Alternative orchestral articulations

One of the most musically inspiring things to have happened in recent years is that ‘orchestral sample libraries’ have evolved to the point where the articulations they offer go several steps beyond standard legato, staccato and pizzicato articulations. For those looking to place some of the techniques explored here in the context of film music and/or sound design for picture, it’s well worth seeking out those libraries which offer a more textural approach to scoring, as alternative articulations offer a way to use or layer more experimental and less strident orchestral sections. Of particular note are libraries such as Spitfire Audio’s Albion V Tundra and Ólafur Arnalds Chamber Evolutions. The former offers a number of super-fragile, glassy and haunting patches, from gentle ricochets, to sul tasto and flautando recordings which float into a mix with calm authority. The latter contains Chamber Waves patches, which offer a series of looped phases in narrow key ranges allowing you to build subtle undulating movement.