FILM MUSIC weekly
ISSUE 52 • FEBRUARY 26, 2008 • A Global Media Online Publication • www.filmmusicweekly.com
Dario Marianelli, Glen Hansard and
Marketa Irglova Win Music Oscars
Composer
Dario Marianelli
won the Oscar
for original score
for his score for
the feature film
Atonement and
Glen
Hansard
n
Dario Marianelli
and Marketa Irglova won best original song for “Falling Slowly” from
the film Once at the 80th Academy
Awards Sunday evening in Los Angeles.
Italian-born Marianelli, whose
recent films include The Brave
One and Pride & Prejudice, a film
AMP Announces
New Officers
n The Association of Music Producers (AMP) has announced
new officers for its National
Board. Lyle Greenfield of Bang
Music will serve a two-year term
as President. Ray Foote of Big
Foote Music is first VP, and Liz
Myers of Trivers/Myers Music is
second VP. Jan Horowitz of David Horowitz Music Associates is
Secretary.
Also elected to the Board
were: Craig Hazen of Zen Music;
Larry Pecorella of Comma Music
(who is also president of the Midwest Chapter); Jon Slott of Juniper; Andy Snavley of Bendy Music; and Roger Wojahn of Wojahn
Bros. Music. Greenfield succeeds
Tiffany Senft of tonefarmer, who
is immediate Past President of
FILM MUSIC RADIO:
SCORING NEWS:
CD REVIEW:
THE CHART DOCTOR:
MUSIC TECHNOLOGY:
the Board. The National Board is
comprised of members from each
AMP Chapter – New York, Midwest, and Los Angeles, as well as
an “at-large” member (this term,
Slott from Juniper in Dallas).
“Since the National Board
was formed last year, it has
taken on many tasks, including
exploring performing rights issues and compensation models,”
said Greenfield, who served on
the 2007 National Board and is
a Past President of the New York
Chapter. “As AMP celebrates its
10th anniversary, our intention
is to turn up the volume—from
celebrating the work of our member companies to increasing our
presence and respect at the heart
of the production process.”
that resulted in his first Academy
Award nomination in 2005.
“I’m very lucky because I was
part of a fantastic group of people that made a fantastic film,”
said Marianelli in his acceptance
speech.
Glen Hansard, in his accep-
tance speech, recalled how “Once”
was made in three weeks with
two camcorders and $100,000. His
songwriting partner Marketa Irglova said, “This is such a big deal, not
only for us, but for all independent
musicians and artists who spend
so much of their time struggling.”
Report: Downloads Will
Surpass CD Sales in 2012
n Half of all music sold in the US
will be digital in 2011 and sales
of digitally downloaded music
will surpass physical CD sales in
2012, according to a new report
by Forrester Research, Inc. Digital music sales will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 23
percent over the next five years,
reaching $4.8 billion in revenue
by 2012, but will fail to make up
for the continuing steady decline
in CD sales. In 2012, CD sales will
be reduced to just $3.8 billion.
“This is the end of the music
industry as we know it,” said Forrester Research Vice President
and Principal Analyst James L.
McQuivey. “Media executives eager to stay afloat in this receding
tide must clear the path of dis-
Daniel Schweiger interviews composer Marco Beltrami
“The X-Files 2” (Mark Snow), “Bolt” (John Powell) and more
Daniel Schweiger reviews Movie Score Media
“Notating Without Thinking, Or ...” by Ron Hess
“RME Fireface 800 and the KRK VXT8s” by Peter Alexander
covery and purchase, but only
hardware and software providers
can ultimately make listening to
music as easy as turning on the
radio.”
The Forrester report is based
in part on a survey of more than
5,000 consumers in the US and
Canada. Among the drivers of
Forrester’s five-year forecast for
music sales:
* MP3 player adoption. The
average MP3 player is only 57
percent full, suggesting that the
devices are underutilized, while
more of the devices are being
bought by households with more
than one MP3 player. Moving forward, a majority of MP3 players
will be sold to households that already have one.
(continued pg.3)
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
FILM MUSIC weekly
Publisher: Mark Northam
Editor: Mikael Carlsson
VP Finance and Operations: Rebecca Lee
Art Director: Joshua Young
Advertising Manager: Steve Schatzberg
Copy Editor: Lisa Rawson
Technology Editor: Peter Alexander
Soundtrack Editor: Daniel Schweiger
Customer Service Manager: Robyn Young
Website Design: Rakesh Rai
Accounting: Tina Chiang
Legal Advisor: Patricia Johnson, Esq.
Film Music Weekly is published weekly by
Global Media Online, Inc.
Executive and Editorial Office: 23360 Velencia Blvd.
Suite E-12, Valencia, CA 91355.
Tel: 310-209-8263 Fax: 310-388-1367,
email: [email protected].
We are not responsible for unsolicited material.
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in
part without written permission of the publisher is
prohibited. The opinions of contributing writers and
editors to this publication do not necessarily reflect
the views of Global Media Online, Inc. or any of our
divisions, management or staff.
2
��
��
��
��
YOUR FEEDBACK
We welcome feedback on any aspect of Film Music
Weekly. All letters must include an address and
daytime phone number. We reserve the right to edit
letters for clarity and space and to use them in all
electronic and print editions. Mail to: Film Music
Weekly, 23360 Velencia Blvd. Suite E-12, Valencia,
CA 91355 or email
[email protected]
ADVERTISING
Our comprehensive advertising programs offer
premier visibility to film and television music professionals, soundtrack collectors, and music executives worldwide. We offer competitive rates
on a wide variety of advertising opportunities
including display advertising and online advertising. For more information, call 1-888-910-7888 or
310-209-8263 or email
[email protected]
REPRINTS AND COPYRIGHT PERMISSIONS
Before quoting or reusing editorial material, or for
custom reprints (minimum order 100) contact
310-209-8263 or email
[email protected]
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Subscriptions to Film Music Weekly via email are
available at no cost. To subscribe, visit our website
at www.filmmusicweekly.com and enter your email
address in our subscription section.
Film Music Weekly and its logo are trademarks
of Global Media Online, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Entire Contents © 2008 Global Media Online, Inc.
FMR
This Week on
FILM MUSIC RADIO
ON THE SCORE
MARCO BELTRAMI
Film music journalist
Daniel Schweiger interviews
composer
MARCO BELTRAMI,
who turns his musical vision to
terror again with
THE EYE.
.
LISTEN NOW
ISSUE 52 • FEBRUARY 26, 2008
FILM MUSIC weekly
INDUSTRY NEWS
Report: Downloads Will Surpass CD Sales in 2012
* DRM-free music. With the four big music labels now committed to eliminating digital
rights management (DRM), DRM-free music
will extend beyond pioneer Amazon.com to
Apple iTunes and the other major online music
sites.
* Social networks. DRM-free music enables
every profile page on MySpace.com or Facebook
to immediately become a music store where
friends sell friends their favorite tracks.
