Affiliate disclosure: the "Get this deal" button is an affiliate link to the store. If you buy through it we earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Full policy
Hollywood Strings 2 Black Friday pricing brings 50% off this EastWest Sounds string library, so it costs $149 until Jan 17, 2027.
It is a string virtual instrument built from a 21-piece ensemble recorded in EastWest Studio 2. The maker describes it as its most nuanced string library yet.
The maker says it chose a tight group over a bigger one this time, with the same production team behind it.
The library holds 134 instruments across a little over 160 GB of samples. Producers Doug Rogers and Nick Phoenix and engineer Shawn Murphy, who made the original Hollywood Strings, returned for this one.
Every instrument has three Mood options: Classic, Soft and Epic.
Articulations include legato, detache, pizzicato, staccato, spiccato, marcato and col legno. Rarer textural styles like flautando are covered too, each with up to four dynamics.
The celli patches carry vibrato on the mod wheel, plus slurs and portamento.
The maker says the violas stay clear in a dense mix and still sit back in soft, lyrical passages.
Six mic positions are adjustable: three separate close mics (some attached directly to the instruments), plus main, mid-field and surround.
Mute the main, mid and surround mics and you get a dry, in-your-face sound. Bring them up and the room of Studio 2 comes back in.
The maker says the recording is clean and dry, and that the library is Atmos-ready for DAWs that support Atmos.
The Moods shape the feel. Soft suits detailed, intimate writing, Classic gives a traditional studio orchestral sound, and Epic goes larger and more cinematic. The interface colour shows which mood is selected.
The library runs on the Opus engine, which includes a suite of effects. You can download only the instruments you need or grab the whole set.
Yes. The Hollywood Strings 2 Black Friday deal takes 50% off, bringing the library to $149 until Jan 17, 2027. It is the full EastWest string library with its 134 instruments.
You get 134 instruments in about 160 GB of samples: 1st Violins, 2nd Violins, Violas, Celli and Basses as separate sections, plus Full Strings with all 21 players in octaves. Each has Classic, Soft and Epic moods.
Mic positions can be balanced in six ways, with three individual close microphones (some clipped right onto the instruments) alongside the main, mid-field and surround perspectives. Mute the room mics for a dry sound or raise them to bring in the Studio 2 space.
Yes. The Opus engine lets you download just the individual instruments you need for quick access, or you can download the whole library. Opus also brings a suite of effects and new features.
Prices and end dates are checked at publishing time and can change, so confirm them at the store before you buy.