First Post - Dueling Frenzy

[4209fr]

Hi, ya'll -
I've worked with GPO for several years, but I certainly wouldn't consider myself a power user. I just got JPP and CMB. Below is the very first piece that I put together. It is based on an arrangement of Dueling Banjos. I call it Dueling Frenzy.
I have all parts "dueling" except for the Drum rhythm line - trumpets vs. trombones, trumpets vs. cornets, French horns vs saxes, flutes vs. clarinets, glockenspiel vs. xylophone, bass brass vs. bass woodwinds.
The accelerated and delayed entries are purposeful - to give some 'tension' to the piece. You will notice that the tempo steadily increases during the first half of the piece. I think it is a "fun" work.
This was made from a 14 track MIDI. I also tried a 34 track version adding more and more trumpets and trombones in each phrase (starting with one each). It didn't translate as well as I thought it would, so I am going with the smaller version, here.
I would certainly appreciate anyone's comments and suggestions.

http://www.box.net/shared/xhs00d4hwk
THIS LINK IS WORKING AS OF 1/05 @ 6 pm (I am now using Box.net)

Frank Newman
Houston, TX

[AlanPerkins]

Hi Frank,

A Very Warm Welcome on your first post, and what a fun post it is!

I think you have handled this very well indeed. I like the layering - you have managed to place a lot of instruments on the sound stage and avoid muddiness. I can hear a contrabassoon in there I think, adding texture etc.

Very much fun, and well done.

[rolifer]

Frank

What a fun way to introduce yourself here. As Alan said, lots of instruments and you kept them all clear.

Well done!

Ron

[rbowser-]

Hello, Frank - Welcome to The Listening Room! After having worked with GPO for several years as you said, it's certainly High time that you shared some music with us--so thanks!

OH YEah--I love this! What a great concept, and you pulled it off Really well. I know I've never heard that song on other than Banjos or other plucked instruments. Who would've thought? Wow.

You've gotten a lot of sound out of just 14 MIDI tracks--excellent!

Hey - no techno suggestions from me on possible improvements. I'm just stopping long enough to let you know how much I like it before I run back to push "Play" again.

Come back again soon, please!

Randy B.
(rbowser)

[4209fr]

Thanx for ya'lls nice comments. I would certainly expect that some listeners will find some constructive criticism for me. I think it is a pretty neat piece, conceptually, but not being a professional, there should be some things that people will pick up on that I might improve on.

Randy - since you are the Moderator and asked about why I haven't submitted some of my GPO stuff, I have a question, then a comment. Tom Hopkins new Rules say that before you submit another MP3, the current one must make it to Page 2. But, he also said that submitters should limit themselves to 2 or 3 times per week. Well, if a submittal receives a lot of Replies, then it will 'never' get to Page 2 since it will keep getting bumped to the top of Page 1 with every Reply. This may go on for weeks. So I was wondering if there is an unwritten caveat whereby a submitter can submit a new piece every week (if not sooner, if the current piece gets to Page 2 sooner)?

Most of the things for which I have been using GPO are to get decent string sounds, particularly higher solo strings. GM Strings isn't bad, and some GM Cello are pretty good, but all of the GPO strings are excellent (with no modifications). I have auditioned around 7000 SF2 instruments and have selected several of the very best of each one for my 'library' of sounds. No offense to GPO, but I prefer most of my woodwinds and brass to the GPO counterparts. So most of my work with GPO has been to replace string parts.
With my acquisition of JBB and CMB last week, I have a lot more capability, especially with saxes, low woodwinds and muted brass, as well as being able to more easily tweek with the instruments (like vibrato). So some of the things that I now work with will show more than a simple upgrade to decent string parts. These sort of things might be interesting to others. So I would expect that I would have a greater opportunity to share them with the 'community'. I mean what is so different about 50 Vivaldi pieces or a dozen Albinoni pieces? And how many 30-something tracks of Bolero have been submitted? I'll look through my GPO-related stuff to see if there is anything worth sharing, though. Some of the adaptations that I do (like the Dueling Frenzy) may be interesting to some. But I would like some comments about how I may improve what I am doing.
Frank

[rbowser-]

Hello again, Frank

I want to rush to say I am one of the moderators--one of a team. It's fairly informal here with some of us helping out with some moderating, but the major Forum editing tools and all that sort of thing are handled by Gary Garritan, his staff and the Northern Sounds Administrators.

