Jeff Hijlkema | Motus Constantus for strings // Blending Four String Libraries // Revisited version @jeffhijlkema | Uploaded January 2024 | Updated October 2024, 2 hours ago.
A few weeks ago I posted a version of my baroque-ish, minimalistical Motus Constantus, and after having taken some distance from the piece and listening to it for a few times the middle part started to bore me out a bit, so I revisited it and changed a couple of things.
Also the mix seemed a bit too crispy in my opinion. It became obvious when I listened to it at around 80db, the volume where there is the honest feedback of your true low-mid-high behaviour.
The bored-out thing reminded me of watching an interview with Sting (Sting at Rick Beato) about two years ago, where Sting mentioned music for him should be surprising every 8 bars, bringing something new. This is a nice simple guiding line for composing in general I think.
In Motus Constantus I blend four different string libraries. Specially with the short strings this blend creates a unique sound and character while in this case each staccato articulation from each library has its own character, flavour, attack and release. For the long strings also ofcourse.
Here's my palette:
Violins Longs:
Appassionata - Violins 1 - Legato
BBCSO Core - Violins 1 - Legato
Violins Shorts:
Miroire – Violins - Staccatissimo
Tallinn – Violins - Staccato
BBCSO Core – Violins 1 - Spiccato
Violas Shorts:
BBCSO Core – Spiccato
Miroire – Staccatissimo
Celli Longs:
Appassionata - Legato
BBCSO Pro – Legato
Tallinn – Legato
Basses Longs:
BBCSO Pro – Legato
Tallinn – Legato
Basses Short:
BBCSO Pro - Pizzicato
For mixing and mastering I used mostly these plugins:
Avalon: 737 & 747 (tube warmth, EQ and little compression)
Manley: Massive Passive EQ
FabFilter: EQ, Compressor, Limiter
For Motus Constantus I was inspired by the mesmerizing late minimalistic piano works of Dutch composer Simeon ten Holt (1923-2012).
Be well,
Jeff Hijlkema
A few weeks ago I posted a version of my baroque-ish, minimalistical Motus Constantus, and after having taken some distance from the piece and listening to it for a few times the middle part started to bore me out a bit, so I revisited it and changed a couple of things.
Also the mix seemed a bit too crispy in my opinion. It became obvious when I listened to it at around 80db, the volume where there is the honest feedback of your true low-mid-high behaviour.
The bored-out thing reminded me of watching an interview with Sting (Sting at Rick Beato) about two years ago, where Sting mentioned music for him should be surprising every 8 bars, bringing something new. This is a nice simple guiding line for composing in general I think.
In Motus Constantus I blend four different string libraries. Specially with the short strings this blend creates a unique sound and character while in this case each staccato articulation from each library has its own character, flavour, attack and release. For the long strings also ofcourse.
Here's my palette:
Violins Longs:
Appassionata - Violins 1 - Legato
BBCSO Core - Violins 1 - Legato
Violins Shorts:
Miroire – Violins - Staccatissimo
Tallinn – Violins - Staccato
BBCSO Core – Violins 1 - Spiccato
Violas Shorts:
BBCSO Core – Spiccato
Miroire – Staccatissimo
Celli Longs:
Appassionata - Legato
BBCSO Pro – Legato
Tallinn – Legato
Basses Longs:
BBCSO Pro – Legato
Tallinn – Legato
Basses Short:
BBCSO Pro - Pizzicato
For mixing and mastering I used mostly these plugins:
Avalon: 737 & 747 (tube warmth, EQ and little compression)
Manley: Massive Passive EQ
FabFilter: EQ, Compressor, Limiter
For Motus Constantus I was inspired by the mesmerizing late minimalistic piano works of Dutch composer Simeon ten Holt (1923-2012).
Be well,
Jeff Hijlkema
