PLAY 2 System Manual

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The EastWest PLAY 2 SystemUsers Manual


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T H E E A S T W E S T P L AY 2 S Y S T E M

ii

The in ormation in this document is subject to change without notice and does not rep-resent a commitment on the part o East West Sounds, Inc. The so tware and soundsdescribed in this document are subject to License Agreements and may not be copiedto other media. No part o this publication may be copied, reproduced or otherwisetransmitted or recorded, or any purpose, without prior written permission by East WestSounds, Inc. All product and company names are or trademarks o their respectiveowners.

East West Sounds, Inc., 20072010. All rights reserved.

East West Sounds, Inc.6000 Sunset Blvd.Hollywood, CA 90028USA

1-323-957-6969 voice

1-323-957-6966 axFor questions about licensing o products: [email protected]

For more general in ormation about products: in [email protected]

http://support.soundsonline.com

Version o April 2010
http://support.soundsonline.com/http://support.soundsonline.com/


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iii

Credits

ProducerDoug Rogers

Software DevelopmentDoug Rogers, Nick Phoenix, Rhys Moody, Klaus Voltmer, Klaus Lebkcher,Julian Ringel, Patrick Stinson, Adam Higerd, Ezra Buchla, Ste an Kersten,

Toine Diepstraten, David Kendall, Nick Cardinal, Jonathan Kranz

ManualJohn Philpit


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1

Click on this text to open theMaster Navigation Document

1. Welcome

2 About EastWest 3 Producer: Doug Rogers 4 EastWest Studios 7 How to Use This and the Other Manuals 8 Online Documentation and Other Resources
http://e/PLAY%20Backups/Documents/MND.pdfhttp://e/PLAY%20Backups/Documents/MND.pdfhttp://e/PLAY%20Backups/Documents/MND.pdf


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2Chapter 1: Welcome

Welcome

About EastWestEastWest ( www.soundsonline.com ) has been dedicated to perpetual innovation and un-compromising quality, setting the industry standard as the most critically acclaimedproducer o Sample CDs and Virtual (so tware) Instruments.

Founder and producer Doug Rogers has over 30 years experience in the audio industry

and is the recipient o over 60 industry awards, more than any other sound developer.His uncompromising approach to quality, and innovative ideas have enabled EastWest tolead the sound-ware business or more than 22 years.

In 1997 Rogers partnered with producer/composer Nick Phoenix and set up QuantumLeap, a wholly owned division o EastWest, to produce high-quality, no-compromisesample libraries and virtual instruments. Quantum Leap virtual instruments are mostlyproduced by Nick Phoenix. Some o the larger productions, such as Symphonic Orches-

tra, Symphonic Choirs, Quantum Leap Pianos, and Hollywood Strings are co-produced byDoug Rogers and Nick Phoenix. As a composer, Phoenix began scoring lm trailers andtelevision commercials in 1994. To date, he has either scored or licensed music or thead campaigns o over 1000 major motion pictures including Tomb Raider 2, Terminator3, Lord o the Rings Return o the King, Harry Potter 2, Star Wars Episode 2, Spiderman3, Pirates o the Caribbean 3, Blood Diamond, Night at the Museum, and The Da VinciCode. Quantum Leap has now rmly established itsel as one o the worlds top produc-ers o high-end sample libraries and virtual instruments.

In 2006, EastWest purchased the legendary Cello Studios ( ormerly United Western Re-corders) on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, re-naming it EastWest Studios. The 21,000sq. t. acility, since remodelled by master designer Philippe Starck, houses ve record-ing studios and is the world headquarters or EastWest.
http://www.soundsonline.com/http://www.soundsonline.com/


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3Chapter 1: Welcome

Producer: Doug RogersWith over 30 years experience in the audio industry, ounder and producer Doug Rogersis the recipient o over 60 industry awards, more than any other sound developer. Hisuncompromising approach to quality, and innovative ideas have enabled EastWest to

lead the sound-ware business or more than 22 years. The Art o Digital Music namedhim one o 56 Visionary Artists & Insiders in the book o the same name.

He released the very rst commercial Drum Samples CD in 1988, and ollowed it withthe multiple award-winning Bob Clearmountain Drums sample collection which he co-produced. In the years that ollowed he practically reinvented the sound-ware industry.EastWest introduced loop sample libraries to the market in the early nineties, ollowedclosely by the rst midi driven loops collection (Dance/Industrial). He released the rst

library to include multiple dynamics, ollowed by the rst sample library to stream romhard disk, an innovation that led to the detailed collections users expect today.

His recent productions are Symphonic Orchestra (awarded a Keyboard Magazine Key BuyAward, EQ Magazine Exceptional Quality Award, Computer Music Magazine Per or-mance Award, and G.A.N.G. [Game Audio Network Guild] Best Sound Library Award);and Symphonic Choirs (awarded Electronic Musician 2006 Editors Choice Award,G.A.N.G. Best Sound Library Award, and Keyboard Magazine Key Buy Award). Most

recently, his productions include Quantum Leap Pianos, the most detailed virtual pianocollection ever produced; and Fab Four, inspired by the sounds o the Beatles, a M.I.P.AWinner and judged the most innovative instrument by 100 music magazines.

Over the last decade he has partnered with producer/composer Nick Phoenix and set upthe Quantum Leap imprint, a subsidiary o EastWest, to produce high-quality, no-com-promise virtual instruments. EastWest/Quantum Leap virtual instruments are consideredthe best available and are in daily use by the whos who o the industry.


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4Chapter 1: Welcome

EastWest StudiosEastWest Studios ( ormerly United Western Recorders) is the worlds premiere studio.Here is a quote rom page 33 o the book Temples of Sound : United Western Recordershas been the scene o more hit records rom the 1950s to right nowthan any other

studio. No other studio has won more technical excellence awards, and no other studiohas garnered as many Best Engineered Grammys as this complex o studios on SunsetBoulevard. One thing everyone agrees on: The acoustics and the vibe in the recordingrooms o 6000 Sunset Boulevard are unmatched.

EastWest Studios has hosted the whos who o music or over 45 years. In the begin-ning, artists like Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Nat King Cole,Johnny Mercer and Ray Charles were recording the hits o the day. Ray Charles classic,

I Cant Stop Loving You was recorded here as well as Sinatras, Strangers In The Nightand Thats Li e, and the legendary Beach Boys Pet Sounds album, which was the in-spiration or The Beatles Sgt. Peppers album, was recorded here also. The Mamas andPapas Cali ornia Dreamin, Monday Monday, and Scott McKenzies San Franciscowere recorded here. Elvis Presley recorded his 1968 Christmas special in Studio 1. Fa-mous themes or lm and television were recorded here including the M*A*S*H theme,


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5Chapter 1: Welcome

Mission Impossible theme, Hawaii Five-O theme, Beverly Hillbillies theme, God-ather theme, plus much o the Monkees and Partridge Family television series.

It would be impossible to name all the musical royalty who have worked at EastWestStudios, but here are some o them (in alphabetical order) Christina Aguilera, Herb

Albert, America, Paul Anka, Fiona Apple, Audioslave, Franky Avalon, Barenaked Ladies,Better Than Ezra, Blondie, Bu alo Spring eld, Burt Bacharach, Beach Boys, Blink 182,Glen Campbell, Canned Heat, Vickie Carr, Carpenters, Johnny Cash, David Cassidy, RayCharles, Chicago, Petula Clarke, Ry Cooder, Elvis Costello, Count Basie & Orchestra, EricClapton, Nat King Cole, Natalie Cole, Ornette Coleman, Duane Eddy, Jan & Dean, JohnColtrane, Petula Clark, Joe Cocker, Sam Cooke, Bing Crosby, Bobby Darin, Sammy Davis,Jr., Jackie DeShannon, Duke Ellington, Neil Diamond, Fi th Dimension, Bob Dylan, ElllaFitzgerald, Benny Goodman Big Band, Grate ul Dead, Grass Roots, Green Day, GuessWho, Lani Hall, Herbie Hancock, Don Ho, Whitney Houston, Howlin Wol , Janis Ian,Ike & Tina Turner, Incubus, Isley Brothers, Michael Jackson, Elton John, Stan Keaton,Carole King, Kris Kristo erson, Franky Laine, K.D. Lang, Avril Laverne, Michel LeGrand,Peggy Lee, Little Feat, Trini Lopez, Madonna, Mamas & the Papas, Dean Martin, JohnnyMathis, Meatloa , Sergio Mendez & Brazil 66, Metallica, Johnny Mercer, Paul McCartney,Barry Manilow, Scott McKenzie, Natalie Merchant, Bette Midler, Monkees, Alanis Mor-rissette, Motley Crue, Muse, Rick Nelson, Willie Nelson, Wayne Newton, Harry Nilsson,

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Ozzy Osborne, Partridge Family, Paul Revere and the Raiders,Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Pointer Sisters, Iggy Pop, Elvis Presley, Lisa MariePresley, Billy Preston, Rage Against the Machine, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Kenny Rog-ers, Rolling Stones, Ronnie & the Ronettes, Bonnie Raitt, Helen Reddy, R.E.M., NelsonRiddle, Righteous Brothers, Johnny Rivers, Ronnie & the Ronnettes, Dianna Ross, San-tana, Jimmy Smith, Sonny & Cher, Phil Spector, Tom Scott, Carly Simon, Frank Sinatra,Nancy Sinatra, Bruce Springsteen, Steppenwol , Rod Stewart, Mathew Sweet, StoneTemple Pilots, Barbra Streisand, System o a Down, Temptations, The Animals, The As-

sociation, The Four Tops, The GoGos, The Kingston Trio, The OJays, The Vines, The Who,Mel Torme, U2, Richie Valens, Stevie Wonder, Tool, Turtles, Sarah Vaughn, Jimmy Webb,Weezer, Andy Williams, Nancy Wilson, Young Rascals, Frank Zappa.

