What’s the most important problem in making digital strings sound as expressive as a stay efficiency?
Usually, and I feel this is applicable to different devices past strings (take a synth melody for instance), the most important problem is to seize the nuances of human expression. Speaking about strings particularly, a human can have slight pitch fluctuations, bow stress variations, dynamic motion and all types of natural imperfections.
For my part, these “good” imperfections and dynamic performances are what create emotional depth in a strings part. In the event you assume from a purely automation standpoint, think about assigning an automation lane for all these parameters to, let’s say a MIDI violin, and would seize a human taking part in it, there could be lots of of slight variations within the automation.
With a pattern library, it’s necessary to copy that by paying shut consideration to element and automating dynamics, articulations, velocity layers, and expression. If we don’t give attention to these, it’s straightforward for a string part to sound robotic and impassive.
It jogs my memory of how AI-produced music usually feels, missing the emotion that actual human composers convey. For my part, all of the imperfections are what give music its soul, one thing I feel AI nonetheless struggles to copy in a convincing approach. I feel primarily as a result of music is one thing real – one thing actual. We seize a second and transmit a sense, and that’s what we have to translate with a purpose to make not solely our strings extra expressive, however our music as properly. If we don’t add these nuances in digital strings, the outcome can really feel a bit emotionally disconnected, like an AI generated composition, if you already know what I imply.
In fact, no digital library completely replicates the nuances of a stay orchestra, however with the precise strategies, we will get fairly shut.
Professional tip from Paradoks: When automating string dynamics, think about how a bow strikes naturally: longer phrases want smoother mod wheel curves, whereas shorter notes profit from sharper strikes.