Forrester believes digital downloads are
the logistical mass market for the future, satisfying all the needs that people have when it
comes to music — easy to find, easy to buy, and
easy to listen to, regardless of the device. On
the other hand, subscription music services
will show modest growth, reaching just $459
million in revenue in 2012 according to Forrester’s projections, while experiments in adsupported downloads will be silenced by the
powerful combination of DRM-free music and
on-demand music streaming on sites like imeem.com.
“The industry has to redefine what its
product is,” said McQuivey. “Music executives
have spent years tracking CD sales. But the
artist is the product — not just the source of
it. New forms of revenue will come from unexpected sources. For example, the industry has
failed to capitalize on the growing popularity
of video games such as Guitar Hero and Rock
Band. In a market where musicians are happy
to sell a million copies of a CD, a video game
market where titles can sell five million copies
(continued. from pg 1)
is enough to motivate even the most depressed
music executive.”
Initiatives currently before the 2008 AMP
National Board include the introduction of new
business tools to streamline workflow, and forward-looking discussions with the musicians’
union involving contract models for new media. Additionally, AMP will host a multi-city event
this spring to celebrate its 10th anniversary.
The National Board was formed last year
to work with the regional chapters in setting
the agenda for the organization, and to support
those chapters in their own programs and initiatives.
For more information on Forrester Research,
visit http://www.forrester.com
Professional Orchestration 2A:
Orchestrating the Melody Within the String Section is a hit.
A great publication! You perfectly met the needs of so many musicians - it's an
incredibly valuable source of knowledge! I like also very much its clear structure
and the way you explain complex things. A "must" not only for students, but for
every musician dealing with samples and "orchestral sound".
Peter Siedlaczek
Advanced Orchestra
Classical Choirs
String Essentials 2
The new book is amazing! It builds on the ﬁrst book by adding more explanations,
MIDI programming advice and ﬁlm scoring concerns. I can't imagine a more
exhaustive study or more organized collection of string writing. You can precharge my card for books 2B through 8.
Jeff Laity
Marketing Manager
TASCAM
I would highly recommend this book to any student or working professional wishing
to learn or expand their knowledge of orchestration. If you intend to work
professionally the skills imparted by the studies presented here will be of enormous
beneﬁt and will give you a professional advantage for your entire career.
Garry Schyman
BioShock
NOW SHIPPING! Order now at www.truespec.com
FILM MUSIC weekly ISSUE 52 • FEBRUARY 26, 2008
3
SCORING NEWS
THIS WEEK’S MAJOR
SCORING ASSIGNMENTS
Mark Snow:
The X-Files 2
Composer Mark
Snow has confirmed
to Upcoming Film
Scores that he has
signed on to score
The X-Files 2, the
sequel to the 1998
feature film that followed the phenomenally successful sci-fi
TV series. The film is directed by X-Files
creator Chris Carter, who has worked
extensively with Mark Snow not only on
X-Files, but also on TV series Millennium,
Harsh Realm and The Lone Gunmen.
Sixty-one-year old Snow, who probably is
the most prolific composer in television
music, has received six Emmy nominations for his X-Files music. His latest
feature film score, which came out last
year, was a completely different type of
project: a collaboration with French veteran director Alain Resnais on his romantic
drama Private Fears in Public Places. It
resulted in a César Award nomination for
the composer. The X-Files 2 is scheduled
to premiere on July 28, distributed by 20th
Century Fox.
John Powell:
Bolt
Walt Disney Pictures
confirmed to Upcoming Film Scores
that John Powell,
one of the most prolific Hollywood A-list
composers, has been
signed to score the
studio’s new animated film Bolt. Directed
by Chris Williams, who wrote the stories
for Disney’s animated features Mulan and
The Emperor’s New Groove, Bolt tells
the story about a dog who has lived his
life on the set of a TV show and believes
that he has true superpowers. Featuring
the voices of John Travolta, Woody Harrelson, Bruce Greenwood and Thomas
Haden Church, the film is scheduled to hit
cinemas on November 26. John Powell,
who is repped by Kraft-Engel Management, is busy as always: among his other
upcoming films are the Will Smith action
comedy Hancock, the drama Stop Loss,
and another animated film, Horton Hears a
Who. The two last-mentioned will be released on CD by Varèse Sarabande. Opening
worldwide this weekend is Jumper, also
scored by John Powell, with a score album
coming out on Lakeshore Records.
4
THE SCOREBOARD
LATEST ADDITIONS:
Bruno Coulais: MR 73.
Michael A. Levine: Columbus Day.
Daniele Luppi: Hell Ride.
Nathaniel Mechaly: Dorothy Mills.
Angelo Milli: Paraiso Travel.
John Powell: Bolt.
Mark Snow: The X-Files 2.
David Torn: The Wackness.
Shigeru Umebayashi: Absurdistan.
COMPLETE LIST:
Panu Aaltio: The Home of Dark Butterflies.
Tree Adams: Emilio.
Andreas Alfredsson / Christian
Sandquist: Possession.
Eric Allaman: Witless Protection • Race.
John Altman: The Master Builder •
Shoot on Sight.
Armand Amar: La jeune fille et les loups.
Marco D’Ambrosio: Say Hello to Stan
Talmadge.
David Arnold: How to Loose Friends and
Alienate People • Quantum of Solace •
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of
the Dawn Treader.
Chris P. Bacon: Space Chimps.
Angelo Badalamenti: The Edge of Love
• Secrets of Love.
Klaus Badelt: Killshot • Starship Troopers: Marauder • The Scorpion King: Rise
of the Akkadian • Fire Bay • Dragon Hunters • Heaven and Earth.
Lesley Barber: Death in Love.
Nathan Barr: Tortured • Shutter.
Steve Bartek: The Art of Travel.
Tyler Bates: The Haunted World of El Superbeasto • Day of the Dead • Doomsday
• Watchmen • The Day the Earth Stood
Still.
Jeff Beal: Where God Left His Shoes •
Salomaybe? • The Deal.
Christophe Beck: Drillbit Taylor.
Marco Beltrami: In the Electric Mist with
Confederate Dead.
Jean-Michael Bernard: Be Kind Rewind
• Cash.
Charles Bernstein: The Cursed.
Doug Besterman: Exit Speed.
Terence Blanchard: Miracle at St. Anna.
Scott Bomar: Maggie Lynn.
Simon Boswell: Bathory • My Zinc Bed.
Jason Brandt: Something’s Wrong in
Kansas.
David Buckley: Town Creek • The Forbidden Kingdom.
Kenneth Burgomaster: Garfield’s Fun
Fest • Hero Wanted.
Mickey Bullock: Sportkill • Orville.
Carter Burwell: In Bruges.
Edmund Butt: The Waiting Room.
Niall Byrne: How About You.
Peter Calandra: The Sickness.
Paul Cantelon: The Other Boleyn Girl.
Jeff Cardoni: You and I (Finding tATu).
by MIKAEL CARLSSON
[email protected]
Patrick Cassidy: L’aviatore.
Nigel Clarke & Michael Csányi-Wills:
The Grind.
