VGM Lounge Orchestra
Virtual Experience!
Join our orchestra!!

What is a Virtual Orchestra?

A virtual orchestra is where a piece of music (in this case original video game music) is written to be played by an orchestra, but each instrument is performed in solo to a click track and recorded, so that all the instrument parts can be assembled together by an audio engineer to create a final virtual performance of the piece. It is quite a bit of work, but can create some amazing performances from an ensemble of musicians spread all around the world.

Can I play in VGMLOVE?

You sure can!! We will be looking for instrumentalists that are of a reasonably high standard to record the primary melodies and solos, but everyone is welcome to record the remaining parts to contribute to the final performance. Our audio team will do their best to ensure everyone is represented in the final work. Remember, the works performed with all be premiers, and we want to provide the composer with the best possible final outcome for their creations.

How many tracks will be recorded?

That is hard to say at this point. We will definitely do one, and we will do more if we have the capacity, possibly one every 3 months, maybe more.

Orchestra Make-up

This is the envisaged makeup for our VGMLOVE orchestra. There will be a lead player for each of the following sections, who will also act as the coordinator for their section. Leads are expected to be very proficient players who can carry a solo, and manage the trickier parts of the music. When we mix the final recordings, our leads will be placed in a more dominant place in the mix.

Possible additions will be lead and bass guitar, and saxophones (alto, tenor & baritone), but only if the composer wants to include them.

We will consider other instruments as well, but we can't guarantee we can have music for all the more exotic instruments, sorry, though if you want to work with the arranged to create a certain part, you are welcome to inquire!

Everyone else who participates will be added into the mix as appropriate to achieve a nice balanced, professional sound. If your recording is not so good, out of tune, or your performance is a bit off, we might exclude sections of a recording as appropriate to get the best final production. Everyone that submits will get credited.

Timings and Selection Process

The virtual orchestra will be assembled over the first three months of the challenge Season (April to June). This is the time to express your interest in participating using the form below. If you are applying for a lead position, please provide a recording of your playing as part of the audition process. By the end of June 2023 we will have selected all leads and finalised the make-up of the orchestra for the first round of recordings not long after round 4. If you are applying for a lead position please ensure you will be available for the rest of 2023 and into 2024. While the commitment won't be a lot (as in not a lot of projects), it would be good to maintain some consistency over the season. We will also have at least one backup for each lead in case the leads circumstances change. Everyone who is not a lead can submit for every project and your recording will be used subject to suitability. If VGMLOVE continues after season 9 we will probably have a fresh round of recruitment to mix things up a bit, but we will worry about that if we get that far! :-)

Allocation of Solo's and special parts.

For season 9 it is intended that our leads will be responsible for most of the solos, but they may also allocated them out to other players as required. In the case of special parts, unusual instruments, special guests or the composers/arrangers directions, solos and critical parts may be directly allocated to a specific person to play. Its just like a real orchestra really, :-)

Can the orchestra play other music?

If people are super keen we may be able to record more music than just the original compositions from the challenges. It's possible VGMLOVE could be commissioned by composers to perform a work outside of the challenges, or that people would like to make a cover of a particular track. In these cases they will fall into two categories. Any tracks that will be recorded and released officially will be assessed and managed by Scott (dGecko). For unofficial tracks, there will need to be a project manager nominated who will run the process end to end. You may want to also consider running a mixed tape project on VVGO for such projects. Either way, the first step is to discuss the project and we will see what capacity we have.

A note on non-live elements

Some VGM music may have additional elements such as synths and effects that won't be played live. These elements will be put into the mix with the rest of the live performances when the final track is assembled.