Assassin’s Creed III Theme: Guitar Cover Tutorial for Beginners

Assassin’s Creed III Theme: How to Recreate the Soundtrack in FL StudioAssassin’s Creed III’s main theme blends orchestral grandeur, folk textures, and heroic motifs to create a wide, cinematic sound. Recreating it in FL Studio requires careful attention to arrangement, orchestration, sound selection, and mixing. This guide walks through sourcing instruments, programming parts, building the arrangement, and mixing to get close to the original atmosphere while giving tips to add your own touch.

Overview of the Theme’s Elements

The theme features several identifiable layers:

• Main orchestral motif (strings and brass)
• Heroic fanfare-like phrases (brass + percussion)
• Folk/ethnic color (acoustic guitar, flute/harmonica-like woodwinds)
• Rhythmic drive (timpani, orchestral percussion, and taiko-like hits)
• Ambient pads and choir for depth and sustain

Start by setting the tempo around 92–100 BPM (the original theme sits in a moderate tempo with rubato-like freedom). Use a 24-bit/48 kHz project for good headroom and fidelity.

Required Tools and Sound Libraries

• FL Studio (20.x or newer recommended)
• A quality orchestral library (Kontakt libraries like Spitfire Audio, Orchestral Tools, EastWest, or standalone VSTs such as Cinematic Studio Strings, ProjectSAM, or Albion One)
• Brass library (for bold fanfares)
• Choir/pad library (for sustained textures)
• A high-quality acoustic guitar sample or guitar plugin
• Woodwind/flute or ethnic wind plugin
• Percussion/taiko samples or orchestral percussion library
• Reverb (convolution reverb like ValhallaPlate/Room, or FL Studio’s Convolver) and other effects (EQ, compression, limiter)

If you lack premium libraries, good free options include VSCO Community Edition (strings), Spitfire LABS (pads, some orchestral), and BBC Symphony Orchestra Discover.

Project Setup in FL Studio

1. Create separate mixer tracks for sections: strings, brass, woodwinds, guitar, percussion, choir, and master.
2. Insert a convolution reverb on an aux send for orchestral space; use a short plate for close intimacy and a longer hall for big cinematic moments. Send channels to the reverb bus rather than inserting on every instrument.
3. Use low-cut filters below 40–60 Hz on most instruments to avoid muddy low end.
4. Set up velocity and expression CC automation lanes (CC11 for expression, CC1 for mod wheel) to control dynamics—realism in orchestral mockups depends on dynamic variation.

Arranging and Orchestration Steps

1. Transcribe the main motif: listen and capture the melody and harmonic movement. The theme centers on a strong modal/minor tonality with open fifths and occasional suspensions.
2. Build the harmonic pad: start with low strings (cellos + basses) playing sustained root notes, then add violas and higher strings for supporting sustained harmonies.
3. Add the melody in the violins or solo trumpet/clarinet depending on the desired color. Use legato patches and enable portamento or true legato if available for smooth phrasing.
4. Reinforce with brass: layer french horns for warmth and trumpets for heroic peaks. Use staggered entrances (e.g., horns on the second bar) to create motion.
5. Folk elements: record or program an acoustic guitar arpeggio, keeping it rhythmic but sparse. Add a flute or tin whistle doubling in octaves for ethnic flavor.
6. Percussion: program timpani rolls for crescendos and accented hits for transitions. Layer taiko hits and orchestral snares for weight. Use toms for rhythmic momentum.
7. Choir and pads: use a low, dark choir to support the root; add airy synth pads for modern cinematic sheen in climaxes.
8. Counter-melodies and ostinatos: create a repeating rhythmic ostinato (higher strings or plucked strings) to add movement in verses or under the main theme.

