It’s so refreshing to hear a composer/musician talk openly about not having the ability to read or write music. There are a lot of discussions regarding how important that knowledge is with purists damning those of us who - and in my case consciously - haven’t learnt to read or write. But what is abundantly obvious - especially in the case of Mr Henson - is that music is in the head and with the help of technology it’s extremely easy to transport those ideas into something tangibly audible. I have found that some - not all - trained composers find it difficult to move away - break the rules - of what becomes a musical straight jacket. In the end I’ve found it’s not always about what you have learnt and rules but what you do with with the ability you have... Johnny ‘one note’ Guitar Watson anyone:) Your tutorials are always informs,interesting and down to earth... I really appreciate your honesty:)
@ I think it depends if you are composing melodies or parts for an orchestra or arranging. I have written for orchestra and have done simple mock ups myself that then went to an arranger.
It feels as if you are teaching information and technique taught in top music universities, this is very valuable. As a musician and composer who is not attending a music school, this is very encouraging.
This is one of my favorite videos on this channel. Helps explains how to write better as a composer, second time watching this and I learned more than the first time watching.
I never went to music college, I'm reading music 50% maybe I will never make it where I want to be in the world of music just because of these two things you mentioned in the beginning of video but the technology allows me to do so and my passion to create music and play instruments and not just virtual ones and 'of course' wonderful Spitfire products! Great video..Thank you...
Thnak you so much for sharing this important information : EXPRESSION is essential in music , not only notes, not only choice of instruments . Music is emotion in motion.
This is the best explanation of orchestral programming I have seen/heard to date (and I'm 2 years late). Considering the tingling sensation I feel in my head right now, I believe there will be a marked improvement in how my strings sound. Thank you Christian 👏
I was just looking for a clean example of sound shaping with the mod wheel and expression tools found in orchestral librairies. Ended up with much more. Thank you for the small tips throughout the video, especially the hand drawing pencil. ✍
EDIT: My advice here about automation mode appears to be wrong. See the comment thread below for more discussion. Original comment: He's getting the "fight fight fight" problem here in Logic because the automation mode is set to "Read". To avoid this issue in a cleaner way, set automation to "Touch" with the "Trim" option enabled, when recording new automation over a region. The pencil tool does work just fine though, of course. Personally, I usually just delete all the mod or expression data in the region and try again.
This doesn't work for me. Even though I followed your exact instructions I still get the fight fight problem.... The old automation simply doesn't disappear and interfere with the new. Any idea why and how to fix it?
@@mrmindstorms indeed it seems that I inadvertently spread some misinformation here. That's what I get for commenting away from my workstation to verify it. I'll edit my original comment so others don't try it. Just now I went through all the automation mode combinations in Logic and all of them present this problem. To me this appears to be an issue within Logic, because just now I also tested the same thing in Ableton (which I use more often) and there the automation overdubs seamlessly. This is probably why I have gotten into the habit of just deleting all relevant automation and doing a fresh take when using Logic, as I mentioned. Beyond that I also use the pencil tool a lot just to redraw curves in any case. I set it to be the alternate tool in the editor by default.
With those controls you can make your music breathing or even holding a breath. Another words, you can bring more life to your creations. Thanks, Christian. Very valuable tutorial!
Thanks for the free masterclass. Abbey Road One is now my starting go to library. The other thing I found is that I can have many instances of Abbey Road One running at once and my computer never stutters one bit. I love it.
Billiant Christian. How to add emotion and feeling to the music we make. A professional presentation, a great host and the reason I changed from EastWest to Spitfire Audio. Keep up the good work.
Many thanks for this video. I didn't know I can play around with my knob. I mean M-Audio mini keystation volume control knob. It really makes a difference when you adjust volume within each note.
I knew there was a secret to this! No words to express how grateful I am with you Christian. Thanks for this and all the amazing sounds you and your team create!
Wow. The tip to swap CC1 and cc11 to the other finger has made a big difference. The thing that really sets good orchestrators apart is mixing of articulations etc into passages and good programming for this. It would be good to see some content around this more as I think a lot of people get stuck with creating scores that are purely legato patches / string passages etc without any kind of variation ( short sections etc )
I installed this last week. Shame almost every time I use it I get the error message appear, something I don't get with all my other plugins. I'm uninstalling it as a matter of fact.
