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Keywords:
orchestra (54), Miroslav (1), Symphoni (1), electronic (268), whatever (8)
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Description:
A little something to post and celebrate my 3rd anniversary here at MacJams! Recorded in Logic Pro using Jampack 4 and MiroSlav Philhamonik. Mostly orchestral with some added electronic textures. There's no real story behind this piece, just relearning the craft of composition one step at a time.
Photo: Morning Flight - 10,000 feet above the Bay Area
Lyrics:
None
Hardware:
MacBook 2.16 GHz, iControl, Inspire 1394, Rokit RP5s, Edirol PCRA30 keyboard, Yamaha DGX500 Digital Piano, Brain, Hands
Software:
Logic 8 Studio, Jampack 4, Miroslav Philharmonik, some other stuff
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Fragments &mdash 12/20/07 - 07:11:35 PM
thats a beautiful fine piece my friend . the choir
sound give the imagenation ..but the orch and strings
just so realsitic and real ...so its all more into
neo classic .I realy enjoyed ita real celebration
piece ..thank you for sharin it !! [ Reply to This ]
Thanks for Listening &mdash 12/20/07 - 07:18:34 PM
The Choir is purposely electonified using some filters and flanging instead of just having the realistic voice sound. [ Reply to This ]
Shades of... &mdash 12/20/07 - 07:33:20 PM
Vangelis, Tomita, and classical elements to boot. Holst influences? Dynamic and punchy. Smooth and flowing. Cool and hot. Well done! [ Reply to This ]
Holst... &mdash 12/20/07 - 07:39:11 PM
Yes there is a little of him thrown in there. Mostly the orchestration technique for the strings in the third Fragment...reminiscent of Jupiter, but completely different harmonic structure. THanks for listening...you put me in good company!
--Graham [ Reply to This ]
Magnificent &mdash 12/20/07 - 08:01:43 PM
Elements of Ravel in there at times, hints of Mahler at the beginning, to my untrained ear. I found myself stopping and staring off into space here and there, hypnotized by the sounds. I would have to second Alimar's Vangelis reference, too - a plus in my book! Phenomenal piece. Very nicely done, and a fitting tribute to your anniversary. Nice work. Peace. [ Reply to This ]
Can't speak... &mdash 12/20/07 - 09:01:16 PM
for the Mahler reference, never been much of a fan. I did notice a couple of touches of the impressionists I guess. There's some pan-diatonicism and pentatonic stuff floating around in there. Thanks for the listen and comments. I'll drop by to listen to your stuff...haven't had a chance to yet. [ Reply to This ]
sounds like &mdash 12/20/07 - 09:31:03 PM
Studio of my Dreams &mdash 12/21/07 - 09:48:57 AM
I think I'm finally there! Small but fun to use and nicely integrated. Next time...something completely different! [ Reply to This ]
Excellent!! &mdash 12/21/07 - 12:48:19 AM
I definitely hear the Holst/Jupiter influence. How cool is that?!
What a tremendous composition for your 3-year mark here on MacJams.
I love the unexpected chord progressions here and there, and the addition of the electronic elements.
You have a wonderful talent for composition!
Glad you are here to share it ! :)
thank you [ Reply to This ]
Thanks! &mdash 12/21/07 - 10:01:07 AM
I always appreciate a listen from one of the MacJams masters. That string-thing in the opening of Jupiter has always been pretty cool to me, so I just wanted to see how it was constructed. It was fun to merge that into the sort of minimalist pattern that follows with the solo instruments floating around on top.
I'm glad you enjoyed listening to it. Thanks again.
--G [ Reply to This ]
And your MacBook... &mdash 12/21/07 - 06:50:11 AM
...handled all of this? That's an impressive recommendation for the MacBook...
I'm struck, as I've said before, by the clear, high quality instruments used here, and this morning I am listening on good headphones, and hearing the tremendous use of space...The panning, whatever reverb you're using, it's all adding up to a sense of instruments in acoustic space...Not 'flat' or 'canned'....
That's just the recording part...
I'm not well versed in classical music, but I love the transitions from one sort of 'movement' to another...All sorts of different characters...There's a spot in there where whatever instrument (woodwind?) is playing is just slightly shadowed by some of that choral singing, and that sounds pretty neat... You manage to blend in the very natural sounds of most of the instruments with the artificial sounds very well, and the tympani fit rather than just coming in to be bombastic and dramatic...
And yet, one misses the Mellotron...
Ed [ Reply to This ]
MacBook &mdash 12/21/07 - 09:40:59 AM
I'm amazed at what this puppy can handle. This piece using 27 tracks, all software instruments, in Logic 8. I haven't frozen any tracks, so they are all processed live.
