Looks like the accordion has put a stop to all social activity on the forum...not the first time it's caused people to remain speechless :) lol

Anyway, just a quick heads up that I'll be removing the link tomorrow, so feel free to check it out (or not) before then.  

Have a great weekend!

Dave

I actually got just as confused reading your interpretation of my explanation, as you did with my original explanation!  I wish we could do what you're suggesting, but we are only human, after all :)

It's actually quite simple, if I can explain it:  the audio counting cues (one, and, two, e, and, a, etc.) are added to the string playback file, which we hear in our ears through headphones, while following the score on the ipad with foot pedal as you suggested.  So basically, all it's doing is giving us more precise cues at certain points than a click track alone would be able to do.  A lot of subdivision of beats using the one-e-and-a concept allows us to create a more ambitious tempo track (which will get even more rubato-esque when we put the whole project together next year).

As for the idea of us with backing tracks, we already did this back in 2016.  We made a pretty ambitious 10 plus minute "Disney Classics" medley with us alongside orchestral arrangements, and did a live concert in Toronto, using the exact same concept as this piece.  It worked quite well, in terms of the blend of instruments and backing tracks, and the crazy number of tempo changes.  The only thing I'd improve today, is the actual orchestral backing tracks, which were "good" for the time, but would be better with the added experience (and libraries) I have today.

The "last" Acclarion album next year, essentially is all about "us" with others, and I could for sure see doing the entire album in concert (although the likelihood of touring at this stage of our lives is minimal).

Dave

Hi Tom,

Haha, with regard to production values, I wanted to get a theatrical smoke machine and some pyro, but Becky wouldn't budge (added some digital smoke in the concert anyway!)

You'll get a kick out of our strategy for playing along with the strings.  We made a "virtual instrument" with number counting, etc.  Example:  1, and, 2, and, 3, e, and, a, etc.  Then, we assigned each command to a keyboard key.  After creating the midi parts with the appropriate tempo changes, we made a new track with the counting, to sync/match up with the midi strings.  These allow for much more flexibility than simply a click track.  If we have a 3 second fermata, followed by a 2 second complete silence, we can have counts to ensure we release the notes and re-enter at the exact time (still with lots of practice, of course).

Anyway, that's how it's done.  Thanks for checking it out! 

William, thanks to you as well for listening.

Dave

Thanks for checking it out, Anand.

I don't bother with playback in Finale, except using built-in Garritan sounds.  As such, there is no link between VSL instruments and my Finale set-up.  I much prefer to enter keyswitches from scratch in Cubase, sometimes informed by the articulations I already wrote in the score, other times, I'll change these in the DAW if I think something else works better (and then go back and reflect those changes in the score later).  It's more work/time consuming, but c'est la vie :)

Dave

Originally Posted by: agitato

Hi Dave,

finally had a chance to go through your video. It was very interesting to learn about your workflow. I do not use cubase but I do write directly in Sibelius and also use that for the playback, despite being advised against that by many here. Part of the reason is my laziness....looking at your video its quite clear how much work it requires to make music using DAW.

One question: it seems you are taking the midi file from Finale into Cubase. But if you include the key switches in the midi file wont that cut down the work overload in Cubase? you would then have to only worry about adding the dynamics and tempo. But I am not sure if there are VSL soundsets for Finale. 

Anyways Thanks for posting this, will sure be helpful when I eventually move to using DAW and stop behaving like an amateur:)

Best

Anand

Thanks, William!  How is "Remember Tomorrow" coming along?

Dave

Thank you to all, for such uplifting words of encouragement!  When I started out, I recall the work of Beat Kaufmann helping me get started in what is an overwhelming new journey.  I'm happy to be able to help even just one person with what I've been able to figure out over the years (with, of course, endless learning still to come!)

Thank you, Tom, Stefan, Kanon, and MMKA!  

MMKA, to address your comments:  Becky is using Dorico right now to finalize scores, but I'm still using Finale for note entry.  There never seems to be enough time to learn new software when endless compositions need tending to.  Thank you for your kind thoughts re. composing.  I'll admit to being susceptible to "mean criticism" (as opposed to constructive criticism), which some fellow composers have hurled my way over the years, but am glad for the friendly community here that is helpful and supportive.

Interesting info re. Boulez. I'd say that I'm a reluctant composer...I love every aspect of the creativity and process...not so much the struggle to survive in a society that doesn't value our work.

Cheers!

Dave

I put together a little "walkthrough" of my workflow between Finale and Cubase as I put together this concerto. Please feel free to share it with those that you think might find some value in it. And, yes, it's very long (40 minutes!) I wanted it to take 5...sigh :(

Walkthrough of Cello Concerto

Cheers!

