Full Orchestra Re-creation Tips

Some people want to orchestrate an entire symphony from their computer or keyboard. ROM voices or even sampled instruments don't cut it by themselves, but you can use them to get a useable sound TV style sound ala Stargate or half of the stuff on TV. Here are some tips not everyone will tell you.

Here is an example of what you can do with plain "rom" or GM voices and alot of time tweaking.
MP3: http://www.chipcollection.com/orchestratest.mp3

Time for the tips

1. Use lots of Reverb on every instrument. They are supposed to be all in the same space.
2. When layering, respect the dynamic range of each instrument and research each instrument. For instance a violin cannot go all the way to C1.
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Range_(music) <--- Check this link
4. Use the correct panning of where each instrument lies in the orchestra.
5. Sometimes your workstation won't have enough power to play 12 violin voices at the same time. Try to fake it with a chorus filter or by using a patch that includes an entire section of the orchestra (violin and cello, double bass reeds)