Do orchestras tend to have too many instruments?

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Oh really? I thought I counted 17 different types of instruments in both for a budget. The only difference is there are 3 that are different in each.

The first one has a duduk, bass flute, and french horn, and the second one has a cello, double bass, and xylophone instead.

But aside from those 3 different ones, isn't the number of types of instruments the same?

mebbe or more than meebbee i am inumerate. but it seemed on casual glance that the 1st list was longer.

Oh okay. Well I was thinking of using the synthesizer to create low bass sounds such as this synth at 0:15 into this clip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbJE_L80QRI

But if I am using the synth to create bass sounds then do I need a double bass then, or should I focus the budget on samples of another instrument?

you can, via multitrack, use your synth to replace most of the instruments. but some things like percussive parts will have to be via the real thing or drum machines.

Oh okay. What about for the harmonica for example of I want trilling, or for the bass flute, if I want multiphonics? Are there synths that can do that?

on an old modular moog synth and multitrack tape recorder you could pile up harmonics depending on your skill level. don't know about any other kind of synth.

Oh okay, but on a moog, would it be pre-recorded samples of the actual instrument or pure synthesis?

moog is pure synthesis, analog.

Oh okay, that's what I thought. But it would be better to use pre-recorded samples of a harmonica, or at least more realistic sounding, then a moog, wouldn't it?

Trouble is, some instruments can only play one note at a time so you need several of them just to make a chord.

(This question was asked months ago so the OP probably isn't going to read this anyway)

Oh okay. But when it comes to pre-recorded samples of a real instrument, is it possible to 'shape' the samples so it flows a certain way, like this harmonica hear, in this example?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6BQKFs3-VM

that is in the realm of skillful audio editing, crossfading parts and pitch-manipulating and time-shifting/stretching/squishing certain other parts.

Oh okay, but is it possible to create trilling and multiphonics with editing that sound like the real thing, if a person is not actually blowing into the instrument that way?

possible but the devil is in the details.

Oh okay thanks. Another thing is, when it comes to viols, in an ensemble of instruments, do you really need all the viols? For example, when I listen to musical scores, I often do not hear the cellos, when it comes to the viols, but is that because the composers more often think that that one is the least important so they leave it out?

Cellos: most of the time in the orchestra, the cellos and double basses are playing the same thing an octave apart, to produce a strong bassline. This is so common, it's more noticeable when they don't do it. Many scores have a single stave marked "Cellos and basses," with the two playing the same notes throughout. (Double basses sound an octave lower than written.) The cellos can also leave the bassline to play a melody line with a warm, rich tone- if it's during a loud passage, though, you might need a bassoon, contrabassoon or tuba to join the double basses if they're to sound loud enough.

Violas: They're very useful but rarely noticeable, as they provide harmony rather than melody. Most of the time they fill out the inner notes of chords- they're the go-to instrument for that, and often do it all the way through a piece of music. Violas are good at double-stopping (playing 2 notes on the same instrument), and the viola section also divides a lot: I've seen places where the violas are divided into 4 to play all the notes of a chord. Viola pizzicato also sounds really good- it's stronger than violin or cello pizzicato.