I understand easily why you're working with TH...you're efficient and very very methodic. What a chance to have your content free access on YT. Evacuate your certitudes, engage all CPU and RAM ressources and get this man a template ! Thank you JF.
Thanks @pavelkravitch - I learned so much during my time writing and producing music with Tom. His whole team was filled with generous and talented people. Really grateful to have the ability to share this information through such a great platform like this. Thanks for watching!!!
Thanks @michaelbarker6460 - I’m not really sure how the algorithm works but I know when people comment/share a video it has a greater reach, which means more musicians have an opportunity to learn so I appreciate your comment 🙏
Could you possibly make a video on how to daisy chain computers? I've never seen one on that, and I figure I will need a secondary computer eventually. Great video and very specific information. Love it, my guy 👊🏼
Sure! It’s becoming less common with systems gaining so much power but I still daisy chain as I’m on what I’d call an older system at this point …I’ll make sure it’s in my VEP Pro video I’m putting together
We shall see! No idea how TH-cam works but grateful for the people this information has been able to reach so far! So happy to hear this video was helpful to you, thanks for watching!
Excellent walkthrough, thank you for this, Jonas! I'm definitely stealing a few ideas from you. 🙂 An idea for a future video: a closer look at your VEP setup. I bought it a few years ago but could never integrate it into my workflow. Admittedly, I don't need a dedicated sample computer just yet, but using VEP somewhat intimidates me once I do.
Totally! I figured VEP would be it’s own walkthrough - I was intimated at first as well but like everything, with a little repetition it becomes a piece of cake 😉
Thank you for this, Jonas. You have a great way of teaching and it’s so good to learn from someone who’s actually working in the industry. Although I’m primarily a songwriter I’m learning so much from your process and techniques which can help me in my own productions. Thank you! 🙏
My pleasure @RogerBeckett - I really appreciate this comment since songwriting was my first introduction to music and how I started my career. It’s something I still love to do and most of my free time is spent writing and producing songs between the projects I score. Really happy to hear that the information is transferable.
@@jonasfriedman Thank you for replying. It’s very much appreciated. Producing great music is so very much dependent on the non-technical stuff. But you need to get through the technical stuff so it becomes second nature, so that you can get to the good stuff. Takes a lot of time and effort though. But it’s so worth it. Thank you for taking the time to make these videos and share your content and musical journey with us. 🙏
Super duper video, Jonas. I seriously don't know where you find the time! I'm sure you have a solid video template as well. There are so many ways to approach a template and I'm still working on it. For me, just writing music but still wanting to be efficient, I've mostly settled on a small template. Big templates drive me nuts. And just when I thought I have everything nicely done in my template, the last three projects I literally started with a blanc project and filled in tracks and instruments as needed. There's some freedom in that too, but I have that luxury of course. I also favor making track templates too, such as 20 kontakt tracks void of particular instruments. When I'm really getting detailed I'll actually spend some time giving the tracks icons too. I love just looking at instrument icons rather than track names. It's never ending. You're set up very very well. Thanks for the insights.
Thanks @dfizzbom - we do have a pretty solid video template as well to get everything done 😅 ...You're 100% correct that there are tons of ways to approach a template, and sometimes starting with an entirely blank project is best. I actually have a stripped down template that does exactly that where I have all of the stems, FX and everything from my "master template" but with all of VEP taken away and just those "project specific" folders left at the top. I like to use this when I'm going for a totally "out of the box" approach. Templates like this one are great for when you are working on a project for example like a tv series that's been on for years, and you have a specific set of sounds you keep going for....or a film that requires the whole orchestra. But when I want to try and do something I haven't done before, my first rule is to not use sounds that I always use in my template. There's a million ways to do it!
Honestly your channel has been such a value add to someone like me, even in my niche of trailer music i've picked up so many great tips from seeing your workflow. Especially in a sea of content creators who are making educational music production content, seeing content from someone who is an ACTUAL working professional is amazing, if it works for you it's probably worth paying attention to vs people whose main job is really just making YT content. Thanks so much for being so generous with your work!
I really appreciate this comment @DanielBastionMusic - it’s a big reason I started the channel. I personally didn’t feel there was enough practical information out there from people actually doing this work 80+ hours a week. I’m really happy to hear this has been a valuable resource for you and am excited to share lots more!
Amen! I have such an aversion to those who aren't really doing anything in the industry yet are selling all manner of courses on how to succeed. Jonas is the real deal!
@@InLightTone appreciate it! It’s honestly pretty crazy how much content is out there, both free and for a high price tag by people without consistent real world experience. Hoping this channel off-sets that a bit.
@@jonasfriedman So sorry to comment on such an old video but I've been experimenting a bunch with processing the Damage 2 Armageddon instrument yet nothing i'm doing is quite getting the snap and clarity I hear when you play it. I would absolutely love an insight on how you EQ/Compress them!
@DanielBastionMusic no problem! I simply activate the standard compressor built into the channel strip of cubase. Maybe a +5 db high shelf to add a bit of clarity …. For big action moments I will typically layer the downbeats of my drums with surround hits - jxl mix from Hans zimmer percussion by spitfire -
This is arguably the best content you can get in youtube! I would love to post some questions here. I am trying to set up a master template and since I have a great load of work ahead, I want the "best" way of doing it. My questions are: 1. Firstly we need to process the individual instruments, unwanted room sounds etc. Do we use EQ in inserts like Pro-Q3 or do we use Cubase Eq? I noticed Junkie XL uses Cubase EQ on strings and drums while he uses API550 and API560 on brass and woodwinds. 2. I have now routed all my short strings to a group or stem. Is it there I "Send effect" reverbs like Lexicon 224 and valhalla room? 3. How does VCA groups come into play? We already use the send effect in group channel or stems. Which plugins should we put there in VCA? 4. There are pre and post in "send FX" section. Which plugin is for pre and which is for post? I hope you see my struggle, I want to put all of these things into my template but I dont know how. Thank you so much and I hope you continue making videos because they are just one inch from perfect! BTW you drum sequences are amazing.
@alial-akabi4671 Thanks so much! Answers below... 1. Use whatever you like best! I use Cubase EQ on just about everything as my standard go to! Pro-Q3 has added features like dynamic compression so it's much more than an eq. 2. Yes that is were you send it - to the same stem as the instruments the verb is intended for 3. Every individual channel in my template goes to a VCA - I use them to mix groups WITHOUT having to touch the buss that the individual channels are going to 4. Depends on your preference - I eq into compression or into reverb...so pre for me :) Hope this helps!
