Dorico Pro 6, NP5.01, MacBook Pro M4Max 64gb memory
Hi - did a search and didn’t find anything helpful, so apologies if this has been covered already…
I am completely hopeless about mixing, effects, etc. I am certainly baffled by other libraries, etc. so NP is a gift from heaven for me. I don’t want to invest the time learning a DAW (I bought Cubase 10 - and couldn’t get on with it - so never used it since).
All I want to do is compose and listen to a half-decent mockup when I press play - NP is fabulous.
However… discovered that by removing the Compressor from effects and replacing it with Maximiser, it all suddenly became a lot more exciting and dramatic to listen to. Just wondered are there any other SIMPLE modifications to output that would have the same OMG transformation?
I have, on advice, bought ValhallaRooms and added that before Maximiser, and there was an improvement. Can anybody recommend, to a resistant-to-change stubborn old man who does not want to invest the time in learning, any other simple (preferably free or low-price) effects that would make a difference.
I write for large orchestral forces, +/- chorus, or symphonic wind band, or brass band primarily.
I would welcome your advice, please.
Pete
I tried asking DeepSeek AI and their response was quite useful - until it was adamant that NP was now up to version 5.3 and that it had a feature called SoundStage - that would transform the sound. However, despite scouring the Wallander website, and downloading the update to 5.01, that notion proved entirely fallacious! More Artificial less Intelligence I feel.
You wonder where they get their data from???
There is one very simple plug-in you can use that help bring back some ‘life’ and ‘air’ to recording of any kind, either analog or digital, and works great on sample libraries.
It’s been around for decades and now exists in VST format for Windows or Macs.
“BBE Sonic Sweet”, which includes a plug-in version of their time proven ‘Sonic Maximizer’
Now…there will be some people (usually in hardcore DAW or recording forums) who say “'No! No! No!..that’s akin to devil worship! It’s a farce!..false advertising!..they’ve stolen their ideas from Aphex!..you’ll destroy your mix!”
Whatever.
There are scientific and acoustic principles for why BBE Harmonizer works. Higher frequencies move faster than low frequencies through the air. When a mix is coming out of your speakers, all the frequencies are pretty much coming out at you at the same time. BBE changes the relationship between the time the frequencies ‘hit your ears’, creating a more natural acoustic experience.
(…I can hear the nay-sayers now…I’ve gone through this for the past couple of decades in online arguments…)
All I can say is, trust your ears! Try the BBE stuff. It works. My ears always hear a difference when I use BBE. So do people listening.
But use it in a very subtle manner. Usually, ‘less is more’.
All sound frequencies travel at the same speed, so what you say is totally untrue. It sounds like many people in the past have tried to correct this misconception of yours, but you haven’t taken it on board.
So, I don’t expect you to change, but at least the OP will understand the reasons you’re recommending this plugin are not valid.
We live in a miraculous age, but I don’t know if a plug-in to make every document sound better just by turning it on exists. I could be wrong.
NP already does reverb and spatial placement, so there’s probably only a small amount of room for fine tuning, before you start competitive interference.
I suspected as much, but have no experience in the field. It was just that changing from Compressor to Maximiser was night and day, just wondered if there was something similar to bring out orchestral texture that was simple enough without a whole new learning curve.
[quote=“Seapaddler, post:1, topic:994542”]
All I want to do is compose and listen to a half-decent mockup when I press play - NP is fabulous
I’m just like you! even to being an old man (and kayakist? ) And I love both NP and Dorico.
So RE: changing from Compressor to Maximiser was night and day" intrigues me.
We “live in a miraculous age” so where do I find it ?
I’ve already noticed, when I’m composing, that the dynamic range is less than what I would have expected , even for solo instruments, so removing audio compression would be exactly what I wanted at home, and compression for working in a noisy environment(e.g. public transport.)
The speed of sound varies only with the temperature (and thus density) of the medium through which it travels, not the frequency of the sound itself. That is why the speed of sound is faster at sea level than it is at 40,000ft. BBE do not claim that ‘high frequencies travel faster than low’, so why you do is not clear. The SonicSweet product may be excellent, but your understanding of it is entirely incorrect.
Here’s an excerpt from a BBE ‘white paper’.
The final judgement in what BBE ‘does’ to a mix, and whether you like the result or not, all comes down to what you hear.
From ‘white paper’:
"Going into some details of the BBE process. There are several different versions of BBE process. The most authentic BBE process works as follows; BBE divides the frequency band into three. The low frequency range is below 145Hz, mid range is 145Hz to 2.5KHz and the high frequency range is over 2.5KHz. Most of fundamental frequencies are inside the mid frequency range, and the higher harmonics are in the high frequency range. The low and mid frequency ranges are delayed 2.5mS and 0.5mS (smooth linear delay with no steps) respectively compared to the high frequency range. The high frequency range is not delayed. Therefore the higher frequencies reach the ear before the fundamentals as they do in natural live sound.
The mid range and high frequency range signals are used as references for BBE’s adaptive amplitude compensation. By carefully watching the mid and high frequency range signals, the absolute value circuits and supporting circuitry continuously outputs higher harmonics’ dominance ratio. The output is applied to a VCA control to automatically adjust the higher harmonics amplitude to the optimum amount.
After using BBE to restore time alignment and amplitude of the higher harmonics, you may feel that you want a little more bass for the best balance. To obtain the best frequency balance, BBE processors have a low contour boost function, which boosts 50Hz area in a linear fashion up to 145Hz. Although this boost is not VCA controlled, it has a progressively longer delay as frequencies become lower. It gives a 2.5mS delay at 20Hz compared to the higher frequencies. This low contour boost provides very tight and clear (not boomy) bass. This is the reason that many bassists like to use BBE. "
Thanks as always for the reply. I eventually found the documenation for all this at:
I shall leave well alone! My composition teacher often warns me not to spend time on artificial playback but to cultivate real live players.
The fact remains however that a real choir can produce a sound anything between almost inaudible(Whispering) and something close to shouting. Which is why it’s always worth going to see real singers (and players).
Indeed - a fellow kayaker. Although, too old for the epic sea crossings/island circumnavigation things I used to do - spend all my time composing (or, as the old joke has it, decomposing).
