[REVIEW] Native Instruments Symphony Essentials

Native Instruments Symphony Essentials - a complete affordable orchestral library for Kontakt or waste of space? It’s a library some of you may already own but don’t use as part of Native Instruments Komplete. So join composer Guy Michelmore as he puts it through its paces, creating a short piece of music from scratch. But what does he think of it? Watch it and find out!
Want to learn more about writing music? Then check out Guy’s "How to Write Music" course: thinkspaceeducation.com/htwm/
Got a project we can score for you or want to study with us?
Then get in touch! [e-mail]
How to Score Movies - thinkspaceeducation.com/learn...
How to make your samples sound great - thinkspaceeducation.com/7-ess...
Guy Michelmore runs ThinkSpace Education, an online music school that provides everything from short weekend courses to master's degrees. If you are interested in a career in music or sound design for film games and television then check us out at www.thinkspaceeducation.com

[@ThinkSpaceEducation]

- SAMPLED ORCHESTRATION IN A WEEKEND - If you want to learn how to use libraries like this, check out my Sampled Orchestration in a Weekend course. It starts right at the basics, teaching you how to get the absolute best sounds out of your sample libraries. Over 6 hours of video and accompanying course text. Check it out here: thinkspaceeducation.com/courses/soiaw/

[@walidfraiha254]

I like your videos. However I see you always using Kontakt as a software, but your course is logic and cubase! I am wondering why not on kontakt? although you have a video on it.

[@franciscoaragao5398]

Sim, exatamente.

[@johanbergkvist8834]

Reviews of sub-$500 orchestral VST are super helpful for us hobbyists. And watching you compose is always fun too! Thank you!

[@iggswanna1248]

im also a hobbit go figure.

[@waynemiller6070]

I like how you laugh at yourself for the simplicity of what you're playing, but it really is just what so many of us need. Thanks for the effort!

[@CensoredByYouTube.]

19:24 _"I'm gonna call that a day... and we've only been here like 20 minutes or something."_ Could you do a video on how I get to live your life?

[@RebornThaRebizzle]

I composed my first movie score last night in the Ableton Live 10 Suite DAW using Native Instruments Kontakt as the plugin. Its pretty fun creating. I've always been into movie scores. Guy Michelmore thanks for showing me what to in the creative process.

[@shughy1]

What a wonderful teacher, energetic, focused and making it all a lot of fun, fantastic channel

[@GrandElemental]

I'm not looking for a new sample library, I have all I need, but let me just say you are absolute blast to watch! The whole workflow is so effortless and the high energy/humor makes this extremely entertaining! Great stuff man!

[@matthewoldham4804]

Watching live creation by skilled people is an excellent way to assess quality and learn at the same time. Subscribed!

[@christiaantinga]

Watching your videos is not only very useful, it's fun!! Thank you for your playful yet educational way of doing this :)

[@muzikmystro]

I’ve had a fever the past few days. Being treated to 2 uploads from thinkspace since Wednesday is cheering me right up. Thanks for the mood boost, Guy! Also thanks to Jake and Blake for their advice regarding monitors a while back. I bought a pair of Adam T7V in the end and can’t wait to test them. Tested me last Film on a 4K tv but the instrumentation was only piano and synth so thankfully didn’t have to worry about an orchestral mix due to the lack of monitors at the time.

[@ThinkSpaceEducation]

Wow get well soon! Ill pass it on to Blake and Jake - sounds like a comedy duo...nothing could be further from the truth....

[@muzikmystro]

ThinkSpace Education thank you! I currently have my eye on a few of the courses on offer so I think I might be rolling a dice tomorrow because they all look fantastic.

[@pandanamin7104]

My god! What have I just found! An absolute jewel in multimedia! Sir you have yourself a loyal subscriber and fan! 😇

[@photoworld9816]

13:30 "I've written worse!".... LOL ! I would kill to write this one in only 10 mins...

[@SergioGarcia-jg3yy]

I was going to say exactly this haha.

