Testimonial Quotes

“For any music department that takes its composition and orchestration classes seriously, the use of Ravel Virtual Studios should not be a luxury, it should be a necessity.”

Robert S. Hekemian, Jr.
Board of Directors, New York Philharmonic

“You should take great pride in the fact that the reception was so immediate and positive. The recording you created certainly gives the piece an incredible ‘calling card.’ Many thanks for all your patience and expert work. The recording sounds really amazing!”

Philip Lasser
Composer & Professor, The Juilliard School

“Having been a producer/engineer for over 30 years, it was my great fortune to have discovered the services of Ravel Virtual Studios. What they are offering is not only cutting edge but, as important to me, their attention to detail through the entire project. In the music production business, a project will require stages of modification before its completion, and the staff of Ravel is there with you every note along the way. In fact, they are not satisfied until the client is completely satisfied with the results.

“What I also value highly about their service is that, besides being technically and musically proficient, they are able to take it to the next level of realism with the subtle nuances of musicality, which can be quite elusive. The end result is a product that can be easily compared to a conventional recording of a work. I have witnessed many attempts at reaching this goal by others in my career, but this is the first time I can truly say that ‘we have arrived,’ thanks to Ravel Virtual Studios!”

Don Hunerberg
Producer & Engineer;
Chief Recording Engineer, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

“Ravel Virtual Studios is an amazing virtual orchestra which provides students and composers with inspiring new opportunities. The performances and demos sound splendid!”

Jay Reise
Robert Weiss Professor of Music Composition, University of Pennsylvania;
President, Orchestra 2001

“Your realization of my piece is full of subtlety and richness that I did not expect to hear. Ravel Virtual Studios has overwhelmingly satisfied a need for composers that I had thought was impossible to fill.”

Lane Harder
Adjunct Professor of Music, The Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University;
Faculty, European American Musical Alliance Summer Music Programs

“You produced a beautiful recording, that sounds really ‘real.’ Your fine musicianship is evident in your product.”

J. Eric Schmidt
Composer, Conductor and Orchestrator for Film, Television and Concert;
Faculty, Scoring for Motion Pictures and Television, USC Thornton School of Music

“Ravel Virtual Studios brings an invaluable service to composers. The state-of-the-art technology, combined with the great sensibility and artistry of the music director, Ron Artinian, produced a high-quality performance, comparable to a good session with live musicians. They gladly and easily can make needed changes to draft versions of performances. The final performance is very satisfying, and can be used promotionally to increase the chances a piece will be performed live.”

Dan Lazarescou
Composer

“Your mockups are of the best there are, both musically and sonically. This is no thin compliment.

“Your producing standard is very high and shows that you are not only top notch in your command with samples but also exceptional in regards of musical taste and expression. This is not only the work of a professional but also shows a well-ripened musical mind.

“Your deep musical understanding of style, ‘gestus’ and embedding into a musical culture makes you a great partner for any contemporary composer.”

Hannes Frischat
Composer, Violinist;
Served as Concertmaster with the Chamber Opera of Hanover, Germany

“The people at Ravel Virtual Studios simply could not have been nicer. Within an hour of uploading my piece, I received a personalized email greeting with details about how and when my project would be completed. Their work was fantastic—the orchestration sounded professional and wonderful, and they were able to bring out details I never imagined I would hear in a virtual realization—they even faithfully reproduced a section of my music that was aleatoric. Throughout the process, they kept in touch with me, asking for and responding to my opinions. Every detail, both musical and otherwise (including the artwork they selected for my CD) was of the highest quality. I can’t wait to work with them again in the future.

Alec Schumacker
Composer

“Thanks not only for the very convincing realizations, but also for being so accommodating; the obvious sincerity of your desire to meet my needs has been highly gratifying.”

Dr. Scott Robinson
Professor of Composition, Eastern University;
Founder, Mandala Band

“There is no doubt that the authentic sound quality of Ravel Virtual Studios’ recording contributed to the success of my composition, “Rachel’s Dreams,” at the ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer Competition, where the piece was awarded out of 680 applicants. Without Ravel Virtual Studios, I would not have been able to submit my orchestra piece to this competition, as I would never have found the time or resources to hire a live orchestra to rehearse and record the entire piece. The excellent sonority of Ravel’s recording sounded like a live orchestra performance!”

Eleanor Bragg
ASCAP Foundation 2009 Morton Gould Young Composer Award recipient;
2009 Pikes Peak Young Composers Competition winner

“I needed an audio recording of my composition, very quickly. I understood that I didn’t have time to rehearse with a trio group and knew that MIDI files would only produce a general interpretation of the piece, with a ‘mechanical’ sound.

“I thought to myself, there couldn’t possibly be a way to create an audio file with realistic dynamics, but also with perfect technique and understanding of the notes. In addition, it had to be completed within a few days.

“I thought that a beautiful CD case, a personal MP3 file sent by email, and maybe a student discount would be nice. I kept imagining very warm-hearted, knowledgeable, and reliable staff, but I kept reminding myself that there couldn’t possibly be a company that can do all of this. But there is, with Ravel Virtual Studios.“

Seho Young
ASCAP Foundation 2010 Morton Gould Young Composer Award honorable mention

“I wanted to thank you. I really appreciate all of your kindness and help with the recording of my symphony! I have listened to the recording and I can’t believe how good it sounds!”

Arielle Galler Rabinowitz
Composer

“The performance [of my ballet] sounds great! I am really happy with how it came out. The CDs are beautiful!”

Danielle Galler Rabinowitz
Composer

“Ravel Virtual Studios is an outstanding tool with which high school and college composers can showcase their talents. Their service is easy to use, and the staff are incredibly knowledgeable and professional.

