Achieving the "Demo" Sound

[Illuminatus]

So after years of working and saving up my pennies, I managed to finally buy Vienna Ensemble Pro, Vienna Instruments Pro, and now Vienna Suite Pro; I'm still going to buy MIR Pro and MIRx when I get the money. With what I currently have, how can I achieve the sound quality VSL uses in its demos? Just tell me what features to implement along with their adjustments if you can.

[Beat Kaufmann]

Hi Illuminatus

Let us assume that you also managed the use of different articulations within a piece of music and your question mainly concerns the mix.

Start with small ensembles and nothing more than panning each instrument to its position between the speakers (in the stereo field) and add a little reverb in the sum as well. For first good results it is OK to give ensembles a bit more of reverb and soloist a bit less. Soon you will be very close to a good result and to a lot of the demos.

Keep in mind that the instruments are very well recorded by VSL. So a lot of the beginners often treat them with too much effects (EQs & Co.) so that they sound unreal...

If you have successful results with smal ensembles increase the amount of instruments and try to manage a second depth so that some intruments "sit behind others" (Concert-Listener-Situation)

How to do it all would fill a whole tutorial... 😉

A lot of success

Beat