I've struggled with the concept of cc controlling, and the big feedback I've had from submitted to various libraries is the expression not being quite there. Your description, however, has just utterly clicked with me. Watching your physicality whilst playing, as well, has completely demonstrated how I to do it. I'm not classically trained in any sense, but I get this utterly, it's like a dance. Thank you so, so much. I can't wait to get in front of my DAW later
dude you're one of best, that simple, but ingenious tricks like "expression kinda follows volume" makes such a big difference, I would've never guessed myself merci merci merci :D
This is extremely helpful. Especially, the difference between Dynamics (CC 1) and Expression (CC 11) and how to manipulate them naturally are extremely important for MIDI composers for making realistic mockups. Thanks so much, Paul!
Thank you Paul! This was very helpful to see how you used all four cc at the same time and explained in detail of how it affects the instrument listening experience! This kind of in depth explanations take long time to figure out yourself so thank you again for doing this! All the best!
Great. Have just bought Spitfire Symphonic Woodwinds and would greatly value you taking us through that product in the same way as you have with this one in this excellent video.
Paul Thomson Thanks, the thing I'm particularly interested in is how can I get the SSW articulations into the midi I've put into Logic (via MusicXML) from a nuanced and developed Sibelius score. The score uses extended articulations that are only in SSW but I don't want to play the score in - just edit/adjust the articulation in the midi in Logic in a detailed way so I can get the bass flute cha's, picc articulations, fiutters etc. for a commercial demo. I'm seeing whether I can get close to the score using samples without having to go into a recording studio I suppose. So video on doing this would be great. I'm coming from an adjacent area as an orchestral musician and notation and although I know how to use Logic I'm having trouble finding material to show me how to connect my notation world to the amazing samples you have.
Paul,, I have really appreciated your musically intuitive demonstrations on the Spitfire Library videos. I"m glad you're now doing your own personal channel. Cheers
Glad to see you’ve started a channel Paul. These kind of tutorials are really helpful. Would love to see more in depth tips and tricks with libraries. Specifically less well known techniques or avante garde approaches to sample libraries that help stretch our composer minds on what these libraries could be made to do. Practical tips for working faster/more efficiently etc. Musings on the industry too. I know Christian has covered some of this; but different/more perspectives and workflows would be great. I think most of us in the YT community are looking to broaden our minds and approaches with our music making. Anything that does that is solid gold. Cheers 🙂
I have ALWAYS believed, as you do, that it is important to catch as much realism as possible in the initial recording rather than after the fact with drawing, etc. Great to hear that a Sensei is reinforcing this newbie's take on it...
Fantastic. Thank You Paul. This is what I really love about Spitfire. Thanks Paul and Christian putting time into these valuable nuggets. Looking forward to more of these.
Great job, Paul; very useful. Thanks for doing this! I sold keyboards for 16 years; hadn’t heard of Physis piano, although we did have Viscount/Oberheim drawbar organs (90s). Looking forward to more of your videos!
Thanks Paul! I've been struggling with this myself lately, especially how to transition into and out of the CC automation. Very helpful and lots of food for thought 👍🏻
Hi Paul, There is another way to do this...one I've just started to experiment with...using a Leap motion controller to control your CC messages. It is similar, in a way, to using a Theremin. It takes a bit of getting used to, but it is an expressive way to play in the data and I'm having fun exploring the technique. Great to have contributions form you on your own Channel on RUclips...looking forward to what you have coming up Terry :-)
skylightmusic showreel thanks Terry - I’m checking that controller out - anything that imparts more “human” control to music is very useful - you’ve reminded me to dust off my WX5!
INCREDIBLE ! I've listened to a ZILLION vague RUclips tutorials on "realism" and NEVER heard this kind of detail as to how its actually achieved. Thank you SO MUCH Paul for sharing your artistry so selflessly. One thing I wonder about is, with FOUR controllers, can you (e.g. mere mortals) only control a few, and then on a second pass, diddle with the other two. Or is it all baked in the cake with the single pass.
Hi Paul, Great to see you on your own channel. Great first video. Would love to hear about your favourite plug-ins? I remember you using Blackhole in another video. Looking forward to watching more, Cheers, Patrick :)
As I'm new to the Spitfire libraries, this was the single aspect I've been most worried about. How to make these libraries come alive the like SA demos. High value. More, please!
