INTRODUCTION ! by Mike Barry

Writing For Brass

Having a solid understanding the modern orchestraʼs most dynamic section can yield incredible results during composition.

Itʼs quite interesting to sit through an evening of film music, with a world class orchestra such as the Boston Pops, and pay attention to the brass section. Over the course of the evening you may notice the first “cracked” notes start appearing after the intermission. You may notice 4 trumpets, or 8 horns playing on passages marked a3 and a6 respectively. You may notice a small group of exhausted persons leaving the stage entrance with slightly puckered lips. Iʼve noticed this exact thing on my yearly pilgrimage to Symphony Hall for Film Music Night.

Indeed, even for the best players, a night of bombastic film music is not to be taken lightly. If you grew up listening to the classic orchestral soundtracks of Williams, Goldsmith and Silvestri you are guaranteed to be spoiled by the unequaled brass players of the Hollywood and London Symphonies. The more you listen to ensembles around the world the more you appreciate the unique majesty of this small group. The more you come to realize that when John Williams needs to record a score, there are really very few orchestras capable of playing his demanding music, not to mention sight reading it.

In university I remember reading how one should avoid writing the trumpets in unison above concert F, then looking at a John Williams score and noting them a4 (4 person unison) in the Island Theme to Jurassic Park on their written high D; glancing at the written “professional” ranges in the Adler book and seeing them violated by 5thʼs or greater - like the Tuba solo in Episode IVʼs “Jawa Sandcrawler”. If you ever read that you need to “warm” up the section before asking them to go to the extremes of their range and then noted the high C of the trumpet section on the first note of the Star Wars theme, you will note a contradiction.

There are just tons of examples of the classic rules of orchestration violated by our favorite film scores. Yet here you must not take these violations lightly. Donʼt expect to have the horns playing above the staff at triple forte for 30 measures and to grab that at the end of a 3 hour session. Donʼt be insulted to see the trumpets reaching for their

piccolo and C trumpets at first glance of an action-fantasy chart. That is unless you are sitting on one of the great scoring stages with the A list players.

Of all the sections in the orchestra the brass have evolved most from classical to film music. They are supreme masters of tone, phrasing and stamina. Without them the music just lacks the intangible soundtrack quality.

Thoughts on Sampling

Itʼs a unique time to be involved in the production of soundtrack music. On one hand we have incredible new technologies allowing the sequencer-based composer to push the boundaries of synthetic expression and realism; on the other we have shrinking music budgets, tighter deadlines and vanishing scoring infrastructure. As composers we know that the arrival of sample based composing is primarily based on decreased music budgets. How is a composer scoring a cable TV 100 minute feature possibly to deliver the “John Powell”-esque score required by the producer for $6,000 without samples? Itʼs just impossible these days - evidence being the small amount of completely live television scores. It is purely a sign of the industry, as surely the huge majority of us would rather use samples for mock ups and be on the podium in front of a 90 piece ensemble.

Yet, although this hits the composer quite hard it is nothing compared to the hit being absorbed by the studio musician. Whereas we can still accomplish our work, admittedly with diminished returns using alternative techniques, the work which was so steady for years has seemingly disappeared. Truly they are really left carrying a huge portion of this burden. And yet we have no choice but to use samples - or not work. How is this scenario to be dealt with?

This question often puzzles Mike and I. When we have our composer hat on we scream “damn I wish that brass line could sing more,” when we work at scoring stages we exclaim “this surely is the highest form of musicality possible in this industry” and when we wear our developer hat we ponder “how can we offer a quality product at an affordable price while taking care of all parties involved?” Well with this product we have reached a very satisfactory solution.

Its the general consensus of most people in our community that Los Angeles is the film music capital of the world. This is where the majority of our A listers live, work and record. And with the notable exception of the folks across the river in London starting in the late 70ʼs, this is where the great history of soundtrack music was written. Here is where the “founding fathers” Newman, Kongorld, Steiner thrived. Here is where they

were joined by titans of the classical world such as Copland and Rachmaninoff as they came to explore the opera of the 20th century. Here is where the greats of the last generation Barry, Mancini, Goldsmith wrote their monumental contributions. Here is where the perennial oscar nominees reside and shape the fabric with each score.

Being fortunate residents of Los Angeles Mike and I wanted to find a way to capture the magic residing here while fully respecting those artists and organizations involved in itʼs creation. It was not an easy task. There has developed a sort of iron curtain dividing this great film music culture from the sample developer world. And although we are essentially members of the same team itʼs easy to understand the reasons for division.

Earlier in the year when Mike and I were considering a brass library as a future project we came to an early conclusion that for brass it was just unacceptable to record outside of Los Angeles. Simply put the musical quality that other places offered would just not pass our quality control. So it was mutually agreed; LA or bust.

