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  4. 1:13 mock-up of John Wiliams PM track 6

  • 1:13 mock-up of John Wiliams PM track 6

    B
    B

    Hi All,

        Finally had some free time to do some more learning on VSL.  I chose to do a minute of the Phantom Menace track 6.  This was done with SE and Special Brass.   Just looking for some suggestions as I'm figuring all this out, balance is really difficult with big brass.  I did some messing up of the strings so they wouldn't all play exactly together, but I think I did it wrong as it just sounds mushy (I probably need to apply more varied articulations and velocities to the strings also) and on the live recording of this track the strings actually sound really tight. Altiverb Mechanics Hall 11m for strings and ww's, 15m for brass and percussion, 92.5% reverb, wet to dry mix determined on a track by track basis. Generally vln I and cello are more dry than other strings, vln II and viola more wet then vln I and cello, but drier than woodwinds, brass more wet than woodwinds, etc.

    http://www.aeneaseditions.com/JarJar/jarjar.mp3

    Thanks guys, Brian 
  • JBacalJ
    JBacalJ

    This is coming along very nicely-- Trumpets have that Williams punch and brightness.

    Best,

    Jay
  • C
    C

     I agree, it is going very nicely. There is one part near the end where the brass was perhaps a little to 'together', and it sounded slightly synthesized, but it is a better job than I probably would have done. :)

    Where did you find the orchestral score for this?

    Colin Thomson 
  • J
    J
    Really nice work! For my ears you got around the brass really nicely. I think also that the strings could be a bit more energetic. I'm new to VSL but maybe using some crossfaded SFz or marcato patches in the ostinato parts would help. Nice job, Jay-Alan
  • B
    B
    last edited
    last edited

    Thanks for the nice comments and suggestions guys. I really appreciate it. I'm still trying to figure out how the professionals do it (like Jay and Guy, etc.), I feel like I'm beginning to learn how to mix at the same time discovering workable orchestral combinations.

    Colin - Phantom Menace Suite Score

    -Brian

  • U
    U

    Hi Brian, the staccato strings sound "bored". Can you give them some life? I also hear some cheap sounding EQ overall in the high regions. Just being critical ;) good work!
  • B
    B

    Hi Emanuel,

    Thanks for your comments. Yes, you are absolutely right the strings need some life.  I would redo them, but I'm working on another piece to help craft my string technique, so I'm going to shelve this particular mock-up for now.  Thanks for saying something about the EQ. It was a last minute decision because I noticed the whole thing was too dark.  I went back and closely examined my use of EQ and it does sound really bad in the high register.  I'm working on finding a better EQ solution. I'm still very much a beginner in working with VSL and mixing in general. I do these short mock-up exercises because it forces me to find solutions to particular problems on my own, and then test those solutions on the more experienced ears here on the forum.

    Thanks again for the advice,

    Brian
  • PaulP Paul moved this topic from Orchestration & Composition on