Hi there,

I created this piece almost exactly five years ago as a MIDI mockup and have been working on it very intensively over the last few weeks. The whole thing was recorded with new and – hopefully – more realistic orchestral samples and re-arranged here and there. I would be happy to get some feedback, especially on the mix or the sound in general and what could be improved. Synthetically realizing an entire orchestra on a PC is really a science in itself (at least for me) and I must honestly admit that it took me at least two to three times as long for recording and mixing in the sequencer that for the actual composition in the notation program.

https://soundcloud.com/dustin-naegel/a-swashbucklers-fanfare-1

As a video with excerpts from both score and sequencer: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1qQsuz7TPg

Thanks for your feedback

Dustin

Very nice orchestration and composition! I did feel that some of your phrase endings were a bit too stagnate. That took me out of the experience some. 

I also felt that some of mix was a bit unclear, like the mid-to upper woodwinds. I could hear them but not very clearly. Your percussion could also have a bit more impact on the transient. Experiment with some side-chaining compression for this effect. I also felt like the overall space in your mock up could be tweaked - it didn't feel like I was in an orchestral hall hearing this. I guess a better way to say it is I felt your mix could use a bit more depth. 

But the composition was really fun and right on target! Nice job! 

Thanks a lot for your feedback, glad you like the composition :) What exactly could I do to make the phrase endings less stagnate? I played around a lot with the modulation cc for each single sustained note (with regard to the specifications of the particular library), but maybe that was not enough.

By "impact on the transient" do you mean more attack on the percussion hits or what specifically? To be honest, I didn't use any compression or limiter at all in the "mastering" process... :D but maybe I should. I compared my recording to similiar orchestral pieces and indeed: I felt there was something missing, too  ;) 

Hey, 

Happy to give input! The phrase endings didn't feel like they either grew or faded out like a live player would is all I meant. Of course, this is just my opinion and odds are you don't need to apply this kind of polish to every phrase ending. That would most likely be overkill. But in some of the longer notes, see how you can shape the phrase endings a bit more. 

Yes, the drum impacts are being buried by some of the rest of the composition. So side changing would bring down the music level just by a bit, allowing that transient to poke through the mix a bit more and then release the music to fill things up as the drum impact fades out. 

When I first started, I was like you - no compression or limiting on any of my work. But I've since learned, through other audio directors, peers and tutorials, that some of these production approaches can really help make your piece sound more full and vibrant. But remember, it's just like cooking. You don't want to over do things - over flavoring (or over producing) your work can often backfire! 

Hope that helps!

Nate

Thanks for your input, Nate :) Now I've got a good understanding what you mean. I will definetely keep that in mind when mixing and mastering my next project!