Tips for more effective mockups with The Trumpet
Hi everyone!
Firstly, I'd just like to express my sincere thanks and appreciation for this instrument. Finally, I have an instrument which holds me up to performance standards--if I play this thing right, it'll give me amazing results every single time.
To that end, I'm turning to you all for some honest-to-goodness help. This instrument has shown me that, while I may be a decent pianist for coming up with ideas for cues, my ability to realize material in real time is way below where it needs to be.
I decided to start by having a look at the midi files that were provided with the demos, which proved helpful in showing me things that were useful in coming up with a convincing trumpet performance that I wasn't aware were necessary. (One thing I noticed, for example, is a good amount of pitch-bend, far more than I'd expected!) Would someone mind sharing some other things to be aware of that I might not have used with a traditional sample library?
Also, I've noticed a lot of folks like to use foot-controllers, and I'd like to ask about possible alternate solutions. (IE, is it possible to work in the following way: record a basic melody, then record a layer of CC11 data for dynamics, then a layer of CC1 for vibrato, then pitch bend, and so on?). The reason I ask is because I am bodily unable to use a foot-controller effectively, and wondered if I'd be able to effectively work with the instrument with a simple set up of faders and knobs?
Anyhow, hopefully my request is somewhat clear. Basically, I'd like to become much better at programming this fabulous instrument, and I'm looking for some advice about things to think about and where to start doing so.
Thanks for reading this novel!
Firstly, I'd just like to express my sincere thanks and appreciation for this instrument. Finally, I have an instrument which holds me up to performance standards--if I play this thing right, it'll give me amazing results every single time.
To that end, I'm turning to you all for some honest-to-goodness help. This instrument has shown me that, while I may be a decent pianist for coming up with ideas for cues, my ability to realize material in real time is way below where it needs to be.
I decided to start by having a look at the midi files that were provided with the demos, which proved helpful in showing me things that were useful in coming up with a convincing trumpet performance that I wasn't aware were necessary. (One thing I noticed, for example, is a good amount of pitch-bend, far more than I'd expected!) Would someone mind sharing some other things to be aware of that I might not have used with a traditional sample library?
Also, I've noticed a lot of folks like to use foot-controllers, and I'd like to ask about possible alternate solutions. (IE, is it possible to work in the following way: record a basic melody, then record a layer of CC11 data for dynamics, then a layer of CC1 for vibrato, then pitch bend, and so on?). The reason I ask is because I am bodily unable to use a foot-controller effectively, and wondered if I'd be able to effectively work with the instrument with a simple set up of faders and knobs?
Anyhow, hopefully my request is somewhat clear. Basically, I'd like to become much better at programming this fabulous instrument, and I'm looking for some advice about things to think about and where to start doing so.
Thanks for reading this novel!
Comments
just hoping I can answer a few of your questions:
Personally I would just use a sample library as best as you can do. If you like to use and handle as much controllers as possible and play your lines and melodies in realtime, that's possible, .. but if you are going for the bit by bit recording, this is of course not only possible, but almost 75% of all professional composer work like this.
It is not about live playing (when workin in the studio of course), it is about getting the best result out of "The Trumpet". Of course you can work quickly and effective when doing it all in realtime, but if you really want to take advantage of all the possibilities (how to breathe, phrasing, tongue action, expression, attack, pitch align on, several note endings with keyswitches etc.) then I would tweak it, bit by bit.
If you are interested you can listen to my new demos. You should find them in the User Demo section! Thanks and hope I could help a bit!
a good start perhaps is the following:
First select controller 25 to "60". This gives a little bit dynamics to the velocity on your keyboard and is also a good way to get realistic repetitions.
Then record the notes while playing on your keyboard and adjusting in realtime the controller 11 to control the dynamics from ppp to fff.
After this let the track play and record at the same time the vibrato where it is needed by using the ModWheel.
Then open the editor in your sequenzer and look where it is needed to edit the note lengths for the legato playing. Piano roll editor for this is the best...
It is extremly important how the velocity of any note is set!
Low velocity means slow changing from one to the next note (glissandi-effect), high velocity is very fast without any glissandi effect. So you often have to move the note-start and/or the note-end to get exactly what you want. Experiment!
Than listen to the track again and again and look what you can do with all the other controllers and keyswitches. There are so many great opportunities!
My tip is: Experiment and experiment!
After some days you will know how you can get this or that great result... .
Hope this helps a little bit.
Best,
Gunther
PS. Please note that this way is only one way to play and record the trumpet. Sometimes I use first the keyswitches while recording, and so on.... .
Gunther, your information about velocities was very useful. I take it to mean that one can essentially completely separate velocity and mod-wheel expression. (Usually, with other libraries, the two seem to be tied together, as I understood it, high velocity usually means more attack intensity.) In your statement, however, you imply that velocity ONLY controls note transitions. Using that logic, am I correct in assuming that all legato passages will have a 'middle' velocity?
(To be honest, this may not be so important, as the instrument is so playable, even without keyswitches.) I would just like to thoroughly understand how it works.
Again, thanks to both of you, and to anyone else who would like to offer their thoughts!
Best,
Steve