enthusiastic noob seeking software

Hello!

i am an enthusiastic sci-fi fanatic, who would like to be able to compose the kind of music You hear in Star Wars, Star Trek, and such.

im using Guitar Pro for ~2 years now, and know the program in and out. Though, i found myself desiring to compose more of the cinematic kind of music, and i think i have reached the limits of Guitar Pro.

After an bit of initial reading, i got my hands on Sibelius, though, i see it also uses General MIDI, so my sound won't be more orchestral, and im actually used to Guitar Pro so much that i find it easier to wirte music in it.

What i would seek advice on is,

1. Do i need to learn Sibelius over Guitar Pro, can it do more/different things needed for orchestral movie music?

2. How could i make a piece sound more realistic? At the moment i have a DSP plugin that can use Soundfonts (soundcard in itself cannot), so i can make MIDI's sound better, but it's still not comparable anything you hear in a movie. On this site i heard some pieces that sound really awesome, almost like a real orchestra would be playing it, or a professional video game track.

3. Any generic suggestions whom i should consult, or which section of the forum i should go to if i want to dwell into writing movie music? Star Wars' music is my great idol heheh...

i never learned music theory, but i can make harmonies and such in Guitar Pro by ear and visually. (actually so well, that a fellow GP user told me i should've learned music theory and instructing orchestras)

So i would like to learn anything necessary to make cinematic music, in both composing, and making it sound right.

Kind thanks in advance for all help!

You are truly ethusiatic, but rather ignorant as well I'm afraid to a large degree.

The 2 examples you posted Star wars and Star trek are millions apart each other. Star Wars music is writen by John Williams, probably the best paid and best film composer ever. Everybody would like to be him, but nobody is. Period. Additionalyl it is live orchestra all around. Star trek, the series, was full of synth sounds etc, which is a completely different issue all together.

1. Fro composing Film music, you will probably need a sequencer (Cubase, Sonar, Logic Pro, Digital Performer, Pro tools, etc), not a notation program so much (sibelius, Finale, Notion).

2. I don't have 2 hours to spare but: Sample libraries can make huge difference but it takes practice and music skills (just by getting better libraries you won't get better I mean). How you can sound mroe realistic is a huge subject!

3. Kind advice. you won't go very far if you don't even know music theory, I'm afraid. Don't mean to discourage you but you certainly won't get to star wars stardom! Study, learn, find books, buy something cheap to begin with (GPO, for example), and write continuously music!

Other than that as I've said (already) before in this boards there is no "100+1 tips to be Williams", of any sorts. It takes practice to get good! Really good! and then it takes 100 times more personality, luck, promotion and marketing skills, blah blah to take your talent and effort somewhere...

i might point out that Star Trek was written by several composers. they never used the same one... and the only one who scored more than 2 was Jerry Goldsmith... to me, he is a better composer than Williams.. but williams is the best paid.. Star trek

sorry if i was misunderstandeable. i know that SW and ST music are different, i just wanted to make my 2 favourite examples.

Also, with Star trek i meant the soundtracks of the motion pictures, made by Jerry Goldsmith, and James Horner, and some others. They also use full live orchestra.

And adoring the music of John Williams doesnt mean that i have visions of being as great as him. The fact that i would like to to make music similar to his style isnt ignorance in think. If it would be ignorant, then everyone who'd drive a car would be ignorant, cause he didin't get the talent of a car racing champion.

EDIT: Eldeni, yes, of course i want to simulate orchestral sound on the computer. But i've heard tunes (even from this forum) that were created with the computer and sounded *very* nicely, and realistic. For example, do you know the soundtrack of the SW Fanfilm 'Revelations'? It has real orchestral sound, and was made with computer.

And aquiring skills and knowledge about the orchestra - well this is, why i came to this forum for mostly.

no morries my friend :o i dont know you so I

EDIT: For example, do you know the soundtrack of the SW Fanfilm 'Revelations'? It has real orchestral sound, and was made with computer.

.

Ok, that

I have scored 2 movies and 6 short films in Europe and America and only one of them has "real" instruments...

Wow, that's very great! What movies have you scored? Are there any tracks available for download?