Kit Your Music Studio: 5 Basic Essentials Needed to Get Started

By Rosie Record

When presented with the incredible opportunity to compose an all-original score, I ended up embarking on a career change. The film was "The Loyalist," an award-winning short film about the Revolutionary War. This stunning period piece explores the emergence of espionage and the birth of the Culper Ring in Long Island, New York.

For me, networking and sussing out opportunities always seemed really random, making it hard to know when to cram my toe into the door of opportunity. However, when my partner was in the process of making a film, I immediately asked if I could be involved in the scoring process. The plan went from collaborating with another composer on melody to writing the end credit sheet music, then from composing the opening song in Logic Pro X to doing the entire score; all while building up my own music studio. I am not a gear-head, and like John Snow I knew nothing, so throughout the 5-month process I leaned on my contacts and the internet to kit my music studio. From my personal experience, I’ve compiled a list of 5 basics needed to set yourself up as a media composer or solo artist.

#1: DAW

DAWs: Where your musical genius is articulated

First thing needed, a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). Some more recognizable names are Ableton Live, Logic Pro X, and Pro Tools. Essentially, these DAWs are software programs that enable live recording, midi, mixing, and overall composing and producing. These programs allow you to bring in melodies, choose instruments, layer and create your personal sound. Now, all DAWs enable you to make music, but differ in features, workflow, and cost, making it essential to establish musical goals and price points before deciding on the best fit. Will you be recording live instruments? Are you composing with midi? Are you remixing for other artists? Depending on your answers, your workflow will vary and impact your final decision.

According to Hans Zimmer’s Master Class, he uses Cubase. Several articles list Skrillex, Diplo and Deadmau5 as users of Ableton Live. I personally use Logic Pro X because, despite the handful of late-night Google searches and yelling at my computer screen, I found it was fairly intuitive and it fit my budget at $199.99. Logic Pro X is one of the more affordable options, plus it’s beginner-friendly, has virtually every editing feature, built-in plugins, and video syncing. Logic Pro X also offers a 10-day free trial, allowing you to test it before deciding. However, recently I started using Pro Tools because it is the industry standard for film composers.

Pro Tools, developed by Avid Technology, is accessible on either Microsoft Windows or macOS. It’s excellent for mixing and editing up to 128 audio tracks, 512 instrument tracks, and 1,024 midi tracks. This program provides editing features like changing tempo, editing notes, trimming clips, fading, or even pitch correcting with Elastic Pitch. It is available via monthly or annual subscriptions or a perpetual license. There is also a cloud feature, making it easier to store, share, and collaborate with other artists. With Avid Cloud Collaboration, you can work with up to 10 others on a single project, which is an excellent feature if you’re composing scores for films.

Your choice of DAW will be foundational to your studio. Although there are free applications out there, such as Audacity and GarageBand, if the end goal is a career, it's worth the investment to get one of the top DAWs.

#2: PLUGINS

Plugins put all instruments and sounds at your fingertips

I can only play the piano, so discovering I could take my piano skills and translate them into any instrument imaginable was incredibly exciting. Thanks to midi technology, melodies and ideas can be captured within DAWs and brought to life with instruments/plugins. Plugins are self-contained programs operating as effects such as compressors and distortion filters, or instruments. These virtual instruments can be sampled, acoustic, synthesized or electronic. Sampled plugins are created from live recordings of musicians, while electronic instruments are computer-synthesized for a completely unique sound.

Diversity and complexity of sounds come from plugins and building out a comprehensive library. From classical orchestral instruments, to alien-sounding whines, to drum loops, there is an abundance of libraries for purchase. All range in quality, price, features, etc., but with so many fun and interesting options out there your music library will most likely be an ongoing expense.

If you want to start slow, Output has a 30-day free trial that delivers new content daily within the plugin. This is a great option to explore what Output has to offer and to get a feel for what can be accomplished with different instruments and effects. Additionally, Output is known for providing incredible instruments with tools that allow you to transform and customize your sound. Output also provides engines, effects and expansion packs in a non-subscription option. These bundles include Portal, Analog Brass and Wind, Analog Strings, Substance, Movement, Exhale, Rev X-Loops, Signal, Rev.

