EastWest’s Hollywood Orchestra Opus Diamond is the top edition (Diamond) of EastWest’s orchestral library recorded in a Hollywood studio. It includes solo instruments, six microphone positions and Hollywood Orchestrator, which builds the framework of a piece.
An orchestral instrument plug-in lets you play the sound of an orchestra, such as strings, winds and percussion, on a computer.
In this article we compare Hollywood Orchestra Opus Diamond with 10 orchestral instrument plug-ins and rate how well it serves its purpose on three criteria. The basis is official manufacturer information.
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Score 3.8 / 5 (average of the 10 products compared: 3.3)
- Specs last checked
- 2026/09/27
- Instruments and techniques
- All sections + solo
- Microphones
- 6 mics
- Size
- 944 GB
- Price (store, date)
- $209 (sale; regular $399) [PB, checked Oct 26]
Summary
Among the 10 orchestral instrument plug-ins, Hollywood Orchestra Opus Diamond is rank A. The ranks run S, A, B and C, and A is second from the top. Averaging the scores for each criterion (out of 5, with the one criterion that matters most for the purpose counted double) gives 3.8.
Strengths
- Range of instruments and techniques (5 points): there are many instruments and playing techniques, so you can express detail.
- Microphone and ambience adjustment (4 points): you can choose microphone positions and adjust from a close sound to a wide ambience.
Things to keep in mind
- Light on storage (1 points): it needs a very large amount of storage, so check the free space on your computer.
Who it suits: people who want to craft a powerful, film-like orchestra even if it takes a huge library.
Main features of Hollywood Orchestra Opus Diamond
A newly re-recorded version of a film-music standard
Hollywood Orchestra Opus Edition is a library that gathers all the instruments of the modern orchestra. Diamond is the top edition: more than 130 GB of new recordings were added, and the total size is 944 GB. It also includes the solo instruments of Hollywood Solo Instruments, which used to be sold separately.
Six microphone positions
Besides the five microphone positions Close, Mid, Main, Surround and Vintage, newly recorded instruments also have Stage. You can mix the microphones to make anything from a close sound to a sound with a lot of hall ambience. Movie Mixes, which are already mixed so you can use them right away, are also included.
Runs in Opus software
You use it inside EastWest’s Opus software, and it can also be started as a standalone app. There are many playing techniques, such as long, short, slur and portamento. There is also ComposerCloud+, a subscription that lets you use all products, with a 14-day free trial.
Where it is useful
- Making a grand orchestral piece like film or game music
- Having a solo violin or cello play a melody expressively
- Using Movie Mixes to get a film-like sound quickly
Rating by criterion
Range of instruments and techniques: 5 / 5
We look at the instruments recorded (including solo instruments) and the richness of playing techniques and legato, as stated officially.
The official page states that it includes all sections and the solo instruments of Hollywood Solo Instruments, with playing techniques such as long, short, slur and portamento.
Microphone and ambience adjustment: 4 / 5
We look at the number of microphone positions (mixes) you can choose.
There are six microphone positions: the five of Close, Mid, Main, Surround and Vintage, plus Stage on newly recorded instruments.
Light on storage: 1 / 5
We look at the free space needed for installation (the less, the lighter).
The total size is 944 GB.
If “light on storage” matters most to you, BBC SO Discover (5 points) is a better fit.
How we score (Orchestral instrument plug-ins)
| Criterion | Basis | 5 pt | 4 pt | 3 pt | 2 pt | 1 pt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Range of instruments and techniques | The instruments recorded (including solo instruments) and the richness of playing techniques and legato (as stated officially) | All sections plus solo instruments, with 400 or more techniques or rich legato | All sections, with 300 or more techniques or stated to have rich techniques and legato | All sections, with basic techniques | Only some sections and techniques | — |
| Microphone and ambience adjustment | Number of microphone positions (mixes) you can choose | 10 or more | 5 or more | 3 to 4 | 2 | 1 (cannot choose) |
| Light on storage | Free space needed for installation (the less, the lighter) | 1 GB or less | 50 GB or less | 200 GB or less | 500 GB or less | More than 500 GB |
Each criterion is scored from 1 to 5 on how well the product serves one goal: making music such as game and video background music, or strings for pop songs, on a computer. Scores follow the conditions in the table above, and the rank is based on an average in which "Range of instruments and techniques" counts double. "Light on storage" is a guide to how easy the product is to use for people with little free space on their computer, and it is lower the more is recorded. The basis is official manufacturer information (EastWest does not publish the number of instruments and techniques for its two products, so we judged from the official description). Sound quality has not been compared by ear, so it is not scored. Price is not part of the score. Features that cannot be confirmed from the manufacturer's or a retailer's description are scored as if absent.
Hollywood Orchestra Opus Diamond screens and images
Hollywood Orchestra Opus Diamond system requirements and getting started
| Operating system | Windows / Mac |
|---|---|
| Plug-in formats | VST2, VST3, AU, AAX (VST3 is recommended) |
| Standalone | Yes (EW Opus) |
| Other | 944 GB. 32 GB or more of memory is recommended |
| Trial | A 14-day free trial of ComposerCloud+ is available |
Checked on the manufacturer’s official pages on September 27, 2026.
Compared with other orchestral instrument plug-ins
Click a heading to sort. On a phone, the table scrolls sideways.
| Product | RankAvg. score | Instruments and techniques | Microphones | Size | Free | Price (store, date) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spitfire AudioBBC SO Discover | C 2.5 | 34 instruments, 47 techniques | 1 mix | 360 MB | Free | Not listed |
| Spitfire AudioBBC SO Core | B 3.3 | 44 instruments, 344 techniques | 1 mix | 28 GB | Free version available | $449 [Official, checked Oct 26] |
| Spitfire AudioBBC SO Professional | A 4.0 | 67 instruments, 468 techniques | 12 mics + 3 mixes | 632 GB | Free version available | $999 [Official, checked Oct 26] |
| EastWestHollywood Orchestra Opus Diamond | A 3.8 | All sections + solo | 6 mics | 944 GB | — | $209 (sale; regular $399) [PB, checked Oct 26] |
| EastWestSymphonic Orchestra Platinum | A 3.5 | All sections + legato | 3 mics | 194 GB | — | $104 (sale; regular $199) [PB, checked Oct 26] |
| Spitfire AudioSpitfire Symphony Orchestra | A 3.8 | Solo included, 600+ techniques | 4 mics | About 368 GB | — | ≈$667.31 [Official, checked Oct 26] |
| Spitfire AudioAlbion ONE | B 3.0 | All sections, 63 techniques | 4 mics | 55.7 GB | — | ≈$533.58 [Official, checked Oct 26] |
| Orchestral ToolsBerlin Free Orchestra | C 2.3 | 33 instruments, 67 techniques | 1 mix | 3 GB | Free | Not listed |
| Orchestral ToolsBerlin Orchestra Full | A 3.8 | Solo included, 800+ techniques | Multiple mics | 404.4 GB | — | ≈$895.61 [Official, checked Oct 26] |
| Orchestral ToolsBerlin Orchestra Pro | A 3.5 | 141 instruments, 1,200+ techniques | Multiple mics | 538 GB | — | ≈$1,568.16 [Official, checked Oct 26] |
Features checked on each manufacturer's official website on September 27, 2026. Check the store page behind the buy button for the price.
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