Acoustic and MIDI Orchestration for the Contemporary Composer: A Practical Guide to Writing and Sequencing for the Studio Orchestra [Paperback]

Andrea Pejrolo (Author), Richard DeRosa (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0240520211 | ISBN-13: 978-0240520216 | Publication Date: November 9, 2007

Get complete guidance on both traditional orchestration and modern production techniques with this unique book. With effective explanations and clear illustrations, you will learn how to integrate the traditional approach to orchestration with the modern sequencing techniques and tools available. You will discover how to bridge the two approaches in order to enhance your final production.

The accompanying CD includes a comprehensive and wide selection of examples, templates and sounds to allow you to hear the techniques within the book.

By covering both approaches, this book provides a comprehensive and solid learning experience that will develop your skills and prove extremely competitive in the music production business.

* Complete orchestration manual covering both traditional and modern techniques
* Versatile, non-software specific, perfect choice for professionals and colleges
* Accompanying DVD with examples, templates and sounds brings techniques to life

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Andrea Pejrolo is a music technology professor at Berklee College of Music, MIDI programmer, sound designer, composer/ arranger, and jazz acoustic and electric bassist. He is also the author of Acoustic and MIDI Orchestration for the Contemporary Composer (Focal Press, 2007) and has written several articles for music magazines in the US and abroad. Andrea created the iAcousticA Studio drum library available in Kontakt, EXS-24, iDrum, Giga Studio, and Reason NN-XT formats. He has collaborated on many varied projects with US and UK production companies, theaters, music festivals, websites, and international organizations

Product Details

• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: Focal Press (November 9, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0240520211
• ISBN-13: 978-0240520216
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #200,373 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #51 in Books > Arts & Photography > Music > Theory, Composition & Performance > Sheet Music & Scores > Instrumentation > Orchestra

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Decent book but not enough depth., April 26, 2010

By 

John T. Sylvanis "Pro" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Acoustic and MIDI Orchestration for the Contemporary Composer: A Practical Guide to Writing and Sequencing for the Studio Orchestra (Paperback)

I ordered this book in great anticipation to find lots of technical details as to MIDI composition. However, the book appears to be mainly intended for students who are at their beginning trials (or little beyond) of computer composition. Though good at that level, and containing lots of very useful information and tips, the book does not go into the techniques, and their illustration, far enough. Many of the suggestions remain just that, without showing specific work. Ditto with techniques. "Use CCx for situation y" but, although sometimes graphically shown, many times the narative is not developed into thorough presentation. In other words, I would have desired (much) more analysis and examples.

Then, there's too much introduction to traditional instruments, occupying quite a hefty chunk of the book. When creating a book of this nature, one would expect that the reader be beyond elementary stages. After all, orchestration is a capstone discipline. Evidently, one must know the ins and outs of traditional orchestration in order to procede to the next level. The authors mention this, so I won't dwell on it. In my experience, the composer who uses a computer to realise his/her musical ideas, struggles mostly with less than perfect samples, which behave differently when in combination with other samples than when are sounded only by themselves. For example, no matter how good a violin section sample may be, when put together with viola section samples it will behave differently. I know, books that fully render MIDI composition experience can be of interminable dimentions. However, more extensive books are very much needed, and I am sure that readers would copiously benefit from the present book's authors' vast experience. I also realise that such books will be more expensive than this one. Oh well, the cost of acquiring skills has never been an inexpensive endeavor.

Thanks for reading, John.

18 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Why was my previous review deleted?, February 29, 2008

By 

Jonas Aras "Audio Pro" (Pasadena, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Acoustic and MIDI Orchestration for the Contemporary Composer: A Practical Guide to Writing and Sequencing for the Studio Orchestra (Paperback)

I wrote a detailed review a couple of weeks ago that gave this book a three star rating. It was not vulgar or inappropriate in any way, yet it was completely deleted. However, I just received an email from Amazon soliciting my opinion once again!

In short, the book has some decent information on sequencing techniques, though some of it just demonstrates a firm grasp of the obvious, i.e., "use controller messages to add expression" and other similar gems.

The orchestration part of the book covers the rhythm section (don't over quantize) as well as the various sections of the orchestra and how to sequence those instruments realistically. The book does not cover how to combine instruments from the various sections. Stings + woodwinds anyone? You will have to look elsewhere for that type of information.

Recommended for beginners.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Kindle Edition is missing the audio examples, October 9, 2009

By 

nathan (close) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Acoustic and MIDI Orchestration for the Contemporary Composer (Kindle Edition)

This is a good book, easy to digest yet surprisingly thorough.

However, be warned. The otherwise awesome kindle edition is lacking the critical audio examples that you get when buying the printed version.

Why? I don't know. The kindle can handle audio files. Or the publisher could make the examples available on their web site.

But neither option is available. Which ruins an otherwise great read, since you'll be zooming along learning about this or that intonation -- and then the author will say "check out this sample track on the CD" -- but, woops, no audio samples are available on the kindle. I'll bet all the examples would take less than 2 or 3 MB of space as MP3 files, which would be fine. I hope Amazon or the publisher corrects this error.

Luckily, I was able to get ahold of the author himself and he helped me connect with the samples. But that's just crazy! Cool of him. Bad on Amazon!