# A piece with Vsl Opus



## lux (Jun 11, 2006)

Hi,

this is my first attempt to a cue done entirely with Opus 1 and 2, for what concerns orchestral sounds. I hadnt the occasion to try the libs as a whole before.

Wizards

Thanks for listening
Luca


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## Frederick Russ (Jun 11, 2006)

I like it. Your pacing in this style is immaculate. The mix is also very good and instruments are placed accurately. Any detectable weak parts actually have more to do with the way the samples themselves were recorded rather than the writing - imo brass & percussion in general suffer because of the close miking) which is why I've personally gone to other sources for those (SAM & True Strike).

Castanets and melodic percussion seem a little too present. The dry miking again. You might try a little bleed in on early reflections on those. 

Nice use of woods and strings. A piece full of emotion and good surprises. Well done!


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## Sid_Barnhoorn (Jun 11, 2006)

Ey Luca,

Compositionally it's very nice. I think the brass is abit thin. The strings are okay although in the middle you do a melody with the tremelo patch, perhaps you can overlap the notes a little so the transition goes smoothly. Now, it sounds more mechanical than a nice smooth, flowing passage and it sounds like that passage needs that. Although when you go back to the sustain legato patch it's alright, I think, but I'd also do some work with expression control with some of the notes which stop it sounds abit too abrupt. That's about it from me for now, I think. I like the composition very much, you made a nice piece of music! Keep em comin'...

Cheers,


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## lux (Jun 11, 2006)

thanks guys. 

Quite critical i see. It looks I'm the worst judge of myself :smile: .

Luca


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## Craig Duke (Jun 11, 2006)

Very good music Luca. Good logical form. I really like the transition at 1:05 (the major scale with the root pedal). While listening I was wondering "Where is he planning on going from here?" There is great beauty in the second half. 

Are you using the legato performance strings? I'm hearing some sucking sound which I would expect (I have VSL First Edition). I really like the space you are getting in your mix. Are you using GigaPulse or something else?


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## José Herring (Jun 11, 2006)

I like your compositions a lot. I never have any problem with any of your pieces compositionally.

As far as Opus 1 and 2 this is exactly what I expected of VSL. The tutti passages especially with brass just don't hang together. Sounds disjointed and the samples when all played together don't really resound like an orchestra would. Perhaps it's a matter of Altiveb and the overall placement on a stage. 

But, the exposed and solo sections sound great. Very expressive and very intimate sounding. Especially with the melodies you write. 

I guess if I had both EW and Opus, I'd do the tutti's with EW and the exposed solo sections with Opus.

But compositionally I find your music very good.

Best,

Jose


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## lux (Jun 11, 2006)

Thanks Craig and Jose.

Craig, i have some issues with sordinos because, despite a great tone, they have an exagerated slow attack on soft layer. So I had to layer with some tremolando trying to keep control of phrasing. Probably didnt work enough.

I'm actually using just the builtin free reverb in cakewalk.

Jose, I see what you mean. I have a problem actually though, I'll tell u what I think. Using Opus I've been able to try some phrasings I could never achieve with libs as Ewqlso, even if you know how much i like it. But simply it would not work. 

Opus offers control where Ewqlso offers a more nice sounding result with same time spent. But the releases thing really can change the way you write. As example Just because oboe and clarinet are not able to play and interchange lines easier at fast tempo probably you will avoid writing complex textures for those instruments. And this means loosing lot of possible and nice sounding solutions while arranging. 

My opinion is that actually I have to choose between a better sound but more "bread and butter" arrangement, or trying more complex textures with a sound less fresh and spacially coherent.

I'm actually trying to learn and improve my musical language in terms of arrangement, and I honestly dont feel supported enough, expecially when I try to write for up tempos.

I'm still evaluating. I have to say though that probably we should begin judging libraries comparing also what they allow in terms of playing techniques.


thanks everyone for your comments, as usual appreciated

Luca


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## Neilfactory (Jun 11, 2006)

That great piece Luca, i am not a great composer with big orchestral so i can't say anything.
You use sound bank very well, it's missing image :wink: 

>Neil.


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## José Herring (Jun 11, 2006)

exactly Luca!

It's hard to achieve fast lines with EW. Not impossible but you'll end up spending as much time as you would achieving the same thing with Opus. With EW I'm learning that you have to rethink the way the samples are organized and organize them for yourself. 

It's a trade off for sure. That's why I think it's good to mix Opus and EW. That way you can pick and choose what would be the best.

Jose


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## lux (Jun 12, 2006)

Thanks Neil!

Jose, right. Honestly I have to say though that I'm not a fan of blending so different libs. Every time i tried the overall sound wasnt good. but we cannot have everything 

Luca


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## José Herring (Jun 12, 2006)

lux @ Mon Jun 12 said:


> Thanks Neil!
> 
> Jose, right. Honestly I have to say though that I'm not a fan of blending so different libs. Every time i tried the overall sound wasnt good. but we cannot have everything
> 
> Luca



Yes I agree for the most part. But it is easy to sneak in an instrument or articulation here and there without too many problems.

I find that EW has all the articulations one would need but that they are organized in a way that make it hard to use them for certain things. But if you crack open the groups and split them apart and reorganize them many more things are possible with the same samples.


Jose


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## PaulR (Jun 13, 2006)

I think it's a thoughtful piece and well orchestrated.

The strings suck slightly - but all string libraries tend to do that. But I've become used to not worrying about this or that sound. I try to forget all that and just listen to the composition - and it's pretty good.


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## lux (Jun 13, 2006)

Thanks Paul!

Luca


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## Marko (Jun 13, 2006)

I enjoyed this piece alot. I especially like the shift in dynamics from the strong opening to the demure finish. 

If that is a choir sample in there, it might be brought forward more.

Marko


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## lux (Jun 14, 2006)

Thanks Marko. 

Yes, choirs are a bit on back, I didnt want them upfront, but ptobably exagerated in keeping them low.

Luca


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