I have a question...Tom Hopkins' new Rules say that before you submit another MP3, the current one must make it to Page 2. But, he also said that submitters should limit themselves to 2 or 3 times per week. Well, if a submittal receives a lot of Replies, then it will 'never' get to Page 2 since it will keep getting bumped to the top of Page 1 with every Reply. This may go on for weeks.

Taking Tom's guidelines completely literally doesn't quite make sense in reality, because as you point out, there's no way someone could post 2 or 3 things a week while still waiting for posts to move to page two. He was being overly-generous when he said that, and I think not wanting to sound too authoritarian.

But most of us Do try to not put up new work until a previous work's responses have died down to the point that it really is fairly safely on page two.

I do that on a routine basis, and that's why I often don't put up anything until as much as 3 weeks after I've posted something previously. It's only polite, because a lot of people want to post here and we need to share the space. Very few people bend the rules by putting up new things when they already have a piece currently being responded to. So yes - you need to wait until responses have pretty much ended.

Of course once in awhile, you'll have a piece from page 2, 3 even 4 be suddenly boosted to the top again. That's beyond your control, and anyone looking at the dates of posts can see what happened - that's no problem.

Thanks for the interesting input on how you're working on your music and how you've arrived at a combination of libraries you like.

Early on in your reply, and then at the end, you're actively asking for specific feedback.

But I would like some comments about how I may improve what I am doing.
Frank

And you very well could get some feedback that has suggestions you'll find useful. Some people here are especially good at coming up with excellent thoughts both on music composition and technical considerations.

Just remember to take ALL feedback with a grain of salt. Even if you think the reply is coming from someone you consider an expert, all feedback remains a personal opinion and cannot be your guide.

You can get inspired - you can get some technical tips - but I would especially warn you against trying to follow advice which is telling you How to write your music. Sometimes you'll see feedback with detailed instructions about how that listener would have composed the piece - That's never helpful, in my opinion, because it has nothing to do with the person who Did write the music. How someone else would have written something is really beside the point.

It's like watching a movie with someone, and on the way out they're blathering about how THeeey would've directed the movie--WHo cares how they would've done it? They didn't - It wasn't their idea, they weren't there on the set--it has Nothing to do with them, what was up on the screen.

So, enjoy any feedback that comes your way, just stay objective about it and consider responses cooly and carefully.

Randy B.
(rbowser)

[GaryBric]

Frank,

Welcome to the forum. I had a listen to your work and it is very impressive. A really unique setting for this work and it comes off well. I hear nothing in it that I find "needs fixing". It's just a fun piece, varied tempi and good instrument selection. Thanks for sharing it with the forum.

Gary

www.garybricault.com

[etLux]

Heck of a good ride, with some able orchestrative tilts in it,
Frank, once it gets rolling. Much enjoyed!

A warm welcome to the forum!

My best,



David
www.DavidSosnowski.com
.

[rpearl]

. Tom Hopkins new Rules say that before you submit another MP3, the current one must make it to Page 2. But, he also said that submitters should limit themselves to 2 or 3 times per week. Well, if a submittal receives a lot of Replies, then it will 'never' get to Page 2 since it will keep getting bumped to the top of Page 1 with every Reply. This may go on for weeks. So I was wondering if there is an unwritten caveat whereby a submitter can submit a new piece every week (if not sooner, if the current piece gets to Page 2 sooner)?


Frank

In reality this is not too much of a problem. When things get to page 2, they often stay there - the phenomenon of being bumped back to page 1, day after day, is well, a dream...rarely happens. Use your discretion, but I think you'll find, if you watch the page, that things peak after a few days, then gracefully fade away.

Now to your piece. What a hoot! I got a little dizzy with the back and forth between the speakers, but loved it. Nice idea, and really well carried out.

Welcome aboard. I hope you find this a friendly and supportive place to share your work and observations. It's a nice little corner of cyber space.

[Rhap2]

Frank:

Ya' all come now...........Yeah, it's a hoedown and Frank's the
leader.

Great combinations here Frank and a whopping good time is
had by all.

Welcome to the Forum. Your technique with the samples is
really good. Keep writing for us......it's enjoyable.

Jack