ambient

[quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1397145457' post='2421162'] No experience with the Hollywood library, but from what I have heard, it does sound convincing. I went for Symphobia 1 and Symphobia 2 (there was a big discount a couple of years back). This particular library is great for the big Symphonic/Cinematic sound. Legato is also very well catered for. There is also Plenty of very useful keystroke articulations, and some very nice section layerings. Plus a selection of bonus material, like clusters, risers, rips, big hits and extended slurs etc. However I have just started investing in The Spitfire Audio libraries, mixing and matching sections. Well worth checking out and seems to be popping up on a lot of TV drama/games and small film. The sounds are more intimate than the other major libraries (although they have now released Mural, which is Aimed at more Symphonic textures). Check out their website for demo scores (impressive). I am not sure what the score is with educational discount. [url="https://www.spitfireaudio.com"]https://www.spitfireaudio.com[/url] [url="https://www.spitfireaudio.com/browse-all-2d"]https://www.spitfire...m/browse-all-2d[/url] [/quote] 30% discount, just about to buy Albion II .

Needs to be at least 60cm high, and sturdy. To support my MacBook, most seem to have lips all around, meaning you can't plug stuff into them, others are too low.

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1396964110' post='2419169'] My long term aim is improvised music. I definitely don't want to be limited to 'the box' of a single scale. I use notes outside the box, but am still working on being able to fluidly change box at musically appropriate times, particularly if I can do this without using the root note of the new scale/box as a pivot. However, I don't think I need to know key signatures for this, as I rarely read music, and don't have to sight read. But, if anyone wants to argue that I should prioritise key signatures, I will read what they write and seriously consider it. [/quote] I don't think you necessarily need to be able to recognise a key signature on a staff for what you want to do. But it'd be useful to know what sharps or flats there are in a key. You wouldn't want to unintentionally play a C natural over an A major chord for instance. Playing improvised music is cool, but I'd have though it calls for a reasonable knowledge of harmony to be able to pull it off successfully. Though I agree being able to sightread isn't necessarily a prerequisite.

[quote name='moonbass' timestamp='1397022694' post='2419745'] To work out a minor key signature you have to find the relative major. This is the key 3 semitones up. So for A minor go up 3 semitones and you have C major (imagine it on a piano keyboard if that helps.) C is therefore the relative major and has the same key signature as A minor, ie no sharps or flats. For another example, G minor. If you go up 3 semitones from G you get to Bb, so G minor has the same key signature as Bb major: 2 flats - Bb and Eb. Note that it's NOT A# major - the rule is you have to go through 3 separate letter names when going up the semitones, ie G, Ab, A, Bb. Note there are other things to know about harmonic and melodic minors! [/quote] Harmonic and melodic minors don't have key signatures, you just put in the accidentals as required.

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1397159596' post='2421379'] Though wouldn't it be possible then to be able to play the notes but not actually know what they were? I can't read music (well not fast enough to play from it without first learning it, if you see what I mean), but I know the notes on my fretboard. [/quote] Why would you bother learning to read music, but not learn what the notes on the fretboard were ? I doubt you could anyway, every book I've ever seen that instructed you in sight-reading said what the note names were, so you'd learn them that way. Maybe take some Tipex to the note names and just learn first line on the staff = 3rd fret E string, 2nd line = 2nd fret A string. It just totally baffles me why people have such a half-hearted approach to learning basic music theory and stuff. If only they spent as much time in learning at as making excuses not to. Oh but it stifles my creatively and other reasons. Some guy on another thread here said how when making a new bass line for a song, he pretty much plays every note on the fretboard searching for the 'right notes' !

[quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1397145457' post='2421162'] No experience with the Hollywood library, but from what I have heard, it does sound convincing. I went for Symphobia 1 and Symphobia 2 (there was a big discount a couple of years back). This particular library is great for the big Symphonic/Cinematic sound. Legato is also very well catered for. There is also Plenty of very useful keystroke articulations, and some very nice section layerings. Plus a selection of bonus material, like clusters, risers, rips, big hits and extended slurs etc. However I have just started investing in The Spitfire Audio libraries, mixing and matching sections. Well worth checking out and seems to be popping up on a lot of TV drama/Games and small film. The sounds are more intimate than the other major libraries (although they have now released Mural, which is Aimed at more Symphonic textures). Check out their website for demo scores (impressive). I am not sure what the score is with educational discount. [url="https://www.spitfireaudio.com"]https://www.spitfireaudio.com[/url] [url="https://www.spitfireaudio.com/browse-all-2d"]https://www.spitfire...m/browse-all-2d[/url] [/quote] Hi, That's a brilliant thanks . They do a 30% educational discount too which is cool, so all 3 are pretty much in the same price range. I can't listen to the demos at the moment though, just on the train using the free wifi, and youtube is blocked . I'll have a listen when I get home.