Native Instruments Komplete 12 has an incredible instrument and effect bundle, with over 60 products and 25,000+ sounds. With such a comprehensive bundle, you can create virtually anything. When composing The Loyalist's score, I needed to maintain a sense of historical integrity, so I chose traditional instruments such as pianos, violins, drums, and flutes. Consequently, the main plugins I worked with were Session Strings, Session Horns, Una Corda, and Kontakt Factory Instruments; all contained in the Native Instruments Komplete 11 Unlimited bundle now listed at $449. It was a big purchase, but absolutely indispensable. Plugins are completely essential to a music studio, however, it will be a sliding investment dependent upon music goals, needs, and budget.

#3: MIDI CONTROLLER

Music is a language... how will you translate your voice?

When first starting out, I only had a Yamaha keyboard tucked into my apartment. However, for composing I needed a midi controller. Midi (musical instrument digital interface) controllers are hardware that transmits musical information to your DAW; populating colorful rectangles on the screen, rather than an audio wavelength. Midi also allows you to paint notes with your pointer, adjust the length, placement, and velocity.

After much research, I chose the M-Audio Hammer 88-Key USB/Midi Keyboard Controller at $459. I preferred the fully weighted keys because it replicates the feeling of playing a real piano. Also, the velocity-sensitive hammer-action key feature was important because it translates the light or hard touches of playing into soft or loud midi inputs; making the instruments dynamic and expressive. Additionally, I purchased the Nektar NP-2 Universal Piano-Style Metal Foot Switch Pedal so I could manipulate the midi controller keyboard just like I would a real piano.

Although it is not necessary to know music theory, how to read and write music, or even how to play an instrument, it does help. Being a piano player was instrumental to the composition process and it defined my personal workflow. I play the piano in an almost stream-of-consciousness style, so I wanted to hit record and have everything I played be captured as midi notes. Afterward, I would go back and edit, quantize, adjust, etc., making the full-sized keyboard midi controller perfect for me. However, there are different options such as mini keyboards, pad controllers or a hybrid of both. Workflow, style, preference, and budget will all contribute to your choice of controller.

#4: HARD DRIVE

Redundant hard drives are essential

One thing to note, because libraries contain massive amounts of information, you will also need to have a separate hard drive. For example, Komplete 11 required a minimum of 170 GB free disk space and my music projects took up varying MBs of space as well. It’s really important to have a hard drive and a back-up hard drive with optimal capacity and speed. At $69.95 each, I purchased two G-Technology 2TB G-Drive because they are compact, reliable, Microsoft Windows and macOS compatible, and have data transfer speeds up to 130 MB a second. Although drives operating at 7200 RPMs may have shorter lifespans, be noisier, and generate heat, they allow for quicker read and write speeds.

Hard drive folder organization and redundancy is also really important. There are articles on this topic, but for me personally, I save all music files directly on the hard drive, if I haven’t decided on the final name, I name my music with descriptions, making it easily searchable. Then I’ll rename the project and all corresponding files once I’ve decided on a name. When exporting audio files, I use versioning naming conventions and store all with the corresponding original project folder.

Quality hard drives are absolutely essential to your studio set up, and if compromised, could be devastating, so be sure to purchase a high caliber product and a backup.

#5: SPEAKERS & Misc

Multiple audio output sources inform your mixes

Once I stacked my two pianos and placed my laptop on a stand, it started to look like a music studio. Since I work with a laptop, I found the Pyle Pro DJ Laptop stand a really affordable and helpful purchase; it’s essentially a small desk or work station. The tripod stand is light-weight, easily adjusts to heights of 29” to 52” enabling you to sit or stand, and has an adjustable workstation tray to angle for ergonomic comfort.

I purchased the M-Audio BX-5 speakers so I could engulf myself in sound. At $149.95 each, they are an affordable set of quality speakers that deliver a frequency response of 56 Hz to 22 kHz with a signal-to-noise ratio of 100 dB. While they are great for