Help with trip hop style strings?

O

odinnshred

Wireless Wizard!
I need some help because I'm drawing a total blank here.

I'm trying to make a similar sort of jazzy, lo-fi trip hop style string to this (@ 1:10)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2O0kuoiAm2A

I'd rather not spend money on hiring out a string section, so I'm trying to make do with the strings in Logic's exs24. Now I know that it won't end up perfect, but I'm just wondering what I can do to get it as good as possible. I'm conscious of velocity, and I know that I need to use a huge hi-pass filter. Other than this, I'm drawing a blank.

Help please?
 
It's not too hard to find a sample of a sustained string note.. You could DL a royalty free demo pack on loopmasters for no charge and find at least a dozen nice samples.
 


Three things (and you can trust me on this:))

1) portamento/glissando
2) fp cresc mf on each note/diad
3) violins only played in double octaves with VLN I taking thenupper pair and VLN II taking the lower pair (i.e. they share the middle octave). allocate 8 players to the top octave and 4 players to the middle for VLN I and 4 players to the middle and 8 players to the bottom for VLN II. Alternatively you might use the hollywood approach and call them VLNs I, II and III and allocate 8 players to each line.
 
Thanks bandcoach, I'll try to make use of portamento in the sound, and I'll look at crafting the velocities better. As for the theory side I've already written the notes I need, this is purely a production problem really.
 
Yes, but production is also about how to craft and arrange those notes - in the example you want to emulate it uses double octaves, which is why I gave you the information, not because you don't know but because others may not be able to hear it as clearly.

btw some daws allow you to enter dynamic markings and will then render the audio according to those dynamic markings (cubase is one, you can also do this with Finale and Sibelius)

to craft an fp-cresc-f you cannot do that with velocity alone. Using expression MIDI CC#11 or volume MDI CC#7 is the usual solution
 
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odinnshred said:
Thanks bandcoach, I'll try to make use of portamento in the sound, and I'll look at crafting the velocities better. As for the theory side I've already written the notes I need, this is purely a production problem really.
Click to expand...

BC isn't telling you what notes to use, but how to arrange the instruments to get a believable result. When it comes to strings, arrangement is just as important as the composition unless you want your listener hearing mud.
 
Pumpthrust said:
BC isn't telling you what notes to use, but how to arrange the instruments to get a believable result. When it comes to strings, arrangement is just as important as the composition unless you want your listener hearing mud.
Click to expand...

I know this, but I know how to arrange strings and orchestral forces. All I'm asking about is the sound design and how to get more realistic string sounds out of the exs24, because that's all I need help with.
 
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