Midnight Dream -music vid

[Paul Battersby]

This is what I've been up to lately. I'm trying to release a new video once every 2 months. My previous one was released about 2 months ago. I already have another one finished and ready to go for release 2 months from now. I'm just beginning to think about what I'll publish 4 months from now. This arbitrary schedule seems to be just the right amount of motivation for me to continue to casually create new music/videos and enjoy the process. Not sure how long it will last. Coming up with video ideas is tough.

[Chris Spyratos]

Good job keeping to the schedule! I listened to it through some old headphones I have laying around here in the office and it is well balanced. The composition is nice and the elements blend together nicely. I think the piano might be a bit overcompressed or "played" a bit on the heavier side of dynamics for my taste. Even though the images are static, the way you animate them makes it interesting.

The view on the image with the orthodox church between the crowded residence complex on a coastal region looks familiar... Where is it from?

[Paul Battersby]

(06-29-2021, 01:52 PM)Chris Spyratos Wrote: Good job keeping to the schedule!

Thanks. When working or when making music, I like to stay ahead of schedule if I can. So I'm also hoping to always complete a new video, before the next video is released.

(06-29-2021, 01:52 PM)Chris Spyratos Wrote: I think the piano might be a bit overcompressed or "played" a bit on the heavier side of dynamics for my taste.

I'll have to listen for that the next time I use piano in a composition. I'll give some thought to the balance between key velocity and volume if I want a softer tone without losing volume.

(06-29-2021, 01:52 PM)Chris Spyratos Wrote: Even though the images are static, the way you animate them makes it interesting.

I think it's important with slide show style videos to always include some movement. Whether that's subtly zooming in/out or panning slowly across the image. In this case I needed it to look like the camera was actually flying through each image so lots of obvious movement was essential.

(06-29-2021, 01:52 PM)Chris Spyratos Wrote: The view on the image with the orthodox church between the crowded residence complex on a coastal region looks familiar... Where is it from?

I'm guessing you mean this image: https://www.pxfuel.com/en/free-photo-emzza

(apparently images can't be embedded from that site)

It's from pxfuel.com (as are all but the 2nd image in my video) where all the images are free even for commercial use (though I'm not using them commercially). Beyond that, I don't know much about any of the images.

[Nayrb]

This is a really nice piece! Good job. I wonder if you could use a subtle velocity sensitive LPF on the piano, assuming it's just one layer to begin with. That's been my solution to everything lately, though, so who knows if it's actually as effective as I think it is!

[Paul Battersby]

(07-02-2021, 11:56 PM)Nayrb Wrote: This is a really nice piece! Good job.

Hey, thanks!

(07-02-2021, 11:56 PM)Nayrb Wrote: I wonder if you could use a subtle velocity sensitive LPF on the piano, assuming it's just one layer to begin with.

The piano actually has 6 velocity layers. I'm beginning to think I should have had more dynamic range in the piano track. I'll have to devote more time to that the next time I use piano.

[Nayrb]

(07-03-2021, 11:48 AM)Paul Battersby Wrote:

(07-02-2021, 11:56 PM)Nayrb Wrote: This is a really nice piece! Good job.

Hey, thanks!

(07-02-2021, 11:56 PM)Nayrb Wrote: I wonder if you could use a subtle velocity sensitive LPF on the piano, assuming it's just one layer to begin with.

The piano actually has 6 velocity layers. I'm beginning to think I should have had more dynamic range in the piano track. I'll have to devote more time to that the next time I use piano.

Ah, I see. Well, I only had a chance to give it a quick listen, so I wasn't able to listen too critically. I think the beginning is the part where I most noticed the piano being a bit heavy. Elsewhere it wasn't as forceful. But yeah, if you have a multilayered piano, you can certainly play around with expression, to your heart's content with six layers!

[Paul Battersby]

(07-03-2021, 01:18 PM)Nayrb Wrote: if you have a multilayered piano, you can certainly play around with expression, to your heart's content with six layers!

If anyone is interested, it's a free sfz based piano. And I was wrong, it's 8 layers which is my own custom version of the original which has 16 layers!

Salamander Grand Piano v3 by Alexander Holm