Balance of the Harp

Balance of the Harp In a real orchestral tutti, there’s hardly any chance for the harp to be heard. The only thing that might have a chance to cut through are quite strong and expansive glissandos, but any figuration etc. gets lost already in a mezzoforte tutti. Most...

Mockup Quality to Justify Real Orchestra

Mockup Quality to Justify Real Orchestra The quality and also availability (more sample content creators, smaller price tag) of orchestral samples has increased dramatically over the last 10-15 years and while back then they were easily to distinguish from the real...

Key Switches vs. Many Tracks

Key Switches vs. Many Tracks The majority of sample libraries nowadays rely on so-called key switches. By triggering a (usually very low) note outside of the range of the instrument, you can switch to another articulation of the same instrument (e.g. switch between...

Mock-Up Weaknesses

Mock-Up Weaknesses If you can not mock-up an instrument convincingly in a piece (that eventually will end up without recording of real instruments in a score) due to the lack of decent libraries or just out of the fact that this instrument can not be simulated...

First Chair Simulation in Mock-Ups

First Chair Simulation in Mock-Ups A good way to make loud brass chords in the same family (e.g. a triad in the trumpets) sound more realistic in mockups, is to have the top note playing with a slightly stronger dynamic than the other notes. In real orchestras, this...