Orchestral Mockup Course
A great mockup brings your orchestral music to life.
You can have powerful melodies and strong arrangements—but if your mockup doesn't translate those ideas, it can feel like everything falls apart in production.
Orchestral Mockup Fundamentals is a 3-hour course designed to help you eliminate tech headaches once and for all so you can start performing and mixing expressive MIDI mockups with confidence and ease.
(For the full course syllabus, check out this page.)
🎓 What You’ll Learn
1. Terms, Tools, & Setup
Demystify mockup jargon, get your tools dialed in, and set up a workflow that supports creative momentum instead of friction.
2. MIDI Realism
Master expressive VST performance—whether you’re using a breath controller, a fader, or just your mouse and keyboard.
3. Production Realism
Learn how to mix, balance, and refine your mockups so they hold up against live recordings—no overthinking required.
👋 Why I Made This
Clone Wars composer Kevin Kiner told me that if I wanted to compose for a living, I should master my mockup chops.
I took his advice to heart.
But along the way, I got stuck tweaking, layering, and wishing for answers that no one was able to provide.
I tried searching through YouTube, but most videos I watched were unorganized, inefficient, or irrelevant to the problems I was facing and the workflow I craved.
This course is what I wish I'd had: tightly packed, no fluff, and highly organized so you can jump straight into writing realistic mockups effectively.
📢 What Students Are Saying
“I thought I already knew the basics, but Zach turned my world upside down.”
— Alexandr Sosorev
“This course is one of the best investments I’ve made in an area I struggled with for years.”
— Steve Winkler
“Zach covers more useful material here than any textbook I’ve read.”
— Stephen Berkemeier
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
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Is this course live?
No—it’s self-paced video content. You’ll get lifetime access to all lessons and resources.
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What level of experience is this for?
If you’re already writing in a DAW with VSTs and want to level up your realism, this course is for you. -
What gear do I need?
Any DAW (I use Logic), a MIDI keyboard, and ideally a CC controller like a fader or breath controller. -
Will I learn orchestration here?
No—this is about mockup production, not composition or orchestration. But it will help you make your ideas sound real with the tools you already have. -
Refunds?
Yes. You’ve got 14 days to request a refund if it’s not a fit. Just reach out to me directly via email.
Orchestral Template for Logic Pro
Stop Organizing—Start Composing.
This is orchestral template I wish I had when I was getting started.
With it, you'll write orchestral music tracks faster than ever—with zero setup and no more tech headaches.
Included is 4 fully-routed, color-coded, and labeled Logic Pro templates built for real-world composing—based on years of testing them myself on client projects and personal work.
(Note: This is the shell of my template, which won't include 3rd party VSTs or custom mix settings. You'll need to purchase, add, and mix any non-Logic libraries on your own.)
What’s Included:
- Detailed & Compact template variations
- Blank template for your favorite 3rd party VSTs
- Preloaded stock Logic version for instant composing
- 12-page PDF user guide covering setup, routing, and workflow tips
I spent over 50 hours building and refining these templates so I could stop fiddling with buses and finally focus on writing.
Now, I'm sharing them with you.
These are replicas of my real working template—the same one I use to write scores, mockups, and personal work every day.
(Custom mix settings and 3rd party VSTs not included.)
Designed for Logic Pro by Zach Heyde
Samantha Ballard Harp VST
The harp I couldn't find—so I made myself.
"This harp is brilliant. IMO better than most harps that are triple the price tag. Well worth checking out!"
— Tristan Noon
After buying countless harp VSTs, I still couldn’t get the sound I wanted.
Too noisy. Too plucky. Too loud.
With every new library, I got more frustrated—until I finally decided to call up a real harpist and make one from scratch.
This is the result.
In collaboration with Samantha Ballard, we created the harp I always wished existed: intimate, noise-free, dynamic, and beautifully playable.
(Note: This VST only works with the paid version of Kontakt—Kontakt Player will run in "demo only" mode.)
What’s Included:
- Full 6.5-octave range, recorded with a close stereo mic pair (Aston Spirit + Neumann KM 184)
- 180 samples across 4 crossfaded velocity layers per note
- Noise-treated, EQ-matched, and volume-balanced for a clean and even tone
- Custom UI for controlling velocity curve and strength (designed by Eric Belvin)
I use this harp on nearly every project, and it's now an official weapon within John Powell's production team, 5CatStudios—heard here:
Product Requirements:
• Kontakt 6.7.1 or higher (full version—NOT Kontakt Player)
• 400MB of disk space
• 20MB RAM when loaded