Creating cinematic arrangements with Spitfire Audio’s Hans Zimmer Strings

As you might imagine from the presence of the prolific film composer’s name in the product title, Spitfire Audio’s Hans Zimmer Strings is a library that’s been specifically designed for the purpose of creating cinematic soundtracks, with the emphasis on epic. Up to an astonishing 60 players were recorded for each instrument and technique, the idea being that the finished product can be used to create soundscapes that wouldn’t normally be achievable in a real world recording scenario. Because each articulation features either 20, 24 or 60 players per note, holding down two notes, for instance, recreates the effect of up to 120 musicians playing simultaneously. As this takes us to the brink of the realms of fantasy, in contrast with trying to authentically recreate the sound of a specific number of players in a small section, conventional orchestral programming guidelines tend to become somewhat blurry – why not combine the 1st and 2nd violins into one part, for instance? This approach enables you to quickly achieve sonic massiveness with relatively few tracks in your DAW. There are a dizzying array of articulations, effects and techniques on offer, so let’s roll up our sleeves and dive in!