Hi Audio-enthusiasts,

I'm a complete beginning with anything DAW but doing a production of a musical for which I need to play keyboard which should replicate the sounds of orchestra instruments - which are not part of the keyboard set-up. I heard you can achieve these sounds with Cubase Pro and I downloaded a trial version of it. It seems very complicated at first glance. Any tipps or recommendations?

Thanks a million!

 

hey! not sure about cubase, but this free vst plugin has nice orchestral instruments:
https://www.spitfireaudio.com/bbc-symphony-orchestra-discover

 

Here's roughly how it goes:
-A DAW is the big software that lets you work audio. Most DAWs do pretty much the same with some extra features here and there, different layout, but all of them will work just fine for what you want. A few of them are: Cubase, Ableton Live, FL Studio (debatable for some reason), Reaper.
-There are Plugins, which are little software that you load inside the DAW. These can be either effects or instruments and are oftenly refered to as "VST" becaue that's the most common format, but there are others. Most DAWs come with a few plugins of both types, but not for orchestral instruments so...
-To actually make this work you'll have to find a DAW that suits you AND an instrument plugin that does orchestral sounds

I suggest you start by using a random instrument plugin just to get familiarized with the DAW because it can be quite overwhelming if you've never used one before and there will be a few things that will pop up while you're doing that anyway. Once you can get something sounding in your DAW, the rest will come together a lot easier.

BTW, when you say "doing a production", does that include a live performance, or is it more like a movie thing?

 

I'm also a beginner here. Thanks for sharing this topic here. I'm so much glad to know more about it.

 

Check Steinberg's YouTube channel for cubase. Also Dom Sigalas channel is good for learning cubase

 

Indeed Cubase Pro is a complicated Daw for a beginner. It's generally built with Professional composers in mind.

Moreover most orchestral sounds are produced using sample libraries, most of which runs in the plugin "Native Instruments Kontakt" sampler VST. You can download the free version "Kontakt Player" from native instruments website along with some free instruments. Then you can download Free Professional sample libraries compatible with free "Kontakt Player" like Orchestral Tools Labs, Red Room Audio Palette Colours, Project Sam free orchestra etc. They are professional sounding albeit limited to some basic playing techniques.

Assuming you want to use & learn Cubase you can then load the Kontakt Player in the DAW then add the libraries to Kontakt and use those instruments.

Alternatively you can choose an easier Daw for beginners such as Ableton Live and FL Studio. Both have small download (3GB, 1GB respectively) and comes with stock orchestral sounds, OK but not great. Rest you can use the Kontakt Player similarly with free sample libraries in both of them.

If you want live playing as in background music of a theatre use Ableton Live. You can get stock Orchestral sounds (can use Kontakt Player too) and load different sample instruments in different slots of session view and with little manipulation from laptop mouse can change instruments at will and play different sounds.

If you had a midi keyboard like novation or something reputed, they map to Ableton automatically. You can map the instruments to the keyboard PADS and change them at will to play different instruments at least 8 to 16

 

You can also use the spitfire free plugin BBC Symphony Orrchestra Discover inside both Ableton Live and FL Studio and they sound great

 

I appreciate your helpful reply. Will definitely try. LOL!