Viking Saga - done

[Shazbot]

Here it is, completed at last...
\"Thorvald\'s Saga\" (c) 2004 Eric Endres (\"http://www.endresnet.com/Thorvald.mp3\")

Well, I\'ll probably be tweaking some little things about this for a while, but at least it\'s all together now.

This was done entirely with Cubasis, with some mild mastering (EQ, compression, etc.) of the final mix with Adobe Audition. I\'ll share the Cubasis files if anyone\'s interested, but they actually comprise eight different .all files. For a long time, I was only able to get two instances of GPO working in Cubasis, so each section of this had to be done one at a time (finish one section, export WAV mix, start new .all file, import previous WAV mix, add more instruments, etc.). It\'s probably just as well that I did it that way, because this piece comprises 54 different GPO instruments, and I highly doubt that my system (1.7 ghz, 768 RAM) could have handled them all loaded at once.

Ambience setting was \"Church\", at about 1/4 strength in Cubasis.

As for the title, I came across an account of Thorvald (Leif Ericsson\'s younger brother), and some of the dynamics of his saga seemed to go along well with this piece.

For those who have heard the earlier sections of this and want to skip to the new part, it begins just before the four minute mark.

It\'s been quite an enjoyable journey composing this with GPO. Many thanks to everyone for their kind words and encouragement for this piece, and for the help with my questions about trombone and English Horn use, etc.

Shaz (looking forward to doing a comedy number next!)

[Shazbot]

Ack. I just realized the tuba is completely missing from the section beginning at the 2 minute mark. One of Cubasis\' little annoying quirks is that when you export audio, sometimes an instrument gets left out, or a small section of an instrument or two. Export again and perhaps it\'ll be fine but a different thing will be cut out. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif A strange anomaly, and I\'ve had to check the output WAV every time before moving on to the next section, sometimes having to export the same thing 3 or 4 times before it\'s all correct.

But I\'ve been listening only to the later sections lately and didn\'t even realize that the tuba part was missing from the earlier section. Oh well... It\'s just holding down the bass root in that section, and that part doesn\'t even sound too bad without it, methinks... In any case, I\'ll fix it and upload again tonight. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Saving for Sonar... saving for Sonar... saving for Sonar... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
(not that Sonar doesn\'t have anomalies with GPO, but it\'s gotta be better than this, eh...)

[Michael W.]

Great work, Shaz.
I like the new part. I think it\'s better than your earlier sections. Especially from 5.40 to the end.
Nice strings and timpani use. Great ending for your saga.
Only the brass sounds in my mind a little bit to high (loud) and sharp, but that\'s a matter of opinion.

I look forward to hear your next piece.

my first post to this forum,
hope my english isn\'t to bad, I come from Germany and don\'t speak english very often /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Michael

[Shazbot]

[ QUOTE ]
Great work, Shaz.
I like the new part. I think it\'s better than your earlier sections. Especially from 5.40 to the end.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks, Michael. I was going for something more melodic at that point, after all of the moody stuff leading up to that.

Your English is good. Much better than my German... Ya! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[Styxx]

Arrgg! My PC is down at work and I am waiting for a new one! Here, at home, AOL media player gets in the way! I can\'t hear this and it is frustrating me! It\'s like missing the end of a great movie!!!!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

[Shazbot]

No problem, Mike. I\'ll be uploading a better version with the tuba (and a few other tweaks) in the next day or two.

Actually, I got a chance to do that this morning, so the new version is up now - Thorvald\'s Saga (\"http://www.endresnet.com/Thorvald.mp3\").

The Vikings can all rest now... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[MalteRathke]

Oh, the saga comes to the end at last. Very well done, I like it very much.

Good work and maybe the vikings are about to set sails again /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Malte

[Styxx]

I was in tears when the final credits started. Wait, no... that was the end of friends. Not really! There is going to be a sequil right?
Very nice. Too bad I have dial up sevice but I got a nap in while it downloaded. Some day I\'ll be able to write as well as you and the rest. Excellent work! love the saga and now for a full motion picture! Yes? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Garritan]

Say it isn\'t so. Recently, the last episode of Friends, then Frasier, now the last episode of the Viking Saga. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

This has been quite an epic saga and thanks for bringing us on a musical adventure over the past few months. Amazing work you have done. This is a sweeping work with amazing orchestration and instrumentation. I like the way you keep the music flowing throughout the piece and the listener never looses interest. We have all enjoyed hearing this composition develop with the help of our cyber-Viking comrades.

The Vikings are victorious!and Thor would be proud!.

It is amazing you did this all in Cubasis. Please do share the Cubasis files.

Now that this is finished, may I post this on the GPO demo page?

Thanks for letting us participate in the journey. May you have many more musical adventures as the quest continues!

Gary Garritan

[Karl Garrett]

So what’s this I’ve been reading on this forum occasionally about GPO’s brass being a little weak? Well this is the second demo in as many days, which I believe has proven the doubters wrong.