@@jonasfriedman This is huge, thank you so much buddy! And to actually answering everyone here, this is seriously paradise! One last thing tho (for now hehe!) What do you mean "I eq into.." how do you eq into a compression/reverb?
@alial-akabi4671 if the eq comes before the compression plugin you’re “Eqing into compression” so the extra bass or treble or whatever you add will effect the way the compressor reacts - if you eq AFTER the compressor then your compressing the sound prior to that extra frequency information being added in 🤘
+1 for the resample record track. Absolutely awesome ! I would like to thank you for your channel which is probably the best pedagogical channel ever seen. Like the other comments, it will take some time to digest everything :) A little question :how do you approach the integration of a new library ? There are always tons of preset and it’s often a headache to integrate things...but I guess the answer is mostly to know its libraries well, just add a Kontakt instance and then pick the good preset on the fly !
Thanks so much for this comment @thierryd.8717 - It's definitely a lot to digest! That's a great question about integrating new libraries and presets. Basically, if it's going to be apart of this permanent master template, than I must have a specific preset in mind from a library, in which case I add it and label it with the preset so it's pre loaded and searchable in Cubase. I DO NOT add libraries to my master template that aren't corresponding with a preloaded preset because then you end up with too many tracks that you never use. IF I want to look for a library and preset I haven't used before, because I'm trying to play around with a new sound, and discover something new (which is crucial to do!) then that will get loaded into my "project specific" folder that I demonstrate in the vid. If at a certain point I find I keep on going back to a particular library and preset, and I keep adding it to that project specific folder, that's how I know it deserves a permanent home in this template!
Hi Jonas … Thank you for a super helpful video as I’m currently in the process of tweaking my own template in Logic :) … I’m curious as to what size of AOC monitors you’re using on your desktop, and for your main screen above your desk as I need to upgrade my current ones … Many Thanks … Siobhan
no problem, appreciate you checking it out @sibbsnibbs ! To answer your questions, I believe the AOC monitors are 27" and the tv above the desk is 60" -
Hi Jonas! Just found your channel!. First of all, congratulations! WOW the videos look amazing, great editing and photo! Second, if you ever need a flamenco guitar for a project, hit me up! :) And third and finally, how do you deal with latency when playing midi instruments with a template with plugins and everything? I notice some latency once I have everything setup. Sometimes I use the "Constrain Delay Compensation" button in the lower left corner of Cubase, but it turns off the VST, at least while I record the Midi notes. Thanks again!
@FelipeCarvajalRojas - thanks so much and great question! Latency really comes down to your system and how small you can keep the buffer settings. Basically the more ram, more cores and higher the clock speed the better your system will be able to handle lots of virtual instruments with added plugins
@@jonasfriedman Yes, you are right. There is an option in Studio One and in Cakewalk Sonar, that the selected virtual instrument track has "0 latency" while you play. It is very useful, however, I can't find that in Cubase. Thanks for your answer and keep the good work!
Just curious: So if you’ve got 18 STEM groups and 4 FX tracks per group, that’s 72 FX Tracks. How do you get around the 64 FX track limit? Or are you omitting certain unused FX for some of the STEM busses there? Thanks for the channel. Great to have some working composer insights. Cheers!
I actually wasn’t aware there was a limit - I haven’t run into it yet and it’s possible for the reason you mentioned - I don’t need ALL fxs for all groups - for example I don’t use delay on my short strings or my boomers stems or my accents- so maybe I’m just about to hit the threshold but hadn’t noticed yet 😅
@@jonasfriedman gotcha, makes plenty of sense. I was testing this STEM/FX layout today (Cubase Pro 13), and hit the wall so I was just wondering if that was the case. Thank you! You’re very generous with your very valuable time here, but I don’t want to be greedy so I’ll lay off a bit on all the questions. I can’t afford consulting fees. Haha!
@brianlhguntercomposer lol … so I actually use nuendo most of the time. Maybe it has more effects capability? I honestly don’t know. Feel free to ask whatever questions I’ll always answer when and whatever I can.
I found a lot of similarity in the way you produce and thank you for sharing a much matured version of it. I am not quite clear about your FX sends, do you mean that every single bus has 4 fx, including 2 verb and 2 delays?
Thanks @joshuahu1721 - great question. Every effect has its own fx buss, for every single final stem buss. Reverb 1 has its own buss dedicated to stem A. Reverb 2 has its own buss dedicated to stem A. Delay 1 has its own buss dedicated to stem A and delay 2 has its own buss dedicated to stem A. THEN I add those all over again for stem B and continue down the list until every stem has its very own individual effects chain routed to only that stem. Will release more info at some point with a routing video
@@jonasfriedman Thanks~ In such case that there will be around 50-70 effects that’s delicates to reverb and delay when you start a new production, is it one of the reason that you use UAD plate verb to help ease the CPU power by using UAD card?
@@joshuahu1721 yep That’s exactly why i love uad! Good pickup, I forgot to mention how that helps the cpu. I have both an octo satellite and duo in my Apollo twin so there’s quite a bit of processing power to use for those fx
I just switched to Cuebase from Logic I’m trying to get my template to print stems but I’m having trouble routing it. In logic you could send a bus anywhere you wanted. In Cuebase it looks like that’s different. How did you route the VFX, VCAs, to the stems? I wasn’t able to tell from the video. Thanks!
Hmmm not sure I understand what you’re running into because in my experience cubase has much more flexibility regarding routing and stems. What I do is create my group tracks. Then - the outputs of my FX go to those groups (as do the individual tracks) so for example cellos will have low string FX send and all of that is routed to a low strings buss. VCAs are just like a volume knob that controls a collection of tracks - these are not related to my groups (ie stem busses) instead - I simply route the individual instruments to the appropriate vca for extra volume control. Example - all cellos and bass strings connect to a lo strings Vca - however again the vca is not connected to the final group track or process of printing stems. When I go to print stems I simply highlight my group tracks and then in the export menu choose to sync selection with what is to be exported - if I remember correctly I do go over this in a bit more detail in my course since it comes with both my cubase and logic template - but I hope this may help to clarify! Btw - once you work out the kinks I think you’ll be very happy with the switch to cubase - I find it MUCH more enjoyable and efficient to work with personally
@@jonasfriedman I see where I went wrong. I grouped the instruments and put effects on the groups rather than the instruments having a send to an FX track then routing both to the "group/bus" for the stem. Thanks!
