The Sampled Orchestra

Our major new series explains how to harness the power of today’s virtual orchestral instruments.

Adding strings to an arrangement is a great way to inject motion into your music.

Familiarity with a few common articulations is the key to successful MIDI string arranging.

This often-overlooked orchestral family holds the key to a wide range of exciting tonal colours.

Creative woodwind writing is the orchestral arranger’s secret weapon.

Brass and horns ignite the fire at the heart of the orchestra.

Symphonic percussion joins forces with ethnic drums in the modern Hybrid Orchestra.

A glorious suite of extras bolsters the core orchestral sound.

In this final part of the series, we show how well-chosen instrument combinations and effects will bring your orchestral arrangements to life.