The Quest (conceptual stage) - Case Study

I always admire your work. This is certainly no exception. I really like the new section you added. Love it when you get to the juicy harmonies at 1:20. Marvelous trombone work in the last 30 seconds.

In my opinion you could tighten up the timing for the entire piece. I know you want to preserve the human performance, but right now it is just a bit too close to sloppy. Also the balance needs some work in the first 45 seconds. I think you need to bring out the melody a bit more probably by pulling down everything else a little bit. Hope you don't mind my offering a few things to think about. It is wonderful work.

 

Thanks for sharing. Fun to watch it take shape.

 

EDIT: Some of the things I say here have already been noted by Paul, he ninja'd me

EDIT 2: The original embedded version requested a password, I don't know why. Suffice to say the link below leads to an MP3 file... it's not a virus.

... or is it?

https://mcalis.stackstorage.com/s/p1E2X2KRHyoYkwp

 

I realized I also forgot to explain or mention why I liked the particular section that I highlighted in my feedback. There are several reasons. The orchestration is rich and lush but without losing any clarity in presenting the ideas, there's also plenty contrast between low/high instruments and various rhythms and the flow from each idea to the next is absolutely seamless. Lastly, it's also the most cohesive sounding section in the entire piece. Thought I'd clarify that!

Moreover, I hope I don't come across as too pretentious when I suggested you do a live recording as soon as you are able. I haven't done one yet (though I have -just strings- one coming up this summer). I do however know that Mike also swears by learning from live sessions and I have some experience working with individual players, so I am not entirely clueless when it comes to things that can be learned from working with musicians. I just feel that working with live players, even if it is just one that's overdubbing one of your pieces, is the best next step you could take at this point because you've clearly already learned how to present, develop and orchestrate ideas...so the most natural next step, I think, would be to have a check with players to discover how hard/easy your pieces are to perform, if the ranges are comfortable, etc. Most importantly however, a live session could let you know for sure if you're not overwriting.

Look, I wouldn't know if you are overwriting, I don't think I have the authority to make such a claim, but at times I do feel you could take one or two elements out and not lose any power. That's just my opinion of course and it's not necessarily something that sticks out in your music... just something you could get some certainty on from working with live players.

 

Well, here goes nothing!

Turns out I did forget something, which is that I wholeheartedly share your sentiment regarding this community and helping each other out. I am very thankful you're sharing all those materials, allowing me to get an insight into your process. I haven't looked too much at the piano roll yet because I want to try to see if I can figure parts of it out from your template sketch, and then I can check with the piano roll.

 

Love it! I am really impressed with your ability to handle the action sections which are very exciting and marvelous orchestration. The section with flute solo at 3:30 is just delicious. Very, very well done.

Now my one critique. Obviously, your talents are awesome, but just in case it helps I offer this one thing to think about. In the slow section, starting at about 0:50 the melody sounds great, but the harmonic accompaniment seems disjointed and unconnected to what is happening in the melody. Perhaps it is just me, and if so I apologize for mentioning it. There are a number of possible ways to handle it. You could simply sustain a single harmony over a longer time frame, or use slow moving counterpoint, with a pedal bass line, or perhaps soft arpeggios in the violas and cellos. Lots of options.

I admire the fact that you are stretching out as a composer to create something of a bit more length. A longer piece gives you both a chance to say more, and to explore more of the possible ways to work with your materials. Thank you for sharing your work.

 

It's been really cool watching this evolve.

I got thrown off a bit by the run at 5:47. It felt like my turntable motor had a hiccup.

Yikes, compressor pumping at 2:20

Set the ceiling to -0,3dB or lower. Intersample clipping + conversion and you have digital clipping if you print your master (or stems) to 0.00dB.



Also, why do some of your samples have a brickwall filter at 16k, and others don't?

I see the name is "Sketch Template". Do you plan to do another mockup once you've done with composition and orchestration?

 

Brickwall limiter still cuts it at 0.00dB, which is what your track regularly peaks to. Set the main output to -0.3dB. When samples (of the signal, not audio samples) go through the Digital -> Analog conversion, they switch from "blocks" to a "smooth curve". Your DAW is displaying digital peaks. But when they're peaking at 0.00dB, here's what actually happens in the analogue domain:



As for the filter, I meant that your track has a frequency filter cutting off everything above 17kHz, except for the cymbal crash. There's really no need to do that, conversion will do it automatically. Unless you really want to go for that filtered final sound.

 

The quasi-fugue at 0:30 is so classic same with the modulation at 1:20.

it seems to me the clarinet could be set back a lot compared to where it is now; it seems to be "popping out" from the rest of the woodwinds.

At 4:50 I can definitely see a grand finale coming where you use all your themes

Regarding rhythm, I'm a little confused by:

1. The flute at 0:23. Instead of starting with 4 sixteenth notes can I suggest an 8th and two 16ths? That fits more with the dum-dee-dee dum-dee-dee flow of the piece so far.

2. The tempo change at 0:40 is a little confusing the first time listening. Not sure what could be done to clarify it more. Perhaps a pizzicato cello descending arpeggio that gradually slows down so that you are "leading" us to the new tempo?

3. Clarinet (+bassoon?) line at 1:04 - I can't understand whether this is 8th notes or triplets or something else? Doesn't seem to be on the beat.

4. There's an extra half-beat (8th note) at 1:11. Sounds like a mistake. I can see why you might want it, for the orchestration so that you can have the flutes & oboes free to play the upbeat into the next passage, but it doesn't work.

5. At 1:17 the transition is pretty rough. Maybe turn that 2/4 bar into a whole 4/4 bar of held notes.

It's exciting to watch you create a piece of this scope!