Hits is spot on. I'm 99%sure that they make there own 'hits'. there are alot of different elements with in them. There is percussion, like you say an orchestral punch element, a brass effect. the 'hits' thet use for bsb differ to the ones they use for britney, which differ again from the ones the use for westlife etc etc. If you listen to the reworked version of when you're looking like that, that is just crammed full of those little 'hits'. I think the dynamics in that bit of music are amazing. I don't think it is the best 'cheiron' song by a long way, but it is deffinately what i consider to be one of the top 5 bits of pop music the world has ever heard. Over protected is another good example of the use of a large ammount of dynamics.
The dynamics obviously give the songs a lot of punchy little feels in to them, but thet also mark when another element of music comes in or goes out of the track.
The 'sound', as turnaround says can't be described. But the blueprint can be worked out.
to me one of the clearest point to me that a song was 'cheiron' was always ythe rythmn. The high-hat closing right before every fourth snare beat, that was always the initial give away.
When i get time, that will be the very start point of my attempt to make my own cheiron styled stuff.
A couple of years a go i spent a couple of weeks listening to various cheiron tracks and analysed the structure.
I'm not saying that i have it figured out totally. And no human ears would ever beable to disect cheiron (or most modern pop) fully. But the songs i analysed and tried to break down all followed the same format. I made notes on various things. Ie, there is always an introductory lyric which expands into the fisrt verse, then chorus 1, verse2, chorus2, then that always leads into the middle eight. straight after middle eight you hava the key change and verse three then the chorus is repeated 2 or 3 times. Nearly all of the cheiron stuff was like that. I also had notes on where instrument came in and out, i lost them and from memory it was quite complexed so i cant really recall much of it (i'm gutted about losing them !!).
But within the tracks there is always at least 2 live guitars and also usually the bass too. For me this element of live musicianship gives it so so much. Makes it human, and adds stuff that no synth or keyboard could ever do.
If you have 5.1 home cinema try listening to your favourite cheiron songs on that and unplug the main speakers just so you hear the satelitte small speakers. the latter cheiron stuff seems to all be mastered into 5:1, and the 'hits', dynamics and effects that come out of those speakers are absolutely mind blowing. I've listened to drowning like that a hundred times and each time my ear picks up something it hadn't heard before.
I know i have rambled on here, but in short, to your original question.
I think if you are looking for the cheiron sound you will have to go that far into it.
If you make your own music i'm sure you can find soft synths without too much hassle. after that its upto you to put them together the right way.
i guess its kinda like building a car. you can get the parts easily enough, you just gotta work out how they all go together.
Since i was a child personally i have always found that the best way to find out how something goes together is by first taking it apart.
I think any of us trying to emulate the 'cherion' sound will ultimately be disapointed, but whatever your musical ability, i think it will be a really enjoyable and interesting challenge.
anyone care to add anything to any of the above?!?