The interaction between notation programs and virtual instruments allows musicians to make musical scores sound - long before the first rehearsal with live musicians or an orchestra. Unpleasant surprises for a live performance should be avoided - ideally.
Does the notation correspond to the sound?
The moments of surprise have been reduced but have not disappeared completely. Despite the amazing sound quality of virtual instruments, many productions suffer from a aural deficits. This is usually less due to musical material, stylistics or the quality of the mix.
Do deficits have to do with the workflow?
Deficits can often already be found when dealing with individual instruments or ensemble sounds and add up rapidly. This reduces the quality of music created. The variety of playing techniques and articulations that sound libraries offer, leads to "try" instead of the conscious "selection" of sound colors. Today's methods of work have changed significantly compared to "traditional instrumentation".
Very exaggerated: "In the past you had to study various textbooks for orchestration, read scores and listen to countless recordings, while today you can search on a computer screen through menus with countless samples and make your selection with a mouse click." |
Comment: Here can be heard the basic musical material (beats of the strings, piano, bass and clarinet motifs). The instruments start one after the other, there are no duplications. No fading effects were used. This version contains the actual basic atmosphere: piano sound above a strings surface with a woodwind motif before the ending.
playComment: The basic musical material is still present; in addition single notes have been doubled, long-held notes of violins are superimposed with faded sound variations (eg. a simple vibrato is superimposed by a non vibrato, played on another string), piano bass notes are doubled by weak pizzicati of violoncelli, etc. This kind of instrumentation can be easily realized by instrumentalists or higher quality sound libraries.
play[mouse over & click
]