The Sound Board

It is hard to be objective completely when composing but with time you can hear the problems and some good bits. I do suffer from serious self-doubt which has actually increased in recent years for some reason. Sometimes it is overwhelming but I have been told that one has to learn to accept it and ...

I also want to add that I think cinema should go all in at this point. More big screens, more investment and solid story-telling as well as human craftsmanship. Technology maybe changing very fast but humans do not and we will see how much of it survives as well. Concorde come to mind! There are ...

A great and timely post Guy! You are right in feeling that the visual effects challenge is no more. AI is moving at an incredibly fast pace and still has the ability to massively surprise us. Every few months feel like a big step up. It reminds me somewhat of the 'Wait but why?' article on AI. It ...

Thanks for sharing the videos. Even though I have seen them before, it’s always nice to recap as you can forget a few nice tricks. I really like using Saturn for various things. I find that some of its algorithms are a bit too subtle and when pushed, it can become over saturated quickly but with so m ...

It does happen but rare for me. The latest plugin that I will likely have to re-learn from scratch is Dust by Sound morph. It’s been a while!

I can get a little foggy here and there but it comes back fast. I also use less things so that may be helping.

Hollywood are as horrified as everyone else. Not the Hollywood I live in. I wouldn't be surprised if the studio execs are opposed to this, mind you, since they only care about the bottom line. But SAG-AFTRA just announced they're open to discussing it. Again, I don't know the specifics. (And I ...

Sounds very dangerous for the global film/tv industry. It seems that there is some deep trouble in LA, no doubt. I am seeing posts everywhere from top working professionals and talk of slowdown in Europe as well from other friends who work on professional projects. As usual there is no clarity about ...

Yes, totally out of left field. I did find it odd that the Ronroco library seemed to have no real presence in VI-C. Mike says that they pulled all their advertising. I do wonder if there is something quite big happening here - an end of an era, and I don't just mean Spitfire Audio. I don't think ...

Huh! Very surprising news but perhaps the owners were in distress and/or wanted to cash out. It must be a troubling time to figure out the next 5 years at any sample library company in the wake of AI. AFAIK, splice has zero experience in this area which is quite specific but it provides them with a ...

These are excellent plugins and I use them all the time. They are specific tools but totally worth it at retail price. At current price, it’s a steal!

It would have to be 8Dio for me. I have been disappointed a few times too many and not a whole lot there that interests me to the point I just stopped checking the website. Also, in my opinion Fabfilter are not a basic set of plugins. They are very unique and cleverly designed. The EQ may appear to ...

Linos, I see what you mean. Like I said it has been years since I have paid serious attention to the modern VSL libraries so I can’t pass a knowledgable comment on it. I like OT and use it very often in my projects. I totally understand what you mean about its appeal towards a more classical sound. ...

This is the simple reverb for people for whom MIR is too complicated I guess. I have enough reverbs so I can't be bothered to download the demo. It's in direct competition with the Berlin Studio reverb, and if I had to choose between the two, Berlin Studio would easily be my choice. For one thing ...

Ah ha - thanks Tanuj! Looks very interesting, and I see last year they had a spring sale in April... My guess is that you will pick it up. It is a monster and sounds unlike anything else. The possibilities are many and the sound is really good. They could easily charge half the price of the plugin ...

Does anyone know of any reverbs (and delays for that matter) with kill switches? Something automatable that resets the tail. Case use - a slow attack pulse with reverb and delay but the reverb and delay cut with the abrupt end of the pulse, and grow clean again on the next pulse. It's made me ...

I meant to post some examples here long ago but forgot about it. Anyway, I have created some examples here: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/lmac8urcsads4ifl8lcs0/AM-YhgNdyRvOmWCtWjEHgoo?rlkey=ixvv8geoomab5uqiy473xgnmm&st=uyd90i0n&dl=0 There are two folders. One is a quick electronic example with a ...

I've been thinking about something in this interview since I watched it last week. He says before he starts a new project, he sits and he forces himself not to play until he hears something in his head - either melodically or texturally (paraphrasing). It avoids him doing the same old thing. This ...

I have in fact had decent success with the CSS solo cello. I have to do a few things but for simple cinematic lines, it’s useful.

I almost always usually find a place for a library that I have purchased. Don’t have any major regrets. Except, for some reason I don’t use most of the 8Dio stuff I have purchased (it’s not much). I do find some use for Bazanthar and the Cage series but it’s still rare enough. FWIT, I do use the fram ...

This is probably a spoilsport position, but my enthusiasm to listen to his interviews has cooled noticeably since his deal with Saudi Arabia. I'm much more interested in what Raman Djawadi has to say. Unfortunately interviews with him are harder to find. What’s he doing with Saudi Arabia and what i ...

I enjoyed the interview and I am a Zimmer fan of course. He has an incredible body of work and there is much to learn and appreciate. He has led a remarkable musical life in film and there is so much inspiration. He is also very giving, despite being a super star. I have had some personal ...

Having finished a project, I am now going to upgrade to 14 from 13 as it has really nice updates. Modulators alone is worth it for me.

This is an interesting topic. I use very little plugins from back in the day. In almost all cases, I found better alternatives and things have moved along. At this point, I would say the oldest things I use now are as follows: * U-he Zebra and Diva * Hollywood Brass (upgraded to Opus/Hoopus whatever ...

Thank you all for taking the time to answer the questions and engaging. We can all see that there are some common answers and others are more personal. In general I think there is a 'feeling' of something being lost over the years. I suppose as we move through life, we will have some of it. For some ...

Thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts! The common aspects from most posts so far is as following: * Large scale films just don't pack enough of a punch for you anymore, indicating a drop in quality film making. * Going to the cinema is not as convenient as watching it at home. * Due to ...