“For the musically inclined high school student preparing college applications, Ravel Virtual Studios’ services are a must. Their work has already helped students’ applications stand out, leading to acceptance into the country’s top schools. I highly recommend Ravel Virtual Studios to my advisees interested in pursuing music composition at college and beyond.”

Edward Dugger
Director of College Counseling, Friends Academy

“The simulated performances of submitted notation files made possible by the research of Ron Artinian and Edmond Ho are remarkable. Unlike other formats, their realizations provide natural-sounding nuance not only by using premium sampled sound libraries taken from real performers, but also by tweaking individual lines on demand. The technology that they have developed is significant because it enables composers to experience timbral conceptions before laboring to copy the parts, before committing to the expense of rehearsals, and before subjecting audiences to aesthetically compromised orchestrations. I also believe their work may have the potential to enhance the study of performance.”

Dr. Eugene Narmour
E. J. Kahn Distinguished Professor of Music, University of Pennsylvania

“The demos sound fantastic—I particularly like your realization of Nuages. I think you are providing a great service to composers!”

Dr. Kevin J. Kelly
Assistant Professor of Music, Los Angeles City College

“I am absolutely amazed. You would never know that they are a series of samples. The phrasing, feel and ‘[human touch]’ are truly astounding... I look forward to many more unbelievable performances.”

Peter Hazzard
Choral Director, Lawrence Academy

“Ravel Virtual Studios recently produced a small piece of mine in a way I found thoroughly professional and convincing, and this for what seemed to me a very affordable price. I recommend it to those who cannot afford to hire the London Philharmonic!”

Hendrik van Oordt
Composer

“I recently contacted Ravel Virtual Studios to help with a very strict deadline for the submission of a portfolio. I received a quote, which seemed very fair, and a commitment from Ravel that the job would be completed in the time remaining before the due date. From the very start of my communications with Ravel Virtual Studios, I was impressed by their seriousness, professionalism and efficiency throughout the process. The person in charge of my project was very courteous and pleasant to deal with.

“This was my first attempt at writing for full orchestra, and I needed quite a lot of technical advice pertaining to the writing for specific instruments. I was treated patiently and provided with the answers to all of my queries. The job was finished and delivered a day earlier than the due date. I am extremely pleased with the end result. One can certainly appreciate the attention Ravel Virtual Studios has given to the finest of details.

“In light of what I mentioned above, I would like to highly recommend the services of Ravel Virtual Studios. They have gone beyond the call of duty in order to help me complete my assignment. I have made a point of mentioning my good experience to my colleagues and will continue to promote the name of Ravel Virtual Studios wherever I can, whenever I can.”

Micu Narunsky
Jazz and Classical Pianist & Composer

“The folks at Ravel Virtual Studios took a brilliant score and brought it to life. Their virtual performance of the music gave the film score a depth that I used to think only came from a live orchestra.”

Juan Francisco de la Guardia
Filmmaker

“Thanks to Ron Artinian and all of the folks at Ravel Virtual Studios for facilitating such a wonderful project. I was at my wit’s end in trying to find someone to transcribe and produce some bagpipe music, not a popular instrument today.

“When I approached Ron about ‘Twelve MacGregor Solos for Bagpipe,’ he was delighted. He ensured that the entire project met my expectations. Ron consulted and communicated with me throughout the project. They were very professional and the outcome was fantastic!

“The response of the family and MacGregor clan is that the music is amazing. I could not have achieved such a milestone without Ravel Virtual Studios and their dedication to music.”

Keith Gregg

“It sounds amazing! Absolutely amazing. You guys did such a wonderful job! It’s hard to believe I wrote it now. Thanks for everything! You guys were wonderful to work with and I look forward to doing it again in the future!”

Magen Miller
Composer & Founder, Dallas Artists Guild

“My first reaction to the virtual performance of my piece was simply, ‘Wow!’ The sound itself is really quite convincing—surprisingly so—but the musicality, the expressivity of the rendering was a revelation. ‘Wow,’ indeed! My piece came alive as if I were listening to a fine ‘live’ recording. This ‘performance’ was very compelling.

“Working with the Ravel Virtual Studios staff was easy and efficient. Editing and adjustments were accomplished quickly and with fine attention to detail. This marvelous service is a triumph of technology and art. The future is here and it is most welcome. I recommend Ravel Virtual Studios to all composers and arrangers.”

Dr. Gary Smart
Presidential Professor of Music, University of North Florida

“I was impressed by the audio samples on the Ravel Virtual Studios website, so I sent them the Finale score for my Reverie for small orchestra to find out what they could do with it. I was very pleased with the result. I was also impressed by their professionalism and their prompt and cheerful responses to all of my questions and requests.”

John Winsor
Composer-in-residence, Hardwick Chamber Ensemble

“When a choreographer in Spain told me she was interested in a piece I’d written, I wanted to send her a quality recording as soon as possible, and getting a live recording in just a few days wasn’t an option. So, I contacted Ravel Virtual Studios on a Thursday night for an estimate. By Monday, I was listening to the work they had already done and corresponding on small revisions. Not only was their price reasonable, but their speed and professionalism was commendable—and the result was that I was able to send the choreographer a quality recording in just a matter of days.”

Dan Cook
Composer

“Ravel Virtual Studios was excellent from the very beginning, Ron was quick to respond, addressed every one of my bizarre requests, and was very considerate and respectful of my music. I really appreciated the integrity that came with the studio, they were very honest with me about what would sound best considering their samples, and helped me make a decision accordingly.

