SYNTH ZONE
Visit The Bar For Casual Discussion
Topic Options
#245923 - 10/23/08 12:42 PM G-70... Best Brass Sound
leezone Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 06/24/08
Posts: 3131
to all that have the G-70
what's your favorite brass sound? meaning brass section,

i must be Picky ass hell, but i really dont like Any brass sound on G-70

they all sound , thin, weak, fake, to me.

the Brass sound i always revert to using is the one on my tiny beloved Korg XD5

what do you guys use?

Top
#245924 - 10/23/08 01:17 PM Re: G-70... Best Brass Sound
Diki Offline


Registered: 04/25/05
Posts: 14182
Loc: NW Florida
I tend to make layers for brass... I am a trombonist major, have played in brass sections all my life, and haven't found a brass patch on anything short of TOTL samples that gets it right.

The problem is, listen to most brass section samples, and you'll hear they are usually an octaved sound. In other words, there's a trumpet and a trombone, playing in octaves. Now, this is all well and good for single note lines, but the minute you hit a chord, well, there goes the realism!

In a real section, the chord would be played as an open voicing of unison notes. So the octave brass seldom works.

My current brass sound is a three sound layer... A sax sound (unison), a brass sound (unison) and a SFZ brass section (in octave) that I set up to come in a little later. Make the brass section low velocity sensitive, make the sax medium, and the SFZ Brass high. That way, at different velocities, the blend changes. and there's always a little swell on longer notes...

But the big problem, for arranger players, is that it needs to be played with open chord voicings or actually in octaves if tutti, and this is quite a hurdle for one hand! Being able to reach tenths with one hand is a definite bonus, and an aversion to close voiced chords is another.

But, when I REALLY want it to sound it's best, it's off with the arranger, and on with the SMF's. Then you've got TWO hands to spread those voicings apart when needed (you can sustain the piano chord, or whatever comp you've got, while you whip upstairs for an open voicing or two).

I've got a version of How Sweet It Is (to be loved by you) up at R-A.com that does a bit of this kind of thing. The section solo starts at 3:00. It's a bit more sax slanted in sound, but shows about the voicing thing. It's a layer of alto sax and unison brass section (only two layers - the same thing with the SFZ brass would be even better!).
http://www.roland-arranger.com/smf/index.php?topic=845.msg5019#msg5019

So, for a quick answer, I think that brass realism doesn't come from the sound, a whole lot, but more from the accuracy of voicings, which is tough with one hand!
_________________________
An arranger is just a tool. What matters is what you build with it..!

Top

Moderator:  Admin, Diki, Kerry 



Help keep Synth Zone Online