violins without violins

W

westg8

New member
hey there. I'm completely new to making synthesized or electronic sounds to replace live instruments. We've always just recorded all our tracks live. However, in the future I'd like to put some violins on of our songs. As I don't know any violionists or could hire a symphony, I'd like to do this electronically, making it realistic as possible. Would this be done with MIDI? Would I need a MIDI keyboard. As you can see, i know nothing about this aspect of the recording process. Could i just get software to emulate this for me? Any help would be great.

Steven
 
You can go different ways here...

You can synthesize a sound using a synthesizer, trying to get as close to the thing as possible. Or you can use sampleplayback. For sampleplayback you can choose a patch in an expander (just a box with alot of sounds in it, can be controlled using midi), or on a keyboard, or you can use a sampler (just a box that plays whatever sample you put in it, also controlled by midi) and take a sample yourself, or from a sample-cd.

I suggest you start with doing some reading about what midi is and does. You're probably gonna need it anyway.

You can play the tracks yourself on a keyboard, or program them on a sequencer......
 
As a MIDI controller for violin sounds, I use a guitar (equipped with a pitch to voltage converter/guitar synthesizer) rather than a keyboard.
I find I can get certain phrasing that only a stringed instrument (that is not linear like a piano) can approximate.
The only problem is that it can be more expensive to purchase than a MIDI keyboard with a bank of sounds, or, as Roel suggested, a sampler with MIDI control. Optimally, I would prefer the guitar as a controller with a sampler for more lifelike violin sounds.

Give it a thought though.

mike
 
Midi expanders are cheap used nowdays. Ive got 4 and Ive spent about 250.00 for all 4. I also have a fiddle I aquired last week for 10.00 at a thrift shop. (Decent quality student 4/4 skylark). I cant play much but long sustaining notes with a whole midi string section behind me but it adds to the dynamic.
 
Thanks for all the responses. I'm currently looking towards the expander route. Of course, this is still all very hypothetical for me right now.
 
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