# The Race to Oblivion- Abbey Rd one demo



## dcoscina (Nov 5, 2020)

I wanted to see what AR1 could do so I threw a few different things at it in this piece. The sustain strings (mutes) are nice for pads but they were hard to get the phrasing right for that one section. Shorts are wonderful however. I dialed back on the Tightness because I like to hear the full sample even if it means it's a little less responsive to quick passages. And yes, I totally was inspired by Bartok for the ending just because... The second is a short test of brass using a combination of Mix 1, and Spill mics.


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## jonathanparham (Nov 6, 2020)

I enjoyed this. but I always have to ask.. . did you start the score in staffpad lol?


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## marclawsonmusic (Nov 6, 2020)

Sounds great, David. I always enjoy your writing. 

To me, the brass is the most reminiscent of 'that sound' - maybe because it really excites the room acoustics? The AR woodwinds also sound very nice.


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## ism (Nov 6, 2020)

That sound!


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## dcoscina (Nov 6, 2020)

jonathanparham said:


> I enjoyed this. but I always have to ask.. . did you start the score in staffpad lol?


Thanks! In this case, nope, I just step entered most of this into Logic. I built my own KS since I don't like looking at 80 tracks. I also did that in Studio One 5 this morning which is even easier and I kinda prefer its work flow better as well.


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## dcoscina (Nov 6, 2020)

marclawsonmusic said:


> Sounds great, David. I always enjoy your writing.
> 
> To me, the brass is the most reminiscent of 'that sound' - maybe because it really excites the room acoustics? The AR woodwinds also sound very nice.


Thanks for listening!


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## dcoscina (Nov 6, 2020)

I did another short little test this morning, in the spirit of Prokofiev. Using the marcato in horns and tenuto in trumpets achieves a really nice effect. Was also building a Studio One template with my own KW maps.


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## jonathanparham (Nov 6, 2020)

dcoscina said:


> Thanks! In this case, nope, I just step entered most of this into Logic. I built my own KS since I don't like looking at 80 tracks.


KS = Key Switches?


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## wilifordmusic (Nov 6, 2020)

Really nice demos. I hear lots of potential from the libraries and the composer.

thanks for sharing, Steve


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## jonathanparham (Nov 6, 2020)

I'm listening again . . . I am at that usual point of,' is it the archer or arrows.?' I feel like this is a good test. The samples are being pushed for your good orchestration. The samples have a more classical(?) aesthetic, not epic or studio aesthetic?


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## ProfoundSilence (Nov 7, 2020)

Sounds good on my laptop. I can't get behind the ensemble patches - but nice to hear some of that room


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## Living Fossil (Nov 7, 2020)

@dcoscina : wow, the sound you achieve is really impressive.
What's your experience considering the workflow/library limitations?
Do you see it as a library to use on its own with respect to its limits or do you think it's possible to combine it convincingly with other ones?


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## dcoscina (Nov 7, 2020)

Living Fossil said:


> @dcoscina : wow, the sound you achieve is really impressive.
> What's your experience considering the workflow/library limitations?
> Do you see it as a library to use on its own with respect to its limits or do you think it's possible to combine it convincingly with other ones?


I always like to test a library out using only what is provided to me. That way I can get an idea of what it does well and areas where it might need to be augmented with other libraries. I love all of the shorts. They are terrific. The longs are great for chordal sustained work but are difficult to achieve thematic lines without the legato. I think Foundations is a very appropriate term for this library. A terrific sketch tool with some excellent sounds to use for finished work as well. Once they expand this library, , it will probably replace a few other go-to's I currently rely on.

Disclaimer- I received a review copy of AR1 from Spitfire Audio.


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## dcoscina (Nov 7, 2020)

jonathanparham said:


> KS = Key Switches?


Yup, Keyswitches. 

I know I'm kinda critical about templates with 500 tracks but I can see those who don't like KS's would have a considerable track count if they assign 1 art per track. 