Along with the great communication, RVS does an incredible job where it counts. Their samples sound INCREDIBLE! I was really worried to work with virtual instruments, but after one listen my worries were stamped. I would recommend RVS to any composer that wants legitimate sounding recordings for any reason. RVS is an excellent resource for any composer in todays world.

Some would think that using virtual instruments ends the need for real musicians, but they are overlooking the reality that composers don’t have an entire wind ensemble or orchestra at their disposal. Streaming recordings on the internet is one of the best ways for a composer to market themselves in todays electronic age, unfortunately Sibelius and Finale playback just doesn’t cut it. RVS is a tool that composers can use to help get their names out there, so their music can be played by real musicians, and be a part of the music community that is so special. I will definitely be using RVS again!”

Andrew Perdomo
Composer

“The attention to detail in every aspect of my compositions made these recordings better than I ever could have anticipated. Balance, dynamics, and tempo variations were all treated so sensitively. It’s clear that the work was done not just by digital sound technicians, but by excellent musicians.”

Dawn Sonntag,
Assistant Professor of Music, Hiram College

“Just wanted to say thank you so much for all your help and professionalism with the recording of Ari’s Fanfare for the opening ceremony of the 2011 Maccabi Games in Philadelphia. [Ari’s recording kicked off the ceremony on August 14th, 2011 and was announced by well-known sports commentator Michael Barkann].

“The recording was a great success and over 5,000 people heard it and were just thrilled by it. Some people said it ‘sounded like Aaron Copland’ and thought it was a ‘live’ recording.

“If any serious musicians read this and are looking for an alternative to a live performance but do not have the resources (as we did not as well), here is the perfect chance to record your music with as clear and live as you will ever get next to the real thing.

“We look forward to working with you again as Ari begins to apply to music conservatories and will need professional recordings of his compositions.”

Sharon Sussman
Mother of composer Ari Sussman

“Thank you guys so much for performing this piece for me and thanks for all of the work that you and your staff have committed to the project.”

Kennie Cook Jr.
Composer

Ravel Virtual Studios had the pleasure of recording Anna Larsen’s first symphony, which was specially recognized with this year’s Charlotte V. Bergen Award at the 2011 ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Awards. Anna is one of the Lang Lang International Music Foundation Young Scholars.

Anna’s father Nick says, “The symphony sounds great, we’re very excited about it. I really appreciate your efforts to help us meet this deadline. It’s been fantastic to see this year of work come to fruition with these recordings. Thanks for doing such a great job on it!”

Anna herself says, “This sounds amazing. I can’t even describe how grateful I am. Thank you SO much! I hope other people will see this and check out your website.”

Anna Larsen
Composer

“I am VERY impressed with the quality of this recording. The dynamics are wonderfully portrayed... it makes it sound human. Thank you so much!”

About the CDs for his project, Wesley says, “I was so impressed with the covers and everything. It really does show how much care you have for your customers.”

Wesley Meyer
Composer

“I work with high-end sample libraries every day so I’m not easily impressed by mere ‘realism’ in a virtual recording. What strikes me about about the RVS recording is how life-like it is. Ravel Virtual Studios treats these virtual instruments as if they are played by living, breathing musicians, and the recording sparkles with an energy approaching that of a live orchestral performance. It goes without saying that the recording sounds great, but I’m most astounded by its musicality. Their technical skills are matched by a masterful understanding of orchestration and a knack for bringing the nuances of a written score to life.”

Chris Bassett
Composer

Regarding the recording of composer Dan Lazarescou’s piece “Darker Night,” David says, “It’s AWESOME! [My wife] was in the other room and yelled out, ‘What movie are you watching?’ That’s the ultimate compliment, isn’t it?”

David Codron
Film and Television Producer/Editor, Los Angeles

“I trusted my graduate degree orchestral graduation project to Ravel Virtual Studios’ hands. The result turned out greater than I expected. The thing that impressed me, aside from their high competence, was their concern. It’s not just business for them, it’s personal. They treat your every remark with great carefulness and diligence.”

Davit Chkuaseli
Composer

“Thank you so much for the work you put into the Sonata and for getting it to me this early. The piece sounds wonderful! We burned the CD’s and sent them to the two schools that had deadlines. I’m sure I’ll be needing your services again in the future!”

When Mr. Pezzotti’s composition teacher heard Ravel Virtual Studios’ recording of his student’s piece, he remarked, “This sounds amazing! Nathan is going to be thrilled. When he gets into one of those top level schools, I’ll be sure to remind him to give credit where credit is due. I really think this recording might put him over the top. Bravo to Ravel Virtual Studios on such short notice!”

Nathan Pezzotti
Composer

“I am very grateful for the work you have done on my orchestral composition. It is magnificent. It is amazing to think it is not a real orchestra. Being my first time composing an orchestral piece, you have given me a renewed sense of composition, and I appreciate that. I appreciate your talents, your advice your input and your flexibility. You did it earlier than expected and with a quality only second to a real world-class orchestra. I just had to show it off and got great reviews from other musicians I associate with.

“Thank you so much for your help and I hope to work with you in the near future, once again.”

Andres Paredes
Composer

“I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done for my film, Her Telling Heart.

“The ability to hear the music, by downloading it online, and then send my notes to you via email for changes or embellishments, made the entire film score experience one of many modern wonders.

“Imagine a film score that was composed in Texas and performed in New York City for a director/producer based in upstate, New York—without any travel having had to take place?

“Such is the world of indie film today—if every producer had Ravel Virtual Studios in his/her “tool kit” of contacts and vendors, film making would be a much smoother, more enjoyable and economical process.

“Thank you for everything!”

