5 Secret Tips for Better Mockups

Get better at making orchestral mockups with these 5 tips and tricks:
0:00 Intro
0:28 Harp glissandos
3:31 Layering articulations
7:13 Performance based libraries
10:59 Know your sample libraries
12:13 Use good orchestration
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[@1hotday1]

"And this why making mockups takes forever." Yes. Yes. Dropping truth. Sweet.

[@MattiaChiappa]

😂

[@btidelius7344]

I do like this kind of content - it is fast, but challenging. You immediately start digging into the moves you have to master. Great to see and to learn!

[@MattiaChiappa]

Thanks!

[@peterlepahin]

Thanks for the insightful video! Nr. 4 is especially "obvious but always forgotten"... So true that we could do much more with the tools we already have! Cheers

[@pierrefustec320]

It's always a pleasure to follow your advices. Thank for sharing your knowlege.

[@MattiaChiappa]

Thanks, glad it’s helpful!

[@MoonhareStudio]

Yes... learn your libraries. I'm glad someone said it! A VST may be a virtual instrument but it is an instrument nonetheless and they all work differently so you have to learn how to play them.

[@MattiaChiappa]

Couldn’t agree more

[@twoscoops2]

Loved the video, thanks.

[@N-JKoordt]

Very nice work on the tips - I do hope you will follow up with more videos.

[@MattiaChiappa]

Thanks, good to know!

[@jeanpierrecarpentier]

Nice and useful tips in here,, i'll be following the rest of them :)

[@DavideChiarello]

I love this format, great content as always!

[@MattiaChiappa]

Thanks Davide

[@HumanTouchArt]

man your truely one of the best composers on youtube cant wait for more :D

[@MattiaChiappa]

Thanks!

[@KevinKuschel]

Quick and helpful tips! Thanks :)

[@billpeet1976]

You put out some of the best orchestration content out there, and this video is no exception. Thanks for sharing these tips! One possibility for a series is a thing I always struggle with a bit, which is understanding the nuances of the midi curves to extract the most realistic sounding phrasing from VI instruments. As in, what exactly should I be doing with the curves to properly simulate the bursts and puffs that a horn player makes during a phrase. Both the overarching curve shape, and the small nuances within the phrase. And what should I be doing with the curves to best simulate the change of notes in the violins, or when the curves should overall ramp up or down?

[@MattiaChiappa]

Fantastic suggestion Bill, I’ll sure talk about this in the future

[@IshimwePelerin]

I watched this video, and eventually got motivated to visit your website... Listened to your music and was absolutely blown away. Thanks for sharing! Much love from Africa/ Rwanda

[@MattiaChiappa]

Thanks!

[@elchabonification]

Please make more of this!!

[@MattiaChiappa]

Glad it’s helpful!

[@PepePerezMusic]

Great tips, thanks Mattia!!

[@MattiaChiappa]

Thanks!

[@grobinson9352]

Thank you for this, and yes please carry on.

[@5ammy13]

This is great Mattia. Very useful. I look forward to more such videos. A small request to get into the details of orchestration in midi as well? Loved your orchestration series but I was hoping you can go into detail section by section. Maybe tips about voice leading and harmony for Strings, or common functions in Brass, etc. Just a small request from my end, but your channel has been such an inspiration for me and I'm sure for a lot of other composers 😁

[@MattiaChiappa]

Thanks!

[@tomaszjagoda]

Great material, please carry on. I'm curious also how do you balance your template and later after recording how do you balance all the staff for good headroom, etc.

[@MattiaChiappa]

Thx! Watch my template walkthroughs, I talk about this in detail in both of them

[@whittymusic]

fantastic!

[@DennisCaunce]

for harps, I use an iPad app called handy harp. just set the scale and swipe

[@BaraMatahariPagi]

It's always a great day when you upload a video, Mattia! Thanks for all the tips ;) I have a question (unrelated to the video) and a thing to tell you. My question is do you export your tracks to audio before you're doing the mixing or do you mix in your composing project? And here's the thing I wanted to tell you. If you need a trumpet library to layer the SM trumpet or to add to your template check out Norrland Solo Trumpet! It's a free library but it's one of the best trumpet libraries out there, and it requires almost no keyswitching! I'm telling you this because I think it's helpful, well I hope so. Thanks, Mattia :)

[@MattiaChiappa]

Will do! I only export to audio if I have to deliver stems to a client or a mixing engineer. My template is pre-mixed and other than slightly tweaking a few eq curves and the output, by the time I’m done writing I never spend longer than an hour mixing a track.

[@BaraMatahariPagi]

@@MattiaChiappa Great! Thanks Mattia!

[@BaraMatahariPagi]

@@MattiaChiappa Tell me if you like the trumpet library when you've finished downloading it :D

[@finemusic1000]

Just found you. Would like to tell you that I find your material quite excellent. Very well orchestrated and tonally implemented.

