Very good indeed Jay, very well put together. You beat me at it ! [:@] [:D]
I've started a version of that beautiful piece myself a while back as a pet project to learn the VSL and get inside Ravel's orchestration and writing. I've only done the first 20 bars so far...

A few minor comments in terms of accuracy with the score. I find the solo horn in the opening a bit too present. it should be more delicate. It's marked pp and in your version it sounds more like mf. It's not only a mix thing it's also the timbre itself. Not sure if you have a pp solo horn on the Opus.
The very first harp gliss seems a bit late to me. Overall your tempi seem a tad too slow. Don't take me wrong your rendition is very musical and sounds fine but these are a few things I noticed that may not be faithful to Ravel's score.

You are now in the club of the distinguished VSL masters!

=m=a=r=c=

Hi Marc—

You’re correct about the French horn. It’s a custom modwheel combination of pand mf legato performance layers. I felt that adding the mf layer made the passage more expressive and more “French horn-like.” I probably went too far.

The tempo is indeed in large part slower than the score indicates. But William encouraged me to take more liberties with tempi, and so I did. I’ve actually heard recordings that are even much slower than this. It’s hard to know what’s “right.”

I’m not too knowledgeable about the realization of harp glissandi. I’ll have to listen more closely to my actual recordings and hear how a real harpist does this.

Most importantly, please finish your version and post it! I for one would be very interested to hear someone else’s solutions to the same technical problems as well as someone else’s musical interpretation of this gorgeous music. I think this would be very interesting and educational. And besides, you can never hear too many versions of this beautiful piece!

Best,
Jay

I chose that piece because it was short! It still feels like a gigantic tasks to do a midi mockup of it with the VSL. I' ll see if I can do a few bars every day, it will stll take me a while. How much time do you think you spent on it?
In any case I really doubt I can do as good as you did. [:)]

=m=a=r=c=

Marc B,

I worked on the piece off and on over a period of about 10 days. Hopefully, future pieces will go faster for me with more experience. And if I win the lottery, a second or third computer will also help. For example, I would balance the woodwinds and then "lock" them in by creating an audio track. But then after hearing them in context with the strings I would want to change something about the woodwinds or change the tempo and so I would have to redo the ALL the woodwinds again and then create a new audio track. This was frustrating and time consuming. If I could keep all the instruments and articulations in midi until the final mix, this would save a lot of time and yield a better end result as well.


--Jay

Marc,

I just relistened to the first harp gliss and you're right, it is more than late, it's in the wrong place! The gliss must have gotten accidentally shifted a couple of beats in my sequencer. Oops! I'll have to fix that. Thanks for noticing.

--Jay

No worries Jay, it did not sound at the wrong place because you would have heard it. I felt bad pointing those minor points when the whole was so masterfully put together. Glad you did welcome my feedback!

=m=a=r=c=

Wow! This demo is beautiful! I told alot of my freinds to visit this site to listen to this demo and the 'La Mer' demo. Just amazing what the VSL can do, isn't it! My freinds listened to these demos and some became discouraged that they were going to lose their jobs as musicians to this technology. I don't think that will happen though,
-Julie

Jay-
Sorry to trouble you, but I am trying to learn from your demo. I opened it in Cubase and see a bunch of instruments that I don't know. What is 'solo double', and 'ambient'? Will you give a list of the 'score order' of your mockup? I would like to know exactly what you are doing here so there are no secrets. [:)] It is really so good, and would help me a great deal. But, I also understand that you are busy and may not be able to do this. Either way, thanks very much for the demo and midi file.
Julie

Hi Julie,

I’m honored to help if I can. The “Solo double” instruments are solo instruments that I used to double ensemble instruments in order to give them more “individual” character. The “ambient” track is an ambient noise sample included with GOS (Garritan Orchestral Strings). It adds a subtle layer of coughs, chair squeaks, paper rustling, etc.

Here’s a complete list of tracks in my midi mock-up and the names of the actual samples I used. If you have any more questions don’t hesitate to ask. I’m happy to reveal all my “secrets.”

