# Collecting course testimonials - Bringing Virtual Orchestra Music to Life Vol 1: Expression, Dynamics, and Performance



## BenBotkin (Sep 15, 2022)

This detailed 5+ hour course comes in 20 lessons that cover a wide range of specific expression instruction for virtual instrument-based composers, including:


How to approach DAW-based composition/production in a more authentic + musical way
Principles of musical expression and how these apply to VI tools
How to perform/program the most common dynamic shapes with both longs and shorts
How to plan and sculp dynamic phrases (dynamics applied!)
Macro-level tempo fluctuations (mapping accelerando, ritardando, bird's eyes, etc)
Detailed breakdowns of live instrument performances
Micro-level tempo fluctuations + humanization techniques (quantizing, feathering, tempo rubato, etc)
How to use vibrato with virtual instruments
Misc performance tips
Leveling up your ear/musical instincts
Exercises to level up your programming skills and make them sound more musical






This course is available at an intro price of $140 and will go up to it's regular price of $175 on December 1st. https://store.fortecomposeracademy.com/bringing-virtual-orchestra-music-to-life-vol-1

And here is a sample lesson that I modified slightly to turn into a youtube video. This is based on some of the introductory content from the course, before I really get into the nitty gritty specifics. There are also free preview lessons on the product page that you can check out.


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## PaulieDC (Sep 15, 2022)

I was JUST about to write you and say thanks for doing this! This an area where those of us getting off the ground really need hand-holding on how to think out and execute dynamics and tempo changes, and then how to make it happen in DAW... where to start, what to apply, WHY a section needs it and super important, hearing the before and after. Ben, if you remember a while back, you asked about ideas for new course material and I said a full-fledged course in all of the nuances in sequencing in Cubase. Well THIS is really what I meant, and it doesn't need to be DAW-specific, it needs to be exactly what you are presenting here. I already ordered it, lol.

This might look like a planted reply to the rest of the VI-C crew, but it's NOT, I assure you. I've been struggling how to understand and execute this very subject, and now a course is brewing. I had posted my first composition a few months back and got positive responses on the melody and orchestration, but nearly everyone commented to go back and address dynamics (since it's totally flat!), and this is the kick in the right direction I've been waiting for. Totally excited, thanks Ben!


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## muziksculp (Sep 15, 2022)

Hi @BenBotkin ,

Thanks for making this tutorial, it's an important part of the virtual performance/composing field. I will most likely pre-order it.

I noticed this is Vol. 1, did you already decide what you will cover in Vol. 2 ? If Yes, I wonder what the topics you cover in Vol. 2 will be ?

Cheers,
Muziksculp


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## BenBotkin (Sep 15, 2022)

muziksculp said:


> Hi @BenBotkin ,
> 
> Thanks for making this tutorial, it's an important part of the virtual performance/composing field. I will most likely pre-order it.
> 
> ...


Much appreciated! 

Regarding vol 2, I'm not completely settled on that, yet. I had a bunch of overflow thoughts that didn't quite fit into the scope/angle of vol 1, but I think it will be more along the lines of how to get the most out of virtual instruments in general and how create/perform a lot of musical functions with samples (like full chords, fast motion, ostinati, high rhythm, etc.). It might be more of a grab-bag of virtual orch tips, tricks, and thoughts. 

It will probably be the more fun (popular?) volume, but I figured that this was the more necessary and foundational one to start with.


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## muziksculp (Sep 15, 2022)

@BenBotkin ,

While on the topic of composing with Virtual Orch. Instruments.

When do you feel it is useful to use Sustain Patches, (i.e. Strings Sustain) instead of Legatos ? Or are Sustains not that important, or useful these days, given we have legato patches ?

Just curious to hear your thoughts on this detail.

Thanks,
Muziksculp


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## BenBotkin (Sep 15, 2022)

muziksculp said:


> @BenBotkin ,
> 
> While on the topic of composing with Virtual Orch. Instruments.
> 
> ...


Great question!

legatos are only my default for lyrical, individual lines. Or if I have lush writing and have inner voices that also need to be lyrical. I have actually been using them progressively less as time goes on (but that might just be because I tended to use them for everything).

If I'm doing lush string writing that is not super complex, most of the inner chord tones will be created with a sus patch (or couple), and individual lines will be assigned to legato patches if/when that line is doing any important motion.

For non-lush, non-lyrical writing, I'm rarely using legato patches. Since it only needs to be legato if the notes are connected lyrically, then most the time I'm paying more attention to things like attack speed/quality and timbre of the sustain.

Many of my more featured lines end up looking like a patchwork of short and long samples kewswitched together. And many of my more invisible parts are some boring old sus or spic patch working in the background.


Legatos VS Sustains is actually one of the things I have bookmarked to address in Vol 2.


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## muziksculp (Sep 15, 2022)

BenBotkin said:


> Great question!
> 
> legatos are only my default for lyrical, individual lines. Or if I have lush writing and have inner voices that also need to be lyrical. I have actually been using them progressively less as time goes on (but that might just be because I tended to use them for everything).
> 
> ...


Thank You Very Much. This was a very helpful reply. 

Here is another topic I find not discussed much that might be a good one for Vol. 2. 

Basically, how to go about using multiple string articulations for the various sections of a string chord progression, i.e. Not all playing long legatos, or sustains, but rather how to add more motion, texture, and variety and interest to a strings chord progression using the shorts (Spicc, Stacc. ..), harmonics, Pizz., Tremolos, Measured Tremolos, Sfortzando, ...etc. This topic can be also be discussed for Brass, and Woodwind sections. 

Cheers,
Muziksculp


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## Snarf (Sep 15, 2022)

Good. I think a lot of people would benefit from something like this.


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## BenBotkin (Sep 15, 2022)

PaulieDC said:


> I was JUST about to write you and say thanks for doing this! This an area where those of us getting off the ground really need hand-holding on how to think out and execute dynamics and tempo changes, and then how to make it happen in DAW... where to start, what to apply, WHY a section needs it and super important, hearing the before and after. Ben, if you remember a while back, you asked about ideas for new course material and I said a full-fledged course in all of the nuances in sequencing in Cubase. Well THIS is really what I meant, and it doesn't need to be DAW-specific, it needs to be exactly what you are presenting here. I already ordered it, lol.
> 
> This might look like a planted reply to the rest of the VI-C crew, but it's NOT, I assure you. I've been struggling how to understand and execute this very subject, and now a course is brewing. I had posted my first composition a few months back and got positive responses on the melody and orchestration, but nearly everyone commented to go back and address dynamics (since it's totally flat!), and this is the kick in the right direction I've been waiting for. Totally excited, thanks Ben!


Thanks for your support, Paul!

I'm so glad that this looks like something that is exciting to you! Now I just need to finish it!


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## PaulieDC (Sep 15, 2022)

BenBotkin said:


> Thanks for your support, Paul!
> 
> I'm so glad that this looks like something that is exciting to you! Now I just need to finish it!


Sounds good! I say don't rush it, I say wait until you feel it's complete... another couple weeks, if needed, won't shred our world.


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## Henrik B. Jensen (Sep 15, 2022)

This is such a good idea, Ben 🙂👍
Will buy it tomorrow and then look forward to release day.


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## Henrik B. Jensen (Sep 15, 2022)

I’d like to see a course on how to mix and match some of the most popular libraries in terms of dynamic layers. If I want to write some bars of music at dynamics mf, what should the CC1 values be approximately in CSS, BWW and so on.


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## BenBotkin (Sep 15, 2022)

Henrik B. Jensen said:


> I’d like to see a course on how to mix and match some of the most popular libraries in terms of dynamic layers. If I want to write some bars of music at dynamics mf, what should the CC1 values be approximately in CSS, BWW and so on.


Hmmm... I'll need to think about the best way to approach that. I guess what I do is I have an approximate, internalized idea of what strings should sound like at ppp and fff and mf, and so I just move the cc level in whatever library until I arrive at about that place.

I guess you could also approach the situation this way: let's say you want two libraries to have an mf dynamic. If library/patch A has a dynamic ceiling of about ff and floor of pp (like CSS), then right in the middle should be approx mp/mf. But if the dynamic ceiling of library/patch B is fff and the floor is mf (like Metropolis Ark 1), then the dynamic crossfade CC should be right at the bottom. 

The key here is knowing what the dynamic floors and ceilings of your patches it. I ascertain that by ear, but the library documentation might say. 

I'm gonna think about that one more.

And thanks for your interest!


