Rise of the Virtual Orchestra news - Overgrowth Game

Overgrowth

Wolfire Games | TBD

Overgrowth takes place in the savage world of Lugaru where rabbits, wolves and other animals are forced to use paws, claws and medieval weaponry to engage each other in battle. Combining 3rd person adventure platforming with intricate melee combat, Overgrowth achieves a unique feel. Overgrowth also benefits from Wolfire's brand new Phoenix Engine which has been built from the ground up to allow the use of cutting edge graphics, animation, and physics. Add to these exciting features Overgrowth’s realistic artificial intelligence and streamlined control system and the result is an astoundingly immersive experience.

Report article RSS Feed Rise of the Virtual Orchestra

Most of the orchestral music used in games, movies, and advertisements is now created with virtual orchestras -- computers and software samplers have made it possible for anyone to perform and record orchestral music without leaving home. This saves us the time and money we would have spent hiring live players, renting concert halls and using expensive recording services.

Posted by jeffr on Jun 10th, 2009

This is a post from Mikko Tarmia who is the composer for all of Overgrowth's music.

Rise of the Virtual Orchestra

Most of the orchestral music used in games, movies, and advertisements is now created with virtual orchestras -- computers and software samplers have made it possible for anyone to perform and record orchestral music without leaving home. This saves us the time and money we would have spent hiring live players, renting concert halls and using expensive recording services.

However, this also means that composing like Mozart is no longer enough. We also need music production skills -- the software tricks that make it sound real. Our ultimate goal is to fool the audience into thinking that our music was done with live players, and that just isn't easy to do. We can get pretty close, but we can't quite match the sound of live orchestras with today's technology.

My Setup

My home studio is a small, acoustically-treated room (see picture below). I have a Mac running Logic Pro sequencing software and a PC running the Gigastudio sampler -- this helps share the overall processing load (the Mac is running all kinds of other sample libraries as well). There's some external hardware: a few synthesizers and some processing equipment. The Alesis QS8 is my only keyboard at the moment.

One interesting piece of my setup is the Akai EWI wind controller with an analog synth module. It's a bit tricky to play, but it can emulate a wind instrument's playing style. I can hook it up with a sampler and by driving the sound through the module's filter circuitry it makes the playing sound more real. I also have a small arsenal of live instruments, and some equipment to record them.

Orchestral Sample Libraries

Orchestral sample libraries usually have multiple samples for every single note of every instrument, with different dynamic levels and articulations. This is enough for basic orchestration, but I usually find them lacking all kinds of things -- putting some limitations on the music. However, by using samples from a few different orchestral sample libraries I'm able to achieve a richer and more unique sound than if I used just one library. I hope you will hear the difference when you play Overgrowth!

Since there are some music makers among Overgrowth fans, it would be interesting to hear your thoughts about virtual orchestras! Do you know any tricks to help them sound more realistic?
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Comments

sajber Jun 11 2009, 11:12am says:

very cool! :D

+1 vote reply to comment

...hmm... Jun 11 2009, 1:33pm says:

interesting :)

+1 vote reply to comment

Kamikazi[Uk] Jun 11 2009, 1:53pm says:

That looks awesome. There looks like a huge amount of money spent on that :D could make some really inpressive stuff.

+1 vote reply to comment

NicholasSinger Jun 11 2009, 3:05pm says:

One thing you didn't mention is the cost of these libraries. For instance, I have spent almost $8,000 on VSL samples alone, and am far from having the complete range. So when you say you use samples from various different libraries, it sounds a bit luxurious- I hope you have legit copies..

+1 vote reply to comment

NicholasSinger Jun 11 2009, 3:44pm says:

some simple tips for a more realistic sound- not aimed specifically at anyone:
1. know your samples, and know when to use them (obvious)..
2. layer and eq your instruments well. Trial and error can get you there, but this can take a lifetime to master, like all audio mixing. Play with your reverbs and pans, mimic the setup of a real orchestra and 'hide' your more dodgy samples behind your mix.
3. Use real instruments for solos. Using samples for solo instrument lines is a bit suicidal unless you have good legato software. e.g. VSL solo wind instruments all sound superb with a bit of reverb, but solo strings suck donkey balls (like almost all sample libraries).
4. Layer real instruments with your samples. If I take the cello section from VSL or project SAM and record a real solo cello line over the top, playing the same notes, it makes a WORLD of difference. Not only does it give a natural layer of expression, but it breaths life into the samples already there, makes it all sound much more organic.
5. Get a 8 core mac pro and bundles of RAM so you don't have to worry about spreading your samples over different computers/systems.
6. Don't let your samples rule you! Compose in your head, then start putting it together.
7. Buy VSL! it rules.

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