Very, very useful video indeed! Some major jigsaw pieces right there, definitely going to be applying these tips in future. Also fantastic to see that you've started your own channel. If I could add my own suggestions for content, as a fellow BT fan, I'd love to know if/how his music has influenced your own work. Who are your biggest musical influences and who would you suggest for an 'essential listening' list? Also, any information on the business side of being a composer would be much appreciated.
Hi there and thank you! Wow a deep question.. well - check out the playlist update I just did for Michael Price over at Contemplative Classical - (spotify) - theres some great stuff in there - my influences are all over the place - BT of course, Ravel, Hans Zimmer, John Corigliano, John Adams, John Powell - all the Johns! - Debussy, Howells, Finzi and Parry - thats a good starter pack I reckon!
Thank you so much Paul! This is exactly what I need right now.. it is easier for me to draw than to play or I can control only dynamics while playing.. need to practice
What I miss is those mock-ups you used to do on the Spitfire channel, so I would love to see you take one of your compositions and do a mock-up from scratch, maybe a series? Cheers man!
Thanks for starting up your YT channel, Paul, really appreciate it! Also, thanks for showing different MIDI CC techniques, the "coming into a musical phrase" really is crucial, I believe. Can we expect a similar video for brass and woodwinds? I remember that in your SSB walkthrough video you advised not to apply Expression, or it would make the brass sound too sinthy
Great and helpful video, thanks for this! By the way, Studio Strings is one of the greatest string libraries i have ever heard, in my humble opinion. Very organic and natural sound! Especially the legato patches! I also like these individual patches, very gentle to the RAM managment. For legato, i use the same Fader for vibrato and dynamic control very often, so the vibrato ,,follows " the dynamic sound. Greetings from Germany :)
Something I would be very interested in would be to see how you put together, for example, a section of Strings and how you go about this using articulations on separate tracks because it always feels like I am building music and it can become very finicky going between different String shorts on different tracks. Also there's the use of TM patches for variation. To be honest, I have a ton of questions so I'll just stop here and hopefully not being incredibly annoying! Haha!
Hi Paul, thank you so much for sharing these tips. I'm just starting out with Albion One and have been looking for help on Midi CC to create realism in my music. Thanks and now time to practice with the sliders!
Amazing to get what seemed like such a mystery sorted in a few minutes . Thanks Paul. I can't seem to find a controller that is separate from a keyboard though.. one that is between my keyboard and the Rubix 22 I use to connect to the iMac and LogicProX.
Thanks Nick! There are quite a few - search 'midi fader box' - from simple ones like the Palette gear through to more complex ones with faders and lots of knobs as well.
Great job, Paul, and wonderfully clear and precise, as always. I love that Physis keyboard you're using. Too bad they don't ship to the USA. Keep up the great work, both you and Christian and your team. Go Spitfire! ; )
Love the video - someone's finally speaking to what I need to do thank you! Now I just need to learn how actually to connect the Spitfire (BBCO Pro) sounds to the keyboard. And do you have an opinion about a keyboard with aftertouch as an addition to sliders? Sorry to bother with questions but you're the guy!~ WG
Thanks! Aftertouch can be great especially for 'fast' variations, like introducing LFO into a synth lead sound on specific notes. However it is a bit imprecise for controlling orchestral sounds, and that can make them sound more synthy - not necessarily a bad thing depending on your style and what you're trying to achieve! But sliders are the way to get the more gradual and detailed response.
@@PaulThomsonMusic Thanks Paul that's what I was thinking and I am only going for precise orchestral composing so will stick with sliders. Synthy = yucky! :)
@@PaulThomsonMusic I am trying hard to be respectful of your time your videos are just great. If you know of any people near your knowledge level who do seminars or lessons for deeper dives kindly let me know I'm happy to pay entrance lol. Best wishes to you! BG
Thanks Paul. Really useful tips. I’d love to see how you go about constructing a track next. Do you start from scratch or do you use a template? Every professional sportsperson has a coach and if you could be the coach to composers on this channel that would be incredibly helpful and motivational. Thanks again!
