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1.Star Wars Medley 2/2/2016 10:29:44 AM

It's been a while since I've posted anything. 

My lovely 9- and 7-year-old niece and nephew made a great miniature stop-motion Lego version of The Force Awakens, so I decided to try to put together a short medley of some of John Williams' music to match their project. The medley is pretty obnoxious, without any regard for coherent transitions between themes, but it was good fun to make. 

Star Wars Medley

The following themes are crammed into 1 minute 45 seconds to coincide with the action of the film (no link to film yet, unfortunately). 

- Rey's theme (Episode VII)
- Binary Sunset (Episode IV)
- Jedi Steps (Episode VII) (well-hidden)
- Temple of Doom theme (why not?)
- Asteroid theme (Episode V)
- Han and Leia theme (Episode V)
- Death Star Explosion (Episode IV)
- Ending credits

Of each track that I prepared, I needed to cut out about half the music so that they would all fit into the allotted time. The transitions between themes are done caveman style - by simply fading one out and fading in the next. 

The instruments are almost exclusively VSL, recorded with a midi keyboard into Cubase. I was lazy and didn't have much time, so I mostly just used the legato, staccato, pizzicato, and tremolo patches only, with a few exceptions here and there for an occasional dynamic patch or glissando patch. I'm not a very good pianist or performer, but I'm always impressed with how flexibile VSL instruments are, and how much expressiveness can be attained with even just a few basic patches. 

I used MIR's Vienna Konzerthaus (Grosser Saal) for a virtual instrument space, and I used all of the suggested MIRx settings for the room, with very little tweaking. 

I'm always interested to hear any feedback or criticism. 

Thank you very much for listening!

Brian

2.Bamboo Waltz (exercise layering Dimension Strings and LASS) 8/5/2015 1:00:14 AM

agitato,

Thank you for listening, and for the words of encouragement. 

3.VSL Solo Strings I - Albinoni Realization 7/28/2015 4:04:51 PM

I listened to this the other day from vi-control. You've done a great job with this. I was impressed how you were able to entirely avoid any "machine gun effect" throughout the piece. 

Congratulations!

4.Bamboo Waltz (exercise layering Dimension Strings and LASS) 7/27/2015 4:45:11 AM

I apologize for the bump. I've recently revisited this piece, and I'm struggling mightily with the reverb and spatial configuration. To my ears, it sometimes sounds entirely too dry, yet too far away to my liking. 

Besides a basic reverb applied at a couple different depths, there is no real processing applied to the audio. 

If I could trouble anyone here for suggestions as to how I might improve the sound, I would be most appreciative. 

Thank you!

Popslaw

5.Bamboo Waltz (exercise layering Dimension Strings and LASS) 1/29/2015 11:33:12 PM

This is my attempt at a waltz inspired by Toru Takemitsu's score for The Face of Another. I'm hesitant to call it original, since it's chock full of rhythmic and harmonic clichés from romantic period waltzes, not to mention the obvious influence from Takemitsu's work, as well as VSL masters like Guy Bacos and Saxer's wonderful Dimension String demo. So it might be better just to consider it an exercise, trying to emulate work that I admire.

 

Bamboo Waltz

 

 

I tried to simulate a midsized string orchestra by layering Dimension Strings with LASS. For better or for worse, I couldn't have achieved the resulting sound with either library alone, and I personally like how the libraries blend.

 

I struggled with how much reverb to use, and ended up using the absolute minimum I could get away with without exposing my sloppy playing/programming too much. I was going for the sort of raw, intimate sound I've heard in the Takemitsu recordings, though I'm not particularly satisfied with the result.

 

This was the first time I've tried writing something without using any notation whatsoever. I usually do everything in Sibelius, but this time I played in all of the parts manually in Cubase. I haven't quite embraced the piano roll as a substitute for score notation, but I'm slowly getting the hang of it. I do like how much control Cubase provides with regard to midi editing, which is quite a hassle in Sibelius.

 

 

I always appreciate any feedback or suggestions. Thank you for listening!