[@GuglielmoEsposito]

Well, he didn't invent anything on the spot. What he used is an harmonized bass-line that is several centuries old called "folia" which, in different variations, has been more or less the same. For further information on this specific bass-line progression you should check this link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iKTTm5KentRsipo

[@joechindamo1948]

@@GuglielmoEsposito Sorry I can't resist. It was like the 12 bar blues - serving so many composers. I've used this sequence too in a piece for strings, harpsichord and timpani., performed here by the Queensland Symphony Orchestra If of interest. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZoDVmpyphbSkopI

[@DEADLINETV]

That MIDI KS thing is awesome! Never thought of it! Brilliant! Thanks a lot!

[@in2gadgets]

You're an inspiration! Just watching you using the articulations has helped me to learn some of this mysterious science...

[@petruccidude]

Why this channel is not bigger I don't know. It's just a matter of time before people catch on. As a composer myself in the sync world this is useful information, very inspirational and is also good to watch in downtime when I am trying to recharge. Cheers!

[@muzikmystro]

Scott Davis I second this :)

[@idelidel942]

I love your personality! We need more people like you in this world

[@metrowestmusichouse8483]

So glad I stumbled on this video. Really cool watching you work and break this down. I've had Ultimate for about a year now and have largely avoided this, but now I'm inspired. New subscriber :)

[@mostlyharmless88]

This was one of the most helpful overall vids that cleared up the process.... jumping into the template setups is SOOOOO overwhleming. Nice to see you breeze through with JUST enough info on key switches / articulations ... thanks. Subscribed!

[@ThinkSpaceEducation]

welcome!

[@williedangerr7934]

Great videos. So uplifting. Hands up! I have learned dozens of useful cubase functions and tips on composing in general.

[@alenda5766]

Wow i just got in here and i found him so authentic. Love it.

[@Seafox0011]

Just excellent! Jamming out an epic cinematic sound - both entertaining and educational all in one! Thks

[@martinking2170]

Would be great to do something similar using the Spitfire LABS and Epic instrument ranges... 😀🎶

[@ThinkSpaceEducation]

I love labs and we did something a while ago but not recenrly

[@dafingaz]

@@ThinkSpaceEducation This would be awesome! I use LABS and the Originals range all the time. Or if you feel like using some other FREE libraries (8Dio, ProjectSam, etc.) that would be great!

[@matthewthecoffeeguy]

I was mostly mesmerised by that cool DIY on-air light you have on the way into your office :P

[@samsxplus8551]

It would take me months to compose what he's done in 20 minutes. Amazing 👏

[@Evangelionism]

How about now, Samsx?

[@nwcic]

Very nice practical review fof NI Symphony Essentials. Thank you Guy. I can see the niche that this fits into for production needs. The speed at which you assembled a track on the fly was just what I needed to see. Appreciated. JL

Great video. Also a really good piece of music. The sound of the VST is amazing - I am pretty sure, that I will buy it during the next black friday week.

[@danielnevels2207]

Thank again for great tips on a rainy day. You Rock!!!!

[@nakedtreemedia-socialmedia933]

You are fun to watch and I learn a lot too! Even with your manic motions lol. Love it, just subscribed.

[@EmilioNavas]

I will love to know your opinion about NI Symphony Series regarding the Essentials version. Great video as always!

[@davidnevillemusic]

I have the full symphony series collection and all I can say is the added features and articulations that come with the full version make it a much more viable library!

[@conforzo]

Is it better than the cinematic studio series?

[@davidnevillemusic]

Contrapunctus XV I’m afraid I haven’t heard of this library and based on some quick research, looks like it’s pretty new? I would say in terms of articulations, they are more or less the same, the symphony series samples have a beautiful “auto-divisi” function which allows for a much more realistic sound and it also has sophisticated legato transitions. In terms of sound, the CSS sounds lovely and it could quite possibly be better, but to my ears they’re about the same, they’re both gorgeous and have wonderful expression possibilities. Of course, this is speaking from someone who hasn’t actually used CSS so I’m not sure how the interface works and how easy it is to use. For the brass, I will caution that the symphony series is pretty project dependent, meaning they’re really good at particular styles of composition. They recorded that library with astronomically large brass sections so the overall sound is big brassy brass. You can of course play quiet passages and they sound lovely but the library really excels in the loud fast stuff because of the large section sizes. I believe (and I could be wrong) the recorded 8 horns. Which means of you play just a 2 note chord you’ll be hearing 16 horns. That’s just nuts, so that’s why it’s best for those big over-produced tracks. The brass on the CSS library sounds much more realistic to what you would find in a real orchestral setting, especially the solo patches, I was quite impressed with those. Alright this is probably more than you asked for but I hope this helps! PS the woodwinds in the symphony series are the same way, larger than necessary section sizes for a larger than life sound. Cheers!

