and HWW and I'm perfectly fine for what I want to do. I don't need Diamond and don't plan to upgrade either.


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## EastWest Lurker (Oct 24, 2015)

Wow, do I disagree with a lot of what has been written, HONESTLY, speaking as a user, not as an EW rep. On the internet, one person writes something, another repeats ikt, and before you know it, a whole lot of guys repeat it and it becomes the conventional wisdom. And I am NOT calling any specific person (people) out as being illustrative to that.

1. IMHO, while it is nice to have the extra mics that Diamond provides (I particularly like the Vintage mics on some pieces) Diamond is not in my view "essential." The default mics are well chosen and Diamond IS more demanding on a system so for users with less powerful rigs, Gold may be the better choice.

2. When the woodwinds were released initially, they were not as good as the strings and brass. I do find that at times using the close mics that Diamond provides gets me a better legato transitions, although reducing the legato volume on the mids works well also. After updates, I now believe that they are pretty close although personal taste will of course come into play. What is not debatable IMHO is that they blend with HS and HB better than a competitor's offerings will.

3. Round robins, shmoud robins, the percussion may be the most beautifully recorded of the whole series. I used True Strike and London Orchestral Percussion before I had it and now I almost never do.


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## DocMidi657 (Oct 24, 2015)

james7275 said:


> http://www.soundsonline.com/Hollywood-Orchestra?l=forums


thanks!


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## Simon Ravn (Oct 24, 2015)

Jay, would you say that you can do fine with just the main mics for the percussion or do you need the surround mics? Considering getting the gold edition (I have strings diamond + brass gold already so it would mainly be for the harp and percussion).


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## stonzthro (Oct 24, 2015)

I find the close miss for percussion very useful!


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## Johnny (Oct 24, 2015)

Lode_Runner said:


> Thanks Johnny and Brendon


 NP!


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## Johnny (Oct 24, 2015)

EastWest Lurker said:


> the percussion may be the most beautifully recorded of the whole series. I used True Strike and London Orchestral Percussion before I had it and now I almost never do.


 
That's fantastic to hear! HOP is the only HW series that I don't own just yet, and I haven't heard a whole lot of reviews since its initial release? I was wondering more specifically how the cymbal sus, scrapes and gongs felt to users? I've been using EWSO Perc for the past decade and although I love it, it's become the Achilles heel when mixing other people's work because you really can't escape that gorgeous sound- EWSO perc just always sounds good! (But my ears are simply craving a change! Time to buy HOP!) I do use and cherish Cineperc as well, but you can never have too many percussion libraries right? Lol


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## germancomponist (Oct 24, 2015)

Hollywood Orchestra Diamond for only $599?!

This is an unbeatable, almost even unimaginable lowered!

In some discussions I'm smooth speechless. What is there still to discuss?


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## EastWest Lurker (Oct 24, 2015)

Simon Ravn said:


> Jay, would you say that you can do fine with just the main mics for the percussion or do you need the surround mics? Considering getting the gold edition (I have strings diamond + brass gold already so it would mainly be for the harp and percussion).




Absolutely.


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## ControlCentral (Oct 24, 2015)

NYC Composer said:


> .... Master patches containing multiple articulations would have been really nice too, like the old ones in EWQLSO, that I used to use the heck out of. I really really appreciate ease of use and workflow enhancements.


Hmmm, EWQLSO Master Patches how I use it too. So each patch is completely separate? Did not know...


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## Noam Guterman (Oct 24, 2015)

I have gold edition HS, HB, HOW and HOP, and while the standard mics are enough for me, I find HOP slightly too wet for my taste


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## lumcas (Oct 24, 2015)

I'm torn between Diamond and Gold as well. Is there any walkthrough or maybe just audio snippets so I could compare different mic positions? I'm a bit worried about the size and resource hungriness of the Diamond edition
Anyway, stunning deal.


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## Noam Guterman (Oct 24, 2015)

this guy does a very nice shootout of the different mics in HOP


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## jononotbono (Oct 24, 2015)

The whole of East West Hollywood Orchestra (Hollywood Strings, Brass, Woodwinds, Percussion and Harp) Diamond for £387.78? Seriously? That seems like an amazing deal. Outrageous in fact! I remember When Hollywood Strings first got released and it was £1000 in the UK. 

I have bought a lot of stuff during the various Summer Sales this year of many Developers and not sure I could find the money for this at the minute. So, being new to East West (except for owning Spaces), are they likely to have another sale like this?

Also, are these libraries included in the composer cloud subscription plan? 
Edit: Sorry, I just read the libraries are Gold in the Composer Cloud. Is there a huge difference between Gold and Diamond? 

This deal looks unbelievable!


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## Lode_Runner (Oct 24, 2015)

germancomponist said:


> Hollywood Orchestra Diamond for only $599?!
> 
> This is an unbeatable, almost even unimaginable lowered!
> 
> In some discussions I'm smooth speechless. What is there still to discuss?



Yes it is an incredible deal. I've acknowledged that from the first post.

What there is to discuss is whether my computer can cope with it, whether it has a work flow that is usable for me, whether it will blend with other libraries I have or intend to get, whether it will get me the sound I'm after or if it's geared towards a Hollywood bombastic sound (like Symphobia) that I'd never use. (I've got the answers to all those questions from this thread)

By way of analogy, you need a car that can transport a wife and 2 children and have $40,000 to spend. Someone offers you a Lamborghini for $20,000 (not for resale with an ilok ignition key), and having never looked at Lamborghini's before the only thing you know about them is that they're sports cars that would normally cost way way more than that. They've given you 5 minutes to make a decision and you don't have time to go research the specs of a Lamborghini, so you ask people around you and they tell you it's only got two seats. Had you not asked and bought it because it's a bargain, you'd be left with $20,000 to get a more appropriate car, and a Lamborghini that's going to spend most of it's time sitting in the garage taking up space and not being driven.


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## Lode_Runner (Oct 24, 2015)

jononotbono said:


> The whole of East West Hollywood Orchestra (Hollywood Strings, Brass, Woodwinds, Percussion and Harp) Diamond for £387.78? Seriously? That seems like an amazing deal. Outrageous in fact! I remember When Hollywood Strings first got released and it was £1000 in the UK.
> 
> I have bought a lot of stuff during the various Summer Sales this year of many Developers and not sure I could find the money for this at the minute. So, being new to East West (except for owning Spaces), are they likely to have another sale like this?
> 
> ...