Brilliant and simple tutorial and very easy to understand. After 33 years of music (mostly heavy metal) I am finally getting into writing classical style music and using expressive automation. Why did I not notice this type of music more when I was so young a foolish I will never know. Cheers.
Ableton Push 1 and 2 have MPE with Ableton 11 now. Pressure only but its still dope. Spitfire also helped them out with a Brass and String quartet and an Upright Piano.
I play by ear, and new to recording, so the creation and emotional structure of an orchestral piece in Logic is most appreciated. A really enlightening tutorial Christian - thank you!
What is it they say, "it's not what you are doing wrong... it is what you are not doing." I learned all kinds of things here I'm not doing. Great video.
Hi Christian! I recently upgraded my MIDI controller to a Novation LaunchKey 25 Mk3. It's lovely. One of the things I love most-mod and pitch wheels! I've been watching your videos for two years, seeing what you can do with your expression controls, and wishing I could do the same on my humble LaunchKey Mk2, but alas. Now, though! 😎⚡️ A few nights ago I was playing with my LABS Choir in Ableton, but with the Mk3, with the mod wheel, etc-and OMG! What a difference it made. I was so happy, @Christian. Thank you for all your inspiration! :)
So, not gonna lie, I spent my entire night last night scouring your guy's tutorials looking at how you all use expression. Literally right now I'm practicing using cc controls the very second I saw this.
First thanx a lot for your tutorials Christian, they are really helpful! Speaking about realism in orchestra programming, you forget to mention one thing which I think is really important: when programming horns , woods and choirs we have to think about the necessity to BREATH like real musicians do. A horn player will never be capable to play a 8 bars long without breathing.. So we have to think about it ;-) Doing that, I noticed that it gives more realism to the score. All the best! (Yvan from France)
Thank you so much I am so happy to learn about that wiggling thing with the modulating wheel . I was doing the same thing with my keyboard and I thought maybe something was wrong with my keyboard. I am new with all that stuff I just bought a keyboard last may and I am making music with BBC symphony orchestra. Now I know there is nothing wrong with my keyboard. Thank you so much for all the other tricks very useful
I'm just going back to redo an older LOTR mockup, and now when I try to record automation over midi data, it creates jumpy automation data. It's not smooth like it used to be. It seems to be smooth when I record it over blank space in the timeline, but not when I record over a region.
I developed a couple of foot pedals for my expression control. Means I can play keyboard with both hands whilst controlling with one (or both ) feet. I am then more fully engaged in the creative moment rather than adding expression later.
@@jeremyhatch1338 There are a numnber of ways to approach it. I am liivng and teaching in China so I needed to set up mine according to resources available here. Where are you based?
@@jeremyhatch1338 Hi Jeremy. I think you will have access to better resources than I. I managed to adapt a couple of pedals and hitch them up to my midi input. I reckon in the USA you will find something already made for the job. If not, let me know and we can see what will work best for you. Its worth the effort :)
I just wish some company would release a compact, inexpensive MIDI fader controller. Three or four 100mm faders, $100-$150 or so. Maybe even a fancy version with motorized faders for a bit more to get rid of the need to "give it a little wiggle" as shown in the video.
So many fantastic brass bands in England. Wish somebody would hook up with some of these bands, making a sound pack with brass-sounds that actually sound like brass instruments. There's so many nuances, timbres, mutes, attack styles, playing styles... The sound of artificial brass hasn't changed in 30 years - It still sound like a band of kazoos!
I want to add also that it's really important to know the bowing of the string... The closer to the hand the bow is touching the string, the more natural pressure is going to apply and thus, the louder dynamic (crescendo) that string will sound and vice versa, the further away from the hand the bow touches the string, the softer dynamic (diminuendo) is going to sound. When the composer understands this, he/she will know that longs & shorts will never sound equal in volume and are going to vary depending on the length and part of the bow actually touching the string.
Thanks for your time and your easy explanation. I really like how you make it clear that the important thing is to feel how those instruments would work, to put your feeling as if you were playing them. And it doesn't matter so much whether it's a high-end or low-end controller, what matters is the warmth of your intention. And if we don't always have the Pencil. I loved your explanation. Thanks a lot. We listen to each other in this Sound Universe.
Thanks so much, Christian. As always I learn more from you in 30 minutes than I could in a lifetime of study (I haven't even tried Abby Road yet but I'm glad I bought it).
