Hi, I'm putting together a system for cinematic composition. I'm using Cubase 11 and Vienna Ensemble Pro 7. I've just gotten started working on a template and I'm still trying to decide how to use VE Pro. For now i'm just using one machine, maybe someday I'll add a slave when needed.
I'm trying to decide what libraries I should load in VE Pro instances and which should go in Cubase directly. I understand the idea of using VE Pro such that you can leave your libraries loaded, and open/close Cubase projects much more quickly and have a much more nimble workflow. I can see this when it comes to an orchestral library, because the instruments are relatively static - they don't change much, so you'll use the same patches over and over again. So that makes sense. But that idea seems like it will break down pretty quickly with just about any other kind of library. Whether it's a guitar library, Stormdrum patches, a Superior Drummer kit, or especially when it comes to synths, seems like you'll use a different patch with every project, and they'll change project to project all the time. And if that's true then it doesn't seem like it makes sense to load them in VE Pro, because you can't save those patches along with the Cubase project. So I might as well load those instruments in Cubase, not VE Pro, then I don't have to save both a Cubase project and a VE Pro project, and have that slow workflow that I was trying to avoid in the first place.
Does that make sense? Making these template takes forever so I'd like to get some advice before spending all those hours. Any suggestions/thoughts are very welcome!
Thanks,
buzz
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Vienna Ensemble Pro Workflow
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Hi buzz,
Sorry you didn't get a reply here from other users.
You can also use VE Pro in a way that leaves your standard instruments always loaded and activated, and you can add more "exotic" instances as you like. You can automate the activation and deactivation of channels and whole instances, so VE Pro will keep you quite flexible, while helping you to save time.
Hope that helps a bit!
Best,
Paul
Paul Kopf Head of Product Marketing, Social Media and Support -
It sounds like you compose hybrid synth with organic orchestra music where maybe traditional seating arrangements with room reverbs and the like may not apply. In that case, maybe constantly reinventing the wheel will work better but it may become quite laborious loading the same patches over and over again to achieve the same string sound you had the last project. Speaking of strings, it has been the consensus that layering ensemble strings with solo strings will achieve a more realistic string sound. When you layer your strings you'll certainly want to create a template where every section is seated in a specific place and the room reverbs, panning, FX, are already set. I know it's tedious but I would suggest creating templates in VE because you'll find that you'll become monogamous with a specific sound that you like and having to recreate it over and over will become tiresome. So create a standard string ensemble with say the American seating, for example, and all strings layered. Save it as a template. Maybe the next project you'd rather have the German seating arrangement. Well load up the American one, rearrange it to a German seating then save that as a template. Maybe you want a more Chamber sound in the next project, so load up either the German or American template and just delete the channels for the Orchestral strings or AP strings (assuming you layer your strings) then save that as a template. Then maybe you want a Pop strings setup with just Violins and Celli so load up that chamber one created then remove the Violas and Bassi save that as a template. Maybe next time you want a very lush strings sound so you load the American template then change the room reverbs to a large cathedral or cave or something. Then save that as a template. And so on. The same applies to brass winds and especially percussion or even solo instruments. I probably have ten or more templates for my overdrive and Classical Guitar instruments. In fact I think I have about 70 different templates saved for my libraries. Whatever you create save it as a template then if you want something similar the next time load up what you created before then add, subtract, and adjust. Then save it as a template. I guess the moral of the story here is save it as a template because Even if the next project is different it might be similar so load, readjusting and save as a template.
