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Old 04-09-2014, 03:00 PM
SysExJohn SysExJohn is offline
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Join Date: Apr 2014
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Default Re: Some questions about Composer.

Hi Herbert,

Quote:
Originally Posted by herbert View Post
Hi John,
You seem to be in a similar situation, as I am. My wife Margaret is a dramatic Soprano, well trained in opera, Lieder, church music, but also sings operetta musicals and light entertainment. I have produced a lot of backing tracks for public performances and for rehearsals mainly for Margaret but also for others. We ( you and I) have the unique opportunity to tailor the backing, to suit the singer. This is an art in itself.
How interesting. It certainly is an art all of its own creating suitable 'backing tracks', although that sounds very 'karaoke' to me!
I prefer to call them 'recorded orchestral accompaniments', it sounds much more 'up market'.

Quote:
I own all current Garritan libraries and a few others. I have given up on VSThost a long time ago. My software setup is Composer, Loop midi and Bidule as the VST host. As you work with Composer, you will find that this software has a lot of depth. Though there is at least one shortcomings, from my point of view. Composer does not have a full set of CC’s. I am told that this will be corrected soon. So I hope. My way out is to use Cubase 7.5, which I have on my computer, just for the occasion, when Composer will not do.
I too own all the ARIA based Garritan libraries, and I'm well pleased with the quality of the files I can create with them. I own the Miroslav Philharmonic and a couple of the East West sample libraries, but I most consistently use Garritan.

I'm not yet a Composer user, but may well give it a trial. Until recently I've been using Mozart notation software but it is mainly designed for the printed copy not for creating playback files. I'm looking for a notation program that will take me further down the track of creating a reasonable quality MIDI file. I know that there are many at the high end of the market place but I don't want to lay out too much money for it if I can help it.

Until recently I've been using A copy of XGworks v4 to do the detailed MIDI editing, but have recently swapped to Sonar. I have a copy of v7 PE which offers a lot more, but has a relatively steep learning curve. It certainly allows editing of all the CCs.

I might take a look at Bidule as I'm pretty impressed with their ARIA player.

Quote:
Composer does not limit the instruments you can use. It is the processing power of your computer that will slow you down. In any case, using midi orchestration will require far less instruments than employing a real orchestra.
I find I can work quite well with a 2GHz core 2 duo and 4GB of RAM and a fast eSATA 2nd HDD. Of course faster with more cores and more RAM would be better but having retired, funds are not unlimited.

Other caveats with a real orchestra are availability and cost!

Quote:
Over past centuries orchestras grew in size, to cater for larger and larger audiences in larger and larger concert halls. It was not an attempt to solve the unemployment. By increasing a concert hall in size, you need to increase the volume level for the public to enjoy the concert at the back of the hall. To double the volume at the back of the concert hall, you need to employ four times as many musicians. It is different today. With an audio amplification system you only need to turn up the volume control. GPO has realistic sounding violin sections. To increase its size, you just turn up the volume level. The GPO violin section requires only one staff. Many sample instrument create a muddy sound.
With the GPO string sections I find that creating a second track with a solo violin played alongside often gives much more realism. Of course it shouldn't just be a direct copy of the section but separately articulated and at a level where it doesn't overwhelm the section, merely enhance.

I'm very pleased with the new convolution reverb in ARIA, I just wish that it were a little more programmable. I'm currently experimenting with the SIR2 reverb.

We have a small PA system which seems to provide plenty of volume within the kind of venue we get asked to perform in.

Thanks for your input.
Kind regards,
John.
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