2 Trumpet Demos....how do they do it?

Comments

• Jacques Mathias

  November 2008 edited 8:31AM

  Hello Ed,
  
  
  
  (warning: long post and only a personal point of view)
  
  
  
  Thanks for the kind words. I will give a try on the process of helping you a bit. I guess it should be better to only comment about "Rocks" demo, which is mine. I am sure Thomas will come up with great and valuable comments to help you out to achieve great orchestral results.
  
  
  
  
  
  The polished effect you talk about is a consequence of a combination of different events/facts. It is actually i huge topic/subject, and i am afraid i couldn't give you all the information in just one "shot". There are endless experiences i would advise you go through. Although, i would highly advise you to concentrate your efforts on understanding these processes:
  
  
  
  (these days we must deal with them all, so you better understand what to do with each one of these processes' stages e)
  
  
  
  1) Producing.
  
  
  
  It is a different thing. When you produce an album you don't necessarily need to deal with arrangements, playing, mixing. You are the "mind" behind all the events. You are the brain. The one who chooses the "concept", "sonority", "direction" etc. As a practical example, let's say we are producing a Sax jazz player. He will ask you to make his sax to sound "that way", the drums must be "tight, but a little roomy" and "i don't want the arrangements to "get to much attention". Things like that. When you guys go to the first studio's session to record his performances, and he hates his sax sound through the speakers...well, you are the one who will figure out what to do. Good luck, it can be very stressful if you are dealing with people that don't have any idea of what they want.
  
  
  
  2) Arranging
  
  
  
  After the producer, the brain, already filled you with the style informations, you can start putting your hands on. Look, arranging is a process where you must understand WHAT you are going to write. It isn't about HOW, but WHAT.
  
  HOW is the technique which we are supposed to know.
  
  WHAT is the sum of the style+your personal touch. Here you can develop your own way of doing things, many people will love, many people will hate. But, nothing worst of doing things live everyone else. Be different.
  
  
  
  In a perfect situation, which seems to become rare, you will give the parts to the musicians. They would play, and IMPORTANT, ADD their personal touch into i. The musicians didn't spend their time memorizing the "phrases" that you, as an arranger have written. Their natural playing will come up with "variables" on your plan. They will make mistakes when reading the parts...and many times their mistakes will sound even better than your "plan". Keep an open mind to variables.
  
  
  
  
  
  3) Playing
  
  
  
  If you are the musician, make the best to follow the arranger's instructions. He will be very happy. Although, in many passages, you will only have a chord. No phrases. Here is where you can give your ideas a try. Try something unexpected. If it doesn't work, ok no one will die. Just try something else.
  
  
  
  4) Mixing
  
  
  
  A totally different process! Bad recordings can become classical ones! Great recordings can sound mediocre. If you let bass and drums very upfront it might be good, will give people a rhythmic feeling. You can choose a mellow guitars' chord to "refine" and give some depth...The melody (voice or whatever instrument) will play a big role. Very upfront will stands out every little detail, if drowned into the mix will sound a bit dull, but will provoke an anguish felling, which is great for Rock and many other situations. Like a friend of mine - a really great engineer - use to say, NO RULES please.
  
  
  

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  Sorry for the long post and for some obvious considerations. My attempt is to help you with a mental map:
  
  
  
  Conclusion:
  
  
  
  ED, since we will play all these roles, in a huge amount of our projects, i will advise you to follow an initial process, that you can left behind once you get used to it:
  
  
  
  1) Be the producer. Establish the concept. Give yourself some boundaries. Go deep. Choose how the drums should sound. 70's? 80's? 90's None of these options? Acoustic drums? Electronic? Why? Think and research. Learn with great recordings. and the bass? The horns? etc...
  
  
  
  2) After you have the concept and therefore some limits/boundaries, you start writing. Research about the phrases' rhythmic style, melodic style, harmonic style...Try to make it original. We know, it is almost impossible due to fact it NEEDS to sound like your project's direction's line, but try it. Do not copy. Let the ideas flow... many times it will take hours until something comes up.
  
  
  
  3) After you have an arrangement, try even to print out some parts! Go to play it! Follow the arrangement you've done. But improvise, enjoy it! Here is where your performer's side will add a touch. If you play guitar, try different timbres, amplifiers or different guitars if you have.
  
  
  
  4) Ok, you have everything recorded? Great. Now, if you don't have a deadline, try simulating a situation where you would be the engineer mixing the song! Bounce all the tracks to AUDIO. If possible, to help you out "to pretend" you are the engineer, create a new session, where you don't have any VSTi opened, only AUDIO. Here you can discover weird things. What you use to consider bad can turns out to incredible things, and vice versa.
  
  
  

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  I hope it helps you.
  
  
  
  In Rocks i have used:
  
  
  
  DRUMS from fxpansion BFD. I use always.
  
  Percussions, i have played some live.
  
  Guitars and Bass, i have played live.
  
  Voices are mine.
  
  Piano is drowned into the mix, but it is Galaxy Steinway.
  
  There is a Rhodes, i can't remember which one.
  
  There are some saxes from VSL and Super Brass Section, same with Bones.
  
  
  
  Let me know if you need more help, and good luck with your creations!
  
  
  
  Best!
  
  
  
  Jacques.
• jazzman1222

  November 2008 edited 8:31AM

  Greetings Jaques,
  
  
  
  I don´t know how to thank you enough for you prompt and informative reply. I usually get a 1 or 2 line reply when asking for help, your post should be read by everyone on this forum, considering the quality of your demos!
  
  I will be rereading this post many times and also I will check out Super Brass, as I didnt know anything about this.
  
  I can´t wait to get the Trumpet and Mr. T here in the new future, along with the new Akai EWI USB.
  
  
  
  I wish you all the success you deserve in your efforts Jaques!!
  
  Ed
  
  Acapulco
• Justus

  November 2008 edited 8:31AM

  Thanks Jaques
  
  for this insightful description.
  
  
  
  Best,
  
  Justus
• freakmod

  December 2008 edited 8:31AM

  Nice article Mr. Mathias!