Scoring Software and Gear Specs
Suggested minimum personal computer and software resources for music scoring majors.
The scoring program has a dedicated state-of-the-art music scoring workstation that is a shared resource. IU also has significant computing resources all over campus. Nevertheless, for an efficient workflow, music scoring composers should plan to come to IU with a capable computer and software package that allows for efficient, independent work away from the scoring station.
Here are some suggested computer and software gear for incoming composers. Contact Professor Thomas with questions about your tech, sample libraries, DAW, or plug-ins.
COMPUTER RECOMMENDATIONS
Minimum requirements: (Mac or PC)
- Apple M1 or Intel i7 Processor (or better)
- 16GB of RAM (or more)
- 1TB SSD (or more)
Recommended options:
- Mac Studio
- M1 Max / 10-core CPU / 24-Core GPU / 32-64GB RAM / 1-4TB SSD storage OR
- M1 Ultra / 20-core CPU / 48-core GPU / 64-128GB RAM / 1-4TB SSD storage
- MacBook Pro (14 or 16 inch)
- M1 Pro (or Max) with 10-core CPU, 16- to 24-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
- 32-64GB RAM
- 1-4TB SSD storage
- iMac 27″ Intel
- 3.8Ghz 8-core 10th-gen Intel Core i7-i9
- 32-64GB RAM
- 1-4TB SSD storage
- 10 Gigabit Ethernet
- PC equivalent
RECOMMENDED STUDIO QUALITY GEAR
- Headphones
- Nearfield Speakers (optional)
- Audio Interface (w/ at least one microphone input)
- Microphone (USB, XLR recommended )
- Portable Recorder (Zoom H4 or better)
- MIDI Keyboard Controller
- Elgato Stream Deck and/or iPad for remote controls (Avid Control, Logic Remote, Metagrid paired with Keyboard Maestro, etc.)
- External Computer Display (24″+)
SOFTWARE RECOMMENDATIONS
DAW (Required): Logic Pro OR Cubase OR Digital Performer OR Pro Tools OR Reaper OR Equivalent
(Pro Tools is industry standard for recording/mixing purposes, though is not as common as a sequencing DAW.)
Optional: Vienna Ensemble Proand Keyboard Maestro (Mac)
Audio Processing:
- Highly Recommended
- Recommended
- Minimum (most cost-effective on a budget)
- DAW built-in effects and plug-ins
Synths/VSTs:
- Highly Recommended
- Recommended
- Cinematic Strings 2
- Cinesamples Tina Guo Cello Legato
- Cinesamples Cinebrass Core and Pro
- Native Instruments Komplete 13
- Spitfire BBCSO Core
- Spitfire Albion One
- Spitfire Abbey Road One
- Audiobro LA Scoring Strings 3
- ProjectSAM Symphobia Series
- Cinesamples CineCymphony series
- Vienna Symphonic Libraries 1 & 2 (or Special Edition Bundle)
- Minimum (most cost-effective on a budget)
- Free
- Spitfire LABS
- ProjectSAM’s Free Orchestra
- Spitfire BBCSO Discover
- Native Instruments Komplete Start
- Sonuscore Phrase Libraries
- Sonuscore Orchestra Chords
- 8dio Free Libraries (click “Free” at the top of the page)
- Orchestral Tools Layers
- Orchestral Tools SINEfactory
- Pianobook (community of sample creators; all libraries on the website are free)
- Soniccouture Free Stuff
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
The tech side of this industry can be quite daunting. To help narrow down the choices, it’s important to ask yourself the following questions:
- What do you like? What kind of sounds do you enjoy hearing and creating? What kind of music do you enjoy writing?
- Much of your writing starting out will be to smaller films and projects. You want to be able to create the sound of smaller ensembles, soloists, interesting textures (synth or orch), pulses and drones, and even sound design.
- What is your budget?
- $300 Range
- Selection of micro-libraries for broad use cases, like Spitfire Originals.
- There are also lots of free libraries out there. Just about every major sound library company has something for free on their website, and many are often samples of their larger libraries.
- There are also communities like the Pianobook community which offer free sample libraries, created by its users from around the world.
- Built-in sounds of DAWs have gotten drastically better over the past decade, so don’t be afraid to explore what you already have available in your DAW.
- A microphone is all you really need to create your own samples!
