EastWest Quantum Leap RA Ethnic Virtual Instrument Software - PLAY Edition

Quantum Leap RA - PLAY Edition from EastWest provides composers with access to a variety of rare and unique instruments from Africa, Europe, India, Australia, the Americas, Far East, Middle East, and even the Turkish Empires. You will find that the RA virtual instruments has an amazing sound quality and marvel at the articulation of each instrument which has a wide range that goes from controlled to expressive. All of the instruments, ensembles, and samples featured in the collection were sampled extensively as a means of preserving the true character and expression of each instrument. For the first time with the Quantum Leap RA - PLAY Edition, you will have more control over the sounds offered in the collection along with the ability to load even more virtual instruments than ever before.

According to Quantum Leap Producer Nick Phoenix, the key to authenticity of sound for ethnic instruments is expression. With the incorporation of the advanced PLAY sample engine and its built-in sensing technology that monitors your style and adjusts the software and sounds accordingly, you will experience a level of detail that will make your projects come to life with range and emotion.

EastWest Quantum Leap RA was born a few years ago, as a sample library called Rare Instruments. All of the sounds from Rare Instruments are included in RA, but this only represents approximately one-tenth of the content. The other ninety percent of RA was recorded at Ocean Way studios in Hollywood. Because of the size and complexity of the project, Phoenix brought in two talented producers, Pacemaker and Tony Austin to co-produce RA with him. These two producers have worked on some other Quantum Leap projects and had some great ideas for RA. The trio spent time hunting down the best ethnic artists on the West Coast. Los Angeles is so ethnically diverse and blessed with excellent institutions like Cal Arts, it is actually the ideal place to record a rare and ethnic collection.

You will find EastWest's RA software has amazing sound quality thanks to Ocean Way Studios' incredible collection of vintage mics and custom API console. RA was captured with a phase accurate 8-mic setup that gives a complete 3-dimensional image of the instrument. It is this type of sound that takes to artificial or sampled reverb extremely well. The sound is clear and broad. The mics used were Neumann U67 (U47s as alternates), Neuman M50, AKG C12, and Shoepps.

Another cool aspect of this virtual instrument is the fact that it includes recorded ethnic ensembles. This was done with African drums, bagpipes, gamelan, and a Middle Eastern string section. The sound of these ensembles cannot be realistically simulated by layering solo instruments.

While Quantum Leap RA was a very expensive project to make, it is well worth the cost in what it gives you. A lot of thought went into selecting instruments that would appeal to composers of all types, from dance music to film. You might want to put the Middle Eastern string section in your next pop tune, or the hardanger fiddle in a sweeping romantic score a la the "Lord of the Rings" soundtrack.

You can have a lot of fun with Quantum Leap RA Virtual Instrument. The possibilities are simply endless, especially when you mix the sounds of different cultures together. Load up the Middle Eastern string section, apply an Indian or Egyptian tuning from the micro-tuning presets, and play octaves. Make a really cool groove with the didgeridoo FX and the Vietnamese jaw harp. Take a classical filmscore piece and replace all of the instruments with their ethnic counterparts: strings with Middle Eastern string section, solo violin or cello with electric baritone violin, hardanger fiddle or erhu, french horn with alpenhorn, flute with dizi, oboe with duduk, percussion with taikos and African percussion, harp with kora, trombones with rag dung, etc. Or perhaps try the hurdy gurdy, hardanger fiddle, washburn guitar, mandolin, and the dizi to make an interesting folk ensemble or the gamelan ensemble with the ney flute, duduk, and esraj.

African instruments:
African Dual Wooden Shakers (Ewe)
African Metal Shakers (Ewe)
Atsimevu
Axatse
Batas
Berkete
Dejembe Ensemble
Ekpiri
Ewe Drum Ensemble
Ewe Large
Bombshell
Ewe Medium Bombshell
3ft FromTonFrom
5ft FromTonFrom
Gankokwe Large
Gyil
Kalimbas
Kidi
Kora
Log Drums
Ngoni
Udu

Instruments from the Americas and Australia:
1890 Washburn Guitar
American Jaw Harp
Banjo
Berimbau
Cuban Percussion
Didjeridoo
Resonator
First Nations Cedar Flute
Mandolin
Pan Flute
Ukelele

European Instruments:
Alpenhorn
Bag Pipe Ensemble
Bass Recorder
Frame Drum
Gadulka
Hardanger Fiddle
Highland Pipes
Hurdy Gurdy
Irish Low Whistle
Launeddas
Uilleann Pipes

Far Eastern Instruments:
Dizi
Erhu
Gamelan Ensemble
Gongs
Koto
Rag Dung
Shakuhachi
Shamisen
Taiko Drums
Vietnamese Jawharp

Indian Instruments:
Bansuri
Baritone Violin (Electric)
Esraj
Sarangi
Sitar
Tablas
Tambura

Instruments from the Middle East and Turkish Empire:
Armenian Duduk
Bulgarian Duduk
Mid East Fiddle
Mid East String Section
Ney Flute
Oud
Qandahar Dumbek
Santoor
Turkish
Duduk
Yalli
Tambur
Zourna

PLAY
PLAY isn't just a sampler. The PLAY system is a professional, fully integrated sample playback software solution for those with the most demanding production requirements. Its 64-bit support (available as a download for Mac users) allows you to load many more instruments and voices, limited only by your system RAM. 32-bit support is included also.

If you still need more power, PLAY's network control allows you to load instruments on other machines controlled from your host computer. That means no more trips back and forth between computers and no more KVM switching when loading projects. There's also no need to buy additional software.

The PLAY interface is designed to eliminate clutter, including only the controls needed for each individual virtual instrument. All the instruments are listed in one easy-to-use browser which displays all of your instruments. It includes a favorites section to group the instruments you use most. You can also preview your instrument of choice in an simplified column viewer. Load instruments into one instance to take advantage of your sequencer's instrument tracks, or into multiples if you so desire.
The Interface automatically changes to display current instrument whatever you do.

As far as articulations, you can forget browsing through complicated patch names. Just pick the instrument and play, and turn on/off articulations as you wish. The Articulations list also serves as reference for all expressions within the instrument (no need to look up key-switches in charts). Save your favorite configuration for quick retrieval.

PLAY is full of many other helpful features too. It has a legato detection that senses legato and repetitive playing and responds accordingly. It allows you to manipulate stereo samples in very useful ways, like the Stereo Swap which lets you instantly swap the left and right channels (Mono from left, Mono from right, or Mono Sum allow for instant conversion from stereo to mono). Th playback engine was built from the ground up to create the most intuitive instruments possible. The powerful effects engine has a reverb section which includes multiple impulse responses from halls, and the famous EastWest Studios and live chambers (more RIAA certified Platinum and Gold records awarded than any other studio). It also gives you incredibly smoothest filters. The iLok security system that PLAY uses ensures you complete portability, allowing you take your plug-in anywhere you want for use on any computer, and to authorize and manage up to 100 per one key.

PLAY is natively supported in all major hosts on all major operating systems.