EastWest HistoryWhats now called EastWest Studios was ounded by Bill Putnam in 1961. Consideredto be the Father o modern recording, he is acknowledged to be the rst person to

use arti cial reverberation or commercial recording. He also developed the rst multi-band equalizers and, with his company Universal Audio, was responsible or the devel-opment o classic equipment like the Urei 1176LN and Urei Time Align Monitors. Hewas involved in the early development o stereophonic recording and ounded studios inChicago, Hollywood, and San Francisco. He was responsible or a number o innovationsincluding: the rst use o tape echo and echo chambers, the rst vocal booth, the rstmultiple voice recording, the rst use o 8-track recording, hal -speed disc mastering.

In 1957, he started United Recording Corp. in a building at 6050 Sunset and startednew construction on new studios. Stereo was taking o and Putnam was determinedto incorporate as many technological innovations into the new complex as possible. In


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6Chapter 1: Welcome

1961, Western Recorders (now EastWest Studios) at 6000 Sunset was acquired, re-modeled, and incorporated into the complex with the acilities being known as UnitedWestern Recorders. A ter Bill Putnam passed away in 1989, the studio was acquired byAllen Sides and renamed Oceanway recording. In 1999 Rick Adams acquired the studiosand renamed it Cello, and in January 2006 it was acquired by Doug Rogers o EastWestSounds, the #1 sounds producer in the world, with over 50 international awards.

Looking or a designer to take on the task o re urbishing the exterior and non-technicalinterior areas, while preserving the historic studios, Rogers contacted renowned designerPhilippe Starck, whose trend-setting work is known the world over or its sheer brillianceand beauty. Starck jumped at the opportunity and headed to Hollywood. He insisted onrestoring all historic elements inside and out, adding new designs to the interior and cre-ating a new exterior look that incorporated elements o the current one. Rogers stronglysupported this. Plans are also a oot by Rogers to add historic names and records to thesidewalk on Sunset Boulevard, giving the illustrious studio its own walk-o - ame. Anotherhighlight o the restoration has included Rogers purchase o other analog studio equip-ment to be used or recording the classic way and not just digital (including two EMImixing boards that the Beatles used to record their hits). His plans or reactivating thestudios are a model or historic and cultural preservation as well as providing EastWestwith the nest recording environment in the world. In addition to EastWests own use o

the acilities, the ve studio complex will be open to a limited number o outside clientsa ter the Starck restoration.


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7Chapter 1: Welcome

How to Use This and the Other ManualsAll documentation or the EastWest PLAY Advanced Sample System and its libraries isprovided as a collection o Adobe Acrobat les, also called PDFs. They can be viewed onthe computer screen or printed to paper.

One advantage o reading this material on a computer screen is the availability o hy-perlinks within the document. These links provide the ability to jump directly to a re er-enced page elsewhere in the same or a companion document with the click o the mouse.When the mouse cursor moves over such a link, it changes appearance. Such hyperlinksare available in the list o sections in each chapter title page, as well as or certain indi-vidual words and phrases within the chapters.

By opening the Bookmarks pane along the le t edge o the Adobe Acrobat Reader, theuser can jump directly to a topic rom the section names, or to a speci c page by clickingon one o the page thumbnails (small images o each page). Note that some older ver-sions o Acrobat Reader might not support all these eatures. The latest Acrobat Readercan be downloaded and installed at no cost rom the Adobe web site. (As an example oa hyperlink, click on the last word o the previous sentence to be taken directly to theAdobe site.)

When reading this and other manuals on the computer screen, you can zoom in to seemore detail in the images or zoom out to see more o the page at once. I an includedpicture o the user inter ace, or a diagram, seems uzzy or illegible, then zoom in usingone o several means provided in the Acrobat Reader so tware.

A Note on the Included ImagesEvery library thats part o the EastWest PLAY System has a somewhat di erent lookonscreen rom the others. The backgrounds vary; the controls are in di erent places;controls present in one library do not exist in some o the others. As a consequence, thepicture o the user inter ace (UI) in this manual may not be exactly the same as what yousee on your screen. The images here were captured rom the various libraries availablewhen this manual was written.

For images rom a speci c library, read the manuals or the individual libraries, as de-scribed in the next section.

Manuals for the Specific LibrariesEach library in the collection o EastWest and Quantum Leap instruments has its ownmanual. These are separate PDF documents that are copied to your computers harddrive when each library is installed. Look in the ollowing directories to nd the docu-mentation les. On a Windows PC:\Program Files\EastWest\Documentation On a Macintosh:\Applications\EastWest\Documentation

Library-speci c in ormation, such as the controls in the user inter ace


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8Chapter 1: Welcome

the modi able parameters or the articulations the list o available articulations, and their intended uses and so onis described in the library PDFs. A description o how to use the PLAY system, the PLAYso tware, and any in ormation common to all libraries ( or example, how to install them)is contained in this manual.

The Master Navigation DocumentBecause the EastWest PLAY System is a collection o components, each with its ownUsers Manual, a Master Navigation Document (MND) is provided to allow users to jumpquickly between these PDFs when being read on the computer screen. This MND is aone-page le with hyperlinks to the PLAY System documentation and to all the library

manuals. Hyperlinks to this Master Navigation Document are ound in the lower-rightcorner o the title page o each chapter in each document. From there, you can open anyother document in the collection.

For example, i youre reading something in the documentation or the Quantum LeapPianos library, and need to open the manual or the PLAY System as well, go to anychapter title page and click on the link that says, Master Navigation Document. It willopen in a new window on the computer screen. In that document, click on the icon orthe PLAY System and its manual will open in the same window (hiding the MND). Younow have both the Pianos library manual and the PLAY System manual open in separatewindows so you can re er to them both.

Online Documentation and Other ResourcesFor the most up to date in ormation, visit the support pages at EastWests web site.There you can nd:

in ormation made available a ter these manuals were written FAQ pages that may already list answers to questions you have suggestions rom EastWest and other users o the EastWest PLAY System news about upcoming releases

The address is: http://support.soundsonline.com

You can also visit the EastWest online orums. There you can read comments and ques-tions rom others who use EastWest products and post your own. The many orum par-ticipants are a good source o help ul in ormation about both the technical and musicalaspects o this so tware.

The address o the orums is: http://www.soundsonline-forums.com
http://support.soundsonline.com/http://www.soundsonline-forums.com/http://www.soundsonline-forums.com/http://support.soundsonline.com/


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9Chapter 1: Welcome

Current PLAY LibrariesAs EastWest and Quantum Leap add new libraries to the PLAY System, they all work withthe same PLAY Advanced Sample Engine youre running right now. To see a list o all thecurrently available virtual instruments and/or to purchase them online, click on one othe ollowing links to an online page.

For the United States:

http://www.soundsonline.com/PLAY-c-54.html

For Europe:

http://www.soundsonline-europe.com/PLAY-c-54.html

http://www.soundsonline.com/PLAY-c-54.htmlhttp://www.soundsonline-europe.com/PLAY-c-54.htmlhttp://www.soundsonline-europe.com/PLAY-c-54.htmlhttp://www.soundsonline.com/PLAY-c-54.html


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10


2. The EastWest PLAY System, An Overview

11 The Architecture 11 The PLAY Engine 12 The PLAY System Libraries



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11Chapter 2: The EastWest PLAY System: An Overview

The EastWest PLAY System, an OverviewThe Architecture

The EastWest PLAY System is a collection o components that work together to create mu-sic in an electronic environment. The heart o the system is the PLAY Advanced SampleEngine , a so tware sample player designed to work with any o the libraries created es-pecially or it. The PLAY Sample Engine can run on a Macintosh computer or a WindowsPC, and on both 32-bit and 64-bit plat orms.

