EastWest constantly has sales on their libraries, so I'm in no rush to get OPUS, but I wold like to know from those who have the original Hollywood Orchestra Diamond Edition as well as OPUS if the recordings have been either fixed or replaced in OPUS or are they the same recordings with added EQs? For example, in EWHO Diamond, in the 1st Violins, the Prerecorded Runs folder has some of the worst noise on the Main and Surround mics that make certain notes in the upper register pretty much unusable. As another example, in the Short Loose folder for Violins 1, the Staccato Slur LS file is so badly out of tune that it's unusable (and it's too bad because I love the aggressive attack).
Question Before Buying Hollywood OPUS
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maxbedroom
Active Member
I was wondering the same thing, but more in terms of patch programming improvements. In the original there was no parity between any legato timings so everything had to be nudged by ear and the only way to rebow the same note was to make a brief CC11 dip - wacky stuff like that. Understandable in 2010 but I'd hope they took the opportunity with Opus to bring it to more modern standards.
Oh, I hope they didn't bake an EQ into the original's samples. Maybe you're referring to the new on-the-fly Mood presets?
Here's another question regarding moving up to OPUS. Does anybody know if the Envelope has been fixed so that if a change is made to an instrument in a multi, it won't affect the envelope of the other instruments? For example, if I make a multi with instruments on 4 different midi channels and decide to change the envelope on channel 1 with a shorter release and then adjust the instrument on channel 2 with a lower sustain level, the sustain level on channel 1 changes right along with the change I made on channel 2. In fact, the envelopes get screwed up with all the instruments on channels 3 and 4 as well even though the visual representations remain the same.
Has anyone tinkered with this who could tell me if it's fixed in OPUS?
Has anyone tinkered with this who could tell me if it's fixed in OPUS?
Crowe
part raven, part troll
They're the same samples, though some instruments have had samples added. Not replaced, really. I don't think there's been any EQ'ing. Some patches have been changed and everything seems to be more cohesive now.
I've honestly not been working with it as much as I should. Something something Albions.
I'm sure there's other folks able to give much more comprehensive answers.
I've honestly not been working with it as much as I should. Something something Albions.
I'm sure there's other folks able to give much more comprehensive answers.
syrinx
Senior Member
I just got HOOPUS but I don't have the old version to compare it to. If you can specify a specific patch and pitch I can check it out for you when I have the time.
Btw, I can't seem to find any "Short Loose" folder in Opus.
Braveheart
Senior Member
Best bang for buck orchestra on the market, especially with Spaces 2 for free
Ashermusic
Senior Member
Yup.
With EastWest putting out content in the Fantasy Orchestra, the subscription option is becoming a consideration since I've already purchased a lot of their older libraries over the years during their sales. My personal preference is to purchase libraries outright instead of monthly/yearly subscriptions, but it's a thought.
Looking at this video It appears that OPUS condensed the folder structure, so instead of there being separate short-tight and short-loose folders like it is in the PLAY engine, OPUS only has a single short folder, so chances are an instrument similar to the 1st Violin Staccato Slur LS file mentioned above would probably be in the Short folder within OPUS (I assume). As @Crowe mentioned above, the samples are the same, so I'm not particularly hopeful here.
I am however curious about the envelope display and its behavior with multiple instruments in a single patch/instance where changing an envelope shape in one screws up the envelopes of the others.
Correct, changing the envelope in one instance doesn't effect other instances, but if I have multiple instruments in a single instance on different channels and change an envelope setting on different channels/instruments, they all get messed up, not just the one channel I'm working on.
For example, there were some instruments in a multi I was creating, where there were artifacts toward the end of a sample that I wanted to avoid by altering the envelope so it faded out before the artifact. This took place on one midi channel, while I had different instruments on other midi channels. If I made any adjustments to another envelope on another channel, all the other envelopes would get messed up, even though they're on different midi channels.
syrinx
Senior Member
If you mean having the instruments as separate patches (like in the picture below), then no they don't change each others' envelopes when one is changed.
