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This isn't written for any specific listing. It's my first try at something out of the top of my head, attempting to make the most of my EWQLSO Gold library.I'd like to hear your comments on anything and everything - the instrumentation, the mix, the expression, the orchestration, whatever. I consider it a pretty rough cut still but I'd like to think it has potential for the "dramatic / romantic instrumental" listings that come out pretty frequently."Romance"http://www.taximusic.com/song.php?song_ ... s,Kathleen

Jan 2, 2009, 1:27pm, kelysian wrote:This isn't written for any specific listing. It's my first try at something out of the top of my head, attempting to make the most of my EWQLSO Gold library.I'd like to hear your comments on anything and everything - the instrumentation, the mix, the expression, the orchestration, whatever. I consider it a pretty rough cut still but I'd like to think it has potential for the "dramatic / romantic instrumental" listings that come out pretty frequently."Romance"http://www.taximusic.com/song.php?song_ ... enKathleen, this is a very lush piece. I admire your piano playing skills. I'm just getting to know the Gold library. You seem to have found a comfort zone. I honestly don't hear any problems with the mix and the expressiveness is very dynamic! Good job.Steve

Kathleen,Very nice, especially for first attempt/rough cut. Very expressive and good dynamics. I think if you experimented you could get even more dynamics out of it. It sounded as though you had a couple of instruments doubling the melody throughout; maybe if you varied that and even added some quieter moments, it would make the crescendos stand out even more. It sounds a little dry to me too, so maybe add more hall ambience?Very minor points above--great job!Vince

Hi Kathleen,This is great! Perhaps some more experienced EW people can give you some pointers - but it sounds very good to my ears. Barbara Cartland would be proud!!!Georgie

The composition is very nice, Kathleen. I don't care much for the high strings patch that you used for a lead instrument. Was it Arco Strings perhaps? It was dry, not much verb and sounded fakey. Sorry, but I struggle with this and get slammed regularly for it. However, the other patches sounded better. The flute patch was kind of nice.I noticed that there is no bottom to this piece. Contrabass? Low Attack? Even stereo cellos at the low end of their range would do.I've been looking at purchasing that library for my own work, but now I may rethink it. Do you think that the violins sounded real?I'm losing my perspective, I guess. Perhaps it is just me and everything that you recorded is right on. Happy New Year, Wig

Jan 2, 2009, 6:22pm, wignelson wrote:The composition is very nice, Kathleen. I don't care much for the high strings patch that you used for a lead instrument. Was it Arco Strings perhaps? It was dry, not much verb and sounded fakey. Sorry, but I struggle with this and get slammed regularly for it. However, the other patches sounded better. The flute patch was kind of nice.I noticed that there is no bottom to this piece. Contrabass? Low Attack? Even stereo cellos at the low end of their range would do.I've been looking at purchasing that library for my own work, but now I may rethink it. Do you think that the violins sounded real?I'm losing my perspective, I guess. Perhaps it is just me and everything that you recorded is right on. Happy New Year, Wig I think that the pros on this board like Matto, Dave Walton and Mazz will tell you that the library sounds themselves are only half the equation. The other half is how you use them. These samples are pretty much "out of the box" in this track - I've only done a little bit of CC11 expression on some of the longer held notes. I do think I've got a ways to go to get that line evened out and sounding more natural.I do have a line of contrabass in there, but it tends to get buried. I was wondering if adding some more low brass to fill out the sound would help the balance too.Your comments are exactly what I'm hoping to hear, wig. I need some fresh ears to hear what I can't anymore. Thanks!Kathleen

I really liked the movement and melodic lines. I think that you could get a better payoff in intensity if the dynamics were more exaggerated allowing the intense moments to really sweep you away. The low end seems to be missing as Wig said and a double bass part may help this. I thought I heard some timpani in there toward the end but can't say for sure. Very nice piece!!Kitz

One more morsel for thought, Kathleen:A previous thread featured some horns that sounded really natural. I'm sorry that I can't steer you to it because it would take too much research on my part to get there.However, I did retain a lesson the composer was trying to impart.He said that he gets his natural sound by devoting three or four tracks for the horn section and panning them differently and assigning them different reverbs.I'm paraphrasing here: "Nothing sounds more fake than just playing a chord of horns and not giving each instrument its own space."This sounded like sound advice to me; however, I have yet to put it into actual practice.So little time and so many mistakes to make . . . Wig