Recording Projects
Saturday, February 6th, 2010
Occasionally we are approached by clients who are self financing a project or who are on a very restricted budget, yet are unhappy using samples and still would like to add real strings to their track. Often, it is a private project with a tight budget, which (without going overseas and potentially risking the quality of player) would make hiring a full string section and large enough recording studio out of the question. With modern technology, several options are open - either using a high quality sample string sound as a base and layering a few real players on top (to give a more realistic and convincing effect than samples alone), or hiring a handful of very good players who are able to overdub themselves accurately - subtly varying the bowing, level of vibrato and microphone positioning on each take to try and sound like different people.
Although we always recommend that when the budget is not an issue, as many players are used as possible to capture a natural sound - surprisingly overdubbing can work well as an alternative to synthesized strings - although requires great concentration and an attentive engineer to sound convincing. This week, we were asked to overdub to create the sound of 64 string players - which is more the scale of string section found in a large symphony orchestra. Because each section was divided into two separate harmonies (or lines of music), we had all in all 8 layers for each line of music. The parts were recorded to be one element of a track which had plenty of other instruments and effects going on, so the overall sound was more convincing than adding synthesized strings, yet didn’t break the bank.
Tags: adding real strings to a track, overdubbing strings, strings on a budget
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Sunday, December 13th, 2009
On Sunday the 6th December, we were booked as a string quartet comprising two violins, a viola and cello to record at the ‘Engine Room’ (part of the group of Miloko Studios in London). We were required to add simple string parts to seven tracks for an independent band - as these weren’t string arrangements that we had been asked to write, we simply had to turn up and play the music given to us on the day. The bands style favoured irregular time signatures which kept us on our toes with large sections being done in a single take to capture a live feeling of spontaneity. The end product certainly enhanced the sound with the tracks gaining richness and depth as a result of including live strings. In a couple of tracks, the producer discussed the possibility of using the tracks laid down by the four session musicians to add a top layer to existing sampled strings - this technique is becoming increasingly popular where there are many different sounds in the mix and can certainly help the strings to sound more convincing than only using samples.
Tags: Adding string parts, chords for strings, Live strings, Miloko Studios, sampled strings, session string players, session strings, string accompaniment, studio musicians, studio strings, The Engine Room studios
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Tuesday, November 17th, 2009
Some of the work that Stringsection does involves providing strings for composers or bands financing their own projects on a limited budget. People believe in a track enough to invest in live strings (rather than samples), but simply cannot afford to hire a full sized string orchestra without going overseas and potentially compromising on quality. Occasionally, in order to keep things within budget, or because only a few of us can fit into a smaller studio, we have overlayered the same players in order to create the impression of more musicians.
Although this might sound straightforward and the obvious answer to keeping costs down, it is actually a skillful process that only very good players are able to pull off convincingly. It is vital that the first string parts laid down are rhythmically perfect with 100% accurate tuning, as any slight discrepancies of timing or tuning can become exaggerated with a subsequent overdub. It’s often the case that this first layer takes the longest time to record and get right. If a handful of players are to successfully layer their sound a second or even third time, it can potentially end up sounding weird and slightly artificial - rather like a choir made up of the same few voices, without the variety of sounds produced by a large group. One way to overcome this is for the players to add a little variety to each take, without disturbing the rhythm or intonation. This can be done by varying the speed of vibrato, changing the weight of sound and even playing a passage on different strings (so that some notes on the lower region of the violins ‘E’ string for instance could be played higher up on the ‘A’ string). A good engineer will help enormously and can subtly change the position of the microphones between takes to avoid ‘phasing’. ‘Phasing’ is where the identical frequencies are replicated or fractionally overlap, causing the sound to become sort of ‘fizzy’. When overdubbing, if particular care isn’t taken to avoid this, what started out as a high quality group of string players can end up sounding more artificial than samples - which completely defeats the object of hiring live session musicians in the first place.
When overdubbing is done badly, it’s easy to tell straight away what’s gone on, especially in exposed passages. However if over-layering string parts is done with care and attention, the sound can be quite flawless- but success really depends on having excellent players, a sensitive producer and some very precise ears for detail.
