# Prey in Hiding (Hybrid brass demo, Dimension Brass + Regular VSL Brass)



## Guy Bacos (Mar 2, 2011)

Prey in Hiding (Hybrid brass, Dimension Brass + Regular VSL Brass)

Comments are welcomed!

Guy


ps Not mixed with MIR


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## RiffWraith (Mar 2, 2011)

Really like the writing - not too crazy about the mix. That Tuba (?) cresc in the beginning sounds horrible - like it's under water. Not your fault; that's the way the sample sounds. And much of the tune is very mono - especially some of the brass. Like that horn passage at :56 as one example - no stereo image. And some of those string runs - some sound good, but there are points where it almost sounds like the modwheel got stuck - as if you spilled some coca-cola in there...:lol:

The end is cool - I like the quick build. And I like all the pauses - you don't know what to excpect next, and are kept off balance. I want to say nice use of instruments, but some of the instruments sound, well, pretty darn poor. But as I said - its really good compositionally speaking.

Cheers.


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## Guy Bacos (Mar 2, 2011)

Hi RiffWraith,

Thanks for your comment!

I purposely didn't want to use too much panning for this demo, even though it is clearly panned, just more subtle, I preferred an open sound rather than a section too much isolated in a corner, something not very natural about that to me, but perhaps it's just a bit too much.

About the Coca Cola and modwheel comment, I don't know what you're talking about, sorry. I didn't even touch the modwheel or any slider control for the string runs.

Glad you enjoyed the writing at least.


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## doubleattack (Mar 3, 2011)

Phew, tastes are different! For me the tuba/trombones combination in the very beginning sounds good. The cresc. from p to mf a bit later is sounding more distant, but not under water. Typical indifferent tuba sound in this dynamic range, I would say.

Beside this: I appreciate the more "dry" mix. Maybe therefor some weakness of the samples for the fast string runs are getting more obviously than in a huge cathredal reverb. The different brass sections have a clear audible positioning. 

The blend in the brass between old vsl and new dimension brass is much better than your first try in the other piece last week. Didn't notice a "disturbing" sound anymore.

In the new demos with dimension brass I catch myself at comparing the sounds of new an old samples of vsl, like in an A/B comparison. (has been for me in the same way listening to the star wars demo by jay bacal.) So it seems to me vsl has overtook themself.

After all, the composition is - as always - great. Sometimes it seems to me stupid to talk about some lack of sample-quality in the light of your music. My mind is able to add what would happen in reality and for those they don't know much about the sample technology it never mind. Your music, made of using this technic, is really good enough to me to sense a lot of emotions. And that should be the point, beside the knowing of all these things they could be better.

Best 

Frank


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## Guy Bacos (Mar 3, 2011)

Thanks Frank, your post is very much appreciated!

Any more comments?


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## Dave Connor (Mar 3, 2011)

Nice Guy very interesting music (in a good way.) Also a pretty effective demo for Dimension Brass.

I think it's proven itself as a useful library. It may have just what one needs for certain brass needs. It's not the holy grail but I would like to own it to have those additional sonic options.

I would love that sequence of very nice chords towards the end to hold those chords longer because you are hearing nice big brass chords with trpts on top and it sounds pretty darn good but goes away very quickly. If you could lengthen each chord to 3 or 4 seconds of length that's the kind of thing I've been waiting to hear from this library.

Excellent work!

DC


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## Guy Bacos (Mar 3, 2011)

Thanks Colin and Dave! It's always a privilege to get feedback from top guys like both of you.

Colin, I may have to limit my natural spaces to when I BBQ outdoors. 

Dave, you are so right about those end chords being cut short, at this stage of the piece it would be complicated to change because of some tricky things that are involved with the fast strings.


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## Dave Connor (Mar 3, 2011)

I almost suggested a solution for the string runs Guy which would be to just repeat them. But a pain I'm sure. If you just muted everything else (a new midi file of course) and played that sequence with whole notes in brass only I think it would go a long way toward showing people something that hasn't quite been presented with the library. I was having the feeling of being totally sold but it was far too fleeting.

