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  • Research

    The fundamental principle of IRCAM is to encourage productive interaction among scientific research, technological developments, and contemporary music production. Since its establishment in 1977, this initiative has provided the foundation for the institute’s activities. One of the major issues is the importance of contributing to the renewal of musical expression through science and technology. Conversely, sp…

    • Research Topics
    • The STMS Lab
    • Research Teams
    • Sound Systems and Signals: Audio/Acoustics, InstruMents
    • Acoustic and Cognitive Spaces
    • Sound Perception and Design
    • Sound Analysis-Synthesis
    • Sound Music Movement Interaction
    • Musical Representations
    • Analysis of Musical Practices
    • Projects
    • Sound Workshop
    • The Musical Body
    • Creative Dynamics
    • Finished Projects
  • Creation

    IRCAM is an internationally recognized research center dedicated to creating new technologies for music. The institute offers a unique experimental environment where composers strive to enlarge their musical experience through the concepts expressed in new technologies.

    • Composers & Artists in Studio
    • Chloé Thévenin in studio
    • Oren Boneh in studio
    • Tristan Murail in studio
    • Martin Matalon in studio
    • Sébastien Gaxie in studio
    • Murcof in the studio
    • Vimala Pons in studio
    • Lucie Antunes in studio
    • Deena Abdelwahed in the studio
    • Music-Fictions
    • Artistic Research Residency
    • Artistic Residencies: The Blog
    • Rendez Vous 24.25
    • 2024-2025
    • Replay Concerts
    • Seasons from 1996 to present
    • ManiFeste-2024 Website
    • ManiFeste festival from 2012 to 2024
    • L’Étincelle, IRCAM’s journal of creation
  • Transmission

    In support of IRCAM's research and creation missions, the educational program seeks to shed light on the current and future meaning of the interactions among the arts, sciences, and technology as well as sharing its models of knowledge, know-how, and innovations with the widest possible audience.

    • Training Courses
    • Training Courses 2025.26
    • Max, Max for Live
    • Computer-Assisted Composition
    • ASAP & Partiels
    • Sound spatialization
    • Generative AI
    • Practical Information
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    • Cursus Program on Composition and Computer Music
    • Master ATIAM
    • Sound Design Master's Program
    • Mixed-Music
    • AIMove Master
    • Discover Research at IRCAM
    • Cultural Outreach
    • Cultural Mediation at Middle School Students
    • Médiations culturelles au lycée
    • Digital Workshops
    • TACT
    • Images of a Work Collection
    • Group Tours
    • ManiFeste-2025 Festival Academy
    • 2025 ÉLAN award
    • Spatial Composition Workshop
    • In Situ Polytopes
    • ULYSSES Ensemble
    • Auditors
  • Innovations

    Engaged with societal and economic issues at the intersection of culture and IT, research at Ircam has forged a reputation for itself in the world of international research as an interdisciplinary benchmark in the science and technology of sound and music, constantly attentive to the new needs and uses in society.

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  • Computer-Assisted Orchestration with Orchidea








Thu 12 March 2026,
10 a.m.- 4:30 p.m., Thu 19 March 2026,
10 a.m.- 4:30 p.m., Thu 26 March 2026,
10 a.m.- 4:30 p.m., Thu 2 April 2026,
10 a.m.- 4:30 p.m., Thu 9 April 2026,
10 a.m.- 4:30 p.m., Thu 16 April 2026,
10 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.
En ligne
Language

English

Level

Beginner

Prices

Full : 690 €
Mbre Forum Premium : 485 €
Student : 345 €

Practical Information

Edit

Reserve

Transmission
Software Training






Computer-Assisted Orchestration with Orchidea

Edit






First steps with a computer-aided composition tool for orchestration
Edit






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

Edit

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.
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