Tags: over layering strings, overdubbing strings, recording strings in a small studio, session strings, string parts on a budget, studio musicians, studio strings
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Thursday, October 29th, 2009
On Sunday, we recorded a wonderful suite of pieces by the talented composer Philip Henderson. Assembled in MBJ studios were myself on violin, one violist, a cellist and double bassist to record (with the use of accurate overdubbing), works written for the combination of 10 solo strings. One of the challenges of the day was to try and judge how much music we could record whilst maintaining the very highest level of playing which would do the pieces justice. On one hand, we needed to best utilise having four musicians together to cover the maximum amount of music (potentially 5 tracks, amounting to over 30 minutes of music), but it was vital to maintain an excellent quality of playing.
It was an enormous help to have the composer present as he could give us a very clear idea of how he wanted certain passages to sound and bring out the qualities he was looking for. With quite a lot of subtle shifts in tempo and phrasing and some quite tricky passages, we had all anticipated that the whole suite might even take a further day to complete - however it soon became clear that with the super efficient recording work by engineer Ben Jones, our motivation to get as much recorded as possible and crucially the input from Philip, all five tracks were able to be recorded.
We began by recording violin 5 with viola 2, cello 2 and double bass - and found that it took around 3 hours of recording before the double bass parts were complete. A further three hours and violin 4, viola 1 and cello 1 parts were complete. Then 3 more hours were needed to record the violins 3,2 and 1 parts for the first 3 movements of the work. The process consisted of building up from the bottom so that we could keep a tight rein on tuning as well as making the foundation for each track rhythmically perfect.
Any rhythmic untidiness will only become exaggerated with each overdub so there is a real skill in recording this way. We are all looking forward to hearing the end result as Philip Henderson has created some music of real scope which had quite a moving effect on all the musicians involved.
Tags: Ben Jones engineer, MBJ, new classical music for strings, overdubbing strings, Philip Henderson, recording chamber music, session double bass, session musicians, session string players, session violinist, String orchestra, string section, studio musicians, studio strings
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Tuesday, October 6th, 2009
Yesterday we were booked to provide a large string sound for a dance track being produced by someone studying recording technology in Oxford. As the rest of the track was just drums and vocals, it gave us plenty of scope to add some inventive strings, scored for violin, viola and cello parts - the final arrangement ended up being scored for cello, viola, violin 2, violin 1 and an additional violin part which repeated the opening hook to help the cohesion of the track. Because the track was in the key of F minor, (with four flats), tuning had to be really precise. The session ran smoothly and the final track sounded powerful and detailed - all that remains is for it to be mixed and mastered!
Tags: Adding string parts, adding strings to a dance track, arranging for violin, Large string sound, Orchestrating for strings, SAE, session musicians, session string players, studio musicians, studio strings, writing for string orchestra, writing for string section
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Monday, September 28th, 2009
This week I was asked to arrange strings for a dance track where they had to be very prominent. The brief was to make them sound aggressive and fast right from the introduction. The existing track was structured around four chords: F minor, B flat major, D flat major and B flat minor so there was ample opportunity to add rhythmically vibrant chords which repeated in staccato quavers. The accents gave the strings a dynamic style which will be compatible with the rest of the track. The challenge was to build up subtly throughout the track without peaking too soon but to give cohesion to the verses and chorus by retaining similar material. A string ‘hook’ appeared from the outset which then re-emerged later in the song, along with a counter melody in octaves in the violins which gave the piece added interest. The whole song died away at the end, the client seems pleased with the score and it’s now ready to be recorded by live session musicians.
Tags: building tension, fast and aggressive strings, session musicians, String Arranging, string hook, strings for dance track, studio musicians
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Tuesday, September 8th, 2009
Yesterday we were asked to add some single viola and cello parts to a track by the acoustic band ‘Shy June’ (Stuart Denney and Gareth Edler) who are currently recording new material after releasing ‘Drive’ earlier this year.
Although the viola is a beautiful instrument, it is not always the obvious first choice (people more commonly think of adding a violin), so it was a real pleasure to be able to bring the rich, mellow qualities of a viola to this track (and also the soulful sound of Julia’s cello).
We wish Stuart and Gareth every success with their forthcoming release!
