# Tales from Greece (album)



## Carles (Feb 27, 2015)

Still some tracks remaining to complement these 9 tracks, covering like this some more subjects but wanted to share the progress until now.

I hope you'll like it.


https://soundcloud.com/carles-piles/set ... rom-greece

Cheers,
Carles


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## synergy543 (Feb 28, 2015)

Really marvelous work Carles. 

Thank you for sharing. Its very refreshing and inspiring to hear!


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## Guy Bacos (Feb 28, 2015)

Very impressive epic piece! Great sound as is now your standard. That was interesting at 1:10, celesta? I also love how the choir enters.


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## germancomponist (Feb 28, 2015)

synergy543 @ Sat Feb 28 said:


> Really marvelous work Carles.
> 
> Thank you for sharing. Its very refreshing and inspiring to hear!



+1


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## patrick76 (Feb 28, 2015)

As the others have stated, really great work and sound. I enjoyed Poseidon's Domain very much. Look forward to hearing the remaining tracks.


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## Hannes_F (Feb 28, 2015)

I love the writing and especially enjoyed 6 - 8 . Thanks for sharing.


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## Carles (Mar 1, 2015)

Many thanks Synergy, Gunther, Patrick and Hannes.

Guy, I guess you mean the first track.
Yes, a celesta.

Call me crazy, but in my mind when writing had Icarus, loosing feathers from the wings when the sun melted the wax, so tried to reflect his desperation by using a more spare instrumentation on a grown moment of the piece, in a manner than the same effort than before (same structure than 0:29) sounds now much emptier (the edgie celesta and piccolo when expected something bodier) so he moves even quicker, many notes but not filling much (as per losing his sustentation on air).

BTW, all tracks need some more work. Still things are not working as I'd like, but these changes won't change the character, just the production quality so I wanted to share the writing and the concept itself. I will upgrade later the tracks, possibly after finishing some more new ones.
But that's so far a quite representative idea about the album.

Not sure what to do with the remaining tracks. It's easier to me writing tracks like Poseidon's domain, Hesperides and Morpheus dream (expressive/emotional) than towards action adventure, but possibly too many of these already in the album.

Any ideas about what mood or style would complement better the album will be welcome.

Carles


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## Mahlon (Mar 1, 2015)

Carles,

Love Poseidon's Domain. I don't think you need add a different style. Is this for a library?.


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## Carles (Mar 2, 2015)

Mahlon @ Mon Mar 02 said:


> Carles,
> 
> Love Poseidon's Domain. I don't think you need add a different style. Is this for a library?.



Thanks Mahlon.
Yes, that's music for libraries (written caring about proper cuts at 30 and 60 seconds, etc., which certainly doesn't help much to creativity, but...).

Not decided yet who will be the publisher or publishers (it works as an album for my own inspiration and organising purposes, but not necessarily as such for publishers).

Tracks could be spread on different albums from different libraries. Who knows.

Currently it's still an unfinished project, but wanted to share and have some dialog with you guys.

I have to admit that I'm very unsure about what style or mood should I write next (3 to 5 more tracks).

Cheers,
Carles


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## SymphonicSamples (Mar 2, 2015)

Superb work Carles once again , with many moments of magic throughout !! Clearly with your current line of inspiration the remaining tracks will be interesting to hear when done .


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## Carles (Mar 3, 2015)

SymphonicSamples @ Tue Mar 03 said:


> Superb work Carles once again , with many moments of magic throughout !! Clearly with your current line of inspiration the remaining tracks will be interesting to hear when done .



Many thanks Matt!


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## HardyP (Mar 8, 2015)

Mahlon @ 2015-03-02 said:


> Love Poseidon's Domain. I don't think you need add a different style.


Me too - for both statements.
Poseidon really works, immediatly reminded me of "Deep Blues" great underwater scenes!


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## Carles (Mar 8, 2015)

HardyP @ Mon Mar 09 said:


> Mahlon @ 2015-03-02 said:
> 
> 
> > Love Poseidon's Domain. I don't think you need add a different style.
> ...



Many thanks HardyP!