You missed the possibility of playing in the midi cc after the fact of recording the notes i.e. not having to draw in... unacceptable lack of attention to detail! Just kidding... watched your reverb video, probably the best video I have ever seen on reverb with an anechoic recording to boot... very cool. Really enjoying these videos... welcome to the fray. Whether you are more cleverer than Christian as he claims remains to be seen though ;O)
Hey Paul, thanks for being willing to share your expertise with the community. Subscribed and will be watching ALL the content you release, just like Christians' vlog!
Thank you Paul. Im just about to buy a new midi controller, especially for string arrangements and piano and what has to be my last keyboard. My patient wife of 50 years has given the go ahead, but the following purchase has to be jewelry. Loved the tutorial and can you tell me if you are happy with the feel of the bed when playing piano? regards,Chas
Haha!! Great bargaining power!! Yes I would thoroughly recommend the Physis. It’s obviously very subjective but - this is my favorite controller - ever. Been playing controllers since 1987!
I was told to contact Spitfire about technical problems with assigning controllers to faders to control expression etc, but it's more to do with the one thing I haven't learnt yet because of not having faders available to control with, and draw the information into the midi regions like modulation that already works because I use a Fantom X8. Maybe a video can be done on how to achieve this so I can sleep at night and happy. Or would I need to contact the team to get tech help? Not sure if I need a certain midi cc controller to control spitfire audio libraries. After rambling on because I come from an analogue background this is the one thing that I've struggled to grasp thinking it was the same as learn assignments but only got as far as finding out that it's midi cc assignment for controlling the various parameters described in this video.
Hi there - Yes it will become more apparent once you have some kind of fader interface - you program on that what you want it to send - then the DAW receives that info and tracks it all in record. Check out the Palette gear Expert Kit - and Christian has done a vlog on using that on his channel also!
Paul great vid…I have just got a Neova MIDI Ring Controller..and am trying to workout which cc’s to use for best effect..on strings..please can you look at it.. I think you will be impressed. I just want to understand which midi cc’s thanks
Hi Paul. I just recently bought Spitfire Studio Orchestra and am still struggling to make the samples sound musical so thanks for making this video. I noticed that you're using a built-in controller on your keyboard in this video but this keyboard isn't available here in Indonesia. Would you mind recommending me a controller from more popular brands (Akai, Korg, Behringer)?
Please, if i play with both hands and dont have possibility to control also controlers, can i use them like automation afterwards during playback of recorded track and hear the modulation at the same time? Thx!
I am just a simple keyboard player, who only plays piano and synthesizers on my iPad. How can I use CCs. What do all complicated abbreviations stand for?
Hi Marnix - it stands for continuous controller - just a way of saying a knob or slider. They give you control over different ways to change the sound you’re playing.
Great tip about note starts. I’m surprised that neither you nor Christian use a foot controller (there are some really nice ones out there). With the right foot for the sustain pedal, the left foot has nothing to do. Might as well put it to work. ;)
Hi guys: My problem is this: I spent years and years, just creating lines on the fly Musically all for naught I’ve finally gotten more serious about orchestral scoring So I’ve been writing in Sibelius. Writing the best music of my life But I love the sounds from BBCSO.. Better than note performer, which I use with Sibelius I want to merely import my midi score into logic loaded with BBCSO samples And use expressions, articulations and dynamics that I written in from Sibelius Will be BBCSO express these?? I’m hoping without a whole lot of tweaking Thanks in advance!
Does anybody know if the korg nano studio will work with assigning cc’s in spitfire libraries like expression, dynamics, tightness in Logic Pro? Thanks
Helpful vid. I am in the ridiculously tricky position of having the Symphonic collection in the basket, but am having trouble committing the thick end of £2k - this tutorial vid didn't help my cause!!! Sorry, kids... porridge this month...
