Hollywood Fantasy Strings by EastWest Sounds virtual instrument plugin interface

Hollywood Fantasy Strings: Fantasy Orchestral String Library by EastWest Sounds

Rated 4.6/5 on Plugin Boutique (11 ratings)

Hollywood Fantasy Strings is a virtual instrument plugin from EastWest Sounds with 147 instruments across six ensembles and two solo instruments. It covers medieval, Renaissance and Baroque-era strings for fantasy film, television and game scores.

VST2AUAAXWindowsmacOS

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01Overview

Hollywood Fantasy Strings is the first release in the Hollywood Fantasy Orchestra line. It pairs period instruments such as lutes, dulcimers, hurdy-gurdies and viola da gambas with modern orchestral string sections, recorded for stereo imaging. Producers scoring fantasy epics can use it to fill the gap between orchestral strings and folk instruments within a single library. The developer also highlights true legato and a range of articulation sets.

Best for

Fantasy film scoring
Medieval game soundtracks
Renaissance-style cues
Epic orchestral bombast
Folk-inspired string textures

Developer: EastWest Sounds
Category: Virtual Instruments
Store: Plugin Boutique

02Key features

What you get

147 instruments across six ensembles and two solo instruments
72GB library of medieval, Renaissance and Baroque string instruments
Micro-tuning controls for period-style string sounds
Four mic positions: Close, Mid, Main and Surround
Level and pan controls for each mic position
True legato, trills, crescendos and other articulation sets
Lutes and dulcimers recorded in trios for stereo width
Hurdy-gurdies and string ensembles recorded in octaves

03In depth

Sound, Recording and Mic Positions

The library includes 147 instruments across six ensembles and two solo instruments. Lutes and dulcimers are recorded in trios, which EastWest Sounds describes as a sparkling stereo image that sits well in a dense mix. Hurdy-gurdies and traditional string ensembles are recorded in octaves to add weight to large cues.

Each instrument is captured from four mic positions: Close, Mid, Main and Surround. Each position has its own level and pan controls, so you can balance the room sound against the close detail.

Articulations and Tuning Controls

Hollywood Fantasy Strings includes trills, true legato, crescendos and other articulation sets. Micro-tuning controls let you adjust pitch for the period-style instruments, which is useful when matching historical tunings or blending with modern orchestral sections.

The 72GB library covers violins, violas, celli, basses, lutes, Hardanger fiddles, viola da gambas, mountain dulcimers and hurdy-gurdies, giving you a broad palette for fantasy and medieval scoring.

04Specs

Will it run?

Formats, systems and requirements as listed by Plugin Boutique. Missing details are left out, not guessed.

Developer	EastWest Sounds
Type	Plugin
Category	Virtual Instruments
Formats	VST2, AU, AAX
Operating systems	Windows, macOS

05FAQ

Questions, answered

What formats does Hollywood Fantasy Strings support?

Hollywood Fantasy Strings is available in VST2, AU and AAX formats. It runs on Windows and macOS.

What do I need to run Hollywood Fantasy Strings?

On macOS, the listed requirements are Mac OS X 10.13 or later, 16 GB of memory and a quad-core CPU running at 2.7 GHz or above. On Windows, the listed requirements are Windows 10 with ASIO sound drivers, 16 GB of memory and a quad-core CPU running at 2.7 GHz or above.

Which instruments are included?

The library includes 8 violins, 6 violas, 6 celli, 4 basses, 3 lutes, 3 Hardanger fiddles, 3 viola da gambas, 3 mountain dulcimers and 2 hurdy-gurdies, among its 147 instruments.