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## quietmind (Sep 15, 2022)

Most of what I work with is smaller ensembles comprised of 4 to 10 solo instruments. I am not producing cinematic works, but more arrangements for a vocalist. Sometimes an arrangement is larger, including a string, brass or ww section. But my main concerns are the problems of making exposed solo virtual instruments sound more lifelike. 

So I am wondering if the course you are offering is largely focused on productions using full orchestra, or would it be equally valuable for helping improve exposed smallish arrangements like the ones I do?


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## ALittleNightMusic (Sep 15, 2022)

Great idea, Ben! Hopefully it will be for the more intermediate / advanced folks in terms of the level of depth and detail you’ll go into. I feel there’s a lot of YT videos out there on basic MIDI programming - but going from that to the level of your mock-ups is a big jump and sharing knowledge to help us make that leap would be great. For future volumes, in the same vein, I feel there’s nothing out there that really goes into depth for choosing / switching between / blending articulations (even from different libraries) and how that applies to various lines of music for different instruments. Just an idea!


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## BenBotkin (Sep 16, 2022)

quietmind said:


> Most of what I work with is smaller ensembles comprised of 4 to 10 solo instruments. I am not producing cinematic works, but more arrangements for a vocalist. Sometimes an arrangement is larger, including a string, brass or ww section. But my main concerns are the problems of making exposed solo virtual instruments sound more lifelike.
> 
> So I am wondering if the course you are offering is largely focused on productions using full orchestra, or would it be equally valuable for helping improve exposed smallish arrangements like the ones I do?


Most of what I'm getting into in this course is relevant to both large and small ensemble writing since it's things like dynamics, phrasing, humanization, mapping tempo, etc. It has direct bearing on, say, how you might express lines with a solo instrument, since dynamic expression is a lot (most?) of what makes VI music sound authentic. That said, I'm not covering everything relevant to solo VI instrument writing/realism. Things like articulation management and usage are kind of the other half of the realism coin, which is something I plan to get into more in Volume 2. 

Hope that helps!


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## BenBotkin (Sep 16, 2022)

ALittleNightMusic said:


> Great idea, Ben! Hopefully it will be for the more intermediate / advanced folks in terms of the level of depth and detail you’ll go into. I feel there’s a lot of YT videos out there on basic MIDI programming - but going from that to the level of your mock-ups is a big jump and sharing knowledge to help us make that leap would be great. For future volumes, in the same vein, I feel there’s nothing out there that really goes into depth for choosing / switching between / blending articulations (even from different libraries) and how that applies to various lines of music for different instruments. Just an idea!


Thanks! And yeah, I'm getting a lot of confirmation that articulation use needs to be a big focus of the next volume. That's affirming, since that was more or less the direction I was planning to go anyways. 

And I'm planning to have more info on this course available as release nears, so hopefully folks can get a more accurate gauge on the detail/complexity of the instruction before pulling the trigger. I appreciate the feedback though! As I wrap up the remaining lessons, comments like this give me more confidence in leaning in the nitty gritty, possibly- boring stuff.


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## BenBotkin (Sep 17, 2022)

Snarf said:


> Good. I think a lot of people would benefit from something like this.


I hope so!


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## BenBotkin (Sep 19, 2022)

Hi Everyone! Sharing a bit of a content update here for VOL 1, and am curious to get your feedback on what I'm planning so far. The lesson divisions, lengths, and titles could change a little bit, but here is basically what I have planned as far as content and length goes. Does this sound interesting? 






Green lessons focus on dynamics, yellow on the tempo/time-related aspects of expression. Other colors are misc stuff. 

A few specific questions I have:

1 - Some of the lessons are kind of long, like "Creating/Sculpting Dyn Shapes (With Longs), and could be split into a few shorter lessons. Would you prefer they stay grouped into a long lesson if it's a deep dive on one thing, or would you rather they are in smaller bites? In other words, how do you prefer to be overwhelmed, with fewer longer videos, or with many shorter videos? ;P 

2 - Does it take too long to get to the "meat?" I think this sequence of lessons is pretty logical, but the more advanced techniques stuff doesn't really start until lesson 5. I think many (most?) students could really benefit from starting with some introductory fundamentals and preparatory stuff (like mindset + elements of musical expression overview)--I just hope that this doesn't turn off those who want in-depth programming techniques right away. At any rate, I'm trying to keep these introductory/fundamentals lessons shorter so they can be breezed through. 

(And honestly, some folks who think they should skip these intro lessons probably shouldn't...)

3 - I often have lesson notes that go along with video lessons. Aside from offering essential info that can't fit into a video (like external links to other resources, etc), do you ever use these in a video course? Do they matter to you, or are they just bloat? 

4 - This spreadsheet doesn't list everything that is going to be discussed, but is there anything on the subject of expression/dynamics/humanization/performance that you would like to see addressed on the subject that appears missing or under-represented? About half of the content has been filmed (mostly the dynamics lessons), but a lot has not yet, so there is still a good deal of room to modify/adjust content. I want this instruction to be something that is actually useful to people. 

Thank you so much for your thoughts and feedback--it's always tremendously helpful! 

Ben

Oh, and here's the product link: https://store.fortecomposeracademy.com/bringing-virtual-orchestra-music-to-life-vol-1


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## Henrik B. Jensen (Sep 19, 2022)

It sounds very interesting 

1) One file is what I prefer. Perhaps just add bookmarks in it?

2) It’s 27 mins. before “the real meat” starts, right? That’s not very long IMO. Maybe compared to “normal” videos on Youtube, but this is a course which people have chosen to pay for. I think people will be ready to sit down and go through it no problem.

3) I would love lesson notes, i.e. links to places in online videos of orchestral concerts where a dynamic shape is played. So we can directly connect the stuff in the course with real life examples.

4) Not sure, it’s hard to suggest anything without having taken the course, I think.


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## BenBotkin (Sep 19, 2022)

Henrik B. Jensen said:


> It sounds very interesting
> 
> 1) One file is what I prefer. Perhaps just add bookmarks in it?
> 
> ...


Ooh, that is a good idea (#3) RE: including the examples in the lesson notes. I demonstrate some of those shapes with real life examples in the video, but it hadn't occurred to me to put link to further examples in the lesson notes. 

And thanks for the feedback on other points! This is good confirmation of where I'm at.


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## dyross (Sep 19, 2022)

BenBotkin said:


> Hi Everyone! Sharing a bit of a content update here for VOL 1, and am curious to get your feedback on what I'm planning so far. The lesson divisions, lengths, and titles could change a little bit, but here is basically what I have planned as far as content and length goes. Does this sound interesting?
> 
> 
> 
> ...



This outline looks great!

The one component that I would love to see more of is specific information for solo instruments, rather than ensembles. Is that something you intend to do?

Also, you seem to focus on dynamics and time/tempo. What about vibrato / timbre? Is that part of the "Extra" section?


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## quietmind (Sep 19, 2022)

I like everything about this course that I am seeing. 

One thing that would be super-great... but as far as I know not easy to provide... unless you were to prepare examples for each specific DAW we use... to be able to download MIDI and expression control envelops for some of your examples, so that we have real-life examples to further experiment with in our own DAW. 

Probably not realistic to expect you to prepare zipped projects for several different DAWs but wow would that ever be wonderful!!!


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## bvaughn0402 (Sep 19, 2022)

Will definitely buy … but prob around deadline.

Would coverage of orchestral percussion make sense in dynamic shapes as well?


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## Henrik B. Jensen (Sep 19, 2022)

quietmind said:


> I like everything about this course that I am seeing.
> 
> One thing that would be super-great... but as far as I know not easy to provide... unless you were to prepare examples for each specific DAW we use... to be able to download MIDI and expression control envelops for some of your examples, so that we have real-life examples to further experiment with in our own DAW.
> 
> Probably not realistic to expect you to prepare zipped projects for several different DAWs but wow would that ever be wonderful!!!


Won’t Import Midifile work fine regardless of DAW? It’s just MIDI and CC data.


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## smellypants (Sep 19, 2022)

Looks great mate!

Do you have a rough idea on your release schedule for the following volume/s?

Cheers


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## BenBotkin (Sep 20, 2022)

dyross said:


> This outline looks great!
> 
> The one component that I would love to see more of is specific information for solo instruments, rather than ensembles. Is that something you intend to do?
> 
> Also, you seem to focus on dynamics and time/tempo. What about vibrato / timbre? Is that part of the "Extra" section?


Thanks!

