Telefunkin wrote: ↑Wed Oct 12, 2022 12:40 pm
Hi Jeff,
Dated sounds is probably the most common reason for returns, so you're far from alone. Listening to music on current TV shows and current sounds on radio that plays recent music is one way to 'tune' your ears away from dated sounds. However, orchestral instruments don't date (a violin still sounds like a violin all these years after they were first played
). Simulations of violins have improved a LOT though and are now far better than those in home keyboards or some synths. Also, the production of orchestral sounds might be different these days.
Its always dangerous when the temptation is to try and buy your way out of a problem. I do understand the recommendation, but as alluded to by Alan, there are a number of things that would all need to be in place to get this track from where it is now to where it would need to be to get a forward, followed by a library deal and a placement on TV. Having great tools for the job is part of it, but there's also having the vision to know what the end result should be like, knowing what tools you want/need to get there, and also knowing how to use those things. I don't doubt that you're perfectly capable of it, but be cautious that depending on your starting point it can be quite a steep learning curve with the potential to splash out on the wrong things and waste money along the way.
The term 'broadcast quality' really means nothing more that good enough to be broadcast on TV. However, when the TV editors have their choice of music from all the best composers using all the best equipment available they have no reason to choose anything that isn't high quality, however subjective the terminology is. Have a listen to background music on TV and see whether you hear anything like your track - in terms of both recording quality and sounds. I doubt you'll find anything. Also, you can easily find music libraries online and listen to their content. Search for tracks like yours and listen to the quality of recording and sounds as a guide to the standard that they are looking for.
In order to get the required recording quality and also the sounds, the easiest path these days is to equip yourself with a DAW (e.g. Cubase, Studio 1, Logic, etc). They can take some getting your head around but its worth it for the flexibility they offer. They all come with a suite of tools (FX plugins as well as sounds) that can get you a long a way. Learning to use those first is not only good practice but is also part of developing your own working methods and finding out what you really want to get to the next stage. For example, the orchestral strings provided with Logic are pretty good, and the more you 'work' the articulations to get the realism, the better the result. If you only want background strings then you might never need any others, but if you want the most realistic strings for serious orchestral compositions you might want to invest (and they can be very expensive) in a premium sample library, and learn how to get the most from it. Understanding orchestration and string players helps with the realism - more learning. Do you really want to splash out on expensive things like this yet...?
https://www.spitfireaudio.com/spitfire- ... ic-strings
..when maybe this far less expensive library would do for now...?
https://www.spitfireaudio.com/originals-epic-strings
...or even this free one....?
https://www.spitfireaudio.com/bbc-symph ... a-discover
[There are differences, and many more examples of sample libraries in all price brackets, but only you can decide what you want/need.]
Of course, having a DAW doesn't just involve buying that software. Many highly desirable sampled sounds run in the Kontakt sampler that is a separate purchase. You need a good spec computer to run things, SSDs with TBs of storage space for big sample libraries, a recording interface, some decent studio monitors, and a room to work in that has some level of sound treatment to make the acoustics suitable for the monitors to give you a 'true' sound. Then there's recording, mixing and mastering skills, and when you get to the point of having music accepted by a library they'll ask for the full mix plus some alternate versions and some cut-down versions in their preferred file format, so you also need some basic IT skills. All these things need to be in place to be able to progress, and if you've already got most of them sorted out, that's great. If not and it sounds daunting then ask for some help from someone who has a little more experience in such matters, but its probably not as bad as it sounds.
Consequently, there's a lot of things to invest time and money in, and its best to do it wisely and in stages when you're more sure what might work best for you and your chosen path. Just remember though, that a cheap (or even free) orchestral library with properly arranged orchestration and properly used articulations has a good chance of sounding better than the most expensive library used badly.
Good luck with your journey
.