Making a modern orchestral trailer

Using only sounds and textures borne of orchestral players, let’s build a creepy, intense trailer-style hybrid music/sound design track

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Start with a texture from the NI Kontakt library Thrill. This allows for ‘morphing movement’ between two sound sources via an X-Y style controller pad, which sets a balance between a range of parameters. The result is a dark orchestral texture which we’ve automated to build in intensity for eight bars.

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Next is a Strings FX Ensemble patch from Sonic Implants. This features an individual texture per key and we find a weird, fuzzy loop. We detune it by one tone having checked it against a pitched instrument to match the ‘F’ in the Thrill loop. Later, we add some glissando effects too.

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Next comes a brass line from Spitfire Audio’s Masse library. This provides monstrous, meaty combinations of orchestral sections playing together (Tutti) and we select a brass-heavy sound. To this, we add Soundtoys’ FilterFreak and Decapitator plugins and then have the part build in intensity throughout.

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Using the LCO Textures library, we take a chance and randomise a collection of sounds, using the ‘Quantum’ option, which limits the available sounds to a corresponding collection of zoned loops. We then trigger four of these by playing four octaves of ‘F’ across the keyboard.

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The fifth sound is a grungy loop taken from the Albion III: Iceni library. This favours sounds with huge bottom end and in the Brunel Loops section is a collection of hard, tempo-sync’able options. To our selected one, we’re adding a filter riser, plenty of compression and a volume build.

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Lastly, turn to ProjectSAM’s Symphobia, which features a collection of ‘regular’ orchestral sounds and some heavily processed ones. We’re interested in the latter, adding textures which sound like swarms of insects, adding a sinister element to the build. Add volume automation to keep the intensity building throughout.