Welcome to the first in a series of blog posts that will discuss using Garritan libraries in other software programs. Garritan libraries are designed for use in DAWs or Notation programs, and many MakeMusic employees do just that. If you’ve never used a VST, Audio Units or RTAS plugin in your favorite DAW or Notation program before, this series will help you get set up and introduce you to some of the features that Garritan has to offer to bring your music to life.

Here’s Peter Flom from MakeMusic with a guide to using Garritan in Pro Tools 10:

In my background as an audio engineer, I’ve used a number of different methods to capture an artist’s inspiration; from the soul and character of old Ampex 456 tapes to the pristine accuracy of the many digital audio solutions available today. For me, Pro Tools was an obvious choice in making music, not only because of the great features and organizational options it offers, but because it is an industry standard in modern recordings. After I’ve worked out an arrangement with an artist, I want to be able to focus on tracking, rather than designing synthesizers or clicking through countless menus to get started. I use Pro Tools because of its simplicity and speed during recording, through a logical interface and extensive keyboard shortcuts, and I feel that the Garritan Libraries synergize extremely well with this program.

Unlike many sample libraries, Garritan’s Aria player allows you to simply click through only one menu to load the sample you’d like. After loading your samples, many sound very realistic right out of the box with no customization. The Aria player’s elegant engine allows you to use Garritan quickly and efficiently, without taking up much of the computer’s processing power. This also means that the hundreds of plug-ins that can find their way into a tracking session can still be used when the Aria player is active. Finally, I appreciate that when it’s time to dig in and configure the performance precisely, I can have confidence that the Garritan Libraries have a really powerful amount of performer controls, so that I can get exactly the sound I want with little effort.

I most often use a combination of the Garritan Personal Orchestra and Garritan Instant Orchestra to layer with live string instruments, and the World Instruments library to get some unique percussion sounds that aren’t typically in other sample sets. To my ears, Garritan has created a series of useable libraries that rival some of the best samples on the market, but Garritan’s libraries are easier to use, less computer-intensive, and cost much less.

Click here to learn how to use Garritan in Pro Tools 10.

Note: With the release of version 11, Pro Tools no longer supports RTAS plugins, and has moved to AAX plugins. MakeMusic is currently evaluating the scope and technical challenges involved in developing an AAX plugin. Click here to subscribe to our Knowledge Base article so you can be informed of future updates on this subject.