Jump to content

The Composer's Thread


Justin

Recommended Posts

3 hours ago, Loert said:

An orchestral piece of music I wrote in the "spooky" style of Dukas, Lyadov, Berlioz et al. Enjoy!

 

 

Reminds me more of the "spooky" style of Elfman and Williams (Sleepy Hallow, Dracula, and Witches of Eastwick) fine nonetheless.  Dukas, Lyadov, Franck's "Le Chasseur maudit" (The Accursed Huntsman - one of the best of this genre) all spend quite a bit of time in the spooky setting without any action.  Just unsettling the listener.  If the music spends more time with the goblins, it feels more like Elfman or others exploring the bizarre ritualistic setting of the goblins of a more modern setting. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, Loert said:

An orchestral piece of music I wrote in the "spooky" style of Dukas, Lyadov, Berlioz et al. Enjoy!

 

 

 

What sample libraries did you use?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, karelm said:

Reminds me more of the "spooky" style of Elfman and Williams (Sleepy Hallow, Dracula, and Witches of Eastwick) fine nonetheless.  Dukas, Lyadov, Franck's "Le Chasseur maudit" (The Accursed Huntsman - one of the best of this genre) all spend quite a bit of time in the spooky setting without any action.  Just unsettling the listener.  If the music spends more time with the goblins, it feels more like Elfman or others exploring the bizarre ritualistic setting of the goblins of a more modern setting. 

 

Thanks. I admit I don't listen to much Elfman, but I can see what you mean with Williams of course! The real starting points for this piece were Dukas and Lyadov - not that I sought out to emulate them or any other composer specifically, but I wanted to write something which fits within "that" subgenre, whatever it is!

6 hours ago, Drew said:

 

What sample libraries did you use?

 

Pretty much all samples are Orchestral Tools Berlin Series - which is pricey of course, but ultimately worth it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, Loert said:

Pretty much all samples are Orchestral Tools Berlin Series - which is pricey of course, but ultimately worth it.

 

They look good, however I will have to stick with BBC Symphony Orchestra and CineBrass for a while and make the most out of it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

In the last days I was working on a large piece of music and had a dozen of piano sheets. Only two made it into my DAW to be orchestradet there. I finally finished these two tracks and put them together: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VQr3frFT87m63m9z7zjTapUMV0fM_5Up/view?usp=sharing

 

It's written for Darth Bane: Path Of Destruction (Chapter II) and is about the Gloom Walkers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Here is my newest compostion, for the Spitfire Audio Stargirl Scoring Competition:


This is my first time really composing action music to picture, and I am proud both that I was able to stretch out of my comfort zone, and of what I was able to come up with, even if its not perfect.

 

I tried to combine elements of some of my influences (Film composers like Williams, Shore etc., Prog/Pop/Rock bands like Genesis etc.) while still sounding like me.

 

Sounds used:

 

Spitfire Labs Harmonic Violin + Cello

 

BBCSO Discover Strings

 

ProjectSAM's Free Orchestra (for various orchestral and percussive effects, and basses and brass for the action section)

 

ARIA Player with Garritan (Timpani KS and Tremelo + Trills strings)

 

Addictive Keys Electric Piano

 

REDtron Mellotron VST

 

ARP Odyssey VST

 

@Loert

@Ludwig

@karelm

@Datameister

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

I attempted an action-y cue whilst my very slow hard drive was giving out. Reverb is a bit high for my taste, but it didn't turn out as bad as I thought it would given the circumstances. (Temp footage included)

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_-BKcQ64M0nZGUexx_NrimcqELWgxmbi

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 10/08/2021 at 12:05 PM, Grace Under Pressure said:

Here is my newest compostion, for the Spitfire Audio Stargirl Scoring Competition:


This is my first time really composing action music to picture, and I am proud both that I was able to stretch out of my comfort zone, and of what I was able to come up with, even if its not perfect.

 

I tried to combine elements of some of my influences (Film composers like Williams, Shore etc., Prog/Pop/Rock bands like Genesis etc.) while still sounding like me.

