Computer-Assisted Orchestration with Orchidea
Orchidea is a software environment that calculates the best combinations of orchestral sounds to match a target sound by specifying certain constraints. In other words, it's a process that generates a score from a given target sound.
Objectives
By the end of the course, participants will have acquired the technical and aesthetic knowledge required by Orchidea. They will be able to use the Orchidea library to create sound sequences or scores.
Public
Composers, musicians, teachers, and all creative people with a basic knowledge of music and computer music, wishing to learn computer-assisted orchestration tools.
Prerequisites
- Fluency in written and spoken English (B2 level required).
- Proof of sufficient knowledge and skills in Max and its environment, or completion of the Max Initiation course, and regular use of the software.
- Good knowledge of engraving software (Finale, Sibelius, Dorico, etc.)
- Ability to demonstrate a basic musical training that enables them to understand the challenges of orchestration,
- Good knowledge of a software sequencer (DAW) such as Pro Tools, Logic Pro or other, and of audio editing software (WaveLab, SoundStudio, Adobe Audition...).
- Mastery of the use of the main features of the Apple computer (knowledge and handling of the keyboard and mouse, creating and managing files and folders, navigating menus, starting an application).
- Basic mathematical concepts will facilitate understanding: integers, rationals and decimals, sums, subtractions, multiplications, divisions, absolute value, study of simple functions and definition of a frequency.
- Basic knowledge of Zoom for online courses.
- We recommend that you visit www.orch-idea.org before the course.
Training Period and Organization
15 hours of training, every Thursday from 2 to 4:30 p.m. from March 12 to April 16, 2026
Online Class, In English
10 students maximum
Programme de la formation
Some details of the training program are subject to modification as the software on which it is based evolves. Exercises will be assigned at the end of each session and reviewed collectively during the next session.
Thursday, March 12
- Presentation of the aesthetic and technological background of Computer-Aided Orchestration (CAO) (Part 1)
- Quick introduction to the Bach library, focusing on the bach.roll and bach.score editors.
- Installing Orchidea
- Exercise: creating a musical sequence in bach.roll.
Thursday, March 19
- Presentation of the aesthetic and technological background of CAO (part 2).
- Create a static orchestration
- Exercise: create a musical sequence based on static orchestration.
Thursday, March 26
- Understanding algorithm parameters in detail.
- Dynamic orchestration.
- Exploring solutions.
- Exercise: create a musical sequence based on dynamic orchestration.
Thursday, April 2
- Create your own database
- Create sound sequences using bach.roll.
- Exercise: create a musical sequence based on orchestrations created with a personal database.
Thursday, April 9
- Timbral qualities of orchestration.
- Exercise: perform a musical sequence in which timbral qualities change.
Thursday, April 16
- Orchidea via command line.
- Creating a workflow for editing and exporting scores: introduction to quantization with bach.quantize, introduction to the Cage library.
Educational Resources and Techniques
- This professional training class will be taught online.
- Technical requirements: participants should download Orchidea, The Bach librairy and Max 9 (30-day demo version with full functionality) prior to training. Participants are strongly advised to visit www.orch-idea.org before the start of the course.
- For best results, please use two screens for this class and a good internet connection.
- Class Format: Class is taught in English. Training alternates between presentations, explanations on theory, studying examples to analyze, and hands-on exercises.
- Didactic Materials: presentations. A class guide will be given at the beginning of each training session and all complementary files will be given as needed.
Supervision
- A technical session will be held on the first day of training to ensure all participants have the necessary equipment.
- Attendance controlled; signature of an attendance sheet required every afternoon.
- Delivery of a certificate of achievement.
.Assessment
- Knowledge will be assessed through a multiple-choice questionnaire, to be completed within the week following the training.