@mysterybro100 that is correct - I do not use a mix engineer. If you could please clarify the 2nd half of your questions regarding % of time. My template has a lot of foundation level mixing techniques built in, and then as I compose I mix it all together.
I was really looking forward to this video. Now I’m terrified 😢You could probably have split this topic into 2 or even 3 videos. I still found it useful though
Hey Steve what terrifies you about it? I thought about splitting it up but thought having everything in one place and then splitting it into chapters that are easy to navigate (timecode in video description) would make it a more convenient resource.
@@jonasfriedman I think the time and planning it will take to create let alone the cpu power required to run such a large template. I’m relatively new to composing in Cubase so perhaps it’s just me feeling a little overwhelmed. I’ll get there. Keep the videos coming, they are excellent.
@stevesutube dude this makes total sense - I felt the same way early on. My personal method was to break every big task up into smaller tasks. So for example a big template like this, I’ll just start by making my final stem busses first, and then add some blank tracks to route to them. Next day I’ll start to load those blank tracks with instruments. I actually use thyr same approach for big intimidating action cues (ie: just do this first minute and take a break) I’m actually planning at some point a video of exactly how to build a template like this from scratch AND what to do if you have limited cpu (hint: Kontakt’s quick load is a super handy workaround). All the best :)
@@stevesutubeI feel your pain! I have experience as a classical musician, including a degree, but creating with this type of technology is completely new to me. I keep looking for an ‘Introduction to Music Technology’ course that will give me the foundations and terminology. Those that are floating around on YT all seem to be aimed at popular music set-ups. I feel like I’m trying to kayak through an ocean of mud…..
I’m a little embarrassed to say …I started when I was quite young, so the guy at the music store said “you definitely want nuendo it does so much more stuff” and being naive I bought that. Turns out I didn’t need any of those extra features and the music store guy got a much better commission😅 over the years upgrading was just cheaper than buying a cubase and then years later I started working with games and nuendo has some cool integrations to Wwise so it worked out!
@@jonasfriedman haha - I guess the store guy knew what he was doing. Do you find the Wwise integration useful? From what I saw I'm not 100% sure if it's a win. If it is it would be the one thing that would get me to switch to Nuendo.
It simply allows the final mix stage to have more control - since they cover different frequency ranges it’s best to split them up when you can. On smaller projects for tv there’s often less room for so many stems in which case I’ll condense the percussion into a single stem or the pulses as well. This is my largest template though for films and higher budget tv streaming projects
Great! Video We have Similar work flows when composing for Film & TV Gaming' Typically my gaming or game templates, Are consolidated' versus my cinematic picture movie templates. Also using Logic Pro, EDIT: I just added a New Loupedeck Live into my setup I'm trying to set it up to open my Kontakt Libraries 8DIO Soundiron Ect, along with my Wav files to Access them when ideals strike immediately almost like a digital index system for samples. Also have you looked into a Midi SySX System almost a Digital midi Patchbay?
Another great video as usual - thanks! I'd love to see you dive into routing and your approach to string writing! I often find myself "winging" it in the latter topic and I feel your approach to string writing will be extremely valuable to composers who simultaneously work on a variety of genres and niches (trailer, classical, hybrid, etc.).
Hey Jonas, amazing video, thanks for the content! Let me ask you something please. Where are the audio tracks from each midi track located? Can you have them on your edit window in case you need to automate volume or other things? I saw many people showing how to do multi timbral in Cubase and always showing the audio tracks in the mixer, but never in the edit window. Thanks!
Thanks @FelipeAyres ! In cubase, on the left hand side I’ve made it so I have everything that corresponds to the midi track (audio fader, inserts, eq etc) visible in the left hand panel. You can customize what goes into this panel I believe by right clicking. Then if I want a larger view I just press the E button which opens the corresponding audio track you’re referring to - Hope this helps!
I was curious what happens if they like the final master you create, but still want stems. Is there a way to export stems with the mastering chain in mind? Also, where do you route SFX or Diolgoue? Is there a separate group track that's before the master?
So tracks going to the final mix stage are NOT “mastered” it’s not like creating a soundtrack version - so when the final stems are exported they sound exactly like the master buss and I always deliver stems not just a 2 track. Again very different process for doing a soundtrack which is where I will apply mastering plugins
Another amazing video, as usuall. I think I will need to watch it another couple of time (maybe 20 😅) before digest all these informations and ask any question.
Hey Jonas, excellent video! Just discovered your channel and subscribed. Thanks so much for all the great info, I’m in the middle of building a mega template now. Quick question: do you deliver that many stems (i.e. your A-R stems) plus master to clients? I was under the impression I should route my all my stems into 6 or so main stems to deliver plus master? I’m a newbie though so I don’t know what the norm is. Your advice is most appreciated!
Thanks @nogoogleplus ! So one very large projects - usually big films - I will deliver more stems like that plus the master. On television series, especially those that are more procedural I deliver A-K (11 stems) plus a master file
Thank you for going so much into depth to help us learning to be more efficient. I just love the way you explain stuff, especially because you have the talent of explaining things verbally so blind/visually impaired people like me can follow the entire time without being forced to see what needs to be done. With that, may it be intentionally or not, you take part in making music production and knowledge collecting accessible to a huge part of society. For that I just want to say thank you. Through your videos I could teach myself a lot already and can't wait to learn more. You said in the end of the video that there will come more guides about efficiency, also as PDFs as far as I understood. Are you going to design them accessible for blind people as well? If you have questions about what to keep in mind for that, feel free to ask me here. I'm always up to support open minded people like you.
@niclasnightflame - I really appreciate this comment and it's always wonderful to hear that these materials are helpful! In regards to the PDF - I haven't gotten that far yet regarding accessibility as I'm currently just trying to learn what will be most helpful and valuable to people before putting things together. That said, when I do make these materials, I'm always open to looking at the logistics so my team and I can find ways to make things as accessible as possible for everyone!
Thanks for this professional Video. I have VEP, but not a friend anymore. Today i work on one Macbook Pro M2 with Templates for every Style -> Orchestral, Trailer, Pop, Ethnic etc. less Problems for me
this is my writing template and I mix as I go - mixing for delivery to the scoring stage for a tv series or film is different from mixing and master for a soundtrack or album release. I have a different template for that
@@jonasfriedman ahh I see.. wow, how much Ram, & processing power do you think is necessary for this method?.. do you render in place as you go as well?