The PLAY Advanced Sample Engine can generate no sound unless it is loaded withsamples rom one or more o the PLAY System Libraries . The engine takes samplesshortrecordings o live instruments rom one or more libraries plus MIDI data and moldsthem into a musical expression: a single note, an entire piece, or anything in between.

When you buy the license or an EastWest

or Quantum Leap library, the license orthe PLAY Sample Engine is included. Asyou install more libraries on the samecomputer, they can all use the samePLAY Sample Engine.

The PLAY EngineThe PLAY Advanced Sample Engine is anEastWest so tware program that knowshow to open and play samples in the as-sociated libraries. It contains the bestsounding and most power ul e ects en-gine available, built rom the ground up

or superior quality.

One o the primary initial design pointsor the engine was playability. Instead

o orcing the user to ocus on techni-cal issues, the PLAY System provides themusician intuitive control o each instru-ment.

The look o the PLAY Engine on the screen depends on what library is currently selected.

The images on this page show two examples (with a red line between them) o how thePLAY Engine changes when displaying instruments rom di erent libraries. The two li-



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braries in these examples are the Quantum Leap Pianos and Fab Four. Some aspects othe user inter ace, such as the selection controls at the top and the keyboard at the bot-tom (not shown here), remain relatively constant through all libraries. The controls in thecentral section are library-speci c and can have very di erent layouts to accommodatethe varying needs o each library.

The PLAY Engine can be run in either o two modes, as needed: In Standalone Mode the PLAY Engine runs as its own program. MIDI and audio connec-

tions are usually made directly with the sound cards driver. In Plug-in Mode the Play Engine runs as part o a host program, usually a sequencer.

The host handles all MIDI and audio connections.

When in Plug-in mode only, it is possible to open more than one instance o the PLAYEngine at a time. One consideration in deciding how many instances to open simultane-ously is the question o how many instruments you want to be able to be able to manipu-late at once through its librarys user inter ace. (There are other considerations, as well,some o which may be determined by your choice o host and/or working environment.)

Only one instance o the standalone PLAY Engine can be running at a time. Its possibleto open as many instruments within that instance as your computers resources allow.The number o unique MIDI channels or playing instruments within a standalone PLAYEngine is limited by the number o MIDI ports de ned; or example, i 10 MIDI ports areavailable then 160 instruments can create 160 unique channels. (Thats 10 ports times16 MIDI channels per port.)

The EastWest PLAY Advanced Sample Engine uses 64-bit processing to take ull advan-tage o the bene ts o the new breed o 64-bit processors and operating systems thatare starting to become available. That means accessibility to signi cantly larger amountso RAM and, there ore, the ability to load many times the number o instruments. (TheEastWest so tware also supports 32-bit processing or ull backwards compatibility witholder computers and OSs.)

For documentation on a speci c library and its instruments, go to the separate docu-mentation or each library. Or open the PLAY Systems Master Navigation Document,described on page 8 .

The PLAY System LibrariesIn simplest terms, each library can be thought o as comprising: a user inter ace (UI), the display on the screen and its visible controls its instruments its samples(A more in-depth description is provided in the library-speci c manuals.)



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All libraries use the same PLAY Advanced Sample Engine to load and play their instru-ments. That approach has two consequences worth mentioning here: The st time you install one o these libraries, the PLAY Engine is installed. On subse-

quent installations on the same computer, the setup program installs the new libraryand then determines whether the already installed PLAY Engine requires an update.

In any given instance o the PLAY Engine, you can load instruments rom any libraryinstalled and authorized on that computer. For example, lets say you open an instanceo PLAY and load a Fab Four guitar. You can then load a drum rom the Stormdrum 2library in the same instance. When loading instruments, you can think o all instru-ments in all the PLAY System libraries you have licensed as a single collection.

Libraries and Instruments in the Browser View

The Browser view is your access to all instruments within all installed libraries. SeeChapter 8 or a more complete description and instructions on how to use the Browserview or managing the instruments you have open.


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15Chapter 3: Hardware and So tware Requirements

Hardware and Software RequirementsYou can run the EastWest PLAY System on any Windows or Apple Macintosh system thatcomplies with the speci cations listed below. Each retail package includes all the lesnecessary to unction on either the Windows or Macintosh plat orm. The requirementslisted in this chapter provide a minimum standard required to operate and hardwarerecommendations or optimal unctioning. Using a more power ul computer system thanthe recommendationsa aster processor, more memory (RAM), a hard drive with morespace and/or aster rotation, and so onis encouraged or larger projects. See the sug-gestions or improving per ormance in the online FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) pageat http://support.soundsonline.com .

System RequirementsThe table on the next page lists the computer hardware required to install the PLAY Ad-vanced Sample Engine and to run a small project. These are guidelines only; the amounto concurrent processing (including the sequencer, audio and e ects processors, otherplug-ins, and so on) can a ect the power o the computer resources needed to accom-plish any speci c task.

http://support.soundsonline.com/http://support.soundsonline.com/


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SYSTEM REQUIREMENTSComputer Type Operating System Hardware

Windows PC

(Required)

XP SP2 or VISTA Windows 7

P4 2.5 GHz or faster processor 1 GB of RAM DVD drive sound card iLok key enough free hard drive space for the libraries* Internet connection required for onetime

product activation

Windows PC(Recommendations)

Core duo or better processor 2 GB of RAM sound card with ASIO drivers

Macintosh(Required)

OS 10.5 or higher G4 1 GHz or faster processor 1 GB of RAM DVD drive iLok security key (not included) enough free hard drive space for the libraries* Internet connection required for onetime

product activation

Macintosh(Recommendations)

Core Duo or better processor 2 GB of RAM

* See the library-speci c manuals to learn how much ree hard disk space is required or

each library. I installing more than one library, the hard drive must have enough reespace to accommodate the sum o all the individual libraries.

The retail copy o the library does not include an iLok security key in the box. I you donot already own one rom another so tware product, you can buy one at your EastWestdealer or online at: www.soundsonline.com/EW-PACE-iLok-Security-Key-pr-EW-183.htmlSee the section starting on page 25 or more in ormation on the iLok security key.

Supported Audio DriversThe PLAY System requires an audio driver to connect to the sound card in the host com-puter. A variety o di erent sound cards are available on the Windows and Mac plat orms,each with its own driver. These drivers are normally installed with the sound card, orthey can be acquired separately. Contact the manu acturer o your sound card or morein ormation.

The table on the next page speci es which audio drivers the PLAY Engine can work withon each plat orm. Note that when the PLAY Advanced Sample Player is running as aplug-in, it uses whichever audio driver is selected in the hosts setup parameters. In this

http://www.soundsonline.com/EW-PACE-iLok-Security-Key-pr-EW-183.htmlhttp://www.soundsonline.com/EW-PACE-iLok-Security-Key-pr-EW-183.html


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case, the type o audio driver does not matter as long as your host is compatible with thatdriver. For this in ormation, please read your hosts manual.

AUDIO DRIVERSComputer Type Supported DriversWindows ASIO, DirectSound, VST

Mac Audio Units, Core Audio, VST

Note: The in ormation and speci cations in this manual are subject to change withoutnotice.



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4. Installation and Authorization

19 Installation, an Overview 19 Preparing to Install a PLAY System Library 20 Installation Instructions on a Windows Computer 23 Installation Instructions on a Macintosh Computer 25 Authorization, an Overview 25 The iLok Security Key 26 Authorization Instructions



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19Chapter 4: Installation and Authorization

Installation and AuthorizationWhether you are installing your rst PLAY System library on this computer, or whetheranother library is already installed, the process is the same. An Installation Wizard takesyou step-by-step though the process o copying les and setting up parameters in theoperating system. Then an Authorization Wizard authenticates your unique license au-thorization code online. This chapter and the next walk you through all the steps with thegoal o setting up a system thats ready to use.

Installation, an OverviewThis manual re ers to the process o installing a PLAY System library, which includes notonly the instruments and samples but also the EastWest PLAY Advanced Sample Engine.Each time you install a new library, the Wizard checks the versions and will upgrade thePLAY Engine i appropriate, but will not downgrade the Engine so tware just becausewhats in the new installation happens to have an older version.

Although you may be eager to install and use your new PLAY System library, its impor-tant to take a ew minutes to plan or what resources the PLAY System requires. Thenext section guides you through the questions that need answering be ore you start theinstallation.