Gold is 16 bit with 1 mic perspective, Platinum is 24 bit with 5 mic perspectives and is massive when it comes to system resources. As far as I can tell, this deal has been offered at least once before, about half a year ago (see the first page of this topic, atw posted a link to an earlier topic), so it may be offered again at this price (although whether the harp will remain free is another question).


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## Ryan99 (Oct 24, 2015)

This time, you can think before you buy. It's the third time I see the 599$ Hollywood Orchestra deal in a short period of time, so it will probably be on sale again at that price soon.


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## jononotbono (Oct 24, 2015)

I need time to research all of it and not forgetting earning the Money if I was to buy it! If my system couldn't run all of it, I would just use it and learn it, bit by bit, until I can afford to build a new PC/S to handle it. There have been so many Sample Library sales this year. It's been overwhelming. It sounds promising that the sale will happen again. 4 weeks instead of 4 days would be great!


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## atw (Oct 26, 2015)

If it's alright i will ask here, because it's related to EastWest/this product.

From EastWest's website: http://www.soundsonline-europe.com/Support?section=licensing&article=

"...You can activate your products to your computer (called a *machine license*)..."


What exactly does machine license mean?

There is a software installed on my pc, but what determines that it is my machine. Is it the configuration?
What if i change/switch/replace/... some parts like HDD/Ram/cpu/Mainborad?
Or what if the pc crashes hard and can't be repaired anymore ?

I would like to ask you for a (detailed) description or a link to it.


PS: I don't asked for an iLOK/dongle description.


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## DHousden (Oct 26, 2015)

atw said:


> If it's alright i will ask here, because it's related to EastWest/this product.
> 
> From EastWest's website: http://www.soundsonline-europe.com/Support?section=licensing&article=
> 
> ...


I believe you still have to use the iLok License Manager but you can host the licenses to your individual computer, rather than on the iLok dongle. As for how it determine's that it's your machine, I would have thought it will be the serial number, or product ID of your system which obviously won't change with upgrading or changing parts. As for if the machine suffers irreparable damage then the process will be the same as for a damaged iLok.


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## jononotbono (Oct 26, 2015)

Out of interest, how much RAM are people using with Hollywood Orchestra? I know this will vary with what different things people do...


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## DHousden (Oct 26, 2015)

jononotbono said:


> Out of interest, how much RAM are people using with Hollywood Orchestra? I know this will vary with what different things people do...


64GB currently, but had no issues whatsoever when I was at 32GB either. I should point out that I only use the Gold editions though, which are acknowledged to be far less stressful on the system.


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## jononotbono (Oct 26, 2015)

Thanks. I am going to upgrade my PC to 32gb soon (my Asus mobo can only max at 32gb). Then next yr hope to build a new master PC so will want it to be able to handle HOP (if it's possible). Will probably look at a Mobo that can support 128gb of RAM but only put 64gb in at first (Money and all that). The more I listen to demos of EWHO the more excited I am to get it one day. Looks like a beast...


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## EastWest Lurker (Oct 26, 2015)

If you choose your patches well, you absolutely can run the entire orchestra with 1 mic position and even two on some, with 32 GB. I Have 64 on my PC slave however and with the harp, solo cello, and solo violin coming I am glad I do.


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## jononotbono (Oct 26, 2015)

Good to know. Thanks. Having as much RAM as possible seems like a good thing. I currently have an i7 2600k CPU. Could you recommend a decent CPU but one that will not cripple me financially and see a worthwhile performance boost over what I currently have? I'm a little out of date with PC Components as it's been about 4 yrs since my last build.


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## FriFlo (Oct 26, 2015)

Folks, there is no rush!  A deal like that for the complete HO diamond or gold has been there before and will certainly come again. Don't feel under pressure, you need to buy it now. Maybe there will be an even more incredible deal coming. Have a look at the current thread "I am tired of no-brainer deals" ...


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## EastWest Lurker (Oct 26, 2015)

jononotbono said:


> Good to know. Thanks. Having as much RAM as possible seems like a good thing. I currently have an i7 2600k CPU. Could you recommend a decent CPU but one that will not cripple me financially and see a worthwhile performance boost over what I currently have? I'm a little out of date with PC Components as it's been about 4 yrs since my last build.



So is mine, i7 3930k 6 core 3.6 gHz, but as the slave, it is more than up to the task, runs like butter.


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## Kareemo (Oct 26, 2015)

Every time I try to buy the HO diamond orchestra I get this message:

Currency mismatch. Your account was created on www.soundsonline.com, which defaults your account to USA currency. Please re-create an account on www.soundsonline-europe.com for EU currency, or contact [email protected] for further assistance. You will be re-directed to Soundsonline USA.

Can anyone please help me? I don´t find any opportunities to delete or recreate an account.

Thanks


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## EastWest Lurker (Oct 26, 2015)

Kareemo said:


> Every time I try to buy the HO diamond orchestra I get this message:
> 
> Currency mismatch. Your account was created on www.soundsonline.com, which defaults your account to USA currency. Please re-create an account on www.soundsonline-europe.com for EU currency, or contact [email protected] for further assistance. You will be re-directed to Soundsonline USA.
> 
> ...



Email this to me with all your pertinent information and I will try to et you some help.

[email protected]


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## james7275 (Oct 26, 2015)

Hi Jay,
I was going to buy the gold orchestra bundle on Saturday, but at checkout, it wants to charge for shipping when this is a download only product. Should I just buy it now and expect to get that shipping charge back?
I emailed support and haven't heard anything.


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## EastWest Lurker (Oct 26, 2015)

James, here is the response I got:

"Is he sure it is shipping, and not VAT he's seeing? He can place the order online, then forward me the confirmation email and i'll be sure to take a look."


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## atw (Oct 26, 2015)

DHousden said:


> I believe you still have to use the iLok License Manager but you can host the licenses to your individual computer, rather than on the iLok dongle. As for how it determine's that it's your machine, I would have thought it will be the serial number, or product ID of your system which obviously won't change with upgrading or changing parts. As for if the machine suffers irreparable damage then the process will be the same as for a damaged iLok.



Thank you DHousden. 

EastWest Lurker would you like to answer my question also or give me a link for more information?
Regarding the machine license, i didn't found anything on the EastWest website, except the link above.
On the iLOK website it's the same.


