Victorian Magic (orchestral)

[sherief83]

Hey guys,
What do you all think of this one? does it sound right mix and music or is it off to you all?


Updated 11/19/2019, I've boosted the low end a bit mid way to end. I've also took out -3db at the 2k range (EQ) to ease the piercing effect of the celesta. what do you all think?

 

[shawnsingh]

What libraries did you use for this?

mostly sounds like a great mix. I think levels in some places are off. Personally I think near the middle-end, some more activity (and higher levels) in low frequency instruments like cellos, basses, trombones, tuba, timpani would have added a very beautiful cinematic color to the brilliant high register things you did.

The glock (is it?) felt too strong throughout the piece. I wouldn't be surprised if it's actually realistic for how piercing and loud a glock really is, but it still felt slightly uncomfortable. I wonder if alternating some places with a celesta, or doubling in octaves and making it overall quieter would help.

The harpsichord was the main thing that felt unrealistic and awkwardly mixed to me. It had a "close mic stereo" feel, which was mismatched to everything else that had a "stage orchestral spacious" feel.

 

[sherief83]

Thank you Shawn, genuinely appreciate you listing and posting your mix thoughts.
I was looking exactly just for that.

when I get home tonight I think I’ll probably boost the low end string sectionto bring more presence for sure.

The harpsichord was from an old Kontakt 2 library I had

strings are CSS

No glock, all celesta actually but the one I’m using is super happy between 200-600and the 2k range (like too much presence) so I may have took out too much. I can’t trust my ears sadly which is why I keep checking with you all.

brass is Hollywood brass Gold + trumpets had additional sample modeling (eq’d to death) to give me some good high end register as you state

that was it but thank you again. I’ll update this thread with another version tonight.

 

[sherief83]

Updated mix on this piece, @ shawnsingh or anyone, thank you all again

 

[shawnsingh]

I think it is improved (but i'm also listening on different speakers this time...), sounds nice! I can hear some of the "wavelike" low strings movement near the end, I like it.

If you're referring to the celesta in the first third, that's not what I was hearing in the high frequencies. It's some kind of metallic bell percussion sound. If it's not glock, maybe it's triangle (but it seems to vary pitch more than a triangle would), or maybe crotales or some kind of chimes? It still feels too strong to me.

Can you please elaborate how you mixed samplemodeling trumpets to match HB Gold? That could be an interesting mixing gem to learn about.

Cheers!

 

[sherief83]

Thanks Shawnsingh,
I don't have the template infront of me as I'm at work right now, but basically I took down (EQ) anything below the 1k and maybe a little bit of 2k, then on the high end, I brought a few things up and down per the bar of music I'm working on(you'll have to experiment with that)

I personally like sample modeling on the MF-FF range so that's when i'll use them, the rest is all the standard HWB.

Also SM has the best Mute trumpet patches on the market as well.

I'm also messing with vibrato and a bit of out of tune pitch bend depending on if I'm hitting a big chord and want the trumpets to be a statement and have two or three trumpet samples there. I'll make sure they varey but that is all slight.