ENGLISH DETECTIVE bassoon escalops with scurrying flute-string pan-bagnat

Used Instruments

  • Flute

  • Bassoon

  • 1st Violins

  • Strings

Downloads and further Information

Flute

Used silver-colored flute with keys on a black background, available for purchase.

Instrument / Preset Selection

  • Flute 2 (more airy / lightweight sound) / VelXF sus / Classic (presence on stage)

Preparation / Articulation Selection

  • Short Notes / Staccato (Timestretched ~30% longer)
Screenshot of Synchron Player software demonstrating audio editing features with Stretch function enabled for dynamic control of Flute 2 samples.

Basic Phrasing

Digital audio workstation (DAW) interface displaying a flute music midi track with notes, velocity, and expression settings for instrument composition.
  • Velocity (Create two phrases and accents but not in too high ranges as it will get harsh)
  • Expression (CC11) (increasing dynamic range)

Finishing Touches

  • Humanize Delay Scale (CC25): 20

Bassoon

Used bassoon instrument isolated on a black background, showcasing its rich brown wood and silver keys.

Instrument / Preset Selection

  • Bassoon 1/ VelXF sus / Classic (presence on stage)

Preparation / Articulation Selection

  • Staccato (agile and normal)
  • Portato
  • Long
  • Legato
MIDI piano roll showing musical articulations: Portato, Staccato, Legato, Staccato agile, and Long notes, likely demonstrating techniques for strings and wind instruments like flute and bassoon.

Basic Phrasing

  • Velocity for Shorts
  • Modulation (CC1) for Longs (increase for the legato transition beginning of bar 8)
  • Expression (CC11) to increase dynamic range
  • Timbre Adjust (CC8)
    • Bring variation into staccatos
    • Shape note ends for longs
    • Tame the sounds of the legato transitions (bars 2, 5, 6)
Digital audio workstation interface displaying bassoon MIDI notes, velocity, modulation, expression, and balance automation for music production.

Finishing Touches

  • Attack (CC22) to reduce the accents in the two last notes
Digital audio workstation (DAW) piano roll displaying bassoon MIDI notes for music composition and sequencing, with a keyboard on the left and note data in red bars on a dark grid, showing used instruments.

1st Violins

Brown wooden violin string instrument for sale, used violins

Instrument / Preset Selection

  • 1st Violins / VelXF sus / Wide (Make space for the solo woodwinds)

Preparation / Articulation Selection

Custom Patch

  • Combine Marcato with Tremolo
  • Activate parallel mode and set to mix
  • Put Velocity Crossfade to off
Synchron Player virtual instrument software interface displaying violin articulation settings, custom controls, and options for customizing instrument sounds.
  • Put the VelXF slider (In Perform Tab) to fixed value 75
  • Adjust Release (for the Tremolo patch only) to -4.26 dB
Screenshot of the SYNCHRON PLAYER software interface, showing detailed controls for 1st Violins samples, including articulation, tempo, and effects settings like tremolo for virtual instruments.

Basic Phrasing

  • Copy and Paste from Flute
MIDI piano roll editor showing Violin 1 notes C4-C5, velocity bars, and expression curves for music composition.

Finishing Touches

  • Humanize Delay Scaler (CC25): ~15

Strings

Orchestral string instruments, including multiple cellos and double basses, representing string ensemble music.

Create 3 individual lines as indicated in the picture for

  • 2nd Violins
  • Violas
  • Cellos
Musical staff with notes for 2nd violins, violas, and cellos, depicting string instrument sheet music or MIDI data for orchestra arrangements.

Instrument / Preset Selection

VelXF sus / Wide

  • 2nd Violins
  • Violas
  • Cellos

Preparation / Articulation Selection

  • Pizzicato

Basic Phrasing

  • Velocity (variations & accents again) and two times 3 bar crescendo, 1 bar decrescendo
  • Expression (CC11) for increasing dynamic range
A digital audio workstation (DAW) screen showing midi notes on a piano roll, velocity bars, and expression automation for instrument sounds like bassoon and flute.

Finishing Touches

  • Humanize Delay Scaler (CC25): ~20

Mixing

Master Volumes

Instrument Value
Flute 126
Bassoon 115
1st Violins 75
2nd Violins 107
Violas 108
Cellos 114

Violas

  • Mid Microphone -6dB

Strings

  • Disable all EQs
  • Increase Reverb by 1dB (glue together accompaniment)

Other Tweaks

  • Add a tempo map from 260bpm to 265bpm for bringing in variations and a ritardando at the end
Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) interface displaying a tempo automation track in a MIDI/audio editor, showing tempo changes between 260 and 265 BPM for instrument playback.

Top learnings

  1. Time Stretching (change length of the staccato patch)
  2. Custom patch - combining marcato and tremolo for a "busy violin" sound
  3. Attack Slider (to soften accents)
  4. Combine wide and classic Mixer Presets (increase stage prominence of solo instruments)