@l.d.williams7880 I don’t typically have to render in place. My setup has 2 machines (sync’d with VEP) 64 gigs of ram in each machine - I believe 10 or 12 cores on my main rig and 6 on my sample computer
one of my question is: I heard a lot of composers don't use (don't like) keys switch, but charging every articulation don't you cost tons of RAM than just one ?
Great question, I think it depends, especially if those individual articulations are loaded in VEP they go into a single kontakt instance so they’re not multiple Kontakt’s that need to be loaded. Then the individual patches are much smaller than a patch with all articulations in one. If you skip the articulations you don’t use often you can actually (I think) end up with a lower CPU foot print. So I don’t think it makes a huge difference honestly
Thank you very much, Jonas! It inspires a lot and very useful. I have a question: at 03:35 you're talking about FX busses for each stem, but what routing do you use for them and what is the output for them? Thanks again!
The Strings Lo Reverb is routed to the Strings Lo stem - the Strings Hi Reverb is routed to the Strings Hi Stem - every stem has its own reverb and the output of that reverb feeds into the corresponding stem. Same goes for delay and every other “send fx”
Thanks for a great channel Jonas 🎉 I’m wondering if you could share about your hardware setup? What’s your computer specs etc. And also I’m curious as to how you mix your stems? Do you have a master chain on all stems busses or how do you manage leveling etc. And again, thank you so much for a fantastic channel
I have a video in the works regarding hardware and studio setup ! As for stems there no effects on them - I use the input gain to manage leveling and they all feed into a master buss that stays at unity. Appreciate you checking out the content 🤘
Thank you. This might be too beginner level, but it would be helpful to have a video on how you create stems and individual busses? I just use tracks and add effects, eq, etc to the individual tracks. Sorry if this is poorly worded or just a silly question but I honestly don't know what you mean.
Hi Jonas, first of all thanks for the content, it's perfect! I have a question: where can we find reference music to balance tamplates, how to install an equalizer, compressor and other plugins for better sound, can you direct us to a course or anything related to this topic? Thanks and all the best!
@mirkodrobac9090 - I’m working on more materials that will be available soon to address these sort of questions. In the meantime use any scores you like how they sound as reference music. Equalizers and compressors can be installed though individual channels or groups in your sequencers. I suggest doing a search for “adding eq to logic” or “adding a compressor to cubase” and I imagine you find some helpful videos. As I said lots of materials that should address this and other peoples questions are in development - stay tuned!
Thank you for the video, brother. I want to know how you colored the daw this way. Is it the default color and you adjusted some settings in the Mac system, or did you do the entire coloring? Thank you very much. 💙
@bresam4903 - yes in cubase you can choose and add colors for every track, group and channel. So I’ve organized all of my instrument categories by color as well. Lo strings red - hi strings orange - short strings yellow and so on. This just makes things visually more organized and easier to navigate.
Hey Jonas, how much incredibly valuable information, tips and tricks you give us here is really outstanding and admirable, thank you so much!! No idea how you manage to cope with this in addition to all your work - I'm stunned. This video comes absolutely at the right time for me, as I'm working on my new template on the side and thinking about a routing that makes sense for me and fits my workflow. Great timing from you. Thanks a bunch, and take care! :)
@jonasfriedman awesome! I look forward to it. I have spent this year really diving into synths and it's been an incredible journey, always looking for new tips
My goodness! A lot of eye opening information. I had never heard of resampling! That is such a great idea. The busses and VCA's are the thing that get to me, when and if you have time, please do a video on these.
Busses allow inserts, VCAs will not. Think like this, when individual faders are lowered they will affect the sonic timbre as they hit the busses (with all their fx and compression etc) they are connected to. Compared to lower the bus that is ”hit hard already”. Say you have UAD Studer Tape plugins on busses, then one single VCA could push a drumset harder to tape (saturation). Hope it make sense for you :)
Great vid! Not to brag or anything, but my MUSIO template in Logic Pro X is sick! I don't touch keyswitches with a ten-foot pole. Every articulation is separated. Also, since I have a confirmed screw loose, I created a lot, I mean a lot of super cool icons for instrument tracks! 🔘🖱⏯️🎛🎚
I understand easily why you're working with TH...you're efficient and very very methodic. What a chance to have your content free access on YT.
Evacuate your certitudes, engage all CPU and RAM ressources and get this man a template !
Thank you JF.
Thanks @pavelkravitch - I learned so much during my time writing and producing music with Tom. His whole team was filled with generous and talented people. Really grateful to have the ability to share this information through such a great platform like this. Thanks for watching!!!
Jonas,can you show how to assign reverb ,delay,EQ to each track at the beginning?
Yep have a setup video in the works that goes over that
Looks like you're starting to hit the algorithms. Its a pro quality channel so hopefully it takes off for you.
Thanks @michaelbarker6460 - I’m not really sure how the algorithm works but I know when people comment/share a video it has a greater reach, which means more musicians have an opportunity to learn so I appreciate your comment 🙏
Such useful information! I just discovered your channel and I’m really loving the content. Thanks so much!
My pleasure! Thanks for checking it out 🤘
Could you possibly make a video on how to daisy chain computers? I've never seen one on that, and I figure I will need a secondary computer eventually. Great video and very specific information. Love it, my guy 👊🏼
Sure! It’s becoming less common with systems gaining so much power but I still daisy chain as I’m on what I’d call an older system at this point …I’ll make sure it’s in my VEP Pro video I’m putting together
I use Rolling Sampler as an alternative to the record track. It keeps recording from 15s to 10mn , very usefull for sound design.
Never hear of it, I’ll have to check it out - thanks for sharing
By this time next year this channel will have at least 10k subs. Thank you what a great video. I just updated my template.
We shall see! No idea how TH-cam works but grateful for the people this information has been able to reach so far! So happy to hear this video was helpful to you, thanks for watching!
Excellent walkthrough, thank you for this, Jonas! I'm definitely stealing a few ideas from you. 🙂
An idea for a future video: a closer look at your VEP setup. I bought it a few years ago but could never integrate it into my workflow. Admittedly, I don't need a dedicated sample computer just yet, but using VEP somewhat intimidates me once I do.
