The Sound Board

This could be fun.
Available on the 29:th after 18:00bst.

In the hall of the mountain king will be performed.
I’d love to discuss why they didn’t choose a UK composer or Beethoven (as it’s “his” year) or Tchaikovsky (2021).
But perhaps that’s for a different forum?
My guess is that the Grieg piece shows the dynamic range of the orchestra, and that most 5-105year olds have heard it (yes, I’m working out of a Western/post-European view of the world).
Mars, from the planets, would be an alternative more “close to home”.

Best,
/Anders

It is only tangentially related, but I'm always sad when super famous "primary school" pieces are picked for these things.
I've spent 13 years of school listening to progressively worse crimes against humanity based on these pieces (sorry, but the recordings we had to listen to had so little in common with the actual pieces, I refuse to call them "performances"), so I just can't stand most of them anymore.
Ravel's Bolero? Mountain King? Bumblebee? I'm sure they are all super nice pieces, but they just evoke so much dread in me, I can't listen to them anymore.
Not sure if that is specific to the schools I went to (even though one was a relatively posh Catholic school)... just my two totally OT cents.

If you’ve got decent pizzicato, trills and short woodwinds — and the BBC SO has got all those — “Mountain King” is relatively easy to mock up acceptably. Anything orchestral by Beethoven on the other hand would be quite impossible.

If Orff weren’t tainted the way he is, another good choice for this kind of showcase would be the terrific ’Tanz’ from Camina Burana. Not easy but certainly doable as a mock-up, although BBC SO’s brass might get into some slight trouble during the second part of the piece.

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@Piet, I think it’s the actual orchestra playing.
IE real humans, they should be able to handle something an old fart wrote “back in the day”
But I might be mistaken and if so then you’re absolutely right.
Best,
/A

@Tobias, yes I fully agree with you.
I hate the programming of Swedish orchestras, but I guess they
a) know that music and can cut down on rehearsals
b) the audience being most senior citizens (at best, some look like they’ve taken a leap towards that light) are really conservative.
c) they are funded by the regions and don’t really need to find/flirt with a new audience.

Best,
/Anders

lofi wrote: ↑Dec 29, 2020 6:28 am @Piet, I think it’s the actual orchestra playing.

Oh, yes, you might be right. Seeing the Spitfire logo, I automatically thought it's the virtual BBC SO that would be summoned.

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My son has got one of those virtual reality helmet things - I wonder if it will work with this ? Mind you, I'll probably end up breaking my neck by tripping over something or other....

@Piet - How are you getting on with the BBCSO library ?

In a moment of weakness I have just ordered the Core version. It's my year end in a couple of days, and I was advised to spend a few groats for tax reasons, and it was on offer. (Though I haven't totally lost my self control, as I thought I'd order the Core version first, and possibly upgrade it later to Pro if I liked it enough. It's downloading as we speak....)

Mikeybabes wrote: ↑Dec 29, 2020 10:25 am (...) @Piet - How are you getting on with the BBCSO library ? (...)

Quite well, I must say. Haven’t used it all by itself in a piece yet (I have something in waiting that might suit it well though) but everything I have done with it so far — a few woodwinds here, a tuba and some trombones there, a bit of strings somewhere else … — has never given me reasons to register a complaint. I even hear uses for its much maligned solo horn. Don't know if I would have bought it at the full regular price, but the €495.04 it cost me a few weeks ago is definitely not misspent.

The player software also works surprisingly well. Various reports on VI-C had me fearing the worst, especially since my hardware is not of the sprightliest and I can't run the most recent MacOS or LogicPro version, but I haven’t encountered a single problem with the (ultra-fast) download, installation and performance. I do wish it included an ADSR and a small modulation matrix though.

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Piet-you bought the Pro version?

Yes, Larry.

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That sounds very re-assuring....I shall have a play over the next day or so with Core, and I may well go for the whole enchilada....I hear there's supposed to be a large update on the cards too.....

I bought Core.The price seemed right, but I think it’s simple conspicuous consumption, as I’m not sure WHY I bought it.

Lawrence wrote: ↑Dec 30, 2020 7:48 pm I bought Core.The price seemed right, but I think it’s simple conspicuous consumption, as I’m not sure WHY I bought it.

I guess you didn’t see my post about that on VI Control

I've been listening to the demos, watching the videos, and reading every thread - and I figured out why!

While I'd love to be able to create my own orchestra for every application that seems to be a year or two out. So I'm left with purchasing three, I think, orchestras.

