Duncan Formosa
Member
Went back to a piece that I had started some time last year. I think this is starting to sound pretty good. A few sections I'm not sure about but there's some ideas I think that are quite good. Let me know what you all think
The libraries I used are:Thanks
Is it stock libraries? The composition has plenty potential, but the sound does not sound up to date.
Mind asking what libraries, sampler and DAW you have used?
Thank you for the kind words, it's much appreciated and I'm glad you enjoyed the piece.Duncan, it's a really nice piece. Yes the samples could be better, but who cares? It's much better to be in a position where the composition, orchestration, and structure itself are solid and the samples is so-so, than the other way around. If the member details are to be believed, you're 24 which I think makes this piece all the more impressive. There aren't many people your age who can do what you've done. I know I certainly didn't have my basics down this well when I was 24.
An interesting idea, I think this could work if I extend it a little, as it is just now it might be a little abbupt for an opening but I'll play around with it. The opening idea came from this piece so I was trying to mimic that feel.I think if you made the marcs on the trumpets and strings a bit tighter/shorter, it would really work as the opening, and then going into what you now have at 0:18
I think this is more of a mixing issue. The cellos and violas are actually doing arpeggios. Cellos going up while violas are going down. Normally it acts like a kind of glue so it's kind of like sustains but you feel like there's more motion in it, but I think they are completely burried so you don't hear the accents. The basses are sustains though which yeah, probably should be doing something else to keep the momentum going.At around 1:52 (after the trumpet trip tongue) you have snares and some low percussion and basses are sustained
Was never happy with this section, but I really wanted that build up for the bad guy so the hero could come out feeling more triumphant. At the moment it's cellos, tuba and I think trombones as well doing the fall and then cellos and basses doing trems at the same octave...which doesn't make any sense. And the reason it doesn't make sense is because when I was writing it I said "I'll do the cellos doing the fall and then have the basses come in on the Eb so I save the big bass line" but then I added the tubas and trombones as well which ended up giving the cellos more bass anyway so when you get to that Eb it doesn't have the punch it needs. Was just trying to do too much I think and completely forgot what I was aiming for in the first place.At around 2:10, I hear what you're trying to do, but it's not really coming across. (Is it G-F-Eb-D?). It sound to me like you're just doing that little fall in the bass, while cellos are doing trems. Perhaps it would be more effective to have the fall in cellos and basses both, an octave apart?
Going to try and re-do my template. I tried to balance it using the "orchestra guide" which baisically has a real section playing and the idea would be to adjust the volume of the samples to the recording but I don't think that worked particulalrly well. I also think I over complicated the template as well so I'm going to re-do it. maybe I should have just left the sliders alone cause I didn't touch them for the brass and perc which is what you said sounded fine which I thought was interesting. It's a shame cause the samples do sound good in the right hands and they are super super playable which I thinks even more important.Yes, the overall sound can be improved quite a bit, but you don't really stand much of a chance on $30 headphones. I think the most glaring issue is that your winds and strings sound significantly weaker/more distant compared to the perc and brass
I like the idea of that opening, maybe if I extend it a little. It's also given me an idea. I could potentially introduce the villain theme at the start just so it's introduced earlier and then bring it back later rather than it just appearing out of nowhere. Then I could do something similar to what you've done after that. Try to build up the narrative as "people start to see the bad guy and the army approaching and everyone is terrified, then the hero arrives at the last moment to assess the situation, gives a motivational speach (the solo trumpet part) then launches into battle. This might end up as a 4 min piece if I structure it like that.Sounds like a fantastic goal and mindset to just keep writing pieces and getting better. Good luck!
I took the liberty of doing a very rough cut 'n paste job on your existing piece to demonstrate how it would sound restructured. Obviously the third chord I added in the opening 10s or so is just the previous chord on F tuned down 2st to G, and probably shouldn't be that much of a marcato, but more mellow so as to fade more into the solo trumpet bit that comes next. Anyway, it's the opening and end here that are slightly different, have a listen (I thought this would probably get the point across more effectively than writing an essay on it).
I had this restructured piece in my original reply as well, but I think you may have missed it because the file had 0 views on it, hence me reposting it in this reply. Unless of course you skipped it, which is fine too!
Thank you! I really appreciate that, nice knowing there's some people that like the pieces I'm uploading. Least it's not all for nothing!I always enjoy your compositions. It's nice to hear something different to epic drums + ostinato + fffffffff brass
I just want to say that I really appreciate the amount of in-depth feedback you've been givingI took the liberty of doing a very rough cut 'n paste job on your existing piece to demonstrate how it would sound restructured.