Garritan Instant Orchestra User manual
A User’s Guide to
GARRITAN
INSTANT ORCHESTRA
Orchestral Combinations, Mashups, & Effects
Including the ARIATM Player
Copyright © 2011 by Garritan Corp. All rights reserved.
Produced by: Gary Garritan
Concepts and Programming: Robert Davis
Director of Programming: Chad Beckwith
Sample Editing: Jeannot Welter
ARIA Engine Development: Plogue Art et Technologie, Inc.
Additional Programming: Eric Patenaude, Jeff Hurchalla
Document Editing: Prof. Jim Williams
Testing: e Extraordinary Team of Beta Testers
Art Direction and Graphics: James Mireau
Project Management: Max Deland
This guide written by: Gary Garritan
Garritan Instant Orchestra™ is a trademark of Garritan Corp. Use of the Garritan Instant Orchestra library and
the contents herein are subject to the terms and conditions of the license agreement distributed with the library.
You should read the license agreement carefully before using this product. e sounds presented in Garritan Instant
Orchestra are protected by copyright and may not be distributed, whether modified or unmodified. ARIA™ is a
trademark of Garritan and Plogue Art et Technologie Inc., Finale is a trademark of MakeMusic, Inc., Steinway™ is a
trademark of Steinway & Sons, and any other trademarks of third-party programs are trademarks of their respective
owners. No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced, or otherwise transmitted or recorded, for any purpose, without prior written permission by Garritan Corporation. e information contained herein may change
without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Garritan Corporation.
Garritan Instant Orchestra
Garritan Corporation
P.O. Box 400, Orcas, WA 98280 USA
e-mail: info@garritan.com
Visit us on the World Wide Web at: www.garritan.com
12/19/2011
A User’s Guide to
Garritan instant Orchestra
JUST ADD IMAGINATION!
ORCHESTRAL COMBINATIONS, MASHUPS, AND EFFECTS
Including the ARIATM Player
Table of Contents
Welcome to Garritan Instant Orchestra 6
Garritan Instant Orchestra at a Glance 7
End User License Agreement 9
What the Instant Orchestra Package Includes 10
How to Use is Manual 10
Further Documentation and Resources 11
Specifications & Computer System Requirements 12
Updating to the Latest Version 14
Goals and Future Plans 14
INSTALLATION & ACTIVATION 15
Quick Reference Installation 16
Quick Reference Activation 18
ABOUT GARRITAN INSTANT ORCHESTRA 21
e Concept Behind Instant Orchestra 22
How Is Instant Orchestra Different from Personal Orchestra? 24
at Quintessential “Hollywood Sound” 25
PLAYING GARRITAN INSTANT ORCHESTRA 29
Playing Garritan Instant Orchestra 30
How to Load Instruments 31
Making Sounds 33
1. Using the Virtual Onscreen Keyboard 33
2. Using a MIDI Keyboard 34
3. Using Instant Orchestra as a Plug-In 35
4. Using Instant Orchestra with Notation Programs 36
INSTRUMENT CONTROLS & SETTINGS 37
Getting Around the ARIA Player Interface 38
Basic Controls 40
Expression Switch 40
Volume & Attack Controls 41
Solo/Mute Buttons 43
Volume Sliders 43
ADSR - Attack, Decay, Sustain, & Release 44
Low-Pass & Hi-Pass Filters 46
Vibrato Control 46
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User’s Guide to Garritan Instant Orchestra
Saturation Control 46
Brightness Control 46
Stereo Stage Control 47
Blend Controls 47
Timbre (EQ) Controls 48
Delay Controls for Percussion 48
Reverberation 49
ENSEMBLE PRESETS / MOODS 51
Loading Ensemble Presets 52
List of Ensemble Presets - Combos & FX 53
List of Ensemble Presets - Moods 57
DIRECTORY OF INSTRUMENT PATCHES & COMBINATIONS 61
Blending Textures (CC Controlled) 62
Brass Instruments 65
Choir Instruments 66
Effects Patches 66
Harps & Harp Effects 68
Keyboard Instruments 69
Mixtures 70
Percussion Instruments 72
Pitched Percussion Instruments 73
String Instruments 74
Woodwind Instruments 76
CODA 77
Conclusion 78
Getting Help 79
e Garritan Community 80
Acknowledgements 81
Downloadable Libraries and Other Garritan Sounds 83
Free Interactive Orchestration Course 84
User’s Guide to Garritan Instant Orchestra
5
Welcome to Garritan Instant Orchestra
Admit it! Many of us have had a dream of scoring a musical production or a feature film of epic
proportions. is dream can be a reality if you study music, work hard, and have the right contacts
and tools at your disposal. Part of realizing that aspiration is to have the sounds and tools you need to
transform your creative ideas. Whether it be access to a real orchestra or sampled sounds, or doing a
demo or a film score, the sounds you use are very important.