Thank-you Christian. It's very helpful to know how to create realistic phrasing. Your videos are so helpful. Also, in relation to other comments, I don't like subscription services - when you stop them you own nothing!
I'm guessing the answer to my question is the plugin used... (I'm using free at the moment), but... You don't explain how you recorded this automation at 10:50 without switching from read mode.... Is it just all automatically set up with these paid libraries? See this video starts off with that stuff already set up. How do I set that up? I'm using Spitfire LABS...
At last, I finally, know what it is? An expression controller, have seen these on many studio desks and also how to get such a feel for orchestral music.
I just have to throw this in here. If anyone happens to have a Microsoft Surface dial or can get your hands on one for cheap, there is an amazing app called elephant that you can install which will allow you to use the surface dial as a control plugin for all of your faders and knobs and the like. It got an update recently and has an amazing amount of customization.
23:51 That "fight" is not meant to happen. No, it's NOT "just how MIDI works". I use MIDI faders all the time and never had that issue (DAW: Studio One Professional 6)
Thank you very much for this guide. I'm just starting my journey in music composition and am suffering from the states of mind you describe such as wondering how I will be able to play the notes and operate the faders at the same time (now I know its ok to do it separately). I love how you describe how the instruments sound (e.g. chocolatey) instead of sticking to technical terms. This makes it easier to understand as a beginner.
I had no idea that you could record the Mod and Expression data over the top!!! Mind blown!! I know what I am doing tonight!! Thank you so much Christian!!
@@littlegeneva2536 So you just record your MIDI track then go back to the beginning and record over it adding your mod and expression. I've done it a few times and it's great!
Andy Bullemor - Composer Thanks Andy. It just recorded over the midi information, which of course results in silence and performance data erased. I guess I need to activate/deactivate a secondary setting?
Great tutorial and definitely a must watch. Confirmation on what some of us were thinking. A few notable companies have tried these techniques( i won't say the names here) but it is clear to me the quality of the samples are truly first class.
The wiggle to set initial parameter values can also be accomplished by a "midnight-roll-over" where a number of bars are used before bar one to preset values and program changes. The bars before "midnight" mean bar 1 coincides with the start of the piece some bars forward of the track start. NB: Not all DAWs can move bar one or insert bars before bar one. This video tute was a good explanation of the two basic controllers for orchestral instruments, nice work Christian.
Thank you Christian for a fantastic tutorial. Was finally able to program my old SL mk II (no more automap) and CC expression and dynamics to the faders. Wanted to know more about controlling this while playing, and you showed me that here! Looking forward to play with Originals Choir with this in my arsenal!
It seems to me that Expression Pedal would be the best solution here, for keyboard playing composer people, using a foot. Ride the MIDI expression pedal like Kirk Hammett rides his Wah.
@@TheCrowHillCo It is a solid question, pianists treat the sustain pedal like some holy mechanism. In fact it is just an on-off switch, just another expression toggle. Guitarists have a dozen pedals and tap-dance through their entire performance including while singing and shredding. I assure you, expression pedals should be possible, just like the growing numbers of one-man-band instrumentalists can juggle four instruments, a looper, a sequencer, two vocal mics, percussion pads, and live feedback to the audience to say "thanks for the tip" all without skipping their flow.
hi is the modulation the channel volume and expression? am very new to this. dont have a midi controller on keyboard. so doing it manually on ableton. asistance would be great.
I draw in the modulation and expression data after my take by looking at the midi notes in Logic. I use the pencil tool and it only takes a few minutes after I get a take I like and it really does make a difference. I start and stop a little and can even follow the cursor as it plays back in real time. I also do a volume automation pass or two at the end.
"Give it a little wiggle". Invaluable advice and an important habit.
Ok, ok... I won't make a joke about this.
Indeed! haha!
....just a little bit. :P
Took me ages to clock that one initially!
indeed! We get to learn and reinforce a lot of good habits here along with great sample library programing.
It’s so refreshing to hear a composer/musician talk openly about not having the ability to read or write music. There are a lot of discussions regarding how important that knowledge is with purists damning those of us who - and in my case consciously - haven’t learnt to read or write.