George S. Clinton: Harold & Kumar
Escape from Guantanamo Bay.
Chandra Cogburn: Fiesta Grand • Orgies
and the Meaning of Life • The Bard: The
Story of Robert Burns.
Juan J. Colomer: Dark Honeymoon.
Normand Corbeil: Ma fille, mon ange •
Boot Camp • Emotional Arithmetic.
Bruno Coulais: MR 73 • Les Femmes de
l’ombre • Coraline.
Burkhard Dallwitz: The Interrogation of
Harry Wind • Chainsaw.
Jeff Danna: Lakeview Terrace (cocomposer) • The Imaginarium of Doctor
Parnassus (co-composer).
Mychael Danna: Lakeview Terrace (cocomposer) • The Imaginarium of Doctor
Parnassus (co-composer).
Carl Davis: The Understudy.
Marcello De Francisci: The Butcher.
Wolfram de Marco: The Lost Tribe.
Jessica de Rooij: Tunnel Rats • Far Cry •
Alone in the Dark II.
John Debney: Big Stan • Bachelor No. 2
• Starship Dave • Swing Vote • Old Dogs
• Sin City 2.
Tim DeLaughter: The Assassination of a
High School President.
Erik Desiderio: He’s Such a Girl • Sons
of Liberty.
Alexandre Desplat: Largo Winch.
Ramin Djawadi: Fly Me to the Moon •
The List • Iron Man.
Pino Donaggio: Colpe d’occhio.
James Michael Dooley: Bachelor Party 2
• The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning •
Impy’s Island 2.
Patrick Doyle: Nim’s Island • Igor.
Christopher Drake: Batman - Gotham
Knight (co-composer).
Ludek Drizhal: Life Goes On • Synapse
• The Next Race: The Remote Viewings •
The Sno Cone Stand Inc.
Anne Dudley: Black Water Transit.
Randy Edelman: The Mummy: Tomb of
the Dragon Emperor.
Jonathan Edwards: The Golden Boys.
Steve Edwards: The Neighbor • The
Intervention • Sharks in Venice.
Cliff Eidelman: He’s Just Not That Into
You.
Danny Elfman: Wanted • Hellboy 2: The
Golden Army.
Stephen Endelman: Redbelt.
Paul Englishby: Miss Pettigrew Lives
for a Day.
Tom Erba: Chinaman’s Chance.
Ilan Eshkeri: The Disappeared.
Evan Evans: The Mercy Man • You’re
Nobody ‘Til Somebody Kills You • The
Poker Club • Jack Rio.
Nima Fakhara: Lost Dream.
Guy Farley: Knife Edge • The Brøken •
Dylan.
Chad Fischer: The Babysitters.
Robert Folk: Kung Pow: Tongue of Fury •
Magdalene • Vivaldi.
Jason Frederick: Good Chemistry •
Bears.
John Frizzell: Henry Poole Is Here.
Michael Giacchino: Speed Racer • Star
Trek.
Vincent Gillioz: The Appearance of
Things • Portal • Last Breath.
Scott Glasgow: Toxic • The Gene Generation • Lo • The Bridge to Nowhere.
Philip Glass: Les animaux amoreux.
Erik Godal: The Gift • Ready Or Not •
Irreversi.
Jonathan Goldsmith: Tenderness.
Christopher Gordon: Mao’s Last Dancer
• Daybreakers.
Jeff Grace: Trigger Man • I Sell the Dead
• Liberty Kid.
John Graham: Long Flat Balls II.
Harry Gregson-Williams: Jolene • The
Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian •
G-Force • Wolverine.
Rupert Gregson-Williams: You Don’t
Mess With the Zohan • Made of Honor •
Bedtime Stories.
Andrew Gross: Forfeit • National Lampoon’s Bag Boy • Diamond Dog Caper •
The Speed of Thought.
Larry Groupé: Love Lies Bleeding • The
Hungry Woman • Straw Dogs.
Andrea Guerra: The Accidental Husband
• Parlami d’amore.
Robert Gulya: Atom Nine Adventures •
Themoleris • 9 and a Half Date.
Steven Gutheinz: Rothenburg.
Todd Haberman: Killer Movie.
Richard Hartley: Diamond Dead.
Paul Hartwig: Holiday Beach • Tyrannosaurus Azteca.
Richard Harvey: Eichmann.
Paul Haslinger: Prom Night • Make It
Happen • While She Was Out.
Paul Heard: Clubbed.
Alex Heffes: My Enemy’s Enemy • State
of Play.
Reinhold Heil: Blackout (co-composer) •
The International (co-composer).
Christian Henson: Zomerhitte • A Bunch
of Amateurs.
Eric Hester: The Utopian Society • Lost
Mission • Frail.
Tom Hiel: A Plumm Summer.
David Hirschfelder: Shake Hands With
the Devil.
Ben Holbrook: Kiss the Bride.
Trevor Horn: Kids in America.
James Horner: The Boy in Striped Pyjamas • Avatar.
Richard Horowitz: Kandisha • The
Whisperers.
James Newton Howard: The Happening
• The Dark Knight (co-composer) • Defiance • Confessions of a Shopaholic.
Terry Huud: Plaguers.
Søren Hyldgaard: Red.
Alberto Iglesias: The Argentine • Guerrilla.
Mark Isham: Pride and Glory • The
Express.
ISSUE 52 • FEBRUARY 26, 2008
FILM MUSIC weekly
Film Music Weekly’s “The Scoreboard” only lists scoring assignments that have been confirmed to us by official sources.
The list is limited to feature film scoring assignments. New additions are highlighted in red print.
Corey Allen Jackson: Idiots and Angels.
James Jandrisch: American Venus.
Adrian Johnston: Sparkle • Brideshead
Revisited.
Bobby Johnston: American Fork • Stuck
• Hotel California • Happiness Runs.
Evan Jolly: Tonight Is Cancelled.
Tim Jones: Cryptid.
David Julyan: Eden Lake.
George Kallis: Antigravity.
Tuomas Kantelinen: Arn - Riket vid
vägens slut.
Yagmur Kaplan: The Elder Son • The
Lodge • Broken Windows.
Laura Karpman: Out at the Wedding.
Kenji Kawai: L – Change the World •
Orochi • The Sky Crawlers.
Rolfe Kent: The Lucky Ones.
Wojciech Kilar: Black Sun.
Mark Kilian: Before the Rains.
David Kitay: Shanghai Kiss • Blonde
Ambition.
Johnny Klimek: Blackout (co-composer)
• The International (co-composer).
Harald Kloser: 10,000 BC.
Abel Korzeniowski: Terms.
Penka Kouneva: Midnight Movie • The
Gold and the Beautiful.
Ivan Koutikov: Wanted Undead Or Alive
• Living Hell.
Robert J. Kral: Batman - Gotham Knight
(co-composer).
Aryavarta Kumar: The Rapture • Greater
Threat.
Nathan Larson: August • Choke.
Jim Latham: Greetings from the Shore
• Swishbucklers • Parental Guidance
Suggested.
