Working in our DAWs, we often fixate on the timing of rhythm section instruments. Is the bass in time with the kick drum, are the guitar rhythms syncing to the hi-hat groove, and so on? Coming up as musicians, rhythm section players tend to learn to lock in and groove together by playing in bands. That’s the natural organic way of creating “feel in music. The less natural, digital way, is through DAW-based editing of either MIDI or live audio. 

Brass section players, possibly even more so than rhythm section instrumentalists, are brought up from their musical childhoods playing in ensembles. Think high school jazz bands, horn sections in pop groups, or big bands accompanying well-known crooners. Sure everyone likes to solo, but the truth of it is, horn players spend the majority of their working life playing in sections. 

And often, rehearsal time is at a premium. Particularly in professional situations. Often there is only time for one or two quick run-throughs at an afternoon sound check, before playing the show after a short dinner break. So, horn players learn to develop a repertoire of phrasing and timing conventions that allow them to play together tightly when reading the same charts and the same rhythms. They learn to time certain articulations together, based on note duration and tempo, and more importantly, experience!

So what happens when the tape is rolling (or the drive is spinning), the parts are captured, the players go home, and the producer only realizes after the fact that maybe the timing of the ensemble sections could have been tighter. 

Do we apply the same rigorous quantization norms to brass sections, as we do to rhythm sections? After all, we want the ensemble parts to have a bit of natural groove and swing way and lilt. That is the way horn players phrase their parts. And the way they lock in with tight rhythm sections is all part of the magic that gives the music its "feel."

So, quantizing brass parts won't work generally. It is usually too heavy-handed. The interaction of their natural timing with the rhythm sections is part of the magic. You want to preserve it, yet you also want the section to sound tight. 

The solution is to use the timing of one part, the one with the best feel, and use that as a template to adjust the timing of the other performances. That is easier said than done. Depending on the DAW in question, groove templates can be created based on the tightest part. That will account for the onset of each of the notes played. But what about their durations, or the vibrato at the end of certain notes? There is no one single solution. Or is there?

Revoice Pro, which we normally think of as a tool to align timing and pitches of vocal parts does a fabulous job working its magic on instruments as well. Monophonic brass parts in particular respond very well to the subtle timing and phrasing adjustments necessary to align with each other.  

In this example, you'll hear a brass section phrase, played pretty well. But some timing discrepancies were not caught by the engineer or producer during the original tracking session. Watch as Revoice Pro, with a few simple mouse clicks, easily solves the phrasing, feel, and timing discrepancies. Maybe it should be renamed Rebrass Pro!

Header Image by Gustavo Anacleto from Pexels.