So, the main thrust of this course is intended to teach expressivity principles and techniques that apply to both solos and ensembles. That said, as I think about your question, I might want to add a small section or bonus lesson on some of the expression differences between a solo and ensemble part. When it comes to humanization/timing, for example, you can get away with more artistic license with the tempo with, say, a solo violin part than an entire violin section. But you are the second one here to ask about solos in particular, so I'm gonna do some more thinking about if/how to address that. 

I'm approaching the "Dynamics" category as being a combination of loudness *and* timbre, since with organic instruments you will get a timbral change along with the volume change when you transition from p-f, etc. And so I get into how/when to use dynamic control (volume + timre) and when to use volume automation only (and how I use them in combination). 

I hadn't really thought about the vibrato aspect... I'm gonna mull on that one. Most VIs that have vibrato have it baked in, but it probably wouldn't hurt to have a small addition with thoughts that regard those instruments with separate vibrato control.


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## ALittleNightMusic (Sep 20, 2022)

BenBotkin said:


> Hi Everyone! Sharing a bit of a content update here for VOL 1, and am curious to get your feedback on what I'm planning so far. The lesson divisions, lengths, and titles could change a little bit, but here is basically what I have planned as far as content and length goes. Does this sound interesting?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


My two cents:

1. I personally don't have a problem with longer videos, but one advantage of shorter videos is it is easier for folks to do a bit per day and not lose their place through the material. With longer videos, you either need to complete the video or remember the timestamp you stopped at (if your video player doesn't keep your place).

2. I have a different perspective here - outside of the course intro, the preparatory stuff should be considered "the meat" as well. But it depends on what you are covering. The titles of "Performance Thoughts" and "Elements of Musical Expression" indicate to me that if you were to cover _how_ to listen (something I think many of us don't do well) and _what_ to listen for, and point out (with examples) specific phrasing choices in live performances, that seems like it could be incredibly useful to everybody.

3. I think lesson notes are a wonderful "cheat sheet" to come back to once we've completed the course but want to refresh our memory on certain topics (without needing to watch the whole video again).

4. In addition to the deep focus on dynamics, I would echo what was mentioned above that vibrato would be helpful to cover. There are many libraries with controllable vibrato (not baked in) that we use. But when should we use it? When is it too much? How do real players crossfade in the phrase between different vibrato levels?

I look forward to this! Thank YOU for putting in the effort!


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## BenBotkin (Sep 20, 2022)

quietmind said:


> I like everything about this course that I am seeing.
> 
> One thing that would be super-great... but as far as I know not easy to provide... unless you were to prepare examples for each specific DAW we use... to be able to download MIDI and expression control envelops for some of your examples, so that we have real-life examples to further experiment with in our own DAW.
> 
> Probably not realistic to expect you to prepare zipped projects for several different DAWs but wow would that ever be wonderful!!!


Thanks for the feedback! As Henrik said, MIDI import should give you all the relevent note, CC, and velocity data. I'll have a handful of midi files, which should open in any daw.


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## BenBotkin (Sep 20, 2022)

bvaughn0402 said:


> Will definitely buy … but prob around deadline.
> 
> Would coverage of orchestral percussion make sense in dynamic shapes as well?


"making Dynamic shapes with Shorts" should probably be relabeled "making dynamic shapes with velocity" -- it's just that velocity typically corresponds to shorts/strike-based instruments/patches, and automation/CC corresponds to longs/sustains. 

So the dynamic shapes with short arts lesson is directly applicable to percussion. That said, I'm wondering if I should add anything examples/instruction specifically for percussion...


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## BenBotkin (Sep 20, 2022)

smellypants said:


> Looks great mate!
> 
> Do you have a rough idea on your release schedule for the following volume/s?
> 
> Cheers


Thanks! 

Nothing is set in stone--I have some material planned for a Vol 2, but when I get around to that will depend partly on how well Vol 1 does and how booked my next couple months are with composition work. I tend to work on edu products in the gaps between projects (why my releases are so sporadic). If everything fell together just right, the soonest it could come out is probably December.


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## Awoo Composer (Sep 20, 2022)

When you talk about using modulation/CC/etc, are you using controllers or are you drawing them in? I know there's different approaches to it. I personally think it's weird using a controller to add it in, but drawing it in isn't talked about much.

Also in regards to video length - as a member of the ADHD club, shorter is better. My attention span will be much more pleased.


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## BenBotkin (Sep 20, 2022)

Awoo Composer said:


> When you talk about using modulation/CC/etc, are you using controllers or are you drawing them in? I know there's different approaches to it. I personally think it's weird using a controller to add it in, but drawing it in isn't talked about much.
> 
> Also in regards to video length - as a member of the ADHD club, shorter is better. My attention span will be much more pleased.


I perform CC in along with the notes and then clean both up as needed. Often the CCs get completely redrawn, but follow the direction/shapes I recorded in.


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## BenBotkin (Sep 20, 2022)

BenBotkin said:


> I perform CC in along with the notes and then clean both up as needed. Often the CCs get completely redrawn, but follow the direction/shapes I recorded in.


Oh, and I don't record CCs on their own recording pass, like I've seen some people do.


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## BenBotkin (Sep 21, 2022)

ALittleNightMusic said:


> My two cents:
> 
> 1. I personally don't have a problem with longer videos, but one advantage of shorter videos is it is easier for folks to do a bit per day and not lose their place through the material. With longer videos, you either need to complete the video or remember the timestamp you stopped at (if your video player doesn't keep your place).
> 
> ...


#2 - I view this as meat as well (or perhaps a necessary appetizer before the meat), but I know I have a tendency to overclarify or overstate the obvious, so hopefully I hit a good balance! And I do get into critical listening in a few different lessons--leveling up mockup skills is partly technical knowledge and partly leveling up the ear. 

#3 - You are at least the second person who has used the term "cheat sheet" in reference to the lesson notes, so I think I'll probably go that route with more of a bullet points and necessary info/links approach than, say, a transcription with full paragraphs, which I honestly don't want to do. 

#4 - Yeah, I should probably add something short about vibrato.

Thanks for your terrific feedback!


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## Awoo Composer (Sep 21, 2022)

Ben, is any of the content similar to this module? I actually was interested in it but trying big time to save on any larger purchase amounts, so hoping it goes on sale for Black Friday, but I'm also interested in this new course as well. The way you explain things is really concise and easy to understand without being too heavy on theory, which I think some of the courses I've already gone through may have suffered with.









Composing a Piece from Beginning to End (Roadmaps Vol. 3)


Learn the entire process of creating a piece of compelling orchestral music as Benjamin Botkin reveals the step-by-step process behind the creation of the track "The Heart of a Hero."




store.fortecomposeracademy.com


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## BenBotkin (Sep 21, 2022)

Awoo Composer said:


> Ben, is any of the content similar to this module? I actually was interested in it but trying big time to save on any larger purchase amounts, so hoping it goes on sale for Black Friday, but I'm also interested in this new course as well. The way you explain things is really concise and easy to understand without being too heavy on theory, which I think some of the courses I've already gone through may have suffered with.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I think there's probably about 15-20% content overlap. That is to say, some of the same things are discussed, but at a much shallower, briefer level, as I am covering the entire process in that course. I'm trying to keep them from overlapping much at all, but a little bit of this is unavoidable.

"Composing from Beginning to End" is composing/arranging process overview. I think I give a handful of minutes apiece to things like tempo, dynamics, humanization. 

The "Bringing Virtual Orchestra Music to Life" series offers deeper dives on specific techniques. Vol1 will be four hours on things like tempo, dynamics, and humanization. 

And yes, I will have a black Friday sale sometime in November and that course ("Composing a Piece from Beginning to End") will be included. The discount on the courses will probably not be as steep as in past years (40-50%) since I dropped normal price of all courses by a lot earlier this year.

FYI, since this new course's intro price window goes all the way up to November, I don't think I'll be including it in the sale. If I do, it won't be any cheaper than the intro price.


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## BenBotkin (Sep 23, 2022)

PaulieDC said:


> Sounds good! I say don't rush it, I say wait until you feel it's complete... another couple weeks, if needed, won't shred our world.


I appreciate your patience and graciousness, but I'm still shooting for Oct 15th.


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## PaulieDC (Sep 23, 2022)

BenBotkin said:


> I appreciate your patience and graciousness, but I'm still shooting for Oct 15th.


Yep, totally get it, nothing like a deadline to get 'er done. No arguments on our side of course!