[@georginajovanovic]

Are you saying that with a keyboard and a app I can recreate and record a composition for an orchestra without an orchestra? What app? What do I need to copy so I can try my own composition

[@WrektSK]

@@georginajovanovic you'll need a DAW, Kontakt full license to run these libraries, and a whole plethora of libraries that can realistically emulate a real orchestra setting and sound, and most importantly a computer that can handle all that work. So in short, You'll need a keyboard, a bunch of 'apps' and a boatload of money ;)

[@eng3d]

@@WrektSK For the record, Native Instruments sells a pack. It is expensive but you get everything in a shoot (so it's cheap).

[@64revolt]

Well. That melody got stuck in my head now. In 20 minutes. Colour me impressed.

[@pyabhashoart-design4920]

Hi, thank you for the amazing work you do for us, here on KZbin. Would you recommend the Native Instruments Symphony Series for movie scores at a beginning stage or as a starter library? Thank you.

[@davidpartridge7867]

Top drawer, thank you for yet another entertaining and inspiring vid.

[@jedstephens5959]

I have this and have used it quite a lot, what would you recommend as the next library to got for a beginner? I'm thinking of getting Spitfire's Albion One

[@Cloud9MediaTv]

Mix of Humor and creative abilities is unmatched an tremendously gravitating..takes your music tutorials to another stratosphere 👌🏽

[@lukechiocca1914]

Hi everyone, I see a lot of discussion about the Symphony Series Essentials and the Symphony Series Collection (sound quality and price), and I also see those who are wondering which to buy. I own the full Symphony Series Collection, and would like to tackle this topic. First off, I'd just like to note that you can get either the Symphony Series Essentials or Symphony Series Collection as part of a Komplete bundle from Native Instruments (Komplete Ultimate or Collector's Edition). I highly recommend doing this as it's a steal! Not only do you get the Symphony Series instruments, but you also get so many other incredible useful libraries and effects! Also, if you can get one of those bundles on a sale (like I did), it's more than worth your money! Anyway, let's get to the reviews already! The Essential version is a great starting point, but won't suffice if you're a serious or aspiring composer (still good for pop or film, just a little bare bones). I only say this because you can't change microphone positions, you don't have the auto-divisi feature, and you are somewhat limited with your articulations with the Essential version. If you have the budget, or the time to save a little more money, I would buy the full collection (or just buy the Komplete Collector's Edition on a sale). Here's my review of the Symphony Series Collection (also, look for songs I've created using Symphony Series in this review): Strings: Probably the best ensemble in Symphony Series. It's very versatile, easy to use, and sounds great! You can adjust many settings such as the microphone positions, reverb, release, dynamics, and you can even change the section size of your ensemble (I don't know many libraries that can do this). The sound is superb, but some articulations have noise, such as the harmonics articulation, which makes that articulation difficult to use. Having said that, the other articulations sound great and are very handy! This library works for slow and intimate scores, or fast and epic! A string solo patch is not included sadly. Here's a song I composed using the string ensemble (listen for the drop): kzbin.info/www/bejne/il64g56picR6mMU Brass: Elegant sound, just a lot of natural reverb. The brass ensemble's sample quality sounds amazing, and has so many articulations between all the different patches. The dynamics wheel sounds really great because you can go from soft to really hard and loud! As I mentioned before, the base recordings have a lot of reverb, but if you reduce the release and change the microphone position to close, it definitely manageable. Here's a song I've composed which uses the entire brass ensemble: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZvPZ4x5irN_aK8 Percussion: This instrument of Symphony Series is great because you get so many instruments. The sample quality is good, but not for all microphone positions. The spot and close microphones typically sound superb! But the stereo or far microphones are too washed out by reverb. There is also a resonance simulation that sounds incredibly realistic! Listen to a song I've composed with the percussion here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jGWspIWAmp6Fbsk Woodwinds: The woodwinds have a great sample quality, but have a similar problem to the brass: too much reverb and noise in the recordings (brass doesn't have noise, just reverb). Again, if you have the Symphony Series Collection though, you can change the microphone positions to close and get a workable sound. There are a lot of good features about this library too, such as the articulations and the arpeggio generator, which allows for trills and such. The solo instruments are a plus, and sound pretty nice too. I'm sure there are better woodwind libraries out there, but since this already comes with Symphony Series, why not use it? Well, there's an honest review the Symphony Series library... what do you think, yay or nay? Darn it... they also didn't include a choir patch... maybe one day... right?

