How to achieve more realism with NOTE VELOCITIES

[@garygimmestad4272]

I think the pianists in particular (myself included) appreciate this reminder of idiomatic differences. Well done and thank you!

[@TheWolfCub71]

Fantastic video! I have been experimenting with velocities and volume automations to try and get the sounds I’m going for but not being familiar with how each instrument is actually played by the individual musicians, your insight there gave me the missing piece. Thank you Paul.

[@MoonhareStudio]

I habitually map Spitfire library short articulations to CC1 and play in like the longs but this really opened my eyes to some wonderful possibilities. And to think I nearly passed on this vid thinking I already know all that. Lesson learned... never under-estimate Mr Thomson!

[@davidsinclair699]

It's a lovely explanation of how to use velocity to try to capture the uniqueness of each instrument. I learned a lot. Thanks Paul.

[@Maotar]

This is just gold, fantastic tips and so well explained, thanks Paul! I now wish that my DAW (S1) would have the horizontal bar velocity view like you have here in Logic, it makes viewing polyphonic velocity values so much easier.

[@ridgero]

Hi Paul, this is one of the best and most important videos I‘ve ever seen. Thank you so much for sharing those precious „secrets“.

[@PaulThomsonMusic]

Thanks glad you are finding them useful!

[@bryanhitch9383]

just as I think I'm making some progress there's a whole new layer of learning and playing to embrace. Terrific content, very informative and a great new rabbit hole to fall down.

[@rdru2ner82]

This is very helpful. Thank you, Paul. Lets go! Laughing out loud!

[@spadogs]

Thanks Paul. I really look forward to finding these hidden gem educational videos from you. Reminds me of when you first started a couple of years ago. You could make a career out of teaching, not that you need another one :-)

[@maplefoxx6285]

oh nice tips, I do this for midi drum programming already, so hopefully can figure it out, I am just going to watch more videos of people playing. Thanks a lot for these videos, I am keeping a list of all my favorites in my discord so me and my friends can learn together.

[@rubenmolino1480]

EXCELENT ¡¡¡¡ TANK-YOU ¡

[@111111old]

Loved these almost microscopic nuances of performance - in my BBC career I have found myself in close proximity to a lot of musical performers, and I have observed the physics of performance that you're talking about here. A great video, made all the greater by the camera work! So very very much better than cutting to a second camera which is off the eye-line, thus implying that the speaker is not talking to me any more. That feels insulting to the viewer. You have proved that this type of video works SO much better for using ONE camera for the presenter, plus cutaways of just the keyboard or monitor. Thank you (and sorry for going off-topic a bit).

[@PaulThomsonMusic]

Thanks for this and for the very interesting note about cameras - I had never considered that element!

[@J.G.E]

Exceptionally informative and well explained. Your content is absolutely top tier. Thanks a lot - Joss

[@DanMcLaughlin]

Paul I'm not sure you got into it, but a discussion about the different ways of controlling a sample would be useful. For example, my understanding is that velocity is only used for some Spitfire sample types (I forget ATM, maybe the shorts and not longs?). And we have expression and modulation with the other CC's. A discussion about the relationship between all of these would be good.

[@PaulThomsonMusic]

That’s correct - velocity is for the short notes - anything long and looped is controlled by the CC - usually set to CC1 for “dynamic” and then CC11 is an overall volume control - plus where applicable you have CC21 for vibrato.

[@patzumbrunn]

Thank you Paul

[@nickjones5641]

Another great video. Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to share your knowledge. I spent 6 months of 2020 learning drum rudiments(I'm not a drummer) in order to make my drum programming sound realistic.

[@hablemosdefoto]

I just bought ALBION ONE. Just beautiful Thank you Spitfire for great deal. Thank you for share this video, it will help me a lot

[@davidmagnus]

Great video! Very helpful advice, thank you

[@The_Musical_Cartograph]

For someone who isn't really close to any orchestral players the tips to think Accents and subdivisions, to put yourself in the head of the players, is really neat Thanks ^^

[@RenevolutionAccount]

Thank you, Paul. It is really very useful. - best greetings from germany :)

[@1000buffalos]

Another awesome tutorial! Great info on the trumpets. Thank you Mr. Thompson.

[@alanscott2422]

A Great session ...

[@martijnvanbeek4387]

Hi Paul, you're an enormous help to get me listening better and better, thanks

[@jamescoxmusic8827]

Boom! Instant usefulness, massively impactful!