[@MattiaChiappa]

Thank you!

[@finemusic1000]

I am myself a composer / arranger / orchestrator. Over 45 years in the business. Sometimes I don't have time to do the mock up myself. I will contact you for an assignment at some point.

[@MattiaChiappa]

Glad to help if I can. You can my website linked in the description where you can contact me privately

[@goodbear_goodblair]

Hey Mattia! I love your keyboard shortcut knowledge of getting around Logic fast. Honestly, one of the best tricks to me is working on a mockup quickly (not by rushing it, but by knowing your keyboard) so that you don't crap out and get crazy bored halfway through. What keyboard shortcut are you using for selecting the octaves of each note? (like on the harp glissandi) Great trick.

[@MattiaChiappa]

Thanks! It’s shift s

[@sprkymrt]

Always enjoyable and entertaining.

[@MattiaChiappa]

Thanks!

[@dfizzbom]

Great video- thank you! Perhaps you could do a series of videos covering specifically what instruments typically work well together to support and compliment each other within a midi mockup. What instruments work best from the woods to support bass strings and how the choices can change the flavor and mood of the sound. I think a lot of people, including myself, understand the instruments that make up the orchestra and even their articulations, but at times become overwhelmed with how best to choose what each section of the orchestra should be doing with the other sections. This usually leads to over-writing or missing opportunities to bring in instruments that you wouldn't otherwise know to do. It's tough explaining my question, lol. Sorry. On a side note, for me personally your background music is fine during your opening and summations but it's distracting while you're writing midi. Perhaps that could save you some editing time as well. Your great personality carries the show all by itself!

[@MattiaChiappa]

Thanks for the advice. So basically a new series on orchestration

[@dfizzbom]

@@MattiaChiappa yes but perhaps keep it to midi writing as you've done here. I often look to libraries with mixed ensembles for ideas and shortcuts but a breakout of how mixed ensembles best work together would be great and most especially coming from you!

[@alexanderwoodbury977]

Grandissimo!!

[@SecondTierSound]

Great content Mattia. Yes please, more of this. I think of the DAW as an instrument, and you can't really think of it as a real orchestra. Well, not entirely. But It is an "instrument" that needs to be practiced and learned. And then each VST needs to be learned as well. Cheers!

[@MattiaChiappa]

Thanks Sam! Hope you’re well

[@emanuel_soundtrack]

one of the inventors of midi said this i guess, you have to practice midi and software as an instrument, if you compose with computers. I forgot the name of the guy. Later this same opnion got more famous by H Zimmer

[@MABMusicTTRPG]

Thanks for the tips its amazing love to have you take on this ! on another notes... Anybody knows if you can change articulation like he did at 4:45 in cubase ?

[@HishamGabr00]

Hello, I am a keen follower of your videos and I think they are amazing, very informative and insightful! If you allow me, I would like to suggest a theme for a video tutorial: I have watched your 10 orchestration techniques series and I find it amazing, particularely, how well your template sounds without final audio mixing, so I suggest this: Many many tutorials out there about templates, but almost all of them explaining the obvious and commiting the real thing, how to order your track and what libraries in the template are very, very subjective matter, but how you route and process your audio aspect of the template, what effects and plugins you use during the composition, how to reach that you have the mix almost ready the minute you finish composing, that is the real aspect that needs a tutorial. Sorry if I took much of your time in this lengthy post!

[@MattiaChiappa]

Thanks, have you watched my latest template walkthrough? I feel like most of your curiosities would be answered with that video.

[@pascallengagne966]

Hello Mattia thanks for your great videos. What function did you use to stretch or shorten the glissando please ? I can't find the shortcut to do it.

[@MattiaChiappa]

It’s called time handles. You can find it within the piano roll editor

[@TheHarlequinsMusic]

Nice video! This might be common knowledge, but how are you selecting the articulations in your piano roll? My piano roll only has the time and scale quantize and velocity option but I see 'articulations' as an option in yours. I usually just Keyswitch and I was wondering if there is a way to do with Cinebrass, for example, what you were doing with CSB?

[@MattiaChiappa]

No worries! You have to create custom articulation sets and assign articulations to their right key switch. There’s a few tutorials online, you can just google Logic articulation sets and you’ll find what you need.

[@CarterHinkle]

Great video :0

[@MattiaChiappa]

Thanks

[@hittjett]

Very useful!

[@MattiaChiappa]

Glad it’s helpful

[@richardwilliamsmusic]

Love this part about the harps! How did you select some of the individual notes?

[@MattiaChiappa]

Shift S

[@richardwilliamsmusic]

@@MattiaChiappa I'm sorry, I changed my Shift S command to a different key command. What is the title of that key command? And how do you differentiate between all 7 noes? (A, B, C, D, E, F, G)

[@MattiaChiappa]

I don’t know, select pitch?