I'm really hesitant about moods and styles because it's music for libraries and considering how saturated the market is whatever you choose can have pros and cons.

To me is much easier to write slow emotional music (and ironically dark music too) than action or fanfares or happy moods.

I might be wrong as it seems that I have issues evaluating my own music, but if I follow my instinct I think I'm better on that emotional gender, so theoretically I could raise the quality bar (perhaps not quality but something else) more with that style than other.
I have several emotional sketches gathering dust because I think I got too many of these already in my albums, so I'm always trying to do an effort to skip that "emotionality" and saving the sketches for a possible future use.

Also, being music for libraries one always read that variety is key.

In the other hand, there are millions of average tracks already out there.
If by adding variety I do write more close to average the tracks (as some styles are more difficult for me) the tracks could get lost in the average ocean, while by writing tracks that could touch more the heart of the eidtor/supervisor maybe he/she could consider more my music for next placements? (no idea actually).

It's also very probable that editors/supervisors will use the search engines rather than trying to remember any composer's name...

That's my biggest question mark currently.

Should I focus more on emotional music (probably offering more quality/something) or should I try to cover a more broad field probably loosing some quality/something?

What would you do in my case?

Please any opinions would be greatly apreciated.

Carles


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## tokatila (Mar 9, 2015)

Carles @ Mon Mar 09 said:


> What would you do in my case?
> 
> Please any opinions would be greatly apreciated.
> 
> Carles



Quit your day job and start making exclusively music?


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## Carles (Mar 9, 2015)

tokatila @ Mon Mar 09 said:


> Carles @ Mon Mar 09 said:
> 
> 
> > What would you do in my case?
> ...



Thanks Tokatila!

That would be great, but I need an income first in order to do that, so that reverts to my previous question.

It's complicated. I think being specialized in orchestral music might be too much specialization already, thus my question.

Should I concentrate my experience on what's easier for me and go for an even more specialization within the orchestral music?
or just the opposite, go more disperse on moods/styles/instrumentation (even if not that much my thing) and widening the field?

Please guys, your opinion is really important for me.
No need that you'll be a super experienced composer for libraries to answer the above. Just what your common sense or instinct tells about if you in my case.

Cheers,
Carles


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## Andrew Goodwin (Mar 10, 2015)

Really fantastic writing Carles, listened to the whole thing! I love the placement of the instruments. Do you limit the stereo image of any of the samples?


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## IoannisGutevas (Mar 10, 2015)

As i said, awesome music mate! I subscribed to your channel and i wanna hear more! Very well done! Bravo!



> Should I concentrate my experience on what's easier for me and go for an even more specialization within the orchestral music?
> or just the opposite, go more disperse on moods/styles/instrumentation (even if not that much my thing) and widening the field?


As our anscestors said "Music is the movement of sound to reach the soul for the education of its virtue.", so do what comes naturally to you, to your soul. Thats when you can be proud of what you compose and what you give to the world. The more honest you are with yourself the better music you compose i think. When you write music for yourself write what your soul and the moment dictates and that will be your best work


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## Carles (Mar 11, 2015)

Many thanks Andrew and Ioannis.

Andrew, there are several Spitfire libraries that I use out of the box, so when creating the template tried to match the other instruments to these.
I'm doing some tests recently panning a bit more some instruments (very little) as for some of them seems that gone slightly too centered, woodwinds mostly.

Ioannis, I loved your point about honesty, certainly invites to think about.

Cheers,
Carles


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## HardyP (Mar 11, 2015)

Carles,

maybe I´m not the right person to give advice on the commercial matters (doing music mainly in my spare time, helping in social projects or for charity, and I´m fine with getting some dimes to reinvest in hard- and software).
So it´s more giving an opinion:
Its obvious that your work has a clear focus on orchestral work, but within that, you have a good variety. I do not have the impression, that the more epic/action pieces are of bad quality, or appear to be "forced". 'Icarus' for example is really great, so that´s why I seconded at first, that I do not see the necessity for different styles.
That said, your emotional pieces are more pleasing to my ears, but that maybe also a question of subjective taste.

