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The advancement of electronic instruments since the 70s and 80s has been astonishing. We've come a long way since the 'Casio keyboard days' and limitations of the 128 MB samplers and more simple sound modules (though they still maintain their place in the studio to some extent). The greatest advancements in my opinion was when virtual instruments were introduced. These are instruments whose sounds are loaded into and powered by the core of your own computer, allowing for capabilities to expand as computer technology expands.
The virtual instrument (VI) allows composers greater control, manipulation and easy use of either creating mock or final scores right in their own environments. To read up on how to set up your studio please see our "Adding Instruments In Sequencers section. In this section I want to talk about a few considerations when trying to get 'better' sounds from your VI, sound module or other electronice instrument by answering common questions I have received over the years.
How do I make my sounds more 'realistic' or get that 'big' sound from my sequencer?
This question is one that challenges every composer. Sometimes our strings sound too 'tinny' or our brass sounds 'inadequate'. The truth of the matter is that you need to 'listen' to the sound before you select it. In other words, just because it says, 'VIOLINS' on the sound name doesn't mean it actually sounds the way you want to hear your violins.
One suggestion I often encourage is to 'stack' instruments. Stacking instruments is where you load in two or more string tracks (all playing the phrase that you want) and then mixing the 4 sounds so that you get a balance in the sounds that you want. Then during parts where, lets say one particular sound is stronger on the upper notes, you simply raise the levels of that sound and fade down the weaker ones, so that they blend their different timbres. Be careful you don't over do it though. Some instruments can become too 'muddy' if you stack too many sounds together. It all comes down to the skills of your own ears and sound manipulation techniques.
One final note is that you should look to increase you library as budget can afford. Having said that, just because something is the 'newest product on the market' doesn't mean its the greatest. I recommend researching your new purchases as best as possible before buying, just so that you feel inspired by your new sounds rather than feeling ripped off. Be sure to check out our regularly updated reviews section to get our opinions on what we think is worth your money and what could be best avoided.
How do I stop my sequencer from 'dropping' notes or not playing some of the one's I know are there?
This often happens when you've reached some of the limitations of your computer. Either you've maxed out the RAM (memory) or processing power of your computer. If you have money to spend, upgrade your computer by first: purchasing more RAM (always the first and most important upgrade to any computer), or purchasing a new, more powerful computer altogether. However, most of us don't have the kind of spare cash lying around to just get a new, more powerful computer. So, another solution would be to record some of the 'finished' tracks into your final mix (i.e. ProTools etc.) and have ProTools synch along with your sequencer. Then 'mute' your sequencer tracks that are using the most CPU or RAM freeing up space for all the sounds tobe performed. Additionally, if you've stacked instruments you can always mute certain ones just to free up CPU and then later record them on separate tracks for a synchronized, multi track recording and mixing session.
Will manipulating my VI sounds mean that they will always load with the manipulated sound in the future?
Yes and no. Yes - anytime you open that sequencethe manipulation will be exactly as it was when you saved it. No - if you open a new sequence and load in the sound you will get a brand new occurance of that sound, free from any changes you've made. The third option is that most VIs now allow you to save any changes you made within the VI as a 'new sound'. If you do that you will find that you get the original sound AND the manipulated sound to load in.
Some of my sounds appear to be 'too in your face'. How can I get them to blend with the rest of the instruments without lowering the volume?
Simply turning down the volume doesn't always help. That just loses some of the strengths of that sounds. The best results I've achieved is through adding subtle delays and reverbs. Adding a carefully selected reverb will give more 'room' to your sound and take away the 'in your face' feeling you're talking about. Experiment with how much 'mix' you give the reverb - in other words carefully mix how much dry (original) and wet (reverb) will be heard. A little delay will also give that 'bounce back' feeling. Keep it subtle though, unless you want to have an extreme effect. Once you've added this to the sound which was too present, try adding the same reverb to the other sounds in the ensemble, but to a lesser degree (i.e more 'dry' mix). This will help you get across the feeling of the instruments blending together nicely.
I like the piece I've just sequenced, but it sounds too 'mechanical'. How do I make it sound more like a performance than a sequence?
Don't worry - you're not alone. Too often computerized scores sound sooooo computerized. My guess is that you probably have too many parts 'quantized' - meaning that all of the notes are played with 100% perfection. Perfection is a wonderful thing, but its what is making your music sound too mechanical. Even the best ensembles have imprefections when playing together. This feature can be helped a lot by uising the 'humanize' function inside your quantize controls. Humanize will add little imperfections of timing, inside parameters that you choose, yet still keep your music close to 'perfect'. This really helps take away the mechanical feel. The other thing is to think in musical phrases too. Think of where the flute player would breathe for example. Maybe you could cut the previous not off just a fraction early to 'simulate' a breath, or even add a nominal delay to the next note after the breath. This all takes some time and patience, but the results can really help clean up your computer 'performance' beautifully.
Remember, Movielines Music is right here to help you deliver the score that your art requires. Please get in touch to talk over your project with us and we'll do what we can to help you on your way. If you feel you have questions, or indeed want to contribute to this section, that can be shared by other film composers, please don't hesitate to get in touch. Click here to go to our contact page.
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