With realism and simplicity vying for the composer’s attention, any virtual instrument has a delicate balancing act to get right. We check out one that hopes to bring both to tracks needing the glint of aerophonic action…

Brass In Context

Most are familiar with the awesome back-row power of a Classical symphonic brass section (so placed to help balance their immense level with other instruments). Often jettisoning strings and woodwinds, some other genres have retained horn sounds, particularly those of sax and trumpet. More generous arrangements see these reunited with trombone and/or additional-register saxes. While horn sections are frequently conjured using VIs for lower-budget productions, solo instruments and film soundtracks are more likely to see real players in front of microphones. Layering real recordings with virtual instruments poses a middle-ground than can often lead the ear into hearing a believable sound, and one less conspicuous than attempting to ‘track up’ a single player…

Refining Virtual Brass

Some instruments are easier than others to synthesis or sample (or both) with convincing results. Anyone who ever casually traipsed through all the patches of an early workstation keyboard may concur that their strings, bass, and drum sounds usually fared better than brass sounds. Following much development since those early offerings, engineers and composers now also enjoy access to brass sounds that dazzle. The very best of these reside in orchestral VI libraries where it’s understood that only those composers with a handle on the instrument’s complexity will realise the potential on offer.

UJAM Symphonic Elements BRAAASS

Joining only a small cohort of tools designed to generate realistic horn sounds that are easy to drive, Symphonic Elements BRAAASS is the latest from VI maestros UJAM. Taking inspiration from large cinematic libraries, this instrument sets out to bring epic, bombastic horns, landing in UJAM’s familiar compact form factor. Inviting only minimal time spent learning the instrument, it allows non-classically trained composers get their creations from brain to monitor instantly.

BRAAASS’ MO works to distil voices into simple Low and High sections rather than to ponder the names of individual instruments. Taking in familiar family members such as trumpets and trombones, BRAAASS swaps out saxes for tubas, french horns, and the lesser-known cimbasso (bass horn) for extra low-end breadth. The company’s signature Finisher effects are also available, making designed sounds very easy to achieve.

In the video, we walk through some of BRAAASS’ sounds ranging from symphonic bombast to experimental soundscape. We look at how easy it is to dial in and play sounds without classical training, before adding some symphonic weight to a simple arrangement of drums, bass, and guitars.

UJAM on Symphonic Elements BRAAASS:

BRAAASS puts Hans Zimmer’s personal collection of brass section phrases at your fingertips. Tried and tested in Hollywood, this latest addition to the Symphonic Elements series makes this sometimes tricky key ingredient of modern music production intuitively accessible. Summon the spirits of epic with BRAAASS!

Features:

• An extensive collection of world-class instruments including French Horns, Trumpets, Trombones, Cimbassos, Tubas

• Ready to roar: creative performance and sound design engine

• 78 playing Styles, 250+ sound designer presets

• Recorded at Hans Zimmer’s Remote Control Studios, produced by Boris Salchow

Big Brass Simplified?

Although some may feel that consolidating a whole family of instruments into Low and High registers a shade simplistic, this makes the instrument accessible for those who just know how they want it to sound. After all, does every drum VI user know their Octoban from their Rototom or temple block from jam block? Symphonic Elements BRAAASS demystifies large-scale horns whilst still managing to sound gigantic.

For the engineer/programmer who needs a convincing hit of brass in their production, Symphonic Elements BRAAASS might impress, especially when there isn’t time to research the finer points of arrangement. Certainly those who have tried to play ‘illegal’ notes on other instruments will appreciate its friendliness!

Instrument background photo by Samuel Ramos on Unsplash