# Template Planning



## vitocorleone123 (Sep 14, 2019)

Total beginner here (at anything orchestral). One step I've decided to take to help me explore more quickly is to create a template in my DAW (Waveform 10). In part, this will help me say, "Orchestra, assemble!" in a commanding voice. Well, really more in that I don't actually know all of the elements I've purchased to date. Oops. This will help me pick and choose - or just load 'em all for now.

My current plan is to largely use Kontakt Full for most elements. I've started a Google sheet to help me before doing this in the DAW. While I would hope to cut this down over time, I'm currently thinking of the following Kontakt instances (in the sheet I then also have columns for Instance #, library name, instrument name, midi ch., output ch., and notes - such as the delay inherent to the library, like PS Fluid Shorts). I won't exhaustively list out the libraries I have, which, as it turns out, are more extensive than I thought, but just the overall Kontakt/folder name. Some of these will be rather sparse, such as the Woodwinds, unless I decided I "need" to buy more.


Drums
Strings - Ensemble
Strings - Solo
Brass - Ensemble
Brass - Solo
Woodwinds 
Choir
Vox (e.g., solo)
Hybrid
Ethnic & FX

I'll also be adding a small handful of virtual instruments since I'm unlikely to write anything more complex than "hybrid", including HW Brass Silver that I picked up when I shouldn't have early on, some more drums, Omnisphere, and Hive2 & Diva.

I can tell already, having spent one hour so far, that this is an all-day kind of thing. BUT, I truly believe it'll make it a lot easier on me over the next... year(s) to just load a template and start in if I don't already have something specific in mind in this genre direction.


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## MauroPantin (Sep 16, 2019)

That seems to work. Spitfire recently covered their method for a template with Jake Jackson. While the download file is for Logic, I think it is full of good practices you can pick up from just watching the video. Here it is:


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## vitocorleone123 (Sep 16, 2019)

Thanks for sharing that. I do NOT have 400+ tracks as far as I know (my DAW doesn't count them and I didn't number them), but it IS quite a few, all the same. Almost all Kontakt. I purged all the samples to save the template.

The short of it is: I seem to be on track. Certainly well enough for my weak needs!


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## Jeremy Spencer (Sep 17, 2019)

Which DAW? This sometimes determines the best way to set up your templates when it comes to system resources, grouping, etc.


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## vitocorleone123 (Sep 17, 2019)

Wolfie2112 said:


> Which DAW? This sometimes determines the best way to set up your templates when it comes to system resources, grouping, etc.



Tracktion Waveform 10. I believe I figured out the best (but still not easy) routing. The easiest way, by far, of course, is to just have an instance of kontakt per track, but that didn't seem "right". Haven't tested that approach, though, for so many tracks.


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## Reid Rosefelt (Sep 17, 2019)

One thing you can do in Cubase (and maybe in Tracktion too) is to disable the tracks you don't use all the time, or even the ones that are just longest to load. Then your whole template loads up faster. Maybe a better road in some cases than purging all the samples of everything.

Another piece of advice would be to explore Vienna Ensemble Pro. Learn about it. It may not be for you, but if you ever decide you want to go that route, you'll have to build your template all over again.


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## JohnG (Sep 17, 2019)

I like "score order," which makes it somewhat easier to clean up the midi and transfer it to an orchestral arrangement if you ever have an orchestra play anything.

Another way to think about it is having two main groups -- pitched instruments at the top, then non-pitched things (snare drums, booms, djembes or whatever) at the bottom. That way if you decide to transpose some part of your track you can grab all the stuff that you want to transpose, and leave the stuff you don't.


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## Nick Batzdorf (Sep 17, 2019)

Are anyone's templates ever finished?

I change mine just about every time I use them - not necessarily by adding instruments, but by tweaking Logic screensets, adding commands to the toolbar, that kind of thing.


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## Bear Market (Sep 17, 2019)

Nick Batzdorf said:


> Are anyone's templates ever finished?



One of my guilty procrastination pleasures is to create custom track icons for stuff. I think I'm actually better at that than writing music.


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## Minko (Sep 18, 2019)

I have folders and vepro ordered on the score order. (woods, brass, percussion, choir, strings, synths, sfx).

I also have stems and folders for the preferred stems. (e.g. percussion - hits, tonal, atonal etc)

So everything from a stem is in that corresponding folder. I have all the routing set up, and use presets and channel sets but don't have a completely filled template. 

It is really hard not to overthink it. First try stuff out and see what works for you (off course pick and choose what you like from other composers).


