Video: scoring a video game at Abbey Road

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bitflipper
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2015/06/26 11:07:41 (permalink)

Video: scoring a video game at Abbey Road

http://scoringsessions.com/video/12/
 
This site has several videos of scoring sessions, mostly for video games, some movies. Many movies don't have the music budgets that video games get these days.
 
I was amazed at the size of the orchestra - for a frickin' video game! The staging of the instruments is also interesting. Instead of a classical setup, everything's arrayed all across the soundstage. This is going to give you a thick, enveloping sound at the expense of being able to clearly locate individual instruments and sections.
 
I think that's really the crux of that lush Hollywood sound we like so much. I've been playing with a string sample library that's set up that way. Rather than putting instrument groups into separate NKIs (e.g. "Viola Ensemble.nki") it separates them by articulation (e.g. "Pizz.nki"). Within each NKI you have cellos, violas and violins all playing the same note (tutti). That, combined with 5 wide-spaced microphones in a Decca-tree arrangement, results in that same kind of amorphous mush of enveloping sound.
 


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    Jeff Evans
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    Re: Video: scoring a video game at Abbey Road 2015/06/26 22:12:36 (permalink)
    Loved it Dave thanks. Always enjoy a good video about film score recording or as in this case a game score. Still no substitute for lots of live players like that.
     
    Yes the setup is a bit different. Notice everyone has a single headphone on at least or normal phones on too. They have split a few of the sections further away from other parts. The string orchestra is very similar though to how my wife conducts her string orchestra rehearsals. I sometimes help her set up chairs and music stands and the strings are configured in a similar way to the video in the area especially just around the conductor.
     
    With a big room like that sitting brass and other quieter things further away from the main orchestra is possible. It is only going to help the spill in those areas. People on cans would be able to hear click tracks if they wanted. Many of the string players would be doing it by ear and sight though just like normal.
     
    Pity we have lost James Horner too. I actually had lunch with him once as an invited composer guest to a special dinner here in Australia.  It was very interesting.  He talked about how he used hard hitting percussion a lot to emphasise stuff.  He just wrote it all down too, no sequencing or anything. He often got standing ovations after his cues were recorded.
     

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    davdud101
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    Re: Video: scoring a video game at Abbey Road 2015/06/27 22:59:07 (permalink)
    I love stuff like this! I'll check it out... I've ALWAYS wanted to score for video games (although all of my attempts have shown it to be a rather difficult break-in market for someone like me, who doesn't have the connections)
     
    [EDIT]: MAN That is awesome!! I really didn't think the stuff they did in those games were live recordings, I figured they were mostly synthesized, but this makes me feel so good about the stuff and gives me loads more respect for it. It's some really powerful stuff though (I wouldn't say it's always memorable music for me, but occasionally some soundtracks get me, like "Destiny" and "Shadow of the Collossus").
    post edited by davdud101 - 2015/06/28 01:13:35

     
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