I think we as musicians need to balance our work: Concentrate in music we LOVE doing, since it inspires our moods, helps relaxing and innervating at the same time. But we need also areas of working, in order to expand our horizons, which keeps us creative, and also introduces new ideas and nice subtleties to our "main field".

Ok for now - not being a native speaker, I hopefully was able to express my thoughts in an understandable, beneficial way...


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## Carles (Mar 12, 2015)

Many thanks HardyP
Catalan speaker here, but I did understand you perfectly.

It's been a great relief to hear that you haven't find the tracks forced and no bad. Cannot take that out of my mind.

Regarding to expand our horizons, of course I agree.
In fact, I do work better on 4 different tracks during 4 weeks than one track in one week. Makes a big difference for me.
I always have more chances to listen what I did days before with "fresh ears" and fix as necessary. Also feel less auditive fatigue when alternating moods/styles. Plus you always learn something by trying new styles (can be very frustrating too).

Is just that I think I should improve those epic/action writing if I want to get better introduced in the music library world, but don't know how to.
I find much easier work on expressive lines than action and similar.

Possibly I should study some scores not from classicals but film composers at this end.
I think John Williams could be useful for me. I know some people would say that's too old style, but I find his orchestrators very very good and I think there are some scores available.

I've found your opinion very useful.
As said, I'm not asking to experts in that specific business, just for opinion, any point of view, personal or not, even anyone's hunch is valid for me.
Just a typical "what would you do in my case" here between friends.

Cheers,
Carles


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## FriFlo (Mar 17, 2015)

Nice album! I totally get, why you are hesitant to move into the composition world as a full time job, though! It has become quite difficult to find jobs with a "this-is-what-I-do"-attitude! Music for media has become more like a service product. I think for a broader chance of getting jobs you need the ability to offer a variety of styles. Why don't you try writing other stuff and if that can potentially give you some pleasure working on as well?! You shouldn't do anything you completely despise, of course!


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## Carles (Mar 17, 2015)

FriFlo @ Tue Mar 17 said:


> Nice album! I totally get, why you are hesitant to move into the composition world as a full time job, though! It has become quite difficult to find jobs with a "this-is-what-I-do"-attitude! Music for media has become more like a service product. I think for a broader chance of getting jobs you need the ability to offer a variety of styles. Why don't you try writing other stuff and if that can potentially give you some pleasure working on as well?! You shouldn't do anything you completely despise, of course!



Thanks FriFlo!

Seems that the best attitude, even if writing only for libraries would be thinking that I'm scoring movies or so. Meaning, possibly within a dominant style (which makes a composer more or less characteristic) but indeed not too narrow about moods/substyles as in a movie one should cover all sort moods.

Certainly I cannot imagine Danny Elfman saying "sorry, I do write only tender music with celesta and choirs, and only if tempo is slow enough". Even within a movie dominated by such a character there are many moods to be covered and one has to be ready for that, with more or less excellence, but capable of.

Also, how can I learn about something new if I do not get any experience on it.
Fortunately or unfortunately I'll get frustrated anyway (as usual) so why not to keep learning new things.

I think I'll feel comfortable working orchestral music of course , and surely uncomfortable writing pop-rock or other styles, but I think it can be fun to try hybrid and/or synths/only music too and there is so much to discover on that area.

An interestting conclusion based on the comments is that seems that my instinct was right about that to believe/love what you do is very important, but some flexibility is necessary too. Otherwise will be really hard to achieve the goal to make a living from music some day.

Cheers,
Carles


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## Dr.Quest (Mar 17, 2015)

These are all so beautiful. Amazing work. Truly.

Cheers,
Jamie


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## Carles (Mar 19, 2015)

Dr.Quest @ Wed Mar 18 said:


> These are all so beautiful. Amazing work. Truly.
> 
> Cheers,
> Jamie




Many thanks Jamie!!

Cheers,
Carles


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## tokatila (Jul 27, 2015)

Hi Carles, was listening to your tracks again since to my ears they are in the upper echelon of the works posted in here. And that's why I'm interested in your compositional process, do you start at piano and if yes how do you go from there? Also how long it takes you to finish a piece? Like the Flight of Icarus, for example?


