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  4. Recorders - a beautiful addition to the orchestra

  • Recorders - a beautiful addition to the orchestra

    W
    W

    I have to report that I was doing several tracks using another library's recorders, which were not bad, but when I switched to the new VSL recorders it blew me away.  Suddenly, the merely passable line was a fabulous espressivo musical sound.  The wonderful playing on this is truly inspiring, and I had to add more recorder parts as a result! 

    The soprano has an amazing high register, the alto and tenor a warm rich sound, and the bass is a deep mysterious timbre I've never heard before, reminding me of the great VSL bass flute.  These can be used not only in baroque or medieval period sound, but also for really evocative film scoring.   And the crossfading from vibrato to non vibrato, which Herb suggested to me, is absolutely perfect and adds an expressive touch.  This is another great example of the artistic sound that VSL has created over and over again. 

  • C
    C

    Can you please explain what Herb told you about the crossfading if you have a moment?  I would love to hear about it!  Or did you simply put the non vibrato in cell 1 and then put vibrato in the adjacent cell and then enable the crossfade button?  This is a great trick but doesn't work well on all instruments.

    Maestro2be
  • W
    W

    You place a vibrato in one slot, a non-vibrato in the next one horizontally, enable the crossfade "X" then set in the control map area a controller for slot crossfade.  A perfect crossfade without phasing can be done on these instruments.  It adds a subtle but very natural expression.
  • P
    P

    Hi,

    VSL recorders sounds really great, but i have one (big) regret : there is no sopranino recorder ! [:'(]

    Best

    Philippe
  • Beat KaufmannB
    Beat KaufmannB
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    last edited

    Hi

    Maybe the piccolo could be a replacement?

    It also comes with lyric legatos...

    Beat

    - Tips & Tricks while using Samples of VSL.. see at: https://www.beat-kaufmann.com/vitutorials/ - Tutorial "Mixing an Orchestra": https://www.beat-kaufmann.com/mixing-an-orchestra/
  • HolgmeisterH
    HolgmeisterH

     Why oh Why is this most horrible of all instruments returning to an orchestra?

    In school, as kids in 1st grade, we where tortured with recorder lessons - they forced you to buy one, go to lesson and where forced to blow some tunes, as good as it gets. . At christmas, all proud parent came and watched us trying to hit the same note at the same time and declare it as christmas carroll.

    sigh - the final Hobbit score will probably now with recorder sections instead of strings.

    I was too dumb anyway for recorders - they gave me the triangle after my first lesson.

    just my lonely opinion..

    hs

    Too old for Rock n Roll. Too young for 9th symphonies. Wagner Lover, IRCAM Alumni. Double Bass player starting in low Es. I am where noise is music.
  • Beat KaufmannB
    Beat KaufmannB
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    last edited

    @Holgmeister said:

     Why oh Why is this most horrible of all instruments returning to an orchestra?

    Hallo Holgermeister

    (Hoffe dein Beitrag sei nicht ganz so ernst gemeint...)

    Yes, unfortunately it was and still is a "must" for thousands of children.

    I also had to learn this instrument before my father decided that it's time for the violin when I was 12.

    Later on I was happy that I played the Recorder once because I learnd to play the Saxophone.

    It has nearly the same finger placing of a recorder...

    Beside its name "Speuzchnebel" (= spit stick) in my language it can give an orchestra some freshness...



      (hope you are able to see the youtube video within your country)

    Beat

    - Tips & Tricks while using Samples of VSL.. see at: https://www.beat-kaufmann.com/vitutorials/ - Tutorial "Mixing an Orchestra": https://www.beat-kaufmann.com/mixing-an-orchestra/
  • HolgmeisterH
    HolgmeisterH

     Hi Beat,

    (no, I was not really serious with my posting).

    Kid's music education is one thing - in our family it was a 2:1 (my brother and my sister became famous Jazz musicians, I became the computer geek)

    That's why I am doing only electronic music - my late revenge...

    But seriously: of course you are right.. I am badly missing a serious education in score reading and piano playing now..

    Regards

    Holger

    P.S. I still don't like the sound of recorders  ;-)

    Too old for Rock n Roll. Too young for 9th symphonies. Wagner Lover, IRCAM Alumni. Double Bass player starting in low Es. I am where noise is music.
  • W
    W

    Holgmeister:

    That post - considering the  inspiring musicality of the virtuosic performer who recorded these samples - is extremely irritating.

    I'm surprised you didn't add  "Why oh why do we have to have these violins in the orchestra?  I can't stand the way those elementary students screech on them." That would make the same sense as your post. 
  • HolgmeisterH
    HolgmeisterH

    Sorry if I offended someone - my post was considered a fun opinion. Maybe my sense of  joke was lost in translation.