[@metallpt147]

I have Nucleus as well as purchased the Komplete 12 Ultimate bundle and going to be mixing and matching based on the tonality I want for certain scores/music compositions. Some sound better and more articulate for a specific sound. Overall awesome video! Love you content

[@benoit.gerin-lajoie]

SUPER GREAT composition !!! Merveilleux !

[@valleybrook]

I love your enthusiasm and energy. Keep it up!

[@MattMaloneMD]

4:02 "That enormous knob in the middle of the screen" !!!! We love you Guy!

[@thevinhnguyen2462]

best tutorial for orchestra ... what a master piece thanks

[@BluemountScore]

You are one awesome guy, I can tell you that

[@WillShattuck]

This was fun. Thanks for sharing how you write it.

[@BluemountScore]

2:52 me once again after three days of composing in which I simply forgot to eat and sleep

[@ThinkSpaceEducation]

Thats me most mornings!

[@marquise32]

😂😂

[@marto9404]

I need this guy's energy in my life

[@eddcharmantmusic]

That's a great review Guy. THANKS

[@thomfraney6893]

Hey Guy. Love the channel and thanks so much for all the great content. One question; what was the purpose of the ‘Key Switching’ with the timpani? I feel I missed something crucial?

[@marcblandel3538]

Bonjour Guy , Simple direct efficace as usual Merci Marc

[@davidharrington1133]

In Logic you can also set the MIDi recoding to be additive and put the controller stuff straight on the same track. Menu Option is: Overlapping MIDI Recordings > Merge. Most DAWS must have something similar

[@petersvan7880]

Inspirational and entertaining video, thank you Guy!

[@toji5287]

wow.. 2 minutes in and I've learnt about diminishing frequencies and what you consider "essential". All whilst being drawn to your charisma :) looks like I'm in for a ride with this video lol well done :D

[@timgorman2090]

I’m subscribed! Never heard of this Guy before but I’m hooked now!

[@EGP-Hub]

Is there the 'Step Time' feature in Logic? Ie so that in piano roll you can advance beat by beat without scoring to the existing piece's tempo?

[@capartenlive3026]

hey , nice as usual ! how can i do the fact too play without locator as you did in cubase but in logic pro ? how do you call this fonction ? thank you very much !

[@Invert_Scrub]

Hey Guy! I'm just getting started with a DAW called MuLab 8. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it. It seems pretty intuitive, but I'd hate to waste my time if I could be learning something else. If anyone's got advice, I'm all ears.

[@everstormz]

For the "K2", are you just switching the programming automation so you don't have to do it in real-time as you're recording? Normally, if you weren't in a hurry, would you just separate all the different articulations into different tracks?

[@sumithramachandran6870]

Amazing library.. I just made articulations sets for these libraries in Logic. Mind blowing sounds..

[@theoriginalheartstrummer]

I still find it really difficult to get a decent roll on snare, bass drum, suspended cymbal or timpani that goes for the length I want it to.

[@ronnyb5890]

always a blast to see you at work guy,i use an akai thingy for mixing the main category of instruments (strings,brass,woodwinds,etc) because of the limited (8) sliders there are for keyswitches i use a mini keyboard with 1,5 octave,and i transpose if need be,anyway,nice composition

[@LindaMissad]

Very helpful -- OMG -- I never thought of adding a midi track beneath an instrument track to keep the keyswitches separate from actual notes. THANK YOU FOR THAT TIP!

[@bluescanfly1981]

This Guy gives awesome workflow tips :p

[@MrJacoBezuidenhout]

I know! I'm such a moron for that. And then suddenly a client requests a different key and I have to deselect all the keyswitches first!

