"Tripling" versus "Doubling" in Orchestration

Truthfully doubling is tripling and more. Doubling is the addition of other instruments to a musical line, color, or shape. So doubling includes tripling. But in Blockbuster Hollywood orchestration, to give the sound an unfaltering level of production quality, doubling has to be at least … “tripling”.

”...tripling sounds great. Thnks :)” - Vivian Khor, Composer and Sound Designer

It’s psychology. The mind can deduce a foreground by eliminating a background. But when you introduce a third element, it cannot separate two things since it can’t combine either of the other two into just a foreground or background category to then subtract from the rest.

And this is why at least tripling all your compositional elements, creates a presentation of them at a higher level that cannot be broken down by the mind, thus giving it an uncrumbling foundation of richness … a hallmark of a great orchestrator.

Anything less than tripling could be subject to the listeners critique of any single element’s qualities.

I like to say:

“Everything can be broken down to a triangle.”

There is no simpler complete piece of information that can be conveyed by less than a triangulation of points.

If you want your music to sound more expensive, make sure the listener cannot break it down into cheaper components. No one can hear through “triangulation”.

Mock Up Mistakes (Post #4)

Weird orchestration:

Just because it's synth doesn't give you license to throw out all the orchestration rules. It is outside of the scope of this blog to talk about orchestration but suffice it to say that improper orchestration is a great way to make your stuff sound synthy (and crappy).

I also hear a lot of two things: over-orchestrated and under-orchestrated - the first is somewhat more acceptable - but it boils down to this - if you aren't going to have it played live (and I mean by a full orchestra replacing your synth) - there is really no need to put every double known to mankind in there - just because you have the RAM for it, it will end up sounding like a pipe organ - not to mention there is an increased likely hood you will not balance the timbres properly. Under-orchestration just sounds lazy (unfortunately for us lazy people) - put some counter lines in there - some additional harmonic content provided by a unique color - something to spice things up (unless of course you need it to be bland for whatever reason).

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Common Mock Up Mistakes (post #3)

This weeks post is about the common improper use of reverb.

It's important to have an idea what your final use is going to be. Under dialogue - heavily defused music just sounds too distant.

It's vital to create different reverb settings for different sections. You need at least 2 - one for close one for far - percussion and brass just don't sound right very close/dry whereas strings lose their edge when they are too diffuse. It's a balancing act. Even more subtlies can be obtained by using more reverbs just make sure you aren't introducing phase or creating an overly diffused mix.

I highly recommend a good convolution reverb such as Altiverb, TL Space, or possibly gigapulse - but these all require tweaking. It's not that daunting - get in there and customize it!

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We're currently beta testing a new program unique to The Composer Collective. Under this program, every member of The Composer Collective is instantly approved to be on a project's "B Team" AKA: "Backup Team". You get access to the music development web office where our "A Team" members are collaborating. That's where you can read spotting notes, cues needed, director comments, listen to "A Team" members' cues, and the most exciting part is that you can upload and submit your own cues for scenes in the hopes that if the project manager approves them for client approval, that the client themselves will approve your creation. If that happens, you instantly get placed on the "A Team", and you get the benefits of your fellow "A Team" members, which on this "Laughing With Pigmies" project, include:

Screen Credit

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Right to own, control, and use your tracks in other productions or libraries

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If you are a member of The Composer Collective (for instance you are on our Opportunites mailing list), and you want to start working on the "Backup Team", email project leader EVAN EVANS now at eevans@thecomposercollective.com to receive all the materials you need to get started.

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Some Mock Up Tips (Post #2)

Use of proper articulations (and common misuses)

A) Legato patches - there are two types of legato patches: the old kind, which was basically a slow attack and a slow release and was virtually pointless and the new kind perfected by VSL. These legatos allow for fast runs as well as connected and seemingly phrased contrapuntal lines. Many other libraries have tried to emulate this technology. Often by cutting of the front of the notes and inserting some kind of legato sound algorithm. These are inferior but can work better than a regular sustain patch at least. A common misuse related to legato is using a staccato patch (only) for fast material. Staccato patches are fine if used in conjunction with legato patches but used by themselves to play fast material (such as runs) they quickly reveal an unacceptable level of synthyness. The problem is finding a patch that has enough pitch on attack - VSL's performance legatos are the key to overcoming this problem. Another tip is when switching back and forth between legatos and staccatos on the same instrument dove the two patches on the changeover and make sure there isn't a noticable patch change.

Advanced Tip for VSL Users: Use other secret legatos from VSL - they really aren't secret but I know of very few people who use these excellent samples:

1. Performance legato grace notes - the Woodwinds are sampled up to a full octave on these and are superb for flourishes and other legato lines (try it out with the flute at least!) The release on pro edition is only 4 seconds and I am not sure about what they are called in the new CUBE which I have not had much of a chance to play with but I am sure they are looped in the cube which makes them even more usable.

2. Performance Trills for fast arpeggios - The performance trills are an excellent improvement over legatos in that each interval was sampled 4-8 times - so you can do trills, fingered tremolos and arpeggios up to an interval of a third without something similar to the machine gun effect happening.

Common Mistake of the week:

Writing TO a Drum Loop

Common mistake - don't do it. Write your music first then program the drums. If you need to use a loop fine but write the music FIRST.