Once again, a great video Paul. Always a joy to hear and see your compositional process and very eloquent explanations of the sorts of timbral and rhythmic considerations taken to reach the end result. Bravo!
Great stuff Paul, all these little rhythmic details bring the piece to life. I like the idea of sharing duties between short notes and percussion. Dulcimer was a really nice touch. Cheers.
@@PaulThomsonMusic When the time comes, I'd love to see how you might write in StaffPad, then export back to Logic to further tinker using the original “full” Spitfire libraries. Is that a chore? Great tips, and +1 on the dulcimers!
Amazing video, thank you! I have a suggestion for a future episode if I may? I wonder if you (we) could focus on an existing classical piece from beginning to end using BBCSO or Albion. To focus on each section of the orchestra, techniques and articulations as well as some basic tips on mixing. If agreeable, I’d love to focus on Venus by Holst. Maybe not the whole thing, but the key parts of composition? Just a thought
Hi Paul, great video! You use a mix of the Close and Outrigger mics for a lot of your string patches. Do you feel this works best for these libraries (I use primarily Chamber Strings and BBCSO Strings)?
Really great food for thought and concrete tips, thanks! Coming up with interesting rhythms is definitely something I need to work on, so that I can better take advantage of this 🙂 For my own taste I’d probably limit the “randomness” in the rhythm a bit. Fatigue and general boringness with repeated rhythms is definitely an issue, but it’s also super easy for it to sound cluttered, disjointed, and even out of time. I could imagine a way to combat that being to have rhythms that are more regular but still complex, and adding variety through slight accentuations, longer phrases, or shorter related phrases but that change (eg in pattens like ABBA, etc).
Paul, I see that you have the CTAO mics in the Symphonic Strings patch. Are does already available for us too? I can't find any extension or add-on on the website? Thanks, David
Thank you Paul for the wonderful insights. I am making techno and searching for 'creating movement in your tracks' and your video come up, the principles of this absolutely blew my mind. You seem incredibly knowledgeable and I got some amazing takeaways from this. Please, could you give me some more advice on what to study to be able to add more life to my static sounding compositions, please. Thank you so much for the video this really opened up something new for me.
Hi Mack - you are very kind. You must follow @BT - a very rare breed of genius- a conservatoire trained composer who is also an immensely gifted programmer and producer. I think you will really enjoy his work.
@@PaulThomsonMusic Thanks Paul, I can't find any tutorials from this guy. Am I missing something , please? I'm looking for tutorials and tips what makes music more dynamic, just listening to music alone doesn't show me the gems of wisdom like the one I took from your video on creating those underlying support melodies to the main melody. Little rare gems and tips like this is what I'm looking for. I applied this straight away with results. Can you help me with a direction of what to study to get more of these techniques please?
Yes, this is helpful! I'm always turning back to Ravel for orchestration illumination. He was all about using the harp (and pizz.) to sharpen transients. Debussy thought it was all cheap tricks. I think Claude may have wished he had thought of it first. The thing about Ravel's tricks is that it wasn't just about drawing attention to an instrument with a blurry transient. It was sleight-of-hand and this video is an introduction to a little handbook of a magician's harp techniques. Re-balancing vibes and harp (for example) is really about wearing masks: The mask is the harp; pull it aside and there's a vibraphone - or vice versa. Or it's a pied character; it's either and both depending upon the angle of view or the available light. At risk of taking the metaphor too far, orchestration is (can be) a masked ball. I'm loving your orchestration tutorials, Paul Thomson. Keep them coming!
Very nice video, thanks! Suggestion for another video: some composing tips about having synth tracks with strings tracks. For example, the song Making Water from The Martian has some nice low strings and lots of synths. How to do that? Some tips! :) Thanks!