6.Horror film music cue - by Hetoreyn 1/27/2015 11:12:48 PM

Hetoreyn, 

 

Incredible work, as always. Thank you for sharing!

7.Unable to achieve a good Orchestral Sound 1/14/2014 12:33:52 AM

When you adjust the volume of a legato patch, for example, you're changing the volume of a single sample that was played at a specific dynamic. When you adjust the velocity while velocity X-fade is enabled, you're not only changing the volume, but you're also gradually fading between multiple patches, each played at a different, specific dynamic. This yields a tremendously realistic result since the timbre of the instrument now changes along with the volume, as it does with real instruments. When you go this route, you have absolute flexibility with regard to control over the length, dynamic, etc. of a given note, but there is the minor drawback that a small amount of realism is lost in the process of fading between samples. After all, the number of velocity layers at which a sample was actually recorded is a discrete number (usually 2, 3, or 4). Velocity X-fade can be particularly conspicuous when fading between dynamics with solo instruments, as you can sometimes hear two samples playing simultaneously.

The dynamic samples offer an alternative to the above approach. Each sample is a performance of a specific note with a specific duration (e.g., 2, 3, or 4 seconds) over which a crescendo or diminuendo (or combination thereof) occurs. There are usually a couple velocity layers for each sample, so one of the layers will be played for dynamics between 0 and 88, and the other will be played between 89 and 127, for example. Since each sample is an actual performance of a change in dynamics, these patches sound much more realistic than when static patches are varied in velocity. However, this realism comes at a price. Specifically, each instrument usually has less than a dozen or so different types of dynamic patches, so you have much less flexibility over the types of dynamic changes you can produce and the lengths of notes for which you can use them (though this problem can be overcome to a great extent with the time-stretch feature of VI Pro). Also, the samples naturally do not include the note transitions of the legato samples.

Here are a couple of examples of the differences between these approaches:

Dynamic patches vs. sustain w/ X-fade

The first pair of notes are Orchestral Violins, and the second pair of notes are from the Solo Viola. The first note of each pair is a dynamic crescendo-diminuendo patch, and the second note is an attempt to recreate the dynamic sound in a sustain patch using velocity X-fade and expression curves. While the Orchestral Violin samples sound pretty similar to me, the viola example is more difficult to reproduce with CC curves (notwithstanding the audible bow change, which I actually think sounds fine). Other people will be able to do a much better job of this than I, but it should give you an idea of how the two approaches differ.

8.Unable to achieve a good Orchestral Sound 1/13/2014 8:59:38 PM

The dynamic patches are included in the Extended Library of the Orchestral Strings, and in the Full Library of the Dimension Strings. You can find them under the Patch tab In Vienna Instruments, under the second category "02 DYNAMICS" of the respective instruments. Here's a picture:

Dynamic patch location

Even without the dynamic patches, you can achieve a very similar result by drawing CC curves for velocity X-fade and volume.

The software I'm using is Cubase. I basically just played the notes as shown in the screenshot you provided. The reverb is the Sage Gateshead of MIR Pro (default settings).

Good luck with your project, and congratulations on your upcoming wedding!

9.Unable to achieve a good Orchestral Sound 1/11/2014 7:57:42 PM

I agree with the good advice that others have provided here.

To reiterate something that was mentioned above, try experimenting with the dynamic patches and velocity X-fade. For example, here is a sample of your piece with some dynamic patches substituted for the legato patches, and with some CC11 curves drawn in. I used the same Orchestral and Dimension Strings that you're using, though I did omit a few of the redundant lines in the lower strings. This example is intentionally a bit over the top, and you'll probably want to be more subtle about it, but it should give you an idea of what you can do with some other patches.