At present my KS template is like 20 tracks (I do break out the percussion a bit). If I wanted to assign 1 art per track, then I would be looking at far more tracks.


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## dcoscina (Nov 7, 2020)

jonathanparham said:


> I'm listening again . . . I am at that usual point of,' is it the archer or arrows.?' I feel like this is a good test. The samples are being pushed for your good orchestration. The samples have a more classical(?) aesthetic, not epic or studio aesthetic?


Ha! Thank Jonathan. Orchestration has always been "my thing" even getting back to my university days when I had to write everything out (no notation software, and I just relied on a Roland U20 to check stuff out on with an Atari 520ST and Steinberg 12). It's always a delicate balance of what the library can do effectively but also what I want to achieve musically. I've been spending so much time in StaffPad, I think some of my work habits have transferred over. These two pieces were largely step input in and then tweaked because I cannot play in realtime how a string player would. At least, not the stuff I wanted them to play.


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## Vladimir Bulaev (Nov 7, 2020)

Wow! Amazing sound! All this reminds me of the good old EWQLSO Platinum. Its magnificent Symphony-filled sound has not been surpassed by many until now.  
I'm waiting for the continuation of the AR1 series, but I have no hope that we will be given a good convincing Legato. The guys from Spitfire Audio are great, but a decent Legato is not their best trump card, alas.


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## dcoscina (Nov 7, 2020)

Vladimir Bulaev said:


> Wow! Amazing sound! All this reminds me of the good old EWQLSO Platinum. Its magnificent Symphony-filled sound has not been surpassed by many until now.
> I'm waiting for the continuation of the AR1 series, but I have no hope that we will be given a good convincing Legato. The guys from Spitfire Audio are great, but a decent Legato is not their best trump card, alas.


Paul actually revealed a couple expansion libraries coming for AR1 and the legatos on both Low Strings and Sparkling Woodwinds sounded pretty damned great to me!


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## Garlu (Nov 7, 2020)

These demos sound great! (I think you'd make anything sound good!)
Always, great to hear your work, @dcoscina ! As skilled as talented as always! Congrats!


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## dcoscina (Nov 7, 2020)

Garlu said:


> These demos sound great! (I think you'd make anything sound good!)
> Always, great to hear your work, @dcoscina ! As skilled as talented as always! Congrats!


Thanks Garlu! Very much appreciate your comments and taking the time to listen.  

I'm having a lot of fun with Abbey Road.


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## jonathanparham (Nov 7, 2020)

dcoscina said:


> I've been spending so much time in StaffPad, I think some of my work habits have transferred over. These two pieces were largely step input in and then tweaked because I cannot play in realtime how a string player would. At least, not the stuff I wanted them to play.


I selfishly want the StaffPad of writing/notating what I hear with and having my desktop sample libraries playback sans programming. I've pitched with StaffPad but haven't done a gig with StaffPad or StaffPad only yet. Though I've had two former clients have their ears tweaked with straight StaffPad demos. I must admit Staffpad has really quelled my G.A.S. There's stuff I want but staffPad has let me focus on being a better composer with nice libraries and not worry about what's coming out next. I musically work on my sound, nuances, metaphors and not freak out that I haven't bought the library that 'does' that yet.


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## dcoscina (Nov 7, 2020)

jonathanparham said:


> I selfishly want the StaffPad of writing/notating what I hear with and having my desktop sample libraries playback sans programming. I've pitched with StaffPad but haven't done a gig with StaffPad or StaffPad only yet. Though I've had two former clients have their ears tweaked with straight StaffPad demos. I must admit Staffpad has really quelled my G.A.S. There's stuff I want but staffPad has let me focus on being a better composer with nice libraries and not worry about what's coming out next. I musically work on my sound, nuances, metaphors and not freak out that I haven't bought the library that 'does' that yet.


I get more out of StaffPad than any library in my DAW for orchestral writing. The technology is transparent. I know this is OT but those habits I've developed Or re-gained (since I started out writing everything down) have translated well into DAW work now. Thinking in terms of lines more than blocks of chords.


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