 

Sounds used:

 

Spitfire Labs Harmonic Violin + Cello

 

BBCSO Discover Strings

 

ProjectSAM's Free Orchestra (for various orchestral and percussive effects, and basses and brass for the action section)

 

ARIA Player with Garritan (Timpani KS and Tremelo + Trills strings)

 

Addictive Keys Electric Piano

 

REDtron Mellotron VST

 

ARP Odyssey VST

 

@Loert

@Ludwig

@karelm

@Datameister

Oops, sorry for the very slow response, I missed this.  Nice job!  I liked how you supported the drama, for example, the tension riser when truck can't stop in time and the relief when the bus is on the bridge.  In this type of show you can probably do that a bit more, like when the robot says "I've got it" and flies to rescue the bus, you could add a hint of heroism there, or some acknowledgement.  It's also good that you choose what you acknowledge musically and you seem to have good instinct in this.  Very good job.

11 hours ago, Manakin Skywalker said:

I attempted an action-y cue whilst my very slow hard drive was giving out. Reverb is a bit high for my taste, but it didn't turn out as bad as I thought it would given the circumstances. (Temp footage included)

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_-BKcQ64M0nZGUexx_NrimcqELWgxmbi

Very nice...there is something a bit off about the timing.  You have a climax at timecode 43:277 but it sounds a second or two early before the exterior shot.  Good musically, just needs to hold otherwise it feels like the climax arrived too soon.  Good and exciting music, try dropping the snare drum some times, if it plays throughout, it ends up reducing the effect.  I liked your Horner bells. :) Nice and epic cue.  Just needs some fine tuning on the details, but a very solid sci-fi action cue.  I could totally see this in Orville with its retro score.  I liked your Williams, Horner, Elfman touches.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 16/10/2021 at 11:07 PM, Manakin Skywalker said:

I attempted an action-y cue whilst my very slow hard drive was giving out. Reverb is a bit high for my taste, but it didn't turn out as bad as I thought it would given the circumstances. (Temp footage included)

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_-BKcQ64M0nZGUexx_NrimcqELWgxmbi

That was a lot of fun! Really enjoy your KOTOR / The Old Republic sound for this book. It really fits, and it's just nice to hear more Star Wars music in that style. 

I actually did a cover a week ago of the final swing music from the first Spider-Man film. I know the timing is a little off, strangely the YouTube video's timing is more off than my original rendered version. I would have adjusted it more if my rendered video had the timing of the YouTube version. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
On 10/07/2021 at 3:08 PM, Loert said:

An orchestral piece of music I wrote in the "spooky" style of Dukas, Lyadov, Berlioz et al. Enjoy!

 

 

This is fantastic. I absolutely love it. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 02/08/2021 at 9:51 AM, scottsinct said:

Here is my latest composition - the three minute soundtrack for the 2022 National Park Travelers Club Convention preview video:

 

Nice piece. There's a certain charm about using a vintage sounding library like this. It kind of stands out in a good way compared to the productions of many composers who all have the same Hollywood sound. And the nice thing is the majority of the general public probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference anyway, and if they could, they probably wouldn't even care. 

 

The public seems to be more interested in the composition, the song, the emotional experience more so than the sound.  The exception would be if the sound was actually distractingly bad, such as in the case of General MIDI. But thankfully your piece doesn't sound anything like GM. So if your goal is to make pleasing music for people and not for industry insiders, I think you have arrived and a more advanced sounding library probably wouldn't be necessary unless your current library lacks articulations that you need for the style of music that you're trying to do. 

 

Don't get me wrong, I like high-end sounding libraries as well. But if they're not needed (and generally they are not needed unless you're trying to impress some industry insider or classical music purist), you can often get away with a much less expensive and more efficient library that requires less computer resources, write to its strengths and still do great work that the public would enjoy.  

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
14 minutes ago, karelm said:

This is part of suite I am working on.  Just a little overture.

KE_Neb - Clyp

 

Very cool! I can hear a space traveller drifting through space dust (the "mystical" sections) and occasionally arriving at a star system (the "fanfares"). Nice ending too :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Loert said:

 

Very cool! I can hear a space traveler drifting through space dust (the "mystical" sections) and occasionally arriving at a star system (the "fanfares"). Nice ending too :D

Thanks mate!  That's exactly it but it's a band of space travelers (Guardians of the Galaxy type of thing). :) 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Recently composed two orchestral suites for my friend's fantasy graphic novel he's working. Still in early stages of development, but hopefully will get its feet off the ground some day. 