Craig Leon: Maestro.
Geoff Levin: Triloquist • The Rat Thing •
Agenda • The Fallen.
James S. Levine: Otis.
Michael A. Levine: Columbus Day.
Krishna Levy: Le nouveau protocole.
Gary Lionelli: Oswald’s Ghost.
Jason & Nolan Livesay: Bounty • Limbo
Lounge • Little Iron Men.
Andrew Lockington: Step • Journey 3-D
• One Week.
Henning Lohner: Kleiner Dodo • Love
Comes Lately.
Helen Jane Long: Surveillance.
Erik Lundborg: Absolute Trust.
Daniele Luppi: Hell Ride.
Deborah Lurie: Spring Breakdown.
Vivek Maddala: They Turned Our Desert
Into Fire.
Nuno Malo: Mr. Hobb’s House.
Mark Mancina: Sheepish • Camille •
Without a Badge • Like Dandelion Dust.
Aram Mandossian: The Last Resort.
Harry Manfredini: Black Friday • iMurders • Impulse • Anna Nicole • Dead and
Gone.
David Mansfield: Then She Found Me •
The Guitar.
Kevin Manthei: Batman - Gotham Knight
(co-composer).
Dario Marianelli: Far North • Hippie Hip-
pie Shake • The Soloist.
Anthony Marinelli: Grizzly Park.
Gary Marlowe: Los Pereyra • Das echo
der Schuld.
Phil Marshall: Live.
John McCarthy: The Stone Angel.
Don McGlashan: Dean Spanley.
Joel McNeely: The Tinkerbell Movie.
Nathaniel Mechaly: Taken • Dorothy
Mills.
Matt Messina: The Least of These.
Guy Michelmore: Doctor Strange •
Bono, Bob, Brian and Me.
Randy Miller: Last Time Forever • Shanghai Red • Second Chance Season.
Robert Miller: The Key Man • Trumbo •
On the Hook • Wherever You Are.
Angelo Milli: Máncora • Paraiso Travel.
Sheldon Mirowitz: Renewal • Operation
Filmmaker.
Richard G. Mitchell: Almost Heaven.
Charlie Mole: Fade to Black • I Really
Hate My Job • St. Trinian’s.
John Morgan: The Opposite Day (cocomposer).
Paul Leonard-Morgan: Popcorn.
Trevor Morris: Matching Blue • Krews.
Mark Mothersbaugh: Quid Pro Quo •
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.
Hélène Muddiman: Skin.
Sean Murray: The Lost • Clean Break.
Peter Nashel: Carriers.
Javier Navarrete: Mirrors • Inkheart •
Fireflies in the Garden.
Blake Neely: Elvis and Anabelle • The
Great Buck Howard • Surfer Dude.
Roger Neill: Take • Scar.
Joey Newman: Safe Harbour.
Randy Newman: Leatherheads • The
Frog Princess.
Thomas Newman: Nothing Is Private •
Wall-E • Revolutionary Road.
David James Nielsen: Reclaiming the
Blade.
Stefan Nilsson: Heaven’s Heart.
Marinho Nobre: Left for Dead.
Adam Nordén: Everybody’s Dancing •
Wolf • De Gales hus.
Julian Nott: Heavy Petting.
Paul Oakenfold: Victims.
Dean Ogden: Oranges • Knuckle Draggers • A Perfect Season • The Sensei.
John Ottman: Valkyrie.
John Paesano: Shamrock Boy.
Heitor Pereira: The Canyon • Running the
Sahara • South of the Border.
Mark Petrie: The Road to Empire • Valley
of Angels • Farmhouse.
Barrington Pheloung: Incendiary.
Leigh Phillips: War Made Easy • Still
Life.
Martin Phipps: Grow Your Own.
Nicholas Pike: It’s Alive • Parasomnia.
Nicola Piovani: Odette Toulemonde.
Douglas Pipes: Trick r’ Treat • City of
Ember.
Conrad Pope: In My Sleep.
Steve Porcaro: The Wizard of Gore •
Cougar Club.
FILM MUSIC weekly ISSUE 52 • FEBRUARY 26, 2008
John Powell: Horton Hears a Who •
Hancock • Stop Loss • Bolt.
Michael Price: Sugarhouse Lane • Agent
Crush • Wild Girl.
Trevor Rabin: Get Smart.
Didier Lean Rachou: An American in
China.
Brian Ralston: Graduation • 9/Tenths.
Jasper Randall: The Secrets of Jonathan
Sperry.
Joe Renzetti: 39 • Universal Signs.
Graeme Revell: Pineapple Express •
Days of Wrath • The Ruins • Street Kings.
Graham Reynolds: I’ll Come Running.
Zacarías M. de la Riva: The Last of the
Just • The Anarchist’s Wife • Carmo.
Carmen Rizzo: The Power of the Game.
David Robbins: War, Inc. • The Dot Man.
Matt Robertson: The Forest.
Douglas Romayne: In Zer0: Fragile
Wings.
Philippe Rombi: Bienvenue chez les
Ch’tis.
Brett Rosenberg: The Skeptic.
William Ross: Our Lady of Victory.
Laura Rossi: The Cottage.
David Glen Russell: Contamination.
Hitoshi Sakamoto: Romeo x Juliet.
H. Scott Salinas: Strictly Sexual • What
We Did on Our Holidays.
Anton Sanko: Life in Flight.
Gustavo Santaolalla: I Come With the
Rain • On the Road.
Brian Satterwhite: Cowboy Smoke •
Maidenhead.
Mark Sayfritz: Sake • The Shepherd.
Brad Sayles: The Bracelet of Bordeaux.
Dominik Scherrer: Good Morning
Heartache.
Misha Segal: Lost at War • Shabat
Shalom Maradona.
Marc Shaiman: Slammer.
Theodore Shapiro: The Mysteries of
Pittsburgh • The Girl in the Park • SemiPro • Tropic Thunder • Nowhereland •
Marley & Me.
George Shaw: Victim • Sailfish.
Edward Shearmur: Passengers • Bill •
College Road Trip • Righteous Kill.
Ryan Shore: Numb • Jack Brooks – Monster Slayer • Shadows.
Vince Sievers: The Source.
Carlo Siliotto: La Misma Luna • The
Ramen Girl.
Alan Silvestri: G.I. Joe • A Christmas
Carol.
Emilie Simon: Survivre avec les loups.
Marcus Sjöwall: Dreamkiller.
Cezary Skubiszewski: Death Defying
Acts • Disgrace.
Damion Smith: Stompin.
Mark Snow: The X-Files 2.
Jason Solowsky: L.A Takedown • Strawberries For The Homeless • Tamales And
Gumbo • The Sweep • Exodus?
Maarten Spruijt: The Seven of Daran Battle of Pareo Rock.
Marc Streitenfeld: Body of Lies.
William T. Stromberg: TV Virus • Army
of the Dead • The Opposite Day (cocomposer).
Johan Söderqvist: Walk the Talk • Let
the Right One In • The Invisible.
Joby Talbot: Son of Rambow.