Dynamic patch demo (unlisted YouTube video)

10.Cubase question: editing controller data for multiple tracks simultaneously 12/14/2013 5:03:52 AM

I am just learning the ropes of Cubase, and I've found it to be a
wonderful program so far. However, I'm completely stumped as to how to do something that is probably very simple. Here's what I want to do:

Say
I have four midi tracks (a string quartet, for example) associated with VSL instruments, and all four tracks are playing something different but with
roughly the same dynamics (mf swelling to ff, for instance) for a given
phrase. Now, I'd like to repeat the phrase a second time note for note,
but this time with different dynamics (pp swelling to p, for instance).
It would be great if I could just select the passage in all four parts,
cut and paste them to a bar following the first passage, and then simply edit the CC11 or velocity data for all four parts at the same time.

Is
this something that is possible with Cubase? If not, how do people make
global changes to dynamics without having to adjust the CC data for each track individually?

I'm not sure if this is an appropriate place to ask since it's not
strictly related to VSL, but I thought I'd try since there are so many Cubase veterans here.

Best,

Brian

11.Any tips or tricks in thickening Violons Dimension Strings? 12/11/2013 5:27:05 PM

Do the "force G string", "force D string", "force A string", and "force E string" share any samples with one another? If each set is completely independently sampled, then they could be used together without phasing. Perhaps one solution would be to have a 1st Violin section comprising the "regular" samples and "force G string" samples, and a 2nd Violin section comprising the "force A string" and "force E string" samples.Of course, if the sets share samples, then phasing would preclude this solution. Has anyone tried this?

12.Question about large Expression Maps in Cubase 11/14/2013 10:42:30 PM

Hello,

I'm just getting started with Cubase, and I have a question about how people generally organize their Expression Maps. The Expression Maps are easy to use when they contain a relatively small number of articulations, as in the case of the maps provided by VSL, but when I try to build custom maps containing a large number of articulations, the articulation lane quickly fills up the screen of the Key Editor. After a certain number of articulations, the list no longer displays properly (if only the articulation lane allowed me to scroll down...). 

If possible, I would like to create large Expression Maps for VSL instruments containing several matrices in VI Pro, each with many articulations. Does anyone have any tips or strategies as to how to organize a large number (50+) of articulations in Cubase?

Thanks!

Brian

13.Ippolitov-Ivanov Caucasian Sketches 11/6/2013 3:38:59 AM

I was wondering who that was...

14.Ippolitov-Ivanov Caucasian Sketches 11/6/2013 1:06:19 AM

I'm looking at the score now. It's tempting, but I think it might take me a year to do it. And even then, I'd probably spoil it...

15.Ippolitov-Ivanov Caucasian Sketches 11/6/2013 12:22:47 AM

I actually don't remember ever hearing a VSL version of the first movement. I started with "In a Village" and then later did "In a Mosque", but I didn't think anyone did the "In a Mountain Pass" bit. If someone did, I'd love to hear it.

16.Ippolitov-Ivanov Caucasian Sketches 11/5/2013 10:47:47 PM

I only did the second and third movements. I'd like to do the first, but I think it would be a bit beyond my abilities.

17.Ippolitov-Ivanov Caucasian Sketches 11/5/2013 4:41:53 AM

William,

That was me! I'm glad you liked them, and I've been looking forward to hearing your rendition of Procession of the Sardar.

Brian

18.Short piece for cello and orchestra 9/11/2013 10:28:55 PM

Beat,

Thank you for your advice. I will try out each of your suggestions in this piece and in future work. I think it will do me a lot of good to experiment with the microphone setups and dry/wet ratios for the output.

Thanks again for taking the time to share your thoughts.

Best,

Brian

19.Short piece for cello and orchestra 9/11/2013 5:31:13 PM

William, thank you for the words of encouragement. It means a lot to me that you'd enjoy it.

The cello is from the full library of the solo strings. The rest of the strings are a combination of Appassionata and Dimension Strings. The woodwinds are a mix of SE woodwinds and some full VSL woodwinds (piccolo, two flutes, oboe, clarinets (Bb and Eb), bass clarinet, bassoons, contrabassoon). The brass is Dimension Brass.

