After a few revisions, we’ve got the string arrangement completed for “If You Won’t Stay”. It remains to be determined whether or not we’ll have an actual orchestra perform the arrangement (as well as the arrangements for the rest of the tracks on the album), or if Steve will perform the arrangements using what is referred to as “VST” (or “Virtual Studio Technology”).
That technology allows for performance of the parts via a keyboard,
which controls digital software “samples” that emulate the target
instrumentation. The realism of this
technology is fairly stunning… I would venture a guess that the vast majority
of listeners would not be able to tell the difference between the emulated
performance and the actual performance of an orchestra (at least, when the person
responsible for the keyboard performance possesses the necessary qualifications).
Although the idea of recording a live orchestra (as we did
with “Brave New World”) is ideal from a purist’s perspective, the costs of
doing so are exorbitant – particularly given the budget constraints of
independent projects. But, there’s
another potentially more compelling reason why I’m very much leaning towards
the VST route…
If you were a fan of the string arrangements incorporated in
ELOs classic mid-70s albums, you’ll note that those arrangements were complex
and intricate – with an infinitely greater level of dynamics than you usually
hear with the orchestra “pad” arrangements typically associated with popular music. In a situation like that, recording with a
very low amount of reverb is important – lest most of the intricacies of those
types of arrangement will end up lost in the “soup”.
We recorded the orchestra for “Brave New World” in a cavernous
room (actually an old converted church) – and while those performances (and the
recording thereof) were excellent, I felt that we lost a bit of the impact of
the strings due to those room dynamics.
When recording using VST technology, we have the ability to simulate
virtually any level of room dynamics that would be appropriate for the project –
and make nondestructive adjustments and edits on the fly.
I want the strings on this record to sound like they were
recorded by a 32-piece section in a 10x10 room.
Not something that can be easily achieved live, but – with digital
technology, anything is possible!