Here is a PRO TIP: If you want to ever REPLICATE real instruments DIGITALLY then approach it like you would learning that instrument in real life - ONE to TWO lessons from FIVERR with a teacher of that instrument will make like a 180 degree difference in how good you become at "MIDI-ing" this instrument. The key questions here in first lessons should ALL BE about DYNAMICS - ask the teacher to constantly talk about how you would ATTACK certain types of musical phrases and pay close attention to the characteristic of that attack does it always have a instant attack constantly or like most instruments there is always a fast attack then instant drop in volume as you are sustating it? Then lesson two should be ALL ABOUT articulations - especially vibrato - ask to show different examples of WHEN vibrato is played and to WHAT EXTENT. Then NOW go back to your VST and try to approach the instrument the same way your teacher did - attack it and sustain it like the real instrument and you MUST MUST have sliders on dynamics on vibrato they are crucial to any instrument - they r literally PART of the instrument so its crazy how most people play VST solely on the keys with NO dynamics or vibrato or they go for some like one stop shop fits all filter to add fake vibrato at random points or any of those "HUMANIZE" features which wont work for most instruments. So 1 or 2 lessons learning the REAL INSTRUMENT will change EVERYTHING for you PLUS you get to understand the beauty and uniquness of the instrument you are choosing to play
Love this!!! It’s one of the great benefits to music college for anyone lucky enough - spend as much time as possible chatting to your fellow students about their instrument.. totally invaluable
@@PaulThomsonMusic OR you can also use FIVERR its sooo cheap and undervalued, you can get like a lesson with a real 20 year experienced violinst for like 15 dollars man its crazyyy! have your questions written down and get the REAL DEAL 1 on 1 to show you EXACTLY what you want to know to understands the nuances of that instrument even more!
In all seriousness very excited for the channel. I see a patch bay there, and I would love to see a future video on how you integrate your analog outboard with your software.
This is gonna be soooooo cooooooooooool!
Christian Henson Music thanks mate!
im a fan of both of you thanks for your classes!!
Very nice indeed! I would love to see in depth how you voice woodwinds. I’m struggling with making them sound un-synthy, so to speak.
yes you guys made it!
"acting like a midi compressor" is a wonderful analogy to understand the relative use of dynamics and expression! thanks for this video Mr. Thomson
I've struggled with the concept of cc controlling, and the big feedback I've had from submitted to various libraries is the expression not being quite there. Your description, however, has just utterly clicked with me. Watching your physicality whilst playing, as well, has completely demonstrated how I to do it. I'm not classically trained in any sense, but I get this utterly, it's like a dance.
Thank you so, so much. I can't wait to get in front of my DAW later
Glad it was useful for you! All the best with your work!
dude you're one of best,
that simple, but ingenious tricks like "expression kinda follows volume" makes such a big difference, I would've never guessed myself
merci merci merci :D
This is extremely helpful. Especially, the difference between Dynamics (CC 1) and Expression (CC 11) and how to manipulate them naturally are extremely important for MIDI composers for making realistic mockups. Thanks so much, Paul!
Thank you Paul! This was very helpful to see how you used all four cc at the same time and explained in detail of how it affects the instrument listening experience! This kind of in depth explanations take long time to figure out yourself so thank you again for doing this! All the best!
Thanks Jonas! More tips on the way!
Great. Have just bought Spitfire Symphonic Woodwinds and would greatly value you taking us through that product in the same way as you have with this one in this excellent video.
Will add that to the list!
Paul Thomson Thanks, the thing I'm particularly interested in is how can I get the SSW articulations into the midi I've put into Logic (via MusicXML) from a nuanced and developed Sibelius score. The score uses extended articulations that are only in SSW but I don't want to play the score in - just edit/adjust the articulation in the midi in Logic in a detailed way so I can get the bass flute cha's, picc articulations, fiutters etc. for a commercial demo. I'm seeing whether I can get close to the score using samples without having to go into a recording studio I suppose. So video on doing this would be great. I'm coming from an adjacent area as an orchestral musician and notation and although I know how to use Logic I'm having trouble finding material to show me how to connect my notation world to the amazing samples you have.
Paul,, I have really appreciated your musically intuitive demonstrations on the Spitfire Library videos. I"m glad you're now doing your own personal channel. Cheers
Another option is recording the CC with MIDI overdub mode. Then you play first and add the CC in a second pass.
Thanks for doing this Paul.
Per Kiilstofte thanks Per!
Really great to see the Physis K4 as the controller. Marvelous keyboard, and I see how much I’m underusing mine. Jewel
Glad to see you’ve started a channel Paul. These kind of tutorials are really helpful. Would love to see more in depth tips and tricks with libraries. Specifically less well known techniques or avante garde approaches to sample libraries that help stretch our composer minds on what these libraries could be made to do. Practical tips for working faster/more efficiently etc. Musings on the industry too. I know Christian has covered some of this; but different/more perspectives and workflows would be great. I think most of us in the YT community are looking to broaden our minds and approaches with our music making. Anything that does that is solid gold. Cheers 🙂
Thanks Sam - some great ideas!