Totally! I figured VEP would be it’s own walkthrough - I was intimated at first as well but like everything, with a little repetition it becomes a piece of cake 😉
Thank you for this, Jonas. You have a great way of teaching and it’s so good to learn from someone who’s actually working in the industry. Although I’m primarily a songwriter I’m learning so much from your process and techniques which can help me in my own productions. Thank you! 🙏
My pleasure @RogerBeckett - I really appreciate this comment since songwriting was my first introduction to music and how I started my career. It’s something I still love to do and most of my free time is spent writing and producing songs between the projects I score. Really happy to hear that the information is transferable.
@@jonasfriedman Thank you for replying. It’s very much appreciated. Producing great music is so very much dependent on the non-technical stuff. But you need to get through the technical stuff so it becomes second nature, so that you can get to the good stuff. Takes a lot of time and effort though. But it’s so worth it. Thank you for taking the time to make these videos and share your content and musical journey with us. 🙏
@RogerBeckett well said, I couldn’t agree more!
Very cool! May I ask, how large are your Cubase project file sizes usually?
Sure, 40-50 mb I’d say give or take 5db
Super duper video, Jonas. I seriously don't know where you find the time! I'm sure you have a solid video template as well. There are so many ways to approach a template and I'm still working on it. For me, just writing music but still wanting to be efficient, I've mostly settled on a small template. Big templates drive me nuts. And just when I thought I have everything nicely done in my template, the last three projects I literally started with a blanc project and filled in tracks and instruments as needed. There's some freedom in that too, but I have that luxury of course. I also favor making track templates too, such as 20 kontakt tracks void of particular instruments. When I'm really getting detailed I'll actually spend some time giving the tracks icons too. I love just looking at instrument icons rather than track names. It's never ending. You're set up very very well. Thanks for the insights.
Thanks @dfizzbom - we do have a pretty solid video template as well to get everything done 😅 ...You're 100% correct that there are tons of ways to approach a template, and sometimes starting with an entirely blank project is best. I actually have a stripped down template that does exactly that where I have all of the stems, FX and everything from my "master template" but with all of VEP taken away and just those "project specific" folders left at the top. I like to use this when I'm going for a totally "out of the box" approach. Templates like this one are great for when you are working on a project for example like a tv series that's been on for years, and you have a specific set of sounds you keep going for....or a film that requires the whole orchestra. But when I want to try and do something I haven't done before, my first rule is to not use sounds that I always use in my template. There's a million ways to do it!
Honestly your channel has been such a value add to someone like me, even in my niche of trailer music i've picked up so many great tips from seeing your workflow. Especially in a sea of content creators who are making educational music production content, seeing content from someone who is an ACTUAL working professional is amazing, if it works for you it's probably worth paying attention to vs people whose main job is really just making YT content. Thanks so much for being so generous with your work!
I really appreciate this comment @DanielBastionMusic - it’s a big reason I started the channel. I personally didn’t feel there was enough practical information out there from people actually doing this work 80+ hours a week. I’m really happy to hear this has been a valuable resource for you and am excited to share lots more!
Amen! I have such an aversion to those who aren't really doing anything in the industry yet are selling all manner of courses on how to succeed. Jonas is the real deal!
@@InLightTone appreciate it! It’s honestly pretty crazy how much content is out there, both free and for a high price tag by people without consistent real world experience. Hoping this channel off-sets that a bit.
@@jonasfriedman So sorry to comment on such an old video but I've been experimenting a bunch with processing the Damage 2 Armageddon instrument yet nothing i'm doing is quite getting the snap and clarity I hear when you play it. I would absolutely love an insight on how you EQ/Compress them!
@DanielBastionMusic no problem! I simply activate the standard compressor built into the channel strip of cubase. Maybe a +5 db high shelf to add a bit of clarity …. For big action moments I will typically layer the downbeats of my drums with surround hits - jxl mix from Hans zimmer percussion by spitfire -
This is arguably the best content you can get in youtube! I would love to post some questions here.
I am trying to set up a master template and since I have a great load of work ahead, I want the "best" way of doing it. My questions are:
1. Firstly we need to process the individual instruments, unwanted room sounds etc. Do we use EQ in inserts like Pro-Q3 or do we use Cubase Eq? I noticed Junkie XL uses Cubase EQ on strings and drums while he uses API550 and API560 on brass and woodwinds.
2. I have now routed all my short strings to a group or stem. Is it there I "Send effect" reverbs like Lexicon 224 and valhalla room?
3. How does VCA groups come into play? We already use the send effect in group channel or stems. Which plugins should we put there in VCA?
4. There are pre and post in "send FX" section. Which plugin is for pre and which is for post?
I hope you see my struggle, I want to put all of these things into my template but I dont know how. Thank you so much and I hope you continue making videos because they are just one inch from perfect! BTW you drum sequences are amazing.
@alial-akabi4671
Thanks so much! Answers below...
1. Use whatever you like best! I use Cubase EQ on just about everything as my standard go to! Pro-Q3 has added features like dynamic compression so it's much more than an eq.
2. Yes that is were you send it - to the same stem as the instruments the verb is intended for
3. Every individual channel in my template goes to a VCA - I use them to mix groups WITHOUT having to touch the buss that the individual channels are going to
4. Depends on your preference - I eq into compression or into reverb...so pre for me :)
Hope this helps!
@@jonasfriedman This is huge, thank you so much buddy! And to actually answering everyone here, this is seriously paradise! One last thing tho (for now hehe!)
What do you mean "I eq into.." how do you eq into a compression/reverb?
@alial-akabi4671 if the eq comes before the compression plugin you’re “Eqing into compression” so the extra bass or treble or whatever you add will effect the way the compressor reacts - if you eq AFTER the compressor then your compressing the sound prior to that extra frequency information being added in 🤘
@@jonasfriedman Love it! Thank man 🙏
+1 for the resample record track. Absolutely awesome ! I would like to thank you for your channel which is probably the best pedagogical channel ever seen. Like the other comments, it will take some time to digest everything :)
A little question :how do you approach the integration of a new library ?
There are always tons of preset and it’s often a headache to integrate things...but I guess the answer is mostly to know its libraries well, just add a Kontakt instance and then pick the good preset on the fly !
