Vienna Symphonic Library Forum
Forum Statistics

198,207 users have contributed to 43,103 threads and 258,734 posts.

In the past 24 hours, we have 2 new thread(s), 5 new post(s) and 59 new user(s).

  • Mocking-up horns and trombones

    Having recently made the jump from VSL to Vienna Instruments, I am already noticing a big difference to my workflow, and paying more attention to orchestration rather than 'which articulation shall i go for.'

    Anyway, I was wondering how you approach mocking-up the brass choir, especially when used in pairs, as this is the standard approach to setting out the horns and trombones, e.g.

    Ho1+2
    Ho3+4
    (Ho 5+6)
    (Ho 7+[H]
    TTb1+2
    Trb3+BTr

    Approaching horns first; obviously, when employed in unison, one would use the 4-horn, or 8-horn patches depending on the number of horns required. Similarly, closed space 4-note chords would be done with the solo horn patches - although these can sound thin due to the perfect tuning. Do people use 4 seperate VI instances for this i.e. detuning each one slightly? - yes, if you have obscene amounts of RAM available is the answer to that I suppose.
    How about when horns are used in pairs (octaves, fifths, 3rds)? I suppose if 8 horns are used, then the 4-horn patches are perfect, but what about a 4-horn setup? do you go for the solo horn, or 4 horn patches?

    and how about trombones? these are commonly deployed in octaves, in the arrangement above. So would upper part = 3 trombones patch, lower part = solo trombone + bass trombone?

    Perhaps I'm worrying too much about doing the 'right thing' as opposed to just doing what sounds right, but i feel i should stick to the traditional principles of orchestration, given that one day in the distant future there might come a time when my orchestrations are performed by a real orchestra!

    T.

  • LOL at 7+[H] !
    anyway, ignore that!

  • As far as the number of horns: whatever sounds best. Start with the solo horns and see if it sounds more authentic. If not then anything goes (as with all things midi.)

  • PaulP Paul moved this topic from Orchestration & Composition on