I will be the first to admit that I am not the most disciplined musician when it comes to making
music. You would think that as a sample library producer, I would have figured out some time-saving
tricks, but no! -- if anything, things have become more complex and time-consuming than ever.
ere are times that I wanted to have the larger-than-life symphonic sounds in an instant, without
any complex hassles. To create virtual orchestrations one often needs to set up many sequencing
tracks and MIDI channels, organize a huge virtual instrument collection or database, scroll though
numerous articulations, play in the various instruments and articulations on the various tracks, combine sounds and player instances, add panning and effects, painstakingly mix your creation, etc.
ere is so much complexity, feature-creep, and bloatware that can get in the way of creativity, and it
is time-consuming to figure it all out.
And time is more precious than ever these days. I’m sure many of you are familiar with the idea of
crunch time. What if a client needs an orchestral mockup now? Or you have a deadline that is fast
approaching and you don’t have time to be mired in time-consuming complexity? What to do?
Voila! An Instant Orchestra!
Garritan Instant Orchestra is about producing orchestral music instantly and easily. Our goal is to
provide an instantly playable orchestral library with many pre-packaged orchestral sounds.
is library was designed to be an effective shortcut to reach your musical goals. Consider it as a Swiss
army knife for musicians - a clean, simple, multi-purpose orchestral tool that will allow you to do
many things in an instant. Moreover, it is affordable and fulfills our mission of democratizing and
simplifying making music and orchestrating.
Whether you’re in your studio or anywhere around the globe, Instant Orchestra will make sure that
you’re equipped for your musical adventures. It is my hope that Garritan Instant Orchestra will help
you realize your musical dreams.
Yours in music,
Yours in music,
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User’s Guide to Garritan Instant Orchestra
Garritan Instant Orchestra at a Glance
ank you for choosing Garritan Instant Orchestra. e following summary presents some of the
outstanding features of the Garritan Instant Orchestra:
Your Own “Instant Orchestra” – Just add imagination! – Garritan Instant Orchestra is a
•
must-have library that offers an easy way to make super-quick orchestrations in minutes--from
start to finish. is sample-based collection contains useful, pre-packaged orchestral instrument
combinations and effects: bombastic brass, ultra-lush strings, low-octave rumblings, spooky
wind textures, mega-hits, wild overlays, silvery choruses, spacey pianos, light glissy harps, a
cathedral orchestra, delicate ensembles, ethereal textures, chaotic whirls, rises, glissandi, chord
clusters, and much more. Instant Orchestra is an extremely inspiring orchestral tool for achieving the larger-than-life orchestral sounds associated with film, games, TV scoring, and music
productions.
Intuitive and Easy to Use – Orchestration has never been so easy – e premise of Instant
•
Orchestra is to make orchestrating easier, with minimal effort and without the complex hassle
of sequencing and setups. Everything is pretty much orchestrated for you and ready to go - just
load your sounds and play! e library does not assume any prior knowledge of scoring music
or orchestrating. You can go from small to massive orchestrations very easily, with little loading
and instant results. is collection is a perfect supplement to Garritan Personal Orchestra and
other Garritan libraries.