Preparing to Install a PLAY System Library

You rst need to make sure you have enough ree space on the hard drive where you in-tend to install this library. Sample libraries can have large requirements to hold the manysamples and other les. Look in the library-speci c manual on the DVD. It will be in thesame directory as the Acrobat le (PDF) you are currently reading.

Find the section called Hardware Requirements to determine how many gigabytes (GBs)o ree hard disk you need. I you are planning to install more than one PLAY Systemlibrary, look in all such manuals and get a total value. I you do not have enough ree

space, consider another drive, i available. I you need to buy a new drive, it is veryimportant with sample libraries that the access and data-transmissions rates are ast;internal drives are o ten better than external drives in this regard, but not always. Youmay need to do some research, either online or at your computer store.

Installing Larger LibrariesThe larger libraries ( or example, Quantum Leap Pianos and EWQL Symphonic Orchestra,Platinum Edition) allow you to install the DVDs in multiple sessions, not all at once. Iyou want to break up the installation in that way, read details on how to do that at theend o the separate Windows and Mac installation instructions be ore starting.



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Installation Instructions on a Windows ComputerRunning the InstallerBe ore you start to install your rst library, make sure the iLok security key is not pluggedinto your computer. You will insert it into a USB port at a later time. (You can read more

about the iLok key on page 25 .)

Use the Windows Explorer in Windows, or Finder on a Macintosh, to open the drive whereyou inserted the DVD. (You may have already done that i you ound this manual on theDVD.) Theres a le in the root directory that includes the text installer in its name.Run this le, which steps you through the process. It asks a ew questions and then cop-ies the needed les to the appropriate olders on the computers hard drive.

What ollows are the screens the installer presents. I you need to go back to change anearlier answer, you can always click on the Back button. Or click on Cancel to stop theinstallation process without installing the library. Nothing is installed until you click theNext button on the page where it says its ready to install the application.

Welcome and License Screens. A rstscreen recommends that you closeall other programs and it presents

legal in ormation about copyrightsor the product. Click on the Next

button to move to a screen thatasks you to accept the licenseagreement. You cannot install un-less you accept. Neither o thesescreens is shown here.

Installation Type Screen. You are giv-en a choice o how much o theproduct you want to install. Select

Typical unless you plan to installa large library in multiple sessions,in which case rst read the sec-tion about Large Libraries startingon page 22 below. Click the Nextbutton.

Library Folder Screen. You are askedwhere the instrument les andsample les should be stored.Select the drive and older youpicked when planning the installa-tion (above). I the older listed inthe screen is not correct, click on

T H E E A S T W E S T P L AY 2 S Y S T E Mh b h d h h d d ld


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the Browse button to change to a di erent one. When the correct drive and older arelisted, click on Next.

VST Folder Screen.It is standard orVST plug-ins to be stored in a sin-

gle location in the le system. Usethis screen to speci y the location.I you have other VST instruments,you can use the Browse buttonto change to that path. Or, i youchoose, you can accept the de aultvalue. When the displayed path iswhat you want, click on the Nextbutton.

Ready To Install Screen. At this pointall questions have been answered.

Click on the Next button and allthe indicated les will be copiedto the le system.

You will see several other screenappear briefy and disappear ontheir own. This is normal; it indi-cates the progress being made.

Success Screen. I all went as itshould, you are noti ed o a suc-cess ul installation. I an error oc-curs, see whether you can resolvethe problem. Or contact technicalsupport at EastWest or assistance.Click the Finish button to end theinstallation program.

Once the PLAY System is installed,the several disks worth o samples

T H E E A S T W E S T P L AY 2 S Y S T E Md t b i d t th h d d i Wh k d l h DVD ith th t til


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need to be copied to the hard drive. When asked, replace each DVD with the next untilall samples have been copied.

One more step is required to compete the installation. Itsnecessary to reboot the computer be ore you can run the

PLAY System success ully. Selecting reboot now and click-ing OK initiates the reboot process. I you have work openin another program, make sure you save everything be oreclicking on OK.

Note that i you are installing more than one library at thistime, you can wait until all libraries have been installed be ore per orming the reboot,but you will not be able to run any library success ully until it gets done.

Installing Larger Libraries on a Windows ComputerI you want to install only a part o a large library (such as only the Yahama piano romQuantum Leap Pianos), ollow these steps:

When initially installing the vir-tual instrument, choose Cus-tom when asked the type oinstallation to do. Then selectall the so tware componentsyou plan to install ( or example,Standalone, RTAS, VST, andthe Authorization Wizard) andas many o the libraries as youwant to install during this ses-sion. The image at the rightshows all the so tware compo-nents, and only one o the ourpianos, the Yamaha, selected.

When youre ready to install another part o the library, restart the installation pro-gram, and when asked or the type o installation to per orm, select Modi y. Whenyou see the Select Features screen, like the one above, the Windows installer re-quires that you select the same so tware components and drivers as be ore (or elsethose component will be removed rom your computer). For the library, select onlythe part o the library you want to add to your hard drive. Do not re-select the part othe library already installed. For example, i you wanted to install only the Bechsteinthis time, remove the red X rom the Bechstein part o the library and choose the redX next to the Yamaha.



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The Platinum and Platinum Plus editions oEastWest Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestraalso provide an alternative approach to instal-lation. The rst DVD includes a older named

Library Installers. As seen in the image at thele t, this older contains installers or each othe our orchestral amilies (strings, woodwinds,

brass, and percussion). And i you have bought a license or Platinum Plus, you caninstall the Plus content separately as well (though always a ter installing the primarylibraries).

Installation Instructions on a Macintosh ComputerIntroduction, ReadMe and License Screens. These rst three screens let you know i theresanything that makes it impossible to install the so tware and present important notes aswell as the license agreement. Click on Continue and agree to the license until you arriveat the Destination Screen. These rst screens are not shown here.

Destination Screen. Select thevolume on which you want to

install the PLAY Engine so t-ware. Only the root volume willbe available. The so tware mayonly be installed on the runningsystem drive.

Note that you are choosingwhere to install the PLAY En-

gine; where to install the manyGigabytes o the library sam-ples will be selected on a laterscreen.

Installation Type Screen. This image is on the next page. On this screen you can select what

parts o the package you want to install. To the right o the Library selection is a older.I you do not change the older, the library will be installed in:your root hard drive/Play Libraries/[LibName]Library

where [LibName] is the name o the library you are currently installing.To change this, click on the older in the Location column and select Other. It isrecommended that you create a older called [LibName] Library at the location youwant to install into; however, this is not required.

T H E E A S T W E S T P L AY 2 S Y S T E MNote that i you uncheck all boxes the Uninstall checkbox will become checked This


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Note that i you uncheck all boxes, the Uninstall checkbox will become checked. Thiswill uninstall everything except the samples. And i you explicitly check the Uninstallcheckbox, the other options will become disabled.

Dependi 64 ng on whether

any components areinstalled already, theAction column mightread Install or Upgrade.The same holds true orthe button at the lowerright: it might say In-stall or Upgrade. I you

have a newer version oany component on yoursystem, the checkboxis unchecked and dis-abled and the actionreads Skip. Under mostcircumstances, the des-tination older or the library is the only thing that needs your attention.

A ter you choose to continue, Mac OS X asks or your password. Please make sure tohave it ready.

Once the installer starts to copy les, you will be asked to insert consecutive DVDs intothe drive until all content has been copied.

Success Screen. I all went as

it should, you are noti ed o asuccess ul installation. I an er-ror occurs, see whether you canresolve the problem. Or contacttechnical support at EastWest

or assistance. Click the Finishbutton to end the installationprogram.

T H E E A S T W E S T P L AY 2 S Y S T E MInstalling Larger Libraries on a Mac Computer


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Installing Larger Libraries on a Mac ComputerI you want to install only a part o a large library (such as only The Steinway D piano

rom Quantum Leap Pianos), ollow these steps:

When initially installing the virtual instrument, select all the so tware components ( or

example, Standalone, Audio Units, VST, and the Authorization Wizard) and as many othe libraries as you want to install during this session. See the screen titled CustomInstall above; it is on that screen that the multiple parts o the library will appear.

I , at a later time, you want to install any other part(s) o the library, reopen the sameinstaller. When you get to the page Custom Install, select only the part o the li-brary that you want to install in this session. You do not have to reinstall any so twarecomponents.

Authorization, an OverviewWhen you buy a license to an EastWest PLAY System library, it includes an authorizationcode. This is a unique string o characters that identi es the license. You need to conveythis to an online database that can veri y no one else has used this code. I it passesveri cation, you are granted the license which is placed in a physical security key (seebelow).