Great to see you here Paul, excited for the upcoming content!
Thanks J-M!
the difficulty to this skill is understated! Im thankful to find some guidance and tips in this video!
Happy this day has come! Looking forward to learning from you, Paul
Thanks Greg!
Welcome to RUclips! Look forward to watching your channel grow.
Thanks Robert!
I have ALWAYS believed, as you do, that it is important to catch as much realism as possible in the initial recording rather than after the fact with drawing, etc. Great to hear that a Sensei is reinforcing this newbie's take on it...
Thank You 🙏🙂
Awesome. Thanks for taking the time to create this channel.
Thank you Chris!
Fantastic. Thank You Paul. This is what I really love about Spitfire. Thanks Paul and Christian putting time into these valuable nuggets. Looking forward to more of these.
Thanks Steve!
Hey Paul! Excited to see you start up your own channel with tutorials and vlogs documenting your journey as a composer & business owner :)
Thanks Tom!
hah time flies ;)
Nice to see you; I can always use tips and tricks with sample libraries.
Thanks - lots more coming!
Great to see you on here Paul!
Stephen Caulfield thanks Stephen!
Great job, Paul; very useful. Thanks for doing this! I sold keyboards for 16 years; hadn’t heard of Physis piano, although we did have Viscount/Oberheim drawbar organs (90s). Looking forward to more of your videos!
Roger Hooper I know - I heard about it a few months back - really loving it so far - coming from LMK4+
This is exactly what I was looking for, thanks.
Amazing content. Exactly what I was looking for. Legendary.
So psyched you launched your own channel! You know I’m your biggest fan right?! 😉
Just great! Thanks!
Great job
Thanks Nicholas!
Thanks Paul! I've been struggling with this myself lately, especially how to transition into and out of the CC automation. Very helpful and lots of food for thought 👍🏻
Hi Paul,
There is another way to do this...one I've just started to experiment with...using a Leap motion controller to control your CC messages.
It is similar, in a way, to using a Theremin. It takes a bit of getting used to, but it is an expressive way to play in the data and I'm having fun exploring the technique.
Great to have contributions form you on your own Channel on RUclips...looking forward to what you have coming up
Terry :-)
skylightmusic showreel thanks Terry - I’m checking that controller out - anything that imparts more “human” control to music is very useful - you’ve reminded me to dust off my WX5!
Hi Paul, Can't wait to follow your content. Really enjoyed your Vlog on christians channel!
Thanks Joseph! Lots of fun stuff coming!
INCREDIBLE ! I've listened to a ZILLION vague RUclips tutorials on "realism" and NEVER heard this kind of detail as to how its actually achieved. Thank you SO MUCH Paul for sharing your artistry so selflessly. One thing I wonder about is, with FOUR controllers, can you (e.g. mere mortals) only control a few, and then on a second pass, diddle with the other two. Or is it all baked in the cake with the single pass.
Great video man, I'd love a follow up where you show us the CC curves of one of your completed pieces
Adding that to the list Dan! Thanks!
Thanks so much Paul.
Nice one Paul, wish I'd had this when I had my first library. Nice tip on catching the attack, something I'll try and do more
Jim Sanger thanks Jim!
Great tutorial, thanks, also a fan of Christian Henson.
Hi Paul, Great to see you on your own channel. Great first video. Would love to hear about your favourite plug-ins? I remember you using Blackhole in another video. Looking forward to watching more, Cheers, Patrick :)
Patrick E Fagan Great idea - the next one I’m working on touches on that tangentially but I’ll do this in more detail in a future film!
Paul Thomson Brilliant! Cheers Paul
How come I didn’t see this channel before? Bell button pressed maestro
Thank you!
As I'm new to the Spitfire libraries, this was the single aspect I've been most worried about. How to make these libraries come alive the like SA demos. High value. More, please!
Amazing video Paul! Super excited to see another legend on RUclips!
Thank you!
Hey Chris. Where have you been?
Paul Thomson Nice to see your own RUclips channel.
Been looking all over the internet for this! Thanks so much !
Fantastic! Im so happy that we have two different sources of great musician advice now! Subscribed and i hope to see more!
Thanks Jason!
Brilliant video, Paul! Great tips. 😁👍🏻
Thanks Jode!
