Wow - they're all quite different. And there's parts of all of them I like / all of them I don't like.
The different way they react to the rooms is somewhat clouding my judgement.
Even just listening to the first few underscore shorts - the rooms are quite profoundly different - and this kind of changes how one reacts to the overall tone.
Not sure there is a clear winner / one I like the most - but will responses to each help?
#1. So here the reverb on the backing shorts just distracts me. I also feel there is a tonal jump between the accents of the backing staccs which feels unnatural. Perhaps it just feels like the accents are overdone. The top line I don't mind - though too wet for my taste. But its tone sits nicely when played repeatedly on its own. The final sfz is nice until it reaches f and it becomes a bit - ha - metallic - or shrill / nasal.
#2. The shorts at the top - I kind of like how I'm hearing the individual notes in each chord more here. It actually sounds less quantized - but could just be that the individual sounds have different attacks recorded at slightly different speeds. Or something. The balance between the backing ands the lead line is clearer than #1 (the tonal sound of the backing makes it sit back a little - it sounds a half or one dynamic lower at times... not the voume - just the tone.) Final 3 accents of the backing before the sfz are not great to me. Its that super loud sound which just sounds unnatural in the context of the part. Though its a nice intensity.
. I like some of the attacks of the top line better than 1. Overall the tone of the top line is lovely and warm. Probably my fav TONE overall, but some of the attacks let it down. Actually, after a longer listening session, this is my fav. I'm hearing the individual horns more - have a listen to the final chord. I can make out WAY more of the notes very quickly here... to the point where the following versions seem to loose a note in the chord (is that just a balance thing? Or just the nature of notes with very similar properties when close together harmonically combining... ah psychoacoustics are fun. Indeed - one of the low notes is probably a bit loud / out of balance - but it helps me hear the chord.) . I do NOT like the room on this version though. And every other time I go back to it I want to place it WAY back in the list because of this. But trying to listen past that,.
#3. Not a fan of the overall tone of this. It sounds a bit peaky / less warm (whatever that means). The faster lines / notes in the melody feel detached - synthetic even (or not something I'm used to hearing.) .I'm hearing the final chord in a very different emotional way than #2. Doesn't have the same drama... its kinda plastic.
#4. Like the shorts most of the time here... maybe more than #2... though not the tone / hearing the horns as a group of horns rather than a single tone. However #4 accents are better balanced / better sounding. Like the melody but feel like I miss some notes / some attacks - and the line doesn't feel like something that would be played by players in that way. Like the low notes in the sfz better in #2 than #4, but otherwise its nice.
#5. Below #4 and #2 for me. I think. Its close. There's loads I like about the tone. Feels a bit mechanical at times / not as realistic, but tone - yeah its nice. Much better reverb than #2.
For the final chord, (listening from just after the attack) in iscolation, I like #2, #1, #5, #4, #3 in that order.
Overall though, the order would be #2, #5, #4 #3 #1
Confusing much?
B.