cparmerlee

Anonymungus!
I think your best bet is Dimension Pro in the Garritan Pocket Orchestra section. Even better if you own Rapture Pro. Good luck

Try the VX-64 Vocal Strip.  The doubler on that plug isn't bad.  That will fatten up the GPO horns.

Thanks guys, I'll give DimPro a shot.  What is "VX-64"?  I should have this, right?
 
-Dave

davehorch
What is "VX-64"?  I should have this, right?

It is a Cakewalk plug-in that has been around a long time, I think.  I'm sure it is in Splat, but I don't know about the other packages.

Thanks.  It looks like VX-64 was first bundled with SONAR v8.5.  I'll look for it.
 
https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/optimum-vocals-vx64-vocal-strip
 
-d

The suggestions for a pop horn section given earlier are probably the best bet.  I'm not sure that there a lot of choices for this among the included Cakewalk instruments.
 
I like Dimension Pro, as it is a remarkable synth instrument with a lot of content.  But using it as a ROMpler out of the box, for bread and butter sounds, based on the bundled content has never been its strong suit.  In my opinion that's because of a limited number of sample types and articulations for each instrument.
 
So here are a couple of other 3rd party options to consider.
 
I think that AIR Xpand!2 has a very good variety of brass and woodwind patches in various articulations and sections.  It's a great VST ROMpler to have available that contains many varied real instrument sounds.  Not programmable like Dimension, and doesn't have the synth/sampler functions, but is very broad in coverage of bread and butter sounds, and most of the sounds are playable.  Has macro controls for attack, decay, release, etc.  It is 4 part multi-timbral (compared to the 16 parts in TTS-1), but no General MIDI.  Great for sketching up a sequence, or using as background tracks.
 
This often goes on sale for $1, and was even free at one point last year.  Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be on sale right now.  Probably should watch the deals forum here for this to go sale again.
https://www.audiodeluxe.com/products/virtual-instruments/air-xpand2  $49
 
I noticed that PluginBoutique is selling the Garritan Jazz & Big Band 3 for 50% off at $74, that seems to include a lot of brass and saxophones.  https://www.pluginboutique.com/product/1-Instruments/64-Virtual-Instrument/1248-Jazz-Big-Band-3

I've tried the included horns, and couldn't get a worthwhile sound.  So I dropped the $300 on NI Horns. 
I've got a track in the Songs forum called 'tonight' that's a good example (imho).

what abacab said.
 
A half-realistic pop horn section requires a minimum of one sax, one trumpet and one trombone.
 
The first secret is, each instrument takes a different note in the chord.
 
Sax falls comprise a flurry of individual notes. A trombone slides down smoothly.
Trumpets and saxes can be fluttered but the trombone keeps steady.
Each can be made to squeal when at the top of its range.
 
The second secret is, be aware of the idiom. Swells, falls, stabs and squeals. Use them.
 
Block chords played with a brass sound, even with excellent samples, wont help much. 

Fable sounds Broadway Big Band.... hands down.

jpetersen
what abacab said.
 
A half-realistic pop horn section requires a minimum of one sax, one trumpet and one trombone.
 
The first secret is, each instrument takes a different note in the chord.
 
Sax falls comprise a flurry of individual notes. A trombone slides down smoothly.
Trumpets and saxes can be fluttered but the trombone keeps steady.
Each can be made to squeal when at the top of its range.
 
The second secret is, be aware of the idiom. Swells, falls, stabs and squeals. Use them.
 
Block chords played with a brass sound, even with excellent samples, wont help much. 

This is indeed a very helpful post.  I'm so glad you wrote this.  Very!

https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/top-brass-part-1
 
This is a good read

jpetersen
The first secret is, each instrument takes a different note in the chord.

That really depends on what genre you're trying to capture.
 
Chicago was/is mostly unisons with occasional breakout chords on the longer notes.
 
James Brown was mostly triads 3, 5, 7 or 3, 7, 9.  Often inverted with the 3rd on top.
 
EW&F and BS&T used WAY more color tones, more like writing for big band.  Never use a root or 5th in those voicings.  Most of the horn chords are guide tones (3rd and 7th) and color tones (#9, b9, #11 & 13 e.g.)  And BS&T used a lot of half-step rubs in the middle of the chords.
 
ToP was less about the voicing and more about the rhythms and energy, but you must have bari sax on the bottom for that sound.
 
and so on.
 
It is also important to consider the register.  Chicago likes to put the trombone at the top of the range right with the trumpet instead of an octave lower.