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## james7275 (Oct 26, 2015)

EastWest Lurker said:


> James, here is the response I got:
> 
> "Is he sure it is shipping, and not VAT he's seeing? He can place the order online, then forward me the confirmation email and i'll be sure to take a look."


Did you just receive this message to my question that I posted like three minutes ago? Wow, talk about lightning fast.
Thanks for that, I'll go ahead and buy and email east west if I'm charged for shipping.


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## EastWest Lurker (Oct 26, 2015)

Yes, timing is everything in life


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## reddognoyz (Oct 26, 2015)

I have CinePerc and HOP. they are both really really good. Either would serve you well as a go to orchestral percussion Library. I use em both depending on the setting.

the whole HO library is a fantastic deal at $600.


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## EastWest Lurker (Oct 26, 2015)

atw said:


> If it's alright i will ask here, because it's related to EastWest/this product.
> 
> From EastWest's website: http://www.soundsonline-europe.com/Support?section=licensing&article=
> 
> ...



A machine license means that you don't need a physical iLok, it is tied to a specific machine. I cannot post a "detailed description" of how EW's copy protection works, for the obvious reasons. 

All you need to know is that if your computer goes down, we have you covered.


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## atw (Oct 26, 2015)

EastWest Lurker said:


> A machine license means that you don't need a physical iLok, it is tied to a specific machine. I cannot post a "detailed description" of how EW's copy protection works, for the obvious reasons.
> 
> All you need to know is that if your computer goes down, we have you covered.



No, I don't want to know the secrets of EW's copy protection. That wasn't ment to be my question.

So my pc(machine) is equal to a dongle!?
When the machine licenses are activated on my pc and my pc is damaged(e.g. can't boot anymore/can't be repaired/...). Then I have to send my pc to you/somewhere?.

In case of an damaged iLOK dongle it's like this (i have to send the iLOK dongle), but how does it work with a machine license?

Please provide me a link for more information to that case. I can't find those.


PS: Why quod erat demonstrandum? "...we have you covered" is too blurry.


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## AllanH (Oct 26, 2015)

I received my HO HD at noon today. I ordered Friday AM. That was fast!

I would also like a better explanation of the machine license, as that's the better choice for me.


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## EastWest Lurker (Oct 26, 2015)

atw said:


> No, I don't want to know the secrets of EW's copy protection. That wasn't ment to be my question.
> 
> So my pc(machine) is equal to a dongle!?
> When the machine licenses are activated on my pc and my pc is damaged(e.g. can't boot anymore/can't be repaired/...). Then I have to send my pc to you/somewhere?.
> ...



Yes, a machine license is equal to a dongle. If your machine dies and you get a new machine EW will arrange to have the license removed from your old machine and transferred to your new machine.


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## atw (Oct 26, 2015)

EastWest Lurker said:


> Yes, a machine license is equal to a dongle. If your machine dies and you get a new machine EW will arrange to have the license removed from your old machine and transferred to your new machine.




"...EW will *arrange *to have the license removed from your old machine..."

==> In other words, i have to send my pc/parts to you or somewhere.
Well that's no option for me then, if I understand you correct. 


Thank you


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## EastWest Lurker (Oct 26, 2015)

atw said:


> "...EW will *arrange *to have the license removed from your old machine..."
> 
> ==> In other words, i have to send my pc/parts to you or somewhere.
> Well that's no option for me then, if I understand you correct.
> ...



No, they can do it without your old machine.


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## atw (Oct 26, 2015)

EastWest Lurker said:


> No, they can do it without your old machine.



I am a little confused now and at the same time it sounds more interesting than the iLOK dongle.

Please provide me a link to it. I want to read it the details/fine prints. 
About costs/fees, the time needed to recover, is there an assurance needed, etc...(in case of a damage).

Thank you


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## EastWest Lurker (Oct 26, 2015)

atw said:


> I am a little confused now and at the same time it sounds more interesting than the iLOK dongle.
> 
> Please provide me a link to it. I want to read it the details/fine prints.
> About costs/fees, the time needed to recover, is there an assurance needed, etc...(in case of a damage).
> ...


There is no link, but you need not worry, they will assign it to your new machine as expeditiously as possible.


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## atw (Oct 26, 2015)

EastWest Lurker said:


> There is no link, but you need not worry, they will assign it to your new machine as expeditiously as possible.



Hmmmm... EW provides a new system, which i think i like, but there is almost no information about it. That's odd.


Anyway, thank you.


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## Lode_Runner (Oct 27, 2015)

Johnny said:


> I decided to post this second video only because you highlighted that HW Strings might be able to support Lord of the Rings style compositional work? So here's a great example:




So I ended up buying in the end, and it was mostly as a result of watching this video over and over again. Thanks again Johnny


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## AllanH (Oct 27, 2015)

EastWest Lurker said:


> There is no link, but you need not worry, they will assign it to your new machine as expeditiously as possible.


I'm glad to see that EW is working to address the iLOK concern. iLOK is one of the necessary evils we apparently have to deal with. Machine or account licensing works equally well, and I've always been surprised that a vendor would leave something as important as the licensing to a third party, and in this case to a third party (PACE/iLOK) who makes extra money when the licensing system fails.


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## Jonathan Moray (Oct 27, 2015)

That's one of the big reasons why I recently started buying EWs products again; because a dongle is no longer a requirement.


I'm also very glad to see that EW have full support for the potential problem that a machine license can create, for example if one's computer breaks. Although I don’t think this should be something that one would be praised for, because in my opinion this should be the norm when selling licenses (both machine and dongle), sadly this is not the case. So huge props to EW for doing this.


So now I’m just waiting for Play Pro (Or whatever it’s gonna be named) to be released. I’m hoping that’ll be a real game changer.


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## EastWest Lurker (Oct 27, 2015)

Personally, I still prefer the physical iLok. I have had two of them for years, they never break, and I like knowing that if tomorrow I buy a new machine I can download the software, plug in the external drive and the iLok and I am good to go.


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## zvenx (Oct 27, 2015)

EastWest Lurker said:


> Personally, I still prefer the physical iLok. I have had two of them for years, they never break, and I like knowing that if tomorrow I buy a new machine I can download the software, plug in the external drive and the iLok and I am good to go.



+1
rsp


----------



## Jonathan Moray (Oct 27, 2015)

But couldn't I just transfer the licenses from my old machine to the new one?

Of course the best option would be to not have to deal with any of this at all.  Sadly that's probably never going to happen though.