[quote name='PeteFromCorby' timestamp='1397139993' post='2421083'] O K I can see your not convinced about the usefulness of this. O k the notes up and down each string is the chromatic scale and this is easy for anybody to learn. The notes going across strings are not so easy because the have an apparent hap-hazard order. I am just pointing out that they do have an order and that is the circle of fifths. The circle of fifths is a very useful tool for all musicians except drummers. It has all the key signatures and the order of sharps and flats. Now if you don't have a circle of fifths handy all you have to do is look at your own bass [/quote] My post #12 . It's not hard, they're just the notes of the alphabet from A to G with some sharps and flats. My 2 1/2 year old nephew probably knows hundreds of words. People can't be a###ed to learn the notes, same as scales, same as reading music and harmony and theory. Each to their own .

I'm after better orchestral sounds than Logic Pro X can provide. This looks a good deal, strings and brass, plus several other interesting looking goodies. I'm a music student too, so I qualify for extra discount. Anyone use this, and how does it sound ? Would something else be better, maybe 8Dio or ProjectSam Sythobia ? The 8Dio strings sound amazing, and are about the same price, I should get a discount from them too. That's only strings though, no brass or woodwinds. My set-up is just a MacBook Pro, don't know if that makes any difference.

Just remember these 2 notes - F and G. F for the flats, G for the sharps. Go up in 4ths from each starting note for the flats, F has 1 flat, Bb has 3, Eb has 3 etc. For the sharps go up in 5th, G has 1, D has 2, A has 3, E has 4 etc.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1396883388' post='2418348'] But knowing what notes sound best with which chord depends a lot on subjective taste and the style of music you are playing. I really can't stand 3rds - they always sound "out of tune to me) and usually replace them with 9ths or 4ths depending on what has come before and what comes next. However these days I rarely think in terms of chords and what notes work over them, but instead listen to the "tune" of the what the rest of the instruments and vocals are doing and fit the bass around and over that. [/quote] Exactly. I just had to compose a solo over a jazz tune. I did look at the chart too much, I just wrote wanted sounded 'right' from one bar to the next. I then had to analyse what I'd written.

If you're playing over a major chord or riff, you know how the 6th sounds played after the root, you also know that you could maybe play off the 6th, and play its 3rd, (the relative minor). Knowing what you can play, and how they sound enhances what you play, and means you don't necessarily have to play a whole load of notes searching for the one.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1396880148' post='2418284'] In my originals band we largely write new material by recording jams - so my basslines tend to start off way too busy, then it's a case of reducing them down to their essence. So if I knew all my scales backwards and forwards I'd be tempted to whizz around the fretboard more than I do already, which is not good - [i]in the context of what I'm doing in this particular band[/i]. I recognise the value of music theory of course and covered it at school, but that was a long time ago... If people want to practise their scales then I say let 'em do it - I don't mind at all. [/quote] Why would you be tempted to whizz around the fretboard ? You'd surely stiff play contextual, but maybe know that by using this note instead of that one (or 2), you'd get a more interesting sound ? Music theory/harmony etc is kind of like cooking. Things maybe are a bit bland with just the basic ingredients, but add a pinch of salt, maybe some pepper and a clove or 2 of garlic and things get a bit interesting. Knowing what you can maybe use here or there, just takes the guess work out of it. It certainly does not stifle your creativity, if anything it enhances it.

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1396866838' post='2418053'] I know f*** all about theory but, as far as I know, these are wrong. they certainly don't feel right counting them off the way you've written them. You don't count a waltz as "1 and 2 and 3 and", you count it [size=5]1[/size]23 [size=5]1[/size]23 [size=5]1[/size]23 etc. The same goes for the others you've put unnecessary "ands" in. I'm sure somebody will tell me otherwise. [/quote] Waltz 3/4 you would count 1, 2, 3, there are 3 beats per bar, what you're counting is a compound 12/8 where the subdivision of each beat is felt as a 3. The guy is counting the off beat, useful I guess if it's a slow tempo.