But what is abundantly obvious - especially in the case of Mr Henson - is that music is in the head and with the help of technology it’s extremely easy to transport those ideas into something tangibly audible. I have found that some - not all - trained composers find it difficult to move away - break the rules - of what becomes a musical straight jacket. In the end I’ve found it’s not always about what you have learnt and rules but what you do with with the ability you have... Johnny ‘one note’ Guitar Watson anyone:)
Your tutorials are always informs,interesting and down to earth... I really appreciate your honesty:)
It's not about sticking to the rules or anything like that. What are you going to do if you'll have to write for a real orchestra?
@ I think it depends if you are composing melodies or parts for an orchestra or arranging. I have written for orchestra and have done simple mock ups myself that then went to an arranger.
It feels as if you are teaching information and technique taught in top music universities, this is very valuable. As a musician and composer who is not attending a music school, this is very encouraging.
I love this video. Christian, I’m a beginner embarking on a midlife career pivot, yet even I can see that you are truly a gift to the community.
This is one of my favorite videos on this channel. Helps explains how to write better as a composer, second time watching this and I learned more than the first time watching.
I never went to music college, I'm reading music 50% maybe I will never make it where I want to be in the world of music just because of these two things you mentioned in the beginning of video but the technology allows me to do so and my passion to create music and play instruments and not just virtual ones and 'of course' wonderful Spitfire products! Great video..Thank you...
Keep on doing you, man. You will make it. Work hard and always believe in yourself no matter what.
@@paulaugusteofficiel Thank you!
Thnak you so much for sharing this important information : EXPRESSION is essential in music , not only notes, not only choice of instruments . Music is emotion in motion.
This is the best explanation of orchestral programming I have seen/heard to date (and I'm 2 years late). Considering the tingling sensation I feel in my head right now, I believe there will be a marked improvement in how my strings sound. Thank you Christian 👏
Please somebody tell me what is the controller he is using in this video, it looks pretty nice. Thanks in advance~
Making it easier is one thing.
Understanding it, is another.
Thank you again for BBC OS 💫
These 30 minutes went by in a flash. EXCELLENT tutorial. Thanks !!
I was just looking for a clean example of sound shaping with the mod wheel and expression tools found in orchestral librairies. Ended up with much more. Thank you for the small tips throughout the video, especially the hand drawing pencil. ✍
EDIT: My advice here about automation mode appears to be wrong. See the comment thread below for more discussion.
Original comment:
He's getting the "fight fight fight" problem here in Logic because the automation mode is set to "Read". To avoid this issue in a cleaner way, set automation to "Touch" with the "Trim" option enabled, when recording new automation over a region. The pencil tool does work just fine though, of course. Personally, I usually just delete all the mod or expression data in the region and try again.
This needs to be upvoted to the top of the comment thread.
What is the "fight fight fight" problem? I'm genuinely curious.
This doesn't work for me. Even though I followed your exact instructions I still get the fight fight problem.... The old automation simply doesn't disappear and interfere with the new. Any idea why and how to fix it?
@@pedromax113 22:46
@@mrmindstorms indeed it seems that I inadvertently spread some misinformation here. That's what I get for commenting away from my workstation to verify it. I'll edit my original comment so others don't try it. Just now I went through all the automation mode combinations in Logic and all of them present this problem. To me this appears to be an issue within Logic, because just now I also tested the same thing in Ableton (which I use more often) and there the automation overdubs seamlessly. This is probably why I have gotten into the habit of just deleting all relevant automation and doing a fresh take when using Logic, as I mentioned. Beyond that I also use the pencil tool a lot just to redraw curves in any case. I set it to be the alternate tool in the editor by default.
Dude is a BEAST. I'll try this, it seems like it's wayyyy easier than drawing in automation on everything.
With those controls you can make your music breathing or even holding a breath. Another words, you can bring more life to your creations. Thanks, Christian. Very valuable tutorial!
Thank you! Amazing tutorial
Agreed! An Amazing Tutorial. Just trying to figure out how to use my Zone 2,3 & 4 Sliders for CC1 and CC11 on a Yamaha SY60 XS.
Thanks for the free masterclass. Abbey Road One is now my starting go to library. The other thing I found is that I can have many instances of Abbey Road One running at once and my computer never stutters one bit. I love it.
Christian, you’re amazing. You’re one of the great writers AND programmers. Thanks for this.
and teachers!
Billiant Christian. How to add emotion and feeling to the music we make. A professional presentation, a great host and the reason I changed from EastWest to Spitfire Audio. Keep up the good work.
Brilliant! I wish I had watched something like this long ago.