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## lumcas (Oct 27, 2015)

EastWest Lurker said:


> Personally, I still prefer the physical iLok... *they never break*...



Sorry, but a lot of people wouldn't agree with your generalising statement. Yes, iLok2 is a bit better in this regard, but it still can break easily without any reason (no touching, reconnecting or anything). It has happened to many people, not just me. That's why TLC with ZDT is a necessity.


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## zvenx (Oct 27, 2015)

Well, suppose your old computer died or the hard drive died, or you had say five or more software plugins authorised by this method......takes much longer than plugging out ilok and plugging into new computer....much much longer...
rsp


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## EastWest Lurker (Oct 27, 2015)

lumcas said:


> Sorry, but a lot of people wouldn't agree with your generalising statement. Yes, iLok2 is a bit better in this regard, but it still can break easily without any reason (no touching, reconnecting or anything). It has happened to many people, not just me. That's why TLC with ZDT is a necessity.



Anything _can_ break, but I have had them for years and never broken one, and I am a clumsy person who breaks a lot of things, to my wife's chagrin 

So while it can break, i don't think "easily" is accurate.


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## Jonathan Moray (Oct 27, 2015)

zvenx said:


> Well, suppose your old computer died or the hard drive died, or you had say five or more software plugins authorised by this method......takes much longer than plugging out ilok and plugging into new computer....much much longer...
> rsp



Yeah, you're right. But the computer has to get really f'ed up to break that hard that you can't recover anything. Or I suppose only the hard drive has to crash for the licenses to get lost, so keep your licenses on an SSD and you will most likely be fine. Anyway you're absolutely right.

But I think (this might not necessarily be true) that the iLok has a bigger chance of breaking so that I can't fix it myself than my computer. Also I don't have a lot of new computers laying around so I would still need a few days to get my hands on a new one.
And the cost of an iLok and the ZDT program is just, in my opinion, stupid. That's not something that I should pay for... That's something that either iLok should offer for free since they made the program or the company you buy the license from should pay for you.
I've witnessed horror stories of iLoks breaking and the customer having a hard time getting their licenses back. But this is very much dependent on the company and from what I've heard EW handles theses issues very smoothly.


----------



## Rodney Money (Oct 27, 2015)

Johnny said:


> Without stealing the thunder from Cinestrings in any way, (because I love "all" of the work that Cinesamples have produced over the years) but because you currently own and use Cinestrings? I will humbly attempt to try and shed a little more light onto the phrase "Long Lasting HW Strings," as I equally feel the same.
> 
> Basically IMHO, (As I'm sure you've heard many times before) If you are looking for that Hollywood sound? Then Hollywood Strings is your answer- it just works. For myself, here are some of the reasons as to why:
> 
> ...


Thank you for the passion, my friend! Rock on.


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## lumcas (Oct 27, 2015)

EastWest Lurker said:


> Anything _can_ break, but I have had them for years and never broken one, and I am a clumsy person who breaks a lot of things, to my wife's chagrin
> 
> So while it can break, i don't think "easily" is accurate.



Wishing you to keep it like this (I mean your trouble-free iLoks) for many years to come. Unfortunately, you don't necessarily have to be a clumsy person to break it, having connected it to your machine might do it sometimes.

I agree with Mr. Moray that we shouldn't pay extra for TLC (btw ZDT comes free with TLC) but when I compare the money I've spent on my iLok licences to the TLC yearly fee…it's just worth it. But I was surprised that not every developer supports ZDT program, you may have to ask the company directly for a new license in some cases (hopefully EastWest is not one of them).

And back on topic - I could't resist this time and pulled the trigger. I highly doubt that my computer will be able to handle it all, but I think of it more like a bit expensive harp library that comes with a lovely bonus. Now let's see what do our customs have to say about the hard drive - really curious what's the declared value on the package.


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## EastWest Lurker (Oct 27, 2015)

Once again, not to be argumentative, but if anybody would have broken it connected to a machine, I would have bet it would be me  And yet, that has not happened.

Anyway, now there is a choice and choices are good things to have.


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## Johnny (Oct 27, 2015)

Lode_Runner said:


> So I ended up buying in the end, and it was mostly as a result of watching this video over and over again. Thanks again Johnny


 
No problem,
Glad I could help : )


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## lumcas (Oct 27, 2015)

EastWest Lurker said:


> Once again, not to be argumentative, but if anybody would have broken it connected to a machine, I would have bet it would be me  And yet, that has not happened.
> 
> Anyway, now there is a choice and choices are good things to have.



That's ok Jay, I'm not trying to convince you that something terrible has happened to you iLok All I'm saying is that these catastrophic scenarios do happen every now and then (iLok is just not recognised anymore without any reason, no physical damage involved). Take it like "I've never been to the moon, yet I believe some people have walked there."

And for those interested, google "ilok flashing blue light".


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## kitekrazy (Oct 27, 2015)

For quite some time I had licenses on it were given to me free for having an iLok. The first one was Pod Farm, then an UVI product and an Eventide plug.


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## AllanH (Oct 28, 2015)

A few decades ago I had founded a software company that developed high-end Computer Aided Design (CAD) software. I was concerned about a illegal copying and ended up also building a dongle (i.e. our iLOK) and required the CAD software to have it inserted to run (AutoCAD did the same at the time, so I was not a complete idiot).

What I learned very quickly was that I essentially was irritating and alienating paying customers in order to make it more difficult to use the software illegally. When our dongle occasionally failed I took a paying customer offline, essentially costing them money and time and getting them very frustrated with us. 

My mistake was that had chosen to focus on the theft instead of the paying customer. In retrospect, this was incredibly stupid and something that took quite a while to recover from.

Maybe theft is such an overwhelming issue in the music industry that iLOK is required. To me, however, it seems like EWQL would be far better off using a simpler licensing/registration system without any third-party (iLOK/PACE), and especially a third-party who benefits financially when their devices (iLOK) fail.

My two cents.

Allan

PS: I finally surrendered and got EWQLHO in view of the incredible deal. I've held off getting any software depending on iLOK. So at least for me, I would have purchased many of EWQL's products by now, but have built a portfolio based on Kontakt and other products using "friendlier" software licensing.