Thanks so much for this comment @thierryd.8717 - It's definitely a lot to digest! That's a great question about integrating new libraries and presets. Basically, if it's going to be apart of this permanent master template, than I must have a specific preset in mind from a library, in which case I add it and label it with the preset so it's pre loaded and searchable in Cubase. I DO NOT add libraries to my master template that aren't corresponding with a preloaded preset because then you end up with too many tracks that you never use. IF I want to look for a library and preset I haven't used before, because I'm trying to play around with a new sound, and discover something new (which is crucial to do!) then that will get loaded into my "project specific" folder that I demonstrate in the vid. If at a certain point I find I keep on going back to a particular library and preset, and I keep adding it to that project specific folder, that's how I know it deserves a permanent home in this template!
Quite logical and make sense to me ! Thanks for your time :)@@jonasfriedman
Hi Jonas … Thank you for a super helpful video as I’m currently in the process of tweaking my own template in Logic :) … I’m curious as to what size of AOC monitors you’re using on your desktop, and for your main screen above your desk as I need to upgrade my current ones … Many Thanks … Siobhan
no problem, appreciate you checking it out @sibbsnibbs ! To answer your questions, I believe the AOC monitors are 27" and the tv above the desk is 60" -
Hi Jonas!
Just found your channel!. First of all, congratulations! WOW the videos look amazing, great editing and photo!
Second, if you ever need a flamenco guitar for a project, hit me up! :)
And third and finally, how do you deal with latency when playing midi instruments with a template with plugins and everything? I notice some latency once I have everything setup. Sometimes I use the "Constrain Delay Compensation" button in the lower left corner of Cubase, but it turns off the VST, at least while I record the Midi notes.
Thanks again!
@FelipeCarvajalRojas - thanks so much and great question! Latency really comes down to your system and how small you can keep the buffer settings. Basically the more ram, more cores and higher the clock speed the better your system will be able to handle lots of virtual instruments with added plugins
@@jonasfriedman Yes, you are right. There is an option in Studio One and in Cakewalk Sonar, that the selected virtual instrument track has "0 latency" while you play. It is very useful, however, I can't find that in Cubase.
Thanks for your answer and keep the good work!
Just curious:
So if you’ve got 18 STEM groups and 4 FX tracks per group, that’s 72 FX Tracks. How do you get around the 64 FX track limit? Or are you omitting certain unused FX for some of the STEM busses there?
Thanks for the channel. Great to have some working composer insights. Cheers!
I actually wasn’t aware there was a limit - I haven’t run into it yet and it’s possible for the reason you mentioned - I don’t need ALL fxs for all groups - for example I don’t use delay on my short strings or my boomers stems or my accents- so maybe I’m just about to hit the threshold but hadn’t noticed yet 😅
@@jonasfriedman gotcha, makes plenty of sense. I was testing this STEM/FX layout today (Cubase Pro 13), and hit the wall so I was just wondering if that was the case.
Thank you! You’re very generous with your very valuable time here, but I don’t want to be greedy so I’ll lay off a bit on all the questions. I can’t afford consulting fees. Haha!
@brianlhguntercomposer lol … so I actually use nuendo most of the time. Maybe it has more effects capability? I honestly don’t know. Feel free to ask whatever questions I’ll always answer when and whatever I can.
I found a lot of similarity in the way you produce and thank you for sharing a much matured version of it. I am not quite clear about your FX sends, do you mean that every single bus has 4 fx, including 2 verb and 2 delays?
Thanks @joshuahu1721 - great question. Every effect has its own fx buss, for every single final stem buss. Reverb 1 has its own buss dedicated to stem A. Reverb 2 has its own buss dedicated to stem A. Delay 1 has its own buss dedicated to stem A and delay 2 has its own buss dedicated to stem A. THEN I add those all over again for stem B and continue down the list until every stem has its very own individual effects chain routed to only that stem.
Will release more info at some point with a routing video
@@jonasfriedman Thanks~ In such case that there will be around 50-70 effects that’s delicates to reverb and delay when you start a new production, is it one of the reason that you use UAD plate verb to help ease the CPU power by using UAD card?
@@joshuahu1721 yep That’s exactly why i love uad! Good pickup, I forgot to mention how that helps the cpu. I have both an octo satellite and duo in my Apollo twin so there’s quite a bit of processing power to use for those fx
@@jonasfriedman Cool, then my picture is kind of complete, thanks for sharing!
I just switched to Cuebase from Logic I’m trying to get my template to print stems but I’m having trouble routing it. In logic you could send a bus anywhere you wanted. In Cuebase it looks like that’s different. How did you route the VFX, VCAs, to the stems? I wasn’t able to tell from the video. Thanks!
Hmmm not sure I understand what you’re running into because in my experience cubase has much more flexibility regarding routing and stems. What I do is create my group tracks. Then - the outputs of my FX go to those groups (as do the individual tracks) so for example cellos will have low string FX send and all of that is routed to a low strings buss.
VCAs are just like a volume knob that controls a collection of tracks - these are not related to my groups (ie stem busses) instead - I simply route the individual instruments to the appropriate vca for extra volume control. Example - all cellos and bass strings connect to a lo strings Vca - however again the vca is not connected to the final group track or process of printing stems. When I go to print stems I simply highlight my group tracks and then in the export menu choose to sync selection with what is to be exported - if I remember correctly I do go over this in a bit more detail in my course since it comes with both my cubase and logic template - but I hope this may help to clarify!
Btw - once you work out the kinks I think you’ll be very happy with the switch to cubase - I find it MUCH more enjoyable and efficient to work with personally
@@jonasfriedman I see where I went wrong. I grouped the instruments and put effects on the groups rather than the instruments having a send to an FX track then routing both to the "group/bus" for the stem. Thanks!
@jaredlane9961 awesome happy I was able to help!
@@jonasfriedman It worked! Thank you!
@jaredlane9961 awesome! 🤘
Do you not use a mix engineer? If so why and when…what percentage of the time? Thank you
@mysterybro100 that is correct - I do not use a mix engineer. If you could please clarify the 2nd half of your questions regarding % of time. My template has a lot of foundation level mixing techniques built in, and then as I compose I mix it all together.
Thank you for your response!@@jonasfriedman
big like from ISRAEL !!
Whoa thank you!
I was really looking forward to this video. Now I’m terrified 😢You could probably have split this topic into 2 or even 3 videos. I still found it useful though
Hey Steve what terrifies you about it? I thought about splitting it up but thought having everything in one place and then splitting it into chapters that are easy to navigate (timecode in video description) would make it a more convenient resource.
