Posted
The other day I came across the Zorya album by Floex on Soundcloud again. One of my all time favourites when it comes to soothing and timeless music. It takes you to a calming safe place. Two examples:
His music inspired and influenced me a lot. Of course much of it is hand made (Thomas is a clarinet player, among other instruments) but there's also lots of electronic involved.
In order to arrange music in this mood and style, in addition to recorded performances, you'll need some fine simulated, emulated and hybrid instruments with a wide range of expression. And you have to resist the urge to add too many instruments! Less is more. I'm particularly challenged in this regard.
Here's my list so far:
- AAS (Applied Acoustics Systems) physical modelling instruments (e.g. String Studio, Chromaphone)
- NI Piano Colors (great experimental timbres and vibes)
- NI Noire (soft piano)
- SWAM clarinets, saxophones, oboes (best I've heard so far)
- NI ARKHIS by Orchestral Tools
- NI Reaktor "PRISM" additive synth (has great organic sounds)
- Whisper by Orchestral Tools (very soft wind instruments and voices)
- UVI Falcon (has some very expressive basses and lead synths)
Which instruments would you add? What are your favourite natural/emulated/ambient/crossover instruments?
Fr., 20.12.2024 - 09:29 Permalink
As I'm currently steering clear of anything Native Instruments (not because of their instruments but their corporate policy) I'd replace the NI Reaktor Prism with AAS Chromaphone and Fors Tela for great physmod/additive sounds and the NI Piano instruments with Modartt Pianoteq (lots of super-realistic keyboard and string/plucked/bell/mallet instrument models available, some included or free, mostly paid DLC, though) and some of Arturia's keyboard instruments (pianos e-pianos, clavinet, organs).
For some more experimental physical modelling, I'd throw in Physical Audio Modus and for all kinds of vastly playable and expressive sounds Dawesome Myth or its free sibling Zyklop.
My go-to instrument for any kind of expressive synthetic lead is u-he Diva.
Fr., 20.12.2024 - 12:13 Permalink
I still love my radical technologies spectralis and access virus Ti synths, but when working "totally in the box", tend to use omnisphere a lot, been saving for their keyscape too which has some lovely piano sounds. Also make a lot of use of the standard ableton instruments, just cause they "are there".
