# Orchestral stems to practice mixing



## maxime77 (Jul 12, 2016)

Hello!

I remember few years ago (2012), a very talented composer shared some orchestral stems with the score so that new mixing engineers could practice their mixing skills! I contacted the composer to know if that was still available, and yes it is, so I thought that you would be interested in it, as it is a real orchestra playing!

Feel free to share what you end up with if you tried to mix it 

Also, if you have some orchestral stems to share, virtual instruments or a real orchestra, please don't hesitate to share it on this thread! 

This is the blog page (in French though), where you can find the download link and also some mix examples:

http://www.damiendeshayes.fr/blog/index.php?post/2012/03/29/Stems-d-orchestre

Here is the download link for those who did not manage to find it: http://www.damiendeshayes.fr/fichiers/stems/stems-mortdejohn.zip


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## YuHirà (Nov 23, 2016)

Hi everybody!

I was about to share the stems of my last piece for live orchestra when I discovered you already opened a topic  I'm glad you did it, Maxim77, it's very kind of you 

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First of all, the link to the first track *La Mort de John* (2010) has changed. From now on, you can donwload the stems here: http://www.damiendeshayes.fr/fichiers/stems/stems-mortdejohn.zip (the score is included)

Orchestra: Fame's Project / Macedonian Radio Orchestra, conducted by Oleg Kondratenko
Instrumentation: string orchestra

The reference track, mixed by Jean Edouard Miclot:




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A few weeks later, I uploaded the stems of *Quien Mato Al Conejo* (2009)

http://www.damiendeshayes.fr/fichiers/stems/stems-quienmatoalconejo.rar (score not included)

Orchestra: Fame's Project / Macedonian Radio Orchestra, conducted by Oleg Kondratenko
Instrumentation: string orchestra + prerecords

The reference track, mixed by Ludovic Lefebvre



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Today, I'm happy to give away the stems of my last track *A Journey To Heaven* (2016)

http://www.damiendeshayes.fr/fichiers/stems/stems-ajourneytoheaven.rar (934 Mo, score not included at this time)

Orchestra: Budapest Symphony Orchestra, conducted by François Rousselot
Soloists: Agnès Graziano, Hervé Chiapparin
Instrumentation: string orchestra + piano + solo cello

The reference track




I know it's frustrating because it's just for string orchestra  but I plan to record some cues with a full orchestra in 2017: I will happy to share the stems here  In the meanwhile, I will certainly release a piece for brass ensemble and soloist trumpet I recorded with the BSO a few weeks ago.


By sharing these stems, I really hope that other composers - especially the ones who are better than me  - will do the same  Of course, beginning mixers might be interested but I'm pretty sure too that it could help us to compare what we get from different orchestras and setups


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## matnik (Mar 28, 2017)

Hi, new to the forums specifically as I was looking around for this sort of information! I appreciate it's a bit old now but my question was where do you stand on using mixed material as part of example mixing/mastering portfolios? Would it be best to contact the composers directly? Obviously with full credits and links to the original, and a disclaimer that it's an example remix not associated with the original material. How do you guys go about that?


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## maxime77 (Mar 29, 2017)

I think the best thing you could do is directly ask the composers to see whether or not you can use their stems which you mixed as part of your portfolio.


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## JBW (Mar 29, 2017)

Last year when I was just getting my home studio going (and I knew next to nothing about mixing), I discovered the following website:

http://www.cambridge-mt.com/ms-mtk.htm

There are some orchestral sessions as well as a variety of genres. Have fun!

By the way, after spending way too many hours of mixing some of those as well as my own projects... I can now declare that I know little more than nothing!


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## Joram (Mar 30, 2017)

maxime77 said:


> Here is the download link for those who did not manage to find it: http://www.damiendeshayes.fr/fichiers/extraits/bof-coltsornoir/mix/stems_mortdejohn.zip


Interesting tracks! A very good exercise in equalizing.


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## Joram (Mar 30, 2017)

YuHirà said:


> I was about to share the stems of my last piece for live orchestra when I discovered you already opened a topic  I'm glad you did it, Maxim77, it's very kind of you
> 
> Of course, beginning mixers might be interested but I'm pretty sure too that it could help us to compare what we get from different orchestras and setups


Not just beginners. This is interesting for everybody. Many thanks!


