String Orchestra from Individual Instruments (No Sections)

[Garritan]

Here is a string orchestra demo by Francesco Marchetti entitled \"TILL THE END\"

TILL THE END (\"http://www.garritan.com/mp3/fm-CombinedStrings.mp3\")

This composition was done entirely with the individual solo strings in Personal Orchestra. There are no section strings in this composition whatsoever. The stringed orchestra was built one instrument at a time from individual stringed instruments.

To create his string orchestra, Francesco used 9 violins for the 1st violins section, 7 (starting at Gagliano 3 going down to the others) for the 2nd violins section, 3 violas+solo Viola, all 9 Cellos, and 3 Double Basses.

You will notice that the instruments do separate, divisi and unison lines throughour the piece.( i.e. 1:13 the 1st and the 2nd violins go on divisi (5&4 the 1st - 5&2 the 2nd), while violas and cellos take the lead.)

Thanks to Francesco for again gracing us with his music.

Gary Garritan

[rJames]

Great piece Francesco. It sounds good!

Gary, I don\'t know if I understand how GPO is built even yet. I read the manual and I get it generally.

Is each instrument in the solo strings a separate instrument. Is GAGLI ENS 1 different than GAGLI ENS 2 etc. What differences are there? Do they have different vibrato? Are they separate takes?

How many different solo violins are there? I think of 3. Gagli, Strad, Guerno. (sorry if I\'ve got the names wrong)

[Ned Bouhalassa]

Simple and beautiful, thanks for sharing! images/icons/wink.gif

[Wazzy]

Francesco,

You are truly a master of orchestration. You have a way of putting so much feeling and expression into your music that when one gets to the end you are \"breathless\". Thanks for sharing with us. I am anxiously awaiting for Gary to make good on his promise of \"MIDI Files, Sequencer Song Files, Notation files, Templates and ...\" in particular some midi files and templates. Thanks again.

Dave

[Houston Haynes]

I can\'t believe that Nick Phoenix isn\'t here trying to say what \"serious phase problems\" there are with mixing multiple solo instruments for unison playing. images/icons/wink.gif

images/icons/rolleyes.gif

But seriously - Francesco, as usual, this is absolutely gorgeous. You\'ve taken right to the new ensemble builder concept in Garritan Personal Orchestra and have managed to make a personal statement with it \"right off the bat\". Bravissimo!

From my understanding - it is the solo instrument that is divided into three ensemble instruments. Therefore - the three solo violins extrapolate out to nine ensemble instruments. So it would seem that they are taking every third sample and assigning it to each ensemble instrument, and stretching the intervening samples to what would be \"empty\" keys. That is the reason why you\'ll see Guarneri 3 solo as a 17.54 MB sample and Violin Guan 3 Ens as 6.03 MB.

Contrary to current mythology spread in other forums, Garritan has once again broken ground with an innovative approach in the sample industry, and Francesco\'s example is another good example that it works.

[CadeBryant]

Absolutely beautiful!

It has sold me on the idea of building my string ensemble parts by combining individual instruments.

[Francesco]

Thanks to all as always!!
I\'ve also worked on the VAR 2 control, just to simulate different skills between the \"players\". Also some portamento pulled on the cellos.


I think it sounds good. An impulse (with SIR) was putted on the L-R mix.

Bye and thanks
PS thanks Gary...you know why

[Haydn]

Francesco,

Did you play all parts in separately? How long did it take you to do this beautiful piece?

There sure isn\'t any of the \'suction\' sound I\'ve heard in many other demos of other libraries.

[mschiff]

Beautiful piece, Francesco. It sounds fantastic.

-- Martin

[Elhardt]

Some of us have been building a full string orch out of multiple layers of solo strings for a long time now, as per this Grieg example:

http://home.att.net/~elhardt3/String_Orchestra_Nord_160.mp3 (\"http://home.att.net/~elhardt3/String_Orchestra_Nord_160.mp3\")

And some of us actually synthesize our own strings as per the above mp3 done on a Nord Modular.

-Elhardt

[Francesco]

HI,
the Grieg example is beautiful, but I think I don\'t catch the sense of your message. Are you saying that it\'s an already used way to build string sections?

For Haydn: I spend more time in writing music than in programming. I write this piece in 3/4 days (in my spare time), and programming tooks me just an hour. I usually load the sounds (for ex gagl 1 ens,gagl 2 ens,gagl 3 ens and so on) and put them on the same midi channel. In this case I\'ve loaded 5 of the 1st violins on an instance of GPO, and 4 on another, then I create 2 midi tracks playing the same line to get 9 violins. When I want to go on DIVISI I play one line on the first track (playing 5 vlns), and the other line on the second track (playing 4 vlns). I hope this help and clear.
Cheers
Francesco

[Declan]

Very nice Francesco. I\'ve had the GPO for a week and have just begun really getting comfortable with it.