When you run the Authorization Wizard, it asks you to log in. I you have already createda Username and Password at www.soundsonline.com , you can use it. Otherwise, createa new account using the link in the Authorization Wizard. See below or instructions

When an instrument rom a library is opened in the PLAY Engine, the program veri esthat theres a security key attached to the computer. Only i theres a valid license orthat library in the key will the PLAY Engine generate sounds or that instrument.

See instructions starting on page 26 or how to per orm the authorization step.

The iLok Security KeyAn iLok key is a hardware device made available by PACE Anti-Piracy, Inc., that can holdlicenses or so tware installations. A PLAY System library will not unction unless theiLok key holding the appropriate license is inserted into a USB port on the computer run-ning the library. It does not matter which USB port is used: back, ront, or on a hub.

I you own two or more PLAY System libraries and intend to run them rom thesame computer, all the licenses can reside in the same iLok key. I you use otherso tware products protected by the iLok system, the licenses or the PLAY Sys-

tem libraries can reside in the same key as the licenses o those other so tware products,up to one hundred per physical key. I you plan to run PLAY System libraries concurrentlyon separate computers, then you need a separate security key or each computer. I youneed to run the same PLAY System library concurrently on multiple computers, you needa separate license or each computer.

T H E E A S T W E S T P L AY 2 S Y S T E MI you have installed a single PLAY System library on two separate computers or ex-
http://www.soundsonline.com/http://www.soundsonline.com/


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y g y y p pample, a laptop and a desktop computerand you intend to use only one at a time, thenyou can move the iLok between the two computers. At any given time, the library will be

unctional only on the computer with the iLok key attached.

I you are running the PLAY System on a network and a librarys les are on a di erentcomputer than the PLAY Advanced Sample Engine accessing those les, then the iLokkey needs to be in a USB port o the computer where the PLAY Engine is running.

The license or PLAY System libraries can be moved rom one physical key to another atany time, and moved as o ten as you need to. The moving o licenses between keys, aswell as other maintenance, can be done at a web site maintained by PACE Anti-Piracy,Inc.: www.ilok.com .

Authorization InstructionsThe authorization process requires that an iLok security key be attached to the computer.Insert the iLok you are planning to use or this library in a USB port. The computer mustbe connected to the Internet. (I the computer on which you will be running this libraryis not connected to the Internet, see the instructions below.)

Once a library has been success ully installed, an application calledthe Authorization Wizard appears in your EastWest programs. Whenyou start this program, a window opens that looks like the image atthe le t. Enter your Username and Password, as described in the au-thorization overview, above. I you plan to authorize more EastWestproducts in the uture, you might want the wizard to remember themso you dont have to. I so, check the boxes or those options.

In the ve boxes labeled Authorization Code, enter the code that youreceived with your purchase. (Once you have entered 4 charactersin a box, the cursor moves automatically to the next box, so theresno need to use the tab key or mouse to move rom box to box.) Whenall 5 boxes are lled, the Authorize button becomes active. Click on

it to transmit this data to the online Authorization Server.

Note the links on this page or creating or modi ying your account and or retrieving alost password. I you do not yet have an account or logging in, create one with this rstlink.

A reminder appears asking whether you are sure you wantto authorize the library now, because this process cannotbe undone. Click on Yes to proceed.

http://www.ilok.com/http://www.ilok.com/


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A progress bar appears next. The window briefy describes eachstep until the process nishes. I the Username and/or Passwordis incorrect, or i the Authorization Code is either invalid or al-ready used in a prior authorization, you will be noti ed at this

time.

When the authorization completes success ully, you seethe screen at the right. You are now nished and can au-thorize other EastWest products i you choose to do so.

Authorizing a Library When Your Music Computer Is Not on the InternetI the computer on which you willbe running your EastWest librariesdoes not have an Internet connec-tion, you can per orm the autho-rization on another computer aslong as you insert the iLok securitykey in a USB port o that Internet-connected machine. That is, thelicense is stored in the iLok andnot the computer, so the iLok hasto be at least temporarily onlineand then, once authorized, can bemoved back to the computer wherethe PLAY System will be running.

From the same DVDs you used to install the PLAY System library, rerun the install on theInternet-connected computer, but this time install only the Authorization Wizard. Theprocedure is the same as whats described above, except when you are ready to selectthe type o installation. On a Windows PC choose Authorization, as in the image above.On a Macintosh, uncheck everything except the Authorization Wizard in the image onpage 24 .

Continue as i or a ull installation, except that not all screens will appear. A ter com-pleting the installation o the Authorization Wizard on your Internet-connected computer,

ollow the instructions as presented above.

Note: i your music computer and Internet-connected computer are di erent types (Macand PC), that is not a problem. The iLok security key is completely portable between thetwo systems.

T H E E A S T W E S T P L AY 2 S Y S T E MIndividual iLok Drivers


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The drivers or the iLok security key are installed as part o the installation proceduresdescribed above. There ore, under most conditions you do not have to work directly withthe iLok driver installation programs. The ollowing les in the older Pace Driver In-stallers are included on DVD # 1 only or the unlikely case that a problem is discoveredwith the drivers: iLokx32Setup.exe: installs the driver or the security key Tpkdx32Setup.exe: installs the driver that the PLAY Engine uses to check or a valid

license setup.exe: installs both o the drivers mentioned above

Note that in a 64-bit environment, the 32 in the le names will be 64 instead.

I a problem occurs with your installation, EastWest Technical Support might ask you torun one o these les.


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30Chapter 5: Getting Started

Getting StartedOnce the setup program nishes and the authorization is complete, youre probably ea-ger to use your new so tware, but there are still a ew tasks that need to be per ormedto integrate PLAY with your hardware and so tware environment. This chapter walks youthrough the process o customizing your setup.

You will need to do most o these steps only the rst time you install one o the PLAY

System Virtual Instruments. For example, i you did a ull installation o Quantum LeapMinistry o Rock and youre now ready to install EastWest/Quantum Leap Symphonic Or-chestra, you should only need to do these steps again i the new installation isnt workingas expected.

You may want to return here i the so tware ever stops working, which could happen, orexample, when you install new hardware and/or so tware.

In addition, some o the tabs in the Settings dialog, described later in this chapter, canbe used to ne-tune the per ormance o PLAY or your speci c hardware environment.

Verifying the InstallationStep 1: Open the PLAY EngineThe best way to test whether the PLAY Advanced Sample Engine is correctly installedis to open the PLAY Engine as a stand-alone program (that is, not as a plug-in in a se-

quencer or other host). To do this, open one o the libraries by choosing it rom the listo installed programs: On a Windows PC: Start > Programs > East West > [ library name ] On a Mac: Applications older, double-click on East West, open [ library name ]

I the Setup routine installed the librarys icon on your desktopor i you put one theremanuallythen you can also open the standalone version by double-clicking on thaticon.

I the librarys window opens, then the so tware is correctly installed; go to Step 2. I itdoes not open and theres an error message, try to correct the problem speci ed in themessage. I theres no error message and no window appears, then veri y that all thesteps in the Installation and Authorization chapter were ollowed. I necessary, rerun thesetup program.

T H E E A S T W E S T P L AY 2 S Y S T E MThe Settings Dialog


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Step 2: The Audio TabThe next task is to con gure the Audioconnections. Click on the Settings but-

ton near the top o the PLAY window.A dialog similar to the one shown hereopens. There are six tabs at the top. Forthis step, the Audio tab should be se-lected.

I in doubt about which o the optionsto select when ollowing the directions

below, check the documentation thatcame with your audio card. And re-member that all your digital audio so t-ware should be using the same settings.

Note that the settings in the Audio tabapply only when a PLAY System libraryis running in standalone mode, that is,

not inside a sequencer or other host.When used as a plug-in, the PLAY Sys-tem uses the settings selected in itshost.

From the Device Type drop-down list, select the type o audio device driver that will behandling all audio input and output. The options that appear in this drop-down list de-pend on the operating system and whats installed on your computer.

The Output Deviceis associated with your audio card hardware. I you have more than oneaudio card attached to your computer, you can choose which one will handle the outputaudio. In most cases, there will be only one option or this control.

The Sample Rate drop-down presents the values supported by your sound card. Selectthe value you will be using in your current audio project. Note that i you cannot openthis drop-down list it means sample rateand audio bu er sizeneed to be set in your

audio driver. In the image above, the two drop-down lists are grayed because they needto be set in the ASIO driver inter ace.

