Hi guys,
I have a question. How many pads do you use in ambient/ orchestral compositions, so that the structure is not thin but not cluttered? Normally I use one pad with a chord progression, one low pad (with bass notes in octaves), one low pulsating pad, if I want some rhythm. Also I may use high pad or high strings ( usually a one note counter melody to support the main melody. What do you use? Then, if it is a score is one - two pads enough?
Hey Julia. Just listened to your Last piece and the pads sound great.
Typically you just want to create a flowing and evolving texture with your pads, so you just need to create movement within the patch.
You can either do this with multiple pads that you phase between using volume automation, or even just one pad that your effecting with a plugin and automating one of two parameters… such as a high shelf and an envelope for instance.
I’d also be carving out the frequencies I don’t need I. My pads so that they all sit well together if there’s more than one. Hope that helps 
So, when I use a pad, I tweak it with various plugins like auto pan, frequency shifter, arrpegiator,etc… I use Ableton. I also saw in one of the videos thatthe centrals frequencies are often carved in pads, leaving only low and high frequencies
I wouldn’t take too many frequencies out of it’s just one pad. Just take enough out of the frequency bands that are hiding or masking other instruments.