FIRST LOOK - Composing with Abbey Road One: Orchestral Foundations 

You should seriously consider doing a series of walkthrough videos on how you write and mix a piece like this start to finish. The library is obviously great sounding but your mixing is phenomenal. I think a lot of people are curious how you manage levels, bussing, processing etc to get such a clear and professional sound to your productions.

The library sounds great but your writing is really incredible

Paul, your walkthrough the other day - as well as a preview video by Guy Michelmore - convinced me to buy Abbey Road One: Orchestral Foundations. Your video today, walking through your piece, convinced me my purchase was no mistake. Sooooo looking forward to the release next week. BTW - I also purchased BBCSO Core with it. Love that library as well!!!

Really like your detailed explanation of your composition and the intent of each part (Not just promoting the library). Very inspirational and informative. Not to mention the great composition.

I absolutely adore this library and this is a phenomenal track! Bravo Paul. Thanks for the walkthrough

Great track - and one of the best videos you've done! Keep it up. Thank you!

Paul that was just brilliant - great walk-through - a real master-class in composition and orchestration. Many thanks :-) and a very Happy New Year !!!

Love these walkthroughs. Gives me something to aim for whilst I’m learning.

This is absolutely lovely, Paul, thanks for sharing with us, very informative and useful! I'd personally love to see how you approach harmony, how do you build your chord progressions and how your pieces take shape!

Paul, after watching this video, I’d decided to splurge and purchase the library. You are a wonderful musician and composer!!

Fantastic sounding library. Looking forward to this series

Thank you Paul for that very detailed informations and insights. I can learn so much from you! The library just sounds amazing too, hopefully I can afford it sooner or later.

Very very excited to have this pre-ordered. First step up from the fantastic originals series! Just in time for some exciting work!

This type of library isn't one I "need" given my current stack, but it sounds lovely and the percussion is particularly stunning. That might push me over the edge!

That was a great walkthrough. Thank You!!

INCREDIBLE!!!!! LOVE THIS PIECE! Well done Paul!

great piece and very helpful lesson thanks Paul

Great demo and spot on explanation of your methods. Thanks very much wonderful job ! Best of health to you

This is an insanely good composition. The library sounds incredible too

Great sounds, it sounds like my kind of library for how i tend to write. I will be happy when i am composing with it lol. Nice piece by the way!

Really nice piece and arrangement to showcase the library

Paul, once again a very nice piece of music!

Excellent much appreciated!!

I was on the fence on buying this and you just had to go and put this video out. Very good video I feel like I got a free composing course for free. Thank you. I am starting to get the Spitfire shakes. This will be my early Christmas present. As someone mentioned below would love to see how you mixed this.

Super - thanks very much. I certainly learned a lot.

i really enjoyed your video that i had to watched it twice :) loved that chocolatey middle part, cheers mate...

Thanks for a great tutorial. Your insights are so very helpful. Update: I purchased Abbey Road One, but was sadly disappointed. I quickly came across a few sample loop anomalies and occasional background noise (e.g., C3 High Strings with 33% dynamics has a noticeable repeating 'pop' when the loop kicks in whereas C#3 does not). I didn't continue exploring the library much further. I am regretfully returning to the Vienna Symphonic Library (VSL) which in my experience has impeccable production values. I purchased Abbey Road One because of its simplicity compared to VSL (with its numerous articulations and mixing options), but the most important thing is of course the basic quality of the samples and this (in my experience) is where VSL outshines the competition. Still, I appreciate all of the tutorial videos Spitfire produces. I will be applying them to my work with VSL.

Thanks Paul. Hope you are well.

Sounds fabulous Paul.

The brass sounds perfect

Thanks very much! Helpful Logic tip: In the piano roll's automation editor, try Command Y to toggle between types of CC Data...

Excellent. Thanks very much. 👍

You are a very talented man. A great sound.

Nice! In the future, can you end with a full play through of the entire piece?

Regarding the tightness setting, from time to time I adjust it dynamicaly, loose at the begining of a musical phrase and thighter at its end. Just to have some slight changes and give more natural feeling, like real players being more "involved", "nervous", as the music runs and the theme is building up. Or the contrary in a decrescendo moment. And Paul plays it realy vintage: I see an EXS24, not "Sampler" (a.k.a Dave for Christian...)

Hi Paul - great walkthrough. I have the BBC Core, and very happy with it. How does that library play with this AR one, and would you recommend mixing and matching instruments from different rooms, so for example adding the BBCSO legatos to these sections ? Also, do you think that the average listener will be able to discern a difference between the sounds of the 2 libraries, in the context of a mix ?

So brilliant

Very cool to walk us through your composition, Paul!

I would really be interested in what mixes you used throughout these parts and tracks. I absolutely love the sound of this library, but I’m having some issues with the amount of mixes I can combine after using Abbey ONE for a couple days now. Could you please make a video discussing how you use all the wonderful microphone mixes and still keep the load on the CPU tolerable with all the tracks? Thanks!

Thanks a lot for sharing this analysis, it's goldmine of little considerations that help to add great feeling to a track. Very useful for a learner like me.. Just out of curiosity, how long does it take, roughly, for you to write such a track?

Bought AROne after i saw this video - amazing job! Is there a way to get your template for it, like you did with the BBC Templates?

Hi Paul. This sounds glorious! Can I ask what external reverb you are using here please? Many thanks.

