Hello Everyone,
 
A couple of months ago I posted a question in the Techniques forum asking how to process orchestral tracks.  I was working on a song made up of East West Symphonic Orchestra Gold instruments and realized the mixing process was not like mixing a pop/rock song.  Distortion, delay, doubling, etc. is not appropriate.
 
So if you could give a listen to “Beggar’s Eyes” and throw some comments my way, I’d appreciate it.  Please be patient with the intro as it slowly fades in.  By the way, there is one non-East West track thrown in from my AAS Player…just so you don’t ask about the unusual instrument.  Thanks.
 
https://soundcloud.com/user-126757021/beggars-eyes
 
 

Rob,
 
Pretty good track.    I think the key to this music, after the writing part, is the arrangement, or if you are a classical purist, orchestration:)   We called it all arranging at Berklee..    That is really part of the "mixing" process for orchestral music.   In this case the music is interesting, you don't have things stepping over each other and everything is balanced well.  The parts all mesh well together but sonically and musically.   Your samples sound convincing, your stage representation is good (panning).   Personally I really like the EW stuff and it needs very little processing.  If anything it can be a little bright. 
 
If you want some ideas, I would focus on two areas, 1)  Reverb or space - you want everything to sound like it is all together in a hall or soundstage.   To achieve this you may play around with adding reverb to your master bus to simply add a common sound that places everything in the same space.  It sounds like you are using the stock EW sounds so a little reverb/space on the Master bus can go a long way.  2) Low end - These days with the cinematic stuff, people like to have low rumbling effects.   If you have Waves Low Air or something similar, you might try adding a little bit to your low strings, percussion/timpani, or sound effects to bring some of that low-end dynamic to your track.  
 
All in all it is very good and these ideas above are just window dressing to an already good track.  Hope some of this is helpful.
 
Regards

I think you have some very good melodic ideas here that are well presented.  You're doing a very good job of weaving your orchestration together.

I did no editing on the default reverb settings on the individual EW instruments.  I did add a reverb send using a ReMatrix Solo Big Room Stereo preset.  Would it be better to turn off all of the individual instrument reverbs and just use the one global reverb?
 
The idea of cinematic style low end enhancement is interesting because this is orchestral music in a non-cinematic use.  I did add a bit of Slate VMR Revival.  Maybe there’s more I can do to enhance the low end.  I don’t own the Waves LoAir plugin.
 
As a side note, I wrote this piece to be used in a ballet.  But now the choreographer asked for the song to be lengthened by about two minutes.  So, back in the DAW I go.

RobWS
I did no editing on the default reverb settings on the individual EW instruments.  I did add a reverb send using a ReMatrix Solo Big Room Stereo preset.  Would it be better to turn off all of the individual instrument reverbs and just use the one global reverb?

 
Absolutely.
 

RobWS
The idea of cinematic style low end enhancement is interesting because this is orchestral music in a non-cinematic use.  I did add a bit of Slate VMR Revival.  Maybe there’s more I can do to enhance the low end.  I don’t own the Waves LoAir plugin.

You don't need LoAir or anything like that. The low end of an orchestral piece comes from the bass instruments of the orchestra, as well as things like timpani and concert bass drum. If you want to add a electronic low end, that steps away from pure acoustic orchestration, but it can bring a lot of emotion to the right track. Back to the point though, a bit of EQ on the bass instruments will go a long way.
 
Regards,
Dan

RobWS
Would it be better to turn off all of the individual instrument reverbs and just use the one global reverb?
 

 
Yes,  I rarely use the stock reverbs in EW.  Not because they aren't good but because I want all the parts to be located in the same space.   This method adds a cohesive sheen to your orchestration.
 

RobWS
The idea of cinematic style low end enhancement is interesting because this is orchestral music in a non-cinematic use.  I did add a bit of Slate VMR Revival.  Maybe there’s more I can do to enhance the low end.  I don’t own the Waves LoAir plugin.
  

 
Even though it is a non-cinematic piece, I hear some low-end cinematic elements that would benefit from some treatment.   In a live scenario you would feel the timpani and low strings.   That same vibe does not convey to recordings unless you specifically address it through some treatment.   Dan is right, you don't need LoAir to accomplish this, there are other methods available, however, keep in mind that many of these tools like LoAir include elements other than straight-up EQ and compression.  You have saturation, harmonic generation, etc..   I mentioned LoAir because it is a simple and cheap tool (on sale for $29) that doesn't require you to know or understand all the individual components that go into it.   Just turn a dial until you like what you hear.   Personally, if I can find a simple tool to accomplish something I will buy it rather than spend hours tweaking but that is just a personal preference.   Below is a link to a cinematic example using LoAir.   You could also use EQ, compression, saturation, harmonic generation (like Maxbass or a little distortion) to accomplish the same thing.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNUBp2c9Gv8

Regards

The one thing I am hearing is the thing that Mark picked up is the need for a common sounding space to bring all the sounds together.  Reverb is your friend here I find.  Other than that you have some nice musical ideas.