[@richardwilliamsmusic]

@@MattiaChiappa I found it, it's "Same Note Name", however, I can't find out how to make a key command with it

[@mybiggrin]

Would the finished idea at 10:32 be printed w the original idea on top, or would it be printed with only the legatos/performances patches? Meaning, would you still be layering?

[@MattiaChiappa]

Yes, I’d be layering both on top of each other

[@perttu-mattitarvainen1090]

Very good stuff, thank you. Sorry my newbie question, but where do you do these mockups? I mean are them reference of your quality as a using soundlibraries or does your clients hirening composers by mockups? I guess your main goal is compose your own music, but I have understod that mockups are usually to "rebuild" something allready composed and recorded.

[@MattiaChiappa]

Hey! Composers get hired to write music and the purpose of mock-ups can both be as demos if there is a budget for recording the music live or the actual final versions of the track. The music I write is entirely made with sample libraries because there is rarely a budget to hire an orchestra or even a few players. If you see mock-ups of already existing famous pieces of music are made by other composers to showcase their skills at using sample libraries.

[@perttu-mattitarvainen1090]

@@MattiaChiappa Thank you so much of this explanation! Keep up the good work, cheers!

[@ClicStudio]

Really great tricks that most people always overlook

[@MattiaChiappa]

Thanks!

[@mosstet]

Is the layering of articulations and choosing per note a logic thing because I have never seen that and that completely changes the game!?

[@MattiaChiappa]

Articulation sets are basically the same as key switches. I’m sure there is a version of that in other DAWs as well. Yeah layering articulations basically gives you a much higher degree of control on the attach of the notes

[@driverape]

Hello Mattia, a question, What version Logic Pro X uses?

[@MattiaChiappa]

I’m on the latest version of Logic

[@mitchlg531]

How did you select all of the same pitches but in different octaves for the harp section of your video?

[@MattiaChiappa]

Shift S

[@mitchlg531]

@@MattiaChiappa thank you so much!

[@rubenmolino1480]

excelent ¡

[@MattiaChiappa]

Thanks!

[@richardjecooke8036]

Useful video! But sorry, what is a "performance based library"? Not BBCSO?

[@MattiaChiappa]

Libraries specifically built to be physically played on the keyboard that are performance focused. 1 patch libraries like sample modeling, infinite series, performance samples, adventure brass, etc. They often use modeling (or only partially) to achieve a much more nuanced type of playing without the need of key switching articulations, giving you full control on the phrasing. BBC is just a regular sample library with pre recorded articulations. Its got some performance patches but they basically just use a short overlay and that’s not the same. Its not capable of nuanced type of playing with control over micro articulations, because note length, vibrato depth, transition, trill speed and every single aspect you would consider as part of a performance are baked into the samples. Essentially you’re always triggering the same recordings no matter what you play on your keyboard, while with something like Sample modeling there is almost an infinite way of playing the same musical phrase and each single performance will be a little different. Playability though often comes to the expense of sound and that’s why you would layer both together.

[@richardjecooke8036]

@@MattiaChiappa Ohh, thank you! I've actually just been looking at the SWAM stuff.

[@mommyyarn6148]

thanks for sharing great content sir #miss len

[@grahamsouthern6781]

What is a “performance based library?” Thank you for this

[@MattiaChiappa]

Hi! I answered this question in another comment. Have a look below

[@PinkCrocodile]

6:22 don't we all

[@MattiaChiappa]

Yep 😂

[@kamalueusebiuschika5744]

You are musically sound !!!!!

[@MattiaChiappa]

Thanks!

[@anastasiosciarratta2370]

Ciao Mattia Bel video come tutti quelli che fai . Ho provato a contattarti ma non ho mai avuto risposta su Facebook. Vorrei parlarti per dei progetti lavorativi . Grazie P.S. Se non puoi gradirei saperlo perche non so se non mi rispondi perche non li leggi o perche non ti interessa.

[@MattiaChiappa]

Ciao Anstasio, non ho ricevuto nessun messaggio tramite Facebook. In ogni caso per qualsiasi contatto lavorativo segui il link che trovi sotto e compila i campi. Risponderò il prima possibile. www.mattiachiappa.com/quotes

[@anastasiosciarratta2370]

@@MattiaChiappa Grazie per la risposta ma non riesco a contattarti dalla tua pagina. Dove possiamo scriverci ?

[@MattiaChiappa]

Strano. Hai compilato tutti i campi? C’è un limite sul numero dei caratteri.

[@anastasiosciarratta2370]

@@MattiaChiappa Non ho scritto molto , ma mi dice seleziona questa casella se intendi procedere . Ma non mi da nessuna casella. E comunque c'è sempre una rotella blu che gira

[@MattiaChiappa]

Boh, ho ricevuto altri contatti in questi giorni. Non saprei dire perché stai avendo difficoltà. Contattami tramite la home page se non riesci.