digital scoring Usage of Sound design with Sample Libraries

Hi,

(this is about cinematic composing)

I've been on many composer forums and I keep coming across this problem:

- people underestimating the power of good sounding content or not being able to get the sound quality they want.

so I'll give some tips on how to get this done:

- where do I find good sounding sample libraries?

I find the library's from heavyocity, output sounds, cinesamples and native instruments a good place to start. they are expensive though. they all require Kontakt 5. Don't underestimate free sample libraries. they might work just as good as professional libraries!

- how do I mix them in a track?

every single sample library is different and has a different sound. choose the ones you like most and maybe layer them with others to get the ultimate sound. make sure when you make certain articulations, that you use the samples designed for this. (example: when strings need to do spiccato don't use legato samples.) if not, the track will sound very unprofessional and cheesy. this sounds really stupid that I say this, but I've come across this mistake dozens of times. don't underestimate dynamics. I tend to do this as well. if you have your melody's and chords ready and you have a decent sample library, they will sound pretty normal without dynamics. this is just something to mess around with. keep in mind that dynamics improve your track dramatically. so try something. if you use a keyboard that has a modulation wheel, try some stuff out. make sure that the panning of all instruments is correct to your liking. if all instruments are in one place it will sound unprofessional and unrealistic. make sure there is a good variety of places where the instruments are placed. choose reverb and other effects individually per section. this gives you maximum control over the sound.

- synthesizers

synthesizers are a great help when it comes to building your sound. they can be used to boost a certain section of the orchestra or to give a feel to your track that organic instruments cannot accomplish.

- live playing

when you have the chance to play something live, take it. playing something live is in almost all cases easiest. if you are a bit of a musical person the dynamics will go automatically. just import your recording, put some reverb and EQ on it and done. if you are a string player, you might use autotune to make sure your notes are all spot on.

I hope this was helpful

Cheers!

p.s.

I've got a track attached that I created under 20 minutes or so, to show you what synthesizers do to the sound of a track. (Don't mind the ending though. it sucks.)

As a classical composer, who actually writes for the sake of live performances, it is not of that importance to be able to create a beautiful sound produced by a computer. However, I use the soundfont Sonata Symphonic Orchestra for MuseScore to create at least a sound that indicates a bit how it would sound like when played by actual performers. Still, I find this information very useful!

For composers, who write music in a more cinematic style, these are all great advices.

Thank you for sharing this!