Excellent stuff, can’t wait
Thanks Jim!
Thanks for sharing this.
Very, very useful video indeed! Some major jigsaw pieces right there, definitely going to be applying these tips in future.
Also fantastic to see that you've started your own channel. If I could add my own suggestions for content, as a fellow BT fan, I'd love to know if/how his music has influenced your own work. Who are your biggest musical influences and who would you suggest for an 'essential listening' list? Also, any information on the business side of being a composer would be much appreciated.
Hi there and thank you! Wow a deep question.. well - check out the playlist update I just did for Michael Price over at Contemplative Classical - (spotify) - theres some great stuff in there - my influences are all over the place - BT of course, Ravel, Hans Zimmer, John Corigliano, John Adams, John Powell - all the Johns! - Debussy, Howells, Finzi and Parry - thats a good starter pack I reckon!
Cheers Paul, there are some names there whose music I don't know, so I'll enjoy having a listen to those. Always good to have new music to check out!
Unreal. This has helped so much!
Thanks Paul. Just the issue I was struggling with as I start using Symphonic Strings fro Spitfire.
Thank you so much Paul - very useful video!
Thank you so much Paul! This is exactly what I need right now.. it is easier for me to draw than to play or I can control only dynamics while playing.. need to practice
So glad you have your own channel now. Let's get to learning. Thank you!
Hi Paul, same here :D I am Super Happy, that you started this Channel, Looking forward to follow you around!
Yaay!! Good to see your on your own channel.
What I miss is those mock-ups you used to do on the Spitfire channel, so I would love to see you take one of your compositions and do a mock-up from scratch, maybe a series? Cheers man!
Peter Scartabello Thanks Peter - great idea - it’s on the list!
Great video, thank you! If you could, in the near future, make a similar kind focusing on Midi CC for Brass, that would be awesome. Cheers!
Will do Geraldo!
Paul Thomson Thank you!
Thanks for starting up your YT channel, Paul, really appreciate it! Also, thanks for showing different MIDI CC techniques, the "coming into a musical phrase" really is crucial, I believe. Can we expect a similar video for brass and woodwinds? I remember that in your SSB walkthrough video you advised not to apply Expression, or it would make the brass sound too sinthy
Musical Wizardry - Marco Iannello thanks Marco! Yes WW and Brass coming - slightly different techniques for those!
@@PaulThomsonMusic looking forward to them, cheers in advance
You are an excellent teacher, thank you so much for this great tutorial!
So excited to see you joining the vlog world!
Really excellent Paul!
Your illustrations are fantastic. Your ideas even penetrated my thick skull!
Looking forward to more.
Right On!
Great and helpful video, thanks for this!
By the way, Studio Strings is one of the greatest string libraries i have ever heard, in my humble opinion.
Very organic and natural sound!
Especially the legato patches!
I also like these individual patches, very gentle to the RAM managment.
For legato, i use the same Fader for vibrato and dynamic control very often, so the vibrato ,,follows " the dynamic sound.
Greetings from Germany :)
Something I would be very interested in would be to see how you put together, for example, a section of Strings and how you go about this using articulations on separate tracks because it always feels like I am building music and it can become very finicky going between different String shorts on different tracks. Also there's the use of TM patches for variation. To be honest, I have a ton of questions so I'll just stop here and hopefully not being incredibly annoying! Haha!
Great idea Luke - I'll show the process of how I write a track in a video!
Paul Thomson Amazing! Thanks! Can’t wait!
Hi Paul, thank you so much for sharing these tips. I'm just starting out with Albion One and have been looking for help on Midi CC to create realism in my music. Thanks and now time to practice with the sliders!
Amazing to get what seemed like such a mystery sorted in a few minutes . Thanks Paul. I can't seem to find a controller that is separate from a keyboard though.. one that is between my keyboard and the Rubix 22 I use to connect to the iMac and LogicProX.
Thanks Nick! There are quite a few - search 'midi fader box' - from simple ones like the Palette gear through to more complex ones with faders and lots of knobs as well.
🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Very useful.
Thanks and excellent video Paul. Excited to see what other videos you create!
How to bring out the magic in your samples explained, thanks Paul.
This is a hiddem gem. Thank you
This is an amazing tutorial. Thank you!
