Make Your VST Strings Sound REAL - 3 Easy Tips

[@daveaustin4538]

So refreshing to hear someone who has roots in 'real' music and knows what he is talking about!

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

Thanks for the kind words Dave, means a lot!

[@palebluedotstudios]

Hey, it's the Musical Income guy! I too started paying attention to divisi and real-life arrangements, instead of just hammering out something with both hands on an "Ensemble" patch. Great video!

[@mikeweber5362]

Excellent and practical advice for producers who have their primary training in instruments other than strings. Expression and articulation are so important in making those "MIDI sounds" transition to true orchestral voicings.

[@mageprometheus]

An excellent effort at teaching a difficult part of music theory. It is so sad that the only way to really grasp the details is to start at the beginning and work hard for a few years. It's thanks to channels like this that everyone can improve their arrangements.

[@pedrosilvaproductions]

There's no shortcut, there's no easy way to make this fast. There is only trial and error

[@darrenhirst9900]

Strings are the silk of music they just fit in any genre. I loved watching thank you so much Ryan and Recordingrvolution.

[@DefinitiveWords]

Fantastic lesson on orchestrating strings!!! Thanks!

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@michaelkelly6583]

I listened to so many orchestrations vids, and yours is head and shoulders better than all of them. Your explanations are simple and well demonstrated. Thank you.

[@PharaohLawLess1]

My go to for strings is the Chris Heinz String Ensemble. They sound so authentic with many “playing” styles. I like the Spitfire strings in Arcade

[@doraysmith]

sounds very realistic...great job

[@josed.vargas3961]

Ryan does a really good Graham impression

[@OlaftheGreat]

If you have a good enough ear you can tell these aren't exactly "real" but to me it is still very pleasant to listen to. This is about as close as you can get and I respect it.

[@matrixate]

Long time subscriber. This is one of the THE BEST uploads I've heard in a LONG TIME!!! More orchestral stuff.

[@coloaten6682]

A great video! I really like how some of these channels, such as this one and Warren Huart's channel, co-operate instead of competing. It makes for a much better environment for people to learn in. There are some incredible VST's these days. Was reading about one that is a Stradivari violin worth $500,000 that has been recorded in amazing detail, in Cremona, where Stradivari instruments were actually made. Then of course you have Superior Drummer 3 which has tremendous detailed drums. Making music never has been so easy!

[@edgenovese]

Well done, a simple easy to understand video. The voice leading explanation was so clear and liner. Also very nice writing as well...Nice to find you... Bravo

[@elliepodmore4348]

This video was so jammed packed. As a beginner in arranging and a clunky piano player, this has given me great tips for not only composing for virtual strings but piano playing and composing in general. I'll continue to travel on my musical education journey and am very excited to be able to use virtual strings in an exciting way. Thanks

[@ChristopherSiu]

Great video Ryan! Well presented, explained, and beautiful example to finish. I personally like using individual section patches myself as it helps me to think from the perspective of that section only, but of course ensemble patches get the job done much quicker. Out of all your points, voice leading is probably among the most important imo! Without that, you definitely get the 'piano' effect.

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

Thanks Chris!

[@vewilli]

Wonderful music. This guy knows how to compose orchestra music. Love this music! Great!

[@konstantingubanov4687]

Brilliant explanation and examples! :) Apart from all mentioned 1 thing is also important I guess - to “play” on the keyboard and not just to write quantized to death notes in the DAW editor

[@howellbuzz]

This is a terrific entry-level explanation (exactly where I’m at with string arrangements using EW Hollywood Orchestra) But beyond the information I must say you have a delivery style that is extremely down to earth & engaging in a way which might build people up rather than overwhelm. Certainly helped my outlook regarding orchestral arranging! Baby steps! Well done and thx very much for the excellent content. Cheers

[@prodbymrsl]

excellent video, one of the best tutorials I've seen

[@glenirvine6161]

Nice to hear some contrapuntal writing; always been the sign of someone that knows what they’re doing. Enjoyed the clip.