Everything is built and ready to go with pre-made combinations – e focus of Garritan
•
Instant Orchestra is on pre-packaged instrument mixtures. Rather than providing individual
solo instruments for ensemble-building, Garritan Instant Orchestra carefully mixes orchestral
instruments from various instrument families - playing in unison, in octaves, and tutti. ese
orchestral combinations range from light, delicate sounds to big, epic patches, all of which can
fill out any orchestral gaps in your music. Immediacy drives the entire product.
Orchestral Special Effects – Garritan Instant Orchestra includes many special orchestral ef-
•
fects in strings, brass, woodwinds, and percussion that you often hear in movies. ese effects
consist of glissandi, rips, clusters, harmonics, instruments playing in non-traditional ways, and
techniques that cannot be created with individual samples. ese types of effects are vital to
film and game composers.
User’s Guide to Garritan Instant Orchestra
7
Ensemble Presets Tailored for Certain Moods – You can access various pre-configured instru-
•
mental combinations tailored for certain moods and genres. ese useful presets are ready to go
and range from intimate to monstrous, spooky to sublime, and can evoke many emotions. e
Ensemble Manager makes it easy to load pre-configured and user-created templates.
Sample Player with Disc Streaming – e entire Garritan Instant Orchestra library is in-
•
tegrated into the ARIA Player and works as a software musical instrument. ere is no need
to purchase a separate sample player. Garritan Instant Orchestra also features the Conexant®
Endless Wave™ technology for hard disc streaming of multiple combinations for large orchestrations.
Instant Download – Garritan Instant Orchestra is affordable, eco-friendly, and available on
•
demand. Simply download and play! ere’s no shipping, no waiting, and no box to discard.
Downloadable instruments represent a small step toward a better earth - but a giant step for
creativity.
Universal Format – Garritan Instant Orchestra supports all popular formats, both on Mac
•
and PC, as a standalone program or as a plug-in (VST, RTAS, and OSX Audio Units), and
works with supported notation programs such as MakeMusic FinaleTM.
Easy to Use and Suited for Every Musician – Garritan Instant Orchestra provides a practical
•
shortcut towards orchestrating, so that anyone can create extraordinary orchestrations quickly
and inexpensively. Busy professional composers who are short on time can use this collection to
sketch creative ideas and concepts at a moment’s notice. Beginners, hobbyists, and those with
little knowledge of orchestration can make impressive, professional-sounding orchestrations in
minutes. Whether you are a professional Hollywood composer or a beginner who cannot read
music, you now have at your fingertips an amazing and inspiring orchestral tool. Instant Orchestra provides a worry-free, time-saving approach that will maximize your creative output.
Instant Orchestra is Addicting and Fun!
•
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User’s Guide to Garritan Instant Orchestra
End User License Agreement
Please read the terms of the following software licensing agreement before using this software. By installing and
loading these products on your computer you acknowledge that you have read this license agreement, understand the agreement, and agree to its terms and conditions. If you do not agree to these terms and conditions,
do not install or use the sounds contained herein. is is the complete agreement between you and Garritan
Corporation that supersedes any other representations or prior agreements, whether oral or in writing.
An important thing to understand is that YOU ARE OBTAINING A LICENSE FOR YOUR USE ONLY—
THE SOUNDS DO NOT BELONG TO YOU. e implications are described below. e sounds, samples,
and programming in Garritan Instant Orchestra remain the sole property of Garritan and are licensed (not
sold) to you.
What You May Do: You may use these sounds in recordings, music productions, public performances, and
for other reasonable musical purposes within musical compositions. You may use these sounds in your own
musical compositions as much as you like without any need to pay Garritan Corporation or obtain further
permission. If you do use these sounds, we ask that you include the following credits in any written materials
or credits accompanying your music that utilizes material from
credits, etc.): “Instrument samples used in this recording are from Garritan Instant Orchestra”—or a similar credit
where practicable. You are allowed a maximum of four (4) installations per purchase.