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## Fry777 (Sep 23, 2022)

The content of your course looks great. For each topic (expression, vibrato, etc), do you think you could add 1 or 2 examples of doing it the wrong way ? 
A lot of teaching videos, whatever the topic, fail to establish rules for students as they only demonstrate one correct way of doing things. I have the feeling that, as humans, we learn better if we understand not only why something works, but also why something else doesn't. A bit in the spirit of this old Paul Thomson video (except he demonstrates CC1 vs CC1-less examples, which for your target customers is too extreme, as we know there is a need for CCs, the problem is how to program them):


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## BenBotkin (Sep 24, 2022)

Fry777 said:


> The content of your course looks great. For each topic (expression, vibrato, etc), do you think you could add 1 or 2 examples of doing it the wrong way ?
> A lot of teaching videos, whatever the topic, fail to establish rules for students as they only demonstrate one correct way of doing things. I have the feeling that, as humans, we learn better if we understand not only why something works, but also why something else doesn't. A bit in the spirit of this old Paul Thomson video (except he demonstrates CC1 vs CC1-less examples, which for your target customers is too extreme, as we know there is a need for CCs, the problem is how to program them):



Oh, this is a good point. Thanks for sharing! I have a little bit of "here is what doesn't work" but I don't demonstrate it much. I'll probably try to work a bit more of this into the material now. Great feedback!


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## szczaw (Sep 24, 2022)

I'm into metal, that's one cranked up dynamic and expression level. So this could be helpful.


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## Gil (Sep 26, 2022)

Hello,
@BenBotkin thanks for offering this kind of course!
I'm very interested in, and would like to know if you plan to have a part on CCs (volume, timbre) curves for a group (like WWs) of instrument with phrasing (sorry fi it is already specified in this thread, but just wanted to be sure).

Ex.: for a Cor Anglais (and all woodwinds?), at the end of a phrase/note, when a player stops playing, he releases the pressure and so the timbre/expression curve.
Like this (not very accurate sorry, I'm not the best bezier curve drawer of the world ):






Thank you!
Best regards,
Gil.


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## BenBotkin (Sep 26, 2022)

Hi everyone! Want a little teaser of the course?

I've got the first video material for you to preview. I (slightly) adapted two of the introductory lessons (The Elements of Musical Expression + How Virtual Instruments Express Dynamics) and combined them for youtube. After this point the lessons move more into the "how to" range and become more technique specific.



Oh yeah, and the preorder price is still good for the next couple weeks!


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## axb312 (Sep 26, 2022)

BenBotkin said:


> I think there's probably about 15-20% content overlap. That is to say, some of the same things are discussed, but at a much shallower, briefer level, as I am covering the entire process in that course. I'm trying to keep them from overlapping much at all, but a little bit of this is unavoidable.
> 
> "Composing from Beginning to End" is composing/arranging process overview. I think I give a handful of minutes apiece to things like tempo, dynamics, humanization.
> 
> ...


40-50% off this course would be awesome.


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## BenBotkin (Sep 26, 2022)

axb312 said:


> 40-50% off this course would be awesome.


Oh, I might have been unclear here... I meant my Black Friday sale USED to be 40-50% off my courses, but now it will be a lesser discount (since the regular price already dropped a lot).

Maybe you got that, but it occurred to me that I may have been unclear and don't want to give any misleading expectations.


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## BenBotkin (Sep 27, 2022)

Gil said:


> Hello,
> @BenBotkin thanks for offering this kind of course!
> I'm very interested in, and would like to know if you plan to have a part on CCs (volume, timbre) curves for a group (like WWs) of instrument with phrasing (sorry fi it is already specified in this thread, but just wanted to be sure).
> 
> ...


Hey Gil, thanks for your interest and question! 

Yes, I do have a lesson that focuses on making/sculpting the most common dynamic shapes with CCs. I have another lesson that discussion crafting dynamic shapes with velocity. I don't have content planned that goes into the nuances of how these curves differ between strings/winds/brass. I find that the general shapes and concepts apply to all sections in mostly the same ways.


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## youngpokie (Sep 27, 2022)

Ben I know you mentioned articulations will need to be in a separate course, but I'm curious if you're going to cover note durations and attacks as additional components of building phrasing along with velocity/CC. This is something I'm always struggling with, especially with things like using staccato and staccatissimo in arpeggiated or ascending/descending passages to give an example. Appreciate a clarification, if any.


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## bvaughn0402 (Sep 27, 2022)

BenBotkin said:


> Hey Gil, thanks for your interest and question!
> 
> Yes, I do have a lesson that focuses on making/sculpting the most common dynamic shapes with CCs. I have another lesson that discussion crafting dynamic shapes with velocity. I don't have content planned that goes into the nuances of how these curves differ between strings/winds/brass. I find that the general shapes and concepts apply to all sections in mostly the same ways.


I feel (maybe I'm wrong) that there is a shape for brass more often (where it hits hard, sudden drop, then builds up). Maybe strings are common to just build. But it might be nice to have a "mini" lesson where you do talk about the differences between brass and strings.

Also, it might be nice (if you are able) to show examples of the shapes for at least 2 (if not all 4) of the various instrument groups (strings, brass, winds, maybe even percussion). This might be redundant, but it would be nice to hear how it works out for these instruments. Just a thought ... You could always mix it up (for this shape I'm going to demonstrate it on strings and brass ... and maybe the next shape you demonstrate it on brass and winds ...)

Third, it might be nice to talk about transitions in shapes. Like if you ramp up strings, bring them back down, and ramp them back up on the next chord ... like /--\_/--\ ... (if that even makes sense) then I'm always interested in where the transitions happen. Like, should the modulation be lowest at the end of the chord, or the beginning of the next chord (I always assume I need to start the newest chord at the lowest position) ... in other words, WHERE do you place low or high points of the shape in relation to the start/end of a note?

Last, I am usually confused on dynamic shapes for different types of parts (articulations) ... much like the previous post above by youngpokie ... for example, if I have long strings (sustain) that seems easier. But what if I have several stacatto notes followed by a long note ... are the stacatto notes better to not have ANY dynamic shape (unless it's a pure build or decrease). In other words, do the shapes apply to particular articulations or for all articulations?

You might already plan this, but it might also be nice to give a "recipe" for moods the various shapes are often used for ... this is a great shape to build tension ... this is a great shape for emotion or romantic ... maybe shapes are too complex to simplify like this though ...


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## BenBotkin (Sep 29, 2022)

bvaughn0402 said:


> I feel (maybe I'm wrong) that there is a shape for brass more often (where it hits hard, sudden drop, then builds up). Maybe strings are common to just build. But it might be nice to have a "mini" lesson where you do talk about the differences between brass and strings.


Yeah, this is often true. I'd kind of forgotten because for brass I'm increasingly using articulations that have this kind of pulse/attack baked into the notes, like marcatos, forte, sfz, etc. And using a patchwork of articulations to make lines. I'd probably would be good to get into some of these differences. 



bvaughn0402 said:


> Also, it might be nice (if you are able) to show examples of the shapes for at least 2 (if not all 4) of the various instrument groups (strings, brass, winds, maybe even percussion). This might be redundant, but it would be nice to hear how it works out for these instruments. Just a thought ... You could always mix it up (for this shape I'm going to demonstrate it on strings and brass ... and maybe the next shape you demonstrate it on brass and winds ...)



We'll see... most of the dynamics lessons are already recorded and this course is really starting to balloon! 


bvaughn0402 said:


> Third, it might be nice to talk about transitions in shapes. Like if you ramp up strings, bring them back down, and ramp them back up on the next chord ... like /--\_/--\ ... (if that even makes sense) then I'm always interested in where the transitions happen. Like, should the modulation be lowest at the end of the chord, or the beginning of the next chord (I always assume I need to start the newest chord at the lowest position) ... in other words, WHERE do you place low or high points of the shape in relation to the start/end of a note?


I will be talking about this a fair bit! 


bvaughn0402 said:


> Last, I am usually confused on dynamic shapes for different types of parts (articulations) ... much like the previous post above by youngpokie ... for example, if I have long strings (sustain) that seems easier. But what if I have several stacatto notes followed by a long note ... are the stacatto notes better to not have ANY dynamic shape (unless it's a pure build or decrease). In other words, do the shapes apply to particular articulations or for all articulations?


This is a good question. The next volume will probably get into this more if I'm going to be doing more work with articulation use/management.
That said, I think it's helpful to have a sense of the dynamic shape of an entire phrase (there will be a lesson on planning dynamics for an entire phrase). There will be some adjusting velocity and CCs of the individual notes in the phrase to make sure the levels/timbre matches between articulations, but as long as all your arts are working together to create the dynamic rises and falls of the phrase, it works out. 

