Category
Aim
Technique
Requires
Effect
Layering
Multiple Instruments or Libraries
Layering different libraries can create a more appropriate sound
Simulated Tremolo or Vibrato
Pitch Automation
Pitch variations to mimic the sound of tremolo or vibrato
Simulated runs
Pitch automation/sampled Tremolo
Mimics rapid ascending or descending scale runs
Improved realism
Shaping the beginning and ending of each note mimics real performances
Alternating notes
Duplicate a track and edit every other note to simulate alternate notes or up/down bowing
Swells
Always impart a slight swell for brass and woodwind parts to mimic the instruments being played
MIDI Parameters
Always aim to have MIDI parameters separate and controlled individually
Tempo Flucations
Tempo Automation
Add slight tempo variations through a piece to add more humanising alterations
Breath Limitations
Hold your breath as playing a line writing for a brass or woodwind instrument to test if it's realistic or performable by a real player
Performance
Aim to 'play in' and perform MIDI parts to impart more humanising elements to the piece
Silence
Where an instrument doesn't crossfade completely to silence (niente), combine both Dynamics and Expression to give the effect
Rebowing
layinger different libraries can create a more appropriate Adding subtle 'dips' at the beginning of a note, or including a slight staccato patch for the attack, can simulate rebowing
Simulated Strumming
Stagger a series of successive notes with a fraction of time between the attack of each note to simuate strummed chords
Live Performance
Real instrument/performer
Include a live recorded part in conjunction with the virtual/sampled part
Layering real sections
Suitable Full Section Patch
Include a patch of a full section playing underneath individual separates to add a sense of homogeneity
Simulated Con Sordino
EQ
Using EQ to simulate a string instrument playing Con Sordino (with mutes)
Manual Con Sordino with EQ matching
EQ matching & Audio example
Using EQ matching to simulate a string instrument playing Con Sordino (with mutes)
Timbre Control
Multiple Instruments or Libraries
layinger different libraries can create a more appropriate sound
Simulated Cymbal Swells
Using individual cymbal hits in series can give the impression of a cymbal swell
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3. Articulations & Performances - Summary
Given the ever-expanding computing power and memory storage, it is unsurprising that sample library developers are continually adding and expanding the content of the libraries they are creating. One area that has consistently grown in later years compared to the earlier days of sampled instruments is that of articulations and performance techniques. Indeed, such is the wide breadth and depth of articulations performed by any given instrument, yet exemplified by a typical orchestra arrangement, that developers such as Spitfire and Orchestral Tools have taken to recording and releasing libraries separately, either section by section or by different iterations containing more articulations. This approach is very different to how the early pioneers of sample libraries sold their wares; typically by releasing an ‘all encompassing’ library such as EastWest’s Symphonic Orchestra or the much older but pioneering Garritan Personal Orchestra. Spitfire Audio, in their recent iterations of libraries, have deviated slightly and taken the ‘modular’ approach of orchestral libraries. Instead of releasing products which are aimed at containing all articulations and performances, the developer releases sections or articulation groupings separately, with all recorded in the same recording space using the same mics and techniques so as to allow users to pick and choose which specific ensembles or performance articulations they require and seamlessly combine the separate libraries together. The Orchestral Tools developer have also taken this approach, whereby the company releases a large, ‘main’ library first and follow that up with smaller ‘expansions’ of additional articulations and performance methods.
As demonstrated in the composer survey, the top influencing factor in choosing a sample library was that of the articulations included, followed closely by the playability of the library which indicates the importance that composers place on these two aspects of a library.
Articulations 3a)
Layering other sample libraries on top of others can greatly improve the richness and overall sound of a section by adding in new harmonics and performance aspects. This can also help blend various together and mask any discrepancies or shortcomings with individual libraries.
Articulations 3b)
Where an instrument or library does not have sampled or realistic tremolo or vibrato, or only contains a set, recorded amount with no user control over the speed or intensity, then the use of rapid but subtle pitch bending can be used to emulate the effects. This can be applied in most DAWs through automation of the pitch control associated to the specific MIDI channel. An added benefit of taking this approach for tremolo is that the instrument can perform the articulation in relation to the tempo. As with all things MIDI, having slight deviations in the effect and not having it too consistent or ‘perfect’ is important to mimic a real performance.