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## atw (Oct 28, 2015)

AllanH said:


> A few decades ago I had founded a software company that developed high-end Computer Aided Design (CAD) software. I was concerned about a illegal copying and ended up also building a dongle (i.e. our iLOK) and required the CAD software to have it inserted to run (AutoCAD did the same at the time, so I was not a complete idiot).
> 
> What I learned very quickly was that I essentially was irritating and alienating paying customers in order to make it more difficult to use the software illegally. When our dongle occasionally failed I took a paying customer offline, essentially costing them money and time and getting them very frustrated with us.
> 
> ...





Allan, that's very good stated. I agree 100%. There are more things to add regarding the iLOK but i won't start another discussion about that.
And also I would have purchased many of EWQL's products by now.
The iLOK/Pace didn't let me push on the buy button. Believe me i was close to push it, several times.
Even yet in this moment i am thinking to push the button for (Hollywood Orchestra and some others).
But i can't. And i am (almost) sure that i won't press it in the future.
I will wait and see what Native Instruments/Soundiron brings up.

EW fears their products could be pirated... hmmm... well see to the others (to name some: CineSamples, Spitfire, Orchetral Tools). They grow fast, some of them are growing very fast. They all have good products...


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## lpuser (Oct 28, 2015)

lumcas said:


> And for those interested, google "ilok flashing blue light".



Believe me, I have my iLok not being recognized too and though "oh dear, now it´s broken". But everytime this happend, the reason simply was that the USB chain did not deliver enough power to power the iLok. That happened e.g. wenn plugging in another additional USB device which drew a lot of power. We simply need to keep in mind that these days, unfortunately just about everything relies on USB: Mouse, Keyboard, dongles, iPhones, MIDI interfaces, audio interfaces ... you name it.
As a matter of fact, the USB bus is limited and once the critical mass is reached, there is no more power left to get the iLok to work.


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## JohnG (Oct 28, 2015)

AllanH said:


> Maybe theft is such an overwhelming issue in the music industry that iLOK is required.



Sadly, I think that something -- iLok or other -- is required. Theft in this industry is rampant. I recently bought a lot of libraries and, when doing a search for the company name, the search engine offered the usual list. Three or more torrent / ripoff sites were listed near the top, even before the authorised site of the library company. 

Theft of samples is pervasive, and not new. It's well known that Gigastudio, once dominant, died because of piracy. 

So far, East West has not been successfully hacked that I've heard of. ProTools also requires iLok. I don't blame them.


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## atw (Oct 28, 2015)

PS: Of course this measure can mean nothing or something.

Just take a look. 8Dio as example.
8Dio founded in 2011 (23 years later than EW ), but has more than double the likes. (It's just from their facebook pages /Oct.28.2015)

Company --------------- likes ----------- founded in
==========================================
NI (KOMPLETE only) --- 439.786 ------- 1996
8Dio ------------------- 70.318 -------- 2011
EastWest Sounds ------ 31.234 -------- 1988
Sonokinetic Ltd -------- 17.345 -------- 2008
Spitfire Audio ---------- 13.607 -------- ???? (but relatively new)
Cinesamples ----------- 13.357 -------- 2007


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## atw (Oct 28, 2015)

EW is maybe loosing potential customers. Their products/sounds are one of the best (for me at least). And I guess they have the best bundle price. But iLOK don't let me push the buy button. Maybe iLOK isn't a good idea.

And now, Native Instruments and Soundiron want to do the Symphony Series..... I guess that can shake a little.

Maybe this is interesting too: (It's just from the NI facebook pages /Oct.28.2015)
Likes:
NI (KOMPLETE only) --- 439.786
NI (MACHINE only) ---- 429.476
NI (Traktor only) ---- 1.020.823


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## atw (Oct 28, 2015)

I won't go deeper with this. It's just a hint and maybe i am right.
But what I can definitely say is: If i can get a non-iLOK version (like those from most other developers. Just watermarking),
then i would take a Hollywood Orchestra bundle and a CCC Pro 4 bundle (~8 items) right now.


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## kitekrazy (Oct 28, 2015)

My VSL licenses still need the elicenser. I use to be anti dongle but when you have so many other licenses that require other types of authorization it can be time consuming on a reformat or new build. Then you have to hope those authorizations go through. This is what you have to go through with multiple machines. Dongles are not great for laptop users. For desktops I put them on USB hubs to avoid damage.


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## AllanH (Oct 28, 2015)

atw said:


> ... If i can get a non-iLOK version (like those from most other developers. Just watermarking),
> then i would take a Hollywood Orchestra bundle and a CCC Pro 4 bundle (~8 items) right now.


Supposedly, the HO now support a machine license. It's still PACE software (yikes!), but without the iLok device. I decided to chance it


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## atw (Oct 28, 2015)

Both iLOK dongle and iLOK machine license are third party. In my opinion there is no need for both. Just another company in the chain who wants money. As i said above, there are more things to add regarding the iLOK but i won't start another discussion about that. Just see at the other companies, they grow too.

AllanH: If you have more information about machine license later, then msg me please.


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## AllanH (Oct 28, 2015)

atw said:


> Both iLOK dongle and iLOK machine license are third party. ...
> 
> AllanH: If you have more information about machine license later, then msg me please.



I hope to give the HO install a go over the week-end with a machine license. I got a new 1 TB SSD for the samples, so it ought to work well.
I'll certainly let you know and share my experiences.


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## atw (Oct 29, 2015)

AllanH said:


> I hope to give the HO install a go over the week-end with a machine license. I got a new 1 TB SSD for the samples, so it ought to work well.
> I'll certainly let you know and share my experiences.



That would be fine, thank you AllanH.


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## Lode_Runner (Oct 30, 2015)

If anyone missed out, four days is now seven but it's still on sale.


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## MarcelM (Oct 30, 2015)

on the 28th east west announced at their facebook page that the sale gets extended for a week.

well actually its the third time on sale for this price, and iam pretty sure there is something coming for the black friday sale aswell. maybe something even better? who knows


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## AllanH (Oct 30, 2015)

*Review of installing EWQL HO Diamond with iLok Machine License.*


I have always had concerns about iLoK and have so far been unwilling to purchase any products with an iLok key. I simply don’t know anyone with an iLok who have not been locked out for extended periods of times and gotten very angry with PACE and their various “insurance/replacement” programs.

The generous HO Diamond deal convinced me to give it a try, and since a few have messaged me for my experiences, here they are.


*Summary*: Flawless – I’m impressed.

The installation was flawless and the installer one of the best I’ve ever used. I’m impressed given the complexity with the iLok system services. Everything worked the first time without fail.


