peter5992
12-19-2008, 10:17 AM
Good morning everyone:
The January 2009 edition of "Recording" has a review of Play, SD2 and Pianos. Here are the conclusions:
Play (by Devon Brent):
"As I've heard so many times over the years, if you want to play with the big boys, you have to "Pay to "Play", pardon the pun. The total cost of ownership to really get a PC or Mac in line with the requirements, let alone the recommendations, is pretty high considering the cost of the libraries too. EASTWEST sample libraries are clearly airmed at the professional musician, and it takes some deep pockets for the weekend hobby musician to really use.
That's not a bad thing; for many people PLAY will simply be the right tool for the right job, and it's important to keep things in perspective with respect to the much greater level of RAM usage and performance that PLAY will enable. The power tool of the future sample playing computer is here; the computers just need to catch up to it."
SD2 (by Devon Brent):
"I had high expectations for SD2 because of how good the original StormDrum library was, and because of sound designer Nick Phoenix's reputation of releasing high-quality sound libraries. I was not disappointed with this second go-around of completely fresh material.
The powerful, forcedul, driving, exhilarating, mix-ready samples out-of-the-box are to die for, especially if you score for flm or video. Even better are the included MIDI loops that allowed me to actually see how a loop was constructed in full detail, and easily remove anything out of a loop that I didn't care for. Those of you looking for a more eclectic, and dare I say unique selection of drums, this library should not be missed. SD2 is highly recommended, from film composer to drum connoisseur."
Pianos (by Gary Eskow):
"In summation, these are without question the most gorgeous sounding sampled pianos I've ever heard. The greatest accomplishment, in my view, is the way the room sound was captured. Even when using only the Player position I found it almost unneccessary to invoke the built-in convolution reverb, which is amazing in and of itself.
If you're looking for the most authentic sounding sampled grand pianos available at this time, and have a system that can handle it, Quantum Leap Pianos is a must-consider. Just make sure you have the latest vesion - and a computer that is ready for it!"
The January 2009 edition of "Recording" has a review of Play, SD2 and Pianos. Here are the conclusions:
Play (by Devon Brent):
"As I've heard so many times over the years, if you want to play with the big boys, you have to "Pay to "Play", pardon the pun. The total cost of ownership to really get a PC or Mac in line with the requirements, let alone the recommendations, is pretty high considering the cost of the libraries too. EASTWEST sample libraries are clearly airmed at the professional musician, and it takes some deep pockets for the weekend hobby musician to really use.
That's not a bad thing; for many people PLAY will simply be the right tool for the right job, and it's important to keep things in perspective with respect to the much greater level of RAM usage and performance that PLAY will enable. The power tool of the future sample playing computer is here; the computers just need to catch up to it."
SD2 (by Devon Brent):
"I had high expectations for SD2 because of how good the original StormDrum library was, and because of sound designer Nick Phoenix's reputation of releasing high-quality sound libraries. I was not disappointed with this second go-around of completely fresh material.
The powerful, forcedul, driving, exhilarating, mix-ready samples out-of-the-box are to die for, especially if you score for flm or video. Even better are the included MIDI loops that allowed me to actually see how a loop was constructed in full detail, and easily remove anything out of a loop that I didn't care for. Those of you looking for a more eclectic, and dare I say unique selection of drums, this library should not be missed. SD2 is highly recommended, from film composer to drum connoisseur."
Pianos (by Gary Eskow):
"In summation, these are without question the most gorgeous sounding sampled pianos I've ever heard. The greatest accomplishment, in my view, is the way the room sound was captured. Even when using only the Player position I found it almost unneccessary to invoke the built-in convolution reverb, which is amazing in and of itself.
If you're looking for the most authentic sounding sampled grand pianos available at this time, and have a system that can handle it, Quantum Leap Pianos is a must-consider. Just make sure you have the latest vesion - and a computer that is ready for it!"