[@berkeleybernie]

Excellent presentation and a beautiful score. I picked up the free Spitfire BBC recently and was just about to experiment with strings for the first time for an unmetered intro on a folk-rock cover I've been arranging. Good timing!

[@RogerPetersonMusic]

Great orchestration here, Ryan. And that Albion plugin sounds fabulous - especially when you know how to correctly voice each aspect (which you did!).

[@OasisFirefly]

Good to see you here Ryan

[@fritsvanzanten3573]

Excellent video (together with the next one)

[@DennyzTILT]

Really interesting and useful ! Thank you very much. I'm really looking forward to your next video on string orchestration in other genres

[@Bruce147]

Nicely done. The musical example was beautiful, and your explanation was superb. Thank you for doing this.

[@AntoineMichaudGuitar]

That is an amazing video and intro to good voice leading. Very well done, Ryan!

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

Thanks Antoine!

[@HarryVarthakourisOfficial]

What a great instructor and what a great voice!!!

[@klaatuklaatu1]

I love your melody in your song, it really hits a emotional button.. great song

[@CarlosPerdomo]

Absolutely gorgeous piece. Well done.

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

Thank you Carlos, means a lot 🙌

[@berkeleybernie]

Agree! I'm a sucker for Celtic lyricism (which is what I hear here). One suggestion: I hear an opportunity for a melodic peak variation in the final statement of the melody. Instead of the violins repeating the 4 bar melody phrase the same 2x, on the 2nd time around, instead of the F G C F at the end of the 2nd bar, have the melody climb G A Bb (hitting the Bb on the downbeat of the 3rd bar instead of the F), then peak/descend C Bb A (hitting the A on the downbeat of the 4th bar).

[@rickanderson1683]

This is really good info. I'm adding an "orchestral" bit onto a band remix project, not something normal for me-- and frankly I was doing the "piano caveman plays block chord" thing :) I may try to take it a bit further, play each track as a single line (representing a "player"). Now, I've never played strings so whether it will be realistic or not, who knows :) I'm using Logic's string instrument, possibly the session strings from Komplete (similar to logic's)...and just picked up "Epic Strings" from Spitfire which I believe is taken from Albion--it's very affordable at 29 bucks.

[@scotty1498]

Very useful info for a guitar player, thank you

[@WildPearlTarot]

Great video. You did a fantastic job explaining this!

[@theicefactor]

This was really awesome seeing how to make arrangement changes that sound so much smoother. Great video!

[@1verzhn]

This is really awesome, cause it's so easy to conpartmentalize and get dull sounding stuff.

[@benoitb.3679]

This is so refreshingly brilliant, beautifully presented and extremely informative. Succinct explanations with illuminating and pertinent examples, what a superb video. Thank you. Oh, that score at the end was incredibly moving too; a beautiful piece of music!

[@TheDenis2121]

Excelent Lesson and amazing music. thank you so much.

[@jammer777]

Great video! I’m using Garritan Personal Orchestra with very good results.

[@TonyRush]

Good LORD that sounds great at 13:03 . that's inspiring!

[@pedrosilvaproductions]

On the voicing tip I would advise to actually think about the chord progression but then make each instrument individually, instead of as a whole. Basically, imagining what the player on the violin for example would be playing and how he/she would interact with the rest of the instruments. For me it always works because I have to try and come up with something that is actually making sense in a playability point of view

[@HarryThomsen]

Impressive stuff, man!

[@robrobichaud]

Hey Ryan...just want to say thanks for the validation. I've been writing string parts for rock/folk this way since almost the first time I wrote a string arrangement...but then, when ideas come to me, it's usually the whole song arrangement I hear in my head, so I'm always thinking in terms of "how does this element support the song?". Most of all, not being a piano player and knowing just enough theory to know I know nothing (Jon Snow), I adopted that mindset almost by necessity. That said, this particular video has inspired me to look into the various articulations (legato, etc), and adopt more of that into my arrangements. Thanks for that too.

