# Star Wars: TFA - Rey's Theme - Orchestral Mockup



## Jacob Cadmus (Dec 31, 2015)

I made a mockup of Rey's Theme, from The Force Awakens. No sheet music;100% by ear, so apologies if you hear any inaccuracies in the orchestration.

Also served as a good field test for Studio One v3.

Youtube



Soundcloud


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## Tyderian (Dec 31, 2015)

Really great work Jacob!


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## Pasticcio (Dec 31, 2015)

Great transcription. Well done


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## Kareemo (Dec 31, 2015)

Wow! Great job!
What Samples did you use and how is your template organized in terms of reverb, keyswitches etc.?


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## Lassi Tani (Dec 31, 2015)

Great job! I enjoyed the space you have set up with reverbs. And you have a good hearing to hear all the subtle sounds and instruments


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## Jacob Cadmus (Dec 31, 2015)

Kareemo said:


> Wow! Great job!
> What Samples did you use and how is your template organized in terms of reverb, keyswitches etc.?



Samples I used are EWQLSO, Sample Modeling brass, and NI Symphony Strings. My template is a pretty straightforward setup. No external reverbs for ER, except for SM which needs the signal 100% wet. All strings, brass, and winds are sharing one tail verb, and all percussion sharing another. No keyswitching; I do separate tracks oldschool style. I also stack articulations into multis, which helps with pulling off those bouncy melodies.


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## Kareemo (Dec 31, 2015)

Thanks for all the informations!
Good to know that I'm not the only one, who likes the oldschool style.


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## tack (Dec 31, 2015)

Truly fantastic transcription effort, Jacob!


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## TGV (Dec 31, 2015)

Good ears, and good mockup skills. Those strings are NI then?


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## ClefferNotes (Dec 31, 2015)

Beautiful work! Congrats!


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## chillbot (Dec 31, 2015)

Jacob, how long did this take you to complete?


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## RiffWraith (Dec 31, 2015)

Very well done! 

I have said it before, and I will say it again. Even tho this still does not sound like a real orchestra, this mockup just goes to show you how good samples can sound when you have a properly orchestrated piece of music. It all starts with the orchestration.

Cheers.


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## Jacob Cadmus (Dec 31, 2015)

chillbot said:


> Jacob, how long did this take you to complete?



About a couple weeks total, but only because I had to hop back and forth between this and some commissions. So the actual ETA was about a few days.


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## chillbot (Dec 31, 2015)

I'm genuinely curious.... I've never attempted anything like this and couldn't even if I wanted to... so would you say maybe 20 hours or so? Also, if that's correct would you say that's pretty standard for something like this or are you exceptionally fast or particularly slow?


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## Jacob Cadmus (Dec 31, 2015)

chillbot said:


> I'm genuinely curious.... I've never attempted anything like this and couldn't even if I wanted to... so would you say maybe 20 hours or so? Also, if that's correct would you say that's pretty standard for something like this or are you exceptionally fast or particularly slow?



I probably took longer than 20 hours, but I'm sure it could be done in that time frame. I consider myself a slowpoke fersure.


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## rainierjmartin (Dec 31, 2015)

Amazing job! I was wondering if you could go more in-depth into how you worked with Native Instruments' new string library (did you use the premade runs or legato for the runs?) as well as your reverb setup for Sample Modeling because it seems to be working really well for you. Thanks!


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## Jacob Cadmus (Jan 1, 2016)

rainierjmartin said:


> Amazing job! I was wondering if you could go more in-depth into how you worked with Native Instruments' new string library (did you use the premade runs or legato for the runs?) as well as your reverb setup for Sample Modeling because it seems to be working really well for you. Thanks!



For NI strings, I opted for the divisi sub sections, to save RAM. The ascending run was done manually with minor trills (a trick I learned from watching the CS2 tutorial videos).

I did quite a bit of processing with SM; about three stages of EQ, a multiband compressor to tighten up the low-mid frequencies that build up when stacking them into ensembles, and ValhallaRoom with the wet mix all the way up and stage distance at around 40%. I can't remember the knob settings, but I imagine they're irrelevant if you're using a different reverb.


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## AlexanderSchiborr (Jan 1, 2016)

Nice transcription indeed. Not 100 % sure though on my headphones I felt that your Celli / Bass Pizzis sounded a bit loud?


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## apessino (Jan 1, 2016)

Great work!

So, how do you like S1? I just love it...


