For composers of film, television, and video game scores, the virtual instrument maker EastWest has introduced Hollywood Strings Gold Edition ($795), a more affordable version of the Hollywood Strings Diamond Edition ($1,495) software instrument and collection of stringed instrument samples.

Hollywood String Gold Edition provides all the sounds from the Diamond Edition in 16-bit resolution (instead of 24-bit) and includes a single, mid-tree mic position, plus all articulations (with the exception of bow-change legato). Please note that unlike the Diamond Edition, the new instrument does not include Divisi mics. The Gold Edition ships on multiple DVDs or on a hard drive.

According to EastWest, Hollywood Strings boasts many features not found in any other collection (besides the Diamond Edition, of course). For example, you can control the finger position on the instrument, so that you can play as far up the strings as you want and get a fuller, more romantic Hollywood sound. Vibrato intensity and extensive dynamics are also fully controllable.

In addition, Hollywood Strings offers five user-controllable mic positions (including main pickup, mid pickup, close pickup, surround pickup, and an alternate vintage circa 1945 RCA ribbon room pickup) and extensive multi-dynamic true legato, sampled for all sections in three different categories: slurred, portamento, and bow change.

Hollywood Strings Gold Edition was recorded in EastWest's Studio 1 by EastWest / Quantum Leap virtual instrument producers Doug Rogers and Nick Phoenix, plus composer and orchestrator Thomas Bergersen; it was engineered by the award-winning sound engineer Shawn Murphy.

Here is a brief listing of what Hollywood Strings has to offer:

• Multiple finger positions for all sections including open strings
• Instrumentation includes 1st Violins, 2nd Violins, Violas, Cellos, and Basses
• 3 Styles of legato interval sampling, including slurred legato and portamento sliding legato, sampled at 3, 3 and 2 dynamics respectively, all with speed control
• Up- and down-bowed sustains, all at 4 finger positions, at least one full octave on each string
• Extensive runs
• Playable runs
• Spiccato runs for violins
• Dozens of other articulations, including Bartók pizzicato, Col legno, and more
• Sordino effect available for all patches
• Release trails for everything
• Custom Python scripting
• All sections except the Basses were sampled with wide extended ranges including almost 4 octaves for violins
• 5 Mic positions

More details about EastWest Hollywood Strings Gold Edition will be available when the instrument is released on September 27, 2010 for $795 (MSRP). For more information, please visit EastWest's Web site, soundsonline.com.