Okay, my first approach is to define
what is an orchestra?A very small orchestra, the chamber orchestra, still has about 50 pieces in it! I do not have 50 synth voices, so that's right out. Plus, I'm not convinced that I would need 50 voices to achieve what I'm looking to do.
An orchestra is broken into more manageable chunks, however, which can be instructive for assigning voices certain roles and timbres.
Here is my understanding of the sections of an orchestra --
STRINGS:: Divided into first and second violins
:: Can play in unison or divisi
:: Has four registers spread across the chord (often with the root note being doubled)
WOODWINDS:: Plas a unique part
:: Has four distinct timbres
:: Can be used to double string parts or create chords
:: Stacked woodwind chords are generally used in the higher registers
BRASS:: Can play a unison part to the woodwinds or a counter-melody
:: Has four distinct timbres
:: Less playing time than strings
:: Can be used to add punch and excitement
PERCUSSION:: Plays a unique part
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An oversimplification, probably, but I am finding it very helpful in planning the minimum number of voices I will need.
If I go very simple, the string section equivalent would need
4 voices: two in a high register, one in a middle register, and one in a low register.
The woodwind section equivalent would need
2 voices: one to play the melody unique to the part and another for harmonization. (
Possibly a single voice with 2 VCOs set to a set interval apart?)
The brass section equivalent would need
1 voice: probably a harmonically complex voice or a submix of a single voice with multiple waveforms.
The percussion section equivalent would need
3 voices: one in a high register, one in a middle register, one in a low register.
The final element will be the "soloist". That will need
1 voice.
That brings my minimum number of distinct voices to
11. That's a pretty big patch!!
I would also require a way to sequence a minimum of 7 melody lines at once: 4 string melody lines, 2 woodwind melody lines, 1 brass melody line.
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