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## Jacob Cadmus (Jan 1, 2016)

AlexanderSchiborr said:


> Nice transcription indeed. Not 100 % sure though on my headphones I felt that your Celli / Bass Pizzis sounded a bit loud?



Yeah the pizzies probably are a bit loud. Whoops!



apessino said:


> Great work!
> 
> So, how do you like S1? I just love it...



S1 is great! I was a v2 user back in 2013. It's nice to see the workflow improvements in v3, plus the UI is nice and pretty now.


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## Jason_D (Jan 5, 2016)

Sounds good Jacob.

What exactly is that instrument at 14 seconds into the clip, Celesta?


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## Jacob Cadmus (Jan 5, 2016)

Jason_D said:


> Sounds good Jacob.
> 
> What exactly is that instrument at 14 seconds into the clip, Celesta?



Yessir, celesta layered with crotales and harp. No clue if that was how it was done in the original, but it sounded best that way for the mockup.


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## Anze Rozman (Jan 5, 2016)

Great Job! !


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## FriFlo (Jan 6, 2016)

Jacob Cadmus said:


> Yessir, celesta layered with crotales and harp. No clue if that was how it was done in the original, but it sounded best that way for the mockup.


I was wondering about that sound also, when I first heard it. I was also thinking of softly played tubular bells, but then again Williams often uses keyboard sounds for that sort of things, like the celesta sound on Harry Potter. He almost never uses synthesizers in the orchestra, but when it comes to pitched percussion, he does often use keyboards, like the harpsichord in the Tin Tin score was a keyboard sound, I believe.
Great job!


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## Orchestrata (Jan 6, 2016)

Oh, wow - amazing job!

I love this theme; goosebumps every time it's reprised.


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## Matt Hawken (Jan 6, 2016)

I might be totally wrong but I wondered if it's a group of handchimes. You can hear on the soundtrack that it's clearly doubled (or even tripled) by the spread of some of the chords. Either that or a layering of celeste/vibraphone/harp/glock would be my orchestration guess!


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## Vin (Jan 6, 2016)

Great work, Jacob, you have a great ear


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## vicontrolu (Jan 9, 2016)

Awesome!

To me the woodwinds stand in first place on the stage, followed by the strings and, further away, the brass.

Is it just me? Checking the mix with headphones though


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## Jacob Cadmus (Jan 9, 2016)

vicontrolu said:


> Awesome!
> 
> To me the woodwinds stand in first place on the stage, followed by the strings and, further away, the brass.
> 
> Is it just me? Checking the mix with headphones though



You're probably right. Though I don't really bother with accurate room placement because I'm a lazy-butt.


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## novaburst (Jan 10, 2016)

Brave attempt, well done


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## Black Light Recordings (Jan 10, 2016)

Great transcription. I was going to sit down and attempt this sometime next week. The mock is good as well, although it could be a little more expressive in parts. I sounds like you quantized a few portions that could really benefit from some natural "swing". That said. Outstanding work on an outstanding piece.

G


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## skyy38 (Nov 11, 2017)

Jacob Cadmus said:


> I made a mockup of Rey's Theme, from The Force Awakens. No sheet music;100% by ear, so apologies if you hear any inaccuracies in the orchestration.
> 
> Also served as a good field test for Studio One v3.
> 
> ...




Does this mean that you used ONLY the instruments from STUDIO ONE v3 or did you use other libraries as well.


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## skyy38 (Nov 11, 2017)

Kareemo said:


> Thanks for all the informations!
> Good to know that I'm not the only one, who likes the oldschool style.



Yeah, PLAYING it in, and not PUNCHING it in.


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## skyy38 (Nov 11, 2017)

TGV said:


> Good ears, and good mockup skills. Those strings are NI then?



I HATE the term "Mockup."

It's like saying that a FEMALE composer, is pretty good, "for a girl."

The MIDI Orchestra is an art form in its OWN right. It was developed over time, as a means for MOST of us, to be able to fully realize our visions, on the SYMPHONIC STAGE instead of merely on ONE instrument, or another.

And, just because you have a REAL ORCHESTRA at your command, doesn't mean that it will sound REAL or otherwise. Mike Verta knows this to be true and wrote an article about it!

And if it weren't for the MIDI ORCHESTRA, 90% of all of YOU, would be seeking employment elsewhere.

Where did it ever SAY, that trying to become JOHN WILLIAMS was as easy as becoming a doctor, or a scientist, or Michael Jordan?