Great video! I liked how it changed with those elements. Request: Is there any way you can also do a video on transitions and connecting two sections of music. Always find it difficult and seem like not too much material on the topic. Thanks as always 🙏
Paul, on your Creative Cribs episode on the Spitfire Channel, you mention something about the Doepfer keyboards having a velocity issue. Can you elaborate on this? I'm puzzled, I've used these for decades and am not aware of it, and anyhow you can adjust the velocity curve in keyboard (LMK4+) or in DAW regardless.
Dan hi dan - the black notes are more sensitive than the white - the workaround is a menu item to scale back the response on just the black notes - but then you lose the topmost velocities - a really odd problem!!
@@PaulThomsonMusic Thanks, I did a brief test with a pendulum and there appears to be a difference of about 20 between the two roughly. A real piano has a metrology which is crudely adjusted via lead weights in the keys, and regardless black keys have a shorter moment arm so will generally give a higher velocity. Perhaps the Fatar keybed used has a similar physical mechanism, thus any physically based lever system will have the same issue. Now in practice a pianist can only generate about seven different velocity levels in a piano, so MIDI's 128 is overkill. How many levels are recorded for piano for samples? I imagine you can't get much more than that. Anyhow a MIDI script to either quantize to seven levels would be easy, or else to offset the black and the whites equally. That wouldn't have an effect on the top end. I'll experiment with that and see if it has any effect, one issue is that samples assume a continuous input (which they use to adjust the level algorithmically as you well know) so this might not be a good approach. What's the menu pick in Logic you mention?
Hi Paul thanks so much for the tip! Any suggestions on how you work with delay compensation? Because I noticed most of the midi notes you have are fairly on the grid.
John Dandan thanks John - I tend to play it in - then for anything that has to be tight, quantise with 60-70%, and set delay to earlier by say 1/96 or whatever sounds right against the click - so that you don’t lose the starts of the notes but they impact on the beat!
Hi Paul, thanks for this great video - I’m going to try this out today. I was wondering if you have any tips for getting the right amount of dynamics for an orchestral piece? I often find my tracks end up being like those annoying recordings where you find yourself turning the volume up and down; but when I try and level out those dynamics with compression, automation etc. it’s difficult to get the right overall levels without removing the impact of the orchestra’s changes in dynamic. Would be great to hear your take on this. Cheers!
Hi Hew - thanks! - I generally try listening at low volume - then I can hear where things need to be turned up. Then I sometimes make the fader moves, listen, and split the difference. that often gets me to a good place dynamically.
![Gunna - HIM ALL ALONG [Official Visualizer]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/HiCxoDeo0hc/mqdefault.jpg)
These tutorials are incredibly helpful! Thanks so much, Paul
Using the Coles as your VO mic is a subtle flex. Well played.
Ian Hultquist haha!! Didn’t think about that but I’ll take it!!
These Short Notes like snowflakes when we reach the end of the winter slowly in movement. Thank you Paul.
Have a nice day
Thanks Paul - much learned, as usual!
Loved the presentation - only spoiled by an ad for 'the midi pack' bang in the middle of it - who needs that LOL
Thanks as always Paul
Thank you Paul. Your teaching is awesome as always!
I love those Dulcimer parts.... so magical :) Thanks Paul for sharing.
Thanks Simone - inspired by the great Tom Newman!!
TOTALLY !!! LOVE it !!
Once again, a great video Paul. Always a joy to hear and see your compositional process and very eloquent explanations of the sorts of timbral and rhythmic considerations taken to reach the end result. Bravo!
Just catching up with old vids so a bit behind the curve. Beautiful arrangement.
Great stuff Paul, all these little rhythmic details bring the piece to life. I like the idea of sharing duties between short notes and percussion. Dulcimer was a really nice touch. Cheers.
Oliver Kember thanks Oliver!
Great to have you back! Nice tips.
I am curious to see how you get along with StaffPad.
Kristoffer Sundberg yes it will be a future vid! Spoiler - fantastic...
@@PaulThomsonMusic When the time comes, I'd love to see how you might write in StaffPad, then export back to Logic to further tinker using the original “full” Spitfire libraries. Is that a chore? Great tips, and +1 on the dulcimers!
