I got a new toy. This is my first track made with it. It's a bit cheesy, but not distractingly so.
100% VSL SE vol1, with external reverb and some very conservative limiting
https://soundcloud.com/nine-of-kings/ro ... or-the-sun
Uplifting orchestral music
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 1793 posts since 9 Apr, 2011
"musician."
http://soundcloud.com/nine-of-kings
http://soundcloud.com/nine-of-kings
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- KVRist
- 80 posts since 30 Jun, 2013 from Boston, MA
For orchestral sounds, my gut instinct would be to add more reverb. Maybe it's because I'm accustomed to hearing them in a concert hall rather than close-mic'ed.
There's a voice that disappears at 0:16 - I thought that sounded a bit odd. Love the horn swell at 0:26.
The bass drum sounds a bit gated. Instinctively, I'd expect it to linger a bit more in a hall. Just nitpicking, obviously. Otherwise, sounds great!
There's a voice that disappears at 0:16 - I thought that sounded a bit odd. Love the horn swell at 0:26.
The bass drum sounds a bit gated. Instinctively, I'd expect it to linger a bit more in a hall. Just nitpicking, obviously. Otherwise, sounds great!
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- KVRian
- 1181 posts since 6 Jun, 2002 from Southern Germany
I like it...as you say, a positive Piece of Music! (what is much more difficult to write as the usual dark stuff in minor)
good old vsl still rocks, congratz to your new toy! I like it that you did not drown all in reverb - only the "stops" Sound too abrupt. perhaps a reverb Automation line, pulling up decent more reverb only at These spots, would be an Option?
good old vsl still rocks, congratz to your new toy! I like it that you did not drown all in reverb - only the "stops" Sound too abrupt. perhaps a reverb Automation line, pulling up decent more reverb only at These spots, would be an Option?
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- KVRAF
- 25053 posts since 20 Oct, 2007 from gonesville
May I offer some constructive criticism?
This has the classic issue of 'obviously midi/samples'. An orchestra recording carries an expectation of spaciousness, 3 dimensions and the instruments' placement onstage. This is flat; everyone is right up front. And too large, particularly too wide. The illusion of space can be approached thru various strategies. One of course is thru reverb. Here, pre-delay determines how far away; also attend to early reflections. And, although I wouldn't overemphasize this, it can be said that the further away the source the less definition is perceptible. The highs first of all, but the extreme lows may be less distinctive as well.
Then the width: such as a flute is not eating up a terrific lot of space naturally. This you can define via a power panner (which correctly deals with 'pan law'). For instance the Stereo Combined Panner in Cubase. I use the 'Powerpan' in Vienna Suite. VE Pro has a version of that in its mixer, the same as that Cubase feature. The plugin has pre- and post- balance controls which can help the illusion of 'back-to-front' as they say in the trade, but I'm too poor a technical writer basically to explain that.
Coincidentally, youtube promoted this to me today, which I think is a nice primer on reverb and midi orch composition:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRt6vKbi5Gw
This has the classic issue of 'obviously midi/samples'. An orchestra recording carries an expectation of spaciousness, 3 dimensions and the instruments' placement onstage. This is flat; everyone is right up front. And too large, particularly too wide. The illusion of space can be approached thru various strategies. One of course is thru reverb. Here, pre-delay determines how far away; also attend to early reflections. And, although I wouldn't overemphasize this, it can be said that the further away the source the less definition is perceptible. The highs first of all, but the extreme lows may be less distinctive as well.
Then the width: such as a flute is not eating up a terrific lot of space naturally. This you can define via a power panner (which correctly deals with 'pan law'). For instance the Stereo Combined Panner in Cubase. I use the 'Powerpan' in Vienna Suite. VE Pro has a version of that in its mixer, the same as that Cubase feature. The plugin has pre- and post- balance controls which can help the illusion of 'back-to-front' as they say in the trade, but I'm too poor a technical writer basically to explain that.
Coincidentally, youtube promoted this to me today, which I think is a nice primer on reverb and midi orch composition:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRt6vKbi5Gw
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 1793 posts since 9 Apr, 2011
Constructive criticism appreciated!
I tried to rework the mixing today, paying attention to the respective width of the sections and tweaking the reverb. Unfortunately, while I did end up using a different impulse and adjusting the pre-delay pretty effectively, I essentially ended up just turning up the reverb too much and then turning it back down. I haven't re-uploaded the new mix because the net result really isn't too startlingly different.
For instance (even though these pieces aren't really comparable this seems to just be this orchestra's sound in general, I chose it because it has a lot of exposed woodwind parts), listen to how dry this is. Everything sounds very intimate and close-up. How does it not sound flat? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZDiaRZy0Ak
I tried to rework the mixing today, paying attention to the respective width of the sections and tweaking the reverb. Unfortunately, while I did end up using a different impulse and adjusting the pre-delay pretty effectively, I essentially ended up just turning up the reverb too much and then turning it back down. I haven't re-uploaded the new mix because the net result really isn't too startlingly different.
For instance (even though these pieces aren't really comparable this seems to just be this orchestra's sound in general, I chose it because it has a lot of exposed woodwind parts), listen to how dry this is. Everything sounds very intimate and close-up. How does it not sound flat? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZDiaRZy0Ak
"musician."
http://soundcloud.com/nine-of-kings
http://soundcloud.com/nine-of-kings
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- KVRAF
- 25053 posts since 20 Oct, 2007 from gonesville
Well, compare talking of an illusion vs. here, where the reality of positioning and space is captured (probably in rather a sophisticated mic'ing scenario). The attention to pre-delay in a reverb wouldn't so much apply here, would it. We are actually in a kind of desperate situation trying to emulate so much 'reality' at one time. (The better strategy will be to use VSL MIR Pro.) But 'pre-delay = distance' is good as a truism for the purpose, I think. You may notice at once that the snare drum (and the pizz bassi) is behind the flute. There is a nice tail captured here, while it may appear comparatively dry. (NB: I think some of the VSL demo tracks are far too wet, personally.)
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 1793 posts since 9 Apr, 2011