Heidi Philipsen
Producer/Director, Her Telling Heart

“I must say these guys know what they’re doing! Once I asked Ravel Virtual Studios to produce a big band sound from an arrangement of mine. I have to say that the result was very good! I admire their professional attitude and their strive for perfectionism.”

Carron Schilders
Composer, Sounds and Scores

“Ravel Virtual Studios helped me realize the performance of my music in a professional sounding way without the constraints of time and high costs that go into hiring musicians and using a recording studio. What I appreciated most was their flexibility to work with my project until it sounded exactly the way I wanted.”

Brian Goodall
Composer

“When I first became aware of Ravel Virtual Studios—through a colleague who shared a recording they had done for him—I felt pretty skeptical. I’ve worked with various software and hardware platforms to produce ‘computer realizations,’ and while the technology has come a long way, I didn’t believe that it would ever sound natural enough to fool the trained ear. My colleague’s recording was impressive, though, and so I believed it would be worthwhile to get a quote. When the quote was a fraction of the cost of hiring even the most inexpensive eastern European orchestras, I took the plunge and had a few orchestral pieces recorded. I couldn’t be happier with the results.

“First, Ron Artinian—the Music Director and Co-Founder of Ravel Virtual Studios—worked with me personally throughout the quote and editing process. His professionalism impressed me a great deal. There was no ‘hard sell,’ but rather a friendly, patient, helpful response to all my questions, and this despite the months it took me to finally decide.

“Second, the turn-around from initiating the project to completing it was faster than I anticipated—merely a few weeks, rather than the months it takes with a non-virtual orchestra. I’d expected to wait maybe even six months for the recordings, but waited fewer than six weeks from the time I initiated the project to the arrival of the recordings.

“Third, and most importantly, the resulting recordings exceeded even my most optimistic expectations. When the recordings were finished, even I couldn’t tell they were performed on virtual instruments. The performances sounded completely natural—better, even, than many of the recordings I’ve had done by eastern European orchestras that cost five or six times as much.

“The entire experience was low-pressure, generous, and completely satisfying. Ron was a delight to work with and I haven’t a single complaint or regret about hiring Ravel Virtual Studios I already have another project in the pipeline, and plan to do more. I recommend Ravel Virtual Studios without hesitation.”

Karen Amrhein
Composer

“I had the finances to have a large and complex orchestral work performed by either a live orchestra in eastern Europe, or Ravel Virtual Studios. Luckily, I chose Ravel Virtual Studios. I did this primarily to make use of Ravel Virtual Studios’s extensive editing policy. That is, opting for live performance would require most editing decisions to be made on the spot; with no time for contemplation, and certainly no time for rewrite. With Ravel Virtual Studios, I was able to listen to the finished product for several weeks, take my time in deciding on exactly how the work needed to be changed, and then proceed upon making the needed revisions.

“Throughout the whole process of initial submission to revised recording, I found Ron Artinian, the director and co-founder of Ravel Virtual Studios, immediately accessible, beyond polite, and very knowledgeable. A definitive performance of orchestral music is never easy, especially when the composer is not present, and through the revision process I felt like a conductor; able to exact small changes in color balance, minor changes in tempo, and added stress on the attacks by instrumentation.

“The final sound quality is quite life-like, and certainly not artificial. I find throughout the initiation as well as the decay of notes to be clean and resonant, and accurate in terms of the instrument color used. All of this was of prime concern to me, as I wanted my finished product to sound as live as possible—certainly not manufactured in a studio lab!

“I am very happy with the results from my orchestral performance, and am presently working with Ravel Virtual Studios on a subsequent work. I certainly recommend Ravel Virtual Studios to other composers. I found the sound quality to be quite life-like, the ability to edit in a thorough way a huge plus, and Ron to be highly available and outgoing in his desire to meet my requests.”

Bruce Turner
Composer

“The people at Ravel Virtual Studios did a great job on my piece. They did sensitive work with a sparsely marked score, and they were happy to put in extra effort to get little details just the way I wanted them. Beyond that, they were completely on top of things, responding to my emails the same day and even talking to me on the phone to get a better sense of what I wanted. It was a pleasure to work with them.”

Nicholas Tkach
Composer

“Absolutely blown away by the quality and reproduction of the sound. Just a phenomenal feel for the particular sound world I had in mind — like a conductor organizing the sound, they knew exactly how to reveal and balance all the proper colors and layers of the orchestra. The process was made even easier by the constant communication and the stated sensitivity that they gave to the project. Ravel Virtual Studios is an absolute must for any up and coming composer who doesn’t have access to a real live orchestra.”

Amir Mortezai
Composer

“Just finished wiping the tears off my eyes. I just can’t believe it. That sounded so good I can’t believe I wrote that. It’s the first time I had a realistic sense of what my orchestra music sounds like. I thought I was going to have a ton of editing notes but it just sounds so good. It was worth every penny, and then some. It’s a magical experience to hear your music produced with such professionalism. Sounds more real than a real orchestra!”

Matteo Neri
Composer

“Working with Ravel was truly one of my most positive musical experiences ever! They have amazing, world class musical sounds for a seemingly infinite number of virtual instruments. I simply submitted my original Sibelius score to them, and they produced an excellent palette of sounds for me to work with. For example, when I heard a different vibraphone sound in my head — Ravel gave me a number of options; even different microphone placements. Not only are the sounds first-class; customer service is top rate — I would highly recommend Ravel for all who want to hear their compositions come to life!”