[@pratikjoshi8335]

It is very informative, Thanks for the sharing. HOWEVER i have 1 question which midi keyboard you used in this video please

[@brianbergmusic5288]

Thank you so much for this review.

[@pentapandamusic]

Guy: 13:04 "These sounds are fine, they are not..." Director: "CUT!"

[@akalvarez]

Nice video ! Good job sir and great sense of humour :)

[@crash936]

what kind of computer you need to hold all this power and run smooth. my laptop burns with one kontakt open :)

[@je6164]

OMG "Step input" is amazing ! thanks for that

[@Powhart]

14:17 was that Lugia's Theme from Pokemon? :o

[@mrdali67]

For someone starting out on "software" sound, that know the basic stuff about Kontakt, and wants a little of everything, is it worth the extra money for the "Ultimate" version of Komplete 12 ? (Collectors ed. out of the question). To me the ammount of articulations in Symphony Essentials is more than enough since I'm not writing music for a full symphonic orcestra. Just merely want some decent sounds for live playing, and orchestral libraries for the Kronos (from eg. Sound Iron also cost a serious ammont of money and is only "cut down" versions of their full Kontakt versions). Played a little around with Kontakt 5 before but always felt that the factory library of ver 4 and 5 "band" instruments was a bit cheap compared to what is available for a hardware sample workstation from Yamaha or Korg just to mention a couple, but 3'rd party libraries for Kontakt are much more advanced and detailed (and pricey!!) than what is possible in a workstation .. even the mighty Korg Kronos. But the new version seems to have gotten quite an overhaul and just the basic ver for 599 Euro seems like a good deal.

[@five18studios82]

Just wondering what the advantage is to using a MIDI track for key switches instead of using an Expression Map in Cubase

[@antoinekassis9]

This library was my first and I bought it during the Black Friday sale last year for $150 👍🏻 Quick question regarding the APC Mini. You said it's not programmable, does that mean the faders can't be reassigned to control CC1 and CC11 for example?

[@delta61]

13:41 I can relate sooooo well. My actual creativity ain't that bad but writing a good tune that isn't generic would take forever!

[@benjamindady4366]

Your editing is incredible haha!

[@ashrayshiva4088]

Finally an indepth review of the Essentials package. Thanks so much Guy, I've been looking for this for a while! Gives a great idea of what you get with the Ultimate edition in regards to the Symphonic sounds. Also, have you ever used the Kontakt Base Library's Orchestral sounds? What are your thoughts on those?

[@ThinkSpaceEducation]

I haven't to be honest but Ill put it on my to do list!

[@ashrayshiva4088]

@@ThinkSpaceEducation Awesome! Looking forward to it! :)

[@dezinerAhmad]

Hi ... Can I use the same function of Akai in Presonous Studio one.... Is it also an expression controller

[@timdanyo898]

I see that Montana plaque on the wall behind you. I live in Missoula, Montana. :-) Love your energy.

[@ThinkSpaceEducation]

Well spotted!

[@pschneider1968]

Would like to know what you think about Iconica Ensembles, Iconica Sections and Players?

[@JulesCalella]

I bought the symphony essentials a while back. I really like how they sound, but when I was working on one of my video game covers I noticed they were a bit limited. I recently bought Session Strings Pro 2 and there's a noticeable improvement in quality and functionality. If I had to get one or the other, I'd choose Session String Pro 2, but the symphony essential strings provides that big orchestral sound so a combination of both is great if you have the money. The other symphony essentials are great (although don't expect to get the same small band sound you might want for funk/reggeaton/jazz).

[@easterislandstatues9176]

Just discovered your channel and vids - absolutely love the content! Currently trying to entertain myself in isolation and your enthusiasm for music is infectious (I'll see myself out...) - currently debating purchasing komplete 12 and an A61 controller (currently feeling a bit hamstrung with trying to use my Reface CP as a controller) and appreciate this look into one of the features from the Ultimate edition. For someone just starting out with digital orchestral libraries (purely as a hobby/passion), would you recommend Symphony Essentials as a good starter package (I'm ideally looking for something ~£500)? Spitfire and Berlin sound amazing but a bit out of my currently price range :( keep up the good work!!

[@AlvinWitarsa]

love your review. I am wondering how to setup AKAI MPC to work as KeySwitches (C-2 to B-1). Could you show us how to do that? thanks

[@ThinkSpaceEducation]

It comes like that straight out of the box. Its not programmable.

