# Big trailer track (non-stop Trailer Brass pads!)



## Wibben (Dec 15, 2018)

I was testing out some new production techniques and wrote this simple trailer track in the process. I really, really like how thick Trailer Brass sounds when used like a guitar pad, almost. These brass players don't need to breath so let it rip! Haha

Anyways, I think the track turned out pretty neat, so I thought I'd share. 

Cheers!


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## patrick76 (Dec 15, 2018)

Just listened on headphones and it sounds really nice. Works very well in this genre. What production techniques were you trying out besides using Trailer Brass like a guitar pad?


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## Wibben (Dec 15, 2018)

patrick76 said:


> Just listened on headphones and it sounds really nice. Works very well in this genre. What production techniques were you trying out besides using Trailer Brass like a guitar pad?


Thank you!

I was, for once, not trusting my instinct regarding the hits and percussion low end and volume. I always tend to have the drums so loud it creates real issues when mixing. So I intentionally lowered the hits like 6 db and for the really low, boomy hits so I could barely hear them, but clearly "feel" the low end still being there, then I added white noise, cymbals, and high frequency hits as layers so that the brain hears the hits as well as feel them. I don't think I nailed it perfectly, but I think I had a bit of a revelation when it comes to how to make hits pop-out of the mix without overloading the master bus at the end. 

I also have three reverbs going. Two of them are about 8-9 seconds long, and I send a bunch of stuff into them at different levels. I feel this creates a great, thick pad that with change depending on the music (since it's being fed the music ) and really helps thickening the sound field up. Be careful though... it can become real muddy real fast! :D


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## Andrajas (Dec 15, 2018)

very nice indeed , top quality !


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## John Busby (Dec 15, 2018)

Awesome track!


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## jacobthestupendous (Dec 15, 2018)

Killer!


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## whiskers (Dec 15, 2018)

doopeee


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## Divico (Dec 15, 2018)

Wibben said:


> guitar pad,


What exactly do you mean by that? Great work, Im missing the low end on my headphones though


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## AlexanderSchiborr (Dec 15, 2018)

Wibben said:


> I was testing out some new production techniques and wrote this simple trailer track in the process. I really, really like how thick Trailer Brass sounds when used like a guitar pad, almost. These brass players don't need to breath so let it rip! Haha
> 
> Anyways, I think the track turned out pretty neat, so I thought I'd share.
> 
> Cheers!




Cool track! What libraries apart from trailer brass you used here (strings, prc etc)?


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## jbuhler (Dec 15, 2018)

Very nice! My only criticism is that you maxed out a little early in the track for my taste.


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## gsilbers (Dec 15, 2018)

very cool .


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## Wibben (Dec 15, 2018)

Divico said:


> What exactly do you mean by that? Great work, Im missing the low end on my headphones though



I mean that often in rock music you'll have the guitars play open power chords continuously, like a pad, in the chorus. That will give you this noisy, distorted pad in the background with which to have your melody or hook over. Makes things sound big and nice. Anyways.. I thought of that with the Trailer Brass. Sounds similar to me 



AlexanderSchiborr said:


> Cool track! What libraries apart from trailer brass you used here (strings, prc etc)?



Thank you, Alexander! I'm actually using the CineSamples 12 horn very quietly in there as well, with the stereo channels flipped, so I guess It's a 21 horn ensamble at that point? Haha. But It's very low in the mix, just gave it a tiny bit more width. Strings are Cinematic Studio Strings. I have an embarrassing amount of string libraries, yet only ever use CSS... I always think that "this time I'm gonna use LASS! or Trailer Strings! or fill in the blank!".. but CSS just does it all... 
Percussion is a bunch of stuff.. Audio Imperia Decimator Drums and Strikeforce is what I keep going to at the moment, but I throw in some Heavyocity, spitfire Perc + HZ perc, 8Dio Frame Drum Ensamble (absolutely fantastic to layer with anything) in most things I do. But to answer your question: Decimator, Frame Drum, Strike Force on this track. The FX are mostly layering stuff from Audio Imperia and Keep Forest. I find the Heavyocity hits and fx are SO recognizable it is becoming distracting. Heavyocity has become the "Wilhelm Scream" of trailer music... I love 'em though... :D



jbuhler said:


> Very nice! My only criticism is that you maxed out a little early in the track for my taste.



