Old 05-17-2020, 01:48 AM   #1
Boupo
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Default Reaper + Roland + EastWest = New Track

My new track "Sweet Surrender" made using Roland Fantom patches and EastWest instruments, in Reaper.

First time using a human voice VST. Does it work?



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_J0L5Xk882k

Would love some feedback. Thanks!

Boupo

Last edited by Boupo; 05-17-2020 at 09:05 PM.
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Old 05-21-2020, 10:53 AM   #2
kindafishy
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You know, this is not a style that I normally listen to (I am decidedly driven towards traditional acoustic or electric instruments), but I felt engaged when the track started and I stayed until the end.

Nice melody and pulse/groove/flow throughout.

I'm not qualified to comment on the voice VST effectiveness, but I liked what I heard, so from the perspective of someone who doesn't know anything, it certainly works.
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Old 05-23-2020, 02:44 AM   #3
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You know, this is not a style that I normally listen to (I am decidedly driven towards traditional acoustic or electric instruments), but I felt engaged when the track started and I stayed until the end.

Nice melody and pulse/groove/flow throughout.

I'm not qualified to comment on the voice VST effectiveness, but I liked what I heard, so from the perspective of someone who doesn't know anything, it certainly works.

Thanks for your time and feedback 'kindafishy'. Much appreciated! Very pleased you liked it. I guess in music that's all the qualification that matters.
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Old 05-23-2020, 06:58 AM   #4
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The voice thing is really sharp at many parts, and also scoops into notes in a weird way. Maybe see if those two can be addressed.
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Old 05-23-2020, 09:58 PM   #5
DaniloVillanova
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I like the composition, the melody is pretty cool and the bass rythhm is cool too. Maybe the mix is a bit rough, that harp type sound is a bit too present and the choir is a bit too much on the background. Thanks for sharing!
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Old 05-24-2020, 02:13 PM   #6
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The voice thing is really sharp at many parts, and also scoops into notes in a weird way. Maybe see if those two can be addressed.
Many thanks, Fergler! Useful feedback. You're right - the voice is a bit piercing in some instances. I don't know what to do about it, other than lowering the track volume. But then it gets overpowered by the other instruments. If you have any tips on what to do, or point to some tool, I'll be grateful - still new to this. When you say "scoops", do you mean the note attack is too aggressive?

Thanks again!
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Old 05-24-2020, 02:21 PM   #7
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Originally Posted by DaniloVillanova View Post
I like the composition, the melody is pretty cool and the bass rythhm is cool too. Maybe the mix is a bit rough, that harp type sound is a bit too present and the choir is a bit too much on the background. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for your encouraging comment "DaniloVillanova". Very pleased you like it. Yes, still new to recording and mixing, and lots to learn about everything really. Noted about the harp and choir - good feedback.

Thanks for listening!
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Old 07-20-2020, 07:52 AM   #8
COBI
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Default Which EWQL instruments are you using?

I've been using the EWQL choir libraries for a few years now (different kind of music entirely), and what I can tell you is that the means of controlling the levels of both volume and intensity varies according to the voice instruments used.

You had said, "...You're right - the voice is a bit piercing in some instances. I don't know what to do about it, other than lowering the track volume. But then it gets overpowered by the other instruments. If you have any tips on what to do, or point to some tool, I'll be grateful". I don't promise I can help with the voice balancing, but if you'll let me know what libraries you used, I might be able to give you a couple suggestions. All of the EWQL choir/vocal libraries can be pretty daunting to learn...

BTW, I also do not generally listen much to this style of music, but I pretty much agree with what "kindafishy" had to say about it. And FWIW, the harp didn't disturb me much, because stylistically, it seems to fit in with everything else you have going at that point.
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Old 07-22-2020, 09:08 PM   #9
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Originally Posted by COBI View Post
I've been using the EWQL choir libraries for a few years now (different kind of music entirely), and what I can tell you is that the means of controlling the levels of both volume and intensity varies according to the voice instruments used.

You had said, "...You're right - the voice is a bit piercing in some instances. I don't know what to do about it, other than lowering the track volume. But then it gets overpowered by the other instruments. If you have any tips on what to do, or point to some tool, I'll be grateful". I don't promise I can help with the voice balancing, but if you'll let me know what libraries you used, I might be able to give you a couple suggestions. All of the EWQL choir/vocal libraries can be pretty daunting to learn...

BTW, I also do not generally listen much to this style of music, but I pretty much agree with what "kindafishy" had to say about it. And FWIW, the harp didn't disturb me much, because stylistically, it seems to fit in with everything else you have going at that point.
Many thanks, COBI. I'm still learning the basics of mixing, and still experimenting with different musical styles, so comments and feedback like yours are most welcomed.

The Eastwest voice is from their Voices of Soul package, and I also use EW Hollywood Strings for the string run. All other instruments, including the chorus, are patches in the Roland Fantom.

Any tips you may have will be appreciated. Cheers!
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Old 08-07-2020, 08:22 PM   #10
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I've been using the EWQL choir libraries for a few years now (different kind of music entirely)
So, all your lyrics are entered in 'WordBuilder'?

I just bought the EWQL Symphonic Choir software. Apparently I was exceedingly GULLIBLE, thinking the lyrics entered in the DAW (or notation software) host would get rendered by EWQL. Man, it was a harsh awakening to discover all lyrics would have to be re-entered into WordBuilder, not to mention the considerable phonetic massage that would be needed.

Unless I've not yet discovered some other way of getting lyric-sung synthetic voices.
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Old 08-07-2020, 08:58 PM   #11
COBI
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So, all your lyrics are entered in 'WordBuilder'?

I just bought the EWQL Symphonic Choir software. Apparently I was exceedingly GULLIBLE, thinking the lyrics entered in the DAW (or notation software) host would get rendered by EWQL. Man, it was a harsh awakening to discover all lyrics would have to be re-entered into WordBuilder, not to mention the considerable phonetic massage that would be needed.

Unless I've not yet discovered some other way of getting lyric-sung synthetic voices.
I'm not sure where or how you might have got the idea that the lyrics could be entered into your DAW or notation software and would automatically be picked up by the EWQL rendering engine (PLAY) and translated into sung lyrics. [Probably the technology will get there some day, but I think that day is still a ways off...] EWQL does not make that claim in any of their advertising, and their trailers very clearly show the process involved (even if they DO make it appear a little easier than it actually is).

I guess it depends on what you're after. On the one hand, I don't know of ANY application that can do what you apparently expected the EWQL vocal libraries to do. On the other hand, I also don't know of any other application that can do what the EWQL vocal libraries (with WordBuilder) can do.

Yes, it takes a little time and effort to learn how to use WordBuilder effectively, but once you do, the results can be quite remarkable. Is it worth the time and effort it takes? Only you can decide that for yourself. For myself, yeah, it is definitely worth it because of the terrific demos I can generate.

[And for those of us old enough to remember the thrill of hearing the first "polyphonic" synthesizers and the incredible "vocal reproduction" of instruments like the Mellotron, just to be where we are now is quite an incredible accomplishment! Maybe that fact is what makes the time and effort all worth it for me...]
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