What's new

East West orchestra choice

Wow you have some great tools in your hands! After all these great libraries you have been using, it's no wonder that EW do not make you so excited! :P

OK I will really consider VSL then, even if EW has the lead so far (for all the reasons I mentioned)!

It's a little off topic, but could you tell me what made you feel buyer's remorse with Steinberg Iconica?

You can download Iconica from the Steinberg page and test it for 30 days. If there's a way to test it, I can only recommend it.

Read the forum, look at reviews. General questions en masse are not helpful.

I'm sorry, You don't know what you want and until you've tried one of these librarys yourself it's not appropriate to say that it's no wonder if a user doesn't like HO because he has so many other librarys. Makes no sense.

dsblais is a user who doesn't like HO that much and there are more of them. Thats fine, because that's everyone's personal experience and taste. But this is not a general statement that will get you ahead.

You will also find enough users who claim the opposite. And now? Do you seriously want to make a decision on this basis?

It's like asking if you should buy the green or the red shirt.

Budget now under 300, correct? This limits the possibilities. If I give you a recommendation and it is wrong, what then?

I have many high-quality librarys, and HO is one of them, even if it is almost given away today. I can't say anything about the EWSO, I don't have it. I decided against it when it was in the selection relatively quickly because it didn't offer what I was looking for.

Albion was suggested, is also a possibility. Nucleus, VSL SE, Kirk Hunter Ensembles, The Orchestra, and so much more... But as long as you don't even begin to know what you want, the risk of throwing money out of the window is far too great.

Which articulations are important? Which ones are a must have, which ones can be dispensed with?
Not every library has the full range of dynamic. Some go only f, others to fff. What is important to you? Punch, warmth, flexibility, timbre, quality, quantity?

There is a reason why many people have multiple librarys, think about it.
Answer these questions yourself, then the decision becomes easy because it limits the choices in a confusing market.

Save on the big solution and then you'll see if that was the right decision or not. But even there is no guarantee that you will be satisfied. I think almost every one of us has mispurchased.

I don't want to be unfriendly, somehow this won't get you anywhere until you can answer the most important questions for yourself.
 
I'm a hobbyist that for the longest time had Miroslav Filharmonik and Edirol Orchestral as the best things I had to work with. So I get where you're coming from pretty well. Also like you, I'm now strongly considering VSL, but that's neither here nor there. :P

Anyway, earlier this year, I bought EWSO, and I don't regret it. The sound itself was a joy to work with after coming of serious entry-level stuff. But more importantly, working with it taught me what I do and don't like in a VST. And one of the things I've found myself not liking, is needing to use different midi channels to effectively use different articulations.

This is a thing both SO and HO have, so if this is a thing that you don't like, neither libraries are for you. In this case, I would suggest Iconica Section and Players, or wait until Nucleus or BBCSO are out.
 
You can download Iconica from the Steinberg page and test it for 30 days. If there's a way to test it, I can only recommend it.

Read the forum, look at reviews. General questions en masse are not helpful.

I'm sorry, You don't know what you want and until you've tried one of these librarys yourself it's not appropriate to say that it's no wonder if a user doesn't like HO because he has so many other librarys. Makes no sense.

dsblais is a user who doesn't like HO that much and there are more of them. Thats fine, because that's everyone's personal experience and taste. But this is not a general statement that will get you ahead.

You will also find enough users who claim the opposite. And now? Do you seriously want to make a decision on this basis?

It's like asking if you should buy the green or the red shirt.

Budget now under 300, correct? This limits the possibilities. If I give you a recommendation and it is wrong, what then?

I have many high-quality librarys, and HO is one of them, even if it is almost given away today. I can't say anything about the EWSO, I don't have it. I decided against it when it was in the selection relatively quickly because it didn't offer what I was looking for.

Albion was suggested, is also a possibility. Nucleus, VSL SE, Kirk Hunter Ensembles, The Orchestra, and so much more... But as long as you don't even begin to know what you want, the risk of throwing money out of the window is far too great.

Which articulations are important? Which ones are a must have, which ones can be dispensed with?
Not every library has the full range of dynamic. Some go only f, others to fff. What is important to you? Punch, warmth, flexibility, timbre, quality, quantity?

There is a reason why many people have multiple librarys, think about it.
Answer these questions yourself, then the decision becomes easy because it limits the choices in a confusing market.

Save on the big solution and then you'll see if that was the right decision or not. But even there is no guarantee that you will be satisfied. I think almost every one of us has mispurchased.

I don't want to be unfriendly, somehow this won't get you anywhere until you can answer the most important questions for yourself.
I know very well what I want! I have the answers to all your questions! But I suppose that if I started listing ALL the articulations that I want, it could be extremely detailed and boring for you!

I do not want a sketch library, that's why I never mentioned The Orchestra or Albion One! Of course if one day I buy Iconica Opus, I will not be unhappy for having the Enseble library for some quick impressive results! But I am not looking for that right now! I really thought it was clear!

