Feedback for a newbie please :-)

[MaxLeonhart]

Thanks Asva... About the string runs... I listened to them a lot and it really seems that they are too much... Well, I never actually played a violin, so I don't really know. I've got to ask my sister - violinist... I tried to tone it down a bit in "Blazer meets Mograine" (eh, gotta think of a different name for that track...)
Anyway, thanks for your opinion!

[AltaSilvaPuer]

[...] and on Oboe beyond a fifth can be pretty painful as well.  [...]

Actually, as an oboist, myself, I can say that just about everything up to the octave jumps is usually decently do-able, provided you're kind with the range.  Once you get above the C or so above the staff, fingerings can get really wonky to do rapid passages in.

Though, jumps down on Oboe, especially to the lower half of the staff, can be quite frustrating, without a lot of control and a good reed.  I rarely have much trouble jumping up, though, aside from often being quite 'pitchy', which is a general problem for me anyway, when I stop paying attention.

Do you play oboe, Asvarduil?  Because if so, well met!  It's not too often I get to talk to oboists from places outside my own region of the United States.

-asp

[Asvarduil]

Do you play oboe, Asvarduil?  Because if so, well met!  It's not too often I get to talk to oboists from places outside my own region of the United States.

Yep, I'm a Texas oboist

I personally strongly dislike the oboe in the higher register.  Sure, I realize it's pretty.  My personal opinion, born of a decade of playing the instrument, is that the oboe sounds most evocative in its lower octave.

Besides, the high fingerings are extremely squirrely, and requires some crazy embochre changes...my oboe instructor here in college had me trying to get up to the second A above the staff, and I pretty much couldn't, no matter how hard I bit down.

[AltaSilvaPuer]

Oh, I definitely feel you on the preference for the lower parts.  I had the great luck and pleasure to be the English Horn player my first two years of college, as well, but unfortunately had to surrender it to another oboe major this semester.  The only thing I don't like about the lower register of the oboe is that very few composers seem to really know how to write for it.  You can make some great music there, but all too often they either require it too soft and exposed, or it's purposefully over-load and biting as an effect (and often pretty covered up, anyway).

To get this thread back on topic, though:
I think I'm going to have to agree with the general consensus on Legendary that the jumps might be a little far for that speed, if it's all meant to be one continuous line.  If you were crafty, though, you might be able to pull it off by splitting it between the first and second violins or something, and then still have the jumps.  I think it's probably better for this case, though, to at least smooth it out a tiny bit, first, even if you still do split it between instruments.

-asp

[MaxLeonhart]

Hey guys, just to answer your opinions on string lines in Legendary - I talked to my sister, who's a violin player and she said, that the whole violin part WOULD be playable, but the  violinists would DEFINITELY hate me :-D Anyway, she didn't think the jumps were too far, but that it would require a skilled bunch of players... so, technically, it's doable

But I sure will try to restrain myself from overdoing the violin runs. thank you for your input

[MaxLeonhart]

Hey guys, since things are kinda slow around here, I decided to post my new piece. I just finished it today, so I might be changing it later on...
Anyway - a long time ago, I wrote a short story about the last days of Atlantis... I recently re-read the whole thing and this idea poped up in my head... So I created a "main theme" for the story... It was supposed to be close to The Rise of the Argonauts game soundtrack, but ended up closer to Horner's Troy OST... anyway, check it out here:

http://www.box.net/shared/z4k5dknk6a

or at my site at the Composers' Forum here:

http://composersforum.ning.com/profile/MaxLeonhart?xg_source=profiles_memberList    (I hope this link works )

As always, all ideas and opinions are very welcome.

P.S. to Dan - I know my instruments still suck, but I at least tried to improve the quality by playing with cresc. and decresc. a lot...

[MaxLeonhart]

Hey guys, just a quick update... Here's a new piece that I composed while taking a break from all this studying I've been doing for the last couple of days. Enjoy and comment!

http://www.box.net/shared/2cs23q8zn3

[Tom Servo]

Hey MaxLeonhart.... I really like this last piece you posted as well your others. We've had conversations in the past, so you already know I like your writing. But I want to commend you on the progress you've made in your use of MIDI instruments. Comparing the first cue you posted in the thread to this, you can really hear more movement and emotion in the string lines and the way you controlling expression and volume. Plus your reverb choices are making a big difference as well.

Just wanted to say that it's sound better and better all the time and I want to encourage you to keep it up!!

-jeff

[MaxLeonhart]

Hey Jeff, thanks for the encouragement! You're input is - as always - very welcome... Well, I'd say my improvement happened mostly thanks to you and Dannthr Anyway, I'll be posting a new piece very soon... 2-3 days tops!

[MaxLeonhart]

Ok, so as I promised, a new piece is here... It's supposed to be a main theme for a small RPG project... Still working with the crappy instruments, but I really tried to get the best sound out of them... anyway, any thoughts are welcome; enjoy.

http://www.box.net/shared/tevz5rn45e