Action piece using Dimension Strings, Epic Horns and MANY more VSL instruments

[hetoreyn]

Hey guys,

Well I realize that the music here is rather 'thick' to showcase any one VI in particular but I thought I'd put this on display as it's one of my favourite cues from Starship Farragut's latest episode "The Price of Anything". This is a battle scene (I know, I know .. but I do love doing them) in which the Farragut is attacked, and nearly destroyed, by a Romulan warbird. The first half of this piece is action, but the second half is a 'terms of surrender" conversation in which I get to slow things down and do my 'Romulan' theme 😄

Warbird vs. Farragut

This piece uses almost everything I have. Appasionata strings, Dimension Strings, Chamber strings, Epic horns, Trumpets (6), Trumpet in Bb, Flute 1, Special Edition (Full DVD edition), as well as my faux Blaster Beam (What I'd give for a real one!!). Anyways, it's not a clever piece but it's fun and full of gusto! So next time you're whooshing a model starship around (yeah we ALL know you do, cos we ALL do it too :P) give this piece a play.

Again the second half of this piece has a fairly decent showcase for the Dimension Violins (although they are paired with other string sections too so this is perhaps a good example of how they fit in with others .. not so much what they sound like on their own.

Hope you enjoy.

Hetoreyn

P.S. Hey Herb, if you're looking at this I'd be happy to send you this piece to put on the 'demo' page if you like. Let me know

[William]

Sounds excellent Hetoreyn.  Those film's producers are lucky to have you scoring for them.  Hey!  Where'd you get that Jerry Goldsmith massive string pluck?   Anyway, it is very dramatic and effective.  I don't know if the film will be as good as your music... let's hope so.  I like the fact they are doing the "authentic style" ST.

[hetoreyn]

Thanks William :D

Funny enough the 'clicking' pluck sound is from the chamber violins playing a "Snap Pizz" articulation at 0 velocity and around 35-40 expression. The Snap pizz sound itself has quite a tonal sound so in order to reduce that but to keep the snapping sound I reduce the overall volume. And if you play two notes an octave apart .. and offset one of those notes (I usually offset the upper note) a tiny amount it gives the impression of a lot of violins playing a Calenio (Spelling??) articulation ... that thing where the string section tap their violins with a pencil or their bows.

I know, it's crazy to explain .. I'll have to mention this on the next podcast I do .. and yes I'm going to be doing those again soon :D Been a busy few years for me.

So yeah .. chamber Violins snap pizz ... it probably also works with other string instruments that have the "snap pizz" articulation but the smaller groups make it sound great. I can imagine if the dimension strings have this then it would sound phenomenal, .. I haven't looked for it yet.

[Miki Mart]

@hetoreyn said:

 violins playing a Calenio (Spelling??) articulation ... that thing where the string section tap their violins with a pencil or their bows.

Col legno dell'arco (with the bow-stick).[;)]

[hetoreyn]

Oh is that what that is :D .. I've only heard Americans speak it, never seen it written. All starts to make sense now. Man I hate learning music the wrong way round, but it's how I'm doing it :P

[William]

Hetoreyn, judging by your music,  you're not doing anything wrong. The way a person learns something doesn't matter at all.

As Stanley Kubrick once said -

“I think the big mistake in schools is trying to teach children anything, and by using fear as the basic motivation. Fear of getting failing grades, fear of not staying with your class, etc.  Interest can produce learning on a scale compared to fear as a nuclear explosion to a firecracker.”

[mcelvogue]

Hi Hetoreyn,

     I can see why it's one of your favourite cue's. Great job, particularly liked the Romulan theme as a contrast to the action start. Great dynamics on the whole piece.

All the best,

       Tom

[cug]

Wow, nicely done!