MIDI Orchestration for Beginners

In the whole of music production, the most intimidating part might just be the orchestra. How can you conjure up the right combination of classical instruments from the piano roll in your DAW? And most important of all, how do you make sure it actually sounds good?

In this video, we’ll shed light on the whole process of making orchestral music in your DAW, showing you how to easily and quickly get those epic sounds. Whether you’re adding a tension and drama to an existing track, or composing an epic score from scratch, we’ll show you how simple and quick it can be to get great results, and we’ll focus on libraries from ProjectSAM.

We start with the very basics of orchestral instruments, with a tour of the methods for getting different types of sound from one virtual cello and bass patch in NI Kontakt or Kontakt Player. Next, we add more string parts, showing you how to select notes for viola and violin parts to give lush harmonies. Then, we’ll take in a more comprehensive orchestra setup, dissecting a full line with winds and brass.

ProjectSAM’s Lumina and Swing! libraries put orchestral and big band jazz ensembles at the tips of your fingers, giving you instant results whatever your skill level. Head to our video now to see them in action, or check out the full range at the ProjectSAM website.