*Background*:

I purchased a 1 TB SSD and installed HO/D to the SSD. The system is a 4 core AMD with 16 GB of DDR3 meeting the recommended specs. I’m using it to run Sonar, Kontakt with Albion, Miroslav, Garritan CFX, and Pianoteq, so it’s acceptable while not recent.


*Installation*

I used the install link from the purchase email. I downloaded an installer dated 10/19/2015, i.e. 10 days old. The installer on disk was from August. The email also had a link to a video illustrating an install. I followed along until the video no longer matched installing from USB. The video was clearly for the new Cloud offering. I then switched to the instructions on the provided USB disk. There are a total of nearly 1.7M files. The copy for me took 13 hours, but I had mistakenly connected the USB drive to a slower port on the front.

The installer contains all the licensing, and allowed me to download and install the latest Play with one click. I had to redirect the licensing directory to the SSD folder where the various HO folders were located. I then activated with one click all four licenses as machine licenses. It took seconds.

The default setting of Play was Direct Sound. Changed that to ASIO.


*Sound of the Instruments*

I had read all sorts of things about how difficult it was to make HO sound “good”. So I was both curious and bit nervous where I would end up on the “hissy cat” to Thomas Bergersen spectrum.

I loaded up many different versions of the instruments, and I can only say that I’m impressed. The sampling is exquisite. I can hear the bow hit the strings, some of the little “scratchy” sounds in the violas, etc. The various mics give lots of possibility and the reverb engine is excellent.

HO is very different from the “smooth” orchestral libraries such as Albion and even Miroslav. However, the detail is just delightful and stunning. For the first time some of my music sounds like it’s being played by a person as opposed to just an instrument.

So while I have far to go to reach the Bergersen end of the spectrum, I’m very excited about the potential while recognizing that I’ve probably only touched 1% or less of the instruments and settings. It’s obviously very different from my Miroslav, and a quick “port” of a Miroslav composition using Sonar will definitely need some work before it sounds balanced and elegant again. I was recognizable though noticeably different.

*Performance of Play: *

Loading of samples is quick and comparable to Albion etc. 5-10 seconds for a multi sample. CPU load is a tad heavier that e.g. Sampletank or Kontakt/Albion. I saw about 25% to 35% CPU utilization with six Play tracks loaded. No pops or clicks.


*In summary*: Perfect install experience, excellent sound, lots of work ahead.

I hope this was helpful and answers some of the previous questions

Allan


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## EastWest Lurker (Oct 30, 2015)

So nice to hear Allan. If I can be of any help let me know.


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## kitekrazy (Oct 31, 2015)

Ryan99 said:


> +1 . I'm on the same boat as you do. I love the EastWest libraries, as I own most of them, but I don't like the fact that I have to pay almost as much as a new owner to get only one library I don't have, while a new owner pay just a little more to get 4 products, including the only one I don't have, and gets the free harp on top of that.
> 
> I think that EastWest should add some modulation on cases like this if they don't want to alienate their most loyal customers in the long term. *Something like Spitfire Audio is doing to let buyers complete their bundle while paying only for the libraries they don't own in the bundle.*



If you are a hobbyist it's not as affordable to get on the ground floor of Spitfire vs. EW.


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## lpuser (Oct 31, 2015)

atw said:


> Just another company in the chain who wants money.



But you realize that this "other" company employs people and feeds families. So how ist this bad? Copy protection is copy protection and I know companies who have setup their own protection schemes. As a result, they need to invest into maintaining their licensing infrastructure, adapt to current threats etc. and still some of their libraries are cracked - all of which costs money, too. In my opinion, there is often a reason to leave things to people who are in that exact business, rather than everyone re-inventing the wheel over and over again.


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## atw (Nov 1, 2015)

lpuser said:


> But you realize that this "other" company employs people and feeds families. So how ist this bad? Copy protection is copy protection and I know companies who have setup their own protection schemes. As a result, they need to invest into maintaining their licensing infrastructure, adapt to current threats etc. and still some of their libraries are cracked - all of which costs money, too. In my opinion, there is often a reason to leave things to people who are in that exact business, rather than everyone re-inventing the wheel over and over again.



Your quote isn't fair. There is a sentence right after the one you quoted. In this case, they belong together.
It contains all the information, why I think like that. But as I said above (2x), I don't want to start another discussion about the iLOK. We can go too much off topic. 


Now it looks like i am waiting...until dinner time...and then run in and take the chicken from the plates of the iLOK people. And then eating all that chicken myself, like Gollum searching a corner and eating it there. (Don't say it was fish!! )

But in short:
1. Instead of punishing/hiting the pirates, iLOK punishs/hits those who buy the products.
So those who buy it have to pay something for something which they haven't done.

2. And another point, why i think iLOK isn't necessary: See at the other non-iLOK companies. ==> They grow too!

3. Here is more to say, but i won't start another discussion about iLOK here!!!

As i said above, I would have purchased many of EWQL's products by now. But because of iLOK I didn't.
I was very close to do it several times, because of the combination of very good sound and very good price.
And I don't think i am the only one.


And to answer your unfair quotation , yes I realize it.

I am a software developer (computer science) but worked in a restaurant kitchen, in the past.
They can work there too and feed their families. Why should i pay them, when other do pirating? 
But money isn't the only reason for me...(see point 3).

Maybe the opinions about iLOK are different, depending on the income everyone has, i don't know.
But ATM, I am not the best friend of iLOK. Bad income!

This is just my opinion, ATM. And of course others do like it.

OTOH EastWest offers the new machine license system now, which i guess i like. At least it looks interesting. I hope to know more about it.



PS: Lode_Runner, sorry for going off topic so much.
PS: If VI-Control ever organizes a meeting (like a pick nick with good weather), then I will take care of the grill. 



Best Regards
my precioussssssssssssssssssssss


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## EastWest Lurker (Nov 1, 2015)

Before I ever worked for EW I had an iLok for Pro Tools and some other stuff and whenever there was an option to add a license to it, I accepted it, like with PSP. I just have never viewed it as a punishment. I loved that I could go to someone's studio to help them, plug in an external HD and the iLok and get to work with my stuff. Personally, I get more frustrated with the challenge/response approach and the N.I. Service Center, which usually works well for me but at times has been problematic for my clients.

Ditto the e-Licenser key, Ditto the old Logic Pro XS key.

But I understand and accept that fact that it has not been as smooth a trip for some as for me.