I cheated a bit on the first one, as I took inspiration from the Brother Bear opening in the beginning, and some of the orchestration from the Shmi Skywalker theme for the ending:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ddrOw3ukiX6Vk4og0sr8vfaKeFj4YpzT/view?usp=sharing

 

I think the second theme is a bit stronger, but I still took some inspiration from "Anakin's Dark Deeds" for the first half, as the scene I was thinking of when I was writing for that had a similar tone to the Revenge of the Sith one. 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vNMNdWz0NQ3xPUrdjoFOwhSGbR7xan8F/view?usp=sharing

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, superultramegaa said:

Recently composed two orchestral suites for my friend's fantasy graphic novel he's working. Still in early stages of development, but hopefully will get its feet off the ground some day. 

I cheated a bit on the first one, as I took inspiration from the Brother Bear opening in the beginning, and some of the orchestration from the Shmi Skywalker theme for the ending:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ddrOw3ukiX6Vk4og0sr8vfaKeFj4YpzT/view?usp=sharing

 

I think the second theme is a bit stronger, but I still took some inspiration from "Anakin's Dark Deeds" for the first half, as the scene I was thinking of when I was writing for that had a similar tone to the Revenge of the Sith one. 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vNMNdWz0NQ3xPUrdjoFOwhSGbR7xan8F/view?usp=sharing

I liked it!  Would sound great with a live orchestra.  Your inspiration from Shmi and Anakin's Dark Deeds are noticed structurally which is fine, but they are subtle enough that it wouldn't be noticed had you not called it out.  It would have sounded like a sci-fi/fantasy trope which my suite does as well (as did those we are influenced by).  I like the idea of you composing music based on a friends story.  Artist inspiring artist.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks! Good to know they didn't sound too much like rip-offs. If this story and/or the music ever take off in any way, I might rewrite the suites to be a bit more original. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just stumbled on this thread so only listened to the last cues and boy was I impressed by the sound quality. I also compose scores for independent short and feature films, and I always struggle when it comes to making virtual orchestral instruments sound, well… not fake as heck :D @superultramegaa nice intricate JW orchestrations, plus your choir in the second track caught me offguard, I got quite scared haha! And @karelm I really got the Guardians vibe, it kinda reminded me of the best Zimmer-y tight and modern orchestral textures (Wallfisch's Shazam for instance)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

I recently composed this pieces as part of an assignment writing interactive music for games. The inspirations for this one should be pretty obvious (there were three cues/pieces in particular that I drew a lot from), and I had a lot of fun with the orchestrations. I'm pretty happy with how it ended up!

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 01/01/2022 at 5:37 PM, karelm said:

This is the finale of a 45 minute orchestral suite I composed in November and December.  I posted part 1 of the suite earlier in this thread back in Nov 12.

KEF - Clyp

 

 

 

I really like the harp part when it comes in, and the harp glissandos sound so nice when they happen. I love the build up and chord at 2:12, feels like such an arrival point...goosebumps-inducing! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 hours ago, MrJosh said:

I really like the harp part when it comes in, and the harp glissandos sound so nice when they happen. I love the buildup and chord at 2:12, feels like such an arrival point...goosebumps-inducing! 

Thanks, man!  Harp is a lovely instrument.  You might enjoy this harp excerpt from a work I composed 10 years ago.  I was feeling a bit nostalgic as the piece had some importance to me and now is the anniversary, I've been revisiting it. Here is some of the harp excerpts from the symphonic work.  I was very lucky to have access to wonderful harpists in my orchestra.  Sometimes even having two excellent harpists so at times would revise works for two harps!  These lovely textures are mostly buried beneath huge orchestral tutties, but I really believe they provide an important part of the orchestral texture.  

 

https://clyp.it/gcilqogb

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, bruce marshall said:

Free copy to first person who correctly identifies the key #

That include me?

 

 

 

I kid....you should tell us about the piece!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

KmScreenshot_2021-12-19-15-23-42.pngFor those ' students' to wish to study the original, historic manuscript. 😎

 

14 minutes ago, MrJosh said:

That include me?

 

 

 

I kid....you should tell us about the piece!

It was written after studying counterpoint with a very demanding teacher.

I struggled all semester but by the end of class my compositions earned " superb" and " excellent".

I loved Bach above all and , as a personal exercise, tried to compose a four part fugue in his style.

It really does consist of four separate melodic lines but was beyond my technical abilities.

Nice to hear it sounds less than terrible.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, MrJosh said:

Prelude and Cool Fugue by J.S. Bruce (aka @bruce marshall)

 

Piano:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GFltO82uzfF2vg-urMvLAF6mhC53
'll

 

Please wait till a new, improved harpsichord version is downloaded.

