East West/Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestra Review

East West/Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestra (EWQLSO) prides itself on being one of the staple “out the box” orchestral libraries for composers. This library, featuring samples of every instrument in the modern symphonic orchestra, has a wide fan base and could be described as a jack of all trades. It also makes an excellent starter library for students and aspiring film and game composers.

We’ll be taking a more detailed look at each of the instrument families in this East West/Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestra review. We’ll go over pros and cons as well as suggestions on how to get the most out of the library should you decide to buy it.

EWQLSO String Section Review

Pros

• Intelligently selected ensemble sizes allow for good flexibility of production. Taking violins as an example, you can choose between a group of 18, 11, or 4 violins as well as the solo instrument. This enables the composer to control the intimacy of the sound, or — better still — combine ensemble sizes for new textures.

• Pizzicato effects in the EWQL Symphonic Orchestra are very convincing and very well EQ’d out of the box.

• Some utter gems can be found under the “Effects” section of each instrument. While these effects are rather scarce (most instruments only have up to five effects, if any), they are excellent as sources of inspiration and a great way to get a track started.

• Good control over vibrato and sustained notes.

• Very deeply sampled string section. Extremely large selection of samples to choose from: After four years of using this library, I haven’t come close to using all of the strings.

Cons

• Very few string sounds in the EWQL Orchestra are industry standard out of the box. Highly professional sounds are possible with this sample library, but your sequencing skills will need to be up to par to truly make the most of these.

• Sometimes the bassier string sounds seem unrefined and a tad sloppy. The double basses are particularly guilty of this — there could be more definition to these sounds.

• Harp could be more extensively sampled.

EWQLSO String Section Tips

The massive amount of samples you have to choose from in East West/Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestra means that you can very effectively combine instruments to create new textures and make your music distinct from that of other composers.

Try to avoid being overly reliant on the effects section as a main centerpiece of the track. For example, the Penderecki strings are overly used, so try to blend them with other samples. Also, be sure that your cellos and double basses are tightly quantized to help prevent sloppiness.

EWQLSO Woodwind Section Review

Pros

• Many instruments in the East West Symphonic Orchestra feature round-robin samples which, when considering how woodwind instruments are played idiomatically, adds a welcome element of realism.

• Piccolo flute could have easily been glanced over with mediocre sampling, but it has instead been gifted with a wide selection of sample choices.

• Inclusion of prebuilt trills and glissandi save a lot of unnecessary sequencing time.

Cons

• The higher-register woodwind instruments, flute in particular, feel rather thin and weak. A lack of the sweeter tones results in a rather cold sound occasionally.

• Solo instruments are vastly more convincing than the grouped instruments. For example, solo clarinet has a lot more character than the relatively MIDI-like 3 clarinets.

• Generally speaking, a lot of compression has to be applied to the woodwind section for them to punch through the mix. At times the instruments feel a touch over-EQ’d.

EWQLSO Woodwind Section Tips

Try to use the staccato sounds where you can to prevent long, sustained sounds from being washed out. Also be sure to double check the mix — don’t rely on the fact that the woodwind instruments will be automatically mixed well in relation to the other instruments, as they’re typically very quiet.

EWQLSO Brass Section Review

Pros

• Staccato sounds are great for the “shock factor” technique. When you need to jolt the audience’s attention, such as in a thriller flick or scary video game, these sounds will work well.

• Nicely sampled French horn. Mellower samples in particular make for a lovely melodic choice.

• Effects such as the 1 sec, 2 sec, and 3 sec crescendos are very convincing, nicely played, and blend well when properly applied to an arrangement.

Cons

• The majority of the samples are unconvincing and feel out of place regarding quality when compared with the other instrument families in the EWQLSO library. Trumpets in particular lean much more towards that “general MIDI” sound than they do a professional sample library.

EWQLSO Brass Section Tips

The brass is by far the weakest part of this sample library. If you plan on writing elaborate solo brass parts, then an additional dedicated brass library will likely be necessary. However, the trumpet stabs and lovely French horn samples redeem the section somewhat, making it sufficient for an entry-level orchestral composer.

EWQLSO Percussion Section Review

Pros

• The percussion samples in the library are very extensive and offer a lot of bang for your buck. The choice of percussion instruments and how they’re sampled has clearly been given as much weight as the other orchestral families, if not more. This is a great credit to the EWQLSO library, as percussion often tends to be lacking in many orchestral packages.

• A decent-quality Steinway piano sample is included. This could very easily have been overlooked, and it’s a welcome addition to the library. The piano sample feels warm and convincing, with a quality high enough for most composers’ needs.

• The wind machine is a nice addition.

Cons

• There’s a lack of bass drums with real presence. The bass drums all feel a little weedy and will need drastic EQ’ing before they sound anywhere near as rich as you’ll need for most cinematic situations.

EWQLSO Percussion Section Tips

Don’t neglect this part of the library! Some real track-forming samples can be found here. Take a look at the various metals, puili sticks, and crotales for some beautifully sampled percussion.

East West/Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestra: The Bottom Line

Overall, we highly recommend the EWQLSO library. With the exception of the brass, each orchestral family has been well planned and executed. You’ll struggle to find a more comprehensive library featuring all of the symphonic instruments in this price range.

East West/Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestra is a great place to start for someone looking to purchase their first professional sample library. This library is a smart choice for music students (incidentally, EastWest Soundsonline offers students some pretty steep discounts). Get the library as soon as possible, as it will greatly influence your composing and help you realize your musical ideas with a quality sound.

Editor note: If you’re building a sample collection on a tight budget, consider using a subscription-based service like Splice Sounds so you can preview and download just the individual samples that you need. Sign up here and use the exclusive promo code *MIDIFILM17* to get a month’s free access (affiliate link).

Do you own the EWQLSO library? What are your favorite samples and features? Let us know in the comments!