Many thanks for this video. I didn't know I can play around with my knob. I mean M-Audio mini keystation volume control knob. It really makes a difference when you adjust volume within each note.
I knew there was a secret to this! No words to express how grateful I am with you Christian. Thanks for this and all the amazing sounds you and your team create!
Suppppperrr tutorial. I just really wish you explained more about programming strings/brass/woodwinds with a lot of movement
Wow. The tip to swap CC1 and cc11 to the other finger has made a big difference. The thing that really sets good orchestrators apart is mixing of articulations etc into passages and good programming for this. It would be good to see some content around this more as I think a lot of people get stuck with creating scores that are purely legato patches / string passages etc without any kind of variation ( short sections etc )
I installed this last week. Shame almost every time I use it I get the error message appear, something I don't get with all my other plugins. I'm uninstalling it as a matter of fact.
Very enlightening! A somewhat comprehensive approach to modulation - many thanks!
Brilliant and simple tutorial and very easy to understand. After 33 years of music (mostly heavy metal) I am finally getting into writing classical style music and using expressive automation. Why did I not notice this type of music more when I was so young a foolish I will never know. Cheers.
Thank you Christian!
Ableton Push 1 and 2 have MPE with Ableton 11 now. Pressure only but its still dope.
Spitfire also helped them out with a Brass and String quartet and an Upright Piano.
I play by ear, and new to recording, so the creation and emotional structure of an orchestral piece in Logic is most appreciated. A really enlightening tutorial Christian - thank you!
Defenetly thanks for the importance of having multiple volume gains, now I understand more.
What is it they say, "it's not what you are doing wrong... it is what you are not doing." I learned all kinds of things here I'm not doing. Great video.
Thanks Christian !!! Greatly appreciate this video.
Around 11:00 minutes you explain that you record controller data over the music, how exactly do you do that?
The best orchestral tutorial on the web - and I have seen them all . Fundamental techniques one absolutely MUST use to sound authentic
SO much easier programming the expressions afterwards!! I am a two handed player, so this is perfect!! Thank you!!!
Hi Christian! I recently upgraded my MIDI controller to a Novation LaunchKey 25 Mk3. It's lovely. One of the things I love most-mod and pitch wheels! I've been watching your videos for two years, seeing what you can do with your expression controls, and wishing I could do the same on my humble LaunchKey Mk2, but alas.
Now, though! 😎⚡️ A few nights ago I was playing with my LABS Choir in Ableton, but with the Mk3, with the mod wheel, etc-and OMG! What a difference it made.
I was so happy, @Christian. Thank you for all your inspiration! :)
Hands down I learn more from this channel than most of the other musician channels put together.
Fantastic work as always!
So, not gonna lie, I spent my entire night last night scouring your guy's tutorials looking at how you all use expression. Literally right now I'm practicing using cc controls the very second I saw this.
When he was doing the cellos and the basses, everytime System of a Down would pop in my head! Great video!
The wiggle! Thank you! I always wondered why I had that problem sometimes.
First thanx a lot for your tutorials Christian, they are really helpful! Speaking about realism in orchestra programming, you forget to mention one thing which I think is really important: when programming horns , woods and choirs we have to think about the necessity to BREATH like real musicians do. A horn player will never be capable to play a 8 bars long without breathing.. So we have to think about it ;-) Doing that, I noticed that it gives more realism to the score. All the best! (Yvan from France)
This is a Master Class. It's a bummer that the MIDI files are not available. Thank you, Christian!
Today I bought my copy of Abbey Road One! Truly amazing.
This video helps a lot on how to get the max out of it. Thanks!
Beautifully explained, inspiring. Validating my musical illiteracy! Thank you.
This is really useful. I recently got feedback that my string section lacked expressive quality. So here I am. That was brilliant Christian!
Valuable - one of the best videos with real value. Well done Christian Henson. Thanks
Best tutorial on the topic I’ve seen. Thank you!
Fantastic tutorial on this subject! It was so needed and so well done. Thanks!
Thank you for being such a great teacher!
Thank you so much I am so happy to learn about that wiggling thing with the modulating wheel . I was doing the same thing with my keyboard and I thought maybe something was wrong with my keyboard. I am new with all that stuff I just bought a keyboard last may and I am making music with BBC symphony orchestra. Now I know there is nothing wrong with my keyboard. Thank you so much for all the other tricks very useful
I received your serious suggestion. I am very grateful.