Tags: adding a cello to a track, Adding string parts, qualities of the viola, session string players, Shy June, studio musicians, studio strings, viola
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Wednesday, August 19th, 2009
Recently we were approached to provide a strong violin solo on a large scale work - it was an elaborate solo over a multi-layered backdrop at the beginning of the piece and lasting approximately 2 minutes. As the composer had already written it for a midi file, all that was needed was a quick transcription to written notation, so that it was all set for the studio.
Because the violin part was to be the main focus, at the forefront of the mix, the sound had to be really strong with plenty of shading and a high level of accuracy. As such, we did 4 or 5 full length takes and chose the best one. In this way, we were able to capture a ‘live’ feel with all the spontaneity of an improvised solo. It’s important to try to vary the sound and style of playing according to the style of music - as this was a rock track the violin needed to sound bold and prominent with a little bit of ‘edge’. The playing on the track was certainly a completely different sound than I would produce for a folk piece of pop ballad - and experienced session musicians have the ability to vary their playing to really suit the mood and style of the track they are recording for.
Tags: hire session musicians, hire string players, hire violinist, notation, session musicians, session string players, solo violinist, soloist, strings for rock track, studio musicians, violin solo, violinist
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Monday, July 6th, 2009
Although we’re often hired to create string arrangements or write string parts, also we’re booked by clients who already have their music scored and just want to hire some reliable session musicians.
Of course, one of the first considerations is how much this is going to cost - and we always stress that the more prepared and organised a studio is, the quicker we can get in and get the work done. Arriving at a studio and finding that the microphones are already set up, the engineer is ready to record and simple things like chairs are in place can all mean that we can simply sit down and record straight away - saving the client time. Time is money and we often arrive early just to make sure everything is set up so that the time we charge for is actually spent playing. From the initial enquiry, if a score (and if possible mp3) can be given to the musicians beforehand, it’s possible to give an accurate estimate of how much time the recording should take, and also to spend a few minutes looking at the score to spot any potential tricky areas that might take more time.
Sometimes - in particular when other instruments are going to be recorded at the same time - it’s hard to estimate how long a recording might take. As we charge a set amount of time per musician for the first two hours (with a reduced hourly rate thereafter), it can be much more economical to get strings added to several tracks on one day. It’s always good to leave the day open - ended without any pressing evening engagements so that if the recording session does over-run it’s all fine.
Once in the studio, one of the musicians will usually keep popping into the booth just to hear back what’s just been recorded and check for any tiny imperfections - things that a string player would pick up on - just in case the producer and engineer may not have heard it - it’s far better to quickly fix any small adjustments in tuning, tone or phrasing at the earliest stage possible, before any post production work has been done.
With developed ears for recording work and experience of how to get the best string tone in front of a microphone, the best session players are able to adjust the tone quality of their instruments to fit in with the ‘feel’ of each individual track.
Tags: hiring professional musicians, recording musicians, Recording studios, session musicians, session string players, studio musicians, studio strings
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Friday, June 5th, 2009
This week we contributed to two contrasting recording projects - one for some final year students at SAE in Oxford where the studio was absolutely state of the art and the particular studio we were in used a lot of analogue recording equipment including an old analogue valve mixing desk. The recording was part of an assignment for the students and their brief was to record 4 acoustic instruments on top of guitars / drums etc, with three tracks all in all. The session involved some music which was already scored and some which we were asked to improvise in order to fulfill the assignment brief.
On Monday we were asked for something totally different - working with a talented singer songwriting partnership who needed string quartet parts adding to some tracks which were almost finished. As I’d been asked to arrange the strings for two of the tracks, we’d been working together all week via email with small adjustments to get the strings sounding as close to the composers ideas as possible - this is a process which requires patience as often several revisions are needed before the song is ‘just right’. It’s always gratifying to get into the studio and finally record the parts - and after all the careful arranging work, we laid down the strings at the Dairy Studios in Brixton. The session ran smoothly and we recorded three songs with very few ’second takes’ needed. Although the majority of the music was scored for string quartet, there were a few bars where the sound needed to be thickened up with an extra violin or viola part, so I stayed on and carefully overdubbed a few phrases at the end to give a larger string sound.
Tags: Adding string parts, adding strings to a song, Dairy Studios, Improvising session musicians, Orchestrating for strings, orchestrator, Recording studios, SAE, session musicians, session string players, string arranger, String Arranging, String quartet, studio musicians, studio strings, writing for string section, Writing for stringed instruments
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