Frédéric Talgorn: Hexe Lilli.
Mark Thomas: Tales of the Riverbank.
tomandandy: The Koi Keeper.
John van Tongeren: War Games 2 - The
Dead Code.
Pinar Toprak: Blue World • Dark Castle •
Serbian Scars • Say It In Russian • Ocean
of Pearls.
David Torn: The Wackness.
Jeff Toyne: Within • Late in the Game.
Michael Tremante: If I Didn’t Care.
Ernest Troost: Crashing.
Tom Tykwer: The International (cocomposer).
Brian Tyler: The Heaven Project.
Shigeru Umebayashi: A Simple Love
Story • Absurdistan.
Cris Velasco: Prep School.
Fernando Velázquez: Shiver.
Reinhardt Wagner: Faubourg 36.
Michael Wandmacher: Train • Never
Back Down.
Stephen Warbeck: Flawless • The Box
Collector.
Matthias Weber: Silent Rhythm.
Craig Wedren: Little Big Men.
Richard Wells: The Mutant Chronicles.
Cody Westheimer: Benny Bliss and the
Disciples of Greatness • Hysteria.
Alan Williams: For the Love of a Dog •
Act Your Age • Snow Princess • He Love
Her, She Loves Him Not • The Velveteen
Rabbit.
David Williams: The Conjuring.
John Williams: Indiana Jones and the
Kingdom of the Crystal Skull • Lincoln.
Patrick Williams: Mikey and Dolores.
Tim Williams: The Passage • Star
Crossed.
Austin Wintory: Captain Abu Raed • Mr.
Sadman • Grace.
Debbie Wiseman: Amusement • The
Hide.
Chris Wood: Zombies Ate My Prom Date.
Lyle Workman: Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
Alex Wurman: Five Dollars a Day • The
Promotion.
Gabriel Yared: Manolete • The No. 1
Ladies Detective Agency • Adam Resurrected.
Christopher Young: Sleepwalking • A
Tale of Two Sisters.
Geoff Zanelli: Delgo • Outlander • Ghost
Town.
Marcelo Zarvos: What Just Happened?
Aaron Zigman: Lake City • Meet the
Browns • Flash of Genius • Blue Powder.
Hans Zimmer: Frost/Nixon • Casi Divas
• Kung Fu Panda • The Dark Knight (cocomposer).
Atli Örvarsson: Vantage Point • Babylon
A.D.
5
NEW TECHNOLOGY | NEW HARDWARE | NEW SOFTWARE | NEW BUSINESS SKILLS | NEW BUSINESS MODELS
It’s A New World Out There...
FILM MUSIC INSTITUTE SPRING 2008 COURSES
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 16
Breaking into Film Composing in
the Changing Face of Hollywood
Instructor: Film & TV Music
Agent Linda Kordek
This new all-day exclusive course
describes, in detail, how composers
and songwriters can use the same
techniques longtime agents use to
open doors, get music listened to, and
get paying work in film and television
music. Learn what has traditionally
worked and what to expect in the
changing world of “convergence”
and strikes. The course will cover
areas including identifying prospects,
approaching decision makers/networking skills, the submission process
and your demo package - what to
send, what not to send, the negotiation process, the financial aspects,
closing the deal and working in the
new paradigm.
SATURDAY, MARCH 1
The Working Film & TV Composer
Instructor: Film & TV Composer
Shawn Clement
This course will benefit composers
who are working or studying to work
in the film, television or videogame
music industry, and provides in-depth,
hands-on knowledge about how to
successfully work as a composer
including detailed looks at the art,
craft, technology and business issues
critical to a successful career working
as a film, television or videogame
composer today. From streamlining
your studio to making new business
contacts, getting work and building
a career, this course covers what
composers need to know.
SATURDAY, MARCH 8
Understanding and
Maximizing your ASCAP,
BMI and SESAC Royalties
Instructor: Performing Rights Author
and Composer Mark Holden
This one-day seminar by veteran performing rights journalist and composer
Mark Holden provides an in-depth
look at how performing rights royalties
are paid and how composers and
songwriters can maximize their royalty
income. The course will cover topics
including how the performing rights
system works and the role of performing rights organizations (PROs),
choosing a PRO, pros and cons of
ASCAP, BMI and SESAC, the process
of registering your works and filing
cue sheets, music usage categories,
payment rates, and more.
SATURDAY, MARCH 15
Conducting Film Music
Recording Sessions
Instructor: Orchestrator, Copyist
and Author Ron Hess
Conductor and orchestrator Ron Hess
teaches all the basic and not-so-basic
conducting skills composers will need
in order to take control of a film scoring session and competently conduct
ensembles ranging from small groups
to large orchestras. The course will
include participants conducting a live
musician. Among the topics covered
will be workable beat patterns, saving
effort by cuing within the beat pattern,
developing left/right arm independence, visual telegraphing of important
score elements, mental approaches
so you can control your ensemble
(and not vice-versa!), eliminating
counterproductive elements in your
conducting, replacing time-consuming verbosity with gestures that work,
sight conducting, and session strategy.
SATURDAY, MARCH 29
Basic Engineering for Composers
Instructor: Film & TV Scoring
Mixer Michael Stern
Veteran scoring mixer Mike Stern discusses and demonstrates a variety of
important engineering techniques that
can be used by any composer to make
their mixes sound better. These basic
techniques can be accomplished with
most DAW and digital editing software
that will be used during the course to
demonstrate the engineering techniques for composers. Mike will also
discuss advantages of different digital
editing software for composers and
will discuss plugins, mixers and other
outboard equipment.
SATURDAY, APRIL 5
SATURDAY, APRIL 26
The New Music Editor
Instructor: Film & TV Music
Editor Christine Luethje
Music Editors are the ultimate conduit
between the Director/Producer and
the Music Department. At any point
in the process this position can have
a significant amount of influence on
who is hired, which songs are used,
and how the royalty generating cue
sheets are reported. Usually working
for no less than 5 people per project,
the music editor directly contributes to
the efficiency of each project’s work
flow while managing an often heavy
editing work load. Areas covered in
the course include spotting music
meetings that are music efficient,
the influence behind tracking music,
temp scores, and music libraries,
tips and tricks for cutting songs and
licensing responsibilities, support and
strengthen the scoring session, bullet
proof the final dub: delivery specs and
protocols, cue sheets that protect
performing rights royalties, deal
memos that safeguard the creative
process, and how to employ digital
transfer technologies for improved
work flow. Handouts, demonstrations,
and examples will be provided.
SATURDAY, APRIL 19
Scoring Reality Television
Instructor: Film & TV Composer
Shawn Clement
An in-depth look at the day-to-day
work of scoring top reality shows from
a working composer’s point of view.
The course will focus on the art, craft,
business and technology of this booming area of television programming
including how jobs are won, the use
of library vs. custom scored music,
unique scoring challenges (artistic
issues), logistical issues including
turnaround time, examples of good
reality scoring, where the reality television marketplace is headed, political
issues, and budgets and the use of
live musicians.
