Pro String Production

Live & VST, Arrange & Record

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105 Reviews (101 Verified)
Pro String Production on SoundBetter

Credits: Bleeding Fingers (BBC, Planet Earth), Riot Games (LoL, Arcane), Miley Cyrus, Eminem, Michael Bolton, Brent Faiyaz, PTX, 5Sos, Christina Perri, Olivia Rodrigo, P!nk, Dick van Dyke, Ubisoft (Brawlhalla Assassin's Creed), Jax, Camila Cabello, Ava Max, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Inon Zur, Hallmark, FX, Ellen, Apple TV, Netflix, and more.

My happy place is right at the crossroads of playing & producing. I studied cello performance (CSULB) and contemporary arranging & production (Berklee), and have worked professionally in LA for 10 years.

Available for live tracking are: violin, viola, cello, guitar, mandolin, viola da gamba. My mockups are programmed using Cinematic Studio Series & Spitfire and can be blended with orchestral synths like Serum, Zebra, Spitfire OA toolkit, etc. My work assimilates the string section, styles of contemporary and world music, and production techniques to create expressive, well-recorded strings.

For parts already written, I can work from MIDI piano roll, sheet music, or audio.

I can arrange for any size string section, and I can also supplement with other instruments like piano, guitar, orchestra, etc. I CAN PRODUCE ANYTHING FROM A SMALL INTIMATE SPACE TO A HUGE ATMOSPHERIC ORCHESTRA!

I carefully set mic position and gain staging for each job and carefully blend my live instruments into the VST space. My goal is to send detailed, crisp audio: no mud, distortion, or artifacts. I record with a TLM 103 & Gefell 300 M pair for stereo in a treated studio. I have a template that I can pass my mockups and arrangements through at no extra charge.

I offer installments. Drop me a line if you have any questions.

Michelle

Contact me through the green button above and let's get to work.

105 Reviews - 20 Repeat Clients

Endorse Pro String Production
  1. Review by Silent K.
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    I am glad to have worked with Michelle, she gave me a great string arrangement for my track. Worth the long wait. Thank you again.

  2. Review by Myles C.
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    Simply put, Michelle will make your music better. Excellent sound, expressive playing attuned to the feeling of the song, great engineering skills, good communication, everything you want. This is the second time I've worked with Michelle on some challenging material, and I will happily use her again. Very highly recommended.

  3. Review by Mike Ovskey
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    Michelle is the best
    100% pro
    Such a talented player and composer 😊💯💯💯💯💯🙏

  4. Review by Jessica S.
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    Michelle delivered such a beautiful string and piano arrangement for a song that I wrote for a partner of mine who passed away a few years ago. She really listened and showed how much she cared by the detail and emotionality that was expressed in her work. I would definitely work with her again, thank you so much Michelle! <3 Jess

  5. Review by Phillip H.
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    Michelle is a very kind, down to earth cello prodigy who really wants to help you achieve the vision you have for your song. Michelle truly does go above and beyond to make sure I had a great sounding recording. She is a fantastic composer and is a visionary when it comes to arranging for your song to take it to the next level. If you’re looking for an excellent, communicative cello/string arranger – look no further than Michelle Packman!

  6. Review by Mark Wilson
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    Michelle was very pleasant to to work with. The cello tracks she provided were beautifully executed and helped take my song to the next level. Very highly recommended!

  7. Review by Sean P.
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    Quick turnaround, great cello recording, professional.

  8. Review by kyohyuk
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    Professional, great communication, and highly skilled - delivered a performance that has added tremendously to my composition.

  9. Review by JamesDIngram
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    Excellent communication and outstanding work...beautiful.
    Thank you, Michelle.

  10. Review by Devin Leahy
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    Michelle was perfect and did everything that was surpose to be done I can’t wait to work again on future projects!

  11. Review by Maggie O.
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    Michelle helped create an original composition for my fiance as a wedding gift - his own "wedding day score" that I hoped would also work as a processional song for me. After discussing what I was looking for and providing a couple examples of other scores he enjoys, Michelle put together one of the most beautiful pieces of music I've heard. It was exactly what I was looking for and will work absolutely perfectly. The project was completed on time and Michelle was a pleasure to work with!

  12. Review by Kristopher M.
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    Michelle is brilliant, legit the best of the best!

  13. Review by Myles C.
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    Michelle is a great collaborator - in addition to her technical skills, she's very musical and really listens. She came through brilliantly on a very un-run of the mill piece and really made it work. Highly recommended.

  14. Review by Stephan N.
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    Michelle did an outstanding job polishing and elevating the strings arrangement for my song. She stayed true to my vision while bringing insights and expertise that heightened the emotional resonance of the track. I also really appreciated her earnest, clear communication style. I highly recommend Michelle to anyone looking to take their music to the next level.

  15. Review by Jason G.
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    Michelle was quickly able to devise a plan and create the sounds that I needed (using some great mics). She just got it.

  16. Review by Sherif H.
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    Professional player, delivering professional recording quality, understood the job with little information given and executed it perfectly !

