One important thing I forgot to say - Make sure to use Reverb, there's no way you can simulate ambiance without it. Also, follow me on Twitch if you want me to make Live Track Reviews! - www.twitch.tv/alexmoukala
Hi Alex. You are admirable composer and you make great and very useful content. Sadly it's a bit hard for me to get what are you saying by voice (I'm Russian, not a native English speaker), so I try to get the thoughts from visual events mostly. Maybe you do have some text based tutorials in any forms?
Nikita Ember Hey! I've asked only a question about if there some or not and I haven't asked anything to help me personally. So I do not see the reason for those who weren't asked to be so rude.
@@RobinsMusic It's a riff on another line from guards in the game Skyrim, like the original comment. Tho original is; "Guard might get nervous, man approaches with his weapon drawn."
I know this is an older video, but you might enjoy Dungeon Synth, if you can get past the relatively "bad" sample quality. (Usually, in Dungeon Synth, lower quality synthetic orchestra sounds are used as a "callback" or tribute to old-school video game music.) A lot of the music in this genre is more relaxed or mellow, even when they have more "exciting" melodies, it's music that's written to evoke an atmosphere, and is usually appropriate as background music for a game of Dungeons and Dragons. Some DS music also uses synth sounds that aren't supposed to sound orchestral, and might be a good place to get ideas for how to use synths in the context of fantasy, albeit, in a more "lo-fi" approach
Amazing video Alex! I was wondering what headphones do you usually use when making music? Planning to buy one but don't know which one to choose from. Some tips would be great. Thanks!
@@Platypus_egg Kinda lol, imagery like that could be used to portray the idea in a appealing and consumable manner for audiences on RUclips. I was just learning a new fantasie at the time of seeing this so the first thing that popped into my head was "the musical form" and not "stylistic choices to create the atmosphere of medieval times". It should have been obvious but I had already hardwired my mind towards the former.
Hey Alex, If I compose a song like this I find myself spending a LOT of time (maybe even most time) getting all the sounds to synchronous. Quantizing doesn't always work since some samples have a lot of attack. What is your workflow in this process?
I made a video of me composing this whole thing from scratch, maybe that'll help: ruclips.net/video/mPJVHU4584o/видео.html To solve that matter though, I just drag some notes to start slightly before so their slow attack syncs well with the rest.
Most DAW sequencers have delay compensation to solve that kind of problem on each track. Also on some libraries you can adjust the sample start internally. Most sure way is to do it within your DAW.
Thanks Zahari, this is indeed what I use often (region delay in Logic Pro X). But my point was how much time I spent on doing it... it's literally hours for a track of 10 minutes, and then when I listen to it the next day, I still find stuff wrong with timing... :(
Storytime Symphony - Are you saying you are doing it on a per region basis? Don't you delay the entire track instead? It is in the inspector *below* the _Region: MIDI Defaults_ . Look for it under *Track:* where the MIDI Channel is set, Transpose, Velocity, etc. and also you'll see _Delay_ in milliseconds (ms).
Zahari Shtonov Yes but this is actually not what costs me most time. It is the individual notes that are hard to get right, espcially when you use a midi controller and don’t want everything too quantised.
Do you have a video about why you choose to use FL STUDIO ? I am using Logic Pro and I love it. Would you be able to share why you choose FL STUDIO ? Thanks !
i struggle hard how to start, ok piano, but what riffs/chords. i push 3 keys ok, but i fell into making all into a 4bar loop, like all into the step sequenzer,...when i seperate them and start modeling i lost my passion on it, and lose the focus goal i had befoe when i match the whole thing in one, maybe YOU can help to find how to build up a track before losing focus or mind. a better overview in mind i need, when i start piano or strings whats nex to hype the structure in line. hope i could explane my thoughts, you very great musician !
Hey Alex, thank you for doing this tutorial! I have a question: what is the instrument that you use for Sub Bass? I didn't catch that if you mentioned it.
*Zahari* if you get a chance check out the sub bass in UVI.net Falcon - I'm sure there are many great ones out there. Omnisphere also has a really nice one called Taurus Sub Tuba!
It's just a patch I made with Juggernaut, but you can create Sub Basses with a simple sine wave. I explain that in this video: ruclips.net/video/jbTSbUp7Uyc/видео.html
Thank you guys for your reply! *Steven* - I love UVI! I have 3 or 4 of their instruments and their Sparkverb plug-in which is superb! I have Omnisphere and I am going to check this Taurus Sub Tuba patch you are talking about :) *Alex* - I'll definitely go and watch that video of yours! Your explanations rock! Thanks again!