Programming Tips (MIDI)

• Humanize timing: quantize lightly (e.g., 20–40%) and introduce small tempo fluctuations via automation to mimic rubato.
• Use layered velocities: duplicate melodic parts across instruments with slightly different velocities and timing offsets to simulate ensemble depth.
• Round-robin or multiple sample layers: if your library supports it, enable round-robin to avoid robotic repetition.
• Expression automation: map CC11 (expression) to volume/dynamics and CC1 (mod wheel) to vibrato or brightness where appropriate.
• Articulation keyswitching: use keyswitches to move between legato, staccato, marcato, and sustain. Switch to marcato for fanfare hits and legato for lyrical lines.

Sound Design and Layering

• Layer orchestral samples with subtle synthetic elements (e.g., low sub-bass sine or filtered saw pads) to add depth without obvious synth character.
• For brass power, stack close and distant mic positions (if available) and use harmonic saturation (soft clipping or tube saturation) lightly.
• For the acoustic guitar, apply a transient shaper to bring out attack and a small amount of compression to even dynamics.
• Apply subtle chorus/ensemble on woodwinds to widen them, but avoid excessive effects that make them sound artificial.

Mixing Strategy

1. Balance: Start with volume balance—strings and low end first, then melody and percussion.
2. EQ:
   • Cut muddiness: 200–500 Hz reductions on non-bass instruments as needed.
   • Add presence: gentle boosts around 2–5 kHz on melodic instruments.
   • Brass clarity: narrow cuts at problem frequencies and subtle boosts around 1–2 kHz for definition.
3. Compression: Use gentle bus compression on sections (e.g., strings bus) to glue them. Use parallel compression on percussion for punch.
4. Reverb and Space: Use pre-delay on reverb to maintain attack. Use longer halls on choir and full ensemble during climaxes and shorter rooms for intimate sections.
5. Stereo imaging: Keep low end mono. Pan section instruments realistically (violins more to one side, violas to the other, etc.) and use stereo widening sparingly.
6. Automation: Automate volume and reverb sends to shape phrases dynamically—swell reverb for climaxes, dryer for intimate phrases.

Mastering Touches

• Keep limiting gentle: aim for -6 to -3 dB LUFS integrated for cinematic music depending on distribution needs.
• Subtle multiband compression can tame resonant buildups.
• Add a final analog-style saturation for warmth.
• Reference against the original theme and adjust tonal balance.

Example Workflow — Step-by-Step

1. Load orchestral strings patch; program sustained chord progression for 8 bars.
2. Add a cello/bass ostinato to outline the root movement.
3. Program the main melody in a solo violin patch; add expression and vibrato CC automation.
4. Layer brass hits on first and third bar accents; add timpani rolls building to bar 8.
5. Insert acoustic guitar pattern and double with a plucked string patch an octave up.
6. Add choir pad on long held notes for bars 6–8; raise reverb send on the choir during the climax.
7. Mix buses, apply EQ and compression; automate swells and final master processing.

Tips to Make It Your Own

• Change instrumentation: use solo cello or harmonica for a different emotional color.
• Alter tempo or time signature subtly to create a variant feel.
• Rearrange sections: introduce a new counter-melody or bridge using folk instruments.
• Add sound design elements (field recordings, distant canon shots, wind ambience) for a game-like atmosphere.

Common Problems & Fixes

• Muddy low end: apply a high-pass at 40–60 Hz and tighten bass with multiband compression.
• Flat dynamics: increase MIDI velocity range and automate expression.
• Artificial-sounding legato: ensure legato patches are used and overlap notes slightly; increase release times.
• Over-reverb: reduce sends, shorten reverb decay, or use pre-delay.

Final Notes

Recreating the Assassin’s Creed III theme is as much about capturing mood and dynamics as it is about notes. Use orchestral realism techniques—articulation control, velocity layers, mic-position blending—and cinematic mixing approaches. Don’t be afraid to deviate creatively: your version should honor the original while reflecting your production choices.

If you want, I can export a step-by-step MIDI skeleton or suggest specific VST presets (free or paid) to match each section.