ProAudio Review - October 2008 - (Page 46) that you’re going to be replacing most of the expands the composer’s musical ideas into tracks, they expect to hear what they’re realization for a full orchestra or other ensemble as dictated by the composer. The going to get.” “You may know it’s going to sound fine process involves a high level of improvisawhen you replace demo tracks with live tion and creative thinking, due to the drainstruments, but someone who doesn’t matic differences between virtual and have a lot of experience working with live organic composition. “As varied as the palate of samples can orchestra might not have as good of an imagination or not enough experience to be, it’s still limited compared to a live person,” says Blondal. “You do your best to trust the process,” adds Blondal. Blondal’s first source for sounds is make the music sound as real as you can, Tascam’s Gigastudio and sometimes in order to do that you have sampling engine, to add instruments that you wouldn’t norwhich he has on a PC mally add, or double instruments to make that interfaces with his them sound more substantial. But you Macintosh via MIDI might not make those choices live because it over LAN. “I start with would sound horrible. You might double a Gigastudio and go as pizzicato strings sample with who knows far as I can,” says what— maybe some percussion for examBlondal. “If I run out of ple—to make it sound fuller. Synthestration memory in Gigastudio, as we call it.” The orchestrator also has the responsibilI turn to Kontakt. Or I’ll use the ESX sounds ity of MIDI cleanup, a necessary process in Logic. It’s a matter of that occurs when a composer’s MIDI files making use of your are exported into a music notation program resources, but not over such as Finale or Sibelius to produce a full score and instrumental parts. The transfer is taxing any of them.” Avid's Sibelius music notation software For a stamp of origi- never seamless. What sounds like a series of For the forthcoming film The Watchmen, nality, Blondal often works with a program- staccato 16th notes in Logic may translate Blondal will orchestrate from sequences the mer to alter the sounds’ wave form or per- into something quite different in notation composer put into Pro Tools. d’Ambrosio formance attributes to make often composes in either Digital Performer them sound more round, or Pro Tools. “If I’m using a lot of samples, strident or bright, dependsoft synths or plug-ins, I’ll work in Digital ing on what’s needed. “You Performer until the very end; however, if try to use sounds right out I’m writing a score in Sibelius, typically I’ll of the box but it’s not record right into Pro Tools,” he says. “The always possible,” he says. D’Ambrosio uses a complug-in architecture, mixing, and editing of of Native a score is easier in Pro Tools, but for more bination plug-ins, hybrid, creative work I typically use use a Instruments including Kontakt, and sequencer-based program.” Performer ’s In general, however, the project often Digital dictates the tools, as well as the style of MachFive software sammusic, the budget, and the time. The ratio of plers. “They’re both great at live orchestra to samples and virtual instru- universally reading all of the samples ments also depends on the that I have, Composer Marco d'Ambrosio needs of the score. The first both libraries that I purchased software. To make their previously fineorder of business is to proand instruments and sounds sounding composition legible, the orchesduce a demo of the score, that I’ve created myself,” he trator cleans house. which usually sounds “We listen to an MP3 and make judgsays. “I spent three days remarkably close to the real recording cymbals, created a ments on note lengths and other values,” thing. “You’re expected to library and loaded them into says Blondal. “It takes hours. It’s usually a take out most of the guessMachFive. I can have that on separate process, and if we’re really busy work,” says d’Ambrosio. an instrument patch right we hire someone else to do MIDI cleanup “Sometimes it’s going to be next to a set of drums that and orchestrate from that. Personally I like used even if you don’t to do my own MIDI cleanup because then I came from a library.” intend it to be, because in For the portions of a score know what I’m dealing with, but sometimes some cases it can actually that involve live instruments, there’s just not time for that.” sound better. Unless you, “I typically save two versions of a cue: a the director and the produc- Native Instruments Kontakt a composition goes into the hands of an orchestrator, who version with the music that sounds good in er have an understanding sampler mouse tied to a DAW. “I’m a guitar player,” says composer/orchetrator Tony Blondal, who has worked on such films as You, Me and Dupree, Reign Over Me and The Incredible Hulk among many others. “I have a guitar synth interface that I can use for inputting notes, but when I’m sitting in front of the computer it’s easier for me to use a MIDI keyboard running into Logic Pro or Digital Performer.” CINEMA continued from page 47 ® 46 | ProAudio Review | October 2008 www.proaudioreview.com http://www.proaudioreview.com
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