But how does one record here with out support of the unions? One possibility would be to do a dark date in town, but that would be incredibly shady, dangerous and disrespectful. Besides even if you managed to arrange it where would you record? You canʼt just record brass in any sized room. You need the BIG rooms, not the small or medium sized rooms - the majority of the sound of brass comes from the decca tree. Close micʼd brass sounds irritatingly fictitious and doesnʼt place itself mix-wise in the places we are used to hearing. The only desirable stages in town (Fox and Sony and though smaller still acceptable Warner Brothers) are signatories to the union and would never - ever consider doing a dark date. Besides that, as respectful human beings, Mike and I just arenʼt into the idea of betraying our players like that. Asking so much of them and then risking their expulsion from the union (and livelihood) over one gig.

The option was to not record here - or figure out a way to do it in a respectful manner, with official approval and support of the unions. Having already decided that brass in other places was sub-par we agreed to give the official route a try.

So with hopeful ambitions our legal team approached the AFM in an attempt to negotiate a sampling agreement. After several months we started to make some ground, eventually singing an agreement that pleased all parties involved. This was indeed history being made on a large scale. Not only were the musicians supplied by the union we used union copyists and stage hands and abided to the official regulations including overtime and even catering. It is truly something we are proud of and something we hope to continue with.

Certainly the resulting product is all the better for it.

Consider this when shopping around for brass libraries this summer. With every CineBrass purchase you are supporting our incredibly gifted crew and supporting the entire Local 47 community. Although this adds up to a lot money out of our pockets Mike and I couldnʼt find a more deserving group of folks to give it to.

DENNIS SANDS

Dennis is one of the most sought after mixers in Hollywood. His credit list is a sight to behold (Back to the Future, Forrest Gump, Shawshank Redemption, American Beauty), and includes some of our favorite scores. He continues to produce incredible-sounding mixes year after year. We were enormously honored to have him on this project; his ears, equipment, and general expertise are some of the biggest parts of what youʼll hear when you use CineBrass.

THE SONY PICTURES SCORING STAGE

The Sony Pictures Scoring Stage is the largest motion picture scoring venue in the world. The main scoring area has remained unchanged since the 1930s to preserve its unmatched acoustics and unique ambiance. It measures 93 ̓ wide by 67 ̓ long by 34ʼ high. One of the first scores recorded there was the Wizard of Oz (Herbert Stothart), the success of which allowed the stage to become primarily dedicated to the art of film score. John Williams has used the stage on many occasions for scores such at ET, Schindlerʼs List, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Some other recent scores recorded there have been Toy Story 3 (Randy Newman), Cars (Randy Newman) , Spider-Man (Danny Elfman), Alice in Wonderland (Danny Elfman), Black Hawn Down (Hans Zimmer), Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides (Hans Zimmer), Wall-E (Thomas Newman), and Star Trek (Michael Giacchino).

CineBrass is revolutionary in its power and simplicity for recreating the sound of the orchestral brass section. The library was designed by composers, for composers, with direct feedback from the film music community during itʼs development. The result is a brass library that is easy to use, composer-friendly, and sounds great.

INSTRUMENTATION

Recording union players in Los Angeles allowed us to select from a pool of active Hollywood studio musicians, some of whom are members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. These stellar players can be heard on countless film and TV projects including: Indiana Jones 4, Monsters, Inc., Wall-E, Spider-Man 2, Family Guy, and The Simpsons. We recorded the following instruments across multiple sessions:

6 HornsSolo Horn3 Trumpets

Solo Trumpet3 Trombones

Bass TromboneTuba

Cimbasso

THE PATCHES

Articulations Patches

• Horns Ensemble Articulations

• Trumpet Ensemble Articulations

• Trombone Ensemble Articulations

• Tuba + Bass Trombone Articulations

• Cimbasso + Bass Trombone Articulations

These patches contain sustain samples recorded at varying dynamics, as well as eighth note, quarter note, and half note shorts - notated below. Weʼve arranged the interface so that you can decide exactly how these samples will be triggered, including how the dynamics will be controlled. You can play a line that includes any sample at any dynamic, using simple keyswitching, a continuous midi controller, or by striking the keys at different velocities. We recorded the articulations as follows:

Eighths Staccato @ 8xRR p to ff Quarters Tenuto @ 4xRR p to ff Halves Marcato @ 2xRR p to ff

Sustains with smooth dynamic morphing

Also, all of the mapping in the Articulations Patches is dynamic, so you can select from 5 intuitive presets in the user interface. A custom mapping grid is offered, for users who wish to customize the parameters beyond the presets. Every parameter and value is changeable, and nearly any combination is possible. Of course, if you are not a tweaker, you can stick with one of the 5 preset mappings (recommended).