Select the same audio Buffer Size that is speci ed in your audio device type (ASIO, Di-rectSound, CoreAudio, etc.). Again, you may not be able to change this here i it can onlybe selected in the driver inter ace.

The Number of Output Channelscontrol on this tab reports the number o audio channels

available on your sound card. This is static data provided or your in ormation; the set-ting cannot be changed.

T H E E A S T W E S T P L AY 2 S Y S T E MThe image above shows a button named ASIO Settings. You will only see this button i youare using an ASIO driver in Microso t Windows. It is provided as a shortcut so you can


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are using an ASIO driver in Microso t Windows. It is provided as a shortcut so you canopen the driver to set Sample Rate and Audio Bu er Size.

Further down this tab is a group o controls called Test Tone. These controls can be usedto veri y that audio being generated by PLAY is correctly routed to your speakers, head-phones, or any other destination. Use the two sliders to set the requency and volume,then click on the long button to start or stop the tone. Make sure to keep the volume inthe low- to mid-range at rst, especially i the sound is being sent to headphones.

I you make changes here and want to save them be ore moving on to another tab, clickon the Applybutton at the bottom o the dialog box.

Step 3: The MIDI Tab The MIDI tab allows the user to speci y whichMIDI sources can send data to the PLAY En-gine. The types o devices that will be listedhere include MIDI keyboards, control sur aces,and sound cards. For each device, turn it to theOn or O state by clicking in each checkbox. A

check in the box means that PLAY will respond to MIDI data rom that source (as in thesecond item in the list in the image). Each click toggles the value between On and O .

All devices turned On here appear in the MIDI Port drop-down list in the main windowor the library. To keep that list short, turn on only the sources that are expected to send

MIDI data: notes and control codes. These values can be changed later i needed.

I you do not see a given MIDI device in the list, it may be because it is currently turnedo . I thats the case, close the PLAY window completely, turn on the MIDI device, and

then re-open PLAY. When you return to the Settings dialog and the MIDI tab, you shouldnow see that device in the list.

Step 4: The Streaming TabSteps 4, 5, and 6 are more advanced. Its not necessary to adjust these settings duringthe initial setup; instead, you may want to return to this part o the manual a ter youhave experience with the product. I this is your rst time installing PLAY, you shouldread these three sections quickly to know whats provided and then move on to Step 7.

Disk Streaming is a technology that provides most o the bene ts o having all thesample data in RAM without requiring the many Gigabytes o memory such an approachcould require. Only enough data is maintained in RAM to start playing each requiredsample immediately and the rest is streamed rom the disk on demand.

Note that on a Mac computer, this tab includes a checkbox not seen when running PLAYin Windows. See a description o the High Memory Allocation control later in this section,starting on page 35 .

T H E E A S T W E S T P L AY 2 S Y S T E MAs shown in the image below, the Free System Memory readout lists the amount o RAMthe computer currently has available. This number is the total RAM minus all the pro-


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p y pgrams running (including the operating system). Use this as a general guide to know howclose you are to running out o memory.

The Engine Memoryvalue tells you how much o the computers memory the PLAY Engineis using or Bu ers in the computers memory. This value is a ected by the MaximumVoices control, the Engine Level control, and the High Memory Allocation checkbox (Maconly). Note that the value or Engine Memory that appears here is only re-calculated a terany change in those two controls is saved using the Applybutton at the bottom o thedialog box.

The Maximum Voicescontrol provides our settings to control how

much memory is allocated or sample bu ers in RAM. As shownin the image at the le t, the our values range rom 128 to 1024.In general, the larger the value here the more computer memory

PLAY requires. Use one o the smaller settings i your computer has 3 gigabytes oavailable RAM or less and larger settings

or larger systems. To determine the bestvalue or your setup, you may have to dosome trial-and-error testing. And its best

to do your testing on a project that is atypical large piece or the way you work.The goal is to maximize the number ovoices you can play back without generat-ing pops, clicks, or drop-outs in the audio.Note that setting this value higher thanyou need can cause a signi cant and un-necessary slowdown in the time it take aproject to load.

The Maximum Voices value speci es the global set o bu ers that are used or all in-stances o PLAY you have open concurrently. Be aware that each instrument also has aMaximum Voices setting, so i some notes are not playing or are ending too soon, andthis global value is set high enough, you also need to check how many voices are allowed

or individual instruments.

The total number o voices you need in any project depends on several actors: how many instruments are being played at once how polyphonic each instrument is (a piano usually plays more notes at a time than a

fute and there ore requires more concurrent voices) how many microphone positions have been loaded ( or those instruments recorded

with more than one mic position, such as in Symphonic Orchestra and HollywoodStrings)

whether the instruments include release trails

T H E E A S T W E S T P L AY 2 S Y S T E M whether any open instruments use layering, that is, whether they play back more than

one sample at a time to create the audio output


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in some cases, the tempo o the piece, especially when release trails are in use

Start out with the ollowing setting:

256 or a system with 3 GB o available RAM or less 512 or a system with more than 3 GB o available memoryI you encounter any audio problems during playback (such as pops, clicks, or dropouts)try raising this setting to the next highest value. Also, i you notice that some notes areending earlier than you speci y, it might be PLAY ending a note in order to make a voicebu er available or a new note; you will either need to raise the number o MaximumVoices or render only some instruments to audio at a time, in a process known as track-

reezing.

Be aware that the larger the value you select, the longer each project will take to load. Iprojects are taking an unexpectedly long time to load, try lowering the value in this con-trol, but i audio problem appear, you will have to return this value to the larger number.

The best choice depends on many actors, so sometimes trial and error is the best ap-proach in nding optimal settings. In general, use the lowest number o voice bu ersthat causes no problems.

Note that i you set the Maximum Voices value too high or the available hardware re-sources, PLAY is smart enough to attempt to adjust the parameters to more closely cor-respond to what your computer can handle.

The Reset Engine button can be used to kill any active voices ( i.e. , any notes being played)and to return the audio engine to its initial state. Use this button in the unlikely case theaudio engine is not correctly processing MIDI data. One example is a note that continues

to play beyond its indicated length (called a stuck note).The Engine Level control provides 3 di erent settings tocontrol how the PLAY engine uses the computers memory.In general, use a higher Engine Level when working withlarger instruments, meaning those that tend to play backa lot o samples concurrently. A ew examples include: The EastWest/Quantum Leap pianos library can play a lot o samples at once because:

piano technique can be very polyphonic the notes can sound or a long time, especially when using the pedal

Some o the legato instruments in Hollywood Strings (as well as the Power ul Sys-tem patches) can play as many as 6 to 12 samples at once or each note.

In EastWest/Quantum Leap Symphonic Choirs, each sung syllable may require mul-tiple samples to create the sounds o the various consonants and vowels, and cross-

ading among these phonetic elements means theyre playing concurrently.

Any cross- ade patch controlled by the Mod Wheel is playing two or more samples ata time.

T H E E A S T W E S T P L AY 2 S Y S T E MWhile these larger instruments can drive up very quickly the number o samples sound-ing at once, you can also get a large voice count by creating a score in which many in-


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struments sound at once, so set your Engine Level based on the total number o samplesyou expect to play at once, but do not set it higher than you need to. You may have touse trial and error to nd the right setting or your various projects.

The Samples Loaded control displays the number o sample les currently assigned tobu ers in memory. You can use this value when determining whether you have allocatedenough RAM or playing the samples you need in your project. I this value is gettingtoo large, then consider using the Purge unction, described on page 57 , to remove rommemory samples you do not use.

The Active Streaming Voices number shows how many voices are being played back at that

moment. This is the same value that appears in the Voices control in the Player view.When the High Memory Allocationcontrol (only available on a Maccomputer) is checked, it causes PLAY to allocate more memory perstart bu er. This should be checked only or projects that will beplaying back a large number o samples at once. (See exampleso when this might occur in the description above o Engine Levels.) And the checkboxshould be checked only on computers with at least 8 GB o RAM.

The reason or turning on this option is that it gives each voice more data pre-loaded inRAM, reducing the possibility when accessing many samples rom the hard drive at oncethat any voice will run out o sample data be ore the rest o the data has been down-loaded to RAM. The disadvantages o turning on this option are that it uses signi cantlymore o the computers memory and it takes more time to open the project.

Note that when High Memory Allocation is turned on, Engine Level should be set toMedium or Low. An Engine Level o High is not necessary when High Memory Allocationis in e ect.

AdvAnced : The Streaming parameters described above are actors tied to the audio bu ersize and content ormat. This is di erent rom some other engines where the sizes arestatic values.

Step 5: The Overload TabThis tab provides 2 controls that allowyou to speci y how much o your com-puters processing power is available tothe PLAY Engine. This can be turnedOn or O by clicking on the Enabled checkbox. The spin control allows youto speci y the percentage o the computers central processor that PLAY can use.

