
In fact, it's the exact opposite: you are able to experiment faster as your foundation is already in place. I don't believe in this as it is not because you've already prepared yourself a sound palette that you can't add to it as necessary. Some say that using templates smother your creativity because you are forced into a box. By having a project-based template, I know that my orchestrations are repeatable throughout the project, be it 10 tracks for a production library album or for several film cues.
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This is why knowing how to build them fast is an asset for the working composer. At the start of every new project, I build myself a new template (or adapt an existing one). I don't believe in having one template for each and every situation, though. I got a call two days later, and got the job. I didn't have to worry about the technical aspects as everything was already handled by my template. Instead of just sending a link to my portfolio like probably dozens of other composers, I took two hours to sit at my workstation and I wrote a custom 2 minutes cue to add with my application. The ad mentioned the genre that they were looking for. But not only! It also helps me to get new projects.įor example, I've read an ad recently by a director looking for a composer. By not having to deal with technical things, I can start writing as soon as a new project comes in.

A well organized template allows me to do just that.Īs most media composers know, time is often a very scarce resource. Do you know the "plug and play" paradigm? I want to "sit and play". When I sit in front of my computer, writing music is all that I want to be doing. Not because I like to spend hours on technical problems, or importing virtual instruments, balancing them and routing them. Personally, I have 3 main reasons for building templates:Īpproaching the computer as a musical instrumentįirst and foremost, I am using a computer, a DAW, and sample libraries to write music.

Some people absolutely hate it (although I have yet to hear a compelling reason as to why), some others swear by them. Templates are a big subject when it comes to composing with a DAW and sample libraries.