8 Round Robin 4 Round Robin 2 Round Robin

The Articulations Presets

We spent a long time figuring out the best way to arrange these samples based on the different ways most composers like to work - the idea being that you can intuitively use one patch for many applications, create more dynamic and natural lines, and ultimately improve your workflow. In the main Articulations patches you can choose from a variety of presets in the form of buttons on the left side of the user interface:

•Velocity Map - The short articulations are mapped based on velocity from shortest to longest. Light taps will trigger the eighth note shorts, and hard hits will trigger half note shorts. Hold the sustain pedal down and hit a key to trigger the sustain samples. Use the mod wheel to control dynamics for both long and short articulations.

•Velocity Inverse Map - Similar to the Velocity Map, except the shorts are mapped inversely; from longest to shortest. Light taps trigger half notes and heavy hits trigger eighth notes. The mod wheel still controls all dynamics.

•Keyswitch Map - Playing soft will always trigger the sustain samples. Play with a velocity higher than 70 to trigger a short sample, and use keyswitches to decide which short you would like to use. Mod wheel controls all dynamics.

•Keyswitch Velocity Dynamics Map - Use keyswitches to choose between eighth note, quarter note, half note, or sustain samples. Velocity will determine the dynamics of the short notes, mod wheel will control dynamics of sustain samples.

•MIDI CC # 2 Map - Lower velocities will trigger sustain samples, and higher velocities will trigger short notes. Use mod wheel for dynamics. Controller #2 will let you choose between eighth, quarter, or half note shorts, from lowest to highest respectively.

Hitting the “Custom Map...” button in the bottom left allows you to see exactly what is going on with each preset. It is not recommended that you adjust these presets too drastically, as this can create sample conflicts and produce undesired results. At least one of these presets should work for everyone - itʼs easy, however, to make small changes, using the following drop-down menus:

•Short/Sustain Orientation - If the preset splits sustain samples and short samples based on velocity, this will choose whether high velocities trigger shorts and low velocities trigger sustains, or vice versa.

•Short/Sustain Split - This will let you choose at which value the split mentioned above will occur. You may want velocities about 100 to trigger sustain samples and below to trigger shorts, for example.

•Sustain Dynamics - Choose how the dynamics of the sustain samples will be controlled; with a controller or by velocity (the latter is not recommended).

•Short Dynamics - Choose how the dynamics of the short articulations will be controlled; with a controller or by velocity.

True Legato Patches

•Horns Ensemble True Legato

•Solo Horn True Legato

•Trumpets Ensemble True Legato

•Solo Trumpet True Legato

What is True Legato? True legato means that we sampled all of the intervalic leaps throughout the ranges, both upwards and downwards, for each brass section. When you play a True Legato patch, it instantly analyses the intervals you play, then plays the appropriate transitional leap between the notes. The result is a smooth and realistic legato performance. For all sections we did this at 2 dynamic levels, again using our dynamic morphing to blend seamlessly from piano to fortissimo. The interface also includes volume controls for the different mics recorded and mixed by Dennis Sands, as well as a built-in EQ for fine tuning. Use the power icons above the different faders to choose the best mix for you. The “reverb” fader allows you to mix in samples treated with the Bricasti M7 reverb - widely considered one of the best reverbs available today.

A key feature of our True Legato patches, is the Polyphonic Legato mode. This mode allows you to play lines of 2 or more notes simultaneously, while maintaining the appropriate transition samples between all notes. This is especially effective when playing chords that need to connect in a realistic way.

Effects

•French Horn Rips

•Trumpet Ensemble FX

•Low Brass Pads

CineBrass contains the essential effects you will need for your music. Trumpet clusters, swells, rips, and Horn Rips are included, ready to drop into your track - adding that extra level of realism. Use the Low Brass Pads track to add the extra oomph you need, and adjust the timing of the release with the “Release Delay” slider.

Recording CineBrass

Sampling in Los Angeles is no easy task. Especially when you want to do it the right way. This library is the first of it’s kind, because it is the first commercial library to be recorded under a special AFM (American Federation of Musicians) Sampling Agreement. The product of this, is that for every purchase, a percentage of the sales go directly to the musicians who played on the CineBrass session. Not only does it go to the musicians, but we’ve extended it to the copyists, the engineers and everyone who had a critical role in producing the library. Important to note that this does not effect the user agreement, and CineBrass can be used like any other Cinesamples library in your music productions.Why do this? We want to keep recording here in Los Angeles, with the best musicians, at the best scoring stages in the world. We are grateful to the AFM for having the vision to do this with us, and we look forward to extending this to all our future libraries.

Be sure to check out the screencast videos on the Cinesamples website to get a detailed look at the library!