# Is it wrong to not have templates?



## MaestroRage (Sep 30, 2011)

So for a long while now i've not had templates. I'm told often that one of the best ways to save time is to have all the instruments and such you often use saved in a file and then just load that sucker up when it's time to work.

I find that when I do this, my music starts to sound the same. Almost as if the template itself starts to affect what I use in the final piece of music. And when I start the project file from scratch always, and I mean -always- I find that what i've loaded and used is nearly completely different from each other.

I mean sure, I reach out to a cluster of instruments again and again, but for example the percussion is never the same patches, plethora of bits and pieces, synths and stuff.

So I guess I was just wondering if it's such a bad thing I haven't molded myself to work off of templates. It almost feels like i'm saving time by not modifying a template file to suit my current projects needs. I'm interested in seeing who else might be on this boat with me.


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## Christian Marcussen (Sep 30, 2011)

I often compose experiementally - meaning I try out different sounds. I would go mad if I had to this on a load a patch basis


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## Pietro (Sep 30, 2011)

Setting up an orchestral instrument set takes time. Layers, timing randomization, group routing, reverb, compression.

If you have a template, with a particular sound, you are always ready to go in that genre. Like epic - I'm building a template right now, while composing for an animation. It has some smart things going on inside, that I would not like to have to do again, and prefer to have it ready at any time.

Although, I like loading up some sounds, and building from scratch spontaneusly. But if I have some projects, that need to have the same sound for a number of cues - I use the same basic set, and I load some extra sounds, when I need. If I know I will use legato strings, in similar style as in another cue, then having to set them up again from scratch is just boring .

- Piotr


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## EastWest Lurker (Sep 30, 2011)

I have app a dozen templates and when I start a new project I generally alter 3 or 4 for that specific project.


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## rgames (Sep 30, 2011)

It depends on what you're writing. For orchestral music, having a template is a huge time saver. For example, say you write a line for strings. To double it on another instrument, all you do is drag and copy to another track. Or when trying out different perc, you can just drag the MIDI data around and find which one best suites the passage.

I run slaves and don't ever modify my orchestral instruments, so putting them in a template makes a lot of sense. I do modify EQ, levels, sends, inserts, etc. on each instrument but that's all done in the sequencer, not on the instruments on the slave.

It's not wrong to not use a template but it can be a big time saver.

rgames


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## Dan Mott (Sep 30, 2011)

I have a template with nothing loaded, but just all my tracks in order and everything I need, then I just load as I go.


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## Daryl (Sep 30, 2011)

It also depends on how and what you compose. I compose in my head, and then transfer to paper or straight to the DAW. I don't want to waste time loading individual patches, just to get a thematic line to sound OK. For me it is much better to have them already loaded.

Obviously if I was the sort of composer who only uses 1 patch in my themes, I might have a different view. :wink: 

D


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## Ned Bouhalassa (Sep 30, 2011)

When I start a new project, I use a 'fresh' template (blank). Then, as time goes on, I re-use 4 or 5 setups, depending on the family of cues that I've built up. Nothin' wrong with going commando, IMHO. :shock:


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## PMortise (Sep 30, 2011)

So then, do you consider your template just which patches you load? I was under the impression it's a lot of other sound-sculpting settings as well. (say _that_ 5x fast!  )

Anyone else, please chime in on this as well...


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## Pietro (Sep 30, 2011)

It's a lot of sound-sculpting settings as well .

Reverb, can take a lot of time to fine-tune. Especially if you are using multiple impulse responses for different sections etc. Making this right is a lot of work.

- Piotr


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## gsilbers (Sep 30, 2011)

Ned Bouhalassa @ Fri Sep 30 said:


> When I start a new project, I use a 'fresh' template (blank). Then, as time goes on, I re-use 4 or 5 setups, depending on the family of cues that I've built up. Nothin' wrong with going commando, IMHO. :shock:




+1


i also use templates from other projects and fine tune it to another project. cause it has similar sounds i like.


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## Jeffrey Peterson (Sep 30, 2011)

I'm confused. How do you already have a session and then add templates to them? I have 1 template that has everything, how would I import another? Are you using Logic? PT? Cubase?


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## TehComposerer (Sep 30, 2011)

MaestroRage @ Fri Sep 30 said:


> So I guess I was just wondering if it's such a bad thing I haven't molded myself to work off of templates. It almost feels like i'm saving time by not modifying a template file to suit my current projects needs. I'm interested in seeing who else might be on this boat with me.



They allow you to have templates in FL Studio? :shock: 

But srsly, what I do is I have a template with a few core articulations for each section, i.e. legato, staccato and spiccato for the string sections, and then add on stuff like pizz as needed.


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## Saxer (Oct 8, 2011)

i don't like tooo big templates. i want to see all tracks on a screen without scrolling up and down. i often import sections or articulations from other songs (importing tracks works great in logic). i also save standard instruments as channel strips to load finetuned instruments quickly (with eq or controller settings for windcontroller). and i save kontak multis i.e. to have a set of symphobia cluster-efx or a multi percussion set.
so it's rather fast to import parts of a template without having an oversized autoload.


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## P.T. (Oct 9, 2011)

Jeffrey Peterson @ Fri Sep 30 said:


> I'm confused. How do you already have a session and then add templates to them? I have 1 template that has everything, how would I import another? Are you using Logic? PT? Cubase?



I use Reaper and it has Project templates and Track Templates.

I can add any number of track templates into a project.


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## MacQ (Oct 10, 2011)

I use Ned's approach. I'm not asked for orchestra all that often, so I prefer to build up a palette and then reuse it for later cues (on a film project). For commercials and stuff I just start from scratch.

That said, I do have a template that I load for everything. It includes a custom NI Battery map and some MIDI-input transformations in Cubase. I think I'll do a video explaining this, as I've found it to be incredibly useful. I'm all about workflow and speed, and in addition to my huge array of custom key-commands, this thing makes programming drums a LOT of fun.

I think having an orchestra on tap is great, though ... I just keep changing my aesthetic too often. :-S

~Stu


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## MaestroRage (Oct 10, 2011)

MacQ, i'd be INSANELY interested in seeing that video. While I don't use a template, I will admit it hits my workflow efficiency. 

I think i'll try making a few generic ones today. I had never considered Piotr's angle in which the templates could serve specific roles (ie epic template, intimate template etc). I had always just seen them as a, here are all your sounds, go nuts template.


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## Pochflyboy (Oct 10, 2011)

When it comes to orchestral compositions I use the same template... then for each project I will adjust eq, reverb and such till I get the sound that really fits. Then I am off for the whole project. In general I set my orchestra template and don't mess with it too much...


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## IFM (Oct 16, 2011)

I often build a temple for the current project, then I can just start each track that way. For example. I have a 'master' orchestral template but I won't necessarily start with it unless I know that's exactly what I am going to write. Instead I start with a 'blank' template that has some mix settings preassembled (aux's with plugins, etc.) then I import the tracks I think I will need. 

With game music and tracks that need a lot of synths I can't possible have a 'one size fits all' template as it would be thousands of tracks and be impossible to navigate. I prefer using Logic's import from other projects and that's gotten me up and running very quickly. I also use channel presets that I build over time to quickly call up favorites...sort of like having a 'template' without actually having one.

Chris


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