Any good books on orchestration out there?

Any good books on orchestration out there? :)

If you want a good book on midi orchestration with the basics of orchestration, I think this book is really excellent: The guide to Midi Orchestration by Paul Gilreath.

Not that I've read many but I find Walter Piston's book on orchestration very clearly written and useful as a reference.

I like the one by Gordon Jacob, its short but covers the basics.

I use Adler's 'The study of Orchestration' and the 'Treatise on Instrumentation' by Berlioz (enlarged & revised by Richard Strauss)

I recommend both of them.

Orchestration books are varied. They all will have the same core information. However, its in the details that most books shine over others. Some of the best ones:

Adler: The Study of Orchestration - A great college resource and good for the newbie to orchestration, however, it may be a little overwhelming at first. It tends to be very effective at giving the whole picture of the orchestra and focuses on the important stuff like the strings and the common instruments. It does not go into the finer details, however.

Piston: Orchestration - A much more thorough book than the Adler going into the details of fingering and more obscure instruments. Some sections of the Adler are lifted directly from this book too so keep that in mind. Note that this book, while a good read, is much less "textbook-like" than the Adler which is intended for college courses. The Piston is great for raw information so its a must to read.

Forsyth: Orchestration - Probably the best text out there that I've read because it fits my style. The style is one for brevity where only mere bars are quoted, or sometimes, just the title of the piece. Forsyth also has a great wit in the writing and will be very honest with the composer. The only real problem with this text is its outdated chapters on the saxophone and some brasses. Note that it takes a very pro-English view and is written in that style. He often references "the Continent" as mainland Europe, more specifically France, to great humor. Sometimes he ridicules his own though, like with Grainger's "Blue-Eyed English" use of "Tenor Fiddle" for Viola. Highly recommended, just be sure to read it in the context of when and where it was written or you may not understand the tone he's trying to get at. Note, though, that even though the work is brief, it has some great historical facts that are often just pushed aside with other texts, and is over 600 pages (in the Dover edition). So it is brief, but only in his examples. He crams a LOT of information into that book, more than Piston or Adler. Some of it might be argued as extraneous, but it is a great thing for the well-rounded composer.

Rimsky-Korsakov: Principles of Orchestration - A different and semi-mathematical text based on his own practical experience with the orchestra. Rimsky-Korsakov also uses completely his own examples. What is interesting is his method for doublings. For example, two clarinets plus an oboe sound like this... etc. A good different approach.

Berlioz (rev. Strauss): Treatise on Instrumentation - Be sure to get the revised version by Richard Strauss. This is a must because the original version is painfully outdated with all the historical instruments. Otherwise, this book is a very good historical perspective on the orchestra and has a really good chapter on conducting.

Gevaert: Traité general d’instrumentation - Haven't read it personally but is a major historical text of the romantic period. Tchaikovsky learned from this text translating it into Russian for the Moscow Conservatory.

Widor: Manual of Practical Instrumentation - Comparable to a modern version of the Berlioz. Here nor there.

Koechlin: Treatise on Orchestration - In four volumes, one of the largest texts ever written on the subject. I haven't read it myself because its hard to find, but it has a great reputation. It is, in its style, the antithesis to the Forsyth, being very large.

To add to that:

Peter Alexander has a great series called Professional Orchestration