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## MauroPantin (Sep 18, 2019)

I have a basic template that I've been adding on to as it becomes necessary for each new project/idea. It did not have any Cimbassi or things like that at the beginning, there was no need for those and I had no idea how to use them. So it started simple. I think it was flutes (a2 or 3, can't remember) and each subsequent woodwind subgroup in the same configuration, brass (hns a4, trpts a4, tbns a3, tuba), basic orchestral perc, harp, piano, a few taikos and surdos, and the string section. All Hollywood Orchestra at that time (or symphonic? again, can't recall). That was v1.0 and it was all you need for your first template IMO. Then as projects end, I save them as subsequent versions of my template, v1.1, v1.2, etc. I'm on v3.7 at the moment. 

I also save some instruments as track templates (I'm using Reaper). If I need a specific sound or a different configuration I can always go back to an earlier version, add whatever piece of the puzzle I used for another project, mix and match, whatever I need. It is very flexible. 

Template building all the time is procrastination. Get something basic going and get started, you can always add to it as you move forward and it becomes needed. The point of a template is to save time, not to waste it redoing everything every 4 months (something I was guilty of at the beginning).


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## jononotbono (Sep 18, 2019)

Nick Batzdorf said:


> Are anyone's templates ever finished?



Exactly!

Mine just keeps growing and growing. Being able to disable instruments in either VEPro or via Instrument tracks is a wonderful thing. I have some libraries that are always loaded and the rest I enable as and when the mood/music takes me.


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## LudovicVDP (Sep 19, 2019)

Small question on templates as I started making mine not so long ago:
I understand the use of it for your strings, brass etc... Short/long/articulations/FX/whatever.
But how do you cope with percs/synth/FX?

I mean: I have Drum Fury for instance. Sooo many instruments, that I tweak and stack everytime. I don't see myself having 50+ Drum Fury tracks in my termplate.
And it's even more difficult with synth and plugins like Gravity for instance. Do you simply add X tracks with an Empty Gravity? Or some of your favorite presets? 
Everytime I open a synth, it's for something different. 
I've never used the same riser in two different projects for instance.
So I don't see that fit into a template.

What's your take on this?

Thanks.
Ludovic


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## MauroPantin (Sep 19, 2019)

LudovicVDP said:


> Small question on templates as I started making mine not so long ago:
> I understand the use of it for your strings, brass etc... Short/long/articulations/FX/whatever.
> But how do you cope with percs/synth/FX?
> 
> ...



Then just leave a space for synths and those types of tracks as empty tracks, already routed and all, but don't load the synths or patches. The idea of the template is to load what you are going to need 90% of the time, and have all the routing already set up. If you have patches or stacks of drums you use every time, by all means. But if it's a project by project thing, don't load anything. A template is not the end layout, it's just the start.


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## Jeremy Spencer (Sep 19, 2019)

LudovicVDP said:


> Small question on templates as I started making mine not so long ago:
> I understand the use of it for your strings, brass etc... Short/long/articulations/FX/whatever.
> But how do you cope with percs/synth/FX?
> 
> ...



It's really up to you, there's no formula for templates.


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## Shad0wLandsUK (Sep 19, 2019)

vitocorleone123 said:


> Total beginner here (at anything orchestral). One step I've decided to take to help me explore more quickly is to create a template in my DAW (Waveform 10). In part, this will help me say, "Orchestra, assemble!" in a commanding voice. Well, really more in that I don't actually know all of the elements I've purchased to date. Oops. This will help me pick and choose - or just load 'em all for now.
> 
> My current plan is to largely use Kontakt Full for most elements. I've started a Google sheet to help me before doing this in the DAW. While I would hope to cut this down over time, I'm currently thinking of the following Kontakt instances (in the sheet I then also have columns for Instance #, library name, instrument name, midi ch., output ch., and notes - such as the delay inherent to the library, like PS Fluid Shorts). I won't exhaustively list out the libraries I have, which, as it turns out, are more extensive than I thought, but just the overall Kontakt/folder name. Some of these will be rather sparse, such as the Woodwinds, unless I decided I "need" to buy more.
> 
> ...


Oh, in the beginning I picked up HW Brass and Strings Silver also... most awful sounds ever :/

Glad to have Diamond now


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## ed buller (Sep 19, 2019)

Most of my templates are the result of something. So if I find I am writing a lot of "TRAP DRAMEDY" it gets a template. Usually one of the tracks with all the midi removed, busses labeled for stems and such and all the most likely sounds loaded . This is now "TRAP DRAMEDY" template. I may make another after I get a request for more hip hop drums and orchestral colors such as pizz and low woods. This then becomes "HIP HOP ORCHESTRAL DRAMEDY"

this is what will save me time as over the next year I'll probably write 100 more of each and just load up the appropriate template and off I go....

best

ed


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