Bombastic, epic, whatever name you like, it is in fashion right now for everything from trailers to advertisements to movie soundtracks, and it is fun to play with (can't discount fun!). I think I have that well covered, mostly the Cinesamples strings, winds, and brass. Not perfect, but what is?

I'll call it a concert orchestra, for lack of a better word, and it too is used for movie soundtracks, but it is used to lots of other things. It is a smaller(?) sound, not by voice count, but by timbre. Someone referred to it as the sound of concert music, and I think that covers a LOT of ground, but I get the idea behind the comment. I don't have anything like this, and I've really not heard a lot of demos that fit in this space (I could well be missing things). The BBC Orchestra seems to cover a lot of this space, based on the demos I've heard. It may largely be the sense of space. I'm pretty sure that is what sets the Cinesamples libraries apart. Again not perfect, but what is?

My main orchestra? I'd call it a studio orchestra. And it needs to be even more flexible than my concert orchestra. It should have just a hint of room tone, and the microphones should be pretty close. The sizes of the sections should be on the small side. Not chamber sized, but not a lot larger. It should be usable for things like big bands, and pop charts. One of the models for my idea of a studio orchestra is the Mothers, Fathers, Sisters, Brothers (MFSB) Orchestra made famous by the Sound of Philadelphia. Another model would be Nelson Riddle's orchestras. That's a lot of ground to cover!

I purchased the Spitfire Studio Strings, Brass, and Winds (core versions) because the demos seemed to be a good fit for my studio orchestra. And they are not horrible, but they turned out to be less flexible than I expected. I've spent a few minutes(?) listening to the 8Dio Intimage strings, brass, and winds, and they seem even closer to what I am looking for, but I haven't had a reason to make that purchase.

For $220 I can pick up the essential elements of a concert orchestra. That seems like an insanely good deal. Except I have no immediate use for a concert orchestra. Not even prospects at the moment, since live theatre is still in hibernation. At $220 the financial risk is low, I had set aside more than that for BF purchases that I never made. And it would be an opportunity to learn the ins and outs of a library before I needed it, which would be something new and different for me.

I have a few hours left to make my decision, so I guess it is back to the demos and videos. I am always open to advice (suggestions?) from folks who know a lot more about this than I.

Ashermusic wrote: ↑Dec 31, 2020 9:33 am

Lawrence wrote: ↑Dec 30, 2020 7:48 pm I bought Core.The price seemed right, but I think it’s simple conspicuous consumption, as I’m not sure WHY I bought it.

I guess you didn’t see my post about that on VI Control

I didn't, which is devastating. You know I hate to miss a word you say.

Lawrence wrote: ↑Dec 31, 2020 3:06 pm

Ashermusic wrote: ↑Dec 31, 2020 9:33 am

Lawrence wrote: ↑Dec 30, 2020 7:48 pm I bought Core.The price seemed right, but I think it’s simple conspicuous consumption, as I’m not sure WHY I bought it.

I guess you didn’t see my post about that on VI Control

I didn't, which is devastating. You know I hate to miss a word you say.

As well you should, because every word is genius.

Well I did read your post Jay, and I still ended up caving. And at least for now I'm quite glad I did. The mid level brass is as pretty as anything I own, the winds, especially the A3 patches, are gorgeous, and there is something to like in the strings, although it may take some time to figure out how to make it shine. The percussion was a big surprise, there is some really nice sounding percussion, not big and brash, just cool. I think that's what I like about the brass as well. It is mellower.

That's after about an hour of dinking around, I reserve the right to declare myself a GASeous fool over the next day or so.

wst3 wrote: ↑Dec 31, 2020 7:40 pm Well I did read your post Jay, and I still ended up caving. And at least for now I'm quite glad I did. The mid level brass is as pretty as anything I own, the winds, especially the A3 patches, are gorgeous, and there is something to like in the strings, although it may take some time to figure out how to make it shine. The percussion was a big surprise, there is some really nice sounding percussion, not big and brash, just cool. I think that's what I like about the brass as well. It is mellower.

That's after about an hour of dinking around, I reserve the right to declare myself a GASeous fool over the next day or so.

I get it. I think it is an under-rated library, especially at that price. I am just not sure I would use it over what I have very much.

Happy New Year Jay!

Underrated? Perhaps, but I think misunderstood might be a more apt description. Many of the complaints I've read seem like strengths to me. I am growing ever more fond of the brass, especially at MF and below.

Will I really find uses for it? I don't know, but I'd like to, and so I will spend some time figuring out how to use it.

Unusual for me to not experience at least a little buyers remorse, but this time around it didn't happen (at least not yet<G>).