1up
  Artist
Topics: 129
Replies: 1022
Registered: 23.Jan.04 |
You've seen the classical Indiana Jones' movies? Well, I recently re-watched them and a few ideas regarding sound quality came to mind.
First, let's grasp the notion of that these movies were produced some 20 years ago. Then compare the sound quality we output to that, and I almost feel ashamed I can't even closely match it. The home studio shouldn't lag THAT much after. I know my skills aren't perfect and I'm eagerly exploring how to get finer vocals for example.
This may seem like unintersting rambling but, the main point is how the state of the art technology is transformed with time to the general public. I think we are there now, if we know how to apply proper skill to it. Or else, the technology development is going too slow! 
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Gopher
 Member
Topics: 24
Replies: 1540
Registered: 05.Jan.03 |
What particular aspect of the sound design of those movies are you referring to?
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1up
Artist
Topics: 129
Replies: 1022
Registered: 23.Jan.04 |
Hmm. Pretty much the voices, and the crisp sound effects. They are more floating in the speakers than having a certain density. I like them.
I still want to hear something beat the quality of the sounds in LOTR which is my current benchmark. |
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PPH
Member
Topics: 48
Replies: 843
Registered: 13.Jul.03 |
The Indiana Jones movies were made by the best people around: Lucas, Spielberg, Lawrence Kasdan, John Williams, etc. It wouldn't be a surprise to discover that the sound designers and the sound editors were the among the best at the time, too. You can't compete with one of the best pros in the field. You can do good. But he will do better. He might be in a disadvantage, because he made his work 20 years ago. But I tell you what: these movies were digitally remastered and therefore they don't sound like they were made 20 years ago. They sound a lot better than that. So, there's your explanation 
The Comeback, my newest orchestral track.
"I swear by my life and my love of it that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine"
-John Galt, "Atlas Shrugged", by Ayn Rand |
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1up
Artist
Topics: 129
Replies: 1022
Registered: 23.Jan.04 |
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PPH wrote on 06 Jun. (22:46) :
The Indiana Jones movies were made by the best people around: Lucas, Spielberg, Lawrence Kasdan, John Williams, etc. It wouldn't be a surprise to discover that the sound designers and the sound editors were the among the best at the time, too. You can't compete with one of the best pros in the field. You can do good. But he will do better. He might be in a disadvantage, because he made his work 20 years ago. But I tell you what: these movies were digitally remastered and therefore they don't sound like they were made 20 years ago. They sound a lot better than that. So, there's your explanation
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To be honest, I don't like the idea of not beeing able to perform as good as a pro. But in the closing of your post, I forgive you.
That's true. But even if it weren't I still want to make hi quality stuff. And I belive I can get very close in a reasonable setting. Obviously can't make perfect orcehstral performances without the orchestra, but you get the idea. Digital sound effects creation and manipulation should be possible to reach a level where not many can make out the difference. If not, my work seems pointless. Can't stand to not get better and reach _that_ levle of quality.
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SO
Member
Topics: 18
Replies: 101
Registered: 03.Nov.05 |
so, how much skillz are required and how much sh*t do you have to buy (hardware/software)??
i've always wondered if some of the artists today are really skilled at what they do, or if a big part of it is the equipment they use which is the best money can buy....
of course its talent and equipment....
just wondering where the balance leans heavier...
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1up
Artist
Topics: 129
Replies: 1022
Registered: 23.Jan.04 |
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Sunburnt Octopus wrote on 06 Jun. (23:04) :
so, how much skillz are required and how much sh*t do you have to buy (hardware/software)??
i've always wondered if some of the artists today are really skilled at what they do, or if a big part of it is the equipment they use which is the best money can buy....
of course its talent and equipment....
just wondering where the balance leans heavier...
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I would say that high-end instruments wether it be acustic or synths makes a huge difference. My personal reflection is that I have used bad synths and had to learn how to synthesize myself in many cases, building up a bad static synth sound into a more interesting one. With high quality synths, simply use a preset and no knowledge of sound creation is needed. Thus, it's a reverse relationship between quality gear and knowledge needed.
Example 2: By high end drum machine. It is pre tuned, pre EQ:d drums that already fit together as a kit. Use a song with a proper key and you've got yourself some kick ass drums. The other way around, build everything from scratch needs much more knowledge.. You get the picture.
Much unintersting music stands on good production. It sounds flashy although the music is uninteresting. But still delivers value thanks to the production, not to forget that fact.