What You May Not Do: e enclosed sounds may not be re-used in any commercial sample library or compet-
itive product. You are absolutely forbidden to duplicate, copy, distribute, transfer, upload, download, trade, or
loan this software or any of the contents in any way to anyone. You may not redistribute this product in whole
or in part through an archive, collection, through the Internet, or a binaries group, newsgroup, or any type of
removable media, or through a network. You may not resell the product without written permission and payment of an additional fee. e sounds and samples contained within this software may not be edited, modified, digitally altered, re-synthesized, or manipulated without direct written consent from Garritan Corp.
ere will be no refunds once installed and registered.
Garritan
Instant Orchestra (CD booklet, film
Disclaimers and Conditions:
and this license is not transferable unless there is written consent from Garritan Corporation and payment of
an additional fee. e sounds of Garritan
Player and will not work with any other sampler. Licensor will not be responsible if the content of this product
does not fit the particular purpose of the Licensee. Please make sure before installing this item that it meets your
needs, as there are no refunds. Information contained herein is subject to change without notice and does not
represent a commitment on the part of Garritan Corporation. e sounds are licensed “as is” without warranties of any kind. Neither Garritan Corporation, nor any agent or distributor, can be held responsible for any
direct or indirect or consequential loss arising from the use of this product in whatever form. e ARIA Player is
covered by the installer’s End User License Agreement and is incorporated by reference. e terms of this license
shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the United States of America and the State of Washington.
e user agrees to read the manual before seeking technical support and to make sure his or her system meets or
exceeds the recommended requirements. Garritan
than manufacturing defects. Again, there will be no refunds once installed and registered.
User’s Guide to Garritan Instant Orchestra
A right to use Garritan
Instant Orchestra
Instant Orchestra
Instant Orchestra
will only work with the bundled Garritan ARIA
may not be returned for any reason other
is granted to the original end-user only,
9
What the Instant Orchestra Package Includes
is Instant Orchestra library includes the following:
e “Garritan ARIA Player” installer file that contains the ARIA Player software and the ARIA
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User’s Manual in PDF form.*
e “Garritan Instant Orchestra” installer file that contains the Garritan Instant Orchestra
•
sound library and Garritan Instant Orchestra User’s Guide in PDF form.
If you have not received an Activation Keycard by e-mail, a unique serial number is provided
•
so that you can register the product and receive a keycard. Don’t lose this—store it in a safe
place! You may have received this serial number through a reseller if you ordered a download
version through them.
* Note: Please make sure to get the latest ARIA Player update. Periodic updates are always being
made. Log onto your account at www.garritan.com to get the very latest.
Important: Before you begin the installation, make sure you have read the End User License Agreement in the preceding pages. By installing the software you are indicating you agree to the terms of the
license.
How To Use is Manual
e goal of this manual is to help you learn how to use the various instruments contained in Garritan Instant Orchestra and use the controls to play the instruments. Although many dislike reading
manuals, if you wish to get the most out of this new library it is essential to read this manual. Doing
so will help you understand how to use this software library. e operation of many of the essential
features may not be obvious to some and we realize many are not music technologists.
e ARIA Player has a separate manual that can be found in the same directory as this file. Please
refer to the separate ARIA Player User’s Guide to find out how to register, activate, and use ARIA.
e ARIA User’s Guide is an important part of the documentation.
We’ll do our best to make it easy for you to use this manual and to provide information about the
various orchestral sounds, combinations, effects, and modes of control. And, of course, by no means
can mastering orchestration or specific techniques be taught from this or any other manual. But do
not be afraid to experiment, as this library does not require in-depth knowledge of orchestration.
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User’s Guide to Garritan Instant Orchestra
You can refer to this manual whenever you wish. It is provided in digital form as an Adobe Acrobat
document file (also known as a PDF) that can be viewed on a computer monitor or printed. If you
do not have the Adobe Acrobat Reader, it is available free from www.adobe.com. A digital manual is
eco-friendly and can be updated easily. If you need to have a paper copy, you can print this document
or order one at www.lulu.com. A printed copy can be a handy reference.
e easiest way to obtain the information you seek is to use the Bookmarks pane along the left side
of this PDF document. By opening the Bookmarks pane, you can go to the various topics from the
section names. With a PDF document, you can also zoom in to make the page larger to see more
details or zoom out to see multiple pages at once.