I usually agree. But I had just been listening to a lot of trailer tracks that get going real fast so I gave it a go


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## jbuhler (Dec 15, 2018)

Wibben said:


> I usually agree. But I had just been listening to a lot of trailer tracks that get going real fast so I gave it a go


Yes, there's that. I would have left just a bit more in reserve at 1:59 and saved the supermax treatment for around 2:21. Otherwise that's a pretty long stretch of FFFFFFFF. 
Edit to add: but I'm just niggling: the track is very nice and very much in the genre.


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## NoamL (Dec 15, 2018)

I love it! It's never a problem to give the editors more to cut with. Strong writing and great mix. The dropouts at 1:13 and 1:55 could have a few more elements that make it "race back to tutti" - risers and such. I see you already have a riser for the 1:55 dropout, how about the horns playing an "insistent" high E (maybe a whole note or quarter notes) while the rest of the orchestra is dropped out? Just a way of telling the listener "hold on to your butt, this is about to go next level!"

The mix feels really weighty and has good low end even on headphones. I'd love to hear Trailer Brass solo'd or learn how you're managing them in the mix.



Wibben said:


> Heavyocity has become the "Wilhelm Scream" of trailer music... I love 'em though... :D



Totally agreed, that's the main reason I've still not bought Gravity or FORZO/NOVO. Just a few of those elements can make a track "sound like Heavyocity" very strongly. Their Master Ensemble Percussion is amazing though, and has much less of a strong "sonic fingerprint."


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## Wibben (Dec 16, 2018)

NoamL said:


> I love it! It's never a problem to give the editors more to cut with. Strong writing and great mix. The dropouts at 1:13 and 1:55 could have a few more elements that make it "race back to tutti" - risers and such. I see you already have a riser for the 1:55 dropout, how about the horns playing an "insistent" high E (maybe a whole note or quarter notes) while the rest of the orchestra is dropped out? Just a way of telling the listener "hold on to your butt, this is about to go next level!"
> 
> The mix feels really weighty and has good low end even on headphones. I'd love to hear Trailer Brass solo'd or learn how you're managing them in the mix.
> 
> ...



Thank you, NoamL! 
Here's a clip of the brass section first with the Horde patch playing, which is a fat sub bass mixed with low brass kind of sound. And then without it. You'll notice that the bass patch is very loud in comparison to the rest of the brass section :D

https://www.dropbox.com/s/qf7vm1c4sio96wy/2018-CrashingDown-Brass-Example.mp3?dl=0 

Mixing-wise I'm doing about 3 db reduction with a low shelf from 3-400 down on pretty much all sections exept the Horde, which I leave as is. The brass buss has some subtle EQ on it, raising some highs very little, dipping some more muddy mids. The Horde patch though, has some side chain compression going on below 200 hz that's ducking a couple of db when the hits and perc are blasting, which helps the mix not get too muddy. Again, not an extreme amount of ducking, just enough so you can hear the hits and perc punch through.


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## Lionel Schmitt (Dec 16, 2018)

Amazing track - top notch stuff! Definitely outstanding, much better than most trailer tracks out there.


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## gsilbers (Dec 16, 2018)

Wibben said:


> I mean that often in rock music you'll have the guitars play open power chords continuously, like a pad, in the chorus. That will give you this noisy, distorted pad in the background with which to have your melody or hook over. Makes things sound big and nice. Anyways.. I thought of that with the Trailer Brass. Sounds similar to me
> 
> 
> 
> ...




ok, now my wallets hates you. daneil james has a very cool video showcasing all the libraries spicc and CSS is the best imo. but since i have spitfire chamber, which sounds the closest i decided to not keep buying strings libraries. until i see posts like this.... grrrrr.. 

so what do you like between decimator vs strike force ?


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## Wibben (Dec 17, 2018)

DarkestShadow said:


> Amazing track - top notch stuff! Definitely outstanding, much better than most trailer tracks out there.



Thank you so much!



gsilbers said:


> ok, now my wallets hates you. daneil james has a very cool video showcasing all the libraries spicc and CSS is the best imo. but since i have spitfire chamber, which sounds the closest i decided to not keep buying strings libraries. until i see posts like this.... grrrrr..
> 
> so what do you like between decimator vs strike force ?