If you mean in keyswitches patches, yes the envelope is the same for all patches within.
José Herring
Lost in Cyberspace
The envelopes are independent now per instrument but not per articulation within a the same keyswitch instrument.
Much of the kookiness of the old Play samples are gone. Opus was a big improvement in not just the player but also the patches. Many of the old problematic patches are gone or reworked. Not perfect but neither is any other library.
There are a lot of new samples and sections too. Also, they are constantly improving it. Somewhere along the line they improved just about everything and they are not finished yet.
So true. Every time I think of getting a new library I also pull up HO and wow HO is amazing yet still. Opus is a vast improvement and the stuff just keeps getting better.
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Ashermusic
Senior Member
Hiring Wolfgang Kundrus away from Steinberg was a brilliant choice. Opus is largely his baby.
kgdrum
“Making a mess & calling it Art is where it’s at!”
I last used East West pre-Play I had the EW Gold Edition and never upgraded to Play because of the system requirements for Play with Macs back then, my underpowered Mac would have had too many problems with Play and couldn’t handle Play.
Presently I am using 2012 Mac Pro 12core 3.46 with 96 gig w/SSD’s,DP11 Mojave : will this system be able to handle Opus?
I see in the pages for Background Singers and Voices of Soul they say they are now included in Opus but when I look at Opus I dont see either of these listed as being included in Opus . If I purchase Opus that’s currently selling for $299 (about 900 gig) are these vocal libraries included?
Thanks,
KG
Presently I am using 2012 Mac Pro 12core 3.46 with 96 gig w/SSD’s,DP11 Mojave : will this system be able to handle Opus?
I see in the pages for Background Singers and Voices of Soul they say they are now included in Opus but when I look at Opus I dont see either of these listed as being included in Opus . If I purchase Opus that’s currently selling for $299 (about 900 gig) are these vocal libraries included?
Thanks,
KG
Crossroads
Senior Member
I concur. Best orchestra on the market today. Best? Yes. Best. Bar none.
To answer OP's question: OPUS was a fantastic update and fixed everything wrong with the Diamond library. Really impressive.
Same samples, same gold. Samples don't turn old, programming does. They cleaned it up and totally reprogrammed it, and then put it in the best player on the market AND added the Orchestrator which is bang on for making ostinatos and phrases from scratch that would be damn near impossible to create by playing.
It has things almost no library has: 12 dynamic layers (!) and 16 round robins on some articulations and even round robin legato.
Honestly it is just so goddamn good. It is alround not just the best bang for buck, but also simply the best orchestral library as a whole, simply put. No ifs or buts. Combine it with the (now free) Spaces II and it's heaven!
rAC
Active Member
I think you may have misinterpreted what you’ve read neither Background Singers nor Voices of Soul are included in a purchase of OPUS. Also OPUS is not as far as I can tell available for sale separately anymore - I think it may have been at one stage.
OPUS is the replacement for Play, I think all EastWest’s currently available products have been converted to run under OPUS so if you buy Background Singers or Voices of Soul you will get OPUS with them.
kgdrum
“Making a mess & calling it Art is where it’s at!”
What has me confused is at the bottom of the page for both Voices of Soul and the Background Singer it says :
- Created by award-winning sounds producers Doug Rogers and Nick Phoenix
- Now included in OPUS, along with individual downloads, custom keyswitches, and dozens of MIDI Tools and Mixer Effects
Also I emailed EW tech support and they answered it’s 2 different products Opus Orchestra which doesn’t come with the voice libraries but the said the Opus software does come with the voice libraries included which I don’t see a a product,obviously I am not totally familiar or have a real understanding in the EW product line(it’s been many years)
So what does EW support mean by its included in Opus software? I’m buying libraries I am not considering subscribing to Cloud just in case that makes a difference.
Thanks
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