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Are there any TAXI members in the LA area who are proficient at using string samples that would be available for hire and can teach me? I’m a long-time TAXI member who’s had a good share of forwards and deals, but I recently tried to work with string libraries and so far it’s not going very well. I bought the Diamond String collection of EastWest Hollywood Strings, which I had heard were a pretty good library, and worked for weeks layering in cellos, basses, violas and first and second violins, then using the MIDI CC controls for expression, etc, and submitted a piece, only to be told by the screener that my strings should sound ”more realistic.” From all the work I put in I’m gathering that I must be pretty clueless if they’re not sounding realistic. Either that, or maybe I was misguided and my library is not in fact very good? Either way, I think I would greatly benefit from sitting with someone who could walk me through a project. Thanks in advance for anyone who can help.

nothing real substantive to add other than I remember hearing that theres an art to programming strings.

Are you playing them with a controller or just drawing them in?
Are you doing each instrument and layer separately, or copying and pasting?
How much quantize are you using?

Thanks for replying.

'm playing on a keyboard, and yes, I composed separate lines for each instrument on separate tracks. I did quantize, but with 85% accuracy checked to try to make it seem more human.

I just think I need to sit with someone who really knows how to work with string samples.

Anyway, thanks again for replying.

That's a great idea, thanks! Here's a link to my page:

https://www.taxi.com/my/artist

The piece is the first one, "The Joy of Living"

Any input from you or anyone else would be very appreciated.

In re. to sending you individual parts, how would I do that? Put a drop box link to the entire session in here, or just export the individual tracks?

Thanks again!

Ah, ok, here's that link:

https://www.taxi.com/members/frankpalmieri

Again, the piece in question is the first one listed "The Joy of Living".

I'll look into setting up a SoundCloud account so I can upload the Pro Tools sessions/tracks.

Thanks again for all you help!

You make a good point. To be honest, I found the patches very confusing. I'm not at my studio now so I can't tell you for sure, but I'll look it up when I get back to see exactly what I used. But I do remember that there were so many options that I had a hard time figuring out exactly which patches to use. Also, reading the manual I got the impression one should change patches often within a part depending on whether the attack was hard or soft or whether it was an upbow or downbow? Perhaps that's my problem as I believe I used one patch for each part (except for the pizzicato).

This is a tough thing to do:

mate an "acoustic" instrument - like a close mic'd piano, with a real close mic'd guitar, with a virtual string section.

Beyond what is mentioned above:

1) there are some compositional and arranging crunchy spots - dissonances. Which might have been intentional but are worth a rethink. I think they would disqualify from a signing right at that.

2) you would do well to decide how you want this piece to sound. Standard orchestral panning with piano off to the side, and strings L+R might work. If you want it to be more of a Pop type panning situation with the piano and guitar in the middle, you still need to decide on an ambience where all of the instruments can sound in the same room. Right now the strings are way far away, and the piano and guitar sound too close (which leads to my comment about being "close mic'd").

3) Arranging wise - the strings don't really sound like a section sound to me. I don't feel the flavors of the 5 different string sections. I don't feel any actual arrangement - it sounds like a "strings" section patch playing one melody, and then one unified section of strings playing "pizzicato". There would be a way to split these ideas among the sections so that they played in registers that are normal for each section. In the Pizz section - each bar could start with CB and cello / viola playing 1 + on the roots 5th of each chord and then Violin 1 / 2 could play the higher notes to fill out the bar. Develop those ideas.

Anyways - lots of thoughts. Good luck !

Thanks so much--will try that patch and work more closely with the controllers and give it another try. I really, really appreciate your help!

Thanks for your input, especially on arranging. I will work with your suggestions. Really appreciate all your good advice!

So I've been reworking the piece, implementing all the great suggestions from those of you who replied to my initial question. Would you mind reviewing the revised version and letting me know if you think it's any better or what else I might do going forward? If you recall, it's the piece titled "The Joy of Living":

https://www.taxi.com/members/frankpalmieri

I also completely got rid of the guitar as I remembered that I had only added it in the first place because the particular listing I was originally submitting to called for "piano, strings and guitar."

Anyway, thanks in advance for your continued help and advice!