I was able to do things like have all the ensemble strings on one track, then use keyboard panning on the EXS sampler to spread the strings out. Also, all the Miroslav sounds are coming from 1 instance of the plug-in which helps (I'm using 15 of the available 16 channels).
The sense of space you hear is really mostly balancing the levels and positions of the instruments and then running them through the built in convolution reverb in Logic Studio (Space Designer)...one of the main reasons I upgraded. It's so great having these tools now, I'm able to try out new ideas and hear what they sound like right away.
ANYWAY...Musically, there's a bunch of little themes and ideas floating around, roughly slung into three mini-movements. The influences here are kind of Stravinsky, Holst, minimalism, Debussy, and myself (I guess). Glad you liked it...I actually was thinking of replacing the choral voices with Mellotron...we shall see :-). [ Reply to This ]
Beautiful Graham &mdash 12/21/07 - 09:52:01 AM
Happy 3rd year... great way to kick off the start of your 4th... and Logic 8 is really something... I just upgraded... it was worth it just for the sound library... the samples are so superior to the stuff that came with 7... I'm finding the layout to be much more intuitive... I have to say... I was wondering how much better all thesenew sounds would come across in a composition... and you have shown me hear... your composition is rich & beautiful...and Logic 8 let you produce it unhindered by substandard sounds... i wish I would have had this when I produced "Emanuel" it would have been much more convincing
excellent [ Reply to This ]
Logic and Writing &mdash 12/21/07 - 10:12:01 AM
I noticed as well as the better sound (and Space Designer), how much more fluid it is working with the new interface. I feel like it's a real composition tool and not just a way to hear something realized.
I have to say that the solo strings and all the woodwinds actually come from Miroslav Philharmonik, which is also really intuitive and sounds great for the price (my upper limit for an orchestral library).
Glad you liked the piece. Now that it's done, on to the next! Actually I think I'm going full analog for next two piece, I want to write some music for concert band for two local schools. I will, however post the sketches here first for opinions. [ Reply to This ]
This is... &mdash 12/21/07 - 11:06:00 AM
...fantastic.
Hearing a bit of Copland in there, too. But influences doesn't mean plaguerism. This is you all the way. Very unique.
I love the way you threw the original choral theme into the next section (with the staccato) as a little reminder/wave goodbye.
Really, really impressive. Love it. [ Reply to This ]
All my favorite... &mdash 12/21/07 - 12:58:48 PM
composers are now accounted for! :-) Except for maybe Vaughn-Williams (oooh, except for the viola lines). Anyway, Guita, thanks for the careful listen, I appreciate it! [ Reply to This ]
About time! :) &mdash 12/21/07 - 11:21:02 AM
-Light, gorgeous touches of Stravinski-style orchestration and syncopation, a bit of Holst (I hear Jupiter, as well as a little "Suite for band"), and unfortunately a little too much Debussy-impressionistic neo-classical harmony for my traditional ears, but I really liked your melding of synthy "Tangerine Dream"-like elements into the orchestral writing, expertly done. The effects (flanging the chorus and altering hi-pass filters) was organic/fluid, quite mesmerizing.
-Miroslav sounds wonderful here, I must recover after just buying a new Mac Pro, so I can get that next year. So, does Miroslav plug into GarageBand 4 easily? Does it work in Leopard?
-Overall, this is a big ambitious composition, I'm quite awestruck by your work here. Excellent writing & tweaking.
-Congratulations on the 3 year MacJammiversary, I enjoy your presence immensely, and look forward to more goodies from you. Sounds like you and I both are headed down the path to score some music for performance... I look forward to hearing your progress and helping if I can.
ttfn,
Drakonis [ Reply to This ]
Orchestration... &mdash 12/21/07 - 01:13:43 PM
was always my strong suit in college. As you can hear I'm definitely influenced by that Stravinsky/Post-Impressionist mode where there are a lot of solo instruments working together. I do LOVE the Copland/American Symphonic style, just haven't figured out how to get there (yet).
I imagine there would be no problem with Miroslav in GB4 (I'm using the new Logic, and never looking back - love it), dunno about Leopard as I am sticking to Tiger on all my computers. However, you MacPro should totally Rock with this stuff...even on my MacBook, I still had processor headroom with 27 tracks going - and no track freezes.
There was a bit of tweaking (especially with effects on the Choir and Electronic Percussion tracks) but there was pretty heavy adjustments on volume curves and note velocities on all the tracks to get them to balance properly. Even some judicious adjustments to the tempo track.