Creating Great Film & TV
Scores and Parts with Finale
Instructor: Orchestrator, Copyist
and Author Ron Hess
Veteran Finale pro and orchestrator
Ron Hess provides an in-depth look
at how composers can quickly and
effectively use Finale for score and
part preparation. Special emphasis
is placed on working efficiently with
Finale and creating parts that are easy
to sight-read. Whether you’ve worked
with Finale for years or are new to
the product, learn tips, tricks and
intelligent strategies at this focused
course designed to enable composers
to embark on the path to mastering
this powerful tool. Areas covered in
the course include: approaches to
being the master and Finale the slave
(instead of vice-versa), extending
Finale’s capabilities through the use
of internal and external macros,
saving time & effort by building good
templates, batch-processing through
the use of Finalescript, a look at the
future of computer notation: touchtype input of scores, making sense of
the recent score/part linkage features,
really cool, but undocumented, Finale
capabilities, and customizing finale
to achieve your own distinctive notational style.
SATURDAY, MAY 3
The Art of the Deal
Instructor: Film & TV Music
Agent Jeff Kaufman
This course will benefit those who
are already working or are seeking
to work as a film and television composer, film music agent or manager.
This course takes a comprehensive
look at the role of the film and television music agent, and how composers
can effectively function as their own
agent if they do not yet have an agent
handling their careers. The course is
also designed to benefit those who are
considering a career as and agent or
manager for film and television music.
www.filmmusicinstitute.com
6
ISSUE 52 • FEBRUARY 26, 2008
FILM MUSIC weekly
CD REVIEW
by DANIEL SCHWEIGER
[email protected]
The Movies You’ve Never Seen are the
Scores Worth Hearing at Label
Specializing In New Composing Talent
Title: Movie Score Media
Composer: Various
Label: Movie Score Media
Suggested Retail Price: $16.95
Grade: B+
W
ith so many composers vying for so few
quality movies, it can be hard moving up the musical ladder — especially when
said film barely gets a release. But leave it
to Movie Score Media to hear the best scores
that lie within Netflix oblivion, creating a label
that basically sells itself on the guarantee of
good, if not downright impressive music with
each purchase. The Swede responsible for this
cool boutique label is Mikael Carlsson, a film
journalist with a natural ear for upcoming talent. And he’s given many deserving composers
a real foot in the door with his slim, smartly
packaged releases. For these are the kinds of
scores that will hook any producer and director
– let alone film music fan.
Though Carlsson has a number of notable electronic releases available via iTunes
like The Roost, Evil and Headspace, it’s his
preference for symphonic music which shines
through on most of MSM’s “hard copy” releases,
no more so than in The Royal Philharmonic
Orchestra’s performance of The Rocket Post. As
scored by Nigel Clarke and Michael CsanyiWills, Post’s strings, flutes and harps beautifully evoke the Scottish Isles; a lush, lilting
sound that’s as romantic as the heather on
the highlands. The psychological drama of Jeff
Toyne’s Shadow In The Trees is a nuanced,
and haunting score that makes effective use
of voice, violin and piano; the perfect music to
FILM MUSIC weekly ISSUE 52 • FEBRUARY 26, 2008
raise the rural ghosts of the past. Also rustically appealing is Guy Farley’s score to The
Christmas Miracle Of Jonathan Toomey, a
heartwarming holiday soundtrack that doesn’t
slam the jingle bells in your face. Instead, Farley gets across the Xmas magic with soothing,
understated melodies for the piano and strings
and several country hoedowns – all of which
beautifully evoke a young boy’s loss, and his
new emotional bonding with the holiday spirit.
An understated, and mightily creepy
composer on the rise is David James Nielsen,
whose Haunting Villisca is a truly foreboding
spook house score that gradually builds its
fear with an impressive, melodic touch. And
though having Batman’s Adam West in the
place of Rod Serling for Tales From Beyond
might make you think you’re getting a comedy
score, Nielsen thankfully plays it creepy with
a striking number of musical styles, ranging
from lounge lizard jazz to skittering dissonance. Yet all remain tonally cohesive, making
for an effective omnibus score. And while it’s
only a bunch of film students running from a
movie-crazed killer in Scott Glasgow’s score
for Hack, the composer uses the opportunity to
pay tribute to such current, malefic maestros
as Marco Beltrami and Danny Elfman, all with
the kind of shrieking chords and playfully dark
orchestrations that have filled such horror
flicks as Scream and Psycho. But Glasgow’s got
the horror stones to pay tribute without doing
a sound-alive, showing he’s got his own darkly
thrilling voice that can evoke past chillers
while remaining its sinister own. The Killing Floor is given a mean, propulsive edge by
Michael Wandmacher. And after his similarly
inventive thrill scores for Modern Vampires
and Cry Wolf, Wandmacher’s use of samples
and orchestra for The Killing Floor reaches a
new adrenalin high, with a propulsive sound
that reaches the cool factor of a Jason Bourne
beat swinging a bloody symphonic axe.
Some of MSM’s most notable releases come
from the label’s European home base, beginning with Dario Marianelli’s I Capture The
Castle. As one of the scores that led to the composer’s current Oscar nomination for Atonement, Castle beautifully shows off Marianelli’s
near-wondrous talent for melodic themes, especially in the “costume picture” context. Like
his other Oscar-nominated score to Pride &
Prejudice, Marianelli has a real way of capturing the lovesick feminine sensibility, a laced-up
place of romantic yearning that he lets loose
with gorgeously lush orchestrations. Far lighter
in feel than Atonement, Castle ranges between
playful accordion waltzes to flutes and strings,
the kind of music that tells you things will end
up just fine as the characters find transcendence
from class-conscious rigidity.
(Continued pg 8)
7
CD REVIEW
Movie Score Media
Marianelli travels to far darker territory in
Beyond The Gates, another score to deal with
the Rwandan massacre. Combining African
songs with his own tragic music, Marianelli is
careful to keep his musical outrage to a boil
instead of a roar, a powerful way of capturing
characters who can only do their small part
in the face of atrocity. The far more genteel
atmosphere of Vienna’s artistic “Secession”
movement is strikingly captured by Jorge Arriagada’s score for Klimt. This wonderland of
bold new poetry, painting and music is given
a striking canvas, with music that recalls every style from Mahler’s revolutionary orchestrations to Strauss’ “Blue Danube” waltz. And
when it comes to the artist himself, Arriagada
plays Gustav Klimt with dream-like expressionism, perfectly capturing a painter who
falls into the illusion of his erotic work – a
tapestry of Cimbaloms, voice and strings that
do the almost impossible task of sonically
capturing art’s visual process.
Since he’s dealing with scores that
usually lack for name and title recognition,
Carlsson is smart enough to put out his
8
(continued from pg 7)
physical releases as limited editions – with
many at no more than 500 copies. This can
lead to quick sell-outs, though you might have
luck on eBay at finding Nicholas Dodd’s soldout score to Treasured Island. As a long-time
orchestrator for David Arnold on such films
as Stargate and Casino Royale, it’s easy as to
hear how his work is strikingly similar (and
just as good) as Arnold’s – especially when
Dodd’s given the chance to do his own score.