As I mentioned earlier I want to replace GPO 5 with a better sounding orchestra (LOL that's not so hard, I know)! My music channel will feature "generic" symphonic/epic/fantasy/Celtic songs! It's obvious that I am interested in organic libraries (synths and pads are have zero interest for me - I also thought it was clear)!

So under $300 as we speak I have 2 very nice options! EWHO vs EWQLSO (both Gold Editions)! I may appear confused but as you can see in the end I know what I want!

You can see me confused because I really feel that the "better choice" is EWHO, since it's newer, bigger (more articulations), features true legato and much more flexible mic! And I know that if I take my time to explore it and learn to use it well, maybe I will never need Iconica in the end (just an example)!

I would have already purchased it, if I was not thinking that I have an opportunity to buy the EWQLSO instead, and offer myself solo strings plus small strings ensembles and woodwinds ensembles!

Imagine the GoT main theme (OK I know this example is too cliche)! Would it be easier to create such songs with EWQLSO or with EWHO? Do I need crazy runs and trills articulations or bow change legato to write such style of songs? For sure not! As I mentioned many times I just want the instruments in my songs to sound more realistic, more nice, more real! That's all! And now I have a real opportunity to do it, thanks to EW Labor Sales! :)

BTW I would choose the green shirt! :P
 
Last edited:
dsblais is a user who doesn't like HO that much and there are more of them. Thats fine, because that's everyone's personal experience and taste. But this is not a general statement that will get you ahead.
I was talking about the power of numbers! I mean, my cousin has watched 20 movies in her life and every new movie she watches makes her excited! Really now! A friend of mine has watched 2342423523420 movies in his life! He is not impressed so easily anymore...

Like me: When I first played Baldur's Gate (an old role playing video game) I got shocked! I will never forget the experience! After playing all Baldur's Gates, Icewind Dales, Pillars of Eternity, and many other similar games, I cannot feel the same excitement!

So if I replace i.e. my low strings passage (from GPO5 -> EWHO) I might faint from excitement, and at the same time dsblais will never understand what's happening to me!

That's what I meant! Or at least tried to do!
 
First of all, you should ask yourself "Do I want to sound Hollywood?", because EWHO sounds like Hollywood! From that point you could focus on what orchestra fits the best in your music.
 
Yes, some of my songs (the most symphonic/epic ones) would be nice to have a big Hollywood sound! It would be a benefit for them, and they will sound impressive!

Meanwhile, check the description of EWQLSO from EW official site:

"The EASTWEST/QUANTUM LEAP SYMPHONIC ORCHESTRA eclipses all others with the highest level of fidelity and realism. Get that big "Hollywood Sound" film/tv/games directors and producers seek "out of the box", no other orchestral collection comes close or is as easy to use!"

So Symphonic Orchestra is advertised by its own creators to give you this big Hollywood sound as well!

If someone paid you to do a realistic cover of GoT main theme (again sorry for the cliche example), would you choose HO or SO? In case you have worked with both HO and SO, I am really interested in your reply!
 
Rule #1 of looking at... pretty much any product, really: Ignore the marketing surrounding it. It will tell you as much as listening to white noise would.

With that said, you could pull off an natural, filmic score with both SO and HO. But for your specific example, one would need additional solo strings in using HO, as those aren't a part of that library. SO also includes some taikos, (more mute and less booming that in Storm Drum and similar libraries) that one could use for the percussion track in the GoT theme.

Ultimately, if you don't mind using multiple midi tracks, and are leaning towards the EW orchestras, this is the question to ask yourself: Do I want a greater variety of instruments, or do I want higher sound quality? If it's the former, go SO. The latter, HO.

Side note: There are some errors in SO in the panning on staccato notes of the horns and violas. One note will be panned correctly, another more to the right, and another far to the left. This produces a terrible zig-zag effect. I have no idea how this got passed QA, and how after all this time, it hasn't been fixed.
I don't know if HO has any issues like this, never used it.
 
Rule #1 of looking at... pretty much any product, really: Ignore the marketing surrounding it. It will tell you as much as listening to white noise would.

With that said, you could pull off an natural, filmic score with both SO and HO. But for your specific example, one would need additional solo strings in using HO, as those aren't a part of that library. SO also includes some taikos, (more mute and less booming that in Storm Drum and similar libraries) that one could use for the percussion track in the GoT theme.

Ultimately, if you don't mind using multiple midi tracks, and are leaning towards the EW orchestras, this is the question to ask yourself: Do I want a greater variety of instruments, or do I want higher sound quality? If it's the former, go SO. The latter, HO.

Side note: There are some errors in SO in the panning on staccato notes of the horns and violas. One note will be panned correctly, another more to the right, and another far to the left. This produces a terrible zig-zag effect. I have no idea how this got passed QA, and how after all this time, it hasn't been fixed.
I don't know if HO has any issues like this, never used it.
Thank you for your advice!

I suppose you are referring to the solo cello in the GoT main theme... Lovely sound, epic melody! You are right about that! I already knew that if I go for EWHO I am going to need a solo strings library in the near future! More expensive solution, but for sure the quality and detail of EWHO + Dedicated Solo Strings Library will be higher than EWQLSO!

