I’m in the UK and we are close to lockdown due to Covid - 19. As we are going to be off I’ve bought a few toys which are on offer. The Loom by Air which is an analog additive synthesiser… played with it a little and it sounds awesome, and the Riser which has some amazing presets for transitions.
Plugin wise I took the plunge and got the Waves Mod Rack multiband distortion which sounds awesome… so there’s plenty to keep me occupied for the coming months.
I was wondering what new toys you are getting to distract you from these tough times
Ps. Here’s the prices as all are on offer or on intro price.
Thinking of Cinewinds pro and Core(they are 40% off right now) that would complete my orchestral cirkel since I lack good woodwinds. I would like Cinematic woodwinds to come but I don´t know how long I´d have to wait.
I have CineWinds, and while it sounds lovely I often find it hard to mix as it is too wet. I switched my go-to woodwinds library to VSL Synchron Woodwinds.
Well depends on what styles you focus on. All Cinesamples libraries have that big Hollywood hall sound. But they are much harder to work with if you want a more close up and intimate sound.
I like doing musik with much reverb but even so I like to have the choice to go as dry as possible. I add reverb from Valhalla room, Valhalla Shimmer and QL spaces. I my self don´t have the ear to say if that reverb is made afterward or if it´s the natural one when all tracks are in place.
I have and like EW Hollywood woodwinds but my system have a hard time with it.
Great suggestions, will have to check some of these out.
Regarding Cinewinds, tbh I’ve not really been a fan of most of the other stuff. When I’ve used it I’ve found it quite naisily in comparison to what I’ve used elsewhere. Having said that I find similar issues in the low mid range in most libraries. I’m often finding myself taming them.
I’ve often thought that it’s to do with the samples. Often one of two notes sounds great but after that there’s a build up of certain frequencies which muffles up the part slightly.
Cine strings/horns are some of them I really find that in… however I find it in spitfire stuff too… but only the tree mic’s for some reason (which tbh is terrible seeing as they profess to do them the best). I find myself turning down or off on that mic position which somewhat fixes the issue and widens the stereo field.
Maybe I’m drifting away from the subject but if the goal is to get the brass and especially the horns to sound as soft as humanly possible is there anything one can do besides choosing library and use velocity and dynamics right? Something in the mix? Eq, compression? And what brass library would you guys recommend for that?
I don’t think the topic matters if there’s a question to be answered Fredrick
Personally I’d sag a new library should only become something you need if you need an ensemble change, providing you are happy with the libraries you own.
So there are many mays you can manipulate your sounds. Here’s some ways I manipulate my sounds to get different more desired effects from just a few libraries. This applies to any instrument, not just brass.
Use a transient shaper, this will either add attack or add sustain to the front and back end of your wave form. Add more attack for harder hitting sounds, take it away and add more sustain for more legato phrases. This is also great for adding a bit more realism if the sounds you are using are limited in samples, such as hits that you’ve dragged into a project.
Use an envelope to shape your sound. This will act as a volume and a frequency shaper, meaning you’ll soften the sound as you pull the envelope down.
Add reverb to the sound - perhaps overused it’s nasty but a little bit is lovely.
If you just want it slightly softer then use a desser, find the frequency that’s harsh and programme it to duck to your taste. You’ll keep the musicality with this technique too.
Make the end of your notes bleed into the next to smoothen transitions. Blurring transitions is a really good technique to use in the right context.
Thank you very much this is very helpful. I will experiment with this.
Most of the time I use pure orchestral plugins a with few effects more than reverb. But every other day I hear something nice and the curiosity kicks in.
It’s amazing how the possibilities is infinite in this world of composing.
Could only wish there were more time, the days are too short.
Again all the new tips and input are GREATLY APPRECIATED. Thanks.
best way to be.