And while his eerie sci-fi score for Renaissance landed him this Island, don’t expect
any Caribbean-sounding scoundrels here – as
Dodd’s impressive talent for lush, orchestral
melodies give this score a sound that’s at once
swashbuckling old-school and alt. modern
with its techno-percussion. Here’s a truly
refreshing take on the pirate score with no
small amount of humor, action and pure composing panache. Dodd is one composing talent
that deserves the kind of success he’s played
a part in, and hopefully Treasured Island will
alert the industry to it – the kind of thing
that Carlsson’s label is doubtlessly doing for
many composers.
It’s understandable how the bigger labels
can’t put out, or even bother to hear, a fraction of the releases that MSM is responsible
for. And God bless them for taking the risk,
especially with such upcoming releases as
Jeff Grace’s Trigger Man and the elegant
“bad seed” score from Joshua by Philip Glass’
protégé Nico Mulhy. Then there’s The Legend
Of Butch And Sundance, a television film
that marked the last score from the late
Basil Poledouris, the amazing composer who
deserved better from Hollywood after the
likes of Conan and Robocop. That Carlsson is
giving this legend a proper soundtrack sendoff speaks volumes for the evolving mission of
Movie Score Media. And I hope it’s one that
consumers will continue taking as they give
new composing talent a chance, a gamble that
will always roll quality here.
n
LISTEN HERE:
•www.moviescoremedia.com
ISSUE 52 • FEBRUARY 26, 2008
FILM MUSIC weekly
FILM MUSIC weekly ISSUE 52 • FEBRUARY 26, 2008
9
THE CHART DOCTOR
by RON HESS
[email protected]
Notating Without Thinking,
Or
What The Computer Can Do For This
Generation Of Composers
L
ast week I said a shocking thing, so it’s
probably worth repeating: So entrenched
is the sequence-then-notate priority that, to succeed and survive, this generation of industrial
composers has come to define compositional
limits not as what they can purely imagine,
but as that which they can coax a machine to
perform.
At the recent NAMM show, the leading
notation software developers waxed proudly
about their efforts to “get us away from the
mouse.” Uh-huh. When I inquired about
when they would be “getting us away from the
MIDI keyboard,” they looked at me with blank
stares. One hard reality for us in the music
prep community is that these developers have
a market they are trying to nail, and it ain’t us.
It’s teachers – hundreds, maybe thousands of
them for each one of us. So many that they get
their own discount. And they aren’t nearly as
demanding as we are. As Michael Corleone said
in The Godfather, “This isn’t personal, Sonny;
it’s business.” Perhaps we industrial types may
be fortunate that our tools work for us as well
as they do.
I am inputting this column with a computer
(ASCII) keyboard. In a previous life, when I
actually earned some money as a typist, it hit
me that the reason I could type 100+ words a
minute on my trusty IBM Selectric II was that
I wasn’t processing what I was typing. In fact,
to really fly, I turned on a radio to pull my head
out of the natural impulse to understand what
I was typing. The shorter the path in the brain
between optical recognition (seeing) and firing
the neurons which produce the keystrokes
(typing), the faster and more reliably you will
do it. Any unneeded detours through the realm
of understanding what you are typing will just
slow down the process.
The same principle holds true for notation input, only the symbols (and how they are
positioned relative to each other) are different.
Thanks to different priorities and the demand
for MIDI involvement, we have grown used
to a MIDI-assisted input system, hosted by
10
notation and audio software, which demands a
priori that your mind concurrently wrestle with
several layers of non-musical crapola to get the
data, correctly formatted, into the computer.
Strictly from a creative-freedom versus gettingit-written standpoint, the gap separating
thought from computer notation is still GrandCanyonesque compared to pencil and paper, and
catch up isn’t even on the horizon.
At this point, we need to advocate tools
which give us back the freedom to compose
as before, while preserving the advantages of
realistic playback and data manipulation. Our
industry is telling us: “Realistic playback is
paramount, notation is optional, and effortless
notation isn’t.” What we need to advocate: “Notation as effortless as typing, reasonable automatic playback, and superb playback achievable
with a little extra effort.” What we need is to
touch-type our scores as part of a “notate first;
play back after” model of music production. (As
an aside, I flirted with touch-typing Finale 15
years ago, but couldn’t make it work. The first
Acorn-compatible Sibelius had potential, but
hasn’t yet followed through...)
Real-time MIDI input is a nice feature, but
it usually serves the needs of the samples, not
the composer. The inherent notation/performance conflict is never clearer than here: One
MIDI pitch (“C”) can be notated multiple ways
(B-sharp, D double-flat), and one notated dynamic (forte) can have multiple MIDI meanings.
Simply put, ASCII keyboards should be for the
input of symbols and MIDI keyboards should
be for MIDI sequencing, and notation software
should carry the translational weight of placing
the former and playing back the latter.
Many, perhaps most situations do not need
“realer than real” playback. So why is our
notation software bogged down by baggage as
if it did? Why is the output so mediocre? If we
conceived of a system where input was as effortless as touch-typing and how it sounded came
after, we might make better strides at massaging that MIDI output for proper effect. I don’t
think it has been attempted on a proper scale,
but the advantages to composers of performed
music could be huge: (1) Shrinkage or elimination of the chasm separating composing from
notating, (2) more sophisticated compositional
architectures made practical again due to composing with all of your “tracks” simultaneously
visible and outside of real time (rather than just
audible during sample playback), (3) elimination of the usual post-inspiration workload,
as there’s nothing to clean up, (4) composition
do-able anywhere you can write an e-mail, (5)
playback which reinforces your orchestrational/
score-prep experience instead of fighting it,
and (6) practical and complete music composition in the hands of the visually-impaired. The
downside? What is needed from our developers to accomplish this approach? (1) software
that can learn the finite set of rules that every
copyist knows about symbol orientation and
that can place and edit those symbols by ASCII
keystrokes alone, (2) real-time ability to easily
and quickly rewrite MIDI performance data for
situations where the automatic notation playback isn’t quiiiiiiiiiite what is needed, and (3) a
practical, adjustable MIDI architecture which
will allow third-party samples to correctly
respond to standard notational elements like
real-world musicians.
Acceptably realistic playback could still
be achievable; we would just get there by a
different route, one that doesn’t hamper all of
us, either in self-imposed limits on what we can
compose or self-accepted limits on how effortlessly we can do it. Let’s face it: the next time
you sit down to write an e-mail, imagine you
could instead be typing your next musical opus
just that easily. Why not?
n Ron Hess works as a studio conductor, orchestrator,
copyist and score supervisor in Los Angeles, where he’s
well-known for his quick ability to ferret out the most hidden performance problems and spot score glitches rapidly.