Kristoffer Sundberg I think that would find audience. Specially now that they are also on the iPad platform.
Amazing video, thank you! I have a suggestion for a future episode if I may? I wonder if you (we) could focus on an existing classical piece from beginning to end using BBCSO or Albion. To focus on each section of the orchestra, techniques and articulations as well as some basic tips on mixing. If agreeable, I’d love to focus on Venus by Holst. Maybe not the whole thing, but the key parts of composition? Just a thought
Nice one Paul, good to have you back
Thanks Jim! Good to be back in the saddle!
Good to see you,Paul, you look great! Lovely tip, as well, very useful
Musical Wizardry - Marco Iannello thanks Marco!!
Fantastic tips! Thanks for this, Paul. Cheers!
2112ZOZ thanks!
Hi Paul, great video! You use a mix of the Close and Outrigger mics for a lot of your string patches. Do you feel this works best for these libraries (I use primarily Chamber Strings and BBCSO Strings)?
Thank you Paul this was really helpful but can you please please please please please make a tutorial about mixing strings?
Really great food for thought and concrete tips, thanks! Coming up with interesting rhythms is definitely something I need to work on, so that I can better take advantage of this 🙂
For my own taste I’d probably limit the “randomness” in the rhythm a bit. Fatigue and general boringness with repeated rhythms is definitely an issue, but it’s also super easy for it to sound cluttered, disjointed, and even out of time. I could imagine a way to combat that being to have rhythms that are more regular but still complex, and adding variety through slight accentuations, longer phrases, or shorter related phrases but that change (eg in pattens like ABBA, etc).
Paul, I see that you have the CTAO mics in the Symphonic Strings patch. Are does already available for us too? I can't find any extension or add-on on the website? Thanks, David
This was incredibly helpful. Thank you, and keep it up! 😁
Thanks Aldus!
Thank you Paul for the wonderful insights. I am making techno and searching for 'creating movement in your tracks' and your video come up, the principles of this absolutely blew my mind. You seem incredibly knowledgeable and I got some amazing takeaways from this. Please, could you give me some more advice on what to study to be able to add more life to my static sounding compositions, please. Thank you so much for the video this really opened up something new for me.
Hi Mack - you are very kind. You must follow @BT - a very rare breed of genius- a conservatoire trained composer who is also an immensely gifted programmer and producer. I think you will really enjoy his work.
@@PaulThomsonMusic Thanks Paul, I can't find any tutorials from this guy. Am I missing something , please?
I'm looking for tutorials and tips what makes music more dynamic, just listening to music alone doesn't show me the gems of wisdom like the one I took from your video on creating those underlying support melodies to the main melody. Little rare gems and tips like this is what I'm looking for. I applied this straight away with results.
Can you help me with a direction of what to study to get more of these techniques please?
Yes, this is helpful! I'm always turning back to Ravel for orchestration illumination. He was all about using the harp (and pizz.) to sharpen transients. Debussy thought it was all cheap tricks. I think Claude may have wished he had thought of it first. The thing about Ravel's tricks is that it wasn't just about drawing attention to an instrument with a blurry transient. It was sleight-of-hand and this video is an introduction to a little handbook of a magician's harp techniques. Re-balancing vibes and harp (for example) is really about wearing masks: The mask is the harp; pull it aside and there's a vibraphone - or vice versa. Or it's a pied character; it's either and both depending upon the angle of view or the available light. At risk of taking the metaphor too far, orchestration is (can be) a masked ball. I'm loving your orchestration tutorials, Paul Thomson. Keep them coming!
Thanks Gary - very interesting!!
Thank you, Paul! Fantastic!
Thanks Andrey!
Very nice video, thanks! Suggestion for another video: some composing tips about having synth tracks with strings tracks. For example, the song Making Water from The Martian has some nice low strings and lots of synths. How to do that? Some tips! :) Thanks!
