Samples! [the good ones]

[shawnstonesifer]

I just got my taxi authentication to use the boards so I'm in a pretty good mood this morning. Pretty good for being snowed in. Packet coming in a few days. I have a handful of questions for the experienced, hoping I can get some help. I'll probably put threads in various appropriate places.I'm particularly interested in composing for the film/tv/vg areas, and like everyone, I want to be the best, or at least good enough to get good work. So I guess I mean the best. Question:I'm running logic and I have the jam packs. I found the symphonic jam pack to be various degrees of pretty good/turd. I guess part of it is my experience level, as I've only decided to start this business in the last few months.On the other hand, it's fairly obvious that percussive sounds and loops sound very nice, strings are mediocre, and wind instruments are the turd. So, as far as samples for choirs and symphonies, who has the good stuff?I mean,1. What do I wish I had that's way too expensive?2. What will get me going in the meantime for a reasonable sum?3. Does anybody have a good whistle sample? [not tweet tweet, more like someone whistling]4. Are there any great books on how to make a business of this [particularly getting into libraries] or any great engineering books?5. I still haven't run into any figures for realistic $ values for placements. Anybody have a fair notion?6. What should I do for reverb? Logic comes with some barely passable reverbs and some really dumpy ones. Particularly reverbs for orchestral work.Look, I want this as much as anybody, and I'm smart enough to know that I'm not there yet.http://www.zackisamazing.com/users/shaw ... mos/Here's my work so far. I'm open to every suggestion. I can't get constructive analysis from anyone I know. Thanks and helloShawn

[53mph]

Too many questions all in one go....I'll take question number 1 & 3.1. Check out EastWest series Symphonic Orchestra. The higher the price the better the sound quality is generally the rule.2. Why don't you try whistling into a microphone?Or get some friends round for a whistling night?I'm sure you can knock up a far better sample than find one.Enjoy the snow.....

[shawnstonesifer]

Dang. The EastWest stuff looks nice. I wouldn't know. It has to be better than what I have. Too bad I spent my budget for a long time just getting my Mac.

[ernstinen]

Hey Shawn,I write mostly orchestral music now, and here are the libraries I use the most:East West Quantum Leap Symphony Orchestra Gold (the longest tiltle for a library ever!)Garritan Orchestral Strings (Lite)Dan Dean WoodwindsSam HornsQuantum Leap BrassG-Town Percussion (used to be a free download)A few Emu and Roland soundsSiedlacek Strings.*******************As far as choir, I bought Voices of the Apocalypse. It sounds great, but I rarely use it.BTW, my brother is the best whistler I've ever heard. I'd sample him, but he lives near Kalamazoo and I'm in L.A. Hope this helps!Ern

[ernstinen]

Quote:Dang. The EastWest stuff looks nice. I wouldn't know. It has to be better than what I have. Too bad I spent my budget for a long time just getting my Mac.Well, if budget is a big problem, a lot of people are buying Garritan Personal Orchestra. That might be a good place to start!Ern

[edteja]

Jason Blume's new book THIS BUSINESS OF SONGWRITING gives some concrete ranges and ideas about earnings. It is worth the read anyway.

[shawnstonesifer]

That's great help. I'll research those products as best I can. I'll probably just have to keep writing flyguy and folk and things of that nature unless I can get a job somewhere with a sample library. Has anyone had that kind of experience? Can writing under someone elses business be a fair shake?

[andreh]

Hi Shawn-RE: your music, I think you have some good, creative ideas, but your mixing needs work...in many instances your choices of which parts to highlight seem out-of-balance and ungrounded.For example, in one of your orchestral pieces you have a triangle way out in front/center, as if the triangle player were the star of the show. In one of your more pop-sounding pieces, the whole rhythm section starts and stays panned hard-right and the center image never fills in, leaving the listener feeling empty instead of full of the energy the music has the potential to convey.I suggest listening to (and mimicking, for the sake of exercise if nothing else) the tonal, positional, and volume balances between instruments in commercial examples of the styles you're writing.You have a good start...keep the momentum going!Andre

[shawnstonesifer]

Honestly, I've no notion of how to mix, and everything I've done so far is mixed arbitrarily. I've been trying to get a knowledgeable friend to come over so I can watch him fix my work, and I've spent basicly no time in that area. Is there a worth the money book on this sort of thing? Or video tutorial?

[shawnstonesifer]

I went back and listened for those mix issues and they were totally ridiculous! I need to stop mixing during little girls' naptimes. I can't hear what I'm doing I fixed that, but I can't ftp for a bit. I'll have everything in place soon. Did the rest of the mixing sound generally off but less ridiculous, or more adequate?Here's another question- What does "master quality" mean? I have had the concept explained to me and have attempted to address my mixes accordingly, but again, have no idea in that department.