@@jonasfriedman I think the time and planning it will take to create let alone the cpu power required to run such a large template. I’m relatively new to composing in Cubase so perhaps it’s just me feeling a little overwhelmed. I’ll get there. Keep the videos coming, they are excellent.
@stevesutube dude this makes total sense - I felt the same way early on. My personal method was to break every big task up into smaller tasks. So for example a big template like this, I’ll just start by making my final stem busses first, and then add some blank tracks to route to them. Next day I’ll start to load those blank tracks with instruments. I actually use thyr same approach for big intimidating action cues (ie: just do this first minute and take a break)
I’m actually planning at some point a video of exactly how to build a template like this from scratch AND what to do if you have limited cpu (hint: Kontakt’s quick load is a super handy workaround). All the best :)
@@jonasfriedman that’ll be great. Thanks for taking time out to respond to my comments. It’s much appreciated.
@@stevesutubeI feel your pain! I have experience as a classical musician, including a degree, but creating with this type of technology is completely new to me. I keep looking for an ‘Introduction to Music Technology’ course that will give me the foundations and terminology. Those that are floating around on YT all seem to be aimed at popular music set-ups. I feel like I’m trying to kayak through an ocean of mud…..
Hey Jonas, great insight! What made you decide to use Nuendo instead of Cubase?
I’m a little embarrassed to say …I started when I was quite young, so the guy at the music store said “you definitely want nuendo it does so much more stuff” and being naive I bought that. Turns out I didn’t need any of those extra features and the music store guy got a much better commission😅 over the years upgrading was just cheaper than buying a cubase and then years later I started working with games and nuendo has some cool integrations to Wwise so it worked out!
@@jonasfriedman haha - I guess the store guy knew what he was doing. Do you find the Wwise integration useful? From what I saw I'm not 100% sure if it's a win. If it is it would be the one thing that would get me to switch to Nuendo.
@ClemensRuh it’s nice but not worth the switch at all.
@@jonasfriedman Thanks! That's actually great to hear :)
This is brilliant, I have seen lots of templates and this one makes a lot of sense to me
Thanks Mark! Really appreciate you checking it out
Cool! Any reason for splitting up the stems into “high” and “low” percussion, strings and pulses?
It simply allows the final mix stage to have more control - since they cover different frequency ranges it’s best to split them up when you can. On smaller projects for tv there’s often less room for so many stems in which case I’ll condense the percussion into a single stem or the pulses as well. This is my largest template though for films and higher budget tv streaming projects
Great! Video We have Similar work flows when composing for Film & TV Gaming' Typically my gaming or game templates,
Are consolidated' versus my cinematic picture movie templates. Also using Logic Pro, EDIT: I just added a New Loupedeck Live into my setup I'm trying to set it up to open my Kontakt Libraries 8DIO Soundiron Ect, along with my Wav files to Access them when ideals strike immediately almost like a digital index system for samples. Also have you looked into a Midi SySX System almost a Digital midi Patchbay?
I’ll have to look into Sysx - not familiar with it - thanks for checking out the vid!
Another great video as usual - thanks!
I'd love to see you dive into routing and your approach to string writing! I often find myself "winging" it in the latter topic and I feel your approach to string writing will be extremely valuable to composers who simultaneously work on a variety of genres and niches (trailer, classical, hybrid, etc.).
Totally Nathan! Would like to put something together for those topics, great suggestions!
Hey Jonas, amazing video, thanks for the content! Let me ask you something please. Where are the audio tracks from each midi track located? Can you have them on your edit window in case you need to automate volume or other things? I saw many people showing how to do multi timbral in Cubase and always showing the audio tracks in the mixer, but never in the edit window. Thanks!
Thanks @FelipeAyres ! In cubase, on the left hand side I’ve made it so I have everything that corresponds to the midi track (audio fader, inserts, eq etc) visible in the left hand panel. You can customize what goes into this panel I believe by right clicking. Then if I want a larger view I just press the E button which opens the corresponding audio track you’re referring to - Hope this helps!
I was curious what happens if they like the final master you create, but still want stems. Is there a way to export stems with the mastering chain in mind? Also, where do you route SFX or Diolgoue? Is there a separate group track that's before the master?
So tracks going to the final mix stage are NOT “mastered” it’s not like creating a soundtrack version - so when the final stems are exported they sound exactly like the master buss and I always deliver stems not just a 2 track. Again very different process for doing a soundtrack which is where I will apply mastering plugins
You are astonishing good at designing processes and explaining things. Thank you and keep it going!
Appreciate the kind words
Another amazing video, as usuall. I think I will need to watch it another couple of time (maybe 20 😅) before digest all these informations and ask any question.
thanks @vinzsaint - Really happy to hear there's some good information here for you!
Question:
Do you have 4 identical effects for every bus so that if you had 5 stem groups you’d have 20 effects?
For the most part yes - a few rare stems may not have a second delay since I found I was never using it
Do you also separate your shorts and longs for the strings or just split the high and low ranges?
Yep - shorts have their own stems and then hi strings long have a stem along with lo string long on a separate stem
Great Channel. Do you live in LA?
Thank! I don’t anymore…was there for about 5 years but most of my meetings and sessions went remote post Covid
Hey Jonas, excellent video! Just discovered your channel and subscribed. Thanks so much for all the great info, I’m in the middle of building a mega template now.
Quick question: do you deliver that many stems (i.e. your A-R stems) plus master to clients? I was under the impression I should route my all my stems into 6 or so main stems to deliver plus master? I’m a newbie though so I don’t know what the norm is. Your advice is most appreciated!
Thanks @nogoogleplus ! So one very large projects - usually big films - I will deliver more stems like that plus the master. On television series, especially those that are more procedural I deliver A-K (11 stems) plus a master file
@@jonasfriedman Got it! Thanks so much for the reply! Been watching a bunch of your other vids, all super helpful,so glad I found your channel
The resample record track is genius man. Stealing that one.
Happy to help!
Since the master is routed to it, so you generally solo tracks and record them
Into there to do further sound design?
Same here, I think that's a fantastic idea!
@@Doty6String that’s exactly right!
Thank you for going so much into depth to help us learning to be more efficient. I just love the way you explain stuff, especially because you have the talent of explaining things verbally so blind/visually impaired people like me can follow the entire time without being forced to see what needs to be done. With that, may it be intentionally or not, you take part in making music production and knowledge collecting accessible to a huge part of society. For that I just want to say thank you. Through your videos I could teach myself a lot already and can't wait to learn more.
