The Sonic Palette
I’ve hinted already at the sonic palette I’m planning for Project Storm, but for this Scorecard, I want to lay it out in depth. For you music and production nerds, I’m gonna talk plug-ins and what I love about these sounds. Let’s go!
Main Sonic Category: Modern Cinematic
What I mean by this is traditional orchestral sounds layered with synths, drum pads, and other electronic sounds.
Main Plug-Ins:
Teletone Audio Le Gibet
I love this library. So many good presets, but they’re incredibly easy to work with and make your own!
For my main gritty synth part, I’m starting with the “Aeolian Storm” as a base (serendipitous, right??). I’ll be amplifying the modulation, mood, and movement nobs throughout the piece to add more chaos as the storm progresses.
I’m also tinkering with the idea of adding a little more detuned wobble throughout. More to come on that…
Roli Equator 2
With a LUMI in my arsenal, the Equator2 library was a no brainer. It has so many wonderful samples that can be brought to life with the 4D touch. I’ve yet to explore that for this piece, but plan to! For now I’ve pulled together a nice dark bass pad with some moderate updates to the attack and decay to add some ominous undertones.
Spitfire Audio BBC Orchestra
One of my favorite, “go-to” libraries for all of my writing. Additional articulations and control make this a powerhouse to bring a real orchestra into my home studio. This will be the base for all of my orchestral sounds. Here’s what I currently have built:
- Marimba: my rain ostinato. Bouncy and a great timbre to stand out.
- Vibraphone: for the “storm has passed” moment (super ethereal, calming, pads & rolls, maybe bowed)
- Percussion: bass drums, timpani, cymbals, etc. for the thunder and lightning moments
- Strings: as pads, partially melodic, and then rhythmic chaos (planning to use some Bartok pizzicato to amp up the unrest of the storm - think “woah it started hailing”)
- Brass: to add depth, richness, and build the strength of the storm.
Valhalla FX
- Valhalla Supermassive: I’m amplifying the bass synth grit and adding space with this plug-in.
- Valhalla Shimmer: My main reverb bus for the orchestra. I want to consolidate the real instruments into one singular reverb bus so it feels like a live performance, and the shimmer has nice overtones and artifacts that add a little bit of gritty curiosity, while also adding to the verby chaos of the piece.
So, that’s where I’m at! Two days in and the palette is starting to form. The work of composition is where these sounds will get nuanced to communicate the exact feeling I’m trying to convey. The journey presses on!
Listen to my full digital journal and get a sneak peek of where I'm at below. Thanks for being here.