Thanks for the listen Eduard, I look forward to hearing about your live performance experiences. I used to write for Symphonic Band in college, so I'm returning to my roots. Mainly, it's a chance to hear my kids play something I wrote :-).
[ Reply to This ]
Enjoyed &mdash 12/21/07 - 11:58:36 AM
the multi-facetted music that you provide here,. Nice contrast between the midi instruments and the choir. Then the cool pop percussion, like the choir especially, you really seemed inspired when you work off the choir. Nice John Tesh type feel midway, adding the avant gar-de really strengthens the tune quite a bit.
Terrific [ Reply to This ]
Choir &mdash 12/21/07 - 01:24:22 PM
Hey Bill, thanks for the comments. It's interesting that you feel that the choral section feels most inspired to you, that's really the only section that was fully played in by hand on a keyboard. The rest of the composition is a combination of keyboarding, score editing and and midi event editing.
As my keyboard skills get a bit better (and now I that I have decent monitoring at both the computer and the keyboard), I'll be playing in more live. One of the interesting differences is that when working in "scoring" mode I think more vertically across all instruments, and when playing I think more linearly. Guess it makes sense.
Oh yeah, did you really mean John Tesh? Oh well, back to the drawing board! (actually I like some of his early stuff like the Tour de France music he wrote).
--Graham [ Reply to This ]
Very cool &mdash 12/21/07 - 03:25:00 PM
Thanks EgoB &mdash 12/27/07 - 11:42:13 AM
Didn't realize till yesterday that you changed your name (to protect the innocent!) Thanks for listening in. [ Reply to This ]
right up my alley &mdash 12/21/07 - 04:40:46 PM
Beautiful contrast of light and dark; classical and modern; drama and tension. This blows my mind, the kind of complexity you always achieve... but moreso because of how much 'air' still flows through your pieces. I think you and I both like the classical/electronic juxtaposition. Fantastic production, as always. Your attention to detail is so very evident here. I'm jealous of your gear! :-) Happy 3 years, Graham. Keep up the amazing work. I'm a fan. [ Reply to This ]
Don't be jealous! &mdash 12/26/07 - 12:11:26 PM
When I hear the results you get, I'm jealous of your talent :). Glad you enjoyed the piece...sometimes I wonder if it gets too complex. I did a lot of weeding to get the texture to work better, a couple of the ensemble string sections got way to thick, so I'm glad to know that I was able to thin out the texture enough so people could hear what was going on.
Looking forward to hearing your next piece...and get _ndersore going...we need some more ambient madness! [ Reply to This ]
Sweeeet... &mdash 12/22/07 - 02:00:42 PM
.. all extremely well done. My favourite element is how well you mix classical with modern, bringing in synths .. then classical retaliates with some awesome strings, pizz and oboe?/clarinets (I guess) and timpani .. inspires me to try out this JP4.
Intricate .. and mind-blowing arrangement to my ears.
Deep bows. [ Reply to This ]
Blending... &mdash 12/26/07 - 12:20:22 PM
Always looking for that perfect blend of acoustic/orchestral and synth. Glad you liked it...I return you bows :-) [ Reply to This ]
great &mdash 12/22/07 - 02:00:56 PM
to see you post again- I've been absent a while, but looks like you've not posted something for a long while?
Hope all is well. Happy Anniversary!!!
Your kids still hangin' strong? Mine are still doing great, Jordan in violin and viola (9th grade), now Marlena on French Horn (8th grade) - it's a blast, and they amaze me, qualifying in regionals and state chairs - something else these kids.....
best regards,
. - Harold [ Reply to This ]
The Kids... &mdash 12/26/07 - 12:26:24 PM
will be blowing us away soon with their talents! My older guy wants to do a brass quintet arrangement of Money by Pink Floyd, the youger guy is now doubling on Alto Sax and Trombone. Pretty Cool. Glad to hear your kids are doing well.. Thanks for the listen.
--Graham [ Reply to This ]
Classical *intro* &mdash 12/22/07 - 07:59:16 PM
After you introduce that dance beat it's not really classical anymore, right? It has something of a film score.
But I like the fragmentary, yet cohesive, feel of this piece.
Relearning composition? Maybe I'm mellowing, but these days I try just to have fun putting something together and if the listener shares in the joy I think I've done a good job.
From that point of view you're doing quite all right: this is a joyous piece and the listener can not help but riding that wave all the way to the end.
[ Reply to This ]
What is Classical? &mdash 12/26/07 - 12:51:20 PM
Well, it isn't Classical in the "Classical" sense...hehe. But I guess we should have a genre that basically is "Orchestral." Dunno, there is definitely music out there defined in the American sense as classical that uses electro and acoustic music together. That's what I hate about genres anyway, too confining.