Great job, Paul, and wonderfully clear and precise, as always. I love that Physis keyboard you're using. Too bad they don't ship to the USA. Keep up the great work, both you and Christian and your team. Go Spitfire! ; )
Love the video - someone's finally speaking to what I need to do thank you! Now I just need to learn how actually to connect the Spitfire (BBCO Pro) sounds to the keyboard. And do you have an opinion about a keyboard with aftertouch as an addition to sliders? Sorry to bother with questions but you're the guy!~ WG
Thanks! Aftertouch can be great especially for 'fast' variations, like introducing LFO into a synth lead sound on specific notes. However it is a bit imprecise for controlling orchestral sounds, and that can make them sound more synthy - not necessarily a bad thing depending on your style and what you're trying to achieve! But sliders are the way to get the more gradual and detailed response.
@@PaulThomsonMusic Thanks Paul that's what I was thinking and I am only going for precise orchestral composing so will stick with sliders. Synthy = yucky! :)
@@PaulThomsonMusic I am trying hard to be respectful of your time your videos are just great. If you know of any people near your knowledge level who do seminars or lessons for deeper dives kindly let me know I'm happy to pay entrance lol. Best wishes to you! BG
Thanks Paul. Really useful tips. I’d love to see how you go about constructing a track next. Do you start from scratch or do you use a template? Every professional sportsperson has a coach and if you could be the coach to composers on this channel that would be incredibly helpful and motivational. Thanks again!
Peter Holt thanks Peter - great idea - I’ll address that in a future film!
OH my gosh! That was SO helpful!
Great video!
Thank you for this useful lesson. Would you be able to do something similar with woodwinds or brass instruments?
You missed the possibility of playing in the midi cc after the fact of recording the notes i.e. not having to draw in... unacceptable lack of attention to detail! Just kidding... watched your reverb video, probably the best video I have ever seen on reverb with an anechoic recording to boot... very cool. Really enjoying these videos... welcome to the fray.
Whether you are more cleverer than Christian as he claims remains to be seen though ;O)
Hey Paul, thanks for being willing to share your expertise with the community. Subscribed and will be watching ALL the content you release, just like Christians' vlog!
Thank you Paul.
Im just about to buy a new midi controller, especially for string arrangements and piano and what has to be my last keyboard.
My patient wife of 50 years has given the go ahead, but the following purchase has to be jewelry.
Loved the tutorial and can you tell me if you are happy with the feel of the bed when playing piano?
regards,Chas
Haha!! Great bargaining power!! Yes I would thoroughly recommend the Physis. It’s obviously very subjective but - this is my favorite controller - ever. Been playing controllers since 1987!
I was told to contact Spitfire about technical problems with assigning controllers to faders to control expression etc, but it's more to do with the one thing I haven't learnt yet because of not having faders available to control with, and draw the information into the midi regions like modulation that already works because I use a Fantom X8. Maybe a video can be done on how to achieve this so I can sleep at night and happy. Or would I need to contact the team to get tech help? Not sure if I need a certain midi cc controller to control spitfire audio libraries.
After rambling on because I come from an analogue background this is the one thing that I've struggled to grasp thinking it was the same as learn assignments but only got as far as finding out that it's midi cc assignment for controlling the various parameters described in this video.
Hi there - Yes it will become more apparent once you have some kind of fader interface - you program on that what you want it to send - then the DAW receives that info and tracks it all in record. Check out the Palette gear Expert Kit - and Christian has done a vlog on using that on his channel also!
@@PaulThomsonMusic saw the pallete gear in your video you called it, I checked the website out found out how to set up. Thanks ever so much.
Paul great vid…I have just got a Neova MIDI Ring Controller..and am trying to workout which cc’s to use for best effect..on strings..please can you look at it.. I think you will be impressed. I just want to understand which midi cc’s thanks
Very helpful, Paul! What's your keyboard again? I didn't quite get the name.
Thanks Susmit - its the Physis K4 from Viscount Instruments.
Thank you for this. When you say that 'by boosting the level' you can hear the effect of expression at pp. How do I set this on BBCSO Pro please?
useful? oh, yes. please more!
Hi Paul. I just recently bought Spitfire Studio Orchestra and am still struggling to make the samples sound musical so thanks for making this video. I noticed that you're using a built-in controller on your keyboard in this video but this keyboard isn't available here in Indonesia. Would you mind recommending me a controller from more popular brands (Akai, Korg, Behringer)?