    Of course the VSL product is superb, as well as the beautiful instruments - I adore the build of these ancient wooden forms..This was by no means a critique of the VSL library. I just have my childish opinion about the nature of the sound - that is all. .

    I hope, no one was harmed by my attack of the recorders..

    cheers

    Holger

    Too old for Rock n Roll. Too young for 9th symphonies. Wagner Lover, IRCAM Alumni. Double Bass player starting in low Es. I am where noise is music.
  • BillB
    BillB

    I'm sure 20 years of therapy will fix you right up! [6]

    Dorico, Notion, Sibelius, StudioOne, Cubase, Staffpad VE Pro, Synchon, VI, Kontakt Win11 x64, 64GB RAM, Focusrite Scarlett 18i20, August Forster 190
  • V
    V
    last edited
    last edited

    @Holgmeister said:

     Hi Beat,

    (no, I was not really serious with my posting).

    Kid's music education is one thing - in our family it was a 2:1 (my brother and my sister became famous Jazz musicians, I became the computer geek)

    That's why I am doing only electronic music - my late revenge...

    But seriously: of course you are right.. I am badly missing a serious education in score reading and piano playing now..

    Regards

    Holger

    P.S. I still don't like the sound of recorders  😉

    To me recorder sound depends who plays and how good recorder. btw applies all sound sources. to me recorder maybe never go list what i need my samplesetup.
  • W
    W

    Here is a piece for the VSL recorders -

    I was traveling through a forest near Mount Shasta California, and wanted to compose something for it.  It was a beautiful tranquil place, with very old trees in vast, ancient woods that surrounded the road in all directions.  This place is very tranquil and quiet. So I thought of using the Mystic Spaces which is an incredibly beautiful reverb, and these wonderful recorders to try and get that feeling of the forest echoes and sounds of nature coming out of the distance.   

    http://www.vsl.co.at/Player2.aspx?Lang=1&DemoID=5995
  • P
    P
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    @William said:

    Here is a piece for the VSL recorders -

    I was traveling through a forest near Mount Shasta California, and wanted to compose something for it.  It was a beautiful tranquil place, with very old trees in vast, ancient woods that surrounded the road in all directions.  This place is very tranquil and quiet. So I thought of using the Mystic Spaces which is an incredibly beautiful reverb, and these wonderful recorders to try and get that feeling of the forest echoes and sounds of nature coming out of the distance.   

    http://www.vsl.co.at/Player2.aspx?Lang=1&DemoID=5995

    Wow! Apaches!!!!!!! Flatheads!!!!!!

    Or could it be medieval persons. 

    Loads and loads of reverb there. The recorder is an instrument that definitely reminds me of early school days and is somewhat forgotten in this listeners orchestral template. I must look into that. Nice sound there Billy. I hope you took photos of the area and get them over asap.
  • E
    E

    Thankfully the only positive aspect of the Greek musical education system is that it doesn't traumatize schoolchildren by excessive recorder practice. Actually there is no instrumental practice whatsoever.... So I had to buy a recorder for myself whne I was little, and tinker with it. I must say I got bored of it pretty quickly.

    Be that as it may, in small doses it is a very welcome and evocative instrument - like in this track. I don't think I have ever encountered romantic, or 20th century-sequenza-like virtuosic writng for this instrument. Perhaps happily. It does seem however that the recorder is inextricably linked with, and shackled by Renaissance, or Renaissance-like aesthetics, probably due to its stubborn stereotypical use in such, as well as Medieval movies' soundtracks. It is a pity, since the instrument family seems to be able to carry melodies and emotions beyond what simple modal writing can offer.

    I enjoyed this highly reverberated track, the recorder lending itself very aptly to William's favourite, sorrowful kind of melodic writing, and I most enjoyed the Herrmannesque harp writing towards the end.
  • W
    W

     Herrmannesque? How did that happen?
  • D
    D

    Enjoyed that william as did guy's double concertino for flutes. Both very sensous and educational. ∞
  • P
    P

    Very beautiful and magic piece William. Bravo !

    Best

    Phil
  • W
    W

    Thanks Philippe, Dar, Errikos and Paul.   All fine members of various warring barbarian tribes.    Of course Errikos woud insist that the Franconian (Philippe), the Angle (Paul) and the Emorite (Dar) were the barbarians, gibbering "Bar-Bar-Bar-Bar.." incomprehensibly to his sarcastic apprehension.  But the debased Modernist-Spartan has to admit that he is just as warlike as any of his detested barbarian New-Horde-members. 

  • DietzD
    VSL Team
    DietzD

     Errrrr .... wut?!? 8-] .... answers like these are one of the reasons why I love this forum. ;-)

    BTW - beautiful music, William! Congratulations.

    /Dietz - Vienna Symphonic Library