Unconvincing flute/piccolo parts (orchestral)

Discuss tips, tricks, and the creative process of music creation. Post HELP threads here

Unconvincing flute/piccolo parts (orchestral)

Postby Lying Pink » 28 Apr 2013 11:00

Hey all. Currently doing some work on an orchestral track and I've run into a bit of a problem. There's a section of the piece where it builds to a loud section with the old orchestral percs, low strings combo (with some other bits of woodwind and brass in the mix too). I added some flute and pic stabs which I really want to cut through the low-end and add a bit of drama and momentum to this section, but at the moment they sound a little... soggy.
Here's the section: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ba0hb71dionbu21/fluteysection.mp3
I'm aware there are numerous other problems with the mix, the biggest being that the lows and mids aren't EQ'd and the volume balance is a little off (I just stuck a limiter on the project file to render it really) - I'm also aware that fixing these problems will probably improve the way the flutes/pics sound in the mix. But -- bearing in mind that I don't have the money to be spending on better quality orchestral sample libraries right now -- has anyone got any suggestions for improving this? Considering recording the pic part myself and overlaying it, but I haven't played the piccolo in a number of years - I'm a bit out of practice. :?
Fnord.
Soundcloud | Tumblr | Skype | YouTube | Email
/)__~
</</
User avatar
Lying Pink
 
Posts: 313
Joined: 15 Dec 2012 19:00
Location: United Kingdom
Primary: Reaper
Cutie Mark: Knees

Re: Unconvincing flute/piccolo parts (orchestral)

Postby itroitnyah » 28 Apr 2013 12:18

They sound fine to me, try mixing them properly with everything else and see if it sounds any better. Although I'm using a $100 set of headphones, so it may be very well possible that it sounds good to me because of the quality that my headphones are, lol.
Image Image I am no longer an active member. here
My studio: [List of equipment]
User avatar
itroitnyah
 
Posts: 2482
Joined: 02 Mar 2012 20:27
OS: Windows 7
Primary: FL Studio 11
Cutie Mark: Blank flank

Re: Unconvincing flute/piccolo parts (orchestral)

Postby Lying Pink » 28 Apr 2013 12:31

Ha, fair enough! Maybe I've just been working on it for so long that I'm hearing faults that aren't there. I'll polish up the mix a little more and see how it sounds. Thanks for the input!
Fnord.
Soundcloud | Tumblr | Skype | YouTube | Email
/)__~
</</
User avatar
Lying Pink
 
Posts: 313
Joined: 15 Dec 2012 19:00
Location: United Kingdom
Primary: Reaper
Cutie Mark: Knees

Re: Unconvincing flute/piccolo parts (orchestral)

Postby JSynth » 29 Apr 2013 07:39

What you are hearing is probably caused by midi limitations. I wouldn't worry about it too much, it doesn't sound bad.
https://soundcloud.com/jasper-synth/back-at-me
Jokeblue wrote:You fool. You've doomed the Spam thread to yet another, inevitable :3 spam.

My Tumblr
My YouTube
My SoundCloud

DAW: Logic Pro 9
Plugins: Sylenth, Sausage Fattener, Komplete 9, NI The Mouth, Ozone 5, Bitspeek
User avatar
JSynth
 
Posts: 726
Joined: 12 Dec 2012 10:48
Location: not in the snow anymore
OS: Not Windows
Primary: Logic 9
Cutie Mark: yo face

Re: Unconvincing flute/piccolo parts (orchestral)

Postby Lavender_Harmony » 29 Apr 2013 07:50

It sounds very recessed, and I think the major problem is that it's completely dry. Have you tried putting some reverb on it, just to flesh out the sound? You would never come across a sample that dry, even when recorded in a studio, because of the nature of the instrument, it will always reverberate around a room and the mic will pick that up.
User avatar
Lavender_Harmony
 
Posts: 751
Joined: 13 Feb 2012 18:15
Location: UK
OS: Horse OS
Primary: Not yet specified.
Cutie Mark: Blank flank

Re: Unconvincing flute/piccolo parts (orchestral)

Postby Dr_Dissonance » 29 Apr 2013 08:16

Yeah, what Lav said. Sounds very very dry. Piccolos leave that faint ringing in your ear after each note and there's none of that there!
Tubeyou
You are the hero My Little Remix deserves, not the one it needs.
So we’ll hunt you. Because you can take it. Because you’re not our hero.
You’re a silent guardian of music, a watchful protector of songs.
A doctor of dissonance.
-Phillypu
User avatar
Dr_Dissonance
 
Posts: 634
Joined: 01 Jul 2011 07:45
Location: Australia

Re: Unconvincing flute/piccolo parts (orchestral)

Postby Lying Pink » 29 Apr 2013 11:29

Thanks a lot for the advice! I added some room reverb to the woodwind samples in that section, changed the volume a little and it sounds considerably better. Now there's nothing left for me to procrastinate with, and I have to finish arranging the piece! Oh... oh actually I don't know how I feel about that.
In any case, thanks again for the tips.
Fnord.
Soundcloud | Tumblr | Skype | YouTube | Email
/)__~
</</
User avatar
Lying Pink
 
Posts: 313
Joined: 15 Dec 2012 19:00
Location: United Kingdom
Primary: Reaper
Cutie Mark: Knees


Return to Technique



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 6 guests

cron