EastWest Sounds: The Complete Guide to Orchestral Libraries and Virtual Instruments

EastWest Sounds: 35 Years of Excellence in Virtual Instruments

Since its founding in 1988 by Doug Rogers, EastWest Sounds has established itself as the world's number one in virtual instruments and orchestral libraries. With over three decades of innovation, the brand has won over the greatest Hollywood composers, music producers, and studios around the world. Its products are used on countless film soundtracks, TV series, video games, and albums recognized with Oscars and Grammy Awards.

What sets EastWest apart from its competitors is a unique approach to sampling: each instrument is recorded in legendary studios like EastWest Studio 1 in Hollywood, with award-winning sound engineers and the best session musicians. The result is an incredibly realistic, warm sound ready for professional production. The company has always been at the cutting edge of technology, from the earliest samplers to its Opus engine, one of the most advanced sample players on the market.

Today, the EastWest catalog covers absolutely every need of a composer or producer: full symphonic orchestra, concert pianos, drums, percussion, choirs, solo voices, world instruments, guitars, vintage synthesizers, and much more. Whether you are composing for a Hollywood blockbuster, a pop production, an indie video game, or electronic music, EastWest has the sounds you need. And thanks to its ComposerCloud+ subscription, you can access the entire catalog for a very affordable monthly fee.

Hollywood Orchestra Opus Edition: The Absolute Reference

It is impossible to talk about EastWest without mentioning the Hollywood Orchestra, the best-selling and most award-winning orchestral suite in the history of virtual instruments. In its Opus edition, this suite brings together five complete orchestral sections: strings, brass, woodwinds, percussion, and solo harp. Each section was meticulously recorded at the legendary EastWest Studio 1, under the direction of engineers Shawn Murphy (Jurassic Park, Harry Potter) and Nick Phoenix.

The completely redesigned Opus engine offers revolutionary features: an intelligent search engine, the ability to customize downloads to install only what you need, a Mood mode that classifies sounds by emotion, and hundreds of new presets designed by professional composers. The sound quality is simply breathtaking: articulations are surgically precise, the legato is strikingly realistic, and the dynamics cover the entire expressive range, from the softest pianissimo to the most powerful fortissimo.

For composers looking to go beyond the traditional orchestra, the Hollywood Fantasy Orchestra range offers fantasy and medieval instruments: fantasy strings, heroic brass, epic winds, and mystical percussion. These libraries have won the prestigious TEC Award and have been recommended by Sound On Sound with the highest rating. They have become the standard for fantasy, science fiction, and video game soundtracks.

Breathtaking Concert Pianos

EastWest also offers a collection of virtual pianos that rivals the best concert pianos in the world. The Platinum series brings together four exceptional instruments: the Steinway D, the Bosendorfer 290, the Bechstein D-280, and the Yamaha C7. Each piano was captured with absolute fidelity, using three distinct microphone positions and up to 18 velocities per note.

These pianos are not simple samples: they reproduce sympathetic resonances, pedal noise, natural harmonics, and even the sound of the hammer lifting. The result is a virtual instrument so expressive that it is difficult to distinguish from a real recording. Pop producers, classical music composers, and concert pianists use them daily both in the studio and on stage.

Drums, Percussion, and Groove: Rhythmic Power

The EastWest drum catalog is just as impressive. The Stormdrum series, with its three volumes, has established itself as the reference for epic and cinematic percussion. From Japanese taikos to massive percussion ensembles, these libraries are used on nearly every Hollywood blockbuster. ProDrummer, for its part, offers drum kits mixed by legends like Mark Spike Stent and Joe Chiccarelli, ready to be dropped directly into your pop, rock, and hip-hop productions.

The brand-new EastWest DrumX, programmed by the famous producer Jimmy Jam, marks a major evolution in the field of virtual drums. With its intuitive interface and contemporary sounds tailored for pop, R&B, and urban music, it represents the future of rhythmic production.

Voices and Choirs: The Soul of Music

EastWest vocal libraries are legendary. From monumental symphonic choirs to haunting solo voices, and including the revolutionary Hollywood Backup Singers that lets you type words to make them sing, the vocal catalog covers every style and every emotion. Voices of Opera, Voices of Soul, and Voices of the Empire are all gems that bring a human and emotional dimension to your compositions.

The WordBuilder, EastWest's exclusive technology, allows choirs to sing entire lyrics in many languages, including Latin, English, and imaginary languages. A technical feat that opens up infinite creative possibilities for film and game music composers.

World Instruments and Electronic Sounds

EastWest's opening toward world music has given birth to exceptional libraries like Silk, RA, and Gypsy. These collections explore the traditional instruments of China, India, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and beyond, with remarkable authenticity. Each instrument was recorded with its traditional playing techniques, characteristic ornaments, and microtonalities. For composers working on projects requiring authentic ethnic colors, these libraries are simply indispensable.

On the electronic side, EastWest has also hit hard with instruments like the String Machine (a spectacular reinvention of vintage string ensembles), Forbidden Planet (a science fiction sonic odyssey hailed by Sound On Sound as "sonically epic"), and ICONIC, the ultimate pop machine that captures the essence of contemporary hits. These instruments demonstrate EastWest's ability to be relevant in both traditional orchestral music and the most modern pop.

ComposerCloud+: The Ultimate Subscription Library

The ComposerCloud+ is probably the most revolutionary offering in the virtual instruments industry. For an affordable monthly subscription, you get access to over 43,000 instruments, meaning the entire EastWest catalog. All libraries are included, without exception: Hollywood Orchestra Opus Edition, Fantasy Orchestra, all pianos, drums, choirs, world instruments... Absolutely everything.

It is an ideal solution for early-career composers, music students, or even professionals who want to explore the entire catalog without investing thousands of euros. The subscription also includes all updates and new releases, making it a lasting investment for any music production studio.

Why Choose EastWest Sounds on Green Musicians?

Green Musicians is an authorized EastWest Sounds dealer, which guarantees you official licenses, quality technical support, and the best prices on the market. Our EastWest catalog covers all product ranges: from orchestral libraries to virtual pianos, as well as drums and vocal libraries.

By purchasing your EastWest virtual instruments on Green Musicians, you benefit from all the advantages of our marketplace: a secure platform, responsive customer service, and the ability to compare offers in full transparency. Whether you are a professional composer looking to complete your orchestral arsenal or a beginner wanting to take your first steps in the world of virtual instruments, you will find the EastWest solution suited to your needs and your budget.

And there you have it! We hope this article has answered all your questions.
All that's left is to browse Green Musicians to find your EastWest virtual instrument at the best price.

We offer a complete catalog of virtual instruments, plugins, and orchestral libraries featuring publishers from around the world such as EastWest Sounds, Spitfire Audio, Native Instruments, Orchestral Tools, Vienna Symphonic Library, and many others. Whether you are an amateur or professional composer, our marketplace is designed to give you the best in music production.

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