FAB FOUR is a virtual (software) instrument that includes 45 instruments inspired by the sounds of the Beatles. "The quality is undeniable, I can't imagine what East West must have gone through to track down these sounds (and get Beatles engineer Ken Scott on board)." - EQ
2008 M.I.P.A Winner ; judged most innovative instrument by 100 music magazines

For those new to this technology we used some of the 45 instruments in the FAB FOUR collection to create these demos. To listen to .wav versions select the demo and click on the "?" at the bottom of the player, and download the .wav file. Everything you hear (except the foot taps at the end of "Something In the Sky") is in the box (even the screaming girls!). New video tutorials have been posted below, so if you want to get more familiar with the technology behind this award-winning collection, check these out.

OVERVIEW

FAB FOUR is a virtual instrument inspired by the sounds of the Beatles, using the same kind of period instruments and authentic rare EMI recording equipment the Beatles used to create their music.

FAB FOUR sound engineer KEN SCOTT worked on five Beatles albums, including "A Hard Days Night", "Help", "Rubber Soul", "Magical Mystery Tour" (engineer), and "The Beatles" (engineer) - also known as the "White Album". Drummer DENNY SEIWELL and Guitarist LAURENCE JUBER were both members of Paul McCartney and Wings.

"The Beatles had a profound impact on me, as they did for millions of others" said FAB FOUR producer DOUG ROGERS, "and they were the initial influence for my fascination with sounds. They were creative geniuses that never rested on their laurels, always producing exciting new music and sounds with each new record, much of it ground-breaking! Putting this project together took well over a year of research, equipment procurement (much of it from collectors), and putting together a team that could pull off such a feat; but it was a labor of love for us all, and we feel the result is truly worth it."

No expense was spared finding the same kind of period instruments and rare authentic EMI and other recording equipment the Beatles used to create their sounds to produce this collection, much of which, ironically, will end up in EASTWEST Studios, where the Beach Boys "Pet Sounds" was recorded, the inspiration for the Beatles "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album, according to Paul McCartney.

Well over a million dollars worth of instruments, amplifiers, microphones, recording desks (including very rare EMI REDD tube and TG12345 desks), outboard equipment (including Fairchild limiters and EMI RS124 modified Altec compressors), and Studer J-37 tube multi-tracks were used in this production. If you are a film/tv/game composer, or a musician/producer looking for sounds not found in other collections, this is it. Blending these unique and sometimes bizarre sounds with today's music should enable you to produce something truly fab!

 

QUICK FACTS:

Produced by DOUG ROGERS
Engineered by KEN SCOTT (Beatles/David Bowie/Elton John/Supertramp etc.)
Includes authentic rare period guitars (acoustic and electric), basses, drums, keyboards, stringed and other misc instruments
The same kind of microphones were used to record all instruments (Neumann/AKG/Cole/STC)
The same kind of period amplifiers - Fender Tan Showman (1963), Fender Bassman (1963), Vox AC30 (1963), Vox AC50 (1965), Vox Defiant (1966), Vox 730 (1966), Vox 7120 (1966), Fender Showman (1967), Fender DeLuxe (1967) - were used with the electric guitars
The same kind of recording desks and preamps, including a very rare EMI REDD tube desk, EMI TG12345 desk (the same kind of desk used to record "Abbey Road" and Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon"), and EMI REDD47 preamps, were used to record all instruments
The same kind of limiters (Fairchild) and compressors (rare EMI RS124 modified Altec) were used for dynamics control
The same kind of Studer J-37 tube 4-track was used to record everything

 

INSTRUMENTS:

Guitars (some costing over $200,000 each) played by LAURENCE JUBER (Paul McCartney and Wings) include Gretsch Firebird (1959), Gretsch Tennessean (1963), Rickenbacker 360-12 (1965), Martin D-28 (1966), Fender Stratocaster (1956), Epiphone Casino (1965), Fender Telecaster (1951), Gibson SG (1960), Les Paul Goldtop (1957), Gibson J200 (1966), Hofner 500 Bass (1963) and Rickenbacker 4001S Bass (1964).
Guitars were sampled with up and down strokes, multiple velocities and picking styles, some with chords and effects
Most of the sounds would be impossible to create without all of the above equipment. For example, the "revostortion" guitar sound was created by feeding a Epiphone Casino guitar into one EMI REDD 47 preamp, and the output into a second EMI REDD 47 preamp, which is exactly how it was created originally by the EMI/Abbey Road engineers
Drums played by DENNY SEIWELL (Paul McCartney and Wings) include a rare 1960 Ludwig downbeat kit with Zildjian cymbals (snare 5 x 14/toms 9 x 13/16 x 16/kick 22 x 14/zildjan 20" crash ride/18" crash medium/14" Hi-Hat)
Drums are all multi-sampled with up to 16 velocity layers, left and right hand. The sounds were all matched to a particular style (e.g. A Day in the Drums, Ticket to Drums, Yer Drums). We even recorded some heavily modulated cymbals through a Fairchild limiter for authenticity
Keyboards include Baldwin Electric Harpsichord (Because I'm a Harpsichord), Clavioline (Baby I'm a Clavioline), Lucy in the Lowery, Strawberry Flutes, We Can Work a Harmonium, and other stringed instruments including Swarmandel Forever

 

EFFECTS:

FAB FOUR includes a software version of ADT (artificial double tracking) with built-in tape simulator, created and programmed specially for this project. The software includes the smoothest filters you'll ever hear, delay, and multiple high quality reverb choices.