I guess maybe it's helpful to differentiate between difference scales of shapes. Every piece is made up of shapes within shapes within shapes, but I'm identifying three levels: There is note-level shaping (note sculpting?), phrase-level shaping (dynamic phrasing, I guess), and piece-level shaping (structure/arc). In this course I'm addressing note-level shapes some, but mostly phrase-level shapes. IMO addressing phrase-level shaping will do the most realism boosting.


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## BenBotkin (Oct 2, 2022)

youngpokie said:


> Ben I know you mentioned articulations will need to be in a separate course, but I'm curious if you're going to cover note durations and attacks as additional components of building phrasing along with velocity/CC. This is something I'm always struggling with, especially with things like using staccato and staccatissimo in arpeggiated or ascending/descending passages to give an example. Appreciate a clarification, if any.


Thanks for the question! Sorry, I'm a bit late getting around to the answer. Yeah, I think this will be covered more in vol 2, where I'm planning to go more in-depth on attack, releases, and articulation management when performing certain functions. I have a few thoughts in the comment above that may be relevant to your question.


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## muziksculp (Oct 2, 2022)

BenBotkin said:


> The next volume will probably get into this more if I'm going to be doing more work with articulation use/management.


Hi @BenBotkin ,

That's one of the areas not covered a lot in many courses. I'm surely getting both volumes when they are released. 

Thanks.


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## BenBotkin (Oct 5, 2022)

@ALittleNightMusic @dyross 

I just recorded a new lesson on using vibrato with virtual instruments to add to the course! Thanks for the suggestion!


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## ALittleNightMusic (Oct 5, 2022)

BenBotkin said:


> @ALittleNightMusic @dyross
> 
> I just recorded a new lesson on using vibrato with virtual instruments to add to the course! Thanks for the suggestion!


Awesome! So when’s it coming out?


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## BenBotkin (Oct 5, 2022)

ALittleNightMusic said:


> Awesome! So when’s it coming out?


Heh, well...

I'm tying up the loose ends on a composing project today/tomorrow, so after that I'll jump back on wrapping up the course full-steam. I'm still aiming for the 15th of October, but I'll have to re-assess next week to see if that is still realistic. People keep giving me great ideas for things to add/modify in the instruction, but adding lessons does add to the production time. 

No complaints though--I'm really glad I added a vibrato lesson (among other things) as it makes the instruction better/more complete. I just hope I can still get this thing released when all my promotional materials say it will be released.


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## muziksculp (Oct 10, 2022)

@BenBotkin ,

You made a demo track for OT's Igudisman Solo Violin, titled : Elementary Perceivers. I loved what you did with the library, you used a lot of articulations, so a good amount of focus on how to go about using multi-articulations to achieve the musical results you want would be a super useful topic to cover in Vol. 2, and maybe you can include this track in your tutorials to explain how you go about deciding on the articulations you used, ..etc. 

Here is the demo track :



Thanks,
Muziksculp


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## BenBotkin (Oct 10, 2022)

Hey everyone, got another preview from the course to share! I spend a lot of time in the course discussing how to use dynamic shapes/curves with virtual instruments, and realized that it wouldn't hurt to have a lesson that addresses elements that move a little less dynamically, like drones and sustained textures, so I made a bonus lesson on it! This one is kinda basic and self-contained, so I thought it would be a good youtube video. 



Also, I should note that the pre-order period is coming to a close soon as I get this baby wrapped up. I'm still shooting for a 15th (Saturday) release, which is when the price will jump up to the intro price ($140). (TBH, There is a chance I have to push it by a few days...) https://store.fortecomposeracademy.com/bringing-virtual-orchestra-music-to-life-vol-1


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## BenBotkin (Oct 11, 2022)

muziksculp said:


> @BenBotkin ,
> 
> You made a demo track for OT's Igudisman Solo Violin, titled : Elementary Perceivers. I loved what you did with the library, you used a lot of articulations, so a good amount of focus on how to go about using multi-articulations to achieve the musical results you want would be a super useful topic to cover in Vol. 2, and maybe you can include this track in your tutorials to explain how you go about deciding on the articulations you used, ..etc.
> 
> ...



Thanks! Yep, building multi-articulation phrases will be a thing that I plan to cover in pretty good detail. And yes, that track is a good example of it, so I'll likely be using it to show a few things. 

I do have a youtube video on that piece which already gets into the articulation use somewhat, which you might enjoy if you haven't seen it already. 

Ben


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## muziksculp (Oct 11, 2022)

BenBotkin said:


> Thanks! Yep, building multi-articulation phrases will be a thing that I plan to cover in pretty good detail. And yes, that track is a good example of it, so I'll likely be using it to show a few things.
> 
> I do have a youtube video on that piece which already gets into the articulation use somewhat, which you might enjoy if you haven't seen it already.
> 
> Ben


Thanks. That will be awesome. 

Looking forward to getting both Vol. 1 & 2 , I'm guessing Vol. 1 is still on schedule Oct. 15th.


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## BenBotkin (Oct 11, 2022)

muziksculp said:


> Thanks. That will be awesome.
> 
> Looking forward to getting both Vol. 1 & 2 , I'm guessing Vol. 1 is still on schedule Oct. 15th.


I'm... still aiming for that. 
Honestly though, I might need to push it back a few days. With all the additions the content has swollen to over 5 hours at this point, lol.


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## muziksculp (Oct 11, 2022)

BenBotkin said:


> I'm... still aiming for that.
> Honestly though, I might need to push it back a few days. With all the additions the content has swollen to over 5 hours at this point, lol.


No rush, release it when it's done. 

Wow ! 5 hrs of videos already for Vol.1 That's quite a big volume.


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## BenBotkin (Oct 12, 2022)

muziksculp said:


> No rush, release it when it's done.
> 
> Wow ! 5 hrs of videos already for Vol.1 That's quite a big volume.


Yeah... people keep giving me good ideas for things to add! I was originally planning on this being an approx 3 hour course. Because of the ways this course has grown and deepened, I've even considered raising the regular price at some point in the future (but way after the intro/sale windows) so that I don't undercut the content/price ratio of my future courses.


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## BenBotkin (Oct 13, 2022)

Hey everyone! I'm getting final things wrapped up so it looks like the course will be completed and available (sometime) on the 15th! This means that the preorder price of $110 will only last for a couple days, because as soon as I publish the finished course sometime on the 15th, the price will jump to $140 (the intro price). https://store.fortecomposeracademy.com/bringing-virtual-orchestra-music-to-life-vol-1

And I thought I'd share an updated look at the lessons and included content (it's still a bit of a WIP, as you can see, and some of the lesson names/order will change). Disregard the colored text, those colors indicate production tasks for me. 






And as you can see, the course length has ballooned from my original plan (3 to 3.5 hours) to well over 5 hours. Thank you for all your ideas and feedback -- I can't wait to share this with you!


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## Trash Panda (Oct 13, 2022)

Can’t wait to see it! This has been an area of study with a severe lack of quality resources.


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## muziksculp (Oct 13, 2022)

Trash Panda said:


> Can’t wait to see it! This has been an area of study with a severe lack of quality resources.


Yup, also what Ben will be covering in Vol. 2 , which will focus on the use of various articulations. Is something that is not covered a lot, and with in-depth clear explanations in other video tutorials.


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## BenBotkin (Oct 13, 2022)

Trash Panda said:


> Can’t wait to see it! This has been an area of study with a severe lack of quality resources.


Thanks! I think I'll have some pretty good stuff in it.


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## muziksculp (Oct 14, 2022)

Hi,

OK, Pre-Ordered. 

For a change, I think I have invested more in music tutorials this year, than on acquiring more Strings Libraries. 

So, I'm very proud, and happy about it. 

Educating myself to improve my skills is a better investment than buying more libraries, and It's the best type of investment a musician can make. 

Cheers,
Muziksculp


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## BenBotkin (Oct 14, 2022)

muziksculp said:


> Hi,
> 
> OK, Pre-Ordered.
> 
> ...


Many thanks!

And good for you! I say that as someone who has absolutely nothing to gain from your shift in spending habits.


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## mgaewsj (Oct 14, 2022)

I'm in


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## muziksculp (Oct 14, 2022)

BenBotkin said:


> Many thanks!
> 
> And good for you! I say that as someone who has absolutely nothing to gain from your shift in spending habits.


You will surely benefit from my shift. But I will too


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## BenBotkin (Oct 14, 2022)

mgaewsj said:


> I'm in


I hope you enjoy it!


