Limit, epic orchestral piece

Back after a hiatus. This is still a work in progress, though I haven't shared anything with you guys in a long time.
I missed you all.

Welcome back, I know I always miss my time away from here.

I like the chimes, think they could have been used more often to make more "moments". Percussion entrance could have been clearer - if you're into mixing, turn down the frequencies that are covered by other instruments and turn up the frequencies not covered by other instruments. The theme you've made is a good one, and interesting in its own right. One contrasting element or drastic change to the theme would really have made this work pop. The build and orchestration is particularly nice. Cool impact sound at 1:15 🙂

Nice!

Gustav

I would hope you'll add more of the orchestra. Right now it's mostly strings; there are no brass or wind instruments, or driving percussion.

On the note of the strings, I would say that your samples aren't really working here. The low end is too loose and the staccato/spiccatos don't have nearly prominent enough an attack. I think that one percussive sound are Col Legno, but they sound quite "machine gun" to me.

As for frequencies, I'm not quite sure how "cut & boost" with an equalizer became conventional wisdom, but I assure you it is not a solution for mud in all but the most extreme scenarios, and only regarding an individual instrument compared against itself. Applied to an arrangement, at best, this method of "cut one frequency and boost in the opposite" will result in certain aspects (and not always desirable ones) simply being louder and adding a pseudo-clarity to those parts of the sound.

The simple fact is, 9.9/10 times the only real solution to frequency masking is better part writing. When two sounds occur in unison, it results in a doubling; neither sound is especially distinct, in certain combinations. As such, the solution is easy: Don't have two different parts playing in the same pitch range if they're not supposed to be doubling. You will be at the mercy of physics here.

As I always tell people regarding mixing: There honestly is no such thing that differs from arrangement, composition and orchestration. There was a time even recording music wasn't possible, let alone equalizing it, and composers still got perfectly clear, balanced "mixes" anyway.