Symphonic Choirs Platinum Plus is usually measured against Hollywood Choirs, Eternity and Symphony of Voices, and we land here: for a symphonic backdrop it still beats the newer, simpler option. For anything exposed, it loses. At $69 with the VOTA expansion included, it’s a specialist tool for composers who write big, wide, orchestral choir beds and don’t need the choir stepping out front. If you want a lead vocal, close this tab.
How Does It Compare to Hollywood Choirs and the Rest?
Open it next to EastWest’s own Hollywood Choirs and the difference is organisational. Symphonic Choirs gives you four proper SATB sections. Hollywood Choirs splits things into simpler male and female groups with a friendlier interface.
Owners who’ve used both tend to prefer the SATB layout. You can voice a chord the way a real choral arranger would.
Audiobro Eternity has a different sonic character, and some users simply prefer it. Spectrasonics Symphony of Voices offers a more diverse palette, Gregorian chants included. Neither is a drop-in replacement. They’re different colours.
What's Under the Hood?
The numbers are worth reading before you buy. It’s 38GB of 24-bit samples across nine DVD-ROM disks. Released in 2019, so it’s no longer new.
Ranges are generous. Soprano runs D3 to E5, alto F2 to A4, tenor C2 to D4, and bass B0 to D3. That bass floor is low enough to rumble under a full orchestra.
Three stereo mic setups play at once: close, stage and hall. You blend them on screen. Pull the close mics up for definition, push the hall for that cathedral wash.
The convolution reverb includes the hall where the choir was recorded, with pre-delay and a Master control.
The Intelligent Performance section covers Portamento, Repetition, Legato and Round Robin Reset. The release trail engine tracks the volume of the note-on samples, so trails don’t misbehave when you throw the mod wheel around. Key-switches are fully customisable with no size limit.
System requirements are high. Plan your RAM before you plan your arrangement.
Where Does It Win?
Picture a string-heavy cue at bar 33. The orchestra swells and you need forty voices sitting behind it. Load the stage mic, bring the hall up, and the choir settles into the mix instead of fighting it.
That’s the job. Owners call the sound quality magnificent, and as a symphonic layer it earns it.
The SATB structure is the other big win. Voicing a four-part chord with real sections beats stacking two generic groups.
And the mic blend is a proper mixing tool. We love that you can reshape the depth of the choir without touching an external reverb.
Where Does the Competition Win?
WordBuilder is the headline feature and the headline headache. Type a phrase in any language and the choir sings it. Sounds great on paper.
Reality is slower. Users report that professional results demand serious time on timing and phoneme adjustment. Even simple phrases need minor manual editing. Annoying.
There’s a learning curve too. Budget an afternoon before it feels natural.
Exposed vocals are where it falls over. Owners say it isn’t suitable for final-mix vocals beyond simple syllables. One user notes newer AI tools have made this sound relatively dated, and it’s hard to argue.
The VOTA expansion has no German samples. If your project needs German text, that’s a wall.
Symphony of Voices wins on palette variety. Hollywood Choirs wins on getting up and running fast.
The Beginner Who Wants Fast Choir Sounds
You’ve got a simple cue and zero patience. The learning curve and the RAM demands will frustrate you.
Hollywood Choirs is the easier road. Wait, or skip it.
The Orchestral Composer
This is the person it was built for. You write big, you want SATB control, and you want a choir that blends into a symphonic palette.
Load the stage mics, add the convolution hall, and write. Buy it.
The Producer Who Needs Lyrics
You want a choir singing real sentences in the final mix. WordBuilder will tempt you, and it will cost you hours.
Even then, owners say exposed results fall short. Skip it.
Who Should Buy Which?
✅ Buy if you score orchestral music and need a choir bed that sits behind strings and brass. ✅ Buy if you want true SATB sections and mic position control. ✅ Buy if you’re happy to spend time shaping phonemes for short, buried phrases.
❌ Skip if you need clear, intelligible lead lyrics in an exposed mix. ❌ Skip if your project needs German text from the VOTA expansion. ❌ Skip if your machine is short on RAM and drive space for 38GB of samples.
Specs & Technical Details
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Developer | EastWest Sounds |
| Price | $69 |
| Plugin Format | N/A |
| OS Support | N/A |
| Activation | N/A |
| CPU Usage | N/A (high system requirements for optimal performance) |
| Trial Available | N/A |
| Version Reviewed | N/A |
Score Breakdown
| Category | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sound Quality | 4.3/5 | Owners call it magnificent as a symphonic layer |
| Value for Money | 3.8/5 | 38GB, SATB sections and VOTA included at $69 |
| Ease of Use | 3.0/5 | WordBuilder has a learning curve and needs manual editing |
| Features | 4.2/5 | Three mic positions, convolution reverb, custom key-switches |
| CPU Efficiency | 3.2/5 | High system requirements for optimal performance |
| Overall | 3.8/5 | Great orchestral choir bed, weak for exposed vocals |
What Are the Alternatives?
EastWest Hollywood Choirs
Newer, with a simpler interface and male/female sections instead of SATB. Pick it if speed matters more than voicing control.Audiobro Eternity
Some users prefer its sonic character. Audition it if the EastWest sound doesn't grab you.Spectrasonics Symphony of Voices
A more diverse palette, Gregorian chants included. Reach for it when you want variety over a single symphonic flavour.Should You Buy It?
Buy it at $69 if you write orchestral music and want a choir that melts into the arrangement. Pay the RAM bill, learn the mic blend, and keep your lyrics short and buried.
Don’t buy it expecting a singer. Anyone chasing clear, front-and-centre words will spend hours editing phonemes for a result owners say still doesn’t hold up exposed. Wrong tool.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is VOTA in Symphonic Choirs Platinum Plus?
VOTA is Voices of the Apocalypse, the Symphonic Choirs Expansion content. It was recorded at 24-bit resolution with a single mic position. It lacks German language samples.
Can Symphonic Choirs sing real lyrics?
Yes, through WordBuilder, which lets you type words in any language. Expect to spend real time on timing and phonemes, though. Owners say even simple phrases need minor manual editing, and exposed results beyond simple syllables aren't convincing.
Is Symphonic Choirs better than Hollywood Choirs?
It depends on what you value. Users who want proper SATB sections prefer Symphonic Choirs over the simpler male/female split in Hollywood Choirs. If you want a faster, easier interface, Hollywood Choirs is the friendlier pick.