EPIC AMBIENCE
Epic World by is another outstanding library by Eduardo Tarilonte, designed for film, soundtrack, and gaming composers in search of a wide array of ambient soundscapes to work with. Powered by the YellowTools engine, Epic World provides not only a stunning collection of ambient patches and instruments, but also allows further control through the YellowTools environment for a completely customized sound. 

Epic World is broken down into two basic concepts: The Ambiences, which make up the bulk of the library, are comprised of four distinct sources that include lush and complex pads, evocative drones, digitally-manipulated effect flourishes or “changelings,” and a more straightforward sci-fi/fantasy library of sound effects. Complementing this collection are two additional libraries - Instruments and Voices - designed to provide a counterpoint to Epic World’s ambient sounds, with more directionally specific instrumental and vocal phrases of various origins. 

As a “cinematic landscape,” Epic World’s drones and pads hit the mark right out of the box, with sonic imagery worthy of any serious film, small screen, or gaming score. Combined with elements from the rest of the library, it only gets better from there. The pads are stunningly lush at times, and can be absolutely haunting in some contexts. Select patches provide an even more complex texture, utilizing multiple layers of sound simultaneously. Epic World’s Quick Edit view allows for straightforward access to all of the patches and libraries, where sliders can be accessed independently for each composite layer used in the creation of that patch (some have up to four layers of composite sound). Of course the push of the mod wheel, or the turn of assigned  knobs is what makes each of these layers “interact” in ever-evolving ways, where the drone signaling the plateau of a bold new world, quickly plunges to depths of a forbidden interior at the user’s whim. 

And indeed, that “evolution” and ever-changing swath of sound is precisely the point of Epic World, from creating simple yet evocative passages, to deeply complex “worlds.” 

But all is not dark in the Epic World either, and one thing I’m particularly glad have here is a good selection of tonally bright pads at my disposal. While ambient libraries tend to focus on the more brooding aspect of alien invasions or impending doom (and be assured, this collection more than satisfies that realm), Epic World also gives me those sounds that evoke new (and dare I say optimistic?) horizons or breath-taking vistas, such as various patches of “Ambient Flutes” that I immediately added to my scoring template. 

WORLDLY DETAILS
Not all ambiences fall in the category of drones and pads either. Epic World’s Changelings and Special Effects, while grouped with the ambient collection, are actually more directionally specific. Changelings are those hard-to-identify sounds that often (though not exclusively) utilize a percussive attack or impact, indicative of the jarring motion, suspense, and acceleration that pervades cinematic soundtracks. I have to confess that I am not a huge fan of these sounds on the big screen (and games), though they are an essential part of the scoring and soundtrack process for many. That said, I found these in Epic World to be surprisingly versatile - if not subtle - with a nice range of metallic, soft, windy, “jungle” and “deep” changelings to choose from. Moreover, ADSR allows for precise control of each triggered sound as well.

Rounding out Epic World’s ambient arsenal is a useful and fun collection of sci-fi and fantasy genre sound effects, as well as some straightforward natural elements like forest, waterfalls and streams. Clearly these effects are designed with the gaming composer in mind, with juicy tidbits like wing flaps and ogre growls, as well as the ubiquitous striking sword. Of course all of these have been meticulously sampled to blend seamlessly with the pads and drones, or they can be summoned up by themselves. Either way, it’s a great collection of samples for evoking mythical creatures, hideous aliens, or their hidden domains. Many of these are not just one-note effects either, but have been mapped across the keyboard to provide variation, making them versatile (and believable) when scoring for action and motion sequences. Combined with the natural motifs, these effects quickly and easily provide a palette for creating a sense of place and depth in any soundtrack.

DOWN TO EARTH
The Counterpoint to all this ambient goodness is the collection of instrumental and vocal phrases that not only serve to ice the ambient cake, but which can be accessed on their own, for a variety of musical and soundtrack needs. 

Epic World’s Voices range from the subtle to dynamically expressive, with a mix of male and female patches from various origins. This includes some refreshingly different vocal performances such as the Nordic (female) phrases with a distinctly “middle earth” character, and dynamic African (male) vocal phrasings that provides and energetic and spirited “punch.” There is also the perennial favorite “Indian” phrases with a decidedly earthy tonal quality (female performer), as well as a series of “Monk” phrases (you can never have too many monastic chants), that I was delighted to see. Upon listening, however, I found the vocal quality of the monk phrases to be somewhat rough (and thin, if not lacking in numbers), though a heaping dose of reverb helped to make this a more convincing band of monastic brothers.

