Horn section

[Alex_C]

Any thoughts on making a somewhat great sounding pop music horn section with EXPAND ?
Is it possible.
I have basically tried to combine a couple of EXPAND presets
but it sounds like horns in a can.
Do I maybe need to tweak/automate some of the controls to give it
a more authentic sound.

Thanks in advance.
Alex

[daeron80]

There are some better samples available (free) for Structure (including Free). Search the AIR blog.

Not sure your level of expertise - you may already know this - but it makes a huge difference to arrange them in horny ways. You know, be careful not to play them as if they were keyboard sounds. Listen carefully to Tower of Power, Earth Wind and Fire, and such, and learn the schtick.

I was in a music store once where this really redneckish guy was asking which synth had a good saxophone sound in it. So I pointed him to one, called up a patch, and did a little saxy deedling. His face lights up, and he steps up and starts playing honkytonk style piano stuff on it. Of course, it sounded like a train wreck, and anything but like sax! Boy was he disappointed.

[Keybeeetsss]

I agree 100% with Dave!... U hav to think as a horn "writer|arranger" otherwise it jus sounds like cheesy keyboard horns & of course "Samples" & not sounds, play a big part as well...

[albee1952]

Agreed. Sometimes, you can add a real sax in there and it adds a certain "quality" that makes the whole thing sound real(but it boils down to playing the parts the right way and using good samples).

[elicious]

one more note.
if you want to emulate, say, a 4 part section
(bone, sax, 2 trumpets)
play each part separately, meaning, 4 x...
also, if you want to dbl the part,
play it 4 more x.

b.o.l.
e

e.p.s. oh, and be afraid, very afraid of quantizing...

[daeron80]

Originally Posted by elicious

oh, and be afraid, very afraid of quantizing...

Machines make lousy musicians, don't they?

[msawitzke]

Originally Posted by daeron80

There are some better samples available (free) for Structure (including Free). Search the AIR blog.

Not sure your level of expertise - you may already know this - but it makes a huge difference to arrange them in horny ways. You know, be careful not to play them as if they were keyboard sounds. Listen carefully to Tower of Power, Earth Wind and Fire, and such, and learn the schtick.

I was in a music store once where this really redneckish guy was asking which synth had a good saxophone sound in it. So I pointed him to one, called up a patch, and did a little saxy deedling. His face lights up, and he steps up and starts playing honkytonk style piano stuff on it. Of course, it sounded like a train wreck, and anything but like sax! Boy was he disappointed.

Any specific patches you like? I use the Band Horns in Kontakt 4 and they have a certain quality to them that is kinda nice, but I have to work them hard to get them to sounds remotely realistic. Wouldn't mind some more options for funk, jazz, pop horn sections...

[Bender]

what really bugs me is when the soft instrument is played past it's range on a 88 note midi keyboard. If you are deliberately going for it cool but hearing certain instruments at two octaves above it's range can make a horn section sound fake.
Knowing how to write good horn part harmony is really important.

[Alex_C]

Great input.
Thank you very much.

[daeron80]

Originally Posted by msawitzke

Any specific patches you like?

It's all in what you're trying to do with it at the moment. Variety is good. Honestly, one of the best synth-horn sections I ever made was with a Proteus 2 doing most of the parts, and I think a Korg T3 doing one sax line, IIRC. In Studio Vision. Ah the memories.