It is said that not many can make out bad quality recordings, but it's not the whole truth. The expressiveness of high quality instruments is key I think.
To answer your initial question - how many world wide popular artists have NOT high end gear to play with? I know, it's a bit of a dilemma, a popular artist will have the means to acquire top notch gear.
Skills will always get you close (take great sounding old school tracked music for example) but sometimes it's just so much more convenient buying than reinventing the wheel. And for one, with out a fat beat, few will take you seriously.
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Kcirr3d
Artist
Topics: 88
Replies: 1068
Registered: 01.Feb.05 |
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Viba
Member
Topics: 6
Replies: 57
Registered: 05.Feb.06 |
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Your rambling is an interesting one. When comparing our recordings with 20year old Hollywood blockbusters, you seem to be focused on the vox recording and not the music.
It is still almsot impossible to record a vox with a home studio to this quality. The answer lies in simply the equipment used. When you think about the mics themselves that cost a small fortunes, and then add on the processors - it is in vox that recording at home we are at a particular disadvantage. It would also be fair to suggest that many of us lack the knowledge of setting up mics and so on.
Also with Hollywood films, there is the score. Which is usually conducted abnd played by a 30 piece orchestra. That is something else that is almost impossible to truly replicate. Despite all the wonderfu.l orchestral sounds we have on our hard drives, there are still many areas where it falls short - not to mention our amatuer attempts to piece classical music together in the first place. One might ask, do we have the ability to put together a score like John Williams or, in other words, are we simply bad workmen blaming the tools.
However, it's not all bad. TYoday's Hard Drives are full of sounds, effects, and soundscapes that movie studios would have been proud to own twenty yerars ago. It certainly has made life easier...and the quality here - in the more synthetic - sounds are up to scratch.
I think the problem partly lies in the amount of work we put in, or the amount of time we have to dedicate. When you think that Lucas's crew created all the Star War sounds out of thousands of experimantations with everyday objects. The dedication and the finance was there. In contrast, most of us today can get a "good" sounding tune going with a few loops on the go very easily, but that easiness also creates bad/lazy habits.
Consequently, we are also becoming more aware of using looped based music. I have noticed more people and artists putting a lot of effort in slicing up, and mashing with their loops a lot more. It is something that has to be done. A loop slapped in the back of a Drum and Bass track just doesnt cut it anymore.
Keep up the sick beats.
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1up
Artist
Topics: 129
Replies: 1022
Registered: 23.Jan.04 |
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Viba wrote on 07 Jun. (1:26) :
Your rambling is an interesting one. When comparing our recordings with 20year old Hollywood blockbusters, you seem to be focused on the vox recording and not the music.
It is still almsot impossible to record a vox with a home studio to this quality. The answer lies in simply the equipment used. When you think about the mics themselves that cost a small fortunes, and then add on the processors - it is in vox that recording at home we are at a particular disadvantage. It would also be fair to suggest that many of us lack the knowledge of setting up mics and so on.
Also with Hollywood films, there is the score. Which is usually conducted abnd played by a 30 piece orchestra. That is something else that is almost impossible to truly replicate. Despite all the wonderfu.l orchestral sounds we have on our hard drives, there are still many areas where it falls short - not to mention our amatuer attempts to piece classical music together in the first place. One might ask, do we have the ability to put together a score like John Williams or, in other words, are we simply bad workmen blaming the tools.
However, it's not all bad. TYoday's Hard Drives are full of sounds, effects, and soundscapes that movie studios would have been proud to own twenty yerars ago. It certainly has made life easier...and the quality here - in the more synthetic - sounds are up to scratch.
I think the problem partly lies in the amount of work we put in, or the amount of time we have to dedicate. When you think that Lucas's crew created all the Star War sounds out of thousands of experimantations with everyday objects. The dedication and the finance was there. In contrast, most of us today can get a "good" sounding tune going with a few loops on the go very easily, but that easiness also creates bad/lazy habits.
Consequently, we are also becoming more aware of using looped based music. I have noticed more people and artists putting a lot of effort in slicing up, and mashing with their loops a lot more. It is something that has to be done. A loop slapped in the back of a Drum and Bass track just doesnt cut it anymore.
Keep up the sick beats.
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True enough they have expensive gear to manipulate voices with, but we know that cheap mics can beat expensive ones depending on the voice recorded. Perfect equipment isn't always the best thing.
I would love it if anyone here could share a effect shain that the pro's use on vocals.
For example-> multi band compression, gating, eq, reverb, etc...
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