Brass effects for Roland FA 08

[LoboLives]

Hey guys this is my first post. I recently got an FA 08 and love it. However I've always noticed that brass sounds on synths almost never sound realistic. This could be my playing but I've noticed a severe lack of "effects' on brass sounds.

I'm really into soundtrack music as of late and have been on a huge 50's kick. I'm looking specifically for effects like flutter tongue, cluster and growls.

I'm trying to get these type of sounds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s96QNhJUWMc

(Around the 1:18 mark)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpDrHxXwMw4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4anAVoAc8A

I'm really trying to avoid getting a virtual Synth like East West as I prefer to play everything live with as little of overdubs as possible and I haven't got the upgrade for the Roland brass or orchestra but can anyone point me in the right direction or does anyone know if the Roland upgrades have those effects? Any good tips on getting this type of booming orchestral sound?

Also does anyone know the chord used in the second example around the 0:14 mark? Not sure if it's just the effect on the brass or an actual chord but I love that sound.

[PeachyMark]

First, download the EXP-07 brass expansion http://axial.roland.com/articles/exp-07 ... ollection/

The tones are much more realistic and more varied than those preloaded on the FA08.

I downloaded the pack on Saturday and have been playing around with various combinations of the tones ever since to try to get a good reggae horn section sound - I'm fairly happy with what I've achieved so far with a layered combination of trumpet section, staccato trombone & trombone section (the staccato section gives the sound a realistic punch when playing, and the section tones allow the note to resonate when held). I'll post details later when I'm back at home in front of the keyboard.

Still not entirely satisfied with it though, so I fully intend to continue tweaking! Bad, synthetic brass sounds are just too horrible to play!

[Lunar]

As PeachyMark says, the EXP-07 Brass set has plenty of (fairly) realistic articulations; rips, staccato, shakes and so on. For other orchestral brass sounds EXP-10 Orchestra has a few more, but they are less big brass style and more geared towards classical/soundtrack horns. It's well worth getting two expression pedals for the FA and assigning one to aftertouch, and the other to a tweaked modulation setting to get some good swells/vibrato combinations. For that booming sound, I've occasionally beefed up the brass with a deep synth pad with no effects, something like "Deepity" or a Jupiter 8 supernatural string pad dropped an octave, just to give a bit more low end and, well, boom to it. And of course TFX reverb, lots of that. If you just need a one-shot effect, don't forget the sampler either.

One thing worth noting about EXP-07, some of those effects like the drops and rips won't trigger unless you either hammer the keyboard for full velocity, or set a fixed velocity at maximum (127). I have the FA-06, and from what I've heard, the FA-08 has a better touch response, so you might not have to hit the keys as hard.

As for that chord in "This Island Earth" around 0:14, it sounds like a minor-major 9th, the so-called "James Bond chord", sounds great played with a brass section. Enjoy your FA, once you start tweaking it, it is a fantastic keyboard.

[specialplant]

One thing worth noting about EXP-07, some of those effects like the drops and rips won't trigger unless you either hammer the keyboard for full velocity, or set a fixed velocity at maximum (127). I have the FA-06, and from what I've heard, the FA-08 has a better touch response, so you might not have to hit the keys as hard.

You can edit this and lower the threshold at which the drops and rips are triggered. Just have a look at the velocity limits of the individual waveforms within the tone and change them. You don't need to change the general velocity settings of the FA for that. (Of course you have to save the tone as a user tone then.)

[Lunar]

You can edit this and lower the threshold at which the drops and rips are triggered. Just have a look at the velocity limits of the individual waveforms within the tone and change them. You don't need to change the general velocity settings of the FA for that.

I hadn't thought of that, cheers. You just added another year to the life of the keybed!

[PeachyMark]

I've only had my FA 08 for a few weeks, but it's becoming increasingly clear that almost any annoyance or limitation can be fixed one way or another, it's just learning how to do it that's the tricky bit!

[bennyseven]

this is a good one, PeachyMark!

[LoboLives]

I'll definitely look into the brass upgrade and do some experimentation. It just seems stuff like cluster or flutter tongue is never available and that's a huge problem for me cause they are my favorite sounds. Really was hoping it was part of the brass upgrade itself and I didn't have to menu dive and try to figure out how to emulate it.

Also I noticed when I try to do Tone Edit with brass it says "Can Not Edit". Am I just nuts? I swear I thought you could edit anything.

[Lunar]

Also I noticed when I try to do Tone Edit with brass it says "Can Not Edit". Am I just nuts? I swear I thought you could edit anything.

Are you trying to edit a GM2 brass tone, because the FA won't let you edit any of the GM2 sounds, but there shouldn't be any reason why you can't edit the PCMS tones.

Just another thought, when you boot up the FA, the default studio set is "FA Preview". (Unless you've changed it in the settings) Change this to a unused user studio set and initialize it. The reason being is the mod lever & the two function buttons behave differently with effects/ articulations depending on how they were programmed, I don't have the brass set installed right now, but I'm fairly certain the mod lever gives various shakes & flutters on some brass tones, but only if you use the tone in an initialized studio set, otherwise it's just a default modulation.

One other thing, try some of the brass from EXP-03 World collection, there's not a huge amount to choose from in there, but some of the brass tones in that expansion put me in mind of those old exotica albums by Les Baxter and the like, combine the tones from that & EXP-07 in a studio set and you might have a good framework to begin tweaking. Hope you get the sound you're looking for!

[LoboLives]

Curious now. Can you program a setting in which each key actually plays multiple notes? For example if I want to have a dissonance chord sound or like an unnerving brass cluster (ala Creature From The Black Lagoon or The Shining) can I somehow have three trumpets and each of them is tuned to a semi tone higher or tuned to a dissonant chord but I just have to press a single key?

[bennyseven]

I think layered tones or the chord function could be a solution.

[specialplant]

Curious now. Can you program a setting in which each key actually plays multiple notes? For example if I want to have a dissonance chord sound or like an unnerving brass cluster (ala Creature From The Black Lagoon or The Shining) can I somehow have three trumpets and each of them is tuned to a semi tone higher or tuned to a dissonant chord but I just have to press a single key?

Yes, you can edit the pitch of each partial of a PCM tone within TONE EDIT.

[Emmerson]

The best way to make a realistic brass section with the FA is to create a studio set and build the brass section part by part.
This way you will be able to tailor each part in eq effects pan etc to get the sound you're looking for. I spent about 2 days getting the sound I was looking for.
It's important to make sure that the key range of the instrument does not go outside the range of the real instrument. Seeing up a good pan is important to give a feel of a real lineup and add fatness to the sound
Careful use of parts such as Honker baritone can add extra beef to the section. Other effects such as some Reverb can make things sound more real.
It's best to spend the time as it's quite amazing what you will be able to do.
Also bear in mind that on two different tracks the same brass section may not sound right

Hope that helps,

Emmerson