Thank you for your patience music lovers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 04/01/2022 at 2:07 AM, karelm said:

Thanks, man!  Harp is a lovely instrument.  You might enjoy this harp excerpt from a work I composed 10 years ago.  I was feeling a bit nostalgic as the piece had some importance to me and now is the anniversary, I've been revisiting it. Here is some of the harp excerpts from the symphonic work.  I was very lucky to have access to wonderful harpists in my orchestra.  Sometimes even having two excellent harpists so at times would revise works for two harps!  These lovely textures are mostly buried beneath huge orchestral tutties, but I really believe they provide an important part of the orchestral texture.  

 

https://clyp.it/gcilqogb

 

That's nice. Have you heard Marjan Mozetich's concerto for two harps? I love it!

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 03/01/2022 at 6:07 PM, karelm said:

Thanks, man!  Harp is a lovely instrument.  You might enjoy this harp excerpt from a work I composed 10 years ago.  I was feeling a bit nostalgic as the piece had some importance to me and now is the anniversary, I've been revisiting it. Here is some of the harp excerpts from the symphonic work.  I was very lucky to have access to wonderful harpists in my orchestra.  Sometimes even having two excellent harpists so at times would revise works for two harps!  These lovely textures are mostly buried beneath huge orchestral tutties, but I really believe they provide an important part of the orchestral texture.  

 

https://clyp.it/gcilqogb

Thanks for sharing! That is really beautiful, loved hearing this. 

11 hours ago, TSMefford said:

I don't really share my compositions too often on here, because I don't get to do the more traditional orchestral work for projects I'm asked onto too much anymore.

 

This is probably not the kind of music that most here would enjoy, but what the heck. I enjoyed writing some "production music" underscore for a D&D-themed podcast recently. Enjoyed the palette they asked for enough that I wrote 11 cues (they only asked for a piece of intro music).

 

Hope someone enjoys it:

 

 

Really enjoyed all of this! It's really fun, a lot of tracks have such a fun feel to them, and I really enjoy the percussion in the 1st track. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, MrJosh said:

Thanks for sharing! That is really beautiful, loved hearing this. 

Really enjoyed all of this! It's really fun, a lot of tracks have such a fun feel to them, and I really enjoy the percussion in the 1st track. 

 

Thanks! That was the main goal. They wanted a fun blend of medieval instruments and modern sounds as well. Hopefully I delivered. They were happy with it!

 

I'm now working on a score for a True Crime documentary series. I've had to channel any "inner Hans Zimmer" that I have since they want something more...sound design based. Written about an hours or so worth of cues for that so far. Maybe I'll post some of that once it's all said and done.

 

I tell you what I had fun with the D&D Podcast underscore, but I quite miss doing the more purely orchestral based work. It's been an interesting challenge to approach different styles and get out of my comfort zone, but it is frustrating that no one really asks for the orchestral style from me anymore. It's what I really enjoy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 hours ago, MrJosh said:

Final version with improved harpsichord.

Thanks for listenin'!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said:

 

That's nice. Have you heard Marjan Mozetich's concerto for two harps? I love it!

 

 

I hadn't heard it before now but enjoyed it.  Reminds me of Howard Hanson.  Thanks for suggesting it.  Harp is a gorgeous instrument.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

This is probably the darkest work I've composed.  Loudness warning!  This is from the final minutes of a 25 minute orchestral work that was just bleak throughout, I guess I was working through some inner demons.  Scored for large orchestra and organ.  I composed it in 2011, revised it in 2015 and again in 2022 (just now), greatly expanding on it.  Hopefully I'm done with it. :) 

 

A Vision from the Waters (end) - Clyp

 

IMG_7692.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 minutes ago, karelm said:

This is probably the darkest work I've composed.  Loudness warning!  This is from the final minutes of a 25 minute orchestral work that was dark throughout, I guess I was working through some inner demons.  Scored for large orchestra and organ.  I composed it in 2011, revised it in 2015 and again in 2022 (just now), greatly expanding on it.  Hopefully I'm done with it. :) 

 

A Vision from the Waters (end) - Clyp

 

IMG_7692.jpg

Damn that build in the middle is freaking insane dude, well done! Captivating Picc. solo after as well. really really digging this piece! Is this NotePerformer?