Further Documentation and Resources
For the latest information, including additional documentation and updates, visit our support pages
at www.garritan.com/support. ere you can find updated information provided after the manual
was written, corrections or additions to this manual, FAQ pages with answers to common questions,
suggestions from the users of Garritan software, and news about upcoming Garritan releases. Please
also refer to the separate ARIA Player manual that contains important information about using the
ARIA Player. You can also visit the Garritan Forums for up-to-date information at: www.garritan.
com/forum.html. Please send any reports of errors in this manual or suggestions for improvement to
info@garritan.com.
User’s Guide to Garritan Instant Orchestra
11
Specifications & Computer System Requirements
e following table lists the computer and hardware requirements for using Garritan Instant Orchestra. You can use Garritan Instant Orchestra on most modern personal computers that meet the specifications listed below. ese specifications provide the minimum standards. For optimal functioning, we recommend you have a powerful enough computer with a fast CPU (Core 2 Duo or more
recommended), a fast hard drive, and a sufficient amount of RAM. Please also observe the system
requirements of your host application, notation program, or sequencing program, if applicable. See
the Garritan forum or web site if you are looking for recommendations or more information.
Computer System Requirements
Computer Operating System Hardware
Windows PCMicrosoft Windows 7
Microsoft Windows XP
(SP2 or SP3 recommended)
Microsoft Windows Vista
Core 2 Duo CPU or better recommended.
•
2 GB RAM recommended to play complex combinations. ere is a
•
direct correlation between the number of sounds that can be loaded
and the amount of available RAM.
3 GB of free hard drive space.
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Hard drive speed of at least 7200 RPM preferred.
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Internet connection for download version, DVD-ROM drive required
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for boxed version installation.
Monitor with 1,024x768 resolution or better.
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A professional sound card compatible with ASIO 2.
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A MIDI interface may be required if you are using a MIDI keyboard.
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Many keyboards now use USB.
e ability to assign controllers within your keyboard, music program,
•
or sequencer is recommended.
High-quality speakers and amplifier, or high-quality headphones.
•
Internet connection for downloads, updates, and online registration.
•
Mac Mac OS X 10.5 minimum
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Mac Intel CPU or better, Mac OSX 10.5 minimum.
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2 GB RAM recommended to play
•
direct correlation between the number of sounds that can be loaded
and the amount of available RAM.
3 GB of free hard drive space.
•
Hard drive speed of at least 7200 RPM preferred.
•
Internet connection for download version, DVD-ROM drive
•
required for boxed version installation.
Monitor with 1,024x768 resolution or better.
•
A professional sound card compatible with Core Audio.
•
A MIDI interface may be required if you are using a MIDI keyboard.
•
Many keyboards now use USB.
e ability to assign controllers within your keyboard, music program,
•
or sequencer is recommended.
High-quality speakers and amplifier, or high-quality headphones.
•
Internet connection for downloads, updates, and online registration.
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complex combinations. ere is a
User’s Guide to Garritan Instant Orchestra
e quality of your sound card will have a significant effect on the quality of the sound you will hear
from Garritan Instant Orchestra. It will also have a substantial effect on performance (both latency
and polyphony). erefore, a good sound card is one of the most important components in optimiz-
ing the sound and performance of Garritan Instant Orchestra. In theory, many audio or sound cards
that the manufacturer supports for your operating system and computer, and that have good drivers,
should work. However, you are unlikely to get the best sonic results from a sound card designed for
computer games or system sounds. Most computers come with a consumer-grade sound card, and
we recommend that you get a good quality sound card beyond the one built into your computer.
A low-latency sound card with ASIO 2.0 or WDM/WaveRT drivers (Windows) or Core Audio driv-
ers (Mac) is required for Garritan Instant Orchestra to work as a standalone program. ese drivers
are normally installed with the sound card, or the most recent versions can be acquired from the
manufacturer’s web site. Contact the manufacturer of your sound card for more information.