  17. Review by insrt
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    Thanks to Michelle who immediatly got a sense of what I was after. Spot on, beautifully recorded. My new go-to for tracking strings !

  18. Review by Sebastian A.
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    Just plain beautiful string arrangements 🤩

  19. Review by Emmanuel G.
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    There’s nothing that Pro String Production cannot play. They’re very professional, awesome sound, quality, very quick delivery. Honestly, have something difficult? They can do it; something simple? They can do it of course.

  20. Review by Roman Kovalik
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    Just as the name of her company suggests, Michelle is a Pro! She took my midi string mock-up and turned it into an emotional experience. Her instrumental skills are superb and her demeanor is very easy going. I can highly recommend her service!

Interview with Pro String Production

  1. Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

  2. A: Tuomas Norjanen, composer. Jonas Petersen, composer/producer, Roniit for ethereal vocals.

  3. Q: What do you like most about your job?

  4. A: Being creative. I've gained the power over the years to really help tell stories with my art. It makes me really happy to work with someone and what I add can help intensify the original intentions and expectations they had for their music.

  5. Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

  6. A: The misconceptions are more in the realm of incomplete picture of the possibilities, and that's just from a long history of pop arrangers watering down the string sound from orchestral playing. Modern tech gives us so many more options. Think about everything a voice can do, everything from solo to choral. Strings are similar. We can be dry and close-miced as well. (Ariana's last album was a great example of this)

  7. Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

  8. A: Is there a demo, do you have parts already written? How long and how many parts do you need?

  9. Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

  10. A: My first arrangement and recording was a 6-song EP when I was 12. As for performing, I started at 8 on violin, switched to cello at 12, played jazz guitar, flute briefly, studied piano during my cello performance degree. All by choice, it wasn't a tiger mom thing like a lot of string players. I started out strictly in an orchestral setting, but now rarely play in orchestras, unless it's a scoring session. Most of my work is for remote clients, or small ensemble/pop performances.

  11. Q: What's your strongest skill?

  12. A: I know it sounds really cheesy but my strongest skill is my love for what I do, even when I'm busy, sick, tired, etc. If you have serious commitment, all other skills flow from that. I'll stay up until sunrise to make things right if I'm on a tight deadline. Nothing is ever just "good enough". That thing people say, "you do one thing like you do everything" really resonates with me.

  13. Q: What do you bring to a song?

  14. A: I'd like to think I write in a way that is uniquely my own. I like to write and arrange with the mix in mind so I'm not just playing strings I'm painting into the spaces in the mix. I can bring warmth, a lot of string arranging is all about warming things up, but I do a lot of FX and sound design type stuff too.

  15. Q: What's your typical work process?

  16. A: I never write down what I'm going to arrange, I can hear a clear picture and know the textures and voicing in my head before I lay things down, so once I start a project, I usually do everything in one go or at least until I've put all of my brainstorming down. Then I go back and rerecord, refine. For me, the best stuff happens in flow.

  17. Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

  18. A: Space is mostly hardwood; exposed drywall treated with Rockwool 60 and 80. Mics are Neumann TLM 103 and Gefell 300 M. Interface is Clarett 18i8. Intel i9-12900kf Mac/PC. 2 Acoustic Cellos, 1 electric cello, 1 violin, 1 viola, several guitars, mandolin, bass, standard novation MIDI controller. Software is Logic and PT, Up-to-date Kontakt. I have a ton of libraries but for string production my most used plugins are Autotune, Soothe 2, JJP, Fabfilter dynamic EQ & verb. VSTs include CSS Chamber and solo, Spitfire Chamber, Solo, Albion, OA Evolutions, OA Composer Toolkit, and many many more!

  19. Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

  20. A: Big fan of the seasoned pros who post online tutorials for free. Youtube is collectively my treasure trove of info.

  21. Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

  22. A: Some common requests include replacing MIDI strings with live ones. I also arrange from scratch and improvise. I love to get a full section gig and just paint with the strings. Every new project I get is like a blank canvas.

  23. Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

  24. A: Love, quality, perfectionism, flexibility. I don't stop until things are right.

  25. Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

  26. A: My easiest and most streamlined work is when I get a wav with embedded tempo map, or mp3 with audible click, plus pdf parts and clear performance notes with required sample rate, etc. If anything is left out, that's fine, it will just increase delivery time.

  27. Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

  28. A: The thought of sand and salty air on equipment makes me cringe. Can I take an anechoic chamber?

  29. Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

  30. A: There is never a typical setting. I can do orchestral, cinematic, hip hop, rock, pop, indie, folk.... really anything.

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Michelle's Career Highlight Reel

I was the recording artist and arranger in this production

Terms Of Service

One initial draft + 2 revisions.

GenresSounds Like
  • League of Legends
  • Hans Zimmer
  • Bridgerton
Gear Highlights
  • Neumann TLM 103 // Gefell M 300 pair // Lyx Pro Star Quad Cables // Focusrite Clarett 18i8 // 2 Acoustic Cellos
  • 1 E cello // Bass Viola da Gamba // Violin // Viola // Mandolin // Guitar Options
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SoundBetter Deal

Discounts on bundles of work, such as albums and OST with multiple cues