You know the feeling. 

You've spent way too many hours getting a really sweet mix on your new orchestral track and you're pretty happy with the result so you bounce it down and take a break for a while so you can listen to it later with fresh ears.

You come back to the studio, cue up a few tracks from your favorite composers of a similar style and press play. And your face drops.

Whether you're an experienced composer or someone who's just starting out on your journey, if you listen carefully you'll notice that the world of film music has its own language and conventions.

There are a set number of composition styles or cliches that almost all cinematic music falls into. Of course, every project will have its own direction but wouldn't it be nice if there was a place you could turn to get you started no matter what your director is asking for?

Getting Started - The Easy Way

For many of us, there is nothing in music more beautiful and expressive than a group of talented orchestral players performing a well-written score. The range of techniques available to each instrument along with the possible combinations of those instruments results in a 'magic' that is almost impossible to achieve in any situation.

The problem is that many of us don't possess the training or experience to confidently generate a decent written score for a string quartet, let alone a full orchestra. And even though recent technology has developed to such a point that it’s possible to create a great sounding ‘mock-up’ with sample libraries and sequencers, unless you have a good knowledge of how all the instruments work and their expressive capabilities and limitations you are at a distinct disadvantage.

We've all been inspired by powerful and emotional orchestral cues. Especially when they are perfectly paired with an unfolding scene on a big screen. They can empower us, bring us to tears and unsettle us.

And as composers, who doesn't want a piece of that action?

But is it really possible to create a cue that brings that same sonic power and emotion when you don't have access to world-class orchestral players playing in beautiful spaces? Is it really possible to produce a track in your DAW that is almost as good as the real thing?