A fantasy percussion library with ethnic drums, metals, and shakers, tailored for epic and mystical scoring, recorded by EastWest.
Purpose and Scope
Hollywood Fantasy Percussion is a dedicated collection of struck and shaken instruments crafted for fantasy and epic orchestral scoring. It fills a niche for composers needing percussion that evokes ancient rituals, royal celebrations, and mythical landscapes, rather than purely conventional orchestral drums.
The library covers a broad sonic range, from deep taikos and gran cassas to delicate crotales and goatnail shakers. This ensures you can underscore intense battle sequences or quiet, mystical ceremonies with equal authenticity and emotional impact.
Key Instruments
The collection includes multiple bodhrans, large taikos, a massive nagado ensemble, and a gran cassa for low-end power. Lighter options like ceng ceng cymbals, crotales, and metal shakers provide shimmer and ambience, while unique tools like the goatnail shaker and nagara rub fx add eerie, mystical textures.
Orchestral bells and a snare ensemble help anchor the set in traditional scoring, while the orchestral metallurgy instruments deliver industrial or forge-like sounds. Each instrument was chosen to suit a variety of fantasy settings, from folk festivals to dark forges.
Workflow and Playability
The library focuses on playability with pre-mixed combinations like the goatnails and ceng cengs patch, offering a quick mix of timbres for inspiration. You can quickly build drum ensembles using hits, rolls, and rim taps from instruments like the nagara and ashiko.
Sounds are designed to blend with the Hollywood Fantasy palette and conventional orchestras. For slow passages, the nagado ensemble provides haunting low impacts, while the cymbal and gong ensemble offers a variety of struck metals for decorative accents.
Practical Applications
Use the taikos and snare ensemble for epic battle marches, or the bodhrans for Celtic-inspired themes. The ceng cengs and crotales are ideal for regal or magical moments, while the goatnail shaker and nagara rub fx add ritualistic eeriness.
The orchestral metallurgy set suits industrial or forge scenes, and the orchestral bells can evoke church or castle-town settings. This library is best paired with the Hollywood Fantasy series for a cohesive soundtrack, but it works well as a standalone percussion tool.
Key features
- Multiple bodhrans, gran cassas, and large taikos
- Massive nagado ensemble for deep impacts
- Ceng ceng cymbals and crotales for shimmer
- Unique goatnail shaker and nagara rub fx
- Orchestral bells, snare ensemble, and toms
- Unusual metals for industrial or forge sounds
- Playable combos for quick timbre blending
Best for
Composers scoring fantasy films, games, or trailers who need a versatile percussion palette that spans from epic battles to intimate, mystical rituals, and who value authentic ethnic textures over standard orchestral drums.