Metal Bands & The Keyboard Orchestra

[ApolloFC]

For business class I'm working on a business idea where I basically give unsigned artists a chance to work with a small orchestra (4-8 instruments at startup) at a low rate of $60 which would basically be paying for the rental location, such as a college auditorium or a church if we can get ideal acoustics) we'd be using until we'd have enough money to secure a space that has good acoustics for an orchestra. I'd be paying for the recording equipment through my own paycheck at a regular job before I start the business, but i'd guess that would be an obvious thing to do.

The thing is bands would be bringing their A game when it comes to the production of their album.. but when it comes to an instrumental section or like an opener they'd be okay using a keyboard orchestra due to the expensive cost of an orchestra or whatever it maybe.

Can you guys/gals help me out in listing some bands/songs that use the keyboard orchestra? I already have the songs I will be sampling to the class for my presentation but I'd just like a list to give them a scope of how common this is. I'll be using Seven Kingdoms' instrumental track "Prelude" and will be comparing it to some 40-60 second clip from Epica

 

[Orion Crystal Ice]

Royal Hunt does it all the time, the two 'Paradox' albums have a lot of that sort of thing..

Freedom Call does it, check out the first two........... also the old Nightwish albums such as 'Oceanborn'.

The first couple Rhapsody albums, most of the orchestral instrumentation on there is from Alex's keys.


cool idea btw.

 

[OdinsCourt]

Odin's Court has a symphonic element to our music. In the past I used keyboards, but on our latest album I used virtual instruments (Vienna primarily, which is very realistic) captured via MIDI through keyboard performance (and then further programmed for more realism). On an earlier release, we did record some actually string players, though they were all volunteer so the performance wasn’t top notch. I’d love to use an actual orchestra for a recording one day, but yes, it is cost prohibitive for little old bands like us.

 

[ApolloFC]

Odin's Court has a symphonic element to our music. In the past I used keyboards, but on our latest album I used virtual instruments (Vienna primarily, which is very realistic) captured via MIDI through keyboard performance (and then further programmed for more realism). On an earlier release, we did record some actually string players, though they were all volunteer so the performance wasn’t top notch. I’d love to use an actual orchestra for a recording one day, but yes, it is cost prohibitive for little old bands like us.

Yeah I wanna get Vienna Ensemble Pro and then upgrade my 49-keys to a full sized keyboard so I can have an orchestra in my bedroom ^_^

And yeah bout the volunteer thing, I play in community bands myself and I know who I should get and who I shouldn't get. The thing is I'd probably have to pay them out of my pocket (like $20-$30 per session at start up?) to keep them interested in playing in the recording orchestra just to have some sort of consistency instead of just have them as a work-for-hire for one session.

 

[OdinsCourt]

Yeah I wanna get Vienna Ensemble Pro and then upgrade my 49-keys to a full sized keyboard so I can have an orchestra in my bedroom ^_^

That's basically what I did. Weighted MIDI controller and Vienna Instruments. I have the Special Edition and the Special Edition Plus, both with extended libraries - plus some complete instruments (can't remember them all, but alto voices, oboe, etc.).

 

[tenebre]

in the right hands... VI orchestras are indistinguishable from real..... Vienna and EW Hollywood have been used in countless film scores

I know Dimmu Borgir used Keys on every album except one.. i forgot which one. But shagrath said they went back to keys because he couldnt tell the difference on the finished project