# Some of my favorite strings arranging, by Dave Grusin



## Ashermusic (Nov 23, 2020)

https://www.capradio.org/articles/2017/ ... e-created/

Which libraries would you like for this? I think some of the Afflatus Chapter 1 strings or possibly CSS?


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## Ashermusic (Nov 24, 2020)

I think I am getting closer 

The Afflatus Chapter 1 Scene D'Amores are good for this tone wise, but too much vibrato that you cannot really tame. The new Mysterious Strings with the Sordino turned on, with just a bit of the First Chairs to add portamento (Thanks Sounddog for that tip), however is getting close I think.

If not exactly anyway, a sound I love and will use over and over and over.


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## Ashermusic (Nov 25, 2020)

I am really happy with Afflatus Chapter 1 for this, curious to hear what you all think.


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## Rob (Nov 25, 2020)

like it but level is really looooooow


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## Ashermusic (Nov 25, 2020)

Rob said:


> like it but level is really looooooow




You are right, I replaced it.


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## Ashermusic (Nov 25, 2020)

Louder and wetter.


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## Ashermusic (Nov 26, 2020)

237 views, only 1 comment?


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## mikeh-375 (Nov 26, 2020)

...no viola in the score huh. Just curious, any reason for that?


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## Ashermusic (Nov 26, 2020)

mikeh-375 said:


> ...no viola in the score huh. Just curious, any reason for that?



There is viola in my multi and example. But when I listen to Grusin’s I cant tell.On pop dates sometimes I only see violins and celli.


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## JohnBMears (Nov 26, 2020)

@Ashermusic - Hey Jay, you ever tried Hollywood Strings's Divisi mics for something like this? I've wanted to do more with experimenting with those microphones in HWS. Sounds nice- which microphones in Afflatus is that. Where does Afflatus stand if you already have HWS and CSS? Happy Thanksgiving!


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## Ashermusic (Nov 26, 2020)

JohnBMears said:


> @Ashermusic - Hey Jay, you ever tried Hollywood Strings's Divisi mics for something like this? I've wanted to do more with experimenting with those microphones in HWS. Sounds nice- which microphones in Afflatus is that. Where does Afflatus stand if you already have HWS and CSS? Happy Thanksgiving!



Holly wood Strings is just too big a section for this kind of thing, and I don't care for the divisi mics personally. But the biggest difference is that for this kind of writing, I don't want to do, Violin 1, then Violin, 2, then Vola, etc., I want a single patch to compose with and if I need to, separate it out later. Afflatus polyphonic legato is well suited for that IMHO.

I love both HS and CSS. HS is to me the most complete and configurable of the three and its dryness means that I can blend it well with any others. CSS has lovely sound and excellent legatos, and while it has fewer articulations, it has the important ones. But the legato lag is a drag and the sound a bit dark.

Afflatus has great polyphonic legato, is incredibly playable, and has different "families" of sounds that can be mix and matched, plus specialty patches that no other has. I am using the standard mix of mics that it boots up with, but may play around with them to experiment.

These days though nobody is hiring me to do big full orchestrations and frankly, if someone isn't paying me to do it, it doesn't interest me much. (Check out my new signature.) 

Adding Spitfire Symphonic Motions to Afflatus, and maybe HS playable runs patch, I can write 90% of what I want/need to write, so it is my new go to.

The only fly in the ointment, which I am going to start another thread about, is that the samples are kinda noisy.


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## Ashermusic (Nov 26, 2020)

The strings harmonics writing that Grusin did in “So Many Stars” on the “ Look Around” album is sick!


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## davidhewitson (Nov 29, 2020)

Look Around is one of my favourite albums, the arrangements are just wonderful. I could be wrong but I also detect a little bit of the cascading string effect in some of the Mendes stuff, I think that's a big part of the vintage sound for me


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## Ashermusic (Nov 29, 2020)

davidhewitson said:


> Look Around is one of my favourite albums, the arrangements are just wonderful. I could be wrong but I also detect a little bit of the cascading string effect in some of the Mendes stuff, I think that's a big part of the vintage sound for me



Yes, but utilized in a less schmaltzy way.


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## Ashermusic (Dec 4, 2020)

I am beginning to think that the Afflatus Chapter 1 Minimalist Strings, which are chamber sized flautando, may be the best choice for this.


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## David Cuny (Dec 4, 2020)

I'm one of the 237 people who didn't comment, simply because I've got no qualification to do so. 

But I love lush string arrangements, so I figured I'd have a listen anyway. Lovely stuff. :D

There's an odd warble at the start of last mockup, like the compression level is super-high or something - the whole thing sounds a bit synthy. You've already addressed the _woosh_ from the prior demo where the noise floor kicked it.


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## Ashermusic (Dec 4, 2020)

The only compression is the conversion to mp3.


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## David Cuny (Dec 4, 2020)

Sorry, by compression, I meant lossy MP3 audio compression.

I'm hearing something in the attack at the _very_ beginning, and in another spot.

And the bow noise on the prior mockups isn't as present, so I'm probably confusing "lack of hiss" with "lack of detail" or "synthy".

As I said, I'm _really _not qualified to comment.


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## sinkd (Dec 5, 2020)

Hi Jay,

Just found this thread and agree that Grusin's writing for strings is gorgeous. I would use LASS for something like this, because I think the legatos are more convincing, but I don't own Afflatus.


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## Ashermusic (Dec 5, 2020)

Aaaannnndddd....I am back to where I began. The Afflatus Chapter 1 Scene d'Amore strings _are_ the right ones for what I want because they are sordinos. Yes, just a little small, but they convey the right emotion. I tried adding CSS sordinos to give it more body, but since they are not polyphonic legato, I would have to open up separate instances, which I may well do when it matters.

My MIDI ccs could be a bit more slick but here we go.


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## cmillar (Dec 7, 2020)

What you've done sounds wonderful!

I was messing around this weekend with my NI Session Strings 2. They might be able to come close to the sound as well. That's a versatile little library.


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