[@recksgraham6918]

Another excellent video... and thank you for the covert arrangement/voicing tip at the end too!

[@ChrisCross8]

Thank you for these great tutorials, they are extremely helpful! I think this is one of the best channels to learn about orchestration and composing in general.

[@baldwyntin608]

Thank you!

[@blue-balance]

Fantastic tips, Paul! Thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge with us!!

[@MarudsTV]

fantastic, so calming and I absolutely loving it.

[@antonioandradesantos801]

Lovely Paul, thanks from Portugal!

[@chris_wicksteed]

Absolute gem of a video. Cheers!

[@FLH3official]

Interesting and usefull video. For the ghost notes I sometimes use the rebound of my keyboard, this kind of "second triggering" which happens when you play the key on its edge, like a ruler at the edge of a table (I use a light "synth" action keyboard). Obviously you have to edit some after but it can give some happy accidents, some unexpected things which happen in the almost unheard backgroud of an instrumental line.

[@PaulThomsonMusic]

Thanks! Yes that’s a big benefit to synth weighting vs piano weighting!

[@laynehoward2870]

I'm sure I've missed it, but it would be awesome to see a video on how you set up the individual instruments on dedicated channels within the DAW. Unless I'm mistaken, it looks like you have a zillion tracks, each dedicated to a specific instrument so that if you're composing and suddenly feel a trumpet needs to be added, it's there on a given track/channel without having to load it. Maybe I'm wrong. This is probably something very basic, but I'm an old dog trying to learn new tricks.

[@Frank.Zimmermann]

Many thanks Paul, that's very helpful! :)

[@stephset7056]

Thanks a lot Paul! what is the difference between using velocity and mod wheel? somehow they work like each other. right?

[@EricK-zz2hx]

Excellent video!

[@DIDCHOI]

Good idea for the strings. Still think wind players would easily single tongue at that tempo though

[@justinrichter1650]

Yooooo he can play the clarinet!!

[@NikolausBrocke]

Great tutorial! But you also must take into account at which velocity level the sound changes in the sampler. It's not just the level, its a lot about the sound of the sample. How do you do this?

[@Tony-Stockport]

Good point.

[@iliatilev]

Amazing.. the video is gold. So many great tips ;)

[@michaelsparti]

Excellent explanation of velocity use. Learning so much from your videos.

[@PaulThomsonMusic]

Thanks Mike! Glad you like them!

[@Tateshi-Starwalker]

Great lesson! I learned a lot. Since I'm a piano player, I should be careful. I have a question. What do you think about programing tonal percussion and harps? Do you have any tips?

[@OfficialHarsha]

Love the Intro Music. Any chances to get the score? What to learn the Orchestration

[@PaulThomsonMusic]

I'll find out!

[@raoufghojoghi8700]

Yeah it’s epic and kinda reminds me of Game of Thrones Targaryen theme

[@orangepapya]

​@@PaulThomsonMusic or a walkthrough video with whoever wrote it? I absolutely love when you guys do those!

[@LongshanMusic]

"Now , weirdly, although that sounds unmusical, it kind of sounds more like trumpets." Me, a horn player: "Finally, someone said it!" *Standing Ovation* 😂

[@dafingaz]

Great advice as always, Paul! Rule number 1: "Don't be a piano player." 😂

[@jimsanger]

Really interesting Paul, particularly for ham fisted guitarists trying to fake it as a pianist too. (Comenting for a friend) :D

[@sekritskworl-sekrit_studios]

Can note velocities be compressed in cubase in the same way?

[@drjtwoodrow]

Great video. But I'm wondering how many people actually listen to music and think, "Hmmm, I wonder if that is real or not." If it sounds great, then I suppose it sounds great. I presume we are trying to trick the musicians?

[@danielyaniuk]

Simple)

[@Silmarieni1]

I'm confused, I thought Spitfire's libraries were primarily driven by volume, expression and dynamics, not velocities?

[@garygimmestad4272]

It depends on the specific library, patch, whether it’s solo or sectional, and the specific articulation.

[@FredrikFernbrant]

Long articulations (for example legato or long patches) are generally controlled with expression (CC11) and dynamics (CC1). Short articulations (for example staccato and pizzicato patches) are generally controlled by velocity while expression still plays a role as volume control.

[@jean_mollycutpurse_winchester]

You don't have a daughter called, Carla do you?. We used to be such good friends and we drifted apart.

[@MarcusHedenberg]

*Idiomatically* intensifies

[@nicolasvigh]

Thank you!