Best,
Jay

Flute 1 – OPUS 1 FL1_perf-leg_p-f_2Lay-MOD MONO (custom patch that combines both p and f performance legato layers – see the "Ma Mere L'Oye" thread for the .art files to create this)
Flute 2 – OPUS 1 FL1_perf-leg_p-f_2Lay-MOD MONO

Oboe – Miroslav OB LN ST (but I’m sure new VSL Horizon oboe will be even better!)

Clarinet 1 -- OPUS 1 KLB_perf-leg_p-f_2Lay-MOD MONO (custom patch)
Clarinet 2 -- OPUS 1 KLB_perf-leg_p-f_2Lay-MOD MONO

Bassoons -- OPUS 1 FA_perf-leg_p-f_2Lay-MOD MONO (custom patch)
Bassoons 2 -- OPUS 1 FA_perf-leg_p-f_2Lay-MOD MONO
Bassoons long notes -- OPUS 1 FA_pV_sus

Solo Horn -- OPUS 1 HO_perf-leg_p-mf_2Lay-MOD MONO (custom patch)
Horn 2 -- OPUS 1 HO_perf-leg_p-mf_2Lay-MOD MONO

Sordino Violins -- GOS 1st Vln WARM Sordino EXP
Violins pizz -- OPUS 1 Vln-14_pz-sl
Sordino 2nd Violins -- GOS 1st Vln WARM Sordino EXP
Sordino Violas -- GOS Vla WARM Sordino EXP
Violas pizz -- OPUS 1 VA-10_pz-sl
Sordino Cellos -- GOS Cellos WARM Sordino EXP
Cellos pizz -- OPUS 1 VC-8_pz-sl
Sordino Double Basses -- OPUS 1 KB-6L_sus_2Lay-mod
Bass pizz -- OPUS 1 KB-6_pz-sl

Harp harmonics -- OPUS 1 HA_flageolette
Harp -- OPUS 1 HA_normal

Violins Harmonics – GOS 1st Vln Harmonics 1
Violas Harmonics – Vla Harmonics

Violins Solo Double -- Horizon Solo Strings Vl_perf-det_p-f_2Lay-MOD MONO (custom patch)
2nd violins solo double -- Horizon Solo Strings Vl_perf-det_p-f_2Lay-MOD MONO (custom patch)
Violas solo double -- Horizon Solo Strings VA_perf-leg_p-f_2Lay-MOD MONO (custom patch)
Cellos solo double -- Horizon Solo Strings VC_perf-leg_p-f_2Lay-MOD MONO (custom patch)

Ambient -- GOS Ambient Noise (C3, D3, E3, F3, G3)

Very impressive work, indeed. I agree with pretty much all the points made, so really nothing much to add. But I've been wondering whether anybody has found "Ambient" samples anywhere other than GOS? They really add a great deal to the "live" mood of it, so I'd love to get my hands on some... Or, if anybody has any tips on how one might fake an ambient track, it would be much appreciated.

J.

Jay-
Thank you so much for sharing the instrument list. I will try it right now! I really appreciate it, and will learn alot from it. For the doubles, are they EXACTLY the same midi track, or are they slightly changed to avoid phasing problems? Or would you only hear phasing problems with exactly the same patch doubled?
Great job,
-Julie

I believe you would only hear phasing if they were exactly the same samples. I also think (I can't remember exactly) that I made some minor modifications to the "solo double" tracks so they worked better with the solo performance instruments.


--Jay

**note: if you're looking for the .art files for the modwheel performance patches please see the "Ma Mere L'oye" thread.

Julie,

I agree with your reaction to Jay's work - it is really fine, and some of the most expressive music I've heard with these samples. Partly because of his extreme attention to detail in the phrasing and dynamics. I also really appreciate his sharing his .art files and midi info. I personally believe (though I know some people don't agree) that it is good to use mono solo instruments when they are heard in an orchestral context with added reverb - which is exactly the case here. And it has the fringe benefit of being half the data, half the polyphony, and allowing GS2.5 to dynamically layer perf legato instruments - something not curently possible in stereo except in EXS24.

Alas, I had to remove the mp3 file of the Pavane mock-up in order to make room on my server for new stuff that I will post shortly. If anyone still wants to hear the Pavane, simply send me a private message (PM) and I'll happily email you a copy.

Thanks,
Jay