My personal favorite from the vocal selections, and a sound which got me very excited, is the series of “Lost Voices.” This selection is a prime example of Eduardo Tarilonte’s passion for organically hybrid sounds that strike just the right balance between an acoustic source recording, and digital manipulation. The result is a series of other-worldly phrases that goes far beyond choral wallpaper, transporting the listener with slurs and bends in unexpected (and chilling) ways. 

If there is one drawback to the vocal collection, however, it’s that the phrasing is limited to specific key signatures, so there are no chromatically sampled patches to work with. There are, however, a good selection of scales to choose from. It is also worth noting that the pitch of individual patches can be altered via the Yellow Tools Pro Edit window. 

DISTANT REALMS
As if all this were not enough, there is yet one final aspect to the Epic World magic which includes a fantastic cross-section of world/ethnic instruments, all expertly sampled and sonically matched to complement the scope of Epic World’s sound. As for sonic considerations, this library is on par with any dedicated library, and Epic World “gets” that the focus here is to reach for an instrument that will perform quickly, naturally, and convincingly. As such, each instrument utilizes an inherently different approach with respect to expression, with a range of options that include pre-recorded phrases for some instruments, to keyswitch and/or mod-wheel control for others, to a few that utilize a natural legato feel. 

The Big Ocarine, and the Hulusi, for example, work with a combination of key switching and legato playing, very much in the vein of Eduardo Tarilonte’s other dedicated wind libraries. It would be nice to see more of these scripted instruments, though clearly the focus of Epic World is on creating ambient sequences where these instruments add a finishing touch. Several patches, like the outstanding Enigma Flute (I and II), and the very beautiful Quena Long Notes patch, utilize an effective legato playing style for smooth, connected performances, with the held note providing the crescendo. Many patches also come with phrased counterparts for simple loading and triggering of a phrase. 

There are both percussive and wind instruments that are keyed to specific BPM as well. These are useful, of course, for getting exact timing in a project. Some, like the Fujara, come with a combination of grooves, phrases, and legato patches to choose from. Regardless of how the expression is unleashed for each, this is a collection that is compelling, and simply a pleasure to play. I am particularly fond of the sampled Dizi, as well as the versatile selection of bowls and chimes for adding that final magical touch.

If it’s not evident by now, these two libraries - Voices and Instruments - can be seen as a collection on their own, suited for use in any project, even if the rest of Epic World’s ambiences are not being used. To a lesser extent, the same is true of the various sound effects. Moreover, I was surprised to hear just how raw - and unprocessed - the vocal phrases were without any reverb, as are some instruments. I applaud this production decision as it allows full access to the “bare” sampled phrases that are not tethered to overt processing, making them more pliable from the perspective of the user.  

THE ENGINE BEHIND THE EPIC WORLD
As for technical considerations, this was my first foray using the YellowTools engine.  I found the patch loading system straightforward: any patch can be located via the built in browser, or by loading from the “layer” column. In some respects, the interface functions similar to Kontakt, where the Epic World skin appears - with sliders and effects knobs - within the larger interface. As I’ve already mentioned, a patch parameter may vary, depending on the nature and inherent design of a particular pad, drone, instrument, vocal, or special effect. The engine’s Pro Edit view allows more refined tweaking and shaping, and the Mixer view provides the additional advantage of inserts, groups, and bussed effects as well. 

I did encounter, however, some CPU spikes on a few patches, and received confirmation that this is a "known" issue that will hopefully be resolved in a future update. As I understand it, this is not inherent in the developer's own fine efforts, but rather, is indicative of the ongoing development of the YellowTools engine itself, particularly in the way it handles an "elastic" feature used with some patches.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Clearly Epic World’s 7Gb collection provides a wealth of tools that span a wide range of sonic possibilities, all of which can be manipulated in countless ways. What sets Epic World apart is the quality and originality of the recordings, and the organic “anchor” that gives the entire collection a very compelling and cohesive feel. It’s a big sound for sure, where loaded presets create that “wow” dimension right out of the box. But it can also be called upon to invoke a more simple and effective mood as well. Of course any user-defined combination of patches can be saved, making this a library that keeps giving. I recommend allowing plenty of time just to play around with the library, familiarizing oneself with the tools at hand.