What's new

Thoughts on EW Hollywood Orchestra

Again, nonsense. It takes "hours to make it work" only if you don't know really how to work it. I can get the results I am seeking quickly because I know what I am doing with it. And much as I love CSS there are things I can do with HS that I cannot with CSS.

So how quickly can you program legato speed in EW? Wouldnt you rather a simple midi knob?

How does having useful midi knobs contribute to crappy music? You made a statement with no evidence or explanation.
 
There's room enough for different workflows, some will work well with some libraries and not others. And everyone will prioritize differently between effort, results, and their way of working.

Makes sense if HO is terrible for some people and brilliant for some others.
 
Makes sense if HO is terrible for some people and brilliant for some others.

I would never say that HO is terrible. Just frustrating because it would be so simple for EW to make it awesome with a few adjustments.

I still use it....especially the 6 horns.
The harps have some speciality patches I love to use...and most instruments have patches that you wont find in other libs....so it is useful....just wish they would improve the ease of use.

The HW solo strings are brutal though....in every way.
 
-
So how quickly can you program legato speed in EW? Wouldnt you rather a simple midi knob?

How does having useful midi knobs contribute to crappy music? You made a statement with no evidence or explanation.

Sure, that would be a nice feature. And there are things in CSS that are a pain in the ass as well.

I have neither the time or inclination to continue arguing with you. I stand by my statement that if you can't make great sounding music with HO in a reasonable amount of time you simply lack the skill with it to do so.

And my comment about crappy music meant just what I said, the idea that whatever is easiest is synonymous for some with what is best.
 
regarding sound, the EW Pianos Platinum Edition is one of the best grand pianos on the market!
especially the platinum - Steinway & Platinum - Bechstein.

Until you play a run of notes and accidently change velocities....worst velocity transitions ive ever seen.
 
You answered your own question. Why use the library that takes hours to make it work when other libraries only take minutes?

Because like I mentioned, the EW stuff sounds better to me (just my opinion of course). It always humours me when people buy a product and then expect it to work within minutes. Manuals are there for a reason.

BTW- legato speeds are controlled by velocity in HS.

Not sure what you mean about EW refusing to add a swell/dynamics knob. CC's are fully assignable by right clicking and choosing MIDI Learn.....just like Kontakt. Also, a large chunk of the HO patches already utilize the MOD wheel for this.

EW Pianos are the worst on the market? All a matter of opinion, but I definitely wouldn't label them as the worst. I personally like them, and use them regularly.
 
Manuals are there for a reason.

BTW- legato speeds are controlled by velocity in HS.

Not sure what you mean about EW refusing to add a swell/dynamics knob. CC's are fully assignable by right clicking and choosing MIDI Learn.....just like Kontakt. Also, a large chunk of the HO patches already utilize the MOD wheel for this

As for legato speed with velocity....i hate that method....but that may be a matter of preference and as a lifelong pianist, the idea of hitting the keyboard harder or softer to control legato speed just isnt natural for me.
 
Last edited:
There's room enough for different workflows, some will work well with some libraries and not others. And everyone will prioritize differently between effort, results, and their way of working.

Makes sense if HO is terrible for some people and brilliant for some others.

I think this means that HO *isn't terrible at all*, but some people just have different preferences. I'm sure there are libraries on the market that I would find more difficult to use than HO, but that is a problem with my approach to them, not with those libraries.
 
So how quickly can you program legato speed in EW? Wouldnt you rather a simple midi knob?

Simple answer, no. I much prefer it.

If HO used a midi knob for this I would find it more, not less, difficult to use. And if I refused to accept that it used a midi knob instead of velocity, I think it would be my own mistake just as much as refusing to work with the idiosyncrasies of real instruments.
 
I would never say that HO is terrible. Just frustrating because it would be so simple for EW to make it awesome with a few adjustments.

I still use it....especially the 6 horns.
The harps have some speciality patches I love to use...and most instruments have patches that you wont find in other libs....so it is useful....just wish they would improve the ease of use.

The HW solo strings are brutal though....in every way.
Thanks for mentioning the 6 Horns. GOOD

I have EW and keep thinking I hate it because I try the worst patches when needing something specific. The phasing on so many of the solo presets is terrible if you are playing something exposed.

You just have to dig through and see what is good and what isn't.
 
In case it'll help somebody - a very rough quick comparison of solo French Horn from HOB (Leg Slur Rep patch), Cinematic Studio Brass, and CineBrass Core - in that order. This isn't my MIDI file so I didn't tweak it too much apart from CC1, but for CSB, modified the velocities in a couple of places to change the legato speed and also one section to trigger the repeated note feature. CineBrass is just the true legato patch they have. I'm not the best programmer by any stretch of the imagination, but I personally like the tone and smoothness of CSB compared to the other two. Very easy to program as well (and pretty full featured in terms of legato speeds, repetitions, etc).
 

Attachments

  • BrassComparison.mp3
    3.8 MB · Views: 113
In case it'll help somebody - a very rough quick comparison of solo French Horn from HOB (Leg Slur Rep patch), Cinematic Studio Brass, and CineBrass Core - in that order. This isn't my MIDI file so I didn't tweak it too much apart from CC1, but for CSB, modified the velocities in a couple of places to change the legato speed and also one section to trigger the repeated note feature. CineBrass is just the true legato patch they have. I'm not the best programmer by any stretch of the imagination, but I personally like the tone and smoothness of CSB compared to the other two. Very easy to program as well (and pretty full featured in terms of legato speeds, repetitions, etc).
Yikes....HOB is terrible.

I like some things about that last clip the best. There are parts so it that sound very real. I am a Horn player (not my first or second for that matter...instrument).

I'll have to look into those libs.
 
I don’t know who and how used these patches, but the last example sounds best, probably it’s the CineBrass Core or?
 
I don’t know who and how used these patches, but the last example sounds best, probably it’s the CineBrass Core or?

Yes it’s Cinebrass Core. Once again, just the MIDI I found running through these patches with some CC1 added. I’m sure you can make all three sound better but if you can spend less time achieving a good result with one and you like the tone, that’s objectively a better library. To me, that’s CSB.
 
I use EWHB all the time. I think it sounds fantastic! As mentioned above deffo needs a good reverb to really bring it to life. The 6 horn legato patch is probably my most used brass patch ever.
 
In case it'll help somebody - a very rough quick comparison of solo French Horn from HOB (Leg Slur Rep patch), Cinematic Studio Brass, and CineBrass Core - in that order. This isn't my MIDI file so I didn't tweak it too much apart from CC1, but for CSB, modified the velocities in a couple of places to change the legato speed and also one section to trigger the repeated note feature. CineBrass is just the true legato patch they have. I'm not the best programmer by any stretch of the imagination, but I personally like the tone and smoothness of CSB compared to the other two. Very easy to program as well (and pretty full featured in terms of legato speeds, repetitions, etc).

Why are you using legato repetition patch for a standard legato part? Legato rep is for repeating the same notes.
 
Why are you using legato repetition patch for a standard legato part? Legato rep is for repeating the same notes.
I Was actually JUST trying the standard Legato Slur Solo Horn.
It has issues...playing low dynamics, often the release and/or legato play way too loud causing odd artifacts.

The "good reverb bringing it to life" is covering up the artifacts.
 
Top Bottom