If you are using Garritan Instant Orchestra within a host music program (such as a notation program
like MakeMusic FinaleTM, DAW, and/or sequencing program), there may be additional resource re-
quirements. Please also observe the system requirements of your host application, if applicable. e
demands of various other processing software (including the sequencer, audio and effects processors,
other plug-ins, and so on) can affect functionality.
e quality of the audio amplifier and speakers is extremely important; there is little point in expend-
ing a great deal on a high-end computer system and sound card but using inferior personal computer
speakers. Good-quality speakers are important for faithfully reproducing the sound of an orchestra.
e orchestra has a very wide dynamic and timbral range
User’s Guide to Garritan Instant Orchestra
13
Updating to the Latest Version
Be sure to check the Garritan web site for any possible updates that may have occurred since the time
your software was manufactured. Software is frequently updated and a more recent version may be
available. After the library has been installed, it needs to be activated. You are given a 30-day grace
period for each library before activation is required, but it is recommended that you activate as soon
as possible.
Goals and Future Plans
Garritan Instant Orchestra was developed to make it easy to create instant orchestrations and to make
orchestration accessible to everyone, just as Personal Orchestra made a symphony orchestra available
to everyone.
is library is a first step and there is more that could be done. If this first release is well received and
there is a demand for more, we will add more instrument combinations and sounds in the future. If
you have suggestions for future features or improvements, please let us know.
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User’s Guide to Garritan Instant Orchestra
INSTALLATION
and ACTIVATION
Quick Reference Installation
Below is just a quick reference for installing Garritan Instant Orchestra. For a complete reference
and guide to installing the ARIA Player, please refer to the separate ARIA User’s Guide included
with Garritan Instant Orchestra.
Installing Garritan Instant Orchestra is a three-part process:
3 Steps for Installing Garritan Instant Orchestra:
Step 1. ARIA Installation
•
Step 2. Sound Library Installation
•
Step 3. Activation
•
Installing the ARIA Player and the sound library are now two separate processes. ARIA first is in-
stalled, then the Instant Orchestra sound library.
PC Setup: To begin, extract the contents of the zip file you downloaded to a folder of your choos-
ing, then click on the .exe application icon and follow the on-screen prompts. If you have the
DVD version just double-click the .exe file.
Mac Setup: To begin, open up the mpkg installer from the installation zip file and follow the on-
screen prompts. If you have the DVD version, double-click on the installer icon.
You will be given the option to install several components:
Standalone will load the Garritan ARIA Player as its own software program. You can play instruments,
•
record basic MIDI, and render audio files.
VST Plug-in will let you load Garritan ARIA Player as a VST plug-in to use with sequencers such as
•
Cubase, Sonar, and Reaper, as well as notation programs such as MakeMusic FinaleTM.
AU Plug-in (Mac only) will let you load Garritan ARIA Player as an Audio Units plug-in within hosts
•
such as Logic and Digital Performer.
RTAS Plug-in will let you use Garritan ARIA Player in Pro Tools M-Powered, LE, and HD.
•
Once you have selected your plug-in installation options, you can specify which parts of the library
you want installed. We recommend you install the entire library.
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User’s Guide to Garritan Instant Orchestra
At this point, you can sit back and let the installer do the work. If you have the download version,
you can delete the extraction folder once Garritan Instant Orchestra is successfully installed. Before
doing so, however, we suggest you make a backup copy of the installation zip file and put it in a safe
place. If anything happens to your computer, you can reinstall Garritan Instant Orchestra from the
discs or the backup file.
IMPORTANT!
Please do not cancel setup after installation begins, otherwise a partial, broken installation may result.
User’s Guide to Garritan Instant Orchestra
17
Quick Reference Activation
Garritan Instant Orchestra features an innovative Drag and Drop authorization system. Upon launch-
ing Instant Orchestra for the first time you will be asked to activate it. Clicking yes will launch your
browser and bring you to the www.garritan.com web site. Here are the steps to activate Garritan
Instant Orchestra.