(PLEASE NOTE: THIS PRODUCT IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH, OR ENDORSED BY THE BEATLES OR APPLE CORPS, LTD.)

 

Instruments

Baby I'm A Clavioline (Clavioline/Baldwin Amp)
Bass Tripper (1963 Hofner 500 Bass)
Because I'm A Harpsichord (Baldwin Electric Harpsichord/Baldwin Amp)
Come To Bass (1964 Rickenbacker 4001S Bass)
Come To Drums (1960 Ludwig Downbeat Kit)
Come To Guitar Rhythm (1965 Epiphone Casino Electric Guitar/1967 Fender DeLuxe Amp)
Come To Guitar Solo (1957 Les Paul Goldtop Electric Guitar/1963 Fender Bassman Amp)
Day In The Drums (1960 Ludwig Downbeat Kit)
Everybody's Got Guitar (1965 Epiphone Casino Electric Guitar/1966 Vox Defiant Amp)
Fairchild Modulated Cymbals (Zildjian Cymbals)
Fixing A Guitar Solo (1956 Fender Stratocaster Electric Guitar/1966 Vox Defiant Amp)
Getting A Better Guitar (1951 Fender Telecaster Electric Guitar/1966 Vox 730 Amp)
Get Back My Guitar (1965 Epiphone Casino Electric Guitar/1967 Fender Showman Amp)
Help I'm A Snare (plus kit) (1960 Ludwig Downbeat Kit)
Here Comes The Guitar (1966 Gibson J200 Acoustic picked)
I'm Only A Backwards Guitar (1965 Epiphone Casino Electric Guitar/1966 Vox 7120 Amp)
I Want Guitar (Epiphone Casino/Fender DeLuxe and Fender Strat/Fender Tan Showman/doubled)
I Will Play A Guitar Solo (1966 Martin D28 with ADT)
I'm A Blackbird (1966 Martin D28 Acoustic Guitar fingered and picked)
In The End There Will Be Drums (1960 Ludwig Downbeat Kit)
Let It Be Organ (Hammond B3 Organ)
Lucy In The Lowery (Lowery Heritage Deluxe Organ)
Lucy Lead Guitar (1956 Fender Stratocaster Electric Guitar with Leslie Speaker)
Michelle Is A Guitar Solo (1965 Epiphone Casino Electric Guitar/1963 Fender Bassman Amp)
Madonna Piano (Steinway B Piano)
Miscellaneous (Claps, Tambourine, Cowbell, Screaming Girls)
Nowhere Guitar (1956 Fender Stratocaster Electric Guitar/1963 Vox AC30)
Party Guitar (Gretsch Tennessean Electric Guitar/1963 Vox AC50 Amp)
Penny Snare (plus kit) (1960 Ludwig Downbeat Kit)
Pepper Guitar (Gibson SG Guitar/1966 Vox Defiant Amp)
Revostortion Guitar (1965 Epiphone Casino Electric Guitar/2 x REDD 47 Preamps)
Roll Over Guitar (1959 Gretsch Country Gentleman Electric Guitar/1964 Vox AC100 Amp)
Something Is A Guitar Solo (1957 Les Paul Goldtop Electric Guitar/1963 Fender Bassman Amp)
Something Is A Rhythm Guitar (1951 Fender Telecaster Electric Guitar with Leslie Speaker)
Strawberry Drums (1960 Ludwig Downbeat Kit)
Strawberry Flutes (original sound licensed from www.mellotron.com)
Swarmandel Forever (Swarmandel)
Ticket To Guitar (Rickenbacker 360-12 Electric Guitar/1965 Vox AC50 Amp)
Ticket To Drums (1960 Ludwig Downbeat Kit)
We Can Work A Harmonium (Harmonium)
With a Little Help From My Bass (1964 Rickenbacker 4001S Bass)
Within A Sitar / Love You Sitar (Sitar)
Within A Tabla (Tabla)
What You're Drumming (1960 Ludwig Downbeat Kit)
Yer Drums (1960 Ludwig Downbeat Kit in Small Room)

 

All instruments are newly recorded multi-samples for this collection and none of the sounds came from any Beatles music or records (Beatles is a registered trademark of Apple Corps, Ltd. All other product and company names are trademarks of their respective holders.)

 

User Interface and Software

Fab Four is powered by EASTWEST'S PLAY 64-bit (and 32-bit) Advanced Sample Engine

This VIRTUAL INSTRUMENT combines intuitive handling with excellent sound quality, and functions as a plug-in instrument, without the need for a sampler.

PLAY is a 64-bit (with 32-bit compatibility) Advanced Sample Engine. PLAY is Included with all newEASTWEST/QUANTUM LEAP Virtual (software) Instruments.

 

FEATURES

SUMMARY

PLAY isn't just a sampler, the PLAY SYSTEM is a professional fully integrated sample playback software solution for those with the most demanding production requirements

Offers native support for more platforms than any other software engine
Network support* for large, expandable systems
The latest in technology (64-bit, supports next generation operating systems)
The highest sound quality (ground-up effects, highest quality interpolation)
The best virtual instruments from the multiple award-winning EASTWEST/QUANTUM LEAP producers
The most intuitive controls, custom designed for each library
Complete portability

*This feature will be available after release as a free download for all registered users.

 

System Requirements

13 GB Free Hard Disc Space
DVD Drive
iLok Security Key, not inlcuded (a free soundsonline.com account is required for retrieving and managing iLok licenses)
If you do not own an iLok Security Key you can purchase at your local authorized EASTWEST retailers. One iLok key will hold 100 registrations for all future releases.