# Retro Easy Listening



## cAudio (Apr 23, 2017)

I mostly do library music and have been doing a lot of EPIC retro 50's orchestral easy listening music lately. Here is one of many tracks I have done in this style. I would love some feedback on both composition and/or production 

Thanks,

Christian



New version:



Libraries used:

Pizzicato strings: Mural Ensembles, Spitfire Solostrings
Arco strings: LASS
Harp, Glock, xylophone, tubular bells: Kontakt Library
Drums, bass, guitar: Swing!
Piano: The Maverick
Woodwinds: Albion 1, Sample Modeling, Kontakt Library
Brass: Sample Modeling, Swing!
Vibes: Spitfire Labs Soft Vibes


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## Saxer (Apr 23, 2017)

Love the style and composition! For my taste the dynamics could be a bit more extreme (i.e. accents on the high notes in the pizzes or more breathing long backing notes). Sound is great. Absolute good mood music for me!


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## cAudio (Apr 24, 2017)

Saxer said:


> Love the style and composition! For my taste the dynamics could be a bit more extreme (i.e. accents on the high notes in the pizzes or more breathing long backing notes). Sound is great. Absolute good mood music for me!


Thanks, great feedback! I will try to do more with the dynamics. I found it difficult to make long backing notes as the harmony is constantly changing, but I will definately have that in mind when continue to work on this track. Thanks for listening!


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## re-peat (Apr 24, 2017)

Nice one, Christian! Every detail in the writing, the arrangement and the production shows that you really know what you were aiming for. And your aim has been spot on.

A few minuscule things:
- perhaps a bit too much upfront bass in the mix?
- your low pizzicati are a fraction late sometimes
- I agree with Saxer about the dynamics

But, above all: terrific!

_


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## gregh (Apr 24, 2017)

wonderful piece perfect for genre. I agree on the dynamics but would tackle that from the point of positioning the space of the harmony more distinctly from that of the melody - using eq to push the melody higher frequencies a bit, increase the note attacks - maybe I am thinking of varying the textural density. But for all that nitpicking this is a great little piece with enormous charm (as the genre dictates)


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## cAudio (Apr 24, 2017)

re-peat said:


> Nice one, Christian! Every detail in the writing, the arrangement and the production shows that you really know what you were aiming for. And your aim has been spot on.
> 
> A few minuscule things:
> - perhaps a bit too much upfront bass in the mix?
> ...


Thank you Piet, valuable feedback!
I have posted a second version after I've done some more work with the piece. I'm not happy with the dynamics yet, but there some more nuances in there now I think. Absolutely agree on the bass, have pulled that back a little. I have also tried to put a bit more life into the long notes in strings and brass, with emphasis on tried..
Lastly I have made some tempo changes towards the end, but listening back it doesn't work with the drums, so I'll work a bit more on that.

EDIT: I have also tightened up the low pizzicatos, they where definitely lagging in places..


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## cAudio (Apr 24, 2017)

gregh said:


> wonderful piece perfect for genre. I agree on the dynamics but would tackle that from the point of positioning the space of the harmony more distinctly from that of the melody - using eq to push the melody higher frequencies a bit, increase the note attacks - maybe I am thinking of varying the textural density. But for all that nitpicking this is a great little piece with enormous charm (as the genre dictates)


Thanks Greg! I didn't see your post before the last version, but I'll keep it in mind when continuing. Because of the melody repeating itself a l lot I have kept it in the background in some sections. But I will aim for more variation in the textures, if that's what you mean. Or maybe exaggerate the variation already there. There is something about the vibes that make it mushy at places...


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## Joram (Apr 24, 2017)

Very nice Christian. I like this style of music. There is only one thing: the sound quality. Wouldn't be nice to use old school pseudo-recording/mixing techniques?


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## cAudio (Apr 24, 2017)

Joram said:


> Very nice Christian. I like this style of music.


Thanks Joram!


Joram said:


> Wouldn't be nice to use old school pseudo-recording/mixing techniques?


I'm sure this would be great but I have no idea what it is  I have added some vinyl sound, that's the level I'm at when it comes to mixing... Do you have any examples? I have done some of my tracks in this style in mono, but it's even more difficult to place instrument then.


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## Joram (Apr 24, 2017)

Well examples....listen to the crooners: Perry Como, Jerry Vale etc. It is not the vinyl or mono that makes it old. It's a whole bunch of things a.o. use of reverb (combination of reverb chambers and studio acoustics), sound of microphones, style of playing (quite powerful) etc.


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## Rasmus Hartvig (Apr 24, 2017)

Super lovely - both sound and composition!

What lib are those pizzicatos from?


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## cAudio (Apr 24, 2017)

Joram said:


> Well examples....listen to the crooners: Perry Como, Jerry Vale etc. It is not the vinyl or mono that makes it old. It's a whole bunch of things a.o. use of reverb (combination of reverb chambers and studio acoustics), sound of microphones, style of playing (quite powerful) etc.


