Hi Bebop, I'm here too, and like a lot of other readers, I'm involved with things that spring brings - cleaning up after winter and enjoying the outdoors and new flowers that are constantly refreshing my senses. I check in to the forum at least once a day to see what's going on, but don't always have something to say or any knowledge to impart, so I don't stick around for long.
I see Benno Kattenat has joined the forum - haven't seen his name in some time.
I am finding it harder and harder to come up with good sounding combinations for styles and have been stripping sounds from old files and doctoring them up to get something that sounds even a little different. With a little coaxing even a cello can sound good when mixed with a french horn, but how many times would anyone want to use that combination? It's a real chore, and since no one has invented new instruments, it's up to us, as arrangers and players, to put our imagination to work and find that special combination that makes the magic sound people enjoy listening to. That's what made the old band leaders famous - sound imagination. I'm tapped out. Anyone have any new suggestions? I still like the french horn, though.