The music is nice but i wonder why you organize your screen that way, for example the brass part happen in just one moment but the piano roll box ocupy all the screen. Why that ?
So what software is he using to write this? I’m using mix craft but I don’t really like it and want something more advanced, or at least something that sounds better
Hey Alex, I've been watching a lot of your tutorials and stuff on orchestration and fantasy writing. I play guitar, and I've been trying (and struggling) to write a fantasy type guitar instrumental using just a couple of acoustic guitars. I was wondering if there are any tips you might have in terms of how to get that sort of "fantasy" feel on guitar? As in are there any chords or progressions you find common in that sort of music? Or is it mostly the instrumentation with harps, flutes, etc that get that feel?
Would you consider uploading your tutorials as audio somewhere? I cycle like... 1.5 hours a day, and I don't think it's safe to look at your video's while doing it. If not, and I die, IT'S YOUR FAULT ALEX :@ :)
How do you escape the “on-beat” style of Fl studio’s GUI while writing music? I can imagine it to be easier to kinda score music using Muse Score, do you just stay away from the drum sequencer view and just kinda make music looking at the playlist?
What I mean is like when I’m listening to orchestral music, it’s much easier to not always be hung up on having to be on beat. Basically my background is in making instrumentals but I recently for the past several months or so, have dived into classical music, and the history of, and wanted to start composing. I’m still learning muse score, and listening to many Compositions, I’m going by order, starting with classical, then romantic, and Impressionism, and will later go back and study Middle Ages/ Renaissance/baroque. But one dilemma I face is in the instrumental (trap/looped beats) everything is on beat, and I’ve used fl studio for a little over a decade, I’m now starting to realize how difficult it is sometimes to forget about the GUI and just make music. Now I have actually purchased the orchestral instruments yet, maybe once I actually start experimenting it will be easier. Should I just start by making music in composer view (in the scoring/muse score sense) then rewrite those compositions in fl studio?
Do what works for you. I don't have that kind of problem, but if you feel like FL Studio's GUI is triggering that sort of muscle memory in you then I think using a different approach to start a song might be a good idea. Eventually you might not need to do that anymore but it might get you on track the first times. Also, consider recording your songs with a MIDI keyboard. That's the ultimate way of escaping "the grid".
Note: If anyone is using *Logic* even with 16 GB or more of RAM, sometimes freezing tracks makes everything work much better, with a lot of software tracks going on.
Freezing tracks is the way to go. Pretty much all DAWs nowadays have that in them (Logic Pro X, Cubase, Pro Tools etc.). Not sure if FL Studio supports that, but if not one can always bounce the track in place as an audio then disable the virtual instrument or completely remove it after it was saved as a preset in case it is needed back again. Of course keep your MIDI performance as well somewhere handy. Edit: I checked and FL Studio does support freezing tracks. They call it _Consolidate Track_ . You can get it by right-clicking on the track header and chose the option. Alex has a video with 30 handy shortcuts for FL Studio here: ruclips.net/video/kZOOl8utsWM/видео.html Go to 10:09 to see the trick :)
Yeah, I'm not sure, because I was surprised to be able to bounce (all midi, no audio) at 32 bit floating, when my project was at 24 bit. But I suppose the 24 bit setting would have only applied if I had recorded real audio, like a voice or guitar, etc..
I want to become a Patron but I think your prices are too high for me. Would you consider a 3 dollar option without any extra benefits? This would at least give me the feeling I support you and your awesome vids, without draining my wallet ;)
Hey Bram, you can already pledge any amount you want on Patreon, even below of the options with added rewards, so go ahead and do that if you want! Thanks for the support. :)
I need your help sir...... I am struggling for 1years on my Music RUclips Channel. My only aim to Spread happiness all over the world and helping people to live healthier. Would you help me to do that please sir ?
Step 0: Have tonnes of money to buy actual good plugins. Well, already failed... Edit: I recommend DSK Overture for anyone who doesn't have hundreds of pounds to spend.
You won't like this answer, but it's all "good stuff". Writing music like a pro doesn't involve learning one trick that unlocks a great sound, it's about discovering as many tricks as possible and using them all. But here's your TL;DR: 1) Create a Fantasy vibe starting from instrumentation choice. 2) Write music in a way that sounds relaxing. 3) Have movement in detail to make the track interesting despite it being laid back. Want to know more about how to recreate each of those points? Then you'll have to watch the tutorial. Otherwise watch the shorter ones on the channel, even though you might not learn as much on this specific subject. :)
One important thing I forgot to say - Make sure to use Reverb, there's no way you can simulate ambiance without it.