Haha! I've been there many times myself..that's why I have all these unused libraries ...

Between decimator and strike force? Strike force, no question. Decimator is great but it's 1 kit with a very, very recognizable sound. Granted it's a great sound! But still... Strike force is a HUGE collection of percussion kits that sound very different. Some larger-than-life, organic ensambles, some synthetic, strange and airy solo drums...it has a big range.

I have yet to get my hands on Cerberus, the thing that replaced Decimator, but I imagine it being more versatile and a more worthy comparison to Strike Force.


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## gsilbers (Dec 17, 2018)

Wibben said:


> Thank you so much!
> 
> 
> 
> ...



cool . 
One of the Strikeforce minor complaints was the wetness of the sound. (too much verb/room and hard to get it close sounding)


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## InLight-Tone (Dec 17, 2018)

Wibben said:


> Thank you!
> 
> I was, for once, not trusting my instinct regarding the hits and percussion low end and volume. I always tend to have the drums so loud it creates real issues when mixing. So I intentionally lowered the hits like 6 db and for the really low, boomy hits so I could barely hear them, but clearly "feel" the low end still being there, then I added white noise, cymbals, and high frequency hits as layers so that the brain hears the hits as well as feel them. I don't think I nailed it perfectly, but I think I had a bit of a revelation when it comes to how to make hits pop-out of the mix without overloading the master bus at the end.
> 
> I also have three reverbs going. Two of them are about 8-9 seconds long, and I send a bunch of stuff into them at different levels. I feel this creates a great, thick pad that with change depending on the music (since it's being fed the music ) and really helps thickening the sound field up. Be careful though... it can become real muddy real fast! :D


You nailed it man, a lot of this type of writing is all in the production. I do the multiple reverbs as well, one small like a plate for the upfront percussion, one a large hall for the long strings horns etc., and one huge for the sub booms and accents. Gives a more 3 dimensional sound. Great job, that's a pro sound there!


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## Wibben (Dec 18, 2018)

gsilbers said:


> cool .
> One of the Strikeforce minor complaints was the wetness of the sound. (too much verb/room and hard to get it close sounding)



I really don't agree with that complaint. They give you full control over the ADSR of each "mic" for every drum, so you can make a super tight sound with any of the drums..

Here's a very quick and dirty example. One of the big drums.. I spend about 2 seconds tweaking the instrument for the dry sound.. you can get better results than this, and yes, maybe the decay isn't as natural as a dry studio recording would be, but nobody will notice, nor care, in a mix :D





InLight-Tone said:


> You nailed it man, a lot of this type of writing is all in the production. I do the multiple reverbs as well, one small like a plate for the upfront percussion, one a large hall for the long strings horns etc., and one huge for the sub booms and accents. Gives a more 3 dimensional sound. Great job, that's a pro sound there!



Thank you, InLight-Tone! That's very flattering to hear


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## gsilbers (Dec 18, 2018)

Wibben said:


> I really don't agree with that complaint. They give you full control over the ADSR of each "mic" for every drum, so you can make a super tight sound with any of the drums..
> 
> Here's a very quick and dirty example. One of the big drums.. I spend about 2 seconds tweaking the instrument for the dry sound.. you can get better results than this, and yes, maybe the decay isn't as natural as a dry studio recording would be, but nobody will notice, nor care, in a mix :D
> 
> ...



nice. thanks for taking the time for the example.


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## Dirk Ehlert (Dec 18, 2018)

That's a badass track right there. Great production too, very well done.


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## rudi (Dec 19, 2018)

Great track, balance and mixing. 

- the low drum hits sound perfectly balanced - not too 'in your face', felt rather than being too loud and distracting.

- 1:20 I would have started much quieter to leave some room to reach the climax, and build some anticipation (this is a very personal preference)

- 1:59 the sections feels a bit repetitive and too static in terms of dynamics. Once again that is a matter of personal preference and it would work as part of a visual sequence.

- finally, I really liked the piano hits around 2:50, great sound and reverb... a bit of extra icing on the cake!

Excellent work!

Rudi


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