Feature: Desktop Symphony Orchestral Sound for Any Budget

The arsenal of weapons for orchestral compositions primarily consists of a high-quality basic set of orchestral samples. Libraries such as the Synchron series and the Vienna Instruments series from VSL pursue the goal of making individual instruments playable with the greatest nuance. Orchestrations are built up instrument by instrument giving the composer flexible musical possibilities, just like in a real orchestra. The flipside is the immense time and resource requirements of complete arrangements. Products like ProjectSAM Symphobia and Orchestral Essentials, Spitfire Audio‘s Albion, as well as Audio Imperia‘s Jaeger and Nucleus, on the other hand, take a different approach. With production-ready ensembles and orchestrations, arrangements in cinematic widescreen sound can be achieved without the user having to deal with the subject of instrumentation in any detail. Many professional composers rely on a combination of such products for „broad brush strokes“ as well as libraries with individual orchestral instruments for fine tuning.

Realistic Orchestral Arrangements

Whether you compose classical music or hybrid tracks for films, games or trailers, or want to enhance your electronic productions using orchestral instruments: if you want to achieve realistic results, you need a certain amount of know-how regarding, among other things, the tonal range and typical playing techniques, the placement of the instruments in the stereo panorama and the room, and the basics of orchestration.

There is no magic formula for realistic orchestral arrangements; rather, it is the interaction of many small details that creates an authentic experience. For example, the use of different articulations and the automation of sound parameters like volume can help instruments „out of the box“ to become