 

I wanna hear the rest of this! I love how it walks the line between filmic sounding and concert music, much like Williams does in his own concert music! Would love to hear the rest sometime:)

 

Really colorful orchestration as well! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, D_nev said:

Damn that build in the middle is freaking insane dude, well done! Captivating Picc. solo after as well. really really digging this piece! Is this NotePerformer?

 

I wanna hear the rest of this! I love how it walks the line between filmic sounding and concert music, much like Williams does in his own concert music! Would love to hear the rest sometime:)

 

Really colorful orchestration as well! 

Thanks man!  It's loads of libraries.  Berlin Winds, Spitfire BBC Symphony, Cinesamples brass and percussion, Spitfire strings (not BBC strings), etc. Organ is Spitfire organ, the blowing is me recording myself (I'm a brass player), liquidsonics reverb, there are specialty percussion too - I forgot the bells and other instruments but let me know if you really want to know but it was a bells only library type of thing.  I got those percussion instrument specific library for several instruments.  Also true strike is used alot. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, karelm said:

Thanks man!  It's loads of libraries.  Berlin Winds, Spitfire BBC Symphony, Cinesamples brass and percussion, Spitfire strings (not BBC strings), etc. Organ is Spitfire organ, the blowing is me recording myself (I'm a brass player), liquidsonics reverb, there are specialty percussion too - I forgot the bells and other instruments but let me know if you really want to know but it was a bells only library type of thing.  I got those percussion instrument specific library for several instruments.  Also true strike is used alot. 

Awesome! It is a great mock-up and piece! I haven't used any of the Berlin stuff myself though I know they are great! I use mostly Cinematic Studio Series stuff which AMAZING if you haven't tried it! 

 

The brass sounds amazing too, very powerful indeed. 

 

I am assuming you wrote in a notation software then mocked up in a DAW? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 26/01/2022 at 5:07 PM, D_nev said:

Awesome! It is a great mock-up and piece! I haven't used any of the Berlin stuff myself though I know they are great! I use mostly Cinematic Studio Series stuff which AMAZING if you haven't tried it! 

 

The brass sounds amazing too, very powerful indeed. 

 

I am assuming you wrote in a notation software then mocked up in a DAW? 

Yes, it's fully notated.  Then mocked up.  I would add mock up is still in progress.  Hence just an excerpt.  I forgot to mention that I played in multiple parts such as vibraphone and such.  Just to give it what I hope is more life.  I know I'm forgetting stuff so take this as general summary.  Part of it is that I'm so picky so might use muted instruments from one library but lyrical instruments from a different library.  Some I loaded and used then didn't end up using so it gets hard to remember what is in the final mix.  I can't remember what library I used for the bowed crotales because I loaded EW Opus, Sams, Cinesamples and tried them all but forget where I landed.  I just don't know if I used any of them because they all had different issues.  I used Cineharps too.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For Skyrim/Elder Scrolls fans here - Finally got around to actually playing through Skyrim (a decade late!) and loved it so much. Here is a sinfonietta and/or small set of tone poems with some familiar bits of Soule's material throughout. Hope you enjoy, it was very fun to write and record.

 

https://lukenemitz.bandcamp.com/album/the-province-of-skyrim

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That was great stuff! Loved the incorporations of "Far Horizons" and "Awake"! Had more dissonance than I was expecting, but I think that makes the diatonic parts all the more satisfying. 

 

I actually got some minor notoriety off an Elder Scrolls track I made a year and a half ago, as it's since been turned into a mod for Skyrim: Special Edition. Mind you it only has a few thousand views but it's something! It's a bit amateurish in some aspects. I didn't really know how to mix and use expression/modulation and I often used chords for the bass line, but I still enjoy the sound of it overall. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 hours ago, superultramegaa said:

That was great stuff! Loved the incorporations of "Far Horizons" and "Awake"! Had more dissonance than I was expecting, but I think that makes the diatonic parts all the more satisfying. 

 

I actually got some minor notoriety off an Elder Scrolls track I made a year and a half ago, as it's since been turned into a mod for Skyrim: Special Edition. Mind you it only has a few thousand views but it's something! It's a bit amateurish in some aspects. I didn't really know how to mix and use expression/modulation and I often used chords for the bass line, but I still enjoy the sound of it overall. 

 

 

Very cool! And so great it was incorporated into a mod! The mod community is so excellent, just making and working and sharing and adding to what they love. A very cool thing.

 

Thank you for sharing (and listening)!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Guidelines.