Easy Scoring Programs

Albion Sample Library Example

Perhaps some of you want to try your hand at creating larger accompaniments for your theremin practice or even want to try composing in a larger style but have no idea how to go about it. What tools for learning scoring and orchestral techniques are available without taking out a second mortgage? 

Lets talk about a class of sample libraries (the thread title is a bit misleading) that are geared for quick and easy creation of orchestrations - from small and personal to absolutely enormous - as these libraries are often used in scoring for games and even independent movie scoring on a tight budget.

These libraries are ideal for people who either don't know orchestration that well or actually know it very well and don't have the time to score 20-40 instruments in a large orchestral composition. These libraries give you entire sections of the orchestra with different articulations. For example you load up a string ensemble playing sustained notes or brass section playing short notes (some of these libraries let you change sectional articulations on the fly with MIDI key switches). Spitfire Albion, Project SAM Symphobia and Garritan Instant Orchestra (IO) are three examples of these products that run as plug-ins in some other program like a DAW or notation package. Each contains a variety of full orchestra sections with different articulations, though Albion doesn't have some percussion like timpani as Spitfire percussion is arguably the best orchestral percussion library out there and they assume you will buy that if you want orchestral percussion.

You really can create some pretty impressive music without too much knowledge with these libraries. Just think in terms of strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion. You can write each section on its own grand staff and with only a few lines of music have a pretty full sounding score. Of course you lose alot of fine technique and coloring this way, but lets say you want to try creating an orchestral score and you are on a limited budget and don't know orchestration that well. And these libraries really shine for those who want to create quick mock ups of orchestral scores before taking the time to create a full orchestration. You get a good feel of how the sections of the orchestra interact, but you can't for example say that this F#3 is a trumpet. The libraries might use a combination of trumpet, French Horn and even Trombone. 

I just picked up Albion because it's on deep sale - being on the tail end of its life. I assume Spitfire is replacing it with more current sampling technology. But it's still a useful orchestrating tool and everyone here has likely heard it without knowing watching TV.

So I took a couple hours and just quickly sketched out a totally stereotyped orchestration to give you an idea of what Albion can do (it runs as a Kontakt5 plug-in). I isolated a few sections so you can here them. This literally only took a couple hours but it sounds like a lot more time went into it. I'll post the score too so you can see what I've done here. This was done with a Notation program - you can get much better results tweaking in a DAW. No way in the world I could write and score a two and a half minute full orchestral piece in 2-3 hours.

As noted above, you'll need a DAW sequencer or a notation program you can use sample library plugins with to use these packages. But you can easily just play in some chords and melodies in your sequencer and assign to the desired instrument sections and you are off and running. You'll be surprised what you can do with very little effort. So for all your budding composers out there that have never written orchestral music and want to get your movie scoring chops simmering on a small budget (some smaller than others) - check out these sectional scoring programs. But tone that orchestra back when you have your theremin come in!

I would suggest for an amazing composition program for multi-instruments...

For free check out MuScore. It's very, very basic but allows you to compose any notation. I used this for years till I had the money for a computer which had all the bells and whistles I needed. Then I jumped on to Sibelius 7. This program will allow you to broaden your scope on Electronic Compositions and is more versatile. I prefer this program over any other. However, for getting a wide range in programs big-wig composers and artists use on a whip. Take your Sibelius Serno and punch it in at Finale's website when buying the program. They will take a % off when switching from Sibelius to Finale.

Overall, all three of these programs allow you to compose, manipulate and notate instruments and gives you the writers freedom to do whatever you want. They also allow you to save your song in MIDI to then transfer to a DAW like ACID PRO., Garage Band, Pro Tools, etc.
A cool example I can tell you all is when I wrote a Wind Suite and saved the MIDI then worked on a DAW for synths and different sounds. Which took the original composition to another level. Which was fun.

When working on compositions with the Theremin and applying this instrument. I find it's easier to write in Whole Note or Half note (sometimes fourths) to create a melody. Usually just grabbing an extra Treble Staff for the Piano and writing for Theremin on top of other instruments. Then depending on how I (the composer) wants to have the master track to be, I'll keep or remove all accompaniments. Which makes the process fun.

I agree with you, pretty much everyone that creates real production music using notation programs exports MIDI into the DAW where it is much easier to manipulate and fine tune things like adding CC shaping, randomization, easy MIDI key switch controls, etc.

But its also nice to just write in the DAW at times as you stop thinking at the notional level and start more thinking about performance, texture, improvization, etc - the things that make music sound musical. 

With Sibelius & Finale, you can articulate the Performance/Playback of each instrument you can produce a "playable" track which gives the illusion of how the song should or would be played given the specific parameters. The best part for me is when you can leave a track 'blank' free of expression or Performance/Playback and have a track feel very bland and plastic. Or, have track which moves with any and all kinds of articulation a composer and performer would want to have in a given performance.

For just writing in a DAW you basically do the same with these two notation programs however use the DAW more as a Synthesizer at that point. Which just dresses up the tone/articulation/modification.

Likewise, you can plug in a keyboard to your computer and utilize the 'instrument' to notate on the two programs mentioned above which will also provide at what velocity, sequence, or ornamentation as well as pedal use. This makes the notation program become a natural third hand in composition because it simply become a plug and play. Which makes the program really shine. Once again, transposing the MIDI to a DAW and taking it from there with what patch you want. It's really the easiest way to compose without being confined to samples. True, the sound files are samples, but manipulated based on what you compose. Making the whole program a blessing in disguise once you spend hours on it.

Yea. For me though, so much of my work is with sample libraries that need to be finely manipulated, it's just too cumbersone to do that manipulation in the notation programs that are not geared for easily dealing with CC control and key switching. Some you really need external MIDI controllers (mod wheels, dials, etc) to use the sample libraries effectively. But I totally agree that the better notation programs are a Godsend to a composer that likes to write in traditional notation and they are only getting better each year. Also the Notation programs tend to be memory hogs and DAWs from my experience can load more sounds and have less playback glitches when playing a big score with a lot of sample plug-ins.

But the DAW is a totally necessity (possibly along with a mastering program) once you go from the MIDI to sound domain. No notation program I know of has the sound editing, mixing and level adjusting capabilities that the high end DAWs do. 

What I really want is a DAW with a great, even really good, music notation front end where you can go back and forth between MIDI, sound files and notation. They don't exist yet to my knowledge.