Hope you shoot a video from the very first moments of the composition. How do you carry out the work and select the sounds and how to play them. Even if the track isn't complete. Thank you

It would be very interesting to me if y'all made a video of one of spitfires composers writing a piece of music live.

Hi Paul - this is off subject but who made your desk? It’s exactly what I’m looking for. Thanks.

Great composition and orchestration! Thank you for all the information.

Great as usual ! Will you make a template for Logic like BBC orchestra ?

Guy Michelmore states that this library sits well (mixes well) with BBC SO. Do you concur? (Excellent display of your compositional skills, btw!)

Brilliant video and perfect timing .... thanks Paul! I wonder if you or anyone that reads this may be able to help me with an issue I'm having ....? My electric keyboard doesn't have any mod wheels, and I would like to use faders on my AKAI APC40 for both the expression and dynamic controllers (this is the only controller I have) - but I can't work out how to assign the these to the faders. I'm quite sure it's something to do with right-clicking on "expression" and "control" inside the VST, and "Learn MIDI CC# Automation / Remove MIDI Automation CC#", but I just can't work it out. I'm sure it's something simple, but any help would be hugely appreciated!

Will you be posting content for AR1OF similar to BBCSO at The Page? MIDI files, and the like? MIDI files are an incredible time-saver when balancing a new template (with multiple libraries). It's nice to have something already written up. MIDI files aren't just for hobbyists to fawn over, y'know. I picked up Orchestral Foundations and have repeatedly used the percussion, but haven't made the free time to incorporate the rest of the orchestra.

Hi, Paul. A simple question’s here: what are the specs. of your computer? And what system would you recommend to run all Abbey Road One instruments as a template?

Love this! Curious about what hardware you're using to control the two expression settings?? And do you print those rides as you record, or do you record then print those rides after the fact?

Would it be possible to have a public MIDI file for this (or stems)?

Sounds fantastic, but im still holding out till your memorial day sale. I'm going for BBC Core for more detail, control and the ability to upgrade eventually. cheers

Are all the tracks in this arrangement from the one Abbey Road plugin? I would love to see more videos on how to use each instrument within the plugin.

Hello Mr. Thomson, I like your video and I do't have an all orchestral library and was thinking of Albion One, but after listening to your video and a few others on Abbey Road One, it seems I would like to have this library for my first library. Is this to advance for me or should I just get Albion one instead and for get about it? So hard to start with a first choice!!!!!! I know it's up to me to choose, but would like your input.

@paulthompson...I know you've received many questions about the modular sections that are coming...however: Are the smaller moduals a split out of what is already in Foundations, OR, are they additional content that will add to Foundations? Example: will one of the modular sections be of only ALL ensemble strings..including legato? Or are the shorts and longs in Foundations the only place that we can find them?

I need a video on how to use and browse and selecting the different instruments in Abbey Road One. I find it hard. When I learn it it sounds super, but I want to change instruments faster and not trying to find them and dont remembering how I found it. hehe

I like the ”modular” thinking, if that's what you are going for with the coming added content-so much as I would suggest doing this full on and separate all instruments completely, one sound pack for Cello, one for Viola, one for Toms, one for Octobans… you get it… and all playing techniques for each instrument already there. It might give your customers a completely new possibility to add only instruments needed. For instance I'm just looking for great Toms and Octobans, which this library would give. But not interested in the complete orchestra since I prefer the instruments to be separate rather than bundled into sections. Since you have the library, this would be just a matter of pricing strategy and, well, making it possible-but technically you seem to have the basis running already with this one.

How many instances of Abbey Road Spitfire plugins do you use in this project? As I understand this plugin is not multitimbral so for any individual sound and midi track you need new instance? An if this projject ha around 60 tracks - its 60 instances?

Hi Paul, I notice you let the midi note hang over each other for the Longs. Is this done intentionally because it gives a character or just not necessary to give any care about because the attack and release doesn't interfere?

Really good Paul and many thanks.....makes a change from watching Christain :-)

The technology seems to have reached the point where live musicians are no longer needed for final major film soundtrack production. (Don't take that personally, Classical live performers)!

the abbey road one plug-in and all other products from spitfire does it work with Apple M1?

The audio is so low, you can hardly hear the start.

What is the DAW/Mix controller above the keyboard?

Trying to get SF Abbey Road One to play on more than one track simultaneously in Motu Dp9. Appreciate any tips or insights.

"Sorry I interrupted." haha. Obviously one of the most polite people you will ever meet.

Interesting video, wish you had let it play thru start to finish to close out

The lack of legato breaks my heart. The use of 8va only legato in the expansions (minus horns/trumpets rips my heart out. & the absence of violin legato kills me.... I was ready to purchase the entire ARO bundle until I read preset list.... How on earth could you have access to the worlds most desired space & not record bread & butter legato for each section?

That template would sure be nice for owners...wink wink nudge nudge.

If I own Albion one, do I need this? I just bought albion one and I'm second guessing my purchase now that I saw this.. 😔

anyone else have issues with the keyswitches not working in logic pro x? sometimes they work, most of the time they don't.

Mr Blaney I presume?

Thanks. Perhaps your vocals are too loud - to hear your composition clearly. So Spitfire is a 'sketching' device? For individual instruments - we need another program? Do we add or replace the Spitfire tracks? Yes, the Spitfire tracks - especially the small percussion sounds are hard to hear clearly.