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## matnik (Apr 1, 2017)

maxime77 said:


> I think the best thing you could do is directly ask the composers to see whether or not you can use their stems which you mixed as part of your portfolio.



Thanks, that's generally what I've done elsewhere as well, seems very fair. Either way I get the extra practice  thanks!


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## Kyle Preston (Apr 1, 2017)

Awesome idea @maxime77, thank you kindly for sharing : )


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## YuHirà (Apr 2, 2017)

Hello!

Today, as promised, I'm giving away the stems of *Remembrance* (2016) for Bb trumpet and brass ensemble 

http://www.damiendeshayes.fr/fichiers/stems/stems-remembrance.rar (184 Mo, score included)

They are provided as they are 

Orchestra: Budapest Symphony Orchestra
Soloist: Pierre Badel
Instrumentation: Trumpet in Bb / Horns 1 & 2 / Trombones 1 & 2 / Bass Trombone / Tuba 1 & 2

The reference track


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## Joram (Apr 2, 2017)

YuHirà said:


> (184 Mo, score included)


Great, Damien! Score included that how it should be. Very handy!


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## maxime77 (Jun 24, 2017)

Here is my attempt – although I was on my laptop with just headphones. I just used the Deca Tree, the 2 mics of the Piano and the Proxi mics of the Cello, my PC couldn't handle more tracks.


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## YuHirà (Jul 15, 2017)

Hi Maxime77!

I like your approach very much! It was surprising for me not to hear the synth parts in the first place, but actually... it works very well  

Well done!


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## maxime77 (Jul 15, 2017)

YuHirà said:


> Hi Maxime77!
> 
> I like your approach very much! It was surprising for me not to hear the synth parts in the first place, but actually... it works very well
> 
> Well done!


It was simply because my laptop couldn't handle more tracks, but now that I'm back home, I'll mix it again with everything


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## YuHirà (Dec 13, 2018)

Hello!

New orchestral stems are available 

http://www.damiendeshayes.fr/fichiers/stems/stems-aworldofnature.rar (www.damiendeshayes.fr/fichiers/stems/stems-aworldofnature.rar)

*A World of Nature* was recorded with the Budapest Symphony Orchestra, conducted by François Rousselot.

Instrumentation: 3 flutes, 1 oboe, 1 English horn, 1 clarinet in Bb, 1 bass clarinet, 2 bassons, 3 trumpets, 4 horns, 2 trombones, 1 bass trombone, 1 tuba, harp, mark tree and strings.

Brass and the rest of the orchestra were recorded separately in Budapest. The harp was recorded in France 

The reference track


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## tomigoi (Mar 27, 2019)

Hello everyone

First of all nice to meet everybody and listen to everyone's works. I am glad to have found this forum. As you can see, even though this is my first post, I have been a frequent visitor of Vi-control for quite a while. I am by no mean a musician but I have learnt much from everybody here. The collective knowledge and sharing that is happening within the community is astounding.

I found this thread a few years back and did not hesitate to bookmark it upon first time visit. Because of the nature of my work, I have not had chance to participate although it has always been on my mind. A window of free time finally came last week and I was determined to get on to the mix.

The mix is attached below. Finally I'd to thank Damien for sharing the stems. Orchestral mixer is such an odd job. Wanting to practice and getting better with no resource to work on is a difficulty I reckon we all share around here. I am still new and inexperience with orchestral mixing, so I'd love to hear everybody's critique.

Best regards,


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## YuHirà (Mar 27, 2019)

Hello Tomigoi,

Thank you for your message! 

I'm really happy if these stems are useful for you


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## Beat Kaufmann (Mar 28, 2019)

For my tutorial "Mixing an Orchestra" I provide exercise material.
A few orchestral pieces (played with samples) are free for everyone to download.

https://www.beat-kaufmann.com/files/index.php
I wish a lot of fun and success while mixing the tracks and then mastering.
Have fun
Beat


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