Brian Grace
Composer

“I cannot recommend Ravel Virtual Studios highly enough! Throughout my recent project I was impressed with their technical skill and musical judgment. I really appreciate how they are able to execute the finer points of performance (tempo changes, bringing out certain voices, breath marks). Just as important, though, is their high level of service, communication and responsiveness. The time frame we agreed on was met (actually the project was completed ahead of the expected time). Follow up on requested revisions was incredibly fast and met my needs exactly. Ravel Virtual Studios has the resources, know-how and experience to produce high quality digital realizations. If professionalism is important to you, be assured that Ravel Virtual Studios will deliver!”

John Newell
Composer

“When I compose orchestral music, I realize having a representative recording can be the most important tool when it’s time to hand a conductor the score. Even the most excellent musicians cannot always get a sense of the fullness of a work by audiation alone. Beforeworking with Ravel Virtual Studios, I spent hours on notation programs using commercially available sound sample libraries and achieving moderate results at best. These recordings took up far too much of my composing time, and often did not succeed in showcasing the work to directors and on school applications. Despite these sound sample libraries being intricately designed and catalogued, the end result was still only one step up from MIDI—the sounds were of acoustic instruments, but the performance was still transparently computerized.

“Upon hearing the results of my collaboration with Ravel Virtual Studios, I was astounded at how “human” the music sounds. I could hear each phrase being performed with just the right amount of imperfection that distinguishes live art from sterile playback. Tempi sounded like they were interpreted by people, not by a program code. Furthermore, I could hear key clicks, articulations, and bow strikes as each passage was executed. There is no better alternative for live orchestration testing than this—if a passage is difficult to finger, it sounds difficult, though nevertheless performed with fluent virtuosity. If a composer is lucky enough to be commissioned directly by an orchestra, then they have a uniquely irreplaceable opportunity to hear their creation worked out in practicality, as it is an invaluable learning experience. For the rest of us, Ravel Virtual Studios is surely one of the best options available in the world right now for hearing a work realized in near-perfect acoustic re-creation.’

Daniel Elder
Composer

“WOW! It sounds incredible; I love it! Thank you very, very much; you did an EXCELLENT job. I really enjoy it.”

David May
Composer

“It was so exciting to hear my composition come to life and dealing with Ravel Virtual Studios was a pleasure. Their knowledge and musicality combine to produce an excellent final product. After working long hours on a piece, what a gift to be able to hear it and have others hear it as well.”

Nora E. Morrow
Composer

“Excellent! You do fantastic work and I am very happy with the result.”

Cody Chavez
Composer

“I’m so glad I invested in your product, it truly sounds fantastic!”

Cortlandt Matthews
Composer

“I and my colleagues here at SMU are very impressed with your work, and actually have just recommended you to several other students. Dan [Lazarescou] will be finishing up his thesis with me this Spring, and his wonderful experience with you has been talked about frequently among the students!”

Robert Frank, DMA
Associate Professor of Composition/Theory
Coordinator of Composition Studies
Division of Music, Meadows School of the Arts
Southern Methodist University

“Ravel Virtual Studios does more than deliver a wonderful sound to the music: Ron Artinian is meticulous in his study of the score. If there is a note out-of-range, if there is a discrepancy in the score, he will find it, and suggest a correction. He will work with you until the score and the sound are right.”

Ellen Seldin
Composer

“I had the great pleasure to work with Ravel Virtual Studios for a rather large work called “GreenRobe” that I have been working on for several years. Professionalism does not adequately describe Ravel Virtual Studios. They are much more than that. They are not only professional musicians, but are top of the line music makers, and even more important, top of the line people. Their attention to every detail, every note, and every nuance was highly evident. And their prompt and heartfelt communication with me during the entire process was even more noticeable.

“I cannot describe the joy that one feels when one actually hears in reality the music that one has heard “in the mind” while composing a work. It is like having something from a dreamlike state come true, or like a wish actually being granted. Ravel Virtual Studios understood every part of my music and translated it into realistic sounding audio that has the genuine look and feel, or should I say “hear and feel”, of a real orchestra. I just never thought that a digital rendition could sound this good!

“I would highly recommend Ravel Virtual Studios to anyone who wishes to have a recording of their work done at the highest levels of musicality and professionalism. Kudos!”

Dr. Shaunie Shammass
Composer

“I first came across the name Ravel Virtual Studios in a Facebook discussion, and, being a little fed up with my own rather artificial sounding electronic previews (using cheaper but nonetheless well publicised sound-creation software), I immediately went to their website and listened to their samples. They bowled me over: so realistic! So I decided to give them a go with some of my favourite compositions, some of which are intimate little quintets and others brash large ensemble pieces. They worked hard on them and the time spent waiting was definitely well worth it. Some instruments that I have played myself in my time (violin and guitar especially) came out so well that I felt myself playing along with them.

“Now here is the icing on the gingerbread: I played a couple of new recordings of my works today to my girlfriend, who has a fantastic ear for instrumental sounds. One of the pieces was played by a group of instrumentalists in a studio and the other was one of my pieces produced by Ravel Virtual Studios. As our discussion progressed afterwards I found that she had not realised that one was ‘real’ and the other was ‘virtual’. Now that, from her, is a summa cum laude accolade :-)

“The results of this first collaboration with Ravel Virtual Studios can be heard on the CD Approaching Reality, which is available on CDBaby, Amazon and iTunes.”

David W. Solomons
Composer

“Ron and his team at Ravel Virtual Studios did a great job digitally orchestrating and producing my piece for string orchestra. Ravel was very responsive to my questions and did their best to address all the edits I requested in a timely fashion. In the end, they created a realistic sounding recording I can now use on my website to market my music to those who want to hear it. I have been very impressed with their professionalism and the value of their service.