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## ChrisSiuMusic (Oct 14, 2022)

muziksculp said:


> You will surely benefit from my shift. But I will too


All congrats to you on the release Ben!! I must also thank @muziksculp for this shift as well :D


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## muziksculp (Oct 14, 2022)

ChrisSiuMusic said:


> All congrats to you on the release Ben!! I must also thank @muziksculp for this shift as well :D


Hi Chris,

I have been busy this week with life's distractions, but I plan to continue studying your (Expressive Strings Arranging) course this weekend. I also highly recommend it.

Chris has been a big inspirational force for me, love his educational YT videos. Viva Chris Siu 

Cheers,
Muziksculp


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## muziksculp (Oct 14, 2022)

I should also mention that I highly recommend @BenBotkin Courses. He is another guiding light for us composers in training. A very valuable resource for learning !


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## ChrisSiuMusic (Oct 14, 2022)

muziksculp said:


> Hi Chris,
> 
> I have been busy this week with life's distractions, but I plan to continue studying your (Expressive Strings Arranging) course this weekend. I also highly recommend it.
> 
> ...


That's fantastic to hear! Thank you so much.


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## BenBotkin (Oct 14, 2022)

ChrisSiuMusic said:


> All congrats to you on the release Ben!! I must also thank @muziksculp for this shift as well :D


Thanks, Chris!


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## muziksculp (Oct 14, 2022)

Both of you guys ROCK


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## Justin L. Franks (Oct 14, 2022)

muziksculp said:


> For a change, I think I have invested more in music tutorials this year, than on acquiring more Strings Libraries.
> 
> So, I'm very proud, and happy about it.
> 
> Educating myself to improve my skills is a better investment than buying more libraries, and It's the best type of investment a musician can make.


I haven't quite gotten to spending more on lessons than new libraries yet, but this year, I have started picking up tutorials and lessons. My collection has a lot of libraries, and I need to start really digging down and learning how to better use what I have.

So I just picked this up on pre-order. $110 is a good deal for these very important lessons. Looking forward to the release!


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## BenBotkin (Oct 15, 2022)

Justin L. Franks said:


> I haven't quite gotten to spending more on lessons than new libraries yet, but this year, I have started picking up tutorials and lessons. My collection has a lot of libraries, and I need to start really digging down and learning how to better use what I have.
> 
> So I just picked this up on pre-order. $110 is a good deal for these very important lessons. Looking forward to the release!


Thanks Justin -- Really appreciate it!


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## ALittleNightMusic (Oct 15, 2022)

Also purchased! Thanks for taking our feedback. Looking forward to it (hoping it is suited for the more intermediate/advanced users as you intended).


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## BenBotkin (Oct 15, 2022)

ALittleNightMusic said:


> Also purchased! Thanks for taking our feedback. Looking forward to it (hoping it is suited for the more intermediate/advanced users as you intended).


Thanks! 

Just a note: I am adding timecode notes to the lessons so that you can skip to the parts that are most interesting to you. If I do start to wax eloquent on something that is basic to you, then this should help you find the nuggets you want. Here's an example of this from one of the "timing humanization" lessons:

0:24 - Layering to Feather note starts/ends
5:10 - Layering multiple patches on a lush melodic line in a cue I wrote for "Hotel Limbo"
8:53 - Tempo Rubato for Individual Parts
10:00 - Tempo Rubato in Yo-Yo Ma's playing
11:00 - Which notes in a phrase sometimes get extra time (or less time)
13:48 - Having a fixed BPM doesn't need to mean static timing on individual lines
14:20 - Expressive timing in a violin solo over steadier orchestra backing (Itzhak Perlman)
14:40 - Tempo Rubato in a Couple of My Tracks


> 14:45 - Getting out of time on non-essential beats with piano in "The Upward Call"
> 18:12 - Stealing time for an early downbeat note in "Hotel Limbo"


19:31 - Intentional Rushing or Dragging
19:58 - Rushing in a fast melody in "Race to the Ocean"
24:46 - Other Timing Tweaks for Enhancing Humanization
25:10 - Note feathering in tutti chords
26:31 - Messy woodwind runs/gestures
27:17 - Uneven note starts/transition/ends in lush strings in "Hotel Limbo" with CSS
28:35 - Your Assignment


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## ALittleNightMusic (Oct 15, 2022)

BenBotkin said:


> 10:00 - Tempo Rubato in Yo-Yo Ma's playing
> 14:20 - Expressive timing in a violin solo over steadier orchestra backing (Itzhak Perlman)


I love this!


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## Henrik B. Jensen (Oct 15, 2022)

BenBotkin said:


> I am so excited to share news of this new course series I've been mulling over for the last few years. _Bringing Virtual Orchestra Music to Life_ is a new series that is intended to serve composers at the intermediate-to-advanced end of the skills spectrum who want to take the musicality and believability to their virtual orchestra music to the next level.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Finally got around to watching the sample lesson - you’re really good at teaching and the content looks SO interesting for someone like me who’s already got a little bit of experience making mockups.

I may have to get this even though my budget, like many others, has gotten tighter due to world events.


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## BenBotkin (Oct 15, 2022)

Just a general heads up that the course should be going live in 2-3 hours (or thereabouts), and so that is when the price will jump (to the $140 intro price) as well.

Thanks for being with me on this journey, everyone!


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## Justin L. Franks (Oct 15, 2022)

It's live!


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## BenBotkin (Oct 15, 2022)

Justin L. Franks said:


> It's live!


Woot! Out of curiosity, did you get an email notification that it's available? If you could send me a screenshot that would be awesome! (I'm curious what the pre-order customers see)


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## Justin L. Franks (Oct 15, 2022)

BenBotkin said:


> Woot! Out of curiosity, did you get an email notification that it's available? If you could send me a screenshot that would be awesome! (I'm curious what the pre-order customers see)


I got an email when I pre-ordered, but did not get a notification of it going live.


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## BenBotkin (Oct 15, 2022)

Justin L. Franks said:


> I got an email when I pre-ordered, but did not get a notification of it going live.


Gotcha. I'll send an email out manually shortly.


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## Trash Panda (Oct 15, 2022)

BenBotkin said:


> Woot! Out of curiosity, did you get an email notification that it's available? If you could send me a screenshot that would be awesome! (I'm curious what the pre-order customers see)


Also pre-ordered. Did not get a go live notification.


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## BenBotkin (Oct 15, 2022)

Trash Panda said:


> Also pre-ordered. Did not get a go live notification.


Good to know. This is actually the first time I've done pre-orders on this platform (or ever), so I just assumed an email would automatically go out.


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## BenBotkin (Oct 15, 2022)

Justin L. Franks said:


> I got an email when I pre-ordered, but did not get a notification of it going live.


Do you appear to be able to access the lessons in a normal-seeming way @Justin L. Franks @Trash Panda ?


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## mgaewsj (Oct 15, 2022)

BenBotkin said:


> Woot! Out of curiosity, did you get an email notification that it's available? If you could send me a screenshot that would be awesome! (I'm curious what the pre-order customers see)


no


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## Trash Panda (Oct 15, 2022)

BenBotkin said:


> Do you appear to be able to access the lessons in a normal-seeming way @Justin L. Franks @Trash Panda ?


All good there!


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## tc9000 (Oct 15, 2022)

Looks good to me!


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## BenBotkin (Oct 15, 2022)

It's finally launched and available! I'm exhausted but also pleased with the end product and excited for it to serve you all in your musical endeavors. Intro price is $140 (will go up to $175 when the intro period ends) https://store.fortecomposeracademy.com/bringing-virtual-orchestra-music-to-life-vol-1





Many thanks to those of you who pre-ordered and gave feedback -- your faith in me as an instructor was encouraging through dark nights of editing and imposter syndrome and your early sales helped fund getting this product across the finish line. I hope the product is everything you hoped for (and more), and I appreciate all the feedback you gave along the way. In so many ways you made this product possible. 

This detailed 5 hour, 25 min course comes in 20 lessons that cover a wide range of specific expression instruction for virtual instrument-based composers, including:

How to approach DAW-based composition/production in a more authentic + musical way
Principles of musical expression and how these apply to VI tools
How to perform/program the most common dynamic shapes with both longs and shorts
How to plan and sculp dynamic phrases (dynamics applied!)
Macro-level tempo fluctuations (mapping accelerando, ritardando, bird's eyes, etc)
Detailed breakdowns of live instrument performances
Micro-level tempo fluctuations + humanization techniques (quantizing, feathering, tempo rubato, etc)
How to use vibrato with virtual instruments
Misc performance tips
Leveling up your ear/musical instincts
Exercises to level up your programming skills and make them sound more musical
If you are not sure if this course is the right fit for you (and it's not for everyone), you can preview a number of the lessons for free. At the more introductory end of the spectrum you can check out a lesson on the principles of musical expression, Or if you want to preview some of the more advanced lessons you can check out one of my favorite lessons on Dynamic Phrasing. Or maybe one on Humanizing Timing with Virtual Instruments (tempo rubato, feathering, intentionally loose timing). I'm not sure if I'll have both of these lessons available for free preview in the long term, so now is a great time to check these out and take a look at how this course is put together.