Articulations 3c)
Extreme and exaggerated use of pitch bending from one note to another at various speeds can simulate portamento. Controlling the rate of change allows for controlling the speed of the transition and how exaggerated the effect is. For a more subtle approach, the automation of the pitch can be applied to the tail end of one note which is being followed by another. The pitch automation rises or falls at the end of the first note, but is then turned off as the second note beings to play, which can result in making it sound as though the notes are joined together
Articulations 3d)
When creating simulated runs; either sampled/recorded runs or otherwise, layering a tremolo patch on top can improve the realism and help blend the notes together by masking any sense of disjointedness in the notes, which is likely to be apparent using short note patches. Depending on the speed of the tremolos and the nature of the run, a tremolo patch may suffice in creating the runs alone without using other patches. This has the added benefit of allowing the user to have custom runs that can be related to the session tempo, which pre-recorded or sampled runs do not allow for.
Articulations 3e)
In most cases every note should have a subtle decrescendo or fade out, especially at the end of a phrase. Very rarely do musicians abruptly stop playing a note at the very end. This will often be covered somewhat due to any acoustics or reverberation settings applied, however it is still important to shape the tail end of the instruments performance
Articulations 3f)
To simulate the effect of alternate notes; such as alternating the up and down bow movements on a string instrument, double a MIDI part and split it between two tracks. Apply subtle variations on one of the tracks, such as slight velocity changes or expression curves.
Figure 20. Mimicking Alternating Bow movements within MIDI Data - Taxonomy 5o (Acoustic & MIDI Orchestration for the Contemporary Composer, 2007, p142)
Articulations 3g)
The overall shaping and contouring of a performance; related to the aspects of Attack, Decay, Sustain and Release, are vitally important to the application of virtual performances. The use of the expression control should be used to create a subtle swell leading or ramping up to notes; particularly for brass instruments which requires a slight 'attack' for the performer to fully excite the instrument and reach the desired pitch. This is all the more important with samples that are already compressed or heavily normalised which developers often use to create more consistency across the samples.
Figure 21. An example of using Expression and/or Velocity to control dynamics and timbre changes of a brass instrument, taken from Mike Verta's Virtual Instrumental Tutorial. Verta talks about thinking about 'breath and bow': trying to mimic that of the characteristics and overall shaping of the performance and how the instrument is played.
Articulations 3h)
Where possible, assign different parameters to different MIDI values for even greater control, g. dynamics or velocity to a keyboards modwheel (CC 1 - Modulation) and vibrato to CC11 – Expression to allow for independent control of both elements simultaneously
Articulations i)
While note timings should naturally be made 'imperfect', i.e. slightly ahead or behind a beat, subtle fluctuations in tempo across a portion of a piece such as at a chorus or a hectic and action-packed section, can give the impression of how real musicians naturally speed up slightly in anticipation for a build-up or during a more exciting section. For example, a song following a conventional structure of verse, chorus, verse, may increase in speed slightly during the chorus, and then return to the original tempo for the following verse. Create a tempo map where the BPM gradually increases by 3 to 4 beats leading up to a crescendo, then pulls back or even slows down after a pause or during a decrescendo. Slight increases and decreases of tempo can also be used with phrases and call and responses to increase the emotion or emphasize particular motifs. ‘Think like a conductor’.
Figure 22. Manipulating the Session Tempo within Pro Tools, which was used across the mock ups and original compositions but most heavily used in Mars, the Bringer of War mock up moving between the different sections and crescendos.
Articulations 3j)
To ensure brass, woodwind and choirs are not being written for with parts too long and unrealistic, hold your breath as the part is being played. If you run out of breath before the phrase is finished, it's likely too long for a real player to perform and therefore unrealistic. The use of a hardware MIDI Breath Controller can also be used to achieve this.
Articulations 3k)
Always aim to 'play in' every line where possible, and always avoid simply copying and pasting parts where they are repeated, even across different instruments and sections. Playing in a part will help to introduce slightly variations and differences, which will not be the case if a part is replicated exactly. It is the constant deviations across a performance that is the primary factor in creating a convincing emulation. As other research in the field helps to illustrate;
Although sample-based emulations came very close to the natural sounds in terms of evaluation, missing time-variant characteristics in the steady-state phase of an instrument sound remained a shortcoming of emulation principles - (Kopiez et al., 2016)
Articulations 3l)
Most modern instrument libraries contain dynamic layers which crossfade entirely down to silence ('niente') where applicable. However it's still common to encounter libraries which neglect this level of sampling. One simple example is that in the Eastwest Hollywood Strings Library all of the string sections have this level of sampling except for the basses.