Amazing Paul! Any chance you could share with us which cords you used?
COLES 4038 RIBBON MICROPHONE. I like it.
Welcome back, great video :)
Got your eye on Paul's fancy chair Keith?
@@jimsanger Lol I can feel a competition coming on #winmychair lol
Thanks Keith!
Excellent tips. Great to have met you at NAMM 2020.
Chris Massa thanks - you too!
I’m moving on from morse code. Thanks Paul for the tips!
Daniel Yap nothing like a good beep!
Great video! I liked how it changed with those elements.
Request: Is there any way you can also do a video on transitions and connecting two sections of music. Always find it difficult and seem like not too much material on the topic.
Thanks as always 🙏
himanshu bhardwaj great idea!! It’s on the list
Paul Thomson Thank you 🙏 looking forward
Great idea for a video’
Paul, on your Creative Cribs episode on the Spitfire Channel, you mention something about the Doepfer keyboards having a velocity issue. Can you elaborate on this? I'm puzzled, I've used these for decades and am not aware of it, and anyhow you can adjust the velocity curve in keyboard (LMK4+) or in DAW regardless.
Dan hi dan - the black notes are more sensitive than the white - the workaround is a menu item to scale back the response on just the black notes - but then you lose the topmost velocities - a really odd problem!!
@@PaulThomsonMusic Thanks, I did a brief test with a pendulum and there appears to be a difference of about 20 between the two roughly. A real piano has a metrology which is crudely adjusted via lead weights in the keys, and regardless black keys have a shorter moment arm so will generally give a higher velocity. Perhaps the Fatar keybed used has a similar physical mechanism, thus any physically based lever system will have the same issue.
Now in practice a pianist can only generate about seven different velocity levels in a piano, so MIDI's 128 is overkill. How many levels are recorded for piano for samples? I imagine you can't get much more than that. Anyhow a MIDI script to either quantize to seven levels would be easy, or else to offset the black and the whites equally. That wouldn't have an effect on the top end. I'll experiment with that and see if it has any effect, one issue is that samples assume a continuous input (which they use to adjust the level algorithmically as you well know) so this might not be a good approach.
What's the menu pick in Logic you mention?
Amazing!
Zsigmond Kara Music thanks Zsigmond!
great tips as always!
will the expansion packs for the symphony collection ever go back on sale?
Great sound!
Marcus Manderson thanks Marcus!
Paul Thomson you’re welcome!
Hi Paul thanks so much for the tip! Any suggestions on how you work with delay compensation? Because I noticed most of the midi notes you have are fairly on the grid.
John Dandan thanks John - I tend to play it in - then for anything that has to be tight, quantise with 60-70%, and set delay to earlier by say 1/96 or whatever sounds right against the click - so that you don’t lose the starts of the notes but they impact on the beat!
Hi Paul, thanks for this great video - I’m going to try this out today. I was wondering if you have any tips for getting the right amount of dynamics for an orchestral piece? I often find my tracks end up being like those annoying recordings where you find yourself turning the volume up and down; but when I try and level out those dynamics with compression, automation etc. it’s difficult to get the right overall levels without removing the impact of the orchestra’s changes in dynamic. Would be great to hear your take on this. Cheers!
Hi Hew - thanks! - I generally try listening at low volume - then I can hear where things need to be turned up. Then I sometimes make the fader moves, listen, and split the difference. that often gets me to a good place dynamically.
Love this !! Anybody has the link to the magical JJP along the labs dulcimer ?
bhavnath JJP is a Waves plugin :)
@@HewWagner thank you bro 🌿
Thanks! Love the JjP but also Greg Wells plugs - all the character plugs v useful
Paul, those short notes would usually be done in a different timbre (flutes) than the long notes.
Jay-Alan Miller hi Jay, not any more! I’ve heard this done a lot in film sessions. It has the distinct advantage that the timbres are identical