Fable Sounds Broadway Big Band

[Alan]

I got the SWAM version. It seems pretty intuitive to use after my first try with it

[Art Munson]

I use SM saxes and bone with my EVI. Real trumpet (me)
https://soundcloud.com/ebjazz/genes-big-band?in=ebjazz/sets/eric-bolvin-ne-tracks

[PolarSounds]

Great sounds and cool track!

[Alan]

Nice tune Composer of Note.

Here’s my first track with SM trumpets and saxes (trombones are me)

I’m really pleased with the sounds. This purchase will let me write stuff I never dreamed I could do without hiring session players. Maybe I’ll even sneak one through the Crucial gauntlet 🙂

[MichaelL]

Great track Alan! Perhaps make the saxes less perfect — if that makes sense. I’m thinking there should be a way to maintain the homogenous “four brothers” sound but still bring out the individual character of each “player.”

Nice work!

[MichaelL]

Same to you Composer of Notes — great track!

Question for Alan and EB — what drums are you using?

[Alan]

Thanks Michael. I put in a lot of effort (though obviously not enough) trying to humanize the saxes. I gently rode the pitch wheel on some parts, manually loosened timing of individual parts, etc. I think my undoing was the expression pedal. I don’t have very good chops yet, so when I got a take I liked, I copy/pasted the expression to the other saxes. I did manually tweak each one, but not enough.
I used Addictive Drums for k,s,h,toms. Cymbals were from Dimension Pro in Sonar Platinum.
Thanks for the feedback Michael.
Cheers

[MichaelL]

Ah…expression cc’s drive me nuts. Don’t get me wrong the saxes sound great (superb arranging btw). The one drawback with a library like Sample Modeling is that you’ve really got to pay attention to the “space.” You more or less need to create a room and then add reverb.

Maybe you did this, but try one reverb for early reflections with the tail turned off, and another reverb with that’s all tail with the ER’s turned off.

I gather you don’t like things too wet, but big band can use some ambiance.

Thanks for the drum info — are the swing patterns part of AD, or did you program them?

[Alan]

Interesting reverb tip Michael. I’ve never tried anything like that with reverb. I’ll play around with it. My knowledge of “real” mixing is minimal. I have much to learn.

The drums are all programmed from scratch.

[MichaelL]

That’s very impressive drum programming!

The sound that you got seems to be what you might experience if you were playing in that band, which I assume that you’ve experienced in a T’bone section. Think more like you’re in the audience.

You might enjoy this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=819&v=JTgeji8jQGY

If you’re going for a retro sound: https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=9&v=3mJ4dpNal_k

You can really hear the space on Krupa’s Toms.

[Art Munson]

Thanks to all that listened. I use Studio Drummer.

Eb

[Alan]

Thanks MichaelL
I can only dream of getting mixes like that MDR Band video, maybe someday. Ha
FWIW, I attempted a punchy Gordon Goodwin sound, hence the in-your-face drums. The deadline was today and the people that wanted big band tracks were happy sooo…
It’s time to put that track away and try to make the next one better. Your time and feedback are appreciated. I will heed your comment for the next one.
Cheers!

[Art Munson]

Using the EVI, I trigger all the controllers with my breath:

[Alan]

Very cool Eric! I may have to get one of those. I guess I’ll need to learn to finger a brass instrument

[MichaelL]

The deadline was today and the people that wanted big band tracks were happy sooo…

And THAT is really what matters!

[Author]

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