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  • Userdemo by Simon Ravn

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    We proudly present the next user demo composed by Simon Ravn:

    "The Traveller"

    He was so kind to give us also a detailed programming description and some infos on his person.

    thanks a lot, Simon

    Listen to the demo:
    http://vsl.co.at/demo_user?DP_ObergruppeID=5&DP_GruppeID=12


    Programming infos:

    Generally I used all legato instruments for all
    string parts and woodwind parts that play legato
    or runs/glissandos/trills. No recorded trills were used for the woodwind
    trills.
    I used stacc1, stacc2 and stacc1+2 patches for the staccato part for the strings. I used single staccato (no alternations) for the brass and woodwinds, and used a few diminuendo and crescendo patches for brass and woodwinds.
    For the 'big brass' part, it is horns+trombones+trumpets playing in unison.
    The trombones here are played using the 1 second patch. The horns are played using a keyswitch diminuendo patch for variation in lengths and sound.
    The trumpets are played using a regular sustain patch with no keyswitching.
    I used two different snare drums and panned them hard left/right for stereo effect.
    I used only a harp glissando patch two times in the piece, the rest
    is played with the standard harp patch.
    Additionally I used the horns legato patch for the 'love theme' played with
    the flute at the end.


    Simon on Simon:

    I am 29 years old and from Copenhagen, Denmark. I got really interested in orchestral music - and film scores in particular - when I heard John Williams' score for E.T.
    I have been composing orchestral music since 1993, at that time with only four tracks available on an Amiga. Got into PC and MIDI orchestration a few years later. I work as a video editor on commercials and television, but recently joined forces with a sound designer and another composer to form the company Epic Sound, in which my wish is to work more with music professionally than I have done up until now.
    I have, among other things, created music for commercials for Stimorol and V6 chewing gum (European brands) and also a little work on
    a Coca Cola cinema trailer.
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    Very nice music Simon!

    I really love what's going on in the background during the action sequence. Great details.


    Greetings from VSL Hotel Suite 116,

    Maarten
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    Hi Simon!

    Nice to see you here as well... although it is not very much surprising to see compsers like you work with such a magnificant library! (we met on Garry's hp...)

    Just one question:

    Did you do the demo on just one computer system or have you linked up several working stations?

    Could you please tell us how you sequenced the different tracks? Would be nice to know how to work efficiently and fast with that library!

    Best regards,

    Matt
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    Hey Matt[:)]

    I used three computers - one running all the legato instruments and the other two used for percussion and a lot of other brass/string/wood articulations - staccatos, crescendos etc. I used almost all my tracks - although not at the same time - I think the piece used maybe 140 different patches.

    I then recorded it in sections, not individual instruments (unless some special treatment was required, like for snare drums and cymbals).
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    We have just uploaded an new mp3 version. I missed the actual version (sorry Simon).

    Simon added little "orchestra noise" in this mix.

    Herb
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    Simon! Good one!

    Well I'm gonna spend some time in setting up a second system.
    Though I am happy to be one of the rare users to work with 2 Gb RAM, I will need to have a second system to perform live - means to hear at once what I am playin'... [:)]

    Well - hope to hear more stuff from you!!!
    Perhaps we could meet some day!

    See ya and thanks for your advice...


    Matt
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    Hey Simon!

    With which sequencing program r u working? Cubase, Logic, Nuendo...?
    Do you run it on the same machine as Giga is running? Or do you do it seperately?
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    yeah... very nice... Im also interested in knowing which sequencer...

    and THREE computers!!!! Is this needed to compose orchestra sounding music? im considering buying some of this software.. But if I have to get two new computers i find it slightly discouraging [:)]
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    last edited
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    @Patriarch said:

    yeah... very nice... Im also interested in knowing which sequencer...

    and THREE computers!!!! Is this needed to compose orchestra sounding music? im considering buying some of this software.. But if I have to get two new computers i find it slightly discouraging [:)]


    Don't be discouraged.