One of the things I didn\'t like in some of the demos I\'ve heard was the lack of quality reverb. I experimented this past weekend and I was suprised how easily a lot of the samples just come to life with reverb.

Beautiful use of SIR here, it really gives me something to shoot for.

[RickD]

Very nice Francesco, very nice! GPO continues to amaze me.

Rick

[GigaLove]

This one is BIG, Francesco! Not only the competent use of the library also the harmonies. Love it!

[CadeBryant]

Originally posted by Elhardt:
Some of us have been building a full string orch out of multiple layers of solo strings for a long time now, as per this Grieg example:

http://home.att.net/~elhardt3/String_Orchestra_Nord_160.mp3 (\"http://home.att.net/~elhardt3/String_Orchestra_Nord_160.mp3\")

And some of us actually synthesize our own strings as per the above mp3 done on a Nord Modular.

-Elhardt <font size=\"2\" face=\"Verdana, Arial\">Wow, this is a *very* convincing string orchestration by any standards, but especially for an analog synth!

[Haydn]

Houston,

You have the ensemble instruments correct. Since none of the instruments share the same wave pool, there is no phasing issues.

Excellent demo! This is a very real sounding string section with more individual vibratos than what you get with section samples. Those cellos are really nice.

The vibrato is part of the samples.

[Nino Mojo]

Wow this piece is moving and absolutely magnificient !

So one can really build a \"sound\" of his own with GPO ? I mean, since you can make your sections yourself by chosing the right instruments, you can mimic other guys\'s typical \"sound\" they get by their proper orchestrations (like let\'s say Williams or Elfman), and also build your own ?

(tell me if I\'m wrong please)


Aaaah... I remember the time when Advanced Orchestra\'s horns gave everyone away images/icons/smile.gif

[Rico]

Well, I have to admit that Francescos demos are the ones that tipped the scale for me to buy GPO, really (looking at demos only, other aspects got me into GPO as well, but I\'ve covered that in another thread). And this piece is one of the most beatiful pieces of music I\'ve heard. Period!

Any chance of seing the MIDI file for this or any of Your other work posted on the GPO site soon? I have a vague memory of you mailing MIDI files before, or do I mix things up here?

My deepest respect!
/Rico

[Headcheese]

Francesco - Clearly the best example of solo string ensembles yet posted. Also - in my opinion your nicest composition posted - which is saying something. I would love to see how you get your legatos so smooth. WOn\'t you please tell us your secrets?

[Francesco]

I just play making a little overlap between the notes, and when I change the note coming from a de-crescendo (going to a crescendo) I make a little \"breath\", so if a note has 4/4 duration , i make it a very little bit less. it\'s just the way the strings players play. they usually take a breath before they are starting at a new musical phrase.
In the end I play all the parts thinking more to be a violinst than a pianist, and often I get the right result. Our mind is a big weapon!
I hope it\'s clear, and anyway you will find all these tips on my incoming tutorial (maybe at the end of February).
Cheers
Francesco

[Elhardt]

Originally posted by Francesco:
>>the Grieg example is beautiful, but I think I don\'t catch the sense of your message. Are you saying that it\'s an already used way to build string sections?<<

Sorry for my long delay at getting back to this board. But yes, that was what I was saying. I used to do similar things years ago. And also I\'ve heard Dan Dean and Kurk Hunter solo strings layered up to form a larger ensembles too. Sometimes it works well and sometimes not. Yours sounded great. Probably more convincing then others I\'ve heard.

As for my synthesized Grieg example, it\'s 8 tracks of polyphonically played celli, and 6 tracks of violins. What\'s nice about recording them separately is that you can place each instrument anywhere you want and any distance away for a really engulfing 3D sound.

CadeBryant writes:
>>Wow, this is a *very* convincing string orchestration by any standards, but especially for an analog synth!<<

Thanks. A lot of programming went into synthesizing body resonance and natural expressive control including the use of breath controller, foot pedals, and velocity. Some of this work was done as research for a potential future product.

-Elhardt

[EJ]

A Bit off the subject here,but has anyone noticed tha there is vibrato on the open g string of solo violin 3? EJ

[Jeannot Welter]

In order to obtain vibrato on an empty string, the player executes the vibrato an octave higher.
Best example: the opening of Bruch\'s violin concerto.

JW.