Deep Peace

My music set to a slightly adapted traditional Celtic Blessing. I have tended to avoid writing music with lyrics as I cannot sing (a gross understatement!) and my EWQL Symphonic Choirs is fine for choral music but doesn't really work for anything else. So, this is my first attempt to use a 'new' piece of software called Vocaloid Miriam. I know it has been around for a while and there are many here who do not rate it. But it is definitely better than me singing!

I obviously have a great deal to learn to get clarity to the singing. But I am trying!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70e5GCEgIiA

If anyone else here uses Vocaloid Miriam and can offer any advice, it would be greatly appreciated.

Best Regards
Malcolm

Hi Rik

Sincere thanks and so pleased you like it. As you say, it is amazing what software can do today - all I need to do is learn how to use it! I'm glad that the mystical feel comes across. I was trying to get a somewhat ethereal feel to the voice and clearly overdid the reverb. I did apply some EQ to try and reduce the sibilance but found it was a bit of a trade off between ethereal versus hiss! Oh well, back to the Manual!

We had a drought here that lasted from Christmas until the end of May. Hardly a drop of rain. Just when the Government woke up to the problem and formed a committee (!)  to deal with it, it rained! Temperatures still struggling to reach 60F and the Sun occasionally comes back from it's extended holiday, takes one look at my little Isle and heads south again! We have been promised a heat wave from Monday - due to last at least two days! Then back to Winter. What ever happened to Global "Warming"!

Best Regards
Malcolm

Hi Vicente

Sincere thanks. I suspect that part of the problem is that I have to write the vocals in Vocaloid and then bring them into Sonar as a .wav file. There seems to be something inherent in the file that doesn't work easily with Sonitus reverb (or at least with my limited knowledge of Vocaloid and Sonitus!). I suspect this is going to be a case of first try, next try, get there eventually! Wouldn't it be nice if manuals actually answered the questions you need to ask?! I think I shall leave the video as is and work on your advice to fix the hiss in the MP3 before I add that to Soundclick. It may take me some time!

Best Regards
Malcolm

Hi Manny

Sincere thanks. Very much agree with you about 'Celtic' music. It seems to have that warm feeling of friendship and hospitality that is all about home and family. And as the Celts have spread to everywhere in the World, I suspect there is a bit of Celt in us all! I also totally agree with you about this site. You have to truly respect and admire the vast creative talents of everyone here. And their generosity in sharing those talents with us.

Lang may yer lum reek!

Best Regards
Malcolm

Hi Scotty

Sincere thanks and so pleased you like this piece. I tend to always use presets on any effects I use, simply because when I start touching those slider thingies, everything immediately collapses on me! On the vocals in this piece, I used Sonitus FX reverb Aux bus preset "female vocals" and Sonitus EQ preset "hum removal (50Hz)". I have looked at gates in the past and have never really understood them - I think I'm getting old! Any advice always most gratefully appreciated.

Best Regards
Malcolm

Hi Scotty

Sincere thanks and I shall work on that (and Vicente's advice as well). I must admit I had to Google "gated reverb" to find out what it meant! Fascinating. If anyone is interested in this area, I found this article which has been a great help to me understanding what I am doing wrong:

http://www.soundonsound.c...c97/processorsdec.html

Best Regards
Malcolm

I agree with the others...this is beautiful and so relaxing.  It's mostly EWQL?  That's a great library.  I agree about the vocals having too much reverb...I'm sure you'll get it worked out.  I too wish it was easier to sing well... 

Malcolm, I've heard several of your pieces, and as with the others your compositional work was just amazing.  Beautiful piece, even with the distraction (IMO) of the robo-voice.  As others have noted, the reverb was over the top, but, this being said I've heard other material using voices like this. 

I think your work stands on its own instrumentally, so I'm not sure what you need the plug for.  She's just not up to your level

Hi Phil - Now I really am embarrassed! Thank you most sincerely. All I try to do is write music that is easy on the ears - at my age, my ears can only take so much! As for Miriam Stockley (Adiemus, Lord of the Rings, Mike Oldfield, etc), I am sure she would shudder at what people like me do to her lovely voice. But as I suspect she would be most unlikely to accept my invitation to sing for me (for free, of course!), I am stuck with the robo-voice when on the very rare occasion I get this overwhelming urge to add vocals to my music (I must remember to keep taking my pills!). I hope one day, she will forgive me!

Hi Tim - Sincere thanks and so very pleased you like this piece.

Best Regards
Malcolm

malcolmb
Hi Malcolmb,
 
Very pretty.  Are thoes your photos?
 
Regards,
 
GT

My music set to a slightly adapted traditional Celtic Blessing. I have tended to avoid writing music with lyrics as I cannot sing (a gross understatement!) and my EWQL Symphonic Choirs is fine for choral music but doesn't really work for anything else. So, this is my first attempt to use a 'new' piece of software called Vocaloid Miriam. I know it has been around for a while and there are many here who do not rate it. But it is definitely better than me singing!

I obviously have a great deal to learn to get clarity to the singing. But I am trying!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70e5GCEgIiA

If anyone else here uses Vocaloid Miriam and can offer any advice, it would be greatly appreciated.

Best Regards
Malcolm

Hi GT - Sincere thanks. Unfortunately the photos aren't mine - I wish they were as the locations are beautiful. There are quite a few web sites around which provide copyright and royalty free photos which can be used for non-commercial purposes. So I just search around and find ones that fit the music. As all my music is and will always be free (I wouldn't have the nerve to charge anyone!), I can use them without fear of men in suits banging on my door!

Best Regards
Malcolm

Hi Wookiee - Very many thanks and I hope the Blessing brought Deep Peace to the weather for you as well! We Celts have always believed that pouring a libation to the Weather Gods is a certain way of placating them. If the golden nectar libation just happens to fall into a suitable receptacle for later disposal in the traditional manner, I am sure the Weather Gods won't mind!

Do dheagh shlàinte

Best Regards
Malcolm
 

Hi Rik - Very many thanks. "Space Music" - well, I suppose Blessings do come down from the Heavens (an Angel robot is a thought that just boggles my mind)!

Slàinte mhath

Best Regards
Malcolm

Rik - Now that's a thought I am not sure the World is ready for. Yet!

Sláinte agus táinte!

Best Regards
Malcolm