Voices of Opera

Name: Voices of Opera
Price: 69 USD
Author: EastWest

by EastWest · Instrument · Opera vocal library

Not rated yet

Voices of Opera samples soprano Larisa Martinez and tenor Carlton Moe, with sustains, legato, staccato, Italian words and phrases from classic arias.

It costs $69 on sale (regular $199) and runs in EastWest's Opus player.

Best for: Vocals, Sound Design. Genres: Ambient & Cinematic, Jazz, Acoustic & Classical.

Keywords: monophonic, choir, cinematic, film & game audio, hybrid, vintage, classic, hardware emulation, sound design, 50s, perpetual licence, sample-based, subscription.

What it does

Voices of Opera is a solo opera-voice library with two singers, produced by Doug Rogers and Nick Phoenix and recorded at EastWest Studios. EastWest aims it at film scores and hybrid orchestral music as well as opera mockups, "whether classical, romantic or apocalyptic".

Two singers: soprano Larisa Martinez and tenor Carlton Moe.
229 instruments: 10 sustain patches on the vowels Ah, Ee, Eh, Oh and Oo, 32 staccato patches, 8 combo patches and 9 keyswitch patches.
True legato: 4 legato instruments with recorded intervals up to an octave.
Italian words: 42 word instruments mapped chromatically, such as Amore, Cielo, Gloria, Fortuna and Vincero.
Aria phrases: 36 full phrases and 84 sub-phrases from arias by Verdi, Puccini, Mozart, Rossini, Bizet and others.
Mic mixes: Front (Telefunken 251), Rear (a pair of vintage Coles 4038s) and Room (a Decca tree of Neumann M50s with AKG C12 outriggers), plus a Neumann U67 for duet phrases.

It runs in EastWest's Opus player (and the older PLAY 6). A standalone purchase is a perpetual licence. It is also part of the ComposerCloud+ subscription, which has a 14-day free trial.

Source: EastWest product page

When to use it

Voices of Opera is the pick when a score needs a solo operatic soprano or tenor rather than a choir. Compared with Eric Whitacre Choir and Symphonic Choirs, it gives you a single expressive voice with true legato, but no ensemble sound and no alto or bass. Unlike Symphonic Choirs, it cannot sing typed text; its words are limited to the Italian words and aria phrases EastWest recorded. Next to Augmented VOICES, which treats voices as sound-design material, it stays close to a real classical performance. It is a strong add-on for soundtrack work that needs an operatic moment, and less so for full opera mockups.

Best for: solo operatic lines and duets in film scores, classical pieces and hybrid orchestral music.
Genres: cinematic and classical.
Look elsewhere if: you need a choir or custom lyrics; Eric Whitacre Choir or Symphonic Choirs fit better.
Tip: Sound On Sound found that turning on the legato option removes small hitches between notes; MusicTech suggests the phrases sound best in the keys EastWest provides.

What producers say

Reviewers praise the singers and the sound, with reservations about the limited words and some legato and release quirks.

Sound On Sound called it "a highly musical instrument" and "a brave step forward", praising the legato depth and how it blends with Hollywood Choirs.
MusicTech praised the "staggering amount of talent" and convincing sustains, and suggested using it as small chorus pads outside opera too.
Criticisms: no mod-wheel swells on held notes, no vibrato control, few syllables and words (SOS), plus phrases that can sound repetitive and some release ghosting (MusicTech).

Where to buy

Best Service: $69
EastWest: $69 (regular $199)
Plugin Boutique: $69 (regular $149)
PluginFox: $69 (regular $149)
AudioDeluxe: $69 (regular $149)

Tutorials and reviews

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