I the CPU Load exceeds the speci ed percentage, PLAY will lower the load by droppingthose voices that started playing earliest. A CPU overload can cause digital arti acts,

T H E E A S T W E S T P L AY 2 S Y S T E Msuch as audible pops, short drops in the audio output, and other problems, which usuallysound worse than dropping old voices. This protection is most o ten needed in projects


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with lots o instruments playing at once. During playback o your project, keep an eye onthe CPU display in the Player view to see how close the CPU is to reaching the Overloadparameter you set in this dialog.

As a general rule, set the CPU Load Limitcontrol as high as you can without getting thedigital arti acts, but not all the way up at 100%. The de ault value o 80% is good ormost systems, so leave it there unless you start hearing problems in the playback. Find-ing the right setting or your environment may be a matter o trial and error.

I the playback o your projects occasionally reaches the overload point, you may want toconsider using the reeze track eature available in most sequencers. I that does not

help or it happens so o ten that it becomes too much o a hassle, then you may need toconsider getting more capable hardware or spreading the project across multiple com-puters networked together.

Step 6: The Other TabThe Other tab includes groups o controls to:

speci y how to reset round-robin (RR) cycles speci y whether the PLAY Engine automatically assigns MIDI channels when instru-

ments are opened rom the Browser view or the Main Menu change the behavior o spin controls speci y the PLAY UI to display when opened as a plug-in

A round-robin articulation contains twoor more slightly di erent samples oreach note. The samples are played inrotation each time the key is struckrepeatedly, giving a more realistic per-

ormance, avoiding whats o ten calledthe machine gun e ect.

The PLAY Engine remembers whichsample should be played the next timethe note sounds. I , or example, around-robin patch contains two sam-ples, A and B, and a piece uses thatnote 7 times, the engine plays A B A BA B A. I the piece is played again romthe beginning, the engine will playstarting with B, because thats nextin order. The second rendition will besubtly di erent. Being able to reset all

round-robin articulations to the begin-ning o the cycle allows or consistent playback.

T H E E A S T W E S T P L AY 2 S Y S T E MThe controls in the Round Robin Resetgroup allow the user to speci y whether a MIDI noteor MIDI control code will reset the round-robin cycle to the beginning. Use the radio but-t t l t hi h t MIDI t ill th t Th i l l i th


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tons to select which type o MIDI event will cause the reset. The numerical value in thespin box speci es which note number (middle C equals note 60) or which control code(CC) will be interpreted as a Reset (pick a note or a CC not otherwise used). To set the

numeric value click in that control, do one o : click on the up or down arrow with the mouse click in the control to give it ocus and then use the Up or Down Arrow key type in a number with the computers keyboard

The MIDI Channel Assignmentgroup allows the user to select what happens when a newinstrument is opened in PLAY:

Automatic Increment causes each newinstrument to be assigned automati-cally the MIDI channel that matchesthe number o the instrument beingopened. For example, i three instruments are currently open, when you open the nextinstrument, it will be assigned channel 4.

Omni (MIDI Channel 0)causes each new instrument to be assigned MIDI channel 0. An

instrument in this Omni mode responds to MIDI events on every channel 116. Thisis the de ault behavior, so that when anyone new to PLAY rst opens an instrument itwill play notes no matter what MIDI channel is sending them. Many users will want tochange to Automatic Increment in order to save time when building a project.

Note the ollowing behavior when Automatic Increment is in orce: I you delete an instrument or manually change channels, a new instrument may open

with an already used channel. I you replace one instrument with a di erent one, the new instrument will inherit the

MIDI channel o the instrument being replaced. I you open a previously saved multi-instrument le ( i.e. , it contains multiple articu-

lation les) and the instruments were set to Omni (MIDI channel 0), they will be as-signed unique non-zero MIDI channels. Those multi-instrument les with instrumentsset to a speci c (non-zero) channel will not have the channels changed.

The third group, called Controls, gives the userthe option to set the behavior o spin boxes.When this box is not checked, you must click

the up or down arrow repeatedly to change the value in the spin box by more than 1.When it is checked, you can still click repeatedly, or you can click and hold down themouse button on an arrow to cause the value to increment or decrement repeatedly; letgo o the mouse button when you get to the desired value.


The group at the bottom lists all thecurrently installed PLAY virtual instru


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currently installed PLAY virtual instru-ments. Select the one whose UI youwant to display when the PLAY plug-in

opens in a sequencer or other host. Thisselection does not a ect what displayswhen you open PLAY in standalonemode; in that mode, you are opening aspeci c library and that librarys UI is what you will see rst. (Note: once you open anyspeci c instrument, its UI will appear no matter which inter ace is the de ault.)

Playing a First NoteStep 7: Loading an InstrumentI the Browser View (shown here) is not currently displayed on your screen, go there byclicking the Browser button near the top o the UI.

T H E E A S T W E S T P L AY 2 S Y S T E MThe le t-most column has two regions: a list o open instruments at the top, and both theSystem and Favorites panes at the bottom, though only one o the bottom panes can beseen at a time The one or more installed libraries should be listed in the Favorites pane


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seen at a time. The one or more installed libraries should be listed in the Favorites pane.I you click on a library name, a set o older names appears. Click on a older and thecontents o that older appears in the column to the right.

A ter opening either one or two levels o sub olders (depending on the library), you shouldsee one or more les that end in a .ewi extension These are EastWest instrument lesthat can be opened. See an example below showing the case where two levels appear.

How to use the browser window is explained in more detail in Chapter 8, starting on page67 . For now, the goal is to open a single instrument so we can hear the PLAY Engine playa note, veri ying that the installation, authorization, and setup were success ul.

Click on one o the .ewi le names. I the .ewi le is in the right-most column, the namesin all columns shi t to the le t. With that .ewi le name still highlighted, click on the

Add button near the bottom o the window. Look quickly at the progress bar to the le to that button and you should see the color change rom le t to right as the instrumentloads into memory.

Step 8: Generating a SoundI the instrument has opened success ully, some o the ormerly tan-colored keys onthe onscreen keyboard turn white. These are the playable notes. I some keys turn blue,those are keyswitch notes. I you use the mouse to click on one o the white keys, youshould hear a note. I not, note that occasionally, some notes sound in only some o thekeyswitched articulations. Be ore you attempt any other troubleshooting, try clicking ona ew more notes over the ull range o white keys.

I you dont hear a sound rom any white key, the cause can be one o several reasons: You have not success ully authorized this PLAY virtual instrument. You have not inserted the iLok security key into a unctioning USB port on this com-

puter. An error message should appear i this is the case. You did not correctly set up the Audio parameters in step 2 above. Your sound card and/or speakers are not turned on.

I youre still not getting a sound, try returning to the Settings dialog, and go to the Audiotab, as described in Step 2 earlier in this chapter. Click on the wide button in the TestTone group. I you can hear the tone, then the audio path rom PLAY to your speakersor headphones is working correctly. I you hear no tone (and the volume setting is loudenough that it should make an audible tone) then you have narrowed the problem to that

Groups Instrument Names Files

T H E E A S T W E S T P L AY 2 S Y S T E Mpart o the path. (Note that the Test Tone does not require a working license be installedin an attached iLok security key.)


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Step 9: Using a MIDI KeyboardI you were able to play a sound using the mouse and the onscreen keyboard, the next

step is to do the same with a MIDI keyboard (or other device or sending MIDI notes). Iyou dont plan to use such a device, you can skip this step.

Make sure the keyboard is attached to the computer and powered on be ore openingthe PLAY so tware. Press a key. I you hear a sound, then the keyboard is sending MIDInotes to the PLAY Engine and youre done with this step. I there is no sound, look atthe onscreen keyboard when playing the note on the physical keyboard. I you see thecorresponding key on the screen darken slightly, then the PLAY Engine is receiving notes.

The color indicates the unction o each key or the currently loaded instrument: white keys generate a sound blue keys are keyswitches ( or selecting articulations within an instrument) tan keys are unused

I the key that darkens onscreen is not white (as in the diagram atthe le t), move to a white key and try again. (Note that i you havea keyboard o only a ew octaves, you may have to shi t it up ordown to get in range.) The picture to the le t shows an E depressed.Its best not to select one o the keyboards black keys, e.g. , E-fat,

because its harder to see those keys darken on the screen.