Best tutorial I have seen on Orchestral Programming. It is not as scary as it seems!
I'm just going back to redo an older LOTR mockup, and now when I try to record automation over midi data, it creates jumpy automation data. It's not smooth like it used to be. It seems to be smooth when I record it over blank space in the timeline, but not when I record over a region.
More than one gain stage. Now that is a superb point! Thanks Christian.
Thanks for the trick with two faders! Brilliant one!
I developed a couple of foot pedals for my expression control. Means I can play keyboard with both hands whilst controlling with one (or both ) feet. I am then more fully engaged in the creative moment rather than adding expression later.
I would really like to know more details about this. How does this setup work?
@@jeremyhatch1338 There are a numnber of ways to approach it. I am liivng and teaching in China so I needed to set up mine according to resources available here. Where are you based?
@@iainmackenzieUK West coast of the US.
@@jeremyhatch1338 Hi Jeremy. I think you will have access to better resources than I. I managed to adapt a couple of pedals and hitch them up to my midi input. I reckon in the USA you will find something already made for the job. If not, let me know and we can see what will work best for you. Its worth the effort :)
@@iainmackenzieUK How do you use your sustain pedal?
I just wish some company would release a compact, inexpensive MIDI fader controller. Three or four 100mm faders, $100-$150 or so. Maybe even a fancy version with motorized faders for a bit more to get rid of the need to "give it a little wiggle" as shown in the video.
So many fantastic brass bands in England. Wish somebody would hook up with some of these bands, making a sound pack with brass-sounds that actually sound like brass instruments. There's so many nuances, timbres, mutes, attack styles, playing styles... The sound of artificial brass hasn't changed in 30 years - It still sound like a band of kazoos!
Totally agree. None of the brass sounds in the video sounded anything like an actual brass instrument.
We really do need some Welsh brass bands and Welsh choirs!
I want to add also that it's really important to know the bowing of the string... The closer to the hand the bow is touching the string, the more natural pressure is going to apply and thus, the louder dynamic (crescendo) that string will sound and vice versa, the further away from the hand the bow touches the string, the softer dynamic (diminuendo) is going to sound.
When the composer understands this, he/she will know that longs & shorts will never sound equal in volume and are going to vary depending on the length and part of the bow actually touching the string.
Thanks for your time and your easy explanation. I really like how you make it clear that the important thing is to feel how those instruments would work, to put your feeling as if you were playing them. And it doesn't matter so much whether it's a high-end or low-end controller, what matters is the warmth of your intention. And if we don't always have the Pencil. I loved your explanation. Thanks a lot. We listen to each other in this Sound Universe.
How the hell did it take me so long to find thos video? I saw I watched 3min of it 6months ago...wish I wld have stuck around the 1st time!
Thank you very much to show us many paths of writing music and using all tools to be more human. Great video. 🙏
This is very clear explanation thank you wel Christian.
😊👍👍👍👍👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻thank You so much, Christian. Most illuminating and You are such a great teacher!
Thanks so much, Christian. As always I learn more from you in 30 minutes than I could in a lifetime of study (I haven't even tried Abby Road yet but I'm glad I bought it).
Thank-you Christian. It's very helpful to know how to create realistic phrasing. Your videos are so helpful. Also, in relation to other comments, I don't like subscription services - when you stop them you own nothing!
Great story behind at the beginning and obviously awesome valuable informations!
I'm guessing the answer to my question is the plugin used... (I'm using free at the moment), but... You don't explain how you recorded this automation at 10:50 without switching from read mode....
Is it just all automatically set up with these paid libraries? See this video starts off with that stuff already set up. How do I set that up? I'm using Spitfire LABS...
At last, I finally, know what it is? An expression controller, have seen these on many studio desks and also how to get such a feel for orchestral music.
I just have to throw this in here. If anyone happens to have a Microsoft Surface dial or can get your hands on one for cheap, there is an amazing app called elephant that you can install which will allow you to use the surface dial as a control plugin for all of your faders and knobs and the like.
It got an update recently and has an amazing amount of customization.
Very useful advice, well delivered. Thank you!
Best training I have seen on creating music on the computer
I was wondering what Dom Sigalas was using with his Komplete Control keyboard. Now I know. Awesome tutorial BTW.
One of the greatest informative video Christian, thx so much!
