[Carles]

Thank Buzz!

”had my orchestral tracks and everyone thought they were great etc. Put them out there in an exclusive library, even did edits 30, 60, stingers and …crickets. Not one sale.”
Exactly the same thing.

”Then started to look at the trailer format. didn’t go the whole epic thing, still kept them orchestral and…sales.”
That sounds optimistic. If is more a matter of format rather than “modern epicness” I could give a try, even introducing some synths is okay to me as far as I can skip that so abused color/pattern that I’m finding so cheese (you know what I mean).

”The bottom line is no matter how good your stuff is, if it doesn’t meet the current needs or follow a existing and working formula then don’t loose your day job. Another thing is Carles as good as you are there are many more just like you around the corner and the top tier libraries know that all too well. All I’ve been told when asking the same question is network, but it’s hard to do when everything comes out of the US or UK. I guess it comes down to luck and persistence in the end”

And that’s the discouraging reality unfortunately. Also no network and neither US or UK here, so only good luck will tell (persistence unfortunately is not an option, mind wise music is refreshing to me but physically speaking is literally killing my health).
Indeed I keep my fingers crossed :S

[Carles]

Thanks Musicmatters!

“if you don’t mind sharing your virtual instrument selections”

Sure thing, it’s a relatively simple template and a variant of it.
– Woodwinds are mostly VSL with additional soloist from BWW (1st flute) BWW Exp B (oboe and English horn) and again another flute (from the old EWQL Symphonic Orchestra).
– Brass is mostly Hollywood Brass and Spitfire BML with some contributions from other libraries as necessary, but usually works fine with the former
– Percussion is mostly Spitfire Redux, but also with some important contributions (to me, as a matter of personal taste) from other libraries.
– Strings are the most complex part because I’m layering libraries very often. The base sound comes from Spitfire Mural and the detail sometimes from another ensemble library but dry (VSL, LASS) and practically always also 1-2 layers from solo strings (VSL, Spitfire).

The template variant is very similar to the above but the strings base-sound is coming from Hollywood Strings.

[Carles]

Thanks Mark! (btw I’m only 5 years in NZ so far but surely I’ll miss it the day I’ll leave).

I think I get what you mean. My tracks are ready for 30 and 60 sec cuts, (although it requires myself doing that via midi in many cases) but based on what you say I see that’s not a matter of timing only but mostly structure/style.

That’s certainly no good news for me because trailer music is precisely what I’m trying to avoid (meaning that style where all pieces sound like the same no matter who wrote it, you know what I mean, that particular “epicness” heard nowadays even on toilet paper advertisements).

But is true that I have to listen more what’s in the trailer libraries. Perhaps not all trailer music have to follow exactly -that- sonic scheme.
No problem with the structure part of it, is -that- sound what I cannot digest very well as between pieces there are no variances in color, or dynamic or anything but always replicas of somebody else’s sonic formula, which is fine when you listen for the 200 first times, but really boring and fatiguing to me after that. Ironically given my too traditional writing, I find that so called “modern music” cheese as hell!

Regarding the classics, sure, never intended as a profitable thing (it takes too long to produce any detailed piece) just trying to monetize what
have been my practices (learning/practicing is the only reason for producing these).

What’s a pity is that feels like the only way to go if you want to do orchestral stuff has to be writing that “epic” trailer music only and I barely can consider that as orchestral 🙁
On the other hand I know people making a living by writing orchestral fantasy only, but to achieve that is compulsory to have tracks in the very top libraries and I’d need truly a miracle to achieve that as there is no manner that they will listen to my stuff first, and later that they will like it and consider it profitable, so in a few words, it won’t happen.
I know 99% sure that I will give up at some point. I know that stop writing music will break my heart but I have no many options. Is not a matter of willingness only but also a health matter.
My day job at Weta Digital is very time-demanding and I have to write music by the night after 10-14 working hours up to 3:30 AM, so I’m living always exhaust and sleepy, which is still fine but what’s beyond my control is that my immune system begins to fall apart because the lack of rest and sleeping and I’m having some issues already. The only formula to have some rest is leaving my musical activity completely (even like this still remain very long working days!).

I know that trying to write music full time is a lost battle for me, but I love music so much… I have to try to give a last push before giving up.

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