I know "relearning" composition may sound strange, but It's kind of like working to get you chops back after a long time away from playing. I'm not that hot of an instrumentalist, so I try to improve musically where I can. But just because I'm relearning, doesn't mean I can't have fun :).
Glad you liked the piece. BTW...really like Vermillion Cliffs, very evocative.
[ Reply to This ]
very cool &mdash 12/22/07 - 10:01:54 PM
i really like the violins, very nice. brain and hands are sometimes the best hardware. [ Reply to This ]
Violins... &mdash 12/26/07 - 12:59:02 PM
It's funny because my whole performance background is pretty much Concert Band music and electronic. But I find I really like writing for strings now. Having the Miroslav Philharmonik helps with the writing as it has some pretty nice, expressive, solo and ensemble strings, and doesn't cost too much money. JP4 also has nice ensemble strings as well...and they blend nicely.
Next piece I'm thinking, maybe no MIDI at all and recording everything live using a couple of different guitars and lots of processing...who knows? More work for the Brain and the Hands together. [ Reply to This ]
Back &mdash 12/23/07 - 02:54:28 PM
Came back for another listen. RIch musical textures here. The pieces all fit so well together, it makes for an interesting musical journey.
Thanks
Bill [ Reply to This ]
Multiple Listens! &mdash 12/26/07 - 01:13:55 PM
Couldn't ask for more than that! Thanks for coming back and giving it another listen, Bill. I appreciate it. Glad you enjoyed the music. [ Reply to This ]
inspired &mdash 12/23/07 - 07:22:55 PM
Just a minute into and I can tell you've recorded a labor of love. As well , that you've studied some of the theory behind making such great orchestrations. Nice blending of the new and the old. The electronica parts did not overwhelm the voices and each played well off the orchestral parts. The chasing lead parts were outstanding. delicate and delightful. [ Reply to This ]
Thanks! &mdash 12/26/07 - 01:19:33 PM
Glad you came by for a listen, I always appreciate you comments and opinion. Orchestration classes in college helped, but I think I've forgotten a whole lot. It's always a challenge making MIDI sound like you imagine in your head when it comes to orchestrating, but the tools are making it easier all the time. Thanks for listening! [ Reply to This ]
I think I &mdash 12/23/07 - 09:04:13 PM
can hear some Copland influence here.It builds in a way similar to "Appalachian Spring".The counterpoint section in the middle is beautiful.I imagine that it took quite a while to finish this.
Fascinating piece-very well constructed.I need to listen to this many times! [ Reply to This ]
Appalachian Spring... &mdash 12/26/07 - 02:03:30 PM
One of my all time favs. I like the way Copland handles polyphonic passages, so maybe that's kind of creeped in there :). Thanks for listening, I always appreciate your opinion (and your music!) [ Reply to This ]
impressive &mdash 12/26/07 - 11:22:28 AM
Graham, nice to meet you. Congratulations on entering your 4th year on MacJams. I'm brand new here and looking forward to hearing more. Your piece is impressive and a great example of what is possible with computer-based recording. When people make comparisons to Holst, Copland, Vangelis you must be at the top of your game. I'm downloading this track as some wonderful listening music to keep handy on my desktop for inspiration. Thanks for sharing it with us, and I look forward to listening to the rest of your collection.
Happy Holidays,
Alan
[ Reply to This ]
It's not the company you keep... &mdash 12/26/07 - 02:40:02 PM
but the company you emulate :-). Thanks for your comments and glad to be an inspiration (haven't done that since being the captain of my high school cross-country team). Looking forward to listening to more of your music...welcome aboard! [ Reply to This ]
Just lots- &mdash 12/26/07 - 01:43:20 PM
to listen to. You cover so many bases here. I like the solo instrumental lines following the tutti string/vocal sections. On my PowerBook speakers, it sounds quite natural. (When I put on the headphones, it becomes more clear that the instruments are MIDI, but very excellent MIDI). Yup, there's the 'Jupiter' reference - I hear it. I like Feter's reference to a 'celebration piece'. That's what it sounds like to me, too. [ Reply to This ]
Celebration... &mdash 12/26/07 - 03:09:10 PM
I like the sound of that too. It IS a bit of a "Pastiche" but I am happy that it captures a positive energetic sort of feeling, not always easy when living solely in the MIDI realm. Thanks for dropping in for a listen and commenting, it's always appreciated. [ Reply to This ]
angelic &mdash 12/27/07 - 08:13:49 AM
wonderscape of sound......well crafted,could'nt tell the difference if a real live orchestra was playing.....electronic choir works well too......nice use of brains and hands......bravo! [ Reply to This ]
Thanks &mdash 12/27/07 - 11:40:10 AM
Hey McB, thanks for dropping by and giving it a listen. Glad you enjoyed it! [ Reply to This ]
Fragments &mdash 12/27/07 - 07:04:40 PM
Love the transition. Sounds like Narada Michael Walden, my favorite writer..