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## Carles (Jul 28, 2015)

tokatila said:


> Hi Carles, was listening to your tracks again since to my ears they are in the upper echelon of the works posted in here. And that's why I'm interested in your compositional process, do you start at piano and if yes how do you go from there? Also how long it takes you to finish a piece? Like the Flight of Icarus, for example?



Many thanks Tokatila, that's really encouraging!
I have not any fixed methodology for writing, possibly months ago I was doing things differently and within some months it will be again different, but yes, there are always things in common from piece to piece.

I do not use the piano too much, in fact I have it in another floor in case that my daughter want to play something. In my office I have a 4 octaves cheap keyboard that I use mostly to test the instruments, but also to verify if the chords I have in mind are actually what I think they are (and more often than I'd like I find they were wrong :D).
Normally I begin just by thinking about the piece. What I want to write and what would be the proper tempo and character for it.
Once I got a the idea in mind, I open my template, and mostly times I do start by strings, so double click in all 5 tracks and it opens the piano roll editor (Cubase). Then I start writing in any of the tracks.
Perhaps my fault as I didn't followed tutorials about, but I'm finding writing in the score editor more convoluted and slow than writing on the piano roll editor directly where I can enter pitch and length in a single shot without changing tool. Entering the data through the keyboard doesn't works well for me. At the end I do spend more time cleaning and fixing my playing that writing from scratch (I think everyone feels more comfortable with one or another approach).

I try to write the voices on place but I find myself often writing several voices for instance on the violas track. However in that stage is not very relevant as I'm mostly checking if the harmony is what I got in mind. I always can copy-paste the voices to their appropriate tracks later.
Once I got a fragment of music I do not move forward but begin relocating the voices and working on all other sections (usually woodwinds, brass and percussion in that order unless any specific instrument is "the star of the show" in which case I write this first, just after the string-based harmony).
So rather than moving on with the piece I try to make that initial fragment sounding good, not very final but quite dressed.
By listening that quite finished fragment I get a better idea about how to proceed with the piece so I keep writing next "naked" fragment in base to what the previous is inspiring or driving to. Sometimes one phrase from the initial fragment is used in the second fragment, so in that case I just copy-paste that line, move it up or down and begin adding a second motive with harmony matching the pasted line which then becomes a counterpoint motive.
Also I find sometimes that what it was intended as a counterpoint becomes irrelevant as it gets so covered by other voices and new ideas that it makes non sense as a counterpoint any more so given the lack of relevance I finally end deleting it :D (not an issue as it did already played the role of giving me something to work onto and move forward with the piece).
I keep doing the same with next part/s according the length of the piece, also often being a copy of any of the previous motives with orchestration and/or harmony variations. Once the piece is getting closer to the required timing (as I'm writing with libraries in mind I try to keep it between 1:30 and 3:00 minutes) then it just needs an ending so that's the last written part.

After that, is all editing work, trying to make the orchestration reasonable and realistic being mostly of the time spent on polishing expression/mixing.

The first four tracks in Tales from Greece where written unusually "fast" (all four in two weeks, Flight of Icarus one of them) but usually it takes me about a week per track (or more as I never feel the tracks as finished, so the polishing process could take as long as one can imagine).
Hard to tell because my way of writing a fragment first and working on it before moving forward, but I'd say that writing is with difference the quickest part of all work done. Expression, re-orchestration and mixing are clearly the most time consuming part but I'm unable to do one without the other. I'm not Beethoven so I really need to listen what I'm writing before moving forward. I think I'd be unable to write anything minimally decent without the help of a computer.

Cheers,
Carles


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## Carles (Oct 24, 2015)

Just an update on this album. 3 new tracks were added and did review/finish all WIP tracks.
Thanks all for your advice, I've tried to address your comments the best I could.
Might you find still anything off (musically or soundwise or whatever) please don't hesitate to let me know, as this is intended as music for libraries so any honest feedback is more than welcome.



Cheers,
Carles


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## patrick76 (Oct 25, 2015)

So much life in this work. Very well done!