Please, if i play with both hands and dont have possibility to control also controlers, can i use them like automation afterwards during playback of recorded track and hear the modulation at the same time? Thx!
What would you say is the best expression to use on short phrases? Spiccato, staccato, quick legato lines etc.
I am just a simple keyboard player, who only plays piano and synthesizers on my iPad. How can I use CCs. What do all complicated abbreviations stand for?
Hi Marnix - it stands for continuous controller - just a way of saying a knob or slider. They give you control over different ways to change the sound you’re playing.
Great tip about note starts. I’m surprised that neither you nor Christian use a foot controller (there are some really nice ones out there). With the right foot for the sustain pedal, the left foot has nothing to do. Might as well put it to work. ;)
True but as a recovering Cathedral Organ student my feet are programmed a different way! I'm too clumsy for Expression pedals!
Hi guys:
My problem is this:
I spent years and years, just creating lines on the fly
Musically all for naught
I’ve finally gotten more serious about orchestral scoring
So I’ve been writing in Sibelius. Writing the best music of my life
But I love the sounds from BBCSO.. Better than note performer, which I use with Sibelius
I want to merely import my midi score into logic loaded with BBCSO samples
And use expressions, articulations and dynamics that I written in from Sibelius
Will be BBCSO express these?? I’m hoping without a whole lot of tweaking
Thanks in advance!
Does anybody know if the korg nano studio will work with assigning cc’s in spitfire libraries like expression, dynamics, tightness in Logic Pro? Thanks
I won't underestimate CC11 anymore. ;-)
Also I noticed that you use a separate device to control dynamic, expression, etc.. what is it?
HI Julia - I'm using sliders on my controller keyboard which is a Physis K4. Highly recommend it!
May I ask, what is that mic you are using for this video?
Luke Johnson looks like your standard EV re20!
Yes - RE20 - great on axis drops off quick off axis!
Thanks. I'm currently looking for one which is why I asked. Cheers man.
What are those headphones?
Are you a string player by any chance. Paul?
Helpful vid. I am in the ridiculously tricky position of having the Symphonic collection in the basket, but am having trouble committing the thick end of £2k - this tutorial vid didn't help my cause!!! Sorry, kids... porridge this month...
Here is a PRO TIP: If you want to ever REPLICATE real instruments DIGITALLY then approach it like you would learning that instrument in real life - ONE to TWO lessons from FIVERR with a teacher of that instrument will make like a 180 degree difference in how good you become at "MIDI-ing" this instrument. The key questions here in first lessons should ALL BE about DYNAMICS - ask the teacher to constantly talk about how you would ATTACK certain types of musical phrases and pay close attention to the characteristic of that attack does it always have a instant attack constantly or like most instruments there is always a fast attack then instant drop in volume as you are sustating it?
Then lesson two should be ALL ABOUT articulations - especially vibrato - ask to show different examples of WHEN vibrato is played and to WHAT EXTENT.
Then NOW go back to your VST and try to approach the instrument the same way your teacher did - attack it and sustain it like the real instrument and you MUST MUST have sliders on dynamics on vibrato they are crucial to any instrument - they r literally PART of the instrument so its crazy how most people play VST solely on the keys with NO dynamics or vibrato or they go for some like one stop shop fits all filter to add fake vibrato at random points or any of those "HUMANIZE" features which wont work for most instruments.
So 1 or 2 lessons learning the REAL INSTRUMENT will change EVERYTHING for you PLUS you get to understand the beauty and uniquness of the instrument you are choosing to play
Love this!!! It’s one of the great benefits to music college for anyone lucky enough - spend as much time as possible chatting to your fellow students about their instrument.. totally invaluable
@@PaulThomsonMusic OR you can also use FIVERR its sooo cheap and undervalued, you can get like a lesson with a real 20 year experienced violinst for like 15 dollars man its crazyyy! have your questions written down and get the REAL DEAL 1 on 1 to show you EXACTLY what you want to know to understands the nuances of that instrument even more!
Very disorienting to hear that voice at the beginning of a video without the first words being "Hi, this is Paul Thomson..."
In all seriousness very excited for the channel. I see a patch bay there, and I would love to see a future video on how you integrate your analog outboard with your software.
Haha! Thanks Dan - another great idea for a video!