I playing a note on the keyboard does not cause any key onscreen to darken, then thePLAY Engine is not receiving the MIDI data. Revisit Step 3 above to make sure you havecorrectly identi ed this keyboard in the Settings Dialog. Also veri y that the MIDI, USB,or other cable is securely connected at both ends. I your keyboard plugs into a MIDI

hub or a sound card, make sure that device is powered up. I you have not yet used thiskeyboard success ully on this computer, check with the keyboards documentation toveri y both the keyboard and the driver are properly installed.

Next StepsOnce you can load an instrument into the standalone version o the PLAY AdvancedSample Engine and can hear a note by playing on a keyboard, youre ready to explorethe other eatures. Here are some o the things to try next. Use this manual and the ac-companying manual or the speci c libraryor libraries or which you own licensesand learn how to do the ollowing tasks: Open more than one instrument and assign each its own MIDI channel so they can

be played individually. Open a sequencer or other host and insert one o the plug-in versions. Write a MIDI

melody in the sequencer and have the PLAY Engine plug-in play it. Play with the controls in the Articulations window, including the Active and Loaded

buttons, as well as the articulation-speci c volume controls.

T H E E A S T W E S T P L AY 2 S Y S T E M Load an instrument with keyswitches and play a musical phrase that jumps rom one

articulation to another mid-phrase. This can be per ormed in both the standalone andplug-in versions.


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p g Adjust the parameters or speci c articulations; that is, learn how to use all those

knobs and buttons in the user inter ace.

Learn how to save your settings so they can be reloaded at a later time. (Be care ulwhen you save a new instrument to the hard drive so that you do not overwrite theoriginal instrument de nitions.)



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42


6. Instruments and Articulations

43 The Library Architecture 45 Instruments 45 Articulations 49 Samples



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43Chapter 6: Instruments and Articulations

Instruments and Articulations

The Library ArchitectureIn the real world, instrumentalists can o ten make a choice how to play each note orphrase. These di erent ways the musician can create sound with an instrument arecalled articulations. Examples on a violin are: a sustained note

a staccato note a trill between two notes a pizzicato noteOn a snare drum, examples are: a rim shot a drum roll

In the world o sampled music, theres the same variety o ways an instrument can beplayed. In manybut not allEastWest libraries, an a ordance called a keyswitch al-lows the user to select among the articulation provided. Selecting one o the notes withina keyswitch tells the PLAY Engine to use the speci ed articulation until a new keyswitchnote changes it.

AdvAnced : Occasionally, a keyswitch might select more than one articulation to be playedat once, generating a layered sound. The library-speci c manuals indicate when this isthe case.

Each articulation is created rom its own set o samples. These samples are audio leso each note o a single articulation, usually at one o several dynamic levels, such as pp , mp , mf , or ff .

The diagram on the next page shows the relationship among these important terms: PLAY Engine,the so tware program that knows how to generate audio rom EastWest

instruments library, a.k.a. virtual instrument, a collection o instruments playable with the PLAY

Engine instrument, a collection o articulations and usually a keyswitch, opened as a unit in

the PLAY Engine, almost always associated with a single live instrument keyswitch, a set o two or more notes used to select which articulation(s) to play articulation , a collection o samples recorded rom a live instrument being played in a

speci c manner sample, a recording o a live instrument

T H E E A S T W E S T P L AY 2 S Y S T E MWhen you use the PLAY Engine to generate the sound o a note, you are speci ying bothan instrument and an articulation. (I you dont explicitly indicate the articulation, thenthe de ault articulation sounds. Its the lowest keyswitch note, o tenbut not alwaysC0 I i h k i h h d l i l i i h l ibili )


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C0. I an instrument has no keyswitch the de ault articulation is the only possibility.)

Once a MIDI channel is assigned to one o the instruments in the PLAY Engine, thesamples can be played. This can happen either in real time, such as rom a MIDI key-board, or rom notes saved in and played back by a sequencer. By assigning di erentMIDI channels to the di erent instruments, you can play several o them at once.

When using the standalone version o the PLAY Engine, only one instance can run at atime. But as many instruments can be loaded as the computers resources allow. Thenumber o MIDI ports determines how many unique MIDI channels are available. At 16MIDI channels per port, a system with 6 ports can use 6 times 16, or 96 independentchannels.

libraries

PLAY Engine

instruments

keyswitch notes& articulations

samples

etc.

C0 C#0 C4 C#4 noneD0 D#0

Library A Library B

T H E E A S T W E S T P L AY 2 S Y S T E MThe diagram presents graphically the relationships described above. The arrows depicthow each higher entity can contain or control the entities below it. The dotted lines rep-resent the paths to instruments not currently sounding because the keyswitch controls

hi h ti l ti i g ti g d gi t


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which articulation is generating sound or any given note.

One keyswitch note is labeled none. That path fows rom an instrument with only asingle articulation; there ore, no keyswitch is necessary.

In the diagram, the keyswitch notes and articulations are grouped together to stress theone-to-one relationship: the keyswitch is the highest leveland single most importantdecision maker in terms o what samples to play. Other parameters in the decisioninclude the note being played, the velocity o that note, and the mic position (when di -

erent mic positions are available).

InstrumentsO all the levels mentioned above, instruments are the things you work with most. Whenyou set up an ensemble, whether an orchestra or a three-piece band, youre selectinginstruments. You dont have to select articulations right away. All the available articula-tions are part o the instrument.

Once you have loaded an instrument, you might chose to change its parameters rom the

de ault values. For example, you might alter the volume, adjust the AHDSR envelope,add a delay e ect, and so on. I you want to have those parameters remain the next timeyou open this instrument, then you need to save it. There are three ways to do that: Choosing Save rom the Main Menu saves all the open instruments in a single .ewi

le, together with any parameter settings. You can open the group at a later time witheverything the same. When asked or a older, save it anywhere you like, but be care ulnot to overwrite the original instrument le in case you need to start with the de aultvalues at a later time.

I , instead, you want to save a single instrument so you can load modi ed instrumentsone at a time, then make your changes and save then when only one instrument isopen.

I youre running the PLAY Engine as a plug-in to a host sequencer (and not stand-alone), save the host project to the hard drive. All supported plug-in speci cationssave all parameters inside the plug-in when the host saves the project.

Note that the rst two options allow you to load the modi ed instrument into anotherproject; the third option does not.

ArticulationsAny speci c instrument might have only a single articulation or might have about a doz-en di erent ways o playing the instrument that can be individually selected by meanso the keyswitch. (A ew instruments in some libraries have more than an octaves wortho keyswitch notes, but thats rare.)

T H E E A S T W E S T P L AY 2 S Y S T E MBecause the MIDI channel is assigned at the instrument level, all the articulations re-spond to MIDI notes on the same channel. This approach allows a phrase to be containedin a single MIDI track even when di erent notes will be played with di erent articula-tions One consequence o assigning the channel at the instrument level is that i you


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tions. One consequence o assigning the channel at the instrument level is that i youwant to play a chord in which all its notes start at the same time, you cannot play onenote in the chord using, or example, the staccato articulation and another with the sus-tain articulation. To do that requires you to load the same instrument twice and assignthem to di erent MIDI channels.

All the articulations within an instrument are displayed in a list control in the Player View.I there are too many to view at once, a scroll bar is provided so you can move up anddown through the list.

Master and Elements InstrumentsWhen loading an instrument, you may see two similar instrument names in the BrowserView: one with Master and one with Elements in the name. The two instruments aresimilar except that only the Master patch uses a keyswitch to select among the includedarticulations. Master instruments have all articulations active when rst opened. A keyswitch (see

below) allows the user to select one articulation to play at any time. This is a goodchoice when you anticipate switching among the articulations. Unload any articula-tions you dont need to remove their samples rom memory.

Elements instruments open with only the de ault articulation active. Thats likely to bethe rst one in the list. All others are set inactive and their samples are not loadedinto memory. Secondly, theres no keyswitch, so its not easy to change rom one artic-ulation to another in the middle o a piece. Thirdly, you can set the Active and Loadedindicators to select which articulation(s) you want to play. Note that i you load andactivate two or more articulations, you will achieve a layered sound (the multiplearticulations playing simultaneously). This is a good choice when you need a singlearticulation or the entire piece; or you can load the same Elements instrument morethan once, set them to di erent single articulations, and use di erent MIDI channels

or di erent articulations, instead o the keyswitch.

Viewing the Articulation ListTo see the list o articulations a ter loading an instrument, go to the main PLAY window,where you will see a list control that looks something like the image below. (The exact

appearance can vary a lot rom one librarys UI to the next, so check your library-speci cdocumentation.) Each row in the list is a single articulation.

At the le t is the note name o the keyswitch that initiatesthe use o each articulation. The most common rst key-switch note is C0 (MIDI note 24). But i the range o theplayable notes extends into that part