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## Carles (Oct 25, 2015)

Thanks a lot Patrick!

Carles


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## synergy543 (Oct 25, 2015)

Really impressive work Carles. Its clear that you've absorbed a great deal doing your mockups of Holst, Dvorak and Tchaikovsky. You have chosen some master teachers and it shows.


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## airflamesred (Oct 25, 2015)

Fine works, Sir, and thanks for your comentary.


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## germancomponist (Oct 25, 2015)

What a pleasure to listen to this, Carles! Very nice!


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## Carles (Oct 25, 2015)

Many thanks Synergy, Airflamesred and Gunther! You're too kind and certainly this is very encouraging. I definitely have to try to reach some decent libraries (provided I'll find the door to them, damn it, what a labyrinth!).


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## Gerald (Oct 26, 2015)

Great work!! inspired and talented


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## D.Salzenberg (Oct 26, 2015)

Hi Carles, I am no expert and have no library music experience, but I am studying music from the top tier libraries such as Immediate Music, Audiomachine, Position Music etc like crazy, as I hope to one day be good enough to submit music.
Your music is right up there in my humble opinion. Both the sound and writing is fantastic and really enjoyable to listen to.
I might be talking rubbish here, so others feel free to correct me, but I am wondering if maybe your music is a bit too 'classical' for getting placements with the top level libraries? Most of the music I hear from them, even if it is purely orchestral rather than hybrid has a more contemporary, more rhythmic and darker sound?
This may be rubbish so feel free to ignore it!  
Anyway your work is fantastic and you have all the skills to be very successful! 
Best, David.


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## Carles (Oct 26, 2015)

Gerald said:


> Great work!! inspired and talented


Many thanks Gerald!


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## Carles (Oct 26, 2015)

D.Salzenberg said:


> I might be talking rubbish here, so others feel free to correct me, but I am wondering if maybe your music is a bit too 'classical' for getting placements with the top level libraries?


This is a very interesting point, no rubbish because I do myself the same question every day.
On the other hand is true that when we think about top libraries possibly first thing that comes to mind is trailer type of music. Otherwise those top libraries, some more than other also have a wide catalog of actual classical music, which I guess it can fit some scenarios, why not.
What's quite clear to me is that keeping a more "classical" shape won't help much to sell for the current demand. Perhaps it could have some advantage long term? As Daryl said something that's already outdated should have a longer life as it is conceived as a kind of timeless music. The point is that I didn't get yet any placements yet so I cannot talk about, so at the moment I do write in a manner that's familiar to me. Should experiment with synthesizers and other writing schemes? sure thing, in fact already started to run some tests with Zebra (not yet to use a modern hybrid scheme though, believe or not even if 100% Zebra the result still feels somehow orchestral :D), is just that I'd need to have more time for music, otherwise I could get lost testing too many things and not finishing anything in reasonable time but very long term. I'm trying to get into full time ASAP (I know it takes quite long), my day job is taking too much time. I don't know for how many years I'll be able to stand like this, stealing time to my sleeping. Sometimes I feel terribly exhaust already.


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## D.Salzenberg (Oct 26, 2015)

I know exactly how you feel, I work in a design studio for my day job doing mostly Web design for very demanding clients with crazy deadlines, so working on music in the evening and weekends can mean you can spend your whole life in front of a computer screen if you are not careful which is definitely not good or healthy. Also difficult when your dayjob involves demanding creative work. It's exhausting when you want to use your creative energy for music instead. 
I think making the day job part time until the music starts to pay is a good idea, but easier said than done.


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## Carles (Oct 27, 2015)

D.Salzenberg said:


> I know exactly how you feel, I work in a design studio for my day job doing mostly Web design for very demanding clients with crazy deadlines, so working on music in the evening and weekends can mean you can spend your whole life in front of a computer screen if you are not careful which is definitely not good or healthy. Also difficult when your dayjob involves demanding creative work. It's exhausting when you want to use your creative energy for music instead.
> I think making the day job part time until the music starts to pay is a good idea, but easier said than done.