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## lpuser (Nov 2, 2015)

atw said:


> Your quote isn't fair. There is a sentence right after the one you quoted. In this case, they belong together.



Hi atw,

I am sorry that it came across this way. That was certainly not my intention.

Apart from having to buy an iLok, there was never an impact for me. The only thing I stumbled across was when I inserted the iLok into an USB port with too little remaining power to drive it. Having that solved, in my opinion iLok is the most non-punishing system when it comes to taking your licenses with you - and even more when cloning hard disks, which wipes out of of the SW based protections but not iLok.

Personally, I am not sure if copy protection does help or not. Sometimes, if I had the chance to keep people from illegally download my music, I probably would - like most other musicians.

Being a beta tester for some companies, I have them seen developing their own protection software. It takes a lot of man power, ressources, testing and - even worse - requires customers to adapt to yet another activation app. So in the end, the customer somehow pays for all of this too with his money or time and in the end, that particular protection might still not be effective. 

Wish you all the best and sorry again for giving the impression that I did unfairly want to quote you.

Tom


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## Lode_Runner (Nov 2, 2015)

atw said:


> PS: Lode_Runner, sorry for going off topic so much.



No problem atw, I reached my decision a couple of pages back.


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## jon wayne (Nov 2, 2015)

I had a whining post months back about the EW deal, but I'm over it. I own HS, HB, HWW, Spaces and have HP through Composer Cloud. I figured I spent about $180 over 6 months just to have percussion. I really don't need any other products they have to offer (except maybe the harp). If I cancelled my CC membership and bought the HP, I would have just about matched the price of the whole orchestra. Anybody out there have any ideas about a better and more inclusive percussion library for about the same money? I am not really concerned about the perfect blend with the strings ,ww, and brass, I just want the most versatile percussion library out there without having to buy the whole deal.


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## AllanH (Nov 2, 2015)

I'm looking forward to them completing the solo string instruments. Currently I'm using Miroslav for anything I miss from HO, including solo instruments. There is a subset of Miroslav included in Sampletank 3, including percussion. I'm not sure how good it is, as I've never really focused on the percussion.


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## AllanH (Nov 3, 2015)

The full (original) Miroslav samples can be imported into ST3. The original is not as processed as the ST3, but can be made to sound very well.


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## MarcelM (Nov 3, 2015)

jon wayne said:


> I had a whining post months back about the EW deal, but I'm over it. I own HS, HB, HWW, Spaces and have HP through Composer Cloud. I figured I spent about $180 over 6 months just to have percussion. I really don't need any other products they have to offer (except maybe the harp). If I cancelled my CC membership and bought the HP, I would have just about matched the price of the whole orchestra. Anybody out there have any ideas about a better and more inclusive percussion library for about the same money? I am not really concerned about the perfect blend with the strings ,ww, and brass, I just want the most versatile percussion library out there without having to buy the whole deal.


rhapsody percussion from impact soundworks sounds very good and is even cheaper than HOP.
you will hear alot of good things about it here if you search for it.


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## Vin (Nov 7, 2015)

Anyone uses a Hollywood Orchestra Gold full template? Wondering how much RAM an average full orchestral template occupies.

Gold is Decca tree only?


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## trumpoz (Nov 7, 2015)

Mines about 26GB - gets me through 95% of what I need


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## MarcelM (Nov 7, 2015)

hollywood strings and hollywood winds have mid mic only, while hollywood brass and hollywood percussion have the main mic.

the main mic is overall better to my and many other ears and most diamond owners just use the main mic.


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## EastWest Lurker (Nov 7, 2015)

Heroix said:


> hollywood strings and hollywood winds have mid mic only, while hollywood brass and hollywood percussion have the main mic.
> 
> the main mic is overall better to my and many other ears and most diamond owners just use the main mic.



Nick Phoenix prefers the mid for HS, which is why it is the one with Gold, as do I.
And definitely the mid is the better choice for HOW because of the legato transitions IMHO.


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## Vin (Nov 8, 2015)

EastWest Lurker said:


> Nick Phoenix prefers the mid for HS, which is why it is the one with Gold, as do I.
> And definitely the mid is the better choice for HOW because of the legato transitions IMHO.



Great, thanks for the answers, guys.

Just a few more questions:

- Can you run Hollywood Orchestra without physical iLok now? I'm not a fan of dongles.

- I see that col legno is listed as an articulation in Hollywood Strings. It's only col legno battuto, not tratto, I presume?

- Jay, free harp promotion is only now and that's it?

I'm on one (pretty solid, i7-5820k @ 4.2 GHz, 32 GB RAM, full SSD - 850 EVO) PC machine, I assume that Gold would run without significant problems?


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## Lassi Tani (Nov 8, 2015)

Vin said:


> Great, thanks for the answers, guys.
> 
> Just a few more questions:
> 
> ...



Ilok is required. From EastWest support page: After installing the PLAY software and library, the 'Authorization Wizard' program must be used to authorize the software to your physical iLok key (which is required for all PLAY titles).

Your machine is fine for Gold.

EDIT: Apparently the website is old. Please ignore my quote from EastWest support page.


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## Vin (Nov 8, 2015)

sekkosiki said:


> Ilok is required. From EastWest support page: After installing the PLAY software and library, the 'Authorization Wizard' program must be used to authorize the software to your physical iLok key (which is required for all PLAY titles).
> 
> Your machine is fine for Gold.



Ah, that's a bummer. Maybe Composer Cloud is a better option for me then.


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## Lode_Runner (Nov 8, 2015)

Lode_Runner said:


> If anyone missed out, four days is now seven but it's still on sale.


... and seven days is now sixteen ...


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## EastWest Lurker (Nov 8, 2015)

Just a few more questions:

_- Can you run Hollywood Orchestra without physical iLok now? I'm not a fan of dongles._

- I see that col legno is listed as an articulation in Hollywood Strings. It's only col legno battuto, not tratto, I presume?

-_ Jay, free harp promotion is only now and that's it?_

How long has yet to be decided, but it won't be indefinitely.

_I'm on one (pretty solid, i7-5820k @ 4.2 GHz, 32 GB RAM, full SSD - 850 EVO) PC machine, I assume that Gold would run without significant problems?_

I would assume it as well.[/QUOTE]


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## EastWest Lurker (Nov 8, 2015)

sekkosiki said:


> Ilok is required. From EastWest support page: After installing the PLAY software and library, the 'Authorization Wizard' program must be used to authorize the software to your physical iLok key (which is required for all PLAY titles).
> 
> Your machine is fine for Gold.