[@dezinerAhmad]

Thanks Guy.. That's a great piece of Advice

[@alessandromanara9693]

wOOOOOOOwww! GREAT videos, and great explanation! Very useful and clear! Thanks a lot!

[@sequentia2]

Genial... Feliz Año 2022! ... 🙋🏻‍♂🇲🇽

[@matthewashton9472]

the 36 woodwind players bit had me in stitches 😂😂🤣

[@JoseVGavila]

Thanks for the review. I got the full Symphony package with Komplete 12 Ultimate Collectors Edition some weeks ago, should do something with it!

[@ThinkSpaceEducation]

Absolutely the percussion and bit of the brass are the best

[@MACKEYBOARD]

GREAT. Congratulations. Hugs from Brazil.

[@josemasegosa1800]

Hello, excellent video. I have an important question. From minute 15 to minute 16 you make a recording on the Roll piano, you give some option to be able to record slowly and the eighth notes are written. You do it with woodwings. Can you tell me how to activate this wonderful tool? Greetings from Spain.

[@gchcom6902]

You’re like the Jeremy Clarkson of MIDI

[@thesoundvault508]

I love this comment 😂

[@louispearson8306]

what an insult

[@production2353]

Hahaha! You won the internet a year ago!

[@jung-zen]

So so accurate

[@fabioqueiroz1318]

Can you do a video of this library with stravinsky or tchaikovsky examples? love your vids!

[@GamingNostalgiaRemastered]

I can't decide to either buy the NI Symphony Series collection or Spitfire Albion One. Anybody have any tips?

[@radcliffechris]

I love your methods!

[@Michael_RareZebra]

I wish I had your energy. Haha....Thank you for the overview!

[@Andrew_Reno]

Is it essential to know the chords for making epic music? I would play by ear but seeing you play chords to get the sound you want intrigues me and seems to speed up the workflow. Any classes on this?

[@silvermoonbeam]

Guy didn’t say in the video, but he used the famous Folias chord progression as the basis for his short composition. This progression was used by many Renaissance and baroque composers as the starting point for their compositions and variations. There’s no substitute for basic courses in theory, harmony, history, or having an awareness of the historical literature. A lot of film scores these days give at least a head nod to historical literature. I remember hearing that John Willams, for example, kept a file of orchestrations used by composers such as Richard Wagner to which he could refer when he wanted a certain sound.

[@piano_works]

Guy, if you weren't doing a quick tutorial would you usually put multiple instruments in one instance of Kontakt to save CPU?

[@zgrkrky]

What is called in logic pro that 15:42 step recording?? First time i saw this.

[@josemasegosa1800]

Great job ! Thanx ! I hace a question. In 15.40 you rec the woodwings in editor Page ... How ? Sorry for my english. Im spanish. I cant do It in my cubase pro 11

[@oliverrees9397]

Guy, what you did with the midi and the flute are you able to do this through logic ?

[@salliemorrill2671]

Thought the triple tongue was amazing. The snare sounded quite good. Loving these lessons. Extremely useful information.

[@ThinkSpaceEducation]

So did I that triple tonguing is as good as Ive heard and easy to use

[@only4posting]

@@ThinkSpaceEducation Can the Akai be used to send keystrokes/commands/other, to cubase, and act like a 2nd keyboard , to execute commands, macros, e.t.c ? (Just like the big touch screen from Zimmer works) Thanks

[@ThinkSpaceEducation]

@@only4posting no no really as it cant be programmed

[@Banoffeeee]

Quick question, I used this library for string but I dont know why the attack on the string is very weak and I needed to bring the midi note a bit before the grid in order for it to play in time...are there anyway i can fix this?

[@avakyan1317]

Does anybody know if you can do the same thing he did with the keyswitches with Logic Pro X?

[@EnTierraDeNadie]

I'd like a creating video with ambient/cinematic music. Just an idea. Thanks for videos and music. ;)

[@gingataff]

NI is having a big sale and I’m thinking of upgrading to Komplete 13, but for an extra 250 I can get Ultimate with the symphony essentials. But wondering if it’s better to save my money for a Spitfire library (BBC So Core in the next big sale?) I already have Albion One.