constructive advice requested about recording

[belkina]

I have recently posted an MP3 of a piece of mine: the Adagio Symphonique, see the link near the bottom of the page:

http://www.musique.umontreal.ca/personnel/Belkin/worklist.html

I would be interested in constructive criticism of the SOUND. I am satisfied with the composition and the orchestration, and about 90% satisfied with the simulation, but I don't think the recorded sound is very good. The intent is completely "classical", so I am looking for suggestions for that would make the space sound as natural as possible, and give it more depth. For this version, the only reverb used was via hardware, applied identically to the whole mix from a Beringer mini-console. Other resources available in my setup (but not used here) are as follows:

- mixing/convolution reverb in Giga 3 - I still have plenty of processing power available.
- Ambience reverb on the Mac
- A Lexicon hardware reverb

With only a few small exceptions, the whole piece was done with VSL sounds.

Incidentally this piece has been played live, so I have a very good idea of the "real" sound.

Thanks!

Alan

[Dietz]

Alan, I hope you don't mind that I'll move this topic to the Mixing-Forum of our site.

All the best,

/Dietz - Vienna Symphonic Library

[belkina]

Kein Problem damit!

@Dietz said:

Alan, I hope you don't mind that I'll move this topic to the Mixing-Forum of our site.

All the best,

/Dietz - Vienna Symphonic Library

[JWL]

belkina--

There is so much talk in techical terms that I feel moved to speak in visceral and emotional terms just as a listener rather than a technician.

First and foremost, I really love the Adagio. Congratulations for creating something that was immediately interesting harmonically, well structured, voiced, and paced. As a conductor, this work is something that I would personally enjoy performing live-- and believe me, I hear a LOT of new music that just misses the point. Your work has a quality that is at once easy on the ears, engaging-- and full of wonderful musical surprises. Very nice lyrical writing for strings!!

My only criticsm would be in in two categories:

1) This music could benefit from a greater diversity of sound options from the VSL library. At times there was "sameness" to the sounds used. It was in places where the solo strings were introduced that my ears really perked up from a purely sonic point of view. It was refreshing against many of the sounds that preceded it.

The strings entrances and cut-offs, especially at the beginning (before the tempo picks up) feel abrupt-- they could be tapered more the way real players would play them. Many lines could also benefit from patches that lend themselves to a more penetrating legato. There were some slower passages in which the listener is *too* aware of the space between each note. It didn't really feel like a genuine 'portato' articulation (or long detaché), but it left the impression that it really *wanted* to be more legato. Such things can often resemble the way in which an organist would execute attacks and releases. The very last chord is a perfect example-- after such an enjoyable musical experience, interpretively speaking it would have been nice to have a more subtle decrescendo and a nearly imperceptable release. This can really leave the listener in a trance.

Some of this might be helped during the mixing process, tapering the longer notes at the beginnings and endings of phrases.

2) The mix itself was pretty good with instrumental balances. It seemed that with this sort of music that the mix could use a tiny boost between 200-400 hz in the EQ. Perhaps the 'brightness' of the sound is the result of mp3 compression, but a compostion like this really benefits from the slightest bit of 'warmth' in the mid range.

The reverb had a nice tail, however, the room setting itself could have been denser, richer. Putting the reverb on a separate bus would enable you to EQ it seperately. I usually roll off everything above about 500 hz and then add back only as much above 500 hz as is needed. Higher frequencies of strings in their upper register can sound harsh in reverb. Sometimes *harsh* is good, but listening to your composition, there was nothing in it that seemed to require harshness. I tend to roll off everything below about 100 hz, depending upon the situation-- that lower frequency crossover point could change. Again, I only add back what is needed. In both cases, I find it better to start with less.

Once again, all of this was more clearly noticeable in the slower, softer passages. Faster tempos covered much of this, but it still may be worth increasing the numbers of samples used and varying them to prevent ear fatigue.

You are an extremely gifted composer, and I wish you every possible success!!

Best regards,
JWL

[belkina]

Hi JWL,

First off, many thanks for your detailed and constructive comments! That's exactly the kind of thing I was looking for, and once my teaching duties are over for the term I'll spend some time putting these ideas to the test.

I am also very pleased that you like the piece. Would you by any chance be interested in a score? I'd be glad to send you a pdf. The style is pretty typical of my music. If you feel like it, on the same page as the link to this simulation there are other links to real performances taken from a CD of mine. Perhaps you might enjoy the violin concerto ...

I'd also be interested in knowing more about what you are doing musically, if you feel like telling me.

Thanks again,

Alan

@JWL said:

belkina--

There is so much talk in techical terms that I feel moved to speak in visceral and emotional terms just as a listener rather than a technician.

First and foremost, I really love the Adagio. Congratulations for creating something that was immediately interesting harmonically, well structured, voiced, and paced. As a conductor, this work is something that I would personally enjoy performing live-- and believe me, I hear a LOT of new music that just misses the point. Your work has a quality that is at once easy on the ears, engaging-- and full of wonderful musical surprises. Very nice lyrical writing for strings!!

My only criticsm would be in in two categories:

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