Dukas "L'apprenti Sorcier"

[thorrild]

I've decided to upload some files to SoundCloud, in case anyone is interested. This one is "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" by Paul Dukas. An experiment to see if Notion would choke on all the fast, sparkling music. Overall I am satisfied with the result, although the solo cello at the end sounds like a kazoo or worse. Comments are welcome...

Best wishes,
Thorrild

https://soundcloud.com/tamscloud/dukas- ... ti-sorcier

[Yves]

Fantastic!

Absolutely to me, the best sounding classical piece with Notion and Garritan samples!
congratulation!

[thorrild]

Yves,

Merci beaucoup! I really enjoyed working on it. It's amazing how Notion really shines when the orchestration is excellent to begin with.

Just for the record:
Every sound is from Notion or its expansion library, except:

Timpani (GPO)
Gran Cassa [orchestral bass drum] (GPO)

Best,
Thorrild

[fzd]

Hi,

The Notion instruments are pretty good. I use VSL but when I write a new score, I use Notion instruments.
Great job, I like the sound.
Would it be possible for you to share your Notion files (for Dukas and Wagner Tannhauser) ?
I could try to reproduce the sound.

Thanks.

All my best and respect

[idiotSavant]

Thorrild, excellent work! Very well recorded and conducted.

A few questions:

Are the Notion instruments straight up, or do you do any sound shaping with eq or compression or other effects?

That's a lot of work transcribing a score as ambitious as that into Notion (as I know from experience). Do you use a midi file as a starting point, or do you use any graphic scanning program for input? Or is it the old fashioned hard way, note by note? I've tried the first two and have come to think that the old fashioned way is about as good as any.

Keep up the great work! And thanks for sharing.

[crosati]

Really a good job!

I'm also interest to know whether Notion instruments straight up, or do you do any sound shaping.

Claudio

[thorrild]

Michael & Claudio,

Thanks for your kind words.

I used Virtual Sound Stage (from Parallax Audio) to position the instruments in the stereo image, but to my ears, that's a quite subtle adjustment... Sometimes I think it helps the 3D of the sound, at other times I can't hear it. Other than that, it's just Notion's own reverb, applied on the Master sends.

All instruments are from Notion, except the following, which are from GPO4:
Timpani
Gran Cassa
Harp
Solo Cello at the end (Reh.# 56)

I entered everything from a score downloaded as PDF from the Petrucci website (http://imslp.org).

I found that the most time was spent adjusting the dynamics, so that they never stayed the same for too long. Lots and lots of hairpins, decrescendos to ppppp, and also the invaluable articulation called "soft start," especially in the strings. And section strings are mostly con sord., whether it is in the score or not.

In the opening, I went back and forth between solo woodwinds (to get vibrato on some notes) and the duo sample (which sounds a little more convincing).

[crosati]

Thorrild, what do you mean with:

invaluable articulation called "soft start"

Is there something I missed reading the NOTION manual?
Claudio

[thorrild]

Claudio,

1. Create some string section music with a gentle, slow rhythm.
2. Select the first note and right-click: Select Notes > Articulations
3. From the resulting drop menu, select the bottom item, Soft Start.
4. A "backwards accent" symbol is placed on the note. Play the passage.

The symbol can be hidden from view using the normal procedure.
There is no keyboard shortcut for this very handy articulation, and it is not on the palette.

Best wishes,
Thorrild

[idiotSavant]

1. Create some string section music with a gentle, slow rhythm.
2. Select the first note and right-click: Select Notes > Articulations
3. From the resulting drop menu, select the bottom item, Soft Start.
4. A "backwards accent" symbol is placed on the note. Play the passage.

The symbol can be hidden from view using the normal procedure.
There is no keyboard shortcut for this very handy articulation, and it is not on the palette.

Well that's magical! Kind of like ordering "off menu" at Chipotle. I've been using Notion for over a year now. Had no idea. Makes me wonder what other magic I've been missing...