Thanks! I will look into these techniques and see if/how I coould implement it in my work with samples. I know theres more to it than some vinyl noise


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## cAudio (Apr 24, 2017)

Rasmus Hartvig said:


> Super lovely - both sound and composition!
> 
> What lib are those pizzicatos from?


Thanks! The low pizzicatos used for chords are Mural ensembles and for the melody I used Spitfire Solostrings, violin and viola.


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## rgarber (Apr 24, 2017)

Major thumbs up to this style of music. Listened to EZ-listening music (elevator music?) growing up in the 60's and 70's. Can't find this stuff on the radio anymore. Very nice orchestration! Love the implementation! - Rich


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## cAudio (Apr 24, 2017)

rgarber said:


> Major thumbs up to this style of music. Listened to EZ-listening music (elevator music?) growing up in the 60's and 70's. Can't find this stuff on the radio anymore. Very nice orchestration! Love the implementation! - Rich


Thanks for listening, Rich! 
Yeah, elevator music is probably the right term. This kind f music can be pretty cheesy and smooth, but at the same time it has some sophisticated harmony and good orchestration. To get inspiration I have listened to, among others, the music in this playlist:


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## rgarber (Apr 24, 2017)

Good timing! I just came back from the grocery store (lost the whole time) and there's a picture of one. I find EZ-listening music like this to be the most relaxing along with Baroque. Depends on the mood, I guess. I have albums of this kind of music but I never thought to do mock-ups of it. Good idea! If you're up to it let's PM and try a collaboration or two and see what we come up with. - Rich

PS Cycled down to Holiday For Strings. Sounds as good as ever!


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## Gerald (Apr 24, 2017)

Very nice Christian, great work


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## Saxer (Apr 24, 2017)

The whole Ultra Lounge series is a collection of this style. Actually this is my internal reference sound when I'm thinking of 'orchestra'. As a child I didn't like classical music that much (that was 'teachers music') but I always loved music of Doris Day films etc. Music of that age has this bright unclouded optimism and naivety but at the same time it's very sophisticated. This one sounds great:


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## cAudio (Apr 25, 2017)

rgarber said:


> Good timing! I just came back from the grocery store (lost the whole time) and there's a picture of one. I find EZ-listening music like this to be the most relaxing along with Baroque. Depends on the mood, I guess. I have albums of this kind of music but I never thought to do mock-ups of it. Good idea! If you're up to it let's PM and try a collaboration or two and see what we come up with. - Rich
> 
> PS Cycled down to Holiday For Strings. Sounds as good as ever!


There's also a collection called Music for Tv Dinners, for when you are back from the store


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## cAudio (Apr 25, 2017)

Gerald said:


> Very nice Christian, great work


Thanks!


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## cAudio (Apr 25, 2017)

Saxer said:


> The whole Ultra Lounge series is a collection of this style. Actually this is my internal reference sound when I'm thinking of 'orchestra'. As a child I didn't like classical music that much (that was 'teachers music') but I always loved music of Doris Day films etc. Music of that age has this bright unclouded optimism and naivety but at the same time it's very sophisticated. This one sounds great:



That sounds good, will check out those collections!


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## Fer (Apr 25, 2017)

Hi Christian, this is a great track of course! in case you are if you are still polishing the piece let me add a little suggestion: i would fade to niente the violins in 0:55 and 1:55; perhaps its only a matter of taste but i think that they stop very suddenly...


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## AdamAlake (Apr 25, 2017)

Really good, very authentic. How did you get into this writing style?


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## cAudio (Apr 25, 2017)

Fer said:


> Hi Christian, this is a great track of course! in case you are if you are still polishing the piece let me add a little suggestion: i would fade to niente the violins in 0:55 and 1:55; perhaps its only a matter of taste but i think that they stop very suddenly...


Thanks for the suggestion! The strings do stop suddenly. I attempted a crescendo on the long note with no decrescendo, but I'm not sure what I think about it. I will try your suggestion as I'm still doing lots of changes.


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## cAudio (Apr 25, 2017)

AdamAlake said:


> Really good, very authentic. How did you get into this writing style?


Thanks Adam! 
I actually got curious about this style after reading this thread:
http://vi-control.net/community/threads/my-computer-is-a-1950s-orchestra.57913/

and hearing alex ball's great mock up of this light music piece. 
So I have been making some attempts on this style since then (december) just listening to music in that genre and trying to mimic the harmonic characteristics and, as good as I can, imitate the sound and production.


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## AdamAlake (Apr 28, 2017)

cAudio said:


> Thanks Adam!
> I actually got curious about this style after reading this thread:
> http://vi-control.net/community/threads/my-computer-is-a-1950s-orchestra.57913/
> 
> ...



Whoa, I missed that thread, incredible mockup. I see, good old learning through transcription - great job, keep it up.


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