Indeed I spend my whole life in front of a computer.
Regarding day job, even if this sounds contradictory to you, mine is not creative at all. Is artistic, but no creative, and that's the problem. It's a big VFX studios and as such, inevitably has to be organized and structured as a factory. I'd say 95% of artists working in big studios are not doing creative job, but a quite mechanical/monotonal one. Of course you need certain artistic skills (also technical), as your you are handling artistic material, but that's it.
Look, I don't care about having my name in famous movies credits, it's kind of fun the first time, but is not something that makes me happy other than for a little moment. I do work many hours a day doing something boring to me in the best case, otherwise tedious sorting out technical issues. I'd say that working in a big studios is not as nice as it looks like (I guess some people might have had different experiences). I've been more happy when working in smaller studios because it was much more creative. That's why at some point I needed to do something creative out of my day job, and my first year in New Zealand I bought a decent camera and used to takes photos, birds mostly, but that was not much creative either.
I was a relatively active musician when teenager, but spent about 20 years out of music land.
One day, I did remember that years ago I did try a module called "Edirol Orchestral" on an old Cubase version and had some fun with it, so I did start googling and found VIC and people talking about virtual instruments and excited my interest.
Bought Cubase and some libraries and started doing something (that was about three years ago). At that moment the orchestra disposition was very unclear to me, so I had to learn where any one sits, (I had some experience playing percussion on a woodwind-like band, but apart of the differences of having gazillion clarinets, several tubas, a bunch of saxophones, etc. strings were completely new to me) and by using modern instruments as "interface" I've got trapped by the magic of a symphonic orchestra. That changed my life forever.
Now, my daily happiness starts when the Cubase splash screen, and I cannot stop doing. As soon as I realize it's 3:30AM and have to go to sleep some hours because next morning my day work will be will be as long as usual while I'm lacking energy. That's why I feel so exhaust (never hollidays, some working weekends, no any kind of day off except 10 days off a year on Christmas, plus lots of musical work on top).
I could handle that much better just a few years ago, but I'm 45 now, and begin to feel that I shouldn't steal time to my sleep as if I was 30. But I just cannot stop it. Music is my only target now.

Unfortunately my day job cannot be reduced. It has to be that or find another CG artist job (and feed a family of 4 with that work, which is not that easy).
I'll try to stand up for a while, otherwise certainly another strategy will be needed. Thanks for caring about man!
Carles


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## LamaRose (Jan 23, 2016)

Carles, I apologize for not commenting on this incredible suite earlier. Emotive, musical, memorable. A beautiful, sophisticated melding of modern and classical influences. I would more expect to hear these on Performance Today than mere trailers. And the mockups are tremendous in their own right.

My highest accolades to you, sir!


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## tiago (Jan 23, 2016)

I've never heard anyone making orchestral samples sound as interesting, colourful and authentic. This is just spectacular!


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## Carles (Jan 23, 2016)

Many thanks LamaRose and Tiago! You're too kind!

Carles


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## gjelul (Jan 24, 2016)

tiago said:


> I've never heard anyone making orchestral samples sound as interesting, colourful and authentic. This is just spectacular!




Great pieces and mock-ups -- Congrats, Carles! 
However, have to disagree with the term 'authentic'.


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## Fer (Jan 25, 2016)

Very beautiful work Carles, i enjoyed it very much, specially tracks 3, 9, and 11.
What brass library do you use here?


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## Carles (Jan 25, 2016)

Thanks gjelul and Fer!
Brass is mostly HollywoodBrass, although trombones are often doubled or replaced by either Spitfire BML (mostly bass trombone) or VSL trombones a3. Tuba comes from P. SAM Classical Orchestral Brass or SF or VSL.

Carles


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## tiago (Jan 26, 2016)

gjelul said:


> However, have to disagree with the term 'authentic'.



Hi gjelul! I never said that samples were a 100% perfect replacement for real musicians and (as I suppose that's why you said you were disagreeing with me) I agree that nothing can beat having live players. All I said was that, from all the sample based orchestral works that I've heard so far, the stuff that Carles posted here sounds the most authentic and close to a real orchestral performance to me.


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