Role in the mix
Strings (first and second violins, violas, cellos, double basses; solo violin, viola and cello) provide warmth, emotion, movement and grandeur: legato pads in ballads, spiccato ostinatos in soundtracks and epic pop, rhythmic pizzicatos, solo melodic lines, disco and soul stabs (Philadelphia sound), tension tremolos. Ranges (fundamentals): violin from G3 (196 Hz) to above E7; viola from C3 (130.8 Hz); cello from C2 (65.4 Hz); double bass from E1 (41.2 Hz). Harmonics and "rosin" (the bow hair) reach 10–12 kHz. In a pop mix the strings are sculpted to leave room for the vocal, bass and guitars; in an orchestral mix the work is mostly about perspective, depth and consistent reverb.
Recording and choosing the sound
- Real section: Decca tree or main pair + outriggers + spot mics per section + ambient mics. The room is part of the sound.
- Soloists: condenser (or ribbon for a soft sound) 0.5–1.5 m above the instrument: too close and the violin is shrill and full of bow noise.
- Libraries: Spitfire (BBC Symphony Orchestra, Discover free, Albion, Chamber Strings), VSL, CineSamples, Orchestral Tools, EastWest, Musical Sampling. Choose the library's mics (close, tree, ambient, outrigger) before mixing: a good part of the depth work is done by blending them. Sound On Sound's series on string arranging with MIDI libraries is a good guide to programming.
- Programming: CC1 (dynamics) and CC11 (expression) always moving; articulations (legato, spiccato, staccato, pizzicato, tremolo, sul ponticello); voicing like a real section (not full piano-player chords).
Gain staging
Peaks −14/−10 dBFS per section; wide dynamics (pp–ff), handled more with CC and automation than with compression.
Corrective EQ
- HP: violins 150–200 Hz, violas 100–130 Hz, cellos 50–60 Hz, double basses 30–35 Hz. In a pop mix with a bass: cellos and basses can be filtered higher (80–100 Hz) or removed from the low register.
- Mud 200–400 Hz in the section sum: −2/−3 dB.
- Nasality 800 Hz–1.5 kHz (close violins): −1/−2 dB.
- Harshness 2.5–5 kHz of the violins (especially close libraries and close-miked recordings): −2/−4 dB or dynamic EQ; this is the most critical spot for violins.
- Bow noise above 8 kHz: shelf −1/−2 dB if excessive.
Creative EQ
- Warmth +1/+2 dB at 200–300 Hz on cellos.
- Air and "silk" shelf +1/+3 dB at 10–12 kHz (better with a smooth EQ, e.g. Pultec or Maag).
- "Bright" pop strings: high HP (250 Hz), presence at 3 kHz, air at 12 kHz.
Compression
- Orchestra: none or 1–2 dB on the bus; use CC11 and automation.
- Pop: light opto compression on the string bus (2:1, 2–4 dB) to glue and stabilize.
- Disco/soul stabs: faster compression to make the accents "hit".
Transient shaper
Attack + on spiccato and pizzicato in dense mixes; Attack − on libraries with attacks that are too hard.
Saturation
Light tape (Studer, J37) for pop and soul warmth; avoid obvious distortion (saturated strings sound artificial), except as an effect (lo-fi strings, sampled strings in hip hop).
Delay
Rare in orchestral work. In pop/cinematic: tempo-synced filtered delays on spiccato ostinatos for thickness.
Reverb (decisive)
- A single consistent hall for the whole orchestra: hall 2–3 s, pre-delay 15–40 ms. Libraries recorded in a hall already have their own ambience: add only a common tail.
- Depth: instruments at the back (double basses, brass, percussion) with less close mic, more ambient and fewer highs; strings in front with more close/tree.
- Plate 1.5–2 s for pop and soul strings.
- Return with HP 150–200 Hz, LP 8–10 kHz.
- Dedicated algorithmic reverbs (Valhalla VintageVerb, Seventh Heaven, Cinematic Rooms, LuxeVerb in FL) or convolution of real halls (Fruity Convolver with a hall IR).
Modulation
None in orchestral work. Chorus/ensemble on string machines (Solina) and synthetic strings; phaser on disco and '70s strings.
Stereo and panning
- American seating (audience perspective): first violins at −60/−70, second violins at −30/−40, violas at +10/+30, cellos at +40/+60, double basses at +60/+70 (at the back).
- European/antiphonal seating: first violins on the left, second violins on the right, violas and cellos in the center, double basses on the left or at the back.
- Many libraries are already panned as in the hall: don't re-pan them to 100%.