Where an instrument does not have dynamic crossfading all the way down to silence ('niente'), a combination of expression (cc11) and volume (cc7) can be employed. This can also be used to compensate where other dynamics are missing as well. Using volume as a means of dynamic shaping should be avoided whenever possible however, as it will not reflect the changing timbres that an instrument will produce as it changes dynamics.
Figure 23. Combining the use of multiple Control changes simultaneously (Acoustic & MIDI Orchestration for the Contemporary Composer, 2007, p227)
Articulations 3m)
Similar to alternate bowing on a string instrument, to simulate a rebowing or bow change sound on a sustain patch, a subtle dip in dynamics where needed can be effective. Layering in another patch such as a staccato patch very low and subtle to play just when the bow change is needed can also help. This effect would likely only be used in works where the composer specifically indicates a bow change and where it should be somewhat noticeable.
Articulations 3n)
To simulate strummed chords on fretted instruments, use very short single notes played in order tightly with only a slight time delay after each note, with a sustain used to ensure the notes continue to ring out until the next chord or as necessary. The notes can then be copied and flipped around to create an alternate strumming direction. Using the MIDI ‘hold’ or ‘sustain’ function can help to simulate the sustain of the struck strings.
Ensuring that the correct chord voicings for that particular instrument are used; e.g. doubling the notes of a chord that would be repeated on the strings of a strummed guitar, is important for imparting that extra level of realism.
The first step in creating convincing acoustic guitar parts with sampled guitars is using realistic chord voicings... What sounds good on a guitar sometimes sounds muddy when played on a keyboard. Hereʼs my rule of thumb; a sampled guitar part doesnʼt have to be something that a guitar player could actually play- it just has to sound like a guitar player could play it!
When finger-picking, guitarists will usually play the lowest note with their thumb, and play the remaining strings with their fingers. I find it useful to let my left hand play the lowest note (like the guitaristʼs thumb) and let my right hand play the remaining notes. - (Indignus.com, 2009)
Figure 24. Using single sampled guitar notes to create the impression of a strummed chord, both up and down.
Articulations 3o)
Where possible, recording a solo live instrument and layering and blending it on top of a sampled section can give the performance a more realistic feel. A solo virtual instrument can be used in place of a live player. This may be a common approach among composers, as the composer survey found that 40% use a combination of both sampled instruments and live instruments in their work, as opposed to 51% who exclusively use sample/virtual instruments and 8% who only use live instruments in their work (Appendix C – Composer Survey Q11).
Articulations 3p)
Real, live orchestral sections recorded while playing together (e.g. Violins + Violas + Cellos) will always sound homogeneous as all players are playing together. However sections recorded separately (referred to as 'striping'), even in the same room with the same equipment, won't sound as uniform for the simple fact that the players are not 'playing off' each other and blending as effectively.
When trying to simulate this sound, include a layer of a full section playing together to provide a sense of unity underneath the individual sections. (e.g. Violins + Violas + Cellos + Full Section). The Full Section patch can be lowered in volume and blended with the other sections.
Articulations 3q)
To make a string patch imitate the sound of con sordinos (with mutes), careful and specific application of a matching EQ can be relatively effective. Using a short segment of music featuring the desired sound, apply a matching EQ plugin and take a 'snapshot' of the frequency balance. Applying this frequency curve to a sampled strings patch should closely resemble the effect of the original audio recording
Articulations 3r)
The effect of mimicking con sordino can be further improved by the use of the program Melodyne and its feature of taking the harmonics of one sound and applying it to another. This can also be particularly useful to where a sample library may feature only a limited number of articulations using con sordino, g. the library features a con sordino sustain patch but no legato articulations. Using Melodyne, load in a recording of the original con sordino patch, copy its harmonics, and then 'carry over' the con sordino harmonics onto another patch, e.g. a string legato patch, thus giving the legato patch the sound of playing con sordino
Articulations 3s)
Application of the various MIDI CCs, namely expression and volume, are crucial for realising a convincing performance. The attack and release of every note should always be shaped using the mod wheel/expression to control the dynamic cross fading of the transitioning timbres.