[Fmpro] digital orchestration and mix advice

[Claude Castonguay]

Hi Chris,

here's my 2 cents on Digital orchestration or the Art of Cheating.

If you find your triplet string lines too mushy. Try offsetting all  
the notes till you feel comfortable.If the attacks bug you, try  
subtely mixing-in marcatos or a solo violin with a more definite  
attack. Don't be afraid to cheat. Frankly your string triplets did not  
bug me at all. What did catch my attention as not being natural to my  
taste:

Your Orchestra does not sound as if playing in the same room it needs  
some glue (Nice reverb room) Try to make it sound as if they're all in  
the same studio. Easier said than done i know... Also one thing that  
helps is some samples of orchestras playing nothing. I have some  
royalty free ones PM me if you want some.

1:06 You have a nice celli line coming in. Breathe some life in it  
with cc11 or cc7 controller. One trick i like to use when using  
ensemble patches wich usually tend to be linear in sound as in your  
cello line, is to play this same line with a solo cello patch that  
already has life in it(crescendo, vibrato) and mix it within your  
ensemble so that you end up not singling it out but it's there just  
enough that the vibrato in it and the naturally played dynamics in the  
original solo cello samples bring life to your linear ensemble patch...

1:19 The flutes sell you out here. The listener up to there could have  
believed in your Mock-up. Unquantize them, if you're not a keyboard  
player re-record this part at a tempo that is playable for you and if  
it's not possible, then take your quantized track in DP and noodle  
with the humanize function somewhere in the quantize menu. Try to play  
it more legato and if you really want it staccato, use real staccato  
samples if you have some in your VSL package.

2,08 Brass/Woodwind stabs are nice but here your sax is very wet and  
your orchestra is in your face. Try sending back in space your brass,  
they are after all in the back of the orchestra.

Very nice piece! Good work.

HTH

Best,

Claude


On 08-03-21, at 17:17, Christopher Alpiar wrote:

> Hi all, I have been just getting back to DP after a few years away in
> Cubase land and remembering all the nuance of this DAW. I am wondering
> if any on the list could spare a few minutes to listen to a piece I am
> working on - I am kind of stuck. Its like 80-90% there and while there
> are some really nice moments there are some moments I am not happy
> with at all. I think if it was played by a live orchestra it would
> work very nicely. Since I am limited currently with a digital mix and
> a little of my soprano sax, I would like to ask for any suggestions on
> things I can do to make these ideas come across staying in my VSL/DP
> domain, especially ideas on making the triplet lines in the strings
> less mushy. I am in no means fishing for compliments, rather I feel
> like I am really close to something good but I am not seeing the
> solution and am hoping some of you old pros can give me some ideas, on
> or off list is fine.
>
> Here is the mp3:
>
> http://www.alpiar.com/media/flying_closingcredits.mp3
>
> Thanks!
>
> Chris
>
> Christopher Kennedy Alpiar
> Cinematic Composer
> www.alpiar.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
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