Create an account on www.garritan.com if you have not already done so, and log in to your
•
account. (Note: If you have purchased Garritan Instant Orchestra directly through Garritan
you already have an account and received a keycard.)
A unique serial number is provided by your reseller (if you did not buy direct), so that you can
•
register the product and retrieve your activation keycard PNG image. Follow the on-screen
instructions to enter your serial number and proceed to download your keycard.
Save the keycard PNG to your desktop and launch the ARIA Player in standalone mode.
•
With ARIA Player’s screen open, literally click and drag the keycard PNG icon from the desk-
•
top onto the ARIA Player screen. You will see the successful authorization!
18
Drag and Drop Keycard PNG icon from the Desktop onto the Garritan Instant Orchestra ARIA
Player
User’s Guide to Garritan Instant Orchestra
Alternative: Drag and Drop from your Browser
Another method would be to drag and drop the personalized keycard PNG image from your browser
(when logged into your account) onto the ARIA Player. Dragging and dropping your keycard may
not work with all browsers and you should try the previous method first.
Another Alternative: Import the Keycard
You can also use the import option of an instrument selection slot and select the keycard PNG im-
age. You will see the successful authorization after import.
Note: You can transfer your keycard PNG image file to a flash drive if your music computer does
not have internet access. It will also be e-mailed to you.
IMPORTANT!
e keycard has your personal information. Don’t lose this—we recommend saving your personalized
keycard to a safe place for future installations.
For more information about installation and activation, please refer to the ARIA User’s Manual.
User’s Guide to Garritan Instant Orchestra
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20
User’s Guide to Garritan Instant Orchestra
ABOUT
GARRITAN
INSTANT ORCHESTRA
e Concept Behind Instant Orchestra
Garritan Instant Orchestra has three main parts:
Orchestral Combinations and Groups,
1.
Orchestral Effects, and
2.
Mood-based Ensemble Presets.
3.
1. Orchestral Combinations and Groups
A major part of Garritan Instant Orchestra consists of the various sections of a symphony orchestra
playing in unison, in octaves, and tutti. ese playable patches can be homogenous or can combine
various instrument families to achieve a desired sound.
e focus of the Orchestral Combinations and Groups is on consonance, harmony, and euphony
- where instruments play together and in concert.
ese Combinations and Groups can make your sound larger and fill out any orchestral gaps in your
music that are lacking with traditional libraries. is empowers you to make larger-than-life orches-
tral arrangements.
2. Orchestral Special Effects (dissonance)
Another major part of Instant Orchestra consists of special effects in the strings, brass, woodwinds,
and percussion instruments. ese are the types of special effects that you often hear in movies, such
as various glissandi, rips, weird clusters, harmonics, textures, aleatoric sounds, instruments playing in
non-traditional ways, and techniques that cannot be created with individual samples.
e focus of the Orchestral Special Effects is on dissonance and atonality. ese inharmonious tex-
tures are performed by different sections of the orchestra, and are valuable sounds for film, television,
and game composers.
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User’s Guide to Garritan Instant Orchestra
3. Mood-based Ensemble Presets
Instant Orchestra includes “Ensemble Presets” that contain a collection of useful, pre-configured
instrumental combinations tailored for certain moods.
Musical moods and styles are important for composers and serve a variety of purposes. Music is used
to set moods, enhance plot points, and create emotions that reinforce the visual images on the screen
or stage.
Ensemble presets can give you a quick and easy “head start” to setting up a group of instruments.
Each file loads a selection of Orchestral Combinations and/or Orchestral Special Effects, (up to 16
patches) along with levels, pan, reverb, and other settings. ese Ensemble presets are named for pos-
sible cinematic moods, so you navigate based on the feel you want.
User’s Guide to Garritan Instant Orchestra
23
How Is Instant Orchestra Different From Personal Orchestra?
ink of Instant Orchestra as a perfect complement to Garritan Personal Orchestra.
Garritan Personal Orchestra’s focus is on individual solo instruments. With Personal Orchestra you
build your own sections using expressive individual solo instruments.
