New Symphony Old Library

I finished my 7th symphony a few months ago using VSL Pro Edition.  It's the last piece I am composing for that library as I just got the VI Symphonic Cube Extended edition and running it on a fast machine with 24 GB of RAM for new compositions/recordings.  I am really impressed with both the quality of the samples and the user interface.  The only thing that will take some getting used to is changing patches in Sonar, but I think I'll have it up to speed in a month or so.
These two movements from my 7th symphony utilize orchestral samples and software synthesis.  I finished the entire work in May.  Hope you enjoy listening!
 
http://www.jerrygerber.co...%204th%20movements.htm
 
Jerry Gerber
www.jerrygerber.com
 

Oh wow!  This is incredible.  AND you posted the pdf files.  How cool is that?!  If you don't mind, I'm going to print out at least part of it and follow along.  That's been a dream of mine for quite a few months now.  Thank you! 

Oh, most definitely.  I guess I should have made that clear.  I just think it would be so helpful to see the score while listening to the music.  Thank you!

I sequence in the staff view, the event list as well as the tempo and controllers views.  I've never used the PRV view and probably never will. 

My new library has far better recorded samples, 24-bit (old library, the one I recorded the movements you heard are 16-bit samples.   My old library had about 260,000 samples, this one has 760,000.   Realism should improve immensely. 

One of the reasons I use software synthesis and pure electronic and digital timbres (besides the challenge of integrating them with acoustic samples), is so people understand they are NOT listening to a real orchestra--the synthesizers "betray" this rather than give the listener the comfortable illusion that I am making music with traditional instruments. 

Best,

Jerry
www.jerrygerber.com



Beagle


very impressive, Jerry!  really nice work on this.  how did you accomplish it?  did you play the notes on a MIDI keyboard or did you enter everything in PRV or Staff view or something else?  this is quite an accomplishment.

if I may, some of the sounds don't sound quite realistic to my ears, especially some of the horns.  and personally, I'm not that fond of the electronic sounds in the orchestra, but that's of course a personal preference.




nice work, tho!

Wow what a treat for the senses. I can't tell that the strings aren't live. 

In my limited listening, I've never heard music mix the electronic and the traditional. How imaginative. I'm sure they're doing it, I've just never heard it.

I can't tell you where in the music your string sections expand into a huge themes and the strings get lush, because your player has no timer to it.  But they sure sound gorgeous when they do.

More than a symphony, this sounded like a soundtrack to me. Probably that's because I don't listen to any symphonies beyond the Romantic era. I remember attending a modern symphony performed here in Jones Hall in Houston, and I remember standing and clapping exuberantly at the end that it was finally over and I get to go home. My husband turned to me and said, "Sugar, I'd rather hear your songs than that." The joke is he doesn't listen to my songs. They bore him.

But this is much better than a modern symphony. I heard things happening--scenes unfolding. Pathos and drama. Tension and apprehension. Strength and overcoming. Regret and reflection (I'm thinking here of the ending of your 4th movement). Joy and celebration. Funny animated characters. This work holds it all.

One thing that stood out was your theme development. I loved the way several instruments picked up your themes in all registers, and in variations.  One thing I missed was a chance to fall in love with these themes. Each were so short-lived. I run my themes into the ground, I hash them out so much. My husband finds this boring. But other less musically minded folks enjoy it. I do too. Just a personal preference here.
 
And why don't you offer your second movement here? I had to go to your website to find it. Now that second movement is energetic--and sometimes whacky with the chorus voices. But I enjoy the tonality of your music, and of this movement especially.

Another thing, your player's progress button doesn't work.   

I have heard both, but unfortunately have not used either. The main reason I am hesitant on getting either is that they both seem a little out of date. I just feel that with everything thats come out in the last year there should be something a lot better on its way.