Also, follow me on Twitch if you want me to make Live Track Reviews!
- www.twitch.tv/alexmoukala
Alex Moukala you and DJ are the only two live streamers I live for 💛
Hey alex , I think you forgot to link the 3 hour music that you said you would link :)
Iam Nobody it is among the first links in the description
Hi Alex. You are admirable composer and you make great and very useful content.
Sadly it's a bit hard for me to get what are you saying by voice (I'm Russian, not a native English speaker), so I try to get the thoughts from visual events mostly. Maybe you do have some text based tutorials in any forms?
Nikita Ember
Hey! I've asked only a question about if there some or not and I haven't asked anything to help me personally. So I do not see the reason for those who weren't asked to be so rude.
I used to be a Composer like you. But then I took an arrow to the knee.
Comment of the day. :D
Player might get nervous, game approaches with it's beautiful ambient music playing.
(wow that one was a stretch, hope the reference was picked up)
@@FerroFrog I don’t get it :(
@@RobinsMusic It's a riff on another line from guards in the game Skyrim, like the original comment.
Tho original is; "Guard might get nervous, man approaches with his weapon drawn."
HAHAHAA YESS
I learned many things thanks to this lesson. BEST Fantasy Orchestral Tutorial!!! Thank you very much!
I just love a lot what you do Alex, I hope one day I'll compose as good as you.
I love it how much effort you put into these tutorials. You really want to help us. Thank you for everything you've done Alex.
Incredible composer, thank you so much for this video
oh man need to add more details on my track. thanks for ur super helpful tutorial :D
magari non leggerai mai questo messaggio ma ci tenevo a dirti quanto hai impattato sulla mia vita, grazie alex
BRO THIS GAVE ME GOOSE BUMPS ?! FKING SAGISU IN THE WORKS .. god i love fantasy music so much
Incredible tutorial, one of the best things I've seen on RUclips for a long time. I love what you're doing here please keep it up!
You putting out a lot of content , love it ❤️
#notificationsquad
By the way, why are you sometimes using string ensembles instead of violins cellos basses violas sepperartly? :)
Thanks for all the value you giving !
The "magimetals" mentioned is actually called "Mark Tree"
Your love for final fantasy (particularly 6 and 7, which have the best music IMO) just speaks
too my soul bro
Loving your videos bro, I subbed and I am so happy that I did. You and this channel are a gem. Good luck and keep rocking.
Great tips. Thank you!
Awesome thank you beautiful piece
This was a very insightful and useful video on how to make orchestral compositions sound more alive, thanks!
I love thats tutorial, can you create more ? Please
You deserve all the support of the world !
👏👏❤
Greetings Redguard!
Final Fantasy! Dude I love this!
I know this is an older video, but you might enjoy Dungeon Synth, if you can get past the relatively "bad" sample quality. (Usually, in Dungeon Synth, lower quality synthetic orchestra sounds are used as a "callback" or tribute to old-school video game music.) A lot of the music in this genre is more relaxed or mellow, even when they have more "exciting" melodies, it's music that's written to evoke an atmosphere, and is usually appropriate as background music for a game of Dungeons and Dragons. Some DS music also uses synth sounds that aren't supposed to sound orchestral, and might be a good place to get ideas for how to use synths in the context of fantasy, albeit, in a more "lo-fi" approach
The Magic metals are called Wind chimes :)
very good
merci vous êtes super
Pumped to watch the whole thing!
Nice arrangement.
Another great video as always
beautiful track brother
Beautiful!
That track was awesome!
Also I love your mixes and mastering !! Do you have any videos about mixing and mastering ?
Thank you !
In the first ten seconds, I liked. Because he said 'Skyrimesque'
Really looking forward to epic RSM style music, Alex! :(
Amazing video Alex! I was wondering what headphones do you usually use when making music? Planning to buy one but don't know which one to choose from. Some tips would be great. Thanks!
thanks mate 👍
Again awesome video with lot of information…:)
A fantasy/fantasie is also a classical term, so this confused me quite a bit
The thumbnail should help
@@Platypus_egg Kinda lol, imagery like that could be used to portray the idea in a appealing and consumable manner for audiences on RUclips. I was just learning a new fantasie at the time of seeing this so the first thing that popped into my head was "the musical form" and not "stylistic choices to create the atmosphere of medieval times". It should have been obvious but I had already hardwired my mind towards the former.
Hey Alex,
If I compose a song like this I find myself spending a LOT of time (maybe even most time) getting all the sounds to synchronous. Quantizing doesn't always work since some samples have a lot of attack.
What is your workflow in this process?
