This book offers to study how to reproduce an orchestra virtually with sounds banks such as East West Symphonic Orchestra, VSL... It is not therefore about a theoretical book on orchestration but rather about a book centered on the technical side (sequencers, controllers).

On the whole, the author comes back directly into subject, there is little a superfluous and the whole is condensed enough. The book is organised around 4 main chapters corresponding to the sections of the orchestra: strings, wood, copperwares and percussions / rhythmics (guitar, piano). Each of these chapters is organised in the same way itself: general characteristics of the section, specific instruments, extracted from sheet musics, to use the section in a sequencer, to mix the section.

A first introductory chapter defines the big notions of used bases: orchestration principles on one hand and functioning of norm MIDI of other one. He uses it besides to define the controllers very precisely MIDI (CC#7, CC#11). Few books made it in so exhaustive a way.

In each of the chapters dedicated to the different sections of the orchestra, it gives at first rather succinct notions of instrumentation. It is especially a question of defining the role of the instrument, its range, its characteristics, its articulations. The author gives different extracts of sheet musics to illustrate various uses of the orchestra (rhythmic, harmonic, melodic). Group is short but gives however necessary basic concepts.

They enter subject more directly with the following sub-chapters concerning more particularly the technical side of '" virtual orchestration ". He gives the main sounds banks with their strong and weak points. He itemises the different ways of recording instruments on his computer (keyboard midi, adapter midi for guitar) and especially how to give life to instruments (simulate breathing for winds with a small apparatus called " breath controller "). The controllers MIDI are copiously described to improve the realism of a line (expression, volume).

He lists for every section important points allowing to make a more realistic instrument (breath for winds, attack for copperwares and strings) and how to implement them in the sequencer. He suggests so for example making slightly some instruments go out of tune to give a more human side, to quantify not much or not the slow parts and more strongly the rhythmic parts.

He ends up giving indications on the sound mixing of sections. He points naturally out to respect pan of instruments but gives such different variants to give more of space and depth in group. Concerning reverberation, he gives main parametres to simulate at best a realistic environment (length of reverberation, space).

On the whole, this book is full of good advice. The author lists a lot of smartness, rules to be followed to simulate an orchestra in an even more realistic way with sounds banks. It is one of the only books that I read who itemises the controllers so precisely MIDI and their use. Sheet music extracts are very pertinent but unfortunately not rather many. A DVD gives sound extracts very interesting to judge difference between a section without reverberation and with, use or not expression controller... Contrary to other books on subject such as The Guide To Midi Orchestration of Paul Gilreath, this one is also full even more in spite of its very lower number of pages.