[@erickborling1302]

Duke Ellington would ask his players if they liked their parts!

[@alejandropilijos]

Really great ricks and Tips. Thinking how to do with brasses can b another video. Salute! From Argentina

[@CFox.7]

What a great tute !! thank you

[@KirtanFi]

Awesome tutorial thanks🙏🏽

[@chiparooo]

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing!

[@consudotuk]

This was awsome, thanks. Can't wait tot ry this techniques next 🙌 😀

[@LuauFeetMusic]

Great stuff. Audio, video , musical examples, clarity of ideas, demeanor, delivery - everything just great!!! Thank You!!! Did I leave anything out? 🤙

[@itm72]

This was superb, thank you

[@markconger8049]

Very helpful. I always wondered why keyboard strings sound so artificial. This answers that question brilliantly. I believe also that when there are several things going on in a piece of music it provides some cover for some of the articialness. It plays a part in convincing the ear of reality where it might not otherwise.

[@matthewmiddendorf880]

I loved this!! Thank you.

[@arjunakodisinghe1668]

Very informative video. Well done sir!

[@Manufernandez98]

Really good! Thank u!

[@ROQSTAR]

Great presentation!

[@lorenmulraine1123]

Excellent video!

[@cesarveralatorre5198]

Very nice video. I came back to the channel when I read "strings".

[@nixianer7503]

great video! which flute plug in is it?

[@jamesedinger4956]

Great stuff!

[@fm694]

Hey Media Composer here, good job!

[@MontegoBayApartment]

thank you so much...maximum helpful I would say

[@StraightLineMusic]

What webcam are you using? Love the content man! Thanks for the tips!

[@vaakhsmusic360]

Really authentic

[@KaiWenFranklin]

I love the video and I have learned a lot. I have a question with my string parts. How do you make the transition sound seamless and realist? My string arrangement sounds like a mini pause between chord changes. I think the part you spoke about voice leading is what I need to do. Thanks for any help.

[@matthewclarknet]

Great stuff. Thanks so much for the video!

[@hankfowler8194]

Oh man. You are a fantastic teacher. I learned a ton in this video. I'm doing everything wrong. HA.

[@ronpatton9424]

Great job.

[@adambradley3284]

Hey Ryan, very nice video and great presentation too. Now to my question regarding slow (120 bpm) string only, no percussive element compositions. I find that perfectly quantized midi string parts have an agonizing delay when listening back to them. Advancing the start time of a note tends to loosen the timing of the entire piece. How do You (and any of our learned friends out their) deal with this? ( I use Reaper , Kontakt and Spitfire). Thanks

[@LightWingStudios]

Thank yo so much for bringing this to the level of the great unwashed masses of us struggling to learn to orchestrate...LIKE ME! Subscribed! :)

[@MarcBosserman]

Wow! As usual over delivering! : )

[@anoopkvpoduval]

Aryan ഭൂമി പിടിച്ചെടുത്ത വഴി : 3 ഇല്‍ ഒന്ന് ബ്രാഹ്മണന്‍ നിശ്ചയിക്കുന്ന രാജാവിന് താല്‍ക്കാലിക മായി നല്‍കി (raajaswam).. അതായത്‌ രാജാവ്‌ ഭരണത്തില്‍ ഉള്ളപ്പോൾ മാത്രം. പിന്നെ മൂന്നില്‍ ഒന്ന് ദൈവത്തിനു (ദേവസ്വം). ദൈവം കല്ല് ആയതിനാൽ മൂര്‍ത്തി യുടെ പിതാവ് സ്ഥാനത്ത് ഉള്ള ബ്രാഹ്മണന്‍ ആ ദൈവത്തിന്റെ representative ആയി ആ ഭൂമിയും കൈയില്‍ വെക്കുന്നു. പിന്നെ ഉള്ള മൂന്നില്‍ ഒന്ന്, അത് സമൂഹത്തിലെ എല്ലാ നന്മയുടെ യും ഉറവിടം ആയ ബ്രാഹ്മണന് ! അതായത്‌ മൊത്തം ബ്രാഹ്മണന് തന്നെ. യുദ്ധം ചെയ്യാതെ, ഒരു തുള്ളി ചോര പൊടിയാതെ. വിശ്വസം എന്ന ഒരു കള്ള ആയുധം കൊണ്ട്‌. ഇന്നും അതേ വിശ്വാസ സംരക്ഷണം തുടരുന്നു എന്നതാണ് കഷ്ടം.

