2 years, to the day

Used Instruments
Oboe Piano Flautando Strings Low Strings

Downloads and Information

Source Description
Youtube (VSL) Video of this Serving Suggestion
Vienna Assistant Sequencer Projects, Instrument Presets, adjusted MIDI
OrchestrationRecipes.com Recipe #27 (Instructions, MIDI, ...)
FREE Soft Imperial More information about the used FREE Synchron Piano

Piano

Preparation

Delay the notes manually to ensure playback behind the beat for creating a more emotional feeling. This is most obvious on the first note of bar 5 but also happens on almost all other notes.

Basic Phrasing

  • Only Midi Velocity is used

Finishing Touches

  • Dynamic Range (CC30): 74 Applies a compressor (Make quiet sounds louder)
  • Humanize Delay Scale (CC25): 110

Oboe

Instrument / Preset Selection

  • Oboe 1 / VelXF sus / Classic

Preparation / Articulation Selection

  • Legato con vibrato

Basic Phrasing

  • Modulation (CC1) for basic phrasing & balancing of the last note in phase 1
  • Expression (CC11) to increase dynamic range
  • Timbre Adjust (CC8) for shaping note ends at the end of the phrase

Finishing Touches

  • Humanize Delay Scale (CC25): 25

Flautando Strings

Preparation

  • Distribute the strings to be able to use "real" Legato transitions per line
  • Make sure that one instrument (e.g.: Violins 1) never plays back the same note
  • Check that there are overlaps to correctly trigger the legato patches
  • Slightly adjust note ends for a realistic playback

Possible solution:

Preparation / Articulation Selection

Create an emulated flautando by setting up a custom patch for every instrument:

  • Combine legato (Patch "Legato AT+RS soft") and tremolo patch (timestretched to 50% playback speed)
  • Enable the parallel mode and set the parallel mode to "Mix" for legato and tremolo patch
  • Set Vel. XF (CC1) to a value of 0

Variations per string instrument:

  • For first violin a second custom patch needs to be created to get a portamento transition (beginning of bar 6). Just repeat what you did before but select portamento as base patch instead of legato
  • For 2nd Violins, Violas and Cello create a second custom patch (as before, but select the "Legato RS soft" patch) Apply this patch to the first 3 notes to have a softer start and use the previous patch (with normal attack) on all other notes

Basic Phrasing

  • Add a phrasing curve with expression (CC11) for all flautando strings

Finishing Touches

  • Activate Timbre Adjust and set the values (CC8) to 50% (midi value ~74) to make the strings less prominent
  • Set Legato Blur (CC33) to 50% (midi value ~74) to create more smeared legato transitions
  • Set Dynamic Range (CC30) to values around 45 (This adds a compressor to make quieter passages louder)
  • Set Humanize Delay Scale (CC25) to values around 25

Low Strings

Instrument / Preset Selection

  • Cello / VelXF Sus / Lush Long
  • Double Basses / VelXF Sus / Lush Long

Preparation / Articulation Selection

  • Legato / Soft attack / Soft release (for the first 4 notes)
  • Legato / Normal attack / Soft release (for all other notes)

Basic Phrasing

  • Use ModWheel (CC1) to create 2 basic phrases (First Phrase: Start until middle of bar 4)
    • Split the first phrase into two sub phrases (reduce at beginning of bar 3)
    • Add a note decay at the end of Phrase 1 / Middle of bar 4
  • Use Expression (CC11) to increase dynamic range

Finishing Touches

  • Set Humanize Delay Scale (CC25) to values around 30
  • Set Humanize Legato Blur (CC33) to values around 30

Mixing

Piano

  • Increase Main microphone from 0dB to 2dB
  • Reduce the Reverb Send to -10 (bring the piano closer)
  • Adjust the EQ settings (brighten up the sound)
    • -6.61 dB at 490 Hz with Q 1.45
    • +7.27 dB at 8k Hz with Q 0.71

Master Volumes

Instrument Value
Oboe 90 (no adjustment)
Soft Piano 117
1st Violins 100
2nd Violins 107
Violas 101
Cello 101 (no adjustment)
Double Basses 62

Other Tweaks

  • Add a tempo map with some variation around 105 bpm and a ritardando at the last bar

Top learnings

  1. Add the free Soft Piano to a Synchron Prime Edition Project
  2. Utilize the Dynamic Range Slider (Compressor)
  3. Emulate Flautando
  4. Use Legato Blur for more smeared transitions