I'm looking for a really good flugelhorn sound. I've been able to get close by using the trumpet and adding heavy reverb but it just isn't the same. Can anyone offer suggestions?
Use flugelhorn samples! :D
My keyboard has it and you can always find them in the 'net.
Of course you don't have it in the general MIDI bank.
GS: patch = 57, Bank = 8
XG: patch = 57, Bank = 125
If your synth doesn't have a flugal patch available you might try a tuba patch. I know it seems a bit silly but think about it. You have trumpets, saxhorns and french horns - what's the difference in their construction?
A trumpet is approximately 2/3's cylindrical in the bore and 1/3 conical - this makes a trombone part of the trumpet family
A saxhorn is ALL conical. What are saxhorns? Cornet, tenor(alto) horn, baritone, euphonium, tuba, oh and flugal...
French horns are also all conical, but they're a law unto themselves - extremely small bore coupled with very long length and massively oversized bell...
As tuba and flugal are both conical there is a relationship in their sound production, thus a tuba sample pitched into the flugal range (up 2 octaves) can sound surprisingly close to a flugal. No, it won't be perfect, but if you have a good tuba patch it just might surprise you.
Thank you both. This is helpful.