That is old info. You now can use a machine license instead of a physical iLok.
http://www.soundsonline.com/Support?section=licensing&article=


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## Lassi Tani (Nov 8, 2015)

EastWest Lurker said:


> That is old info. You now can use a machine license instead of a physical iLok.
> http://www.soundsonline.com/Support?section=licensing&article=



Oh, I didn't know that. Thanks! The text here could be fixed then : http://www.soundsonline.com/Authorize-PLAY-To-ILok-Key


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## Vin (Nov 8, 2015)

That's good news. Thanks, Jay.


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## atw (Nov 10, 2015)

Lode_Runner said:


> ... and seven days is now sixteen ...


Where do you see it ?


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## Lode_Runner (Nov 10, 2015)

atw said:


> Where do you see it ?


http://www.soundsonline.com/Hollywood-Orchestra
I still get the big picture that says 'four days only $599 (save 80%)' and when I click on buy now, the next screen has the purchase options and prices (still at $599 for Diamond, $399 for download of Gold, $299 for Silver).


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## AllanH (Nov 10, 2015)

sekkosiki said:


> Ilok is required. From EastWest support page: After installing the PLAY software and library, the 'Authorization Wizard' program must be used to authorize the software to your physical iLok key (which is required for all PLAY titles).
> Your machine is fine for Gold.



I think the website is out of date.

As an FYI, I had the same concern and documented my installation of HO Diamond using a machine license. I just got the Harp yesterday, and that also installed and licensed properly with a Machine License.

Here's the write-up if it's of interest. 
http://vi-control.net/community/threads/east-west-hollywood-orchestra-deal.49318/page-7#post-3906916


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## Maestro1972 (Nov 10, 2015)

When will the harp be available to those of us who already own the Hollywood Series (Diamond Editions)? I keep looking for the email and going to the web site but don't see any options for just the harp?


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## AllanH (Nov 10, 2015)

Maestro1972 said:


> When will the harp be available to those of us who already own the Hollywood Series (Diamond Editions)? I keep looking for the email and going to the web site but don't see any options for just the harp?



I did not receive any notifications via email or otherwise. I logged into the Software Install app and yesterday PM the Harp showed up as a downloadable item with a pending authentication. FWIW - I have HO Diamond from a few weeks ago, so they must be close to having processed their history as mine is very recent.


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## ericboehme (Nov 10, 2015)

Is EW HO Diamond really worth it over the gold HO? Diamond seems like a terrible resource hog.


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## AllanH (Nov 11, 2015)

In my experience (on a modest system) I have found Play to be efficient and not a resource hog in itself. The Diamond samples are large and any particular instrument often loads multiple layers at the same time. I often see Play indicate ~80 voices when I'm just playing e.g. 6 notes. This is significant.

What makes Play a "resource hog" is simply the fact that i loads very large amounts of data. I've hooked Play up to my development tools, and I think Play itself is tight and well-written, and does a very good job of managing samples that are many times the amount of available memory.

My Garritan CFX (a Piano library) with GBs of samples for just one instrument, similarly takes a long time to load up.

I think it's worth it.


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## EastWest Lurker (Nov 11, 2015)

I think Allan H is correct about this, it is simply a size thing. Hollywood Orchestral Percussion Diamond patches, which are _way_ smaller than Hollywood Strings Diamond patches, loads far more quickly and uses less RAM.


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## prodigalson (Nov 11, 2015)

I apologize if this has already been mentioned elsewhere, I tried to search through this thread and couldn't find anything but what is the difference between Hollywood Harp Gold and Diamond? Just mic positions? or is there a reduced set of Articulations?


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## EastWest Lurker (Nov 11, 2015)

More mic positions, and 24 bit instead of 16 bit samples.


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## prodigalson (Nov 11, 2015)

EastWest Lurker said:


> More mic positions, and 24 bit instead of 16 bit samples.



Thanks. So Gold comes with a Mid or Tree mic? last question I promise.


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## EastWest Lurker (Nov 11, 2015)

prodigalson said:


> Thanks. So Gold comes with a Mid or Tree mic? last question I promise.



Mid.


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## ptsmith (Nov 11, 2015)

The other resource to consider is hard drive space. If I added correctly, not including Harp, Diamond takes 695GB of space and Gold takes 98GB. Assuming there's no sonic difference between 24 bit and 16 bit (debatable - I personally believe there isn't), the only difference is the number of mic positions, RAM used, CPU load? (not sure) and the price. I have Gold and a DAW easily capable of running Diamond, and would like to have the extra mics, but not enough to burn that much HD space.


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## SirKen (Nov 11, 2015)

ptsmith said:


> Assuming there's no sonic difference between 24 bit and 16 bit (debatable - I personally believe there isn't)



24 bit recordings deal with noise floor better when you stack multiple instruments or play articulations with lower dynamics.


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## ericboehme (Nov 11, 2015)

Thanks for the advice on Gold and Diamond. I am not convinced that 24 bit will be a differentiator for me. I am going to try all the gold products using the CC option with EW and see how it goes. Try before buy sorta thing.


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## prodigalson (Nov 11, 2015)

ptsmith said:


> The other resource to consider is hard drive space. If I added correctly, not including Harp, Diamond takes 695GB of space and Gold takes 98GB. Assuming there's no sonic difference between 24 bit and 16 bit (debatable - I personally believe there isn't), the only difference is the number of mic positions, RAM used, CPU load? (not sure) and the price. I have Gold and a DAW easily capable of running Diamond, and would like to have the extra mics, but not enough to burn that much HD space.



True, but you don't necessarily have to have every mic position for every library installed on your sample drive at the same time.


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## jononotbono (Nov 12, 2015)

I am planning on my next big Library to be EW HO Platinum. I won't be able to run everything to begin with but the EW demos do the talking and therefore I will just keep adding to my system and probably just buy a dedicated Samsung 1tb SSD for it... And a slave... Or two... Haha!


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## Andoran (Nov 15, 2015)

I'm building a new pc and saw that HO was on sale 80% off, just purchased it. I have Albion One, and Loegria and Iceni, along with Cinematic Strings 2, can't wait to see what these libraries sound like with one another =)
I have been a long time user of EWQLSO, but have waited to get HO until I could build a new pc, so I'm very excited about finally getting to use it!


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