Thanks for the suggestion about the cello position. I'll give that a try. I'm using MIR for the mix (Sage Hall), but I can never seem to make it sound right. When I try to place the instruments where I think they should be on the stage, the mix ends up sounding like it was performed in a tunnel or something, so I end up placing all the instruments much closer to the mic than they probably should be. In this case, I have the cello basically positioned right in front of the mic, but it still seems to sound distant. I've tried reducing the wet/dry ratio and the reverb time of the hall, but I don't yet have a good sense of what's the best combination of those parameters. I'd be interested to hear any general tips you and others may have for getting a better sound out of MIR.

Thanks again for listening!

Brian

20.Short piece for cello and orchestra 9/11/2013 4:25:06 PM

Thanks for listening, Ricardo!

21.Modified Sound Sets and Presets for Sibelius (Dynamics, Fast Rep, Grace Notes, and Custom Cells... 9/11/2013 4:24:30 PM

I didn't make a sound set for the Bosendorfer; only the strings, woodwinds, and brass.

22.Short piece for cello and orchestra 9/11/2013 4:32:35 AM

This was meant to be an exercise to try out some orchestration ideas, but I ended up spending quite a bit of time on it, so I thought I'd share it here. All instruments are VSL, and everything was written and performed in Sibelius + VSL software.

Wooden Bench Odyssey

(I'm having trouble with Soundcloud, so this is a YouTube link)

I'm a novice hobbiest in all respects, and I would greatly appreciate any feedback/criticism with regard to composition, mix, orchestration, etc.

Thank you for listening!

Best regards,

Brian

23.Modified Sound Sets and Presets for Sibelius (Dynamics, Fast Rep, Grace Notes, and Custom Cells... 9/10/2013 8:35:33 PM

That is kind of tricky, but it can indeed be accomplished with these sound sets. As described in the provided guide, to trigger the fp patch immediately followed by the strong 3-second crescendo, create the technique text "fp str vib 3". The Slot XF is mapped to CC20 and is set to 127 by default, so you then need to place the technique text "~C20, 0" shortly after the dynamic command. The exact placement of the CC20 text will vary, so experiment by moving it closer to or farther from the dynamic command. And don't forget to reset CC20 to 127 after the patch ends (ie, add the technique text "~C20, 127").

Good luck!

Brian

24.Modified Sound Sets and Presets for Sibelius (Dynamics, Fast Rep, Grace Notes, and Custom Cells... 9/10/2013 7:21:30 PM

I'm glad that worked.

If you add another row of samples under the existing row of that matrix, you will not be able to trigger the additional patches with technique text in Sibelius with my sound sets, unfortunately. The best way to do it at this time would be to add your additional patches to the fourth matrix ("Custom") and trigger them with the technique text "custom 1", "custom 2", ..., "custom 24". It's not the most elegant solution, but it'll allow you to trigger the samples without a lot of additional programming.

I haven't made a preset for the Trumpet in Bb, but you can easily make one on your own. Just start with the "Trumpet CL2_Modified" preset and replace the existing patches with the corresponding patches of the Bb trumpet, and delete any leftover patches from the trumpet in C. Then just create a staff for the trumpet in Sibelius, and you should be all set.

Brian

25.Modified Sound Sets and Presets for Sibelius (Dynamics, Fast Rep, Grace Notes, and Custom Cells... 9/10/2013 5:39:27 PM

Yes, I have tested the sound sets quite extensively, and use them regularly. Although you may find a few bugs here and there, I can say with confidence that your PC will not catch fire as a result of using them:)

By default, when "vib" or "novib" is not specified in the original patches, the patches are programmed to respond to the "vib" command (and not the "no vib" command) in my sound sets. This is the case for the bass clarinet, so although the patches are not actually played with vibrato, they will only respond to commands such as "str vib 3" or "me vib 4" or "pfp vib 8", and NOT "str novib 3", etc. I realize this is something of a design flaw, and I apologize for the confusion. 

In general, if you're ever unsure of which patches are available for a given instrument, just click on the "Dynamics" matrix of the modified preset for that instrument, and it should be clear.

Please let me know if that solves the problem for you.

Best,

Brian

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