Dave

Very nice, Stefan!  I've experimented with the live players/VSL set-up as well, and am in fact, working on an album with clarinet, accordion, and VSL orchestra/chamber combinations right now.  Your results are impressive and encouraging that such projects can work!

Cheers,

Dave

I'm in full agreement with you, Pat!  They're awesome :)

Sorry about that, Jerry!  A little house-keeping is in order, because I haven't touched my PM box in ages.  Feel free to email me at dear villain AT gmail dot com (obviously, formatted as a regular email).

All the best,

Dave

Beautiful, touching, and impactful.  What a wonderful reflective work to listen to as the morning sun streams through the windows of my studio.  Great inspiration to get some work done today.  Thank you for sharing!

Dave

Thank you, Jasen, and Jerry.

Jasen:  I can't tell you how rewarding it is to put something out there that another person "gets" when they listen to it.  The funny thing is, music may be the universal language, but often I find myself speaking a musical dialect that few can relate to :)  Thank you for such a thoughtful and creative response!

Jerry: Nice to hear from you!  I, too, prefer the score, but with the backlog of works that need to be polished for publication, this piece's score exists only as notes and a few tempi/expression marks for now (and if I put that up, I'm sure some people would let me know how unfinished the score looks!)

Sorry to hear that you had to cancel recording sessions.  The world is at a standstill, and thank God we have access to VSL's amazing libraries to keep the music flowing during our hibernation.  I'll check out your piece that you just posted now...

Cheers,

Dave

Thank you, William.  Considering your skill/expertise with VSL libraries, I'm honoured you felt the piece was well done.  I have a world-renowned harpist in my extended family, but didn't want to trouble her to execute those trills, so I let VSL's wizardry shine, maybe a little too much :) lol

Dave

My new piece, If You Only Knew, for String Trio and Harp, represents the emotional journey I’ve been on this past year. I have felt extreme highs and lows, but ultimately, I have emerged more hopeful and optimistic than ever. While not directly a response to the ongoing struggle we all face during this unprecedented period, I feel the piece can also serve as a commentary for the challenges facing humanity and what I believe will be our ultimate triumph over adversity.

Be well and take care of each other during these trying times.

If You Only Knew for String Trio and Harp

Much love,
David

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this, Crusoe!  I got a laugh out of your "clueless bassoon" comment.  I agree that all the panning and stage settings added a layer of complication and ultimately don't work as well as a simple traditional mix, might.  At the end of the day, I think just having audio makes it difficult, because I think people fill in the blanks when they also have visual cues to support what they're hearing.  Obviously, the end goal would be a live performance, in which the musicians running around the space and adding physical gestures would go much further in establishing the premise of the piece.

Cheers!

Dave

Thanks for listening and commenting, Bill!  The workflow to produce this piece was completely different from the usual approach of placing instruments in a Mir venue, which probably contributed to some of what you're hearing with the releases.  First, it was done using the Mir plugin with the Konzerthaus foyer as the venue, so as to give the trio room to run around and play (hiding behind pillars and all!)  Panning was drawn in via Cubase (the instruments were essentially placed in a spot and then would be in motion for a few seconds, often times criss crossing each other.  The reverb was dialled way down because with all the panning, it was creating too much of a distraction.  So, dialled down reverb, panning, while still placed in a large/boomy space are all somewhat contradictory settings for a small woodwind trio.  I suspect that all of this stuff contributes to a less than natural experience listening through speakers.  In any case, it was a fun experiment, but probably not worth the amount of extra time that went in to the production vs just doing a straight up placement in the Schubert Hall using normal settings.

Dave

between a flute and bassoon.  That is the premise for this cute little Baroque-esque piece.  The oboe is the "Third Wheel" and rudely interrupts the romance between the flute and bassoon.  When I first conceived of this piece, I wanted to simulate the three musicians acting out the story on stage with physical movement.  Using Mir, the instruments are panned to reflect these changes (so, you're not going crazy if you hear the instruments swap positions in your speakers!)  Also, as this is programmatic in nature, the idea is that the oboe is an obnoxious pest (reflected in the "ugliness" or harshness of its timbre).  As the piece evolves, by the end, the oboe has mellowed significantly.  You should be able to hear the instrument dialogue unfold like a bunch of cartoon characters acting out the "date for 3".

With this piece, I'd like to invite you to check out my new website, www.DavidCarovillano.com.  Here, I will feature chamber/orchestral music for live performance, along with my blog.  All the music is free to listen to in its entirety.  Afterall, who's PAYING for music anymore?  :)   I hope you'll check it out!

https://soundcloud.com/davidcarovillano/the-third-wheel  (Soundcloud link)

http://davidcarovillano.com/portfolio-archive/the-third-wheel  (new website link)

Thanks for listening!

Dave

Thanks, Tom and William, for your kind endorsement. 

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