He holds a Master’s Degree from the New England Conservatory, and is considered one of the top Finale experts
in Los Angeles. Email your questions to Ron at
[email protected]
ISSUE 52 • FEBRUARY 26, 2008
FILM MUSIC weekly
MUSIC TECHNOLOGY
by PETER LAWRENCE ALEXANDER
[email protected]
RME Fireface 800 and the KRK VXT8s
A
while back I reviewed, positively, the
KRK VXT8 monitors using the MOTU
Traveler. Since then, I’ve had the opportunity
to replace the MOTU Traveler and work with
the RME Fireface 800.
The RME Fireface 800 is an audio card
that connects to either the PC or the Mac
using the Firewire connection. With this approach, you no longer need to install an audio
card inside your computer.
The Fireface 800 is actually more than an
audio card. It’s also a mini-mixing board in a
single space unit. Starting with the back of
the unit, going left to right, there’s the threeprong electrical connector. To the right of that
is a pair of MIDI In/Out Ports. This gives you
a couple of options. If your MIDI keyboard
can connect directly to the computer via USB,
you can use that connection. Or you can run
the MIDI In/Out of the keyboard to the MIDI
In/Out of the Fireface 800. In a larger studio,
this saves a MIDI port on your hardware
MIDI interfaces.
The next section has Word clock out, and
below it, two options for Firewire connections. The first connection is the standard
Firewire 400. The next connectors are for the
newer Firewire 800 which doubles the speed
of transfer. If
you’re on either
a Mac PowerPC
or PC, you’ll get
the standard
Firewire interface. If you want Firewire 800,
you’ll need a PCI card which ranges in price
from $49 to $69US. On the new Power Macs,
the Firewire 800 comes with it standard.
The next section contains the audio outputs. The Fireface 800 generously gives you
eight balanced outs, along with two (2) ADAT
connectors for both In and Out. So on the back
panel you can have 32 audio ins and 32 audio
outs total. There’s also SPDIF and Word Clock
out. The final section contains eight balanced
line ins, along with Video In, and LTC In and
Out as a time code option. LTC stands for
Linear Time Code.
Says RME, “The TCO (time code op-
FILM MUSIC weekly ISSUE 52 • FEBRUARY 26, 2008
tion) module is an optional extension for the
Fireface 800 option slot.
“The little module provides the Fireface
with a Word Clock input and offers a synchronization to LTC and video. Thanks to SteadyClock™, the TCO not only extracts absolute
positions from these signals, but also a very
clean low-jitter word clock. Thus a sample
accurate timecode synchronization to audio or
video sources is assured.”
The Fireface 800 enables you to connect
two ADAT systems, and up to four systems
with audio outs. Counting the sequencing/
digital audio system, that’s seven (7) computers that can be connected to the one RME
Fireface 800 card combining ADAT and stereo
options.
I have one small system dedicated to
strings with an RME 9652 audio card connecting directly to the Fireface 800. The richness
and detail in the strings makes the investment well worth it. But if you can’t afford the
Fireface 800, do the next best thing and get
the Fireface
400.
The front of
the audio card
gives more options. On the front panel, you
can connect up to five additional instruments,
effects, or mics. There’s even Phantom Power.
Each connector lets you control volume (also
called gain).
and back panels happens to be the box. The
Fireface 800 box does have outstanding graphics. It’s just amazingly inconvenient to use.
Second, the manual does not show the
number of connection opportunities possible
with the Fireface 800 the way the MOTU
Traveler manual does. This may be a small
point to some, but for many composers who
come to recording with ground-zero level experience, or only slightly higher, having such a
connection diagram is really appreciated.
The manual has a General section, followed by specific setup sections for Windows
and Mac, and finally a section on the Total
Mix software which allows for unlimited
mixing and routing. This section is a bit of a
geek’s paradise since RME gives you an engineering schematic for Hardware Input 1 and
how the signals are routed.
The balance of the manual is dedicated
largely to the mixing opportunities using
the Fireface Mixer which is based on RME’s
Total Mix software. Just learning to work
the Fireface Mixer is a lesson in itself, and
perhaps we’ll revisit that one day.
Installation
This feels like my soapbox, but the installation instructions for the Mac were not clear.
I even had someone smarter than me look
at it, my wife, who has her Master’s in Film
Composition while I have but a Bachelor’s
degree.
What could have been handled in 5-10
minutes took about 30.
I had two issues with the manual.
First, the manual does not contain a
complete graphic of either the front or back
panels, but it does have sectional panels. The
only place that does have graphics of the front
In all this is a very powerful audio package.
Re-Enter The KRK VXT8s
Because of the kind of work we do as
dramatic composers, whether film or TV, one
thing is guaranteed, we need audio clarity to
create effective mixes, especially when audio
engineering is a “second language” for many
composers.
(Continued pg 12)
11
MUSIC TECHNOLOGY
RME Fireface 800 and
the KRK VXT8s
(continued from pg 11)
When I first heard the Fireface 800 with the KRK VXT8s, I was so
surprised at the aural results when compared to the MOTU Traveler,
that in fairness to the folks at KRK, I went back and retested half the
pieces from my review in the December 11, 2007 issue.
In every single case, the detail was exceptional. I even listened to
MP3s from a Jerry Goldsmith album available from eMusic. Even here,
the level of detail compared to before was significant.
I retried samples from the Vienna Strings. And while there was
still some edginess in the upper register, it wasn’t as pronounced and
angular through the RME Fireface 800.
You’ll have to listen for yourself, but to my ears, the RME Fireface
800 combined with the KRK VXT8s is a magnificent audio combination
to be heard.
Protecting Your Monitors With SUZY
Suzy is a great tool to protect your monitors, especially when you’re
connecting your audio card directly to the computer and bypassing a
hardware mixing board.
Get a free basic listing today on
MUSE411 – The Music Industry Online
Directory, and access the industry.
Free basic listing includes:
The front of the Fireface shows what appears to be a master volume
knob. But it’s not. It’s the volume for the headphones. To protect your
audio monitors, consider getting SUZY from Alva. SUZY acts as a
bridge between the audio card and the monitors. You connect balanced
cables from the Main Outs from the audio card into SUZY. Then connect balanced cables from SUZY to the audio monitors. At the end of
the sawed off triangle, you see a knob labeled Volume. This acts like a
master volume between the audio card/computer and the audio monitors. If your main DAW is also connected to the Internet, this is a great
way to protect your speakers when you go to sites that have sound and
volume set quite high.
Wrap Up
So there you have it - three pieces for a single system.
n Peter Alexander is preparing to score The Good Samaritan. His most recent books are
• Your name, email, phone and other contact
information
• Link to your music demo
• Your photo
• Musical Styles and Instrument(s) Played
• Professional Afﬁliations — Unions,
organizations you belong to
• A description of you, your bio, and much
more
Special Zip Code search* allows
people in your area to locate
you quickly and easily!
Get your FREE basic listing today!
www.muse411.com
How Ravel Orchestrated: Mother Goose Suite, and Professional Orchestration. He has also
written White Papers on music education.
12
* U.S. RESIDENTS
ISSUE 52 • FEBRUARY 26, 2008
FILM MUSIC weekly