- $600 Range
- For super orchestral focused: Spitfire BBCSO Pro
- For super modern focus: Spectrasonics Omnisphere
- Modern with strong orchestral textures and ensemble lines: Omnisphere + Spitfire Originals
- $800-$1200
- Native Instruments Komplete 13 Ultimate Collector’s Edition (Komplete upgrades and crossgrades are usually 50% in the summer)
- This will cover all your major bases (orchestral, synths, percussion, drum kits, loops, basses, guitars, pianos, world instruments, textures, sound design, etc.)
- Also gets you Kontakt 6, which is the industry standard and needed to run 80% of all sample libraries out there.
- Omnisphere + BBCSO Pro
- Super strong western orchestral instruments and synths (arguably stronger in these areas than K13UCE)
- Not quite as versatile and universal as Komplete Collector’s Edition.
- Keep in mind Omnisphere is more than just standard/classic “synthesizer” sounds. It also includes tons of cinematic textures and effects.
- Native Instruments Komplete 13 Ultimate Collector’s Edition (Komplete upgrades and crossgrades are usually 50% in the summer)
- $1500+
- Lots of choices here. We recommend you go to the different software websites, listen to their examples, and see what you like.
- Native Instruments (Komplete)
- Spitfire Audio (Albion, BBCSO, Originals, LABS, Abbey Road One, and others)
- ProjectSAM (Symphobia, Swing!, and others)
- Orchestral Tools (Berlin Series, Metropolis Ark, TIME, Big Band Horns, and others; can also do a la carte purchases with OT)
- Cinematic Studio Series (Cinematic Strings)
- Spectrasonics (Omnisphere)
- Lots of choices here. We recommend you go to the different software websites, listen to their examples, and see what you like.
- $300 Range
-
- Speciality Libraries
- If you’re looking for unique sounds and genre-specific libraries:
- Action/Scifi/Horror:
- Project Sam Pandora,
- Cowboy:
- Fluffy Audio Spaghetti Western
- Impact Soundworks Pedal Steel
- Crime/Procedural/Drama:
- Spitfire Contemporary Drama Toolkit, Olafur Arnalds,
- Sonic Couture Pan Drums,
- Epic/Trailer:
- Horror/Sci-fi:
- Sonic Couture Threnody Strings, Haunted Spaces,
- Native Instruments Thrill, Mysteria,
- Holiday:
- Sonic Couture Glassworks,
- Jazz/Big Band:
- Project Sam Swing More
- Sonic Couture Moon Kits,
- Podcasts:
- Sonic Couture Grand Marimba
- Native Instruments Mallet Flux
- Period/Rare Instruments:
- Sonic Couture The Conservatoir Collection, Novachord, Ondes, All Saints Organ,
- Native Instruments Cremona Quartet
- Textures, Pads, and Pulses:
- Native Instruments Arkhis
- Spitfire Swarm,
- Soloists:
- Cinesamples Tina Guo Cello
- Sound Design+Nature:
- Orchestral Tools Habitat
- Sonic Couture Geosonics 2
- Impact Soundworks Sonic Forest/Ocean
- Specialty Strings
- Impact Soundworks Tokyo Strings,
- Spitfire Albion Tundra
- Orchestral Tools Igudesman Solo Violin,
- Specialty Winds
- Fracture Sounds Emotional Recorders,
- Cinesamples Hollywood Winds,
- Impact Soundworks Ventus Native American Flutes,
- Vocals and Choirs
- Fluffy Audio Dominus
- Shevannai: The Voices of Elves
- Spitfire Eric Whitacre
- Sonic Couture All Saints Choir
- World
- UVI World Suite 2
- Evolution Series
- Orchestral Tools Phoenix Orchestra, Andea
- Action/Scifi/Horror:
- If you’re looking for unique sounds and genre-specific libraries:
- Speciality Libraries
- In addition to sound quality, here are some other questions and factors to consider:
-
-
- How will it fit into your current workflow?
- Is the library’s interface (GUI) easy to use? Or will there be a steep learning curve? Are you willing to learn it?
- Does the library rely on key switching?
- Does it sound good right out of the box? Or is extra processing and mixing required?
- Do you have control over the amount of reverb or processing? Or is reverb and other effects baked-in to the sound?
- Are there multiple mic positions to choose from? Mic positions allow you to tailor the sound for smaller or larger sounding projects.
-
-