I made a video of me composing this whole thing from scratch, maybe that'll help: ruclips.net/video/mPJVHU4584o/видео.html
To solve that matter though, I just drag some notes to start slightly before so their slow attack syncs well with the rest.
Most DAW sequencers have delay compensation to solve that kind of problem on each track. Also on some libraries you can adjust the sample start internally. Most sure way is to do it within your DAW.
Thanks Zahari, this is indeed what I use often (region delay in Logic Pro X). But my point was how much time I spent on doing it... it's literally hours for a track of 10 minutes, and then when I listen to it the next day, I still find stuff wrong with timing... :(
Storytime Symphony - Are you saying you are doing it on a per region basis? Don't you delay the entire track instead? It is in the inspector *below* the _Region: MIDI Defaults_ . Look for it under *Track:* where the MIDI Channel is set, Transpose, Velocity, etc. and also you'll see _Delay_ in milliseconds (ms).
Zahari Shtonov Yes but this is actually not what costs me most time. It is the individual notes that are hard to get right, espcially when you use a midi controller and don’t want everything too quantised.
Fantastic
Those "magimetals" you mentioned are called (wind)chimes lol
Мужик ты лучший! Спасибо
You are really cool!
7:41 a mark tree or chime tree
Do you have a video about why you choose to use FL STUDIO ? I am using Logic Pro and I love it. Would you be able to share why you choose FL STUDIO ?
Thanks !
i struggle hard how to start, ok piano, but what riffs/chords. i push 3 keys ok, but i fell into making all into a 4bar loop, like all into the step sequenzer,...when i seperate them and start modeling i lost my passion on it, and lose the focus goal i had befoe when i match the whole thing in one, maybe YOU can help to find how to build up a track before losing focus or mind. a better overview in mind i need, when i start piano or strings whats nex to hype the structure in line. hope i could explane my thoughts, you very great musician !
Incredible you making heatttttttttttttt
Hey Alex, thank you for doing this tutorial! I have a question: what is the instrument that you use for Sub Bass? I didn't catch that if you mentioned it.
*Zahari* if you get a chance check out the sub bass in UVI.net Falcon - I'm sure there are many great ones out there. Omnisphere also has a really nice one called Taurus Sub Tuba!
It's just a patch I made with Juggernaut, but you can create Sub Basses with a simple sine wave.
I explain that in this video: ruclips.net/video/jbTSbUp7Uyc/видео.html
Thank you guys for your reply!
*Steven* - I love UVI! I have 3 or 4 of their instruments and their Sparkverb plug-in which is superb! I have Omnisphere and I am going to check this Taurus Sub Tuba patch you are talking about :)
*Alex* - I'll definitely go and watch that video of yours! Your explanations rock! Thanks again!
Is there a page where I can just listen to this beautiful track?
This is art but with sound :)
The music is nice but i wonder why you organize your screen that way, for example the brass part happen in just one moment but the piano roll box ocupy all the screen. Why that ?
So what software is he using to write this? I’m using mix craft but I don’t really like it and want something more advanced, or at least something that sounds better
wow, lovely =)
nice :D
wauw....... nice........
Tnx for another valuable peices of info
Hey Alex, I've been watching a lot of your tutorials and stuff on orchestration and fantasy writing. I play guitar, and I've been trying (and struggling) to write a fantasy type guitar instrumental using just a couple of acoustic guitars. I was wondering if there are any tips you might have in terms of how to get that sort of "fantasy" feel on guitar? As in are there any chords or progressions you find common in that sort of music? Or is it mostly the instrumentation with harps, flutes, etc that get that feel?
Круто ! :D
wher do you have this small rises, crash hits, bridge whatever you call it...on 0:44 ?? what do you call it ?
Take a Crash Sound. Reverse it and after that an non reversed crash sound.
DUUUUUDE that's Terras theme from Final Fantasy!!!!!! lol
Hey Alex how do you get to modulate the dynamics with Cinematic Strings in FL (at 14:42)? The only one i can automate is the note velocity.
Would you consider uploading your tutorials as audio somewhere? I cycle like... 1.5 hours a day, and I don't think it's safe to look at your video's while doing it.
If not, and I die, IT'S YOUR FAULT ALEX :@
:)
This really doesnt sound Skyrim ish, but wayy more Oblivion-ish.
lol that was the plan :)
:D
I'd say Guild Warsish over Oblivion even
sounds more like a fantasy mmorpg to me, kind of reminds me of Ragnarok 2.
@@HeavymetalHylian ayy
I see you got FL Studio 20 :D
Can I make a song from your Tutorial and publish it in my youtube channel can you allow me ?