    Using multiple computers is all about convenience, and about being able to do as much as possible in real time. But it is not a necessity. One can use rendering, multiple sequence files, and temporary submixes to get a lot of mileage from a single computer.

    The cost benefit of mulitple computers comes when a person has sufficient workflow to make it profitable. It all boils down to how much a person must crank out in what amount of time to put the Post Toasties on the table.
  • K
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    I just listened to this demo, and I'm amazed at the sense of space that Simon created in the mix. This is the exact thing that keeps escaping me.

    Simon, can you shed any light on whether you used stereo or mono versions of the instruments, and what kind of reverb + reverb tricks you used in THE TRAVELER? It sounds SO authentic that even the most expert user probably wouldn't recognize that these are all samples!

    Kerry
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    Thanks Kerry - it got to my attention that this ooooold thread had been revived[:)] I only used the stereo versions (there are no mono versions, so you'd have to make those yourself), and no "tricks" on the verb - just using my ears, which is my usual answer. Sorry if it's not very helpful but I really can't explain it much further than that. The only reverb setting which is much different from the rest, is the one used on some of the percussion, to really bring it "back in the hall", in particular the snares, but I also think I did that to some wooden mallet timpanis. And then take out some high frequency material, which will be lost in the back of a hall. The reverb used is a combination of Lexicon MPX1, MPX500 and Realverb Pro on the UAD-1 DSP card.
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    Simon, thank you for the insight. What I keep hearing in these forums is that people are experiencing great success using hardware reverbs or plugins like Altiverb. I'm using the Logic Platinum reverbs (the built-in ones like "Hall" etc) and they just don't have the same effect... things sound too near to the front of the speaker instead of sounding "placed" into a concert space.

    If anyone has had luck tweaking certain Logic Audio presets to create a stellar reverb, share your recipes!! In the meantime, I might just have to go shell out some $$ for the new OSX version of Altiverb!

    Kerry Muzzey
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    Kerry,

    I've had moderate success with Logic's Platinum 'verb. Try the following tweaks:
    First, take down the Predelay and Initial Delay values. If these are too high, you get quite an echo, which is not always desirable. Obviously, these are meant to help create an impression of size - the longer the delay, the further the "back" of the hall, but they can be irritating.

    Next, consider the High Cut fader. Lowering this will decrease the high sizzle a bit and mellows your reverb sound somewhat.

    Then, you must play around between Room Size and Reverbtime. I often use a larger room (30m - 80m). Of course, you need to adjust the Mix carefully too. If you have inserted the 'verb in the Instrument fader, set this balance to suit that particular instrument. If you are bussing several instruments to a 'verb, then set the mix to 100% and simply adjust your send to the reverb.

    For a more natural concert sound, you'd also use more reverb and less Early Reflection on most instruments.

    This is by no means definitive, but I hope it'll help you get more out of the Logic reverbs. They're really not that bad......

    Regards - Colin
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    Colin, this is exactly what I was hoping for!! I don't have a solid grasp of what all the tweaks do, and I can rarely hear the difference on certain settings when I play around with them -- this is a tremendous help. I'm going to give them a shot tonight & we'll see how it goes. Thanks a million.

    Kerry
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    I really am inspired by  this music Simon!

    Wonderful music and the orchestration is just superb. I enjoy  the  natural way the melody and harmony flow and develop in this music, and the ebb and flow of musical expression and the build up to the climaxes.  I really enjoy hearing how the opening theme in the high strings, that gradually builds and progresses higher upwards before the main theme comes in [which is also one of my favourite parts of the music], also comes back at 1.47 over the ostinato like passage. The music and its orchestration inspires me to wnat ot be creative with my vsl libraries!

    Great melodic writing and the melody is so flowing and easy to listen to.

    Great work Simon!

    best,

    Steve :-)
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    Wow, you just replied to a very old post :D

    Gotta say I still really like that demo. At the time I was really keeping an eye on this guy (Maarten Spruyt and Thomas Bergensen being some others), he made wonderful music with mostly samples. I wonder what he's doing now.