The fourth instalment in EastWest’s new Fantasy Orchestra series expands the collection with a range of drums and percussion instruments designed specifically for the scores of fantasy film, TV and video game scores.
Hollywood Fantasy Percussion is kitted out with a varied mixture of instruments, many of which stray away from traditional orchestral library offerings. Three bodhrans offer sounds more commonly associated with Celtic folk music, whilst powerful low-frequency hits are provided by three gran cassas — large bass drums that boast an extended low end. There are, of course, three large taikos, which promise to provide the glorious rumble they have become known for, and a huge 600lb nagado-daiko (a type of taiko traditionally employed for rituals and spiritual uses) delivers a low-frequency impact that is said to work particularly well in slow, quiet passages.
There are plenty of cymbals and other metal-based offerings, too, Balinese ceng ceng provide a splashy, resonant tone that is much softer than Western cymbals, and an ensemble of gongs and cymbals of various shapes, sizes and constructions offer an assortment of varying strikes and rolls. A Krakeb (North African castanets) has a tone similar to the ceng ceng, but with a lower pitch, and a set of metal shakers provide a soft sound which is said to be ideal for driving the rhythm or adding some high-frequency content to a drum ensemble without sounding too harsh.
Although the library is primarily aimed at the fantasy genre, EastWest say that it is capable of complementing most modern orchestral scores. As well as the more unusual content, there are still many more commonly found instruments present, including snare ensembles, orchestral bells, toms and more.
A Nagaro and Ashiko patch loaded up in EastWest's Opus software.
Compatibility
Hollywood Fantasy Orchestra runs in EastWest’s Opus software, which is supported on PCs running Windows 10 and Macs running macOS 10.13 or later. VST2, VST3, AU and AAX plug-in versions are available.
Pricing & Availability
Hollywood Fantasy Brass is available now. It is free to all ComposerCloud subscribers and is also available to purchase separately, where it it currently (31 July 2023) being offered for an introductory price of $99.