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## smellypants (Oct 15, 2022)

Congrats man, I hope this is very successful for you!

Do you think volume 2 will be enough to give a COMPLETE education on bringing virtual orchestra music to life?

Or will more volumes be needed you think?

Cheers


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## BenBotkin (Oct 15, 2022)

smellypants said:


> Congrats man, I hope this is very successful for you!
> 
> Do you think volume 2 will be enough to give a COMPLETE education on bringing virtual orchestra music to life?
> 
> ...


Thanks!

I'm not sure how many volumes this will be. Vol 2 is not real structured yet -- I'm still in idea compilation/braindump stage. And I always tend to underestimate how much content I have. I thought vol 1 might be 3 hours, and here it is at 5 and a half. I'm planning on a vol 2, and am leaving the possibility of more open. 

I'll defintely share here and get feedback when I get a more solidified idea of what my vol 2 plans look like.


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## Justin L. Franks (Oct 15, 2022)

BenBotkin said:


> Thanks!
> 
> I'm not sure how many volumes this will be. Vol 2 is not real structured yet -- I'm still in idea compilation/braindump stage. And I always tend to underestimate how much content I have. I thought vol 1 might be 3 hours, and here it is at 5 and a half. I'm planning on a vol 2, and am leaving the possibility of more open.
> 
> I'll defintely share here and get feedback when I get a more solidified idea of what my vol 2 plans look like.



I'll have more thoughts once I go through volume 1 and see exactly what is covered, but I think your previously-mentioned ideas for volume 2 already have a good baseline for what's next:



BenBotkin said:


> I think [volume 2] will be more along the lines of how to get the most out of virtual instruments in general and how create/perform a lot of musical functions with samples (like full chords, fast motion, ostinati, high rhythm, etc.). It might be more of a grab-bag of virtual orch tips, tricks, and thoughts.





BenBotkin said:


> Things like articulation management and usage are kind of the other half of the realism coin, which is something I plan to get into more in Volume 2.


Mainly, how to use the various articulations together to build common types of phrases. One of the things I struggle with (besides effectively using dynamics, which is what volume 1 covers) is taking what I hear in my head, and getting it down in my DAW using the articulations available in the libraries I own.


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## tc9000 (Oct 16, 2022)

> me: i want to get better at dynamics
> ben's course: ok listen to this 13 minute long real orchestral performance, listen to the dynamics
> me: urrrgh...
> me: okok.... WOW the dynamic range is HUGE
> me: ummmm... maybe... I would like to experience a real orchestral performance in person?
> me: googling "orchestral performance near me"
> me: aaaaargh why haven't I been doing this already???


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## BenBotkin (Oct 16, 2022)

tc9000 said:


> > me: i want to get better at dynamics
> > ben's course: ok listen to this 13 minute long real orchestral performance, listen to the dynamics
> > me: urrrgh...
> > me: okok.... WOW the dynamic range is HUGE
> ...


Turns out teaching is really easy, you just say "go listen to this amazing music until you're better." ;P


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## BenBotkin (Oct 17, 2022)

Justin L. Franks said:


> I'll have more thoughts once I go through volume 1 and see exactly what is covered, but I think your previously-mentioned ideas for volume 2 already have a good baseline for what's next:
> 
> 
> 
> Mainly, how to use the various articulations together to build common types of phrases. One of the things I struggle with (besides effectively using dynamics, which is what volume 1 covers) is taking what I hear in my head, and getting it down in my DAW using the articulations available in the libraries I own.


Where would you say your articulation struggles are:

1 - not knowing when and where certain articulations should be used (i.e. marcato vs portato vs forte)
2 - having a hard time getting levels/changes between artiulcations to sound natural and even
3 - getting overwhelmed with the idea of using a bunch of arts and keyswitches and expression maps and whatever
4 - all of the above 
5 - other


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## Justin L. Franks (Oct 17, 2022)

BenBotkin said:


> Where would you say your articulation struggles are:
> 
> 1 - not knowing when and where certain articulations should be used (i.e. marcato vs portato vs forte)
> 2 - having a hard time getting levels/changes between artiulcations to sound natural and even
> ...


Mostly 1, with a bit of 2.

3 is more of a technical thing, which shouldn't be the focus of this series IMO. Explaining in detail the various methods of articulation switching (separate tracks, keyswitches, Spitfire's UACC, expression maps / articulations sets, etc.) might be a good idea for the next volume in the "red" Composer Roadmaps line if that was not already covered in "Virtual Instrument and DAW Control 101".


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## BenBotkin (Oct 17, 2022)

Justin L. Franks said:


> Mostly 1, with a bit of 2.
> 
> 3 is more of a technical thing, which shouldn't be the focus of this series IMO. Explaining in detail the various methods of articulation switching (separate tracks, keyswitches, Spitfire's UACC, expression maps / articulations sets, etc.) might be a good idea for the next volume in the "red" Composer Roadmaps line if that was not already covered in "Virtual Instrument and DAW Control 101".


Thanks for the feedback! Yeah, I don't really want to get into technical software features stuff that much, except where it's directly applicable to the music. It's really not my strength!


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## Trash Panda (Oct 18, 2022)

@BenBotkin so far I'm loving the course and it's changing how I view my workflow as a draw it in person.

Do you work with any modeled instruments (AV Infinite, Sample Modeling, etc.)? Would be cool to see how you approach the CC1/CC11 curves in modeled versus traditional samples in a future volume.


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## BenBotkin (Oct 18, 2022)

Trash Panda said:


> @BenBotkin so far I'm loving the course and it's changing how I view my workflow as a draw it in person.
> 
> Do you work with any modeled instruments (AV Infinite, Sample Modeling, etc.)? Would be cool to see how you approach the CC1/CC11 curves in modeled versus traditional samples in a future volume.


Glad you're enjoying it! 

I haven't really investigated the modeled instruments options much. I am very intrigued by the Aaron Venture stuff (particularly the brass), but haven't trod that path yet.


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## Baronvonheadless (Oct 18, 2022)

Hey Ben, thanks for making this. I'm a big fan of your OT pieces. 
I'm at 'making dynamic shapes with longs', and curious about one thing:

You explain and give examples of where you find yourself adding the peak of a crescendo etc/swell. 
But why are peaks not often right in the middle? I understand how it's accenting either the first part or second part, given where u put the peak, but is there a reason musically or compositionally its not in the middle?

Is this common in orchestral writing? Just curious as to the why there. 

Thanks so much! 
Looking forward to diving into the rest today!


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## BenBotkin (Oct 18, 2022)

Baronvonheadless said:


> Hey Ben, thanks for making this. I'm a big fan of your OT pieces.
> I'm at 'making dynamic shapes with longs', and curious about one thing:
> 
> You explain and give examples of where you find yourself adding the peak of a crescendo etc/swell.
> ...


Glad you're enjoying it! 

On a samples-level, sometimes right in the middle is where the legato transition is (if the note is changing on that beat), and so if the peak is right on the transition it can emphasize any inconsistencies in the transition. 

But speaking more broadly than that, I don't really know. I just discovered that sometimes the swell sounds better when the dynamic peak is a little before or after the peak beat. It might have something to do with human anticipation -- if a performer is anticipating that he/she is about to come "down" dynamically they might come down a tad early in anticipation. If a performer is supposed to put an accent on a certain beat at that midpoint is might take a little pulse of energy for that accent to sound, resulting in a dynamic peak slightly after the beat. 

Now you got me wondering.


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## Baronvonheadless (Oct 18, 2022)

BenBotkin said:


> Glad you're enjoying it!
> 
> On a samples-level, sometimes right in the middle is where the legato transition is (if the note is changing on that beat), and so if the peak is right on the transition it can emphasize any inconsistencies in the transition.
> 
> ...


Thank you so much for your reply! This helps, and I forgot you did mention that actually in one of the videos about covering legato inconsistencies! 

Cheers


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## BenBotkin (Oct 18, 2022)

Baronvonheadless said:


> Thank you so much for your reply! This helps, and I forgot you did mention that actually in one of the videos about covering legato inconsistencies!
> 
> Cheers


My pleasure! 

