Aggressive
Short Bow Tutorial
This
tutorial shows one way to create the familiar aggressive violin short
bow sound used in certain film scores. This tutorials use GOS strings
but will also apply to GPO strings, especially when the updates are
released with the new "Agressive" string patches.
Here
is an example of a an Agresive Short Bow sound using GOS:
Aggressive Violin mp3
How It Was Done:
Load
these instruments for the glissando:
MIDI
Channel 1 = 1st
Vln Sul Tasto mf UpDn ALT VAR1
MIDI Channel 2 = 2nd
Vln Staccato UpDn ALT VAR2
Here
is the MIDI file that was used for this tutorial: Aggressive
Violin MIDI
- Use
the 1st Vln Sul Tasto mf UpDn ALT VAR1 to provide clear definition
to the fast triplets. Automatic alternation mode in MaestroTools
is turned ON. Instrument volume (cc#7) is set to 93. Attacks are
varied slightly from note to note using cc#16. I've made one important
modification to the instrument for this application: I've eliminated
the instrument default attenuation so that it will play at a much
higher level than the default design. The modification is easy to
do: Load the 1st Violins Short Bows into the GigaStudio Instrument
Editor and double click on instrument #34 in the list on the left
of the screen. This opens the "Instrument Properties" window. Change
the "Attenuation" box to "0," click "OK," and save the .gig file.
I've used some mod wheel VAR data in this track. Care must be taken
with extremely rapid repetitions like the triplets to avoid "phasing"
artifacts when using VAR - notice that, for this reason, I have
not used it on the Eb triplets at the end of the phrase.
- To
add more body to the sound I have layered the 2nd Vln Staccato UpDn
ALT VAR2, loaded into a second MIDI channel. Auto alternation for
this instrument is turned OFF. Velocity is the key to using the
VAR2 instrument effectively in this case. Observe the changes in
velocity from note to note. This is one case where the second instrument
uses the same note data copied to a second track. Controller and
velocity data, on the other hand, is NOT identical, being tailored
to differences in the two instruments.
- If
your system allows real time application of parametric EQ use two
bands to tailor the sound of the violins. For this mp3 I used a
cut centered at 2.6khz (Q=.74, -5.5db) and a boost at 5.3khz (Q=3,
+7db). Adjust until you get the quality you require.
Adjust the level of the Sul Tasto track relative to the staccato.
Higher relative levels for the Sul Tasto will give more aggressive
results. In this mp3 I've panned the violins somewhat to the left
and added some hall reverb. Using a stage position tool like Cakewalk's
SoundStage can be even more effective if you are working on the
PC.
Logic
Audio Screenshot:
The
following Screenshot shows the tracks, port-channel assignments, instrument
names, and clarifies
the use of controllers. The left side of the screenshot shows track
layout and volume settings. The right side shows piano-roll view with
velocity and mod wheel data.
General Advice for problem-solving in specific situations:
-
Consider the 1st and 2nd violins short bows as a single pool of
articulations to draw upon. 1st and 2nd violin differentiation can
be accomplished through positioning and other techniques.
- Don't
take the instrument names too literally when trying to find solutions
to problems. Think in terms of speed of attack and quality of sound
(also independent of the loudness of an instrument).
- Use
them in layered pairs. Layering can increase the number of choices
considerably and careful adjustment of the relative levels of the
two to one another can give interesting results. Once the level
of the track is set with cc#7use automation of cc#11 for time-based
control of the relative levels, even note-by-note if necessary.
Some of the other tutorials I've prepared (arpeggio, in particular)
illustrate additional uses of layering as well.
- Use
parametric EQ to emphasize/de-emphasize the particular quality you
are after. Think of EQ as a sound-shaping tool. A good starting
point is with one center frequency set at between 2 and 4khz (basic
harshness/sweetness) and a second between 5 and 12khz ("air" and
bow noise). Often, as in the example above, I find myself using
a cut in the first and a boost in the second. These are best adjusted
in the context of the mix, not alone. For even more flexibility
they can be applied independently to each instrument of a pair -
that way it is possible to tailor particular unique qualities of
each instrument in relation to the combination of the pair.
- Once
a satisfactory combination is found you may wish to render the result
to audio. This can be both insurance and an excellent way of reducing
polyphony demands for a passage.