YOU are thinking, that just because you have the TOOLS, the "trade" automatically comes with it?

WRONG! That is like handing a .44 Magnum to a citizen, expecting them to magically morph into DIRTY HARRY.

SORRY-but it just doesn't work that way!

I learned THAT a LOOOONG time ago from TASCAM!


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## skyy38 (Nov 11, 2017)

RiffWraith said:


> Very well done!
> 
> I have said it before, and I will say it again. Even tho this still does not sound like a real orchestra, this mockup just goes to show you how good samples can sound when you have a properly orchestrated piece of music. It all starts with the orchestration.
> 
> Cheers.



Dude, you don't even KNOW what tangent that you speak of.

FIRST, you start with "Samples". And THEN you move ON to "Orchestration" and then "Samples" again.

NO, you dumb son of as bitch-The ORCHESTRA makes the music, OUT of the instruments.

Get THAT much right, OK?

And REALLY? YOU are the final judge on REALISIM?


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## CT (Nov 11, 2017)




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## skyy38 (Nov 11, 2017)

RiffWraith said:


> Very well done!
> 
> I have said it before, and I will say it again. Even tho this still does not sound like a real orchestra, this mockup just goes to show you how good samples can sound when you have a properly orchestrated piece of music. It all starts with the orchestration.
> 
> Cheers.



And UNIVERSAL SAMPLING is basing their business on WHAT?

Sounding like a REAL FUCKING ORCHESTRA??????

Get REAL! You FUCKING ASSHOLE!


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## NoamL (Nov 11, 2017)

since you know so much about orchestrating, here’s an indication for you:

+


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## TGV (Nov 12, 2017)

Irrelevant name dropping? Check.

Far-fetched metaphors? Check.

Increasing amounts of capitals in an indiscernable pattern? Check.

Insults on reply? Check.


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## AlexanderSchiborr (Nov 12, 2017)

skyy38 said:


> And UNIVERSAL SAMPLING is basing their business on WHAT?
> 
> Sounding like a REAL FUCKING ORCHESTRA??????
> 
> Get REAL! You FUCKING ASSHOLE!



Hey Sky,
I read some of your other comments too, and while I think it is good to have an opinion, even if it is not to the trend, (I even appreciate that) I think even if you think you are right in somethings, by insulting other people you are always wrong even if you are right from your fundamentals. But it is always how you communicate something, it depends a lot on that.

I guess you don´t like that forum that much I would say so my advice: Just spent your time with the good things in life which makes you happy. Apart from this forum here I hope you do. All that grief against peoples opinions here isn´t good for you as well. I for myself have learned over the years the following: If someone disagrees with me, well, that´s fine. If everything is said, just head on.

I amnot sure but I feel you are on a mission here to convert people to overthink their approach which honestly will not work well with the style of your approach: You will lose that battle and in the end maybe even banned when you start insulting people.


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## Karma (Nov 12, 2017)

What gets me is that you are bumping a 2 year old thread, and then randomly insulting people... what's the deal? 
You seem awfully worked up over nothing...


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## Johann F. (Nov 12, 2017)

skyy38 is just an angry little man with too much free time on his hands.

https://soundcloud.com/skyy38/

I'd be pissed too...


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## Jacob Cadmus (Nov 12, 2017)

What the frak is going on up in here?


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## Lassi Tani (Nov 12, 2017)

Someone called sample based compositions mockups, and this happened:


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## J-M (Nov 12, 2017)

Jacob Cadmus said:


> What the frak is going on up in here?



skyy38 happened.


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## Nick Batzdorf (Nov 12, 2017)

skyy38 said:


> Get REAL! You FUCKING ASSHOLE!
> 
> NO, you dumb son of as bitch



Oh no you ca-an't.

Please stop insulting. It's illegal here.


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## Architekton (Nov 12, 2017)

Hopefully BAN hammer incoming


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## Mike Greene (Nov 12, 2017)

Insults and inappropriate language are bad enough, but the constant use of ALL CAPS? Totally unacceptable. I had no choice but to ban him.

Okay, the all caps thing is just a joke (sort of), but obviously these personal attacks and profanity are not helpful to the forum. He was warned, so now he's banned.


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## chillbot (Nov 12, 2017)

Mike Greene said:


> He was warned, so now he's banned.


Dammit, Mike. This is why we can't have nice things around here.


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## patrick76 (Nov 12, 2017)




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