[ Reply to This ]
Amazing results &mdash 12/28/07 - 02:02:45 AM
Graham, I am very pleased by the results you've gotten using the Miroslav. It is a great plugin, but it needs to be used correctly to reach its potential. You seem to have a very comfortable feel in doing so. The use of the instruments was very natural, the dynamics were powerful, and the mix was just right.
I am very impressed by your pulling off such an ambitious piece with the grace and finesse shown here. This was quite a project. You've succeeded, and taught us a great deal about midi arranging in the process. Congratulations. Really great work...
-Patrick [ Reply to This ]
Thanks neighbor! &mdash 12/28/07 - 12:19:53 PM
You can give yourself a pat on the back, as it was your recommendation and music that convinced me it was a good way to go. Glad you had a chance to take some time out of your schedule to give it a listen.
--G [ Reply to This ]
So many of us &mdash 12/29/07 - 11:12:05 AM
(myself included) tend to grab a hand full of those nice string and horn samples, then make a big old chord, only to create a big thick, muddy, cloudy mess.
It's great to hear someone use this package correctly.
Just excellent Bubowski
[ Reply to This ]
Hand full o's strings &mdash 12/29/07 - 03:33:13 PM
I tend to do the same thing...then I go back and cut out about half the notes (really!) so that there isn't too much overlap on notes between instruments. think of it like you planted too many flowers for them all to be appreciated as individuals so you pull out a lot of the duplicates. Anyway, glad you enjoyed the track and thanks for taking the time to comment. [ Reply to This ]
nice!! &mdash 01/05/08 - 05:48:32 PM
I can feel the power in this one. Really enjoyed listening to this with all the changes throughout. You are very talented and creative. Great job. Happy Anniversary! Easy to see why you are so popular! Thank you for sharing this. [ Reply to This ]
Thanks &mdash 01/11/08 - 03:07:17 PM
Much thanks given for this reminder of why one gets into music in the first place.
Rich, gorgeous, stunning........
[ Reply to This ]
Masterful! &mdash 02/04/08 - 10:47:45 AM
Gives us all inspiration for both making our music, as well as those who compose in the classical vein just what is possible when creativity is married to skill and tasteful arranging.
Happy anniversary!!
Doug [ Reply to This ]
Fragments &mdash 02/13/08 - 06:36:12 PM
Interesting comments about the rendering. Yea, the choir sounds different, but I think that's your intent. No midi sounds heard here, and I have 7.1 speakers. Good, high end rendering. The music is very cool...lots and lots things to hear and process from the classical to the electro and so on. They all work well together. Excellent orchestration--kept my interest all the way through. I don't think you need to 're-learn' anything. Most enjoyed! [ Reply to This ]
bangin' &mdash 03/06/08 - 02:14:19 PM
I like your use of percussion in this, and the sudden appearance of an electronic riff could seem strange, but you managed to pull it off. Great idea putting flange on the choir - I've often been tempted to add some choir, but I don't like the obviously synthesised tone. Messing it up really works well. Really enjoyed it. [ Reply to This ]
You have a knack &mdash 03/12/08 - 12:00:46 PM
for moving from full chords and harmony to really nifty sparse melodic pieces in this; along with your blending of traditional and electronic instruments it's really interesting to listen to this. You're quite talented.
-greg [ Reply to This ]
Fragments &mdash 06/10/08 - 09:32:58 PM
Beautiful. I love how you fill out that bottom register with the horns and strings every once in awhile. Perfect melding of classical composition and electronica. This is a really well put together piece of music. Definitely Holst influence. You know, I kind of feel like I heard a little Copland in there as well. This is a wonderful romp through the clouds. Very creative. Thank you! [ Reply to This ]
Cool! &mdash 06/11/08 - 05:15:39 PM
Cool creative work, nice to celebrate your 3rd anniversary. Congrats and we look forward to hear more. Very nice!
Take Care
- Yeman A. Al-Rawi [ Reply to This ]
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sound give the imagenation ..but the orch and strings
just so realsitic and real ...so its all more into
neo classic .I realy enjoyed ita real celebration
piece ..thank you for sharin it !!
[ Reply to This ]