Review

Widely known for their vibrant range of
meticulously captured cinematic string
libraries – particularly the elegant Hollywood
Opus collection – EastWest Sounds’ irst bona
ide synth collection is ittingly epic. With a
name like ‘Forbidden Planet’, and a UI which
underscores its futuristic niche, this dense
assortment of sounds are squarely aimed at
those who want to wrangle the types of pulsing,
morphing electronic textures that permeate
modern science iction and fantasy.
Unlike traditionally genre-aligned packages,
EastWest’s innovative new engine allows for a
greater array of sonic control, with delicate
morphing between multiple layers paramount
to the engine. There’s also a trove of iner-detail
shaping abilities here, like the deep levels of
modulation control, and a colourful arsenal of
rhythmic options on hand. All in all, there’s a
whole new multiverse to discover.
Starship blooper
The fundamental concept for Forbidden Planet
began when producers Doug Rogers and Nick
Phoenix elected to deviate from the usual
oscillator-leaning approach, and instead work
EastWest
Forbidden Planet
£245
An expansive odyssey of evolving sci-i synth sounds, these ever-
morphing sonics will delight all Earth-based shapers of new frontiers…
towards building a hybrid beast, melding sound
layers from acoustic sources, orchestral
instruments, choirs and a range of deftly
curated sound efects. Harnessing EastWest’s
adept Opus engine, they realised a synth that
draws on a rich well of instrumental texture.
Within Forbidden Planet are 645 of said
mouth-watering patches and a detailed
workstation for sculpting and contorting these
forms into something entirely new.
Upon loading the software within EastWest’s
OPUS shell, and switching to the PLAY page, the
irst thing to notice is the central image of a
MAIN UI
In default mode, depicts a
dual-axis orbital control in
the shape of a planet’s moon
STEP LFO
Allows you to
synchronise a gated
rhythm effect
PARAMETERS
Evolving synth
parameters that can be
assigned to MIDI CC
MOD ENVELOPE
Modulate the filter cutoff
over time to add more
movement to the sound
AMP ENVELOPE
Control an
instrument’s global
volume over time via
its Attack and
Release
ARPEGGIATOR
The dual arpeggiator can
be used to create note
runs of varying speed
WAVEFORM
Renders the waveform output for the
current synth layer (changeable by
switching sources A/B)
STEREO OPTIONS
Quickly mix synth
layers in the stereo
image, and apply
doubling as desired
FILTER
Filter view activates a multi-mode
filter, with the ability to modulate
cutoff via Step LFO and effects
REVERB/DELAY
Cycle scope-
widening reverb and
pulsing delays
Forbidden Planet
An expansive odyssey of evolving sci-i synth sounds, these ever-
morphing sonics will delight all Earth-based shapers of new frontiers…
EastWest
Forbidden Planet
£245
An expansive odyssey of evolving sci-i synth sounds, these ever-
morphing sonics will delight all Earth-based shapers of new frontiers…
MOD ENVELOPE
Modulate the filter cutoff
over time to add more
movement to the sound
WAVEFORM
Renders the waveform output for the
current synth layer (changeable by
switching sources A/B)
current synth layer (changeable by
switching sources A/B)
current synth layer (changeable by
68 / COMPUTER MUSIC / November 2022
> reviews / eastwest forbidden planet
EDITOR’S CHOICE
CMU314.rev_east_west_forbidden.indd 68CMU314.rev_east_west_forbidden.indd 68 14/09/2022 15:4814/09/2022 15:48