EastWest Releases Two New Sample Libraries

EastWest has released a pair of new sample libraries covering guitar and world instruments.

The first, Skunkworks, features rhythm guitar grooves and solos from legendary Steely Dan and Doobie Brothers guitarist JEFF "SKUNK" BAXTER. Baxter is the recipient of many music industry awards, including over twenty gold and platinum records, and two Grammys, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest guitarists of all time. The sounds in this collection as you would expect, are killer! After all, Baxter has been a design consultant for Roland, Guild, Vox, and Gibson, and even has his own signature series acoustic guitars. The collection offers a diverse range of styles from acoustic to funk to heavy metal, and everything in between, all played with Baxter's impeccable feel.

Available formats for Skunkworks are 2 CD Audio/WAV - $99.95, Akai S1000 - $199.95, ProSamples version - 310Mb -Audio/Acid/Akai/Aiff/EXS24/WAV - $49.95)

The second collection, Quantum Leap Rare Instruments (from the producer of the multi-award winning Quantum Leap Brass) features 16 groundbreaking, ethnic, multi-sampled instruments. Rare Instruments is the most expressive ethnic library ever created, including up to 54 variations for some instruments on 3 CD-ROMs. In some cases the natural range of these instruments has been expanded, thereby creating an instrument that is more playable than the original! The instruments have been meticulously recorded in studios, not in some village in Africa on a home recorder - so the quality of recording, and programming, are the best available for an ethnic collection. Producer Nick Phoenix also produced Quantum Leap Brass and Quantum Leap Guitar & Bass.

Instruments included by region are

FAR EAST: ERHU (2 stringed Chinese fiddle, bowed), DUNG-CHEN (8 ft. Tibetan trumpet), TAIKO DRUMS (giant Japanese barrel drums), 34" CHINESE GONG, 23" THAI GONG.

MIDDLE EAST AND INDIA: SARANGI (bowed classical Indian instrument), TABLAS, DUDUK (Armenian flute), MIDDLE EASTERN FIDDLE.

EUROPE: ALPEN HORN (14 ft. wooden horn), HURDY GURDY (keyed instrument bowed with wheel), GEDULKA (Bulgarian fiddle), HIGHLAND PIPES (Scottish bagpipes), UILLEANN PIPES (Irish bapipes), LAUDENNAS (Sardinian triple reeded flute), IRISH LOW WHISTLE (Irish flute).

Available as Akai S1000/GigaStudio - 3 CD-ROM, priced at $499.95.