- Soloists: in the center or in the section's position.
- In pop mixes: wide strings (L/R) with the vocal in the center.
Sidechain
- Dynamic EQ at 1–4 kHz from the vocal (pop ballads).
- Disco strings with light ducking from the kick.
Automation (fundamental)
- CC1/CC11 for phrasing (crescendo, diminuendo).
- Bus volume by section (thin verse, full chorus).
- Higher reverb send in the endings.
Differences by genre
| Genre | Approach |
|---|---|
| Orchestra / soundtrack | single hall, perspective, no compression, CC |
| Pop ballad | wide strings, HP 150–250 Hz, plate, light opto |
| Disco / soul (Philadelphia) | stabs and lines, plate, compression, phaser |
| Hip hop | sampled strings, saturation, filters, loops |
| Symphonic rock | strings under guitars: high HP, 3 kHz presence |
| K-pop / epic pop | spiccato ostinato, hall, layered with synths |
Common mistakes
- Shrill violins at 2.5–5 kHz (close libraries).
- Every section with a different reverb: incoherent orchestra.
- Full cellos and basses in a pop mix with a bass: mud.
- Re-panning libraries that are already positioned to 100%.
- Static velocity/CC: "keyboard" strings.
Starting settings
| Parameter | Value | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Library mics | Close + tree + ambient blended | Depth at the source. |
| CC1 / CC11 | Always moving | Realistic phrasing. |
| Peak per section | −14/−10 dBFS | Headroom with wide dynamics. |
| Orchestra compression | 0–2 dB on the bus | Natural dynamics. |
| Pop compression | Opto 2:1, 2–4 dB | Stable strings in the mix. |
| Hall reverb | Hall 2–3 s, pre-delay 15–40 ms | Consistent space. |
| Pop reverb | Plate 1.5–2 s | Warmth and sheen. |
| American pan | Vln I −65, Vln II −35, Vla +20, Vc +50, Cb +65 | Realistic layout. |
| Pop strings HP | 150–250 Hz | Space for bass and vocal. |
| Violin dynamic EQ | −2/−4 dB at 3–4 kHz | Harshness only in the fortes. |
Frequencies to watch
| Range | What to do |
|---|---|
| below 30–200 Hz (per section) | HP: violins 150–200 Hz, violas 100–130 Hz, cellos 50–60 Hz, double basses 30–35 Hz. |
| 200–300 Hz | Cello warmth: +1/+2 dB; section mud: −2/−3 dB. |
| 300–400 Hz | Smear in the section sum: light wide cut. |
| 800 Hz–1.5 kHz | Nasality of close violins: −1/−2 dB. |
| 2.5–5 kHz | Violin harshness: −2/−4 dB or dynamic EQ. |
| 3 kHz | Presence for pop strings under guitars: +1/+2 dB. |
| 8–10 kHz | Bow noise and rosin: shelf −1/−2 dB if excessive. |
| 10–12 kHz | Air and silk: shelf +1/+3 dB with a smooth EQ. |
Example chain
| Step | Tool | Settings | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Programming | Piano roll (CC1/CC11) / library | Articulations, dynamics, mic mix | Quality starts here. |
| Corrective EQ per section | Fruity Parametric EQ 2 / Pro-Q 3–4 | HP per section; −2 dB at 300 Hz | Cleanup. |
| Violin dynamic EQ | Pro-Q 3–4 / Soothe2 / Maximus | 3–4 kHz band | Harshness. |
| String bus | Mixer bus + Fruity Limiter COMP / CLA-2A | 2:1, 1–3 dB (pop) or nothing | Cohesion. |
| Bus creative EQ | Fruity Parametric EQ 2 / Pultec | Shelf +2 dB at 11 kHz | Air. |
| Saturation (pop) | Kramer Master Tape / Distructor tape | Light | Warmth. |
| Common reverb | LuxeVerb / Fruity Convolver (hall IR) / Valhalla VintageVerb | Hall 2.4 s, pre-delay 25 ms, HP 180 Hz | Single hall. |
| Monitoring | Wave Candy / Fruity Spectroman | 2.5–5 kHz spectrum, correlation | Verification. |
How to check the result
- No resonance above +6 dB between 2.5 and 5 kHz in the violins.
- String bus correlation > +0.3.
- L/R balance consistent with the chosen seating (violins on the left don't unbalance the whole mix).
- String energy below 120 Hz low in pop mixes with a bass.
- A single hall reverb perceived for the entire orchestra.
- Adequate dynamics (LRA): 8–15 LU in orchestral work, 4–8 LU in pop.