You said in the end of the video that there will come more guides about efficiency, also as PDFs as far as I understood. Are you going to design them accessible for blind people as well? If you have questions about what to keep in mind for that, feel free to ask me here. I'm always up to support open minded people like you.
@niclasnightflame - I really appreciate this comment and it's always wonderful to hear that these materials are helpful! In regards to the PDF - I haven't gotten that far yet regarding accessibility as I'm currently just trying to learn what will be most helpful and valuable to people before putting things together. That said, when I do make these materials, I'm always open to looking at the logistics so my team and I can find ways to make things as accessible as possible for everyone!
Another helpful video thank you!!!
Glad it was helpful!
'Promo SM' 💃
?
I've been looking for a video like this for months... thank you so much
My pleasure!
Thanks for this professional Video. I have VEP, but not a friend anymore. Today i work on one Macbook Pro M2 with Templates for every Style -> Orchestral, Trailer, Pop, Ethnic etc. less Problems for me
Ok, so this would be a post production template for when you’re about to mix & master?
this is my writing template and I mix as I go - mixing for delivery to the scoring stage for a tv series or film is different from mixing and master for a soundtrack or album release. I have a different template for that
@@jonasfriedman ahh I see.. wow, how much Ram, & processing power do you think is necessary for this method?.. do you render in place as you go as well?
@l.d.williams7880 I don’t typically have to render in place. My setup has 2 machines (sync’d with VEP) 64 gigs of ram in each machine - I believe 10 or 12 cores on my main rig and 6 on my sample computer
@@jonasfriedman ahh ok! 👌🏾
one of my question is: I heard a lot of composers don't use (don't like) keys switch, but charging every articulation don't you cost tons of RAM than just one ?
Great question, I think it depends, especially if those individual articulations are loaded in VEP they go into a single kontakt instance so they’re not multiple Kontakt’s that need to be loaded. Then the individual patches are much smaller than a patch with all articulations in one. If you skip the articulations you don’t use often you can actually (I think) end up with a lower CPU foot print. So I don’t think it makes a huge difference honestly
amazing! it would be so cool to have this as a template
Thanks for sharing your process!
Thank you very much, Jonas! It inspires a lot and very useful. I have a question: at 03:35 you're talking about FX busses for each stem, but what routing do you use for them and what is the output for them?
Thanks again!
The Strings Lo Reverb is routed to the Strings Lo stem - the Strings Hi Reverb is routed to the Strings Hi Stem - every stem has its own reverb and the output of that reverb feeds into the corresponding stem. Same goes for delay and every other “send fx”
Thanks for a great channel Jonas 🎉
I’m wondering if you could share about your hardware setup? What’s your computer specs etc.
And also I’m curious as to how you mix your stems? Do you have a master chain on all stems busses or how do you manage leveling etc.
And again, thank you so much for a fantastic channel
I have a video in the works regarding hardware and studio setup ! As for stems there no effects on them - I use the input gain to manage leveling and they all feed into a master buss that stays at unity. Appreciate you checking out the content 🤘
Rarely leave a comment but congrat on all the work your doing !
Thanks @drtwelele ! Appreciate it
Thank you. This might be too beginner level, but it would be helpful to have a video on how you create stems and individual busses? I just use tracks and add effects, eq, etc to the individual tracks. Sorry if this is poorly worded or just a silly question but I honestly don't know what you mean.
Not a silly question at all - I’ll see if I can integrate this somewhere
Hi Jonas, first of all thanks for the content, it's perfect! I have a question: where can we find reference music to balance tamplates, how to install an equalizer, compressor and other plugins for better sound, can you direct us to a course or anything related to this topic? Thanks and all the best!
@mirkodrobac9090 - I’m working on more materials that will be available soon to address these sort of questions. In the meantime use any scores you like how they sound as reference music. Equalizers and compressors can be installed though individual channels or groups in your sequencers. I suggest doing a search for “adding eq to logic” or “adding a compressor to cubase” and I imagine you find some helpful videos. As I said lots of materials that should address this and other peoples questions are in development - stay tuned!
Thank you for the video, brother. I want to know how you colored the daw this way. Is it the default color and you adjusted some settings in the Mac system, or did you do the entire coloring? Thank you very much. 💙
@bresam4903 - yes in cubase you can choose and add colors for every track, group and channel. So I’ve organized all of my instrument categories by color as well. Lo strings red - hi strings orange - short strings yellow and so on. This just makes things visually more organized and easier to navigate.
Thank you for a inspiring video!!
Just to be clear do you have the mentioned effect chain on each Group or do you use a “central” FX channel?
Each group has all of the mentioned effects as individual sends. No central fx channel
Hey Jonas, how much incredibly valuable information, tips and tricks you give us here is really outstanding and admirable, thank you so much!! No idea how you manage to cope with this in addition to all your work - I'm stunned. This video comes absolutely at the right time for me, as I'm working on my new template on the side and thinking about a routing that makes sense for me and fits my workflow. Great timing from you. Thanks a bunch, and take care! :)
Thanks so much Frank! Really appreciate this comment, it’s so great to hear that the information is helpful. Have fun building your new template!
Great content!
Would love a video dedicated to synths and how you program them for scoring
Great idea, adding it to the list of upcoming videos!
@jonasfriedman awesome! I look forward to it. I have spent this year really diving into synths and it's been an incredible journey, always looking for new tips
Love this channel!
Appreciate you checking it out!
My goodness! A lot of eye opening information. I had never heard of resampling! That is such a great idea. The busses and VCA's are the thing that get to me, when and if you have time, please do a video on these.
Yes I will go further into busses and vca’s at some point in a video just dedicated to routing!
Busses allow inserts, VCAs will not. Think like this, when individual faders are lowered they will affect the sonic timbre as they hit the busses (with all their fx and compression etc) they are connected to. Compared to lower the bus that is ”hit hard already”.
Say you have UAD Studer Tape plugins on busses, then one single VCA could push a drumset harder to tape (saturation). Hope it make sense for you :)
💯 thanks for adding this clarification for people to find 🤘
Great vid!
Not to brag or anything, but my MUSIO template in Logic Pro X is sick! I don't touch keyswitches with a ten-foot pole. Every articulation is separated.
Also, since I have a confirmed screw loose, I created a lot, I mean a lot of super cool icons for instrument tracks!
🔘🖱⏯️🎛🎚