How do you escape the “on-beat” style of Fl studio’s GUI while writing music? I can imagine it to be easier to kinda score music using Muse Score, do you just stay away from the drum sequencer view and just kinda make music looking at the playlist?
What I mean is like when I’m listening to orchestral music, it’s much easier to not always be hung up on having to be on beat. Basically my background is in making instrumentals but I recently for the past several months or so, have dived into classical music, and the history of, and wanted to start composing. I’m still learning muse score, and listening to many Compositions, I’m going by order, starting with classical, then romantic, and Impressionism, and will later go back and study Middle Ages/ Renaissance/baroque. But one dilemma I face is in the instrumental (trap/looped beats) everything is on beat, and I’ve used fl studio for a little over a decade, I’m now starting to realize how difficult it is sometimes to forget about the GUI and just make music. Now I have actually purchased the orchestral instruments yet, maybe once I actually start experimenting it will be easier. Should I just start by making music in composer view (in the scoring/muse score sense) then rewrite those compositions in fl studio?
Do what works for you. I don't have that kind of problem, but if you feel like FL Studio's GUI is triggering that sort of muscle memory in you then I think using a different approach to start a song might be a good idea. Eventually you might not need to do that anymore but it might get you on track the first times.
Also, consider recording your songs with a MIDI keyboard. That's the ultimate way of escaping "the grid".
Ahh my brain
What version of FL Studio do you recommend in creating fantasy medieval music?
Мастер
holy moley how much ram do you have??
Note: If anyone is using *Logic* even with 16 GB or more of RAM, sometimes freezing tracks makes everything work much better, with a lot of software tracks going on.
Freezing tracks is the way to go. Pretty much all DAWs nowadays have that in them (Logic Pro X, Cubase, Pro Tools etc.). Not sure if FL Studio supports that, but if not one can always bounce the track in place as an audio then disable the virtual instrument or completely remove it after it was saved as a preset in case it is needed back again. Of course keep your MIDI performance as well somewhere handy.
Edit: I checked and FL Studio does support freezing tracks. They call it _Consolidate Track_ . You can get it by right-clicking on the track header and chose the option. Alex has a video with 30 handy shortcuts for FL Studio here:
ruclips.net/video/kZOOl8utsWM/видео.html Go to 10:09 to see the trick :)
When a midi track is frozen in Logic, is it making a temp .aiff file of that track at 32 bit floating, or something lower? What about the sample rate?
I assume it will follow whatever your project is setup to, but I am not 100% sure on that.
Yeah, I'm not sure, because I was surprised to be able to bounce (all midi, no audio) at 32 bit floating, when my project was at 24 bit. But I suppose the 24 bit setting would have only applied if I had recorded real audio, like a voice or guitar, etc..
I've fallen asleep to metal before.
I want to become a Patron but I think your prices are too high for me. Would you consider a 3 dollar option without any extra benefits? This would at least give me the feeling I support you and your awesome vids, without draining my wallet ;)
Hey Bram, you can already pledge any amount you want on Patreon, even below of the options with added rewards, so go ahead and do that if you want!
Thanks for the support. :)
Anyone care to tell the three steps?
Also timestamps timestamps timestamps would be soooo useful. :)
bruh that Jaeger VST is $600
I need your help sir...... I am struggling for 1years on my Music RUclips Channel. My only aim to Spread happiness all over the world and helping people to live healthier. Would you help me to do that please sir ?
that jaeger is 599 dollars . 😐
oh god sooo many $$$$$ in your Kontakt xDDD
Step 0: Have tonnes of money to buy actual good plugins.
Well, already failed...
Edit: I recommend DSK Overture for anyone who doesn't have hundreds of pounds to spend.
you are talking to fast i cant understand you
please make shorter videos, the titles always sound so interesting but I don't have a full hour to find the good stuff
You won't like this answer, but it's all "good stuff".
Writing music like a pro doesn't involve learning one trick that unlocks a great sound, it's about discovering as many tricks as possible and using them all.
But here's your TL;DR:
1) Create a Fantasy vibe starting from instrumentation choice.
2) Write music in a way that sounds relaxing.
3) Have movement in detail to make the track interesting despite it being laid back.
Want to know more about how to recreate each of those points? Then you'll have to watch the tutorial.
Otherwise watch the shorter ones on the channel, even though you might not learn as much on this specific subject. :)
I'm just saying if you were able to break you videos into smaller ~10 min chunks then you'd have (at least) one new watcher
Ah, got it. Thanks for your feedback Josh!
It's fine how you are doing it Alex
josh mcgee no please keep making the vids long
this is a depressive fantasy song, not relaxing...