# "Big Apple" - new mp3



## Aaron Sapp (Aug 4, 2005)

Hey dudes,

Been working on this piece for what feels like eons - would like to share it here.  Solo trumpet parts played by yours truly.

( http://www.aaronsapp.com/big_apple.mp3 )

Strings: SISS, VSL, GOS, QLSO
Brass: SIB, QLSO, SAM, VSL
Woods: SIW, VSL
Percussion: SAM Freebies, LOP, QLSO, G-Town

Cheers!


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## Evan Gamble (Aug 4, 2005)

you know what i think dog boy...glad you finally finished it! :D


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## Sid_Barnhoorn (Aug 4, 2005)

Ey Aaron,

Great work man! You should go do a musical!  Great atmosphere/composition, great mix and fine spacings/depth as well. Impressive...

Cheers,


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## Marsdy (Aug 4, 2005)

Great work dude! Thought it lost the will to live right at the very end but otherwise fantastic.

What's the piano? 

Looking forward to the next one in a couple of years


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## Craig Sharmat (Aug 4, 2005)

Excellent work. You are the one of the few if only people i know who can mix samples this dry and still pull off a realistic mockup. This is not a critique but an observation. I add reverb often to cover midi problems, you on the other hand spend hours just getting it right.

I really like the piece, i feel you can go harmonically a little deeper in your jazz style voicings and have areas with string slides into chords as would be part of this style. It would add some sexiness to it. your old KH lib has usable slides for this purpose. You can also do it some what with mod wheel.


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## Frederick Russ (Aug 4, 2005)

Cool piece dawg  Actually excellent - and I second what Craig said about how you keep things dry but believable.... that's some really nifty midi mockup chops at play! Keep it up!


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## Dr.Quest (Aug 4, 2005)

Super piece! Great stuff really...love the style. Fun and cool!
J


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## madbulk (Aug 4, 2005)

Sounds like 44th Street to me! Neato.


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## Rob Elliott (Aug 4, 2005)

Love it Aaron! Way to knock down any 'midi seams'. Love the brass mutes. How did you pull off the fast strings at the very end (VSL?)

Amazing what ONE human trpt solo does to everything else. :D 

Thanks for sharing.

Rob


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## ComposerDude (Aug 4, 2005)

Wow! Very nice work, and obviously a lot of fine detail.


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## Aaron Sapp (Aug 4, 2005)

Thanks for comments fellas. :lol: The piano is Postpiano's PMI Bosendorfer and the string runs near the end is a mix of SISS 1st/2nd violin spiccatos with KHVSS half-step trill (old trick to help smooth out the run). 

Yea Craig, I'm a strong believer of balance/orchestration being key to a listenable midi-sequence. Though to be fair, the natural ambience inherent in the libraries used (with the exception of VSL) really helped. I really wish I had some EIS under my belt for this particular gig... :?


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## Patrick de Caumette (Aug 4, 2005)

Really nice Aaron!

Well balanced it is indeed. Very enjoyable. Great cue to include in your film reel. It has a little bit of a Gershwin vibe to it too.

I had to listen twice to the orchestral hit right after your trumpet solo phrase, it's not exactly in the 16th note grid but it works.

Now, be nice to us and post more cues! :D


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## Rob Elliott (Aug 5, 2005)

Aaron Sapp said:


> the string runs near the end is a mix of SISS 1st/2nd violin spiccatos with KHVSS half-step trill (old trick to help smooth out the run).



Interesting Aaron - what is the 'trick' using the 1/2 step trills? Have I been missing something all this time :oops: 

Thanks in advance.

Rob


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## Niah (Aug 5, 2005)

Very cool piece Aaron, I like the jazzy feel of it.

Thanks for tip for string runs, I usually use the SI thrills for runs but they only work really well at certain tempos, can't wait to try your advice.


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## Christian Marcussen (Aug 5, 2005)

Amazing job! I think thats a genre I would not want to try forces with myself... dont think I could!


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## Aaron Sapp (Aug 5, 2005)

Rob Elliott said:


> Aaron Sapp said:
> 
> 
> > the string runs near the end is a mix of SISS 1st/2nd violin spiccatos with KHVSS half-step trill (old trick to help smooth out the run).
> ...



I though it was an old trick. :o 

There are a couple ways to achieve semi-realistic string runs. For the little section near the end of the piece, I recorded the run at a much slower tempo - about 65-70 bpm (original speed being 150 bpm) with the 1st violin spiccatos. That way, even with my sloppy keyboarding skills, the end result would be a very tightly played string run at 150 bpm. But it sounds unnatural! To help humanize/naturalize/sloppitize the run (sloppitize?), I would record the same run on top of the first run with the 2nd violin spiccato patch at a quicker tempo (85 or so). Because my keyboarding skills suck the same at any given tempo, the performance of the second run would essentially be sloppier than the first run. The is to help simulate the random nature of a violin run. The end result (with up/down bowing implemented) is not bad, but could be better. To help blur the stark nature of the spiccato runs, record the same run smoothly at a comfortable tempo with a half-trill patch, and mix it in with the 1st/2nd violins veryyyyy lightly. Prepare to spend some time!

Run.


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## Rob Elliott (Aug 6, 2005)

Thanks Aaron. I must have been absence from that day of 'school' :D 

Thanks for taking the time to explain that to me - I really appreciate it.


Rob


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## Thonex (Aug 9, 2005)

Aaron,

A terrific job!!! Really -- strong on all counts!! It brought to mind Rhapsody in Blue and the opening to one of those late 50's early 60's movies... I forget the name... but it was famous for having the longest uncut continuous shot opening.

Let's hear more!

T


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