“Already got a nibble from an orchestra in the Washington D.C. area on ‘Battaglia.’ They thought it had already been performed and recorded from listening to the MP3 you did for me. :) Thanks again.”

Bryan Poulsen
Composer

“Wow! I am immediately impressed by the high quality of this recording and am enjoying listening to it! You’ve really brought it to life! My experience with Ravel Virtual Studios has been enriching and fun! Talking with the director was always pleasant because he was encouraging to me as a writer and was very helpful in making the project easy and comfortable for me. Whether I asked a question logistics or made a last-minute musical decision, I often received an email response back within minutes! When the second draft was done, everything that I had asked for had been taken care of — something that doesn’t happen very often in the life of a musician! What’s more, I retain the rights to my composition and its recording. Whether you’re a classical-style composer, a pop-style composer, or anything in between, Ravel Virtual Studios can create a high-quality recording with a realistic sound that brings your piece to life!

“I hope to be able to do more work with Ravel in the future and will be happy to recommend you to my musician friends.”

Jack Zaino
Composer

“It was a pleasure working with Ron and his staff. They were fast and meticulous all at the same time. I had two very large scores for them to realize, and stymied by time, did not have the ability to do it myself. They did a magnificent job and did not stop until I was completely satisfied. I was especially impressed with the mix process, as that can make or break a recording such as these. He has all the latest gear and libraries which guaranteed a great end product. I could not recommend them highly enough, especially if you are under a time crunch. My publisher was completely knocked out by the recording. He said it was the best MIDI mockup he had ever heard... EVER! Because of that he's sending it to some big orchestras... yea! thank you!”

Leanna Primiani
Composer

“My experience with the Ravel Virtual Studios has from the start of the process from initial inquiries to the final production of orchestral scores has been nothing but sheer professionalism and dedication to detail throughout. You are on another level!

“I am very pleased with the orchestral realisation of my work and look forward to working with the team at Ravel Virtual Studios in the future.”

Antonio P. Riccio
Composer

“Ravel Virtual Studios satisfied all my desires in their production of my piece. I had been eager to hear my work ever since I completed it, and the articulation, dynamics, and general style of their performance were virtually identical to what I had imagined when I would listen to it in my head. I will most definitely return to them in the future to hear recordings of my work.”

Jackson Macor
Composer

“Your recording of my first chamber orchestra piece sounds just as I had hoped! I am really proud of it and am very excited to send it off to ASCAP.

“I cannot thank you enough for the time, effort, kindness, and patience you have put into working on my piece. I feel as if ‘thank you’ is inadequate for the amazing job you did, putting my written score, to music. It sounds beautiful!

“On top of this, it was a complete pleasure working with you. You treated me with great respect as a composer (regardless of my young age), and handled my edits very efficiently and beautifully. It was clear you took the time to read through each one of my notes and make edits accordingly. Initially I was nervous about working from afar and through email, but not only did you make it easy, you were so pleasant and helpful, as well. Every one of your emails was always very cheery. This was especially helpful during what could have been a stressful process. I also appreciate the extra steps you took to explain your decision making process in terms of some of the trickier edits. With each and every correspondence you really enabled me to feel relaxed and confident about the entire process. Furthermore, despite the uncooperative weather, and other unexpected scheduling issues, you delivered my work in a calm and timely manner. Along the way, your tips for notating my music and using my software were extremely useful, as well. I can’t wait to work with Ravel again!”

Stella G. Gitelman Willoughby
Composer

“It is as if a calm has come over me now that I have this piece of my dad’s with me forever. Words will never be enough to express the priceless treasure you have created for me. Thank you, thank you!”

Claudia Stewart
Composer

“Working with Ravel Virtual Studios was an incredibly rewarding experience for me. Due to a number of circumstances, I first reached out to RVS regarding an orchestral piece I wanted to record on very short notice. Despite having been closed for renovation at the time, Ravel Virtual Studios assured me that I would be given a recording in time for my upcoming auditions/interviews. I worked closely with Mr. Ron Artinian, who consistently sent me updates on the state of my project—one that was being completed regardless of the renovations. This alone speaks to one of Ravel Virtual Studios’ many strengths: a genuine commitment to its clients and clients’ music. My piece was taken care of in ways I had not predicted; each and every note and notational marking was considered with equal attention and care. The resulting product was one that exceeded my expectations, and has assured me that I will most definitely be contacting Ravel Virtual Studios in the near future, for yet another large scale project!”

Stella Fiorenzoli
Composer

“Ravel Virtual Studios was able to capture the various moods in my piece amazingly. The end-product was expressive and beautiful, sounding almost like real instruments, if not exactly like them. Furthermore, Ravel Virtual Studios delivered the piece in a very short time, and my piece went on to win awards at competitions with the help of the recording.”

Avik Sarkar
Composer

“Beautiful work! I am amazed at the musicality and attention to detail that you (and your team) have put into my piece! This is it!!! Thank you so much for taking the time to perform, record, and revise my piece... with such attention to detail and nuance! I’m impressed by both the quality if the final product as well as the kindness that you’ve extended to me these past few weeks. It’s been an honor working with you and RVS and I look forward to my next project with you!”

Michael M. Momohara
Composer

“When I started composing, years ago, I felt confined to writing for solo piano. There was little chance of my ever hearing an orchestral piece in performance. Then recent advances in music notation software have made it possible for me to create orchestral pieces. The instrument sounds, however, were just a cut above basic MIDI. Not very satisfying.

“A random search for music-related sites on the internet led me to Ravel Virtual Studio. What a lucky find! I submitted my piece ‘Serenade for Jane’ to them and, when I received the finished performance, I was delighted. My daughter said, ‘It sounds lovely, really like hearing an orchestra.’ My son chimed in, ‘It sounds like the real deal.’