Besides hopefully ending the brass controversy, you have written quite a nice, dare I say superb work. It takes a lot of time and dedication to pull something off as complex as this. Your efforts have paid off handsomely, with a grand musical adventure.

Congratulations.

[Styxx]

[ QUOTE ]
So what’s this I’ve been reading on this forum occasionally about GPO’s brass being a little weak? Well this is the second demo in as many days, which I believe has proven the doubters wrong.


[/ QUOTE ]
Ya know... I never thought of it as being a great example of the power of the GPO brass! Here\'s a big five *****\'s for Shaz and the Viking Saga!
(Sorry, had to listen to it again.) Kind of getting sick of Little Shop music. Although I am having a blast dubing in the voice of Audrey II (the plant). /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Michael W.]

With your last tweaks, I think it\'s finally perfect and would be a enrichment for the demo section.

And listening to the brass a second time now I think it isn\'t
as bad as I wrote in my first post - if it sounds so - particulary
when the brass is playing together with other instruments it sounds very well.
For example in the middle (4.10mins).

It was only my first impression /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Keep it up! Your music is marvellous.

Michael

[trentpmcd]

Very nice. I really enjoyed the whole thing.

[Shazbot]

Many thanks for the kind words, everyone.

[ QUOTE ]
There is going to be a sequel right?

[/ QUOTE ]

Um, no. I mean, if I had the free time, I might try to write three more movements and make it a full symphony, but it was hard enough to find the time to get this done among other things going on. Someday, perhaps. Like I said, though, after this I want to work on a comedy/cartoon kind of piece next. I don\'t want anyone to get the wrong impression from this that I\'m too serious! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[ QUOTE ]
Recently, the last episode of Friends, then Frasier, now the last episode of the Viking Saga.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ha!

[ QUOTE ]
The Vikings are victorious!and Thor would be proud!

[/ QUOTE ]

Well actually, Thorvald\'s journey didn\'t end all that well for him. Kind of like the Minnesota Vikings! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

[ QUOTE ]
It is amazing you did this all in Cubasis. Please do share the Cubasis files.

[/ QUOTE ]

I certainly don\'t recommend doing something of this size the way I did it with Cubasis and a weaker system, but at least it can be done that way, if necessary. Here are the files...
1 (\"http://www.endresnet.com/Thorvald1.all\") 2 (\"http://www.endresnet.com/Thorvald2.all\") 3 (\"http://www.endresnet.com/Thorvald3.all\") 4 (\"http://www.endresnet.com/Thorvald4.all\") 5A (\"http://www.endresnet.com/Thorvald5A.all\") 5B (\"http://www.endresnet.com/Thorvald5B.all\") 6 (\"http://www.endresnet.com/Thorvald6.all\") 7 (\"http://www.endresnet.com/Thorvald7.all\")

[ QUOTE ]
Now that this is finished, may I post this on the GPO demo page?

[/ QUOTE ]

By all means. I\'d be honored to share the stage... er page... with so many incredible composers and demos.

[ QUOTE ]
So what’s this I’ve been reading on this forum occasionally about GPO’s brass being a little weak?

[/ QUOTE ]

I never understood that, either. Right from the start the brass sounded terrific to me. Then again, I haven\'t had much experience hearing other orchesrtal sample sets (though I have a decent collection of orchestral soundfonts), but even so, I always thought the brass was very realistic and expressive.

What else? Oh, someone had asked for the instrument list:
BASSDRUM, BASSESLUSH, BASSESSHORTBOW, BASSESSUS+SHORT, BASSOON1ENS1, BASSOON1ENS2, BBCLARINETSOLO, CELLOSLUSH, CELLOSLUSHMUTE, CELLOSPIZZICATO, CELLOSSUS+SHORT, CYMBALS, ENGLISHHORN1ENS1, FHORNOVERLAYF, FHORNOVERLAYFF, FLUTESOLONV, FRENCHHORN1ENS1, FRENCHHORN1ENS2, GLASSHARMONICA, OBOE1ENS1, OBOE1ENS2, PERCUSSIONTOYS, SNARES, TBONEOVERLAY, TENORTBONEENS1, TENORTBONEENS2, TIMPANI, TPT1ENS1, TPT1ENS2, TPT2ENS1, TPTOVERLAY, TUBA1SOLO, TUBULARBELLS, VIOLASLUSH, VIOLASLUSHMUTE, VIOLASSUS+SHORT, VLNS1LUSH, VLNS1LUSHMUTE, VLNS1PIZZICATO, VLNS1SHORTBOWS, VLNS1SUS+SHORT, VLNS1SUS+SHORTMUTES, VLNS1TREMOLO, VLNS1TRILLSH, VLNS2LUSH, VLNS2LUSHMUTE, VLNS2PIZZICATO, VLNS2SHORTBOWS, VLNS2SUS+SHORT, VLNS2TREMOLO, VLNS2TRILLSH, WINDMACHINE

[music man]

I Love this piece. There is so much intresting movements going on .You have to listen to it seveal times to take in every thing you have going on .Great job!

[Haydn]

Excellent piece. Really enjoyed this one. The windmachine parts are just awesome.