Thank you for mentioning, but don't worry about taikos, I will soon have them in my little collection from a dedicated organic/epic/world percussion library! :)

About these little panning mistakes in the EWQLSO, are you using the latest version (Play 6)? And they are still there?
 
I'm on the latest version of Play, yes. And the issue indeed is still there. It's not the end of the world for me, but if you're looking for a library that'll last you while, it's something to strongly consider.

On that note, you ought to take into consideration if you want to use these as something to tide you over while getting better acquainted with orchestration, or a workhorse library. If it's the latter, you might be better served to simply save your money for something else entirely.
 
I'm on the latest version of Play, yes. And the issue indeed is still there. It's not the end of the world for me, but if you're looking for a library that'll last you while, it's something to strongly consider.

On that note, you ought to take into consideration if you want to use these as something to tide you over while getting better acquainted with orchestration, or a workhorse library. If it's the latter, you might be better served to simply save your money for something else entirely.
Thank you for sharing this little detail that's easy to be overlooked! Your help is valuable! Of course it's not the end of the world, but it's good to know about minor "bugs" that are still there! I must decide soon anyway, the crazy offer in VSTBuzz is ending after a few hours!
 
Glad to be of help. :emoji_grinning:

Don't worry about missing the sale, EW themselves put their products on sale all the time.
Hell, they have one going as we speak, which will last until the 9th. So don't feel pressured into deciding. Haste makes waste, after all. :P
 
Glad to be of help. :emoji_grinning:

Don't worry about missing the sale, EW themselves put their products on sale all the time.
Hell, they have one going as we speak, which will last until the 9th. So don't feel pressured into deciding. Haste makes waste, after all. :P
I know, EW have a sale as we "speak"! I was referring to a special VSTBuzz sale, ONLY for EWHO Gold, that expires after 3 hours! But I just tried and got angry! The price is 237 euros, but when you go to order it, it rises to 294 euros because of the tax! Sorry VSTBuzz, I prefer EveryPlugin, where the REAL FINAL price is $276 = 248 euros! And yes this is going to last up to 9th of September! :)
 
Budget now under 300, correct? This limits the possibilities. If I give you a recommendation and it is wrong, what then?

THIS IS GREECE CALLING! :)

The decision has been made! I had two choices, two different options below $300:

1) The emotional choice = Short term choice = Older and a little cheaper = EWQLSO Gold, which would give me nice sound out of the box, simpler to use, I could improve my songs without any effort, many more instruments, including solo strings and small-sized ensembles (plus huge ones)!

2) The rational choice = Long term choice = Newer and a little more expensive = EWHO Gold, which would give me higher quality, flexible mic (very important when you have only one), many articulations for any possible sound that I am gonna ever want, true legato, and I can take my time, learn it, try all the possible sounds, and in the future I can easily complete it with a nice solo strings library (most of them offer true legato and small ensembles), and use it as my main orchestral library for years to come, without the need to spend anytime soon an extra $1000 for (i,e,) BBC Orchestra or Iconica...

As you can see, my dilemma was not a fake one, neither a stupid one, both options would offer me many pros and cons, but this did not mean that I do not know what I want! Being on low budget makes the decision a little more stressful, that's all!

In the end I decided to go with the rational choice, and got the bigger and newer library! So far I am spending hours to check the instruments, the articulations, the 100s of reverb options, and tomorrow I will start replacing the instruments of my songs! It sounds fantastic (including the woodwinds, their sound is very clear and the tone is very nice)! As you may know of course after all these long discussions, this is my first pro library, so I don't have many other products to compare it!

It's really the best value for money product ever made (especially on sales) and it's worth the time to learn it and understand how to use it!

Play 6 is very improved, I want to mention here that even if some people make fun about the long names VB VB NV RR, etc..., in Play 6 (latest version) when you left click on an articulation, it shows full description below! I can see full words, like "Bow Change, Marcato Short, Double Tounge, Round Robin times 4"! (I am looking at it right now)

Also Play 6 and EWHO Gold run very smoothly to my medium PC (Quad-Core i5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD), this is worth mentioning as well!

So thank you AndyP and everyone else for your valuable advice here! When I become worldwide famous, I will mention your names in my interviews! And I will also tell them that a specific guy from Hannover was really upset at some point, but his advice helped me in the end! :P
 
when you left click on an articulation, it shows full description below!

I’ve been using Play forever, I did not know that! Thanks for the tip.

You will not be disappointed with your choice. Hollywood Strings has a steep learning curve, but worth the time invested. Read the manual, watch YouTube videos, and experiment. And of course, have fun.
 
And remember folks, if you are Logic-VE Pro users, I have templates you can buy for either HO Gold or Diamond with Articulation Sets.
 
I’ve been using Play forever, I did not know that! Thanks for the tip.

You will not be disappointed with your choice. Hollywood Strings has a steep learning curve, but worth the time invested. Read the manual, watch YouTube videos, and experiment. And of course, have fun.
Thank you I am having already so much fun! :)

Imagine jumping to this product and its sounds directly from GPO 5! I almost cried with some if the strings sounds!
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom