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The Ethnic Percussion was recorded during separate ses- sions and included The use of numerous large and small drums, shakers, metal effects, etc. (Multiple of 11 tracks)
The Choir was recorded during a separate session and was multi-tracked with two or more passes to increase size and for editorial isolation. (Multiple of 8 tracks)
The Consort was recorded during a separate session as a single unit as well as the Consort with Cello Solo. (Multiple of 24 tracks)
The Cello solo was recorded during the Consort session, separately from the Consort. (Multiple of 16 tracks)
The Solo Piano(s) were recorded during a separate ses- sion. (Multiple of 11 tracks)
The recorded tracks were spread across two digital work- stations, each with a total of 96 tracks available at 192kHz/32bit. (Workstation Systems #1 & #2).
The live material was combined with various pre-recorded tracks from the composer’s production studio. This material included orchestral samples (not used), guitars, sampled per- cussion, choir, ethnic flutes and various synthesized effects. Although this material was delivered to the mix down at 44.1kHz/24bit, it was sample rate converted to 96kHz/24bit as stem outputs via a Multichannel Audio to Digital Interface (MADI) converter/router. (Workstation System #3)
The output of the 192kHz/32bit mix stems was convert- ed to 96kHz/24bit via Digital to Analog (D/A) and Analog to Digital (A/D) converters. During the analog stage of conver- sion, overall bus equalization was applied to the orchestral material. All of the 96kHz/24bit material, as stems, was returned to a digital mixing console to finalize the balance between stems for the final music mix.
The stem outputs included:
Left/Center/Right/Left Surround/Right Surround/Low Frequency Effects (L/C/R/LS/RS/LFE)
• Orchestra A (Composite Orchestra or String Stem) 5.1
• Orchestra B (Orchestral Solos or Brass) 5.1
• Low Percussion (Orchestral Percussion and/or Low
Ethnic Drums) 5.1
• Mid Percussion (Ethnic Drums) 5.0
• High Percussion (Ethnic Percussion/Metals) 3.0
• Synthesizer Pads 5.1
• Synthesizer Pulses/Rhythm (5.1
• Solos #1 (Cello Solo, Piano Solo, Ethnic Winds) 5.0
• Solos #2 (Ethnic Winds)
• Choir (Live Choir and Vocal Samples) 5.0
• Consort (Live Early Instrument Consort & String
Effects) 5.1
• Extra (Anything not covered above: Guitars, Effects,
etc.) 5.1
The console output was routed to a 64 channel digital workstation at 96kHz/24bit/-20. (Workstation System #4) This material is then conformed to picture and finally mixed with dialog and sound effects to complete the soundtrack.
The picture, along with temporary music tracks, dialog tracks and sound effect pre-mix tracks, was played back on another digital workstation. (Workstation System #5)
Because various outboard effects are not able to operate at the 192kHz/32bit sample rate, an additional workstation was needed to run these plug-in effects via sample rate con- version or analog converters. This workstation ran at 96kHz/24bit resolution. (Workstation System #6)
Complexity notwithstanding, the number of tracks typi- cally utilized for soundtrack production has soared with the introduction of digital workstations. The most current itera- tion of the workstation delivers an exceedingly high technical quality potential of recording. High bit and sample rates have reduced the difference between bus and playback to nearly negligible. However, more often than not, these technical advances are not fully utilized in lieu of obtaining the maxi- mum number of tracks.
Picture synchronization
Synchronization of picture and music is what film scor- ing is all about. The dramatic impact of a film score coupled with the storytelling and pacing available with musical accompaniment defines the traditional art of the film sound- track. Only in the past three decades have sound effects become a significant contributor to the film soundtrack. Reviewing the composition of soundtracks from the late 1920s through the mid 1980s, one may observe the prepon- derance of music contribution versus that of the sound effects. For the initial history of the film soundtrack, effects were used primarily to support the visuals and not often used as a separate dramatic element.
Methods of picture synchronization have progressed from the mechanical through various electronic techniques. Currently, all picture sync methods are electronic, and this can introduce all sorts of variables, which must be considered when producing the music tracks.
Early picture synchronization was purely mechanical. A belt or chain drive attaching the projector or picture source to a sound recording device. This assured repeatable syn- chronization within some variation and allowed for the music, and later dialog and effects, to be kept in sync with the picture.
Technology quickly advanced to support electro- mechanical synchronization via line driven selsyn systems. A central drive motor supplied power to a bus on to which var- ious projectors and sound recording devices were connected. Driven in sync with the line frequency (60Hz), the system locked all elements into tight sync with one another. Typically, one perforation (10ms) was the window of sync accuracy. This system was used until the 1980s when elec- tronic motor drives allowed synchronization with high speed forward and reverse. Still typically using only magnetic film as a recording medium, multi-track analog playback machines were slowly integrated starting in the late 1970s using SMPTE time code printed on magnetic film and locked to the sync system. Later, shaft encoders and finally master time code generators locked to the electronic drive system were used to lock multi-track machines to picture. Later, multi-track digital machines were introduced and synchro- nized (beginning in 1981) with difficulty, due to the speed vs. sample rate variable inherent in these devices. Lock-up time
Motion picture scoring stages 27