Instant Orchestra is for those who do not want to spend time creating their own sections or instru-
mental blends. It provides pre-packaged groups of instruments, combining sections, orchestral ef-
fects, and mood-based ensembles. Instant Orchestra is more about instant gratification with fewer
controls to master. e idea is to provide big, playable, epic patches with the least time and effort.
Instant Orchestra fills a void in orchestral libraries and happens to play very well with Garritan Per-
sonal Orchestra.
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User’s Guide to Garritan Instant Orchestra
at Quintessential “Hollywood Sound”
e ‘Hollywood sound’ means many things to many people. e general understanding is that the
Hollywood sound means dramatic, cinematic music. We can all remember the scores from Ben-Hur,
Gone with the Wind, e Magnificent Seven, High Noon, Casablanca, Star Wars, and so many other
classics that have graced the silver screen.
And the Hollywood sound has expanded beyond the confines of film. Massive orchestrations can be
heard in television, video games, theatre, pop music, and other entertainment. Whether it is a roman-
tic comedy or an epic action/adventure, music plays an important part in the show. It sets the mood
for the production and, in some instances, can even overshadow the movie for which it was made.
ere are many resources available to get one started on the way to producing a cinematic sound -
excellent sample libraries, great sounding DAWs, effects plug-ins, and other products can help create
innovative cinematic soundscapes.
But producing this quintessential sound has more to do with several elements - the writing and skill
of the composer, the instrumentation, and the mixing and post-production. ese are discussed
briefly below:
Skill - Writing, Arranging, and Orchestrating
e most important things for achieving a Hollywood sound are the writing and the arranging. at
is why top Hollywood composers are in demand. Film and television composers are diverse in their
writing, running the gamut from big epic scores to intimate light-heartedness. e composer cap-
tures the emotion and matches the appropriate music to what is happening on the screen. e music
adapts to the ever-changing action on the screen and often changes mood at a moment’s notice. It
takes a great deal of knowledge, skill, and experience, and this is why top film composers are sought
after.
e orchestral sounds at the disposal of the composer should be able to express what the composer
wants to convey.
User’s Guide to Garritan Instant Orchestra
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Instrumentation - e Orchestra and Instruments Used
Music for film and television has its roots in classical music and typical orchestral instrumentation.
Orchestras are still used in many film and television studios.
In its heyday, Hollywood music became influenced by movie adaptations of Broadway shows that
became popular during Hollywood’s Golden Age. Jazz and other influences came into film and tele-
vision as well. It was the mixture of the classical with the popular and the exotic, plus some cinematic
expansiveness, that contributed to forging the Hollywood sound. As film budgets grew, it seems the
orchestra increased as well.
e Hollywood sound is often larger than life because instrumentation in films can sometimes be
larger than a typical orchestra in a concert hall. If you look at the size of the orchestras of some block-
buster films this becomes apparent. Star Wars reputedly used 110 players, King Kong used108 players,
and Batman Returns employed 90 players.
Garritan Instant Orchestra focuses on providing a large number of instruments for a large, epic
sound, but is flexible enough to work for tender and soft moments as well. We tried to provide a
sound palette that is flexible enough to meet a wide variety of instrumentation requirements.
Effects, Mixing, and Post-Production
Like anything Hollywood, much of the sound has to do with effects and production. Soundtracks are
often recorded on a soundstage with many spot mikes. It is very rare that soundtracks are recorded
in a traditional concert hall. Concert halls are designed for live orchestral performance and there are
reasons soundstages are preferred over the traditional concert hall for film music. Engineers sync up
the video of the film cue with the orchestral music. With spot-miking and multi-tracking, it is easy to
control every aspect of the sound, so that every instrument blends perfectly with what is happening
on the screen. e engineer can control the mix, add EQ or compression, adjust the reverb, or add
other effects to the sound as needed. Many films use electronica and ethnic instrumentation, so it’s
important for a sample library to be able to complement those sounds. It is important that the sound
palette be able to take effects and processing and blend with other sounds.
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User’s Guide to Garritan Instant Orchestra
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