[@abhiram22343]

Thank u so much

[@joetowers4804]

Just a note: the plug-in is Kontakt. Albion is not a plug-in; it's a sample library./ Also, there's no "spizzicato". There's "pizzicato" and "spiccato".

[@alejandroyt10]

5:15 Windows XP error sound?

[@leporellothegoldfinch]

Nice workshop. In 3:47 I think you mean spiccato, not "spizzicato"

[@humble-l2x]

This is awesome

[@caravelasfarmer7595]

Muito bom!

[@sufiamigos]

you are super awsome

[@improvewitherror]

This seems like it would be easier if I knew how to play the piano. But great tips!

[@benoittissier58]

Very interesting

[@CarloCabiling-u2e]

how to eq. mine is pierceing in the ears. please help thank you

[@blazing6string]

I looked up the price of that VST and for me in the Midwest that is more than 2 months wages 😔

[@erickborling1302]

One thing ...when using string orch samples that have an Indian tuning; They might be in tune and passable but something about that bollywood sound... just use it consciously, please.

[@WillieMCruz]

Beethoven?? It’s that you behind that orchestra??

[@wipexx]

Great video but I was distracted a lot by the focus of the camera.

[@1849ad]

Nice video! But do you realize that those recorder/ flute players also have to breathe from time time? ;)

[@DaniilMasljakov]

Do you mean "spiccato"? You're mixing both pizzicato and spiccato) nice video though!

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

Haha yes! Good catch. My brain must need a firmware update! 😂

[@DhruvKanojia]

Yeah, seems like a mixup.I heard this and I was like "Wait... have I been reading it wrong?"

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

@@DhruvKanojia To make it even more comical, I had it written down in my notes and my brain was still like NOPE! 🧠⚡️😭

[@DhruvKanojia]

@@IndieMusicAcademy Hahahaahhah happens to the best of us :P. Great content and info nonetheless.

[@pedrosilvaproductions]

@@IndieMusicAcademy and the part you mentioned with using the other part of the bow is sometimes referred as a bartok spiccato, but it uses the bow to hit the strings. They usually use a cheap/old bow because it completely ruins the horsehair

[@DBCisco]

These points apply to all VSTs of actual instruments.

[@Zaz_Prod]

Aucun lien ne fonctionne.

[@rexn2548]

I see you fixed it in this version. SpitzaCotto? Hahahah

[@officialWWM]

This seems very complex :/

[@ChristopherSiu]

It can certainly feel that way! However, if you keep in my the basic voice leading tips that were shared in this video, your string parts will sound so much better than if they were just performed as block chords.

[@knuttlaarsen7218]

Don't know how I bumped onto this. Anyway Damn good clip 🥇. I also watched those rather similar from mStarTutorials and kinda wonder how you guys make these vids. MStar Tutorials also had amazing info about similiar things on his channel.

[@ceemor3404]

This is guy is nuts...he recommends a 850 dollar plugin 🙄 This dude laughed at us recommending an elite plugin flexin' on us....

[@JM-co6rf]

pro tip: use cheezy synths

[@christinagraf9724]

Well ! LOL I'm sure feeling in another world and stupid. Nothing makes sense. Is this software or real musicians ???