“My experience with Ron Artinian was positive throughout the project. The piece was prepared in a short time and required only a couple of tweaks because of oversights on my part. When it was finalized, I felt as if someone had read my mind. Couldn’t have hoped for a better or more musical result!”

Dwight Boud
Composer

“My only experience with a virtual orchestra for a long time was through the Garritan Orchestra software that runs with Finale. That fine product is practical for many reasons, but it is inherently unmusical. And I can’t always take the considerable efforts necessary away from composing time in finding a way to make the sequenced score sound less robotic.

“Ravel Virtual Studios turned out to be quite a discovery. While Ravel Virtual Studio’s orchestral samples are excellent, is it their attention to expressive details that made the difference for me. I felt as though I was working with a conductor on my symphony whose primary interest was making music rather than merely executing a file.

“For those of you who need a good demo of an orchestral piece in order to get it performed live on stage, and who like me are not in the position to shell out tens of thousands of dollars for a live recording, Ravel Virtual Studios will serve as a great option. True, a live recording would be optimal, and I am all for the hiring of live musicians to do what they do best, but if you are working towards that goal here is a way to hear your music well done in the mean time.

“I’ve had so many nice comments on the recording, including some from prospective conductors and the Ravel Virtual Studios performances are quickly becoming the most viewed on my SoundCloud page.

“Bravo to the team at Ravel Virtual Studios!”

Frederick Frahm
Composer

“Working with Ravel Virtual Studios was a real pleasure. Ron, who I worked with, is very professional, organized and dedicated to getting you the results you want. The resulting tracks were stunning as well as cost-effective. I look forward to working with them again in the near future.”

Pedro José Bernardez Sarria
Composer; Owner, Bernardez Media

“My son is a young pianist who loves composing music. We were looking for somebody to create a recording for his orchestra piece and were very lucky to encounter Ron from Ravel Virtual Studio. To us, Ron is not only a great musician on making the recording, but also a wonderful person who is willing to help composers to finish their projects on time. Ron is working extremely hard to make sure my son to receive his recording on time. In addition, Ron is very patient to answer our questions and always responded our emails right away. The quality of recording from Ravel is great, and we are very happy with the service. We strongly recommend Ravel Virtual Studio to all the composers.”

Linda Xu

“Ravel Studios is one of the most genuine, accommodating, and all around spectacular services I have ever used. I was in the middle of a project that ran into a few complications due to some budgetary concerns regarding the orchestra that was going to perform my music. So I contacted Ravel Studios and they instantly began working with me on how to get my project completed efficiently and on time. Not only were they unbelievably kind and sympathetic with me, but the final recording that they sent to me was of extremely high quality. All of the people that heard the recordings never even considered the possibility that it wasn’t an actual recorded orchestra. I will absolutely be using Ravel Studios again, and I would highly recommend that others do too.”

Bailey Fatool

“Working with Ravel Virtual Studios was an absolute pleasure! Ron’s kind demeanor made it easy to communicate and collaborate. Communication, punctuality, and professionalism were all top-notch but what really made it worth my time and money was the quality of the recording received at the end.”

Roman Baransky

“The work that Ravel Virtual Studios did for two of my students, award-winning composers Roman Baranskiy and Nicholas Denton-Protsack. In point of fact, was the prime reason I decided to use their services for a rendering of my horn concerto. The concerto had been written in 1998, and I was under pressure from Sold Wood Editions to revise the work and otherwise make it ready for print.

“Along with so many of my colleagues, I have for many years now slogging through various playback engines or plug-ins that music notation applications bundle, all purporting to contain ‘artificial intelligence,’ or to render ‘life-like’ or ‘human’ playback. The amount of time spent trying to render MIDI recordings that would actually help performers in learning the work or at least in getting an idea of its sound was, in a word, ludicrous. I used to joke, not inaccurately as it turned out, that it took more time to make an acceptable audio recording of a work than to compose it. Meagre results could be obtained by massive tweaks of the notation program, or even “farming out” the audio of the work to a DAW — an even more time-consuming effort. Needless to say, none of these methods resulted in anything much better than the obviously mechanical, robotic and stilted ‘performances’ we composers and educators have all come to bemoan.

“To be honest, before I heard what Ravel Virtual Studios did with my students’ works, what I anticipated was a slightly better version of a MIDI rendering than I could do myself. I was very, very wrong: Both Baranskiy’s and Denton-Protsack’s works contained very sophisticated timbres and textures, as well as extended techniques. The renderings were to my ears almost indistinguishable from a literal live performance.

“Ravel’s rendering of my horn concerto (a much less complex work) is phenomenal. Not only is there background noise from the hall, key clicks, embouchure adjustments, physical bow-changing and other purely ‘live’ sounds, but there is a coherent interpretation of the score and the minute tempo fluctuations and imperfect entrances that denote the excitement of the individual performers. To me, an older composer not easily fooled by the neon colors and perfect execution of film and game scores, Ravel’s recording is simply amazing.

“I needed this recording to be done by a deadline that my publisher had imposed. Not to put too fine a point on it, but 2020 has turned out not to be the best year for deadlines. And yet, through the lockdowns, SIP’s and general chaos, Ron Artinian was ever optimistic and encouraging. He and his team delivered my rendering far ahead of the deadline, and were amenable and cooperative with my wishes for tweaks and edits. The changes that needed to be done after the initial completion were minimal and done within a couple of days.

“I cannot recommend Ravel Virtual Studios highly enough. It is money well spent, working with musicians who understand the complexities of contemporary music and the vagaries of contemporary composers. I very much look forward to my next project with them.”

