With the new Pro Tools setup, I can finally use some cool virtual instruments. Thank goodness, or some of these songs would never be finished.
I got a virtual horn section called “Mojo” from Vir2 instruments (B&H Photo had the best price, by the way). I finally had a chance to install it and try it out. It does not disappoint. In fact, it’s pretty kick ass.
It uses the Kontakt player to access its massive library of horn sounds. There are a set of core instruments (saxophones, trumpets, trombones and more) that have all kinds of play and release articulations, all controlled by MIDI messages. I connected my Fantom to the DIGI 003, created an instrument track in PT and went to town.
Mojo is definitely tweak-friendly. There are tons of options for making the horns sound and perform the way you want. It was a little tricky getting used to hitting the keyswitches for setting articulation while I was playing, but I was able to manually write in MIDI notes to do that if I fouled it up while performing. Same goes for release articulations, which are the things that you can set for when the note is released (like falls, doits and slurs – sounds like things that happen after you’ve been drinking, doesn’t it?)
I put together a three-piece horn section for an upcoming tune. I had previously used the Fantom to lay down horn tracks, and while the Fantom’s horn sounds are pretty good, the difference between them and the Mojo horns is definitely noticeable:
First the Fantom “horns”: [audio:2-inch-fake-horns.mp3]
Now the Mojo version: [audio:2-inch-mojo-horns.mp3]
Righteous. I had been trying for eons to get a real horn section together and schedule a recording session, but it was always logistically difficult to find players, coordinate schedules, chart the horn parts, blah blah blah. For less than what a single session would have cost, I can use this plug in for every tune that needs horn parts. It’s sick!
Now I must return to writing horn parts for every song ever. If you need me I’ll be working my Mojo, baby.