Really great. Gonna share this with the Cue Tube community as it'll help them a lot I think. Thanks for your generosity to the community.
Best tutorial on orchestral programming i've seen ever! Thank you
Amazing, cant wait to start with some strings
I can't read music either! Good to know that someone can't read music like me and made it to be a media composer. This give me hope really! Thanks :)
23:51 That "fight" is not meant to happen. No, it's NOT "just how MIDI works". I use MIDI faders all the time and never had that issue (DAW: Studio One Professional 6)
simply amazing how simply you are able to explain orchestral concepts. I get it now
Avez vous un lien ou peut on trouver le controle que vous utilisez ? Merci !
Thank you very much for this guide. I'm just starting my journey in music composition and am suffering from the states of mind you describe such as wondering how I will be able to play the notes and operate the faders at the same time (now I know its ok to do it separately). I love how you describe how the instruments sound (e.g. chocolatey) instead of sticking to technical terms. This makes it easier to understand as a beginner.
This is superb!!!! Thanks so much for posting.
Thank you...well explained.Learned some new things.
I had no idea that you could record the Mod and Expression data over the top!!! Mind blown!! I know what I am doing tonight!! Thank you so much Christian!!
Hi Andy, how is this done in Logic - do you know?
@@littlegeneva2536 So you just record your MIDI track then go back to the beginning and record over it adding your mod and expression. I've done it a few times and it's great!
Andy Bullemor - Composer Thanks Andy. It just recorded over the midi information, which of course results in silence and performance data erased. I guess I need to activate/deactivate a secondary setting?
I use my g27 pedals, works a treat for me.
Very helpful. I'm getting more out of Abbey Road One Orchestral Foundation thanks to your programming tips. Thanks Christian.
This tutorial was truly amazing. Thank you for sharing your knowledge in such a clear and concise way. Really helpful.
Great tutorial and definitely a must watch. Confirmation on what some of us were thinking. A few notable companies have tried these techniques( i won't say the names here) but it is clear to me the quality of the samples are truly first class.
5:05 "the biggest number of dynamic layers" : do you plan to update the BBCSO Pro version in this way ?
Shots Fired.
The wiggle to set initial parameter values can also be accomplished by a "midnight-roll-over" where a number of bars are used before bar one to preset values and program changes. The bars before "midnight" mean bar 1 coincides with the start of the piece some bars forward of the track start. NB: Not all DAWs can move bar one or insert bars before bar one. This video tute was a good explanation of the two basic controllers for orchestral instruments, nice work Christian.
Indeed every single cue I have ever written starts at bar 5 for this very purpose.
Music producer here all the way from Mozambique (Ask John English) . . . Very useful . . .
Thank you Christian for a fantastic tutorial. Was finally able to program my old SL mk II (no more automap) and CC expression and dynamics to the faders. Wanted to know more about controlling this while playing, and you showed me that here! Looking forward to play with Originals Choir with this in my arsenal!
It seems to me that Expression Pedal would be the best solution here, for keyboard playing composer people, using a foot. Ride the MIDI expression pedal like Kirk Hammett rides his Wah.
How do you use your sustain pedal if you're using both feet for expression / dynamic?
@@TheCrowHillCo It is a solid question, pianists treat the sustain pedal like some holy mechanism. In fact it is just an on-off switch, just another expression toggle. Guitarists have a dozen pedals and tap-dance through their entire performance including while singing and shredding. I assure you, expression pedals should be possible, just like the growing numbers of one-man-band instrumentalists can juggle four instruments, a looper, a sequencer, two vocal mics, percussion pads, and live feedback to the audience to say "thanks for the tip" all without skipping their flow.
hi is the modulation the channel volume and expression? am very new to this. dont have a midi controller on keyboard. so doing it manually on ableton. asistance would be great.
I draw in the modulation and expression data after my take by looking at the midi notes in Logic. I use the pencil tool and it only takes a few minutes after I get a take I like and it really does make a difference. I start and stop a little and can even follow the cursor as it plays back in real time. I also do a volume automation pass or two at the end.
Amazing as always... The reason you show all technic with so much passion and honesty..
This is pure gold.
Brilliant Christian!! Thank you!!
I have been looking for a tutorial on this subject for some time. Thanks so much, greatly appreciated and well done.
Thank you for this brilliant tutorial!
Thanks Christian! just what i was looking for.