But whatever - you probably don't want to spend any more time on it like us all after mockup duty. ; )


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## germancomponist (Mar 4, 2011)

Colin O'Malley @ Fri Mar 04 said:


> Guy,
> 
> I enjoyed your writing for both brass and strings here. ... In any case your demo plays well to the strengths of Vienna brass, and definitely shows the possibilities of combining old and new VSL libraries.
> 
> Colin



+1


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## Tanuj Tiku (Mar 4, 2011)

Some great moments!


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## synergy543 (Mar 5, 2011)

Great writing and spine-chillingly lovely orchestration. >8o 
I love the various orchestral colors and contrast you use and the new mix works very nicely.


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## IFM (Mar 5, 2011)

I like your writing Guy but I'd like to hear what this sounds like in MIR. I've really come to dislike much of the VSL sound in the brass because it sounds like the mic was stuck up the bell of the instrument and it's buzzy as hell. If you put that whole thing in MIR it must open it up. Have you tried using it?
Chris


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## jamwerks (Mar 5, 2011)

VERY nice work. The "everybody in your face" mixing style can work (like here) but the perc. sounds in front of the strings(!) Maybe just pull all the strings forward. And a slightly wider image might help every body find there own place. o-[][]-o


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## rayinstirling (Mar 6, 2011)

Great work as usual Guy,

I don't really care if there is the odd synthetic moment here and there.
It's expressive and great music.
Thanks for sharing.

Ray


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## Guy Bacos (Mar 6, 2011)

rayinstirling @ Sun Mar 06 said:


> Great work as usual Guy,
> 
> I don't really care if there is the odd synthetic moment here and there.
> It's expressive and great music.
> ...



Thanks Ray! I appreciate that sort of comment.


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## Hal (Mar 6, 2011)

i listened three times
very nice Guy,i only have a problem with spaces and panning


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## Guy Bacos (Mar 7, 2011)

Thanks Hal, much appreciated! I gave it a bit more space, but I'm trying to be cautious until I settle down on a rev for DB. 

This is by far the most powerful brass demo I've done, something I've been longing for a while.


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## Guy Bacos (Mar 8, 2011)

The current mix on the link has the brass section run through Bricasti M7, a more spacial environment for the brass. 

I think it's worth listening.


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## Alex Temple (Mar 8, 2011)

Guy, this is a very enjoyable work overall. I think that the way you keep pausing and resuming at an unpredictable rate gives this piece a more sinister feel than if you'd just written it going straight ahead at tempo the whole time. Especially before that huge Eb at 1:38, one of my favorite parts. The whole piece is very true to the title.

Without having the two versions to compare side by side, I'd say this version definitely has more air in it, particularly with the percussion and strings. I do think the extra reverb inadvertently created more boominess in those opening timpani strokes than you intended. But I think, as I said, the rest of the percussion benefits a lot from it, especially the piatti during the Tchaikovsky-gone-mad ending where it's punctuating all of the runs.

I'm really enjoying hearing these thicker chords coming out so well on the brass, especially the low ones. Where we can hear every voice but it doesn't sound like a bunch of separately recorded solo instruments.


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## Jack Weaver (Mar 8, 2011)

Yeah, it's pretty cool sounding. Best ambience I've heard in all of your stuff, ever. The cinematic low end perc is also a first time surprise in a GB mix. 

Keep up the good work. Pretty good for a Canadian. :D 

.


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## Guy Bacos (Mar 9, 2011)

Alex Temple @ Tue Mar 08 said:


> especially the piatti during the Tchaikovsky-gone-mad ending



Hahaha! That made my day!

Thanks Alex! Your comments are always very much appreciated.


Jack, Thanks! Yep, there's more to us canadians than hockey sticks. :wink:


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