One other note to add - I only compensate for legato transition inconsistencies when I actually hear them. It's not a thing that I do as a default. Also, some libraries have the ability to change the volume of the legato transitions in the player, so sometimes I will adjust the level there if I want more (or less) of the transition sound.


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## ishagshafeeg (Oct 19, 2022)

BenBotkin said:


> Where would you say your articulation struggles are:
> 
> 1 - not knowing when and where certain articulations should be used (i.e. marcato vs portato vs forte)
> 2 - having a hard time getting levels/changes between artiulcations to sound natural and even
> ...


No: 4 for me.


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## BenBotkin (Oct 19, 2022)

Got another lesson to share from the course! How do you plan a dynamic mountain range across a phrase, or an entire melody? I just released a new youtube video where I discuss dynamic phrasing and get into this in detail.



Here are some things that the video covers:

0:00 Dynamic Phrasing Defined
1:08 Dynamic Phrasing In Greensleeves
1:36 Dynamic Shapes within an individual phrase (Scarborough Fair, The Force Theme, Ode to Joy)
2:52 Melodic elements or movements that get dynamic attention
5:58 Tip: make music away from your DAW
8:22 How Phrases join together (in traditional Western music)
10:02 The functions of the difference phrases in an 8-bar melody
11:18 Dynamic Shaping over a Multi-phrase Sequence
14:30 Mapping out the Dynamic Phrasing for an Entire Melody (with longs)
22:27 Dynamic Phrasing in a completed piece ("The Upward Call")
30:27 Mapping out the Dynamic Phrasing for an Entire Melody ("Carol of the Bells" with shorts)

And yes, Bringing Virtual Orchestra Music to life Vol 1: Expression, Dynamics, and Performance, is still available for the intro price. There. I did by marketing post for the day.


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## BenBotkin (Oct 21, 2022)

Hey there! Just a heads up that I'm planning to extend the intro price ($140) period through November. My black November sale usually runs the whole month, and upon further consideration, I thought it would be weird if this new course wasn't discounted during the sale. So the price will revert to the regular $175 on Dec 1st.


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## BenBotkin (Oct 27, 2022)

Thought I'd share another preview lesson for those who are interested. I don't think I'll have this one available for free preview for very long. 














Forte Composer Academy


Here you can find courses and products designed to help composers overcome real-life challenges and make steps of positive progress in their craft.




store.fortecomposeracademy.com





Lesson Timecode/topics:

0:24 - Layering for Feathering note starts/ends
5:10 - Layering multiple patches on a lush melodic line in a cue I wrote for "Hotel Limbo"
8:53 - Tempo Rubato for Individual Parts
10:00 - Tempo Rubato in Yo-Yo Ma's playing
11:00 - Which notes in a phrase sometimes get extra time (or less time)
13:48 - Having a fixed BPM doesn't need to mean static timing on individual lines
14:20 - Expressive timing in a violin solo over steadier orchestra backing (Itzhak Perlman)
14:40 - Tempo Rubato in a Couple of My Tracks


> 14:45 - Getting out of time on non-essential beats with piano in "The Upward Call"
> 18:12 - Stealing time for an early downbeat note in "Hotel Limbo"


19:31 - Intentional Rushing or Dragging
19:58 - Rushing in a fast melody in "Race to the Ocean"
24:46 - Other Timing Tweaks for Enhancing Humanization
25:10 - Note feathering in tutti chords
26:31 - Messy woodwind runs/gestures
27:17 - Uneven note starts/transition/ends in lush strings in "Hotel Limbo" with CSS
28:35 - Your Assignment

More course info here! https://store.fortecomposeracademy.com/bringing-virtual-orchestra-music-to-life-vol-1


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## BenBotkin (Nov 8, 2022)

I have a cool update to share - students of this course (and most of my other ones) qualify to receive a single-use 15% off coupon that can be used on any individual Orchestral Tools product (including bundles, I believe). Even cooler - This coupon can STACK with other discounts and offers from OT.





*OTHER COUPON-ELIGIBLE PRODUCTS:*

Bringing Virtual Orchestra Music to life Vol 1 (Reg Price $175, Nov Sale price $140)
Film Scoring for Beginners (Reg price $300, Nov sale price $210)
How to Compose with MIDI and Virtual Instruments (Reg price $300, Nov Sale price $210)
Composing a Piece from Beginning to End (reg price $175, Nov Sale Price $120)

If you purchase the Media Composer Bundle (Reg Price $500, Nov Sale Price $350), you are eligible to receive TWO of these unique, single-use coupons.

*HOW TO RECEIVE YOUR COUPON/S:*

Since each coupon code is unique, I will need to share them with you manually. If you have purchased an eligible product from me, message me here at Vi-C, at [email protected], or within your Podia (course) account, and I'll share your unique code/s with you. If you email, please share which email you used to purchase and the product you purchased so I can keep everything straight! 

Thanks for your support, and hopefully you can use this OT discount to get some great instruments and make some great music!


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## ALittleNightMusic (Nov 8, 2022)

Couple of questions, Ben:
- If we purchase another one of your courses (that you've listed), will we be eligible for two coupons? One for this course and one for the new purchase?
- Do the coupons have an expiration date?


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## BenBotkin (Nov 8, 2022)

OT sent me the coupons and as far as I know, they never expire. This is not a temporary promotion. 

And yes, you get one coupon for each eligible product you buy (unless you buy the Media Composer bundle, in which case you get two coupons). So if you've bought, say, two eligible products, I send you two of these single-use 15% off codes.


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## BenBotkin (Nov 9, 2022)

I mean, I guess OT could theoretically change their store/cart system in the future such that the coupons stop working in a new system, but that seems speculative. And I would reach out for new ones.


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## BenBotkin (Nov 28, 2022)

Just a heads up that there are only 2.5 more days to grab this course at the intro price of $140 (reverts to reg price of $175 on Dec 1). https://store.fortecomposeracademy.com/bringing-virtual-orchestra-music-to-life-vol-1






And just a note: if you're planning to use the 15% off Orchestral Tools coupon that comes with this course, it's probably better to not wait until the last minute to request it since I may not be able to get you your OT coupon immediately (although I will try to make sure that anyone who buys one before the sale ends gets the coupon in time before the OT sale ends).


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## BenBotkin (Nov 30, 2022)

Just a few hours remain to nab this course for the intro price ($140)! Price rises to $175 tomorrow. https://store.fortecomposeracademy.com/bringing-virtual-orchestra-music-to-life-vol-1


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## BenBotkin (Dec 20, 2022)

Hi! I've had great feedback but I'm just now going to the trouble to officially collect some product testimonials. Apparently these are a good thing to have on you product page, according to the internet. Something about "social proof"... 

Anyways, anyone here who's benefitted from the course willing to share a testimonial? DM me for format deets. 

Thanks!


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## Denkii (Dec 20, 2022)

BenBotkin said:


> Hi! I've had great feedback but I'm just now going to the trouble to officially collect some product testimonials. Apparently these are a good thing to have on you product page, according to the internet. Something about "social proof"...
> 
> Anyways, anyone here who's benefitted from the course willing to share a testimonial? DM me for format deets.
> 
> Thanks!


If you need one from a hobbyist hobbit, I have the spare time to go through the course. Send me the course and I will send you one. You know where to find me.

(You cannot win if you never try?)


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## Trash Panda (Dec 20, 2022)

@BenBotkin are you checking the comments on lessons? I have made a few regarding broken content in a few areas.


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## BenBotkin (Dec 20, 2022)

Trash Panda said:


> @BenBotkin are you checking the comments on lessons? I have made a few regarding broken content in a few areas.


I may have missed some! I'll go back and check. Thanks for the heads up!


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## gyprock (Dec 20, 2022)

Will there be a Xmas sale?


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## Trash Panda (Dec 20, 2022)

BenBotkin said:


> I may have missed some! I'll go back and check. Thanks for the heads up!


Sounds good! Lesson #7, second comment.


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## BenBotkin (Dec 21, 2022)

gyprock said:


> Will there be a Xmas sale?


I'm not planning on one since I just had the big November sale. It will probably be a while before this product is on sale again. But all FCA (purchasing) customers should keep an eye on their email inboxes over the next few days...


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## BenBotkin (Dec 21, 2022)

Trash Panda said:


> @BenBotkin are you checking the comments on lessons? I have made a few regarding broken content in a few areas.


Found the broken image in lesson 7 and fixed it! Thanks for the reminder.


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