David Garner
San Francisco Bay Area composer

“My experience working with Ravel Virtual Studios was fantastic. I was referred to Ron by a composer friend and would highly recommend him to anyone. The orchestral performances Ravel created for my two pieces were phenomenal and wonderful representations of the music, which I had written during the pandemic but had never heard beyond some simple midi in my notation software. The pieces were complex, for orchestra plus voices, and did not lend themselves easily to virtual rendering. But with Ron’s skill and talent, we arrived at some beautiful and very musical results. I am so thrilled with the quality of the sample libraries (especially the vocal and erhu samples!), nuance in the percussion sample capabilities, flexibility in mixing achieved, and overall level of the final performances. 

“Additionally Ron is so great to work with, which made the whole process (my first time working on a virtually rendered piece) very smooth. Ron is extremely professional, responds promptly, does high quality work, and most importantly, really cares deeply about the client/composer’s satisfaction. He is always receptive to comments, flexible in thinking of creative solutions, and kept me informed of every step of the process along the way. He made sure I was satisfied with revisions and worked very quickly to achieve outstanding results!

“Had a stellar experience all around and will definitely be working with RVS again!”

Stephanie Chou
Composer, Saxophonist, Singer

“Communication, the product itself, attention to detail, musical understanding, and the revision process were all first rate. I’ve gotten sincerely positive responses from everyone that I’ve played the recording for and owe you, again, an enormous thanks.”

Brian Shank

“Wow! I have to say that on a purely sensual level, listening to my piece with your obviously highly refined sensitivities to the articulations, dynamics, and voicings brought tears (quite literally) to my eyes more than once. Not being sentimental really, just the fact that the beauty of what I imagined was actually there in a more real way, and it came as a surprise, even as well as I know this work. It IS like hearing a real performance for the first time, and saying, my God, that really worked, after all.

“So thank you for your pains and efforts to bring a new life to these notes and blotches on the page. Your mastery of the mechanisms and the inner working of this technology are indeed impressive.

“Again, Ron, and your staff, thank you for being so caring and loving of my work, it is an honor to work with you, to collaborate and to bring art to life! You can’t begin to imagine how many times I’ve replayed the piece (driving the 80 miles to work, or otherwise when I am out and about). Every time I am as pleased as before, and for some reason I don’t tire of it.”

Dr. James A. Yeager
Director of Music/Organist, First Presbyterian Church

“Working with Ravel Virtual Studios was an absolutely amazing experience. We had great communications, they take care of all my questions and requests in time, it’s such a great pleasure to work with a professional studio like this. The most important thing is that I’ve got a fantastic recording of my orchestra piece. It is unbelievably real and just sounds like a live performance. I’m very happy about all the details and artistic choices that Ravel Virtual Studios has made. Many thanks to them for making this piece alive! I would definitely love to work again with them in the future.”

Yangfan Xu

“Ravel Virtual Studios is a one-of-a-kind service and an incredible resource for emerging professional composers such as myself; my orchestral work ‘Vision of a Flaxen Sea’ was in need of a high-quality mockup, but the vast array of extended techniques utilized in the score completely prevented me from creating an accurate one myself. In fact, I was informed by several professional audio engineers that an accurate mockup of the piece would be essentially impossible to achieve.  This sentiment, however, was not echoed by Ron Artinian and his team at Ravel Studios; in only a matter of weeks, they were able to create a highly-realistic mockup that boasted very faithful renderings of extended techniques, such as pitched air through woodwind instruments, circular and muted bowing on string instruments, and even breath sounds through brass instruments that could imitate the vowel the player was shaping. The resulting recording was more than suitable for my many applications to competitions and residencies. Consequently, I would highly recommend Ravel Virtual Studio’s services to anyone in need of something similar to me, and I would even go as far to say that RVS is currently the best mockup service for contemporary composers on the market today.”

Nicholas Denton

“I am absolutely blown away by this recording — it sounds amazing, and it was so exciting hearing it... you did a wonderful job. Thank you!”

Andrew Desiderio

“It really sounds authentic. I love it. I must say I am so happy and so impressed with your work. I usually make mockups when I have time, but I am not even close to your sound :)”

Ann-Mari Pettersen

“I have contracted with Ravel Virtual Studios to make performances of more than 10 major orchestral pieces, and I have to say that I have seldom (if ever) had such a positive experience with any company. Ron Artinian is a joy to work with. He has addressed every concern with precision and alacrity. The RVS setup is excellent, affording the most live-sounding rendition possible — but without the mistakes! I have played both of them for several very discerning musicians, and all have marveled at not only the lifelike sound but also the musicality and expressiveness of the performances. And the price makes it quite affordable, considering the amount of work involved. I would urge anyone who wants to hear his/her music performed to consider Ravel Virtual Studios most seriously!”

John Melby
Emeritus Professor of Composition, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

“Everything sounds great! I can’t tell you how pleased I am with Ravel’s work. Everyone who has listened to these files are simply blown away! It’s nice to hear, ‘wow!’ from a listener! As you know, as a composer, it is very difficult to get exposure. Thank you for your professional and artful representations of my compositions.”

Philip Wade

“I needed a recording of my concerto for Flute and Orchestra and I contacted Ravel Virtual Studios. I was immediately impressed by the courtesy, organization and professionalism shown. We kept in touch during the processing phase until the final product, which was truly excellent. The piece sounds very realistic, with all the nuances I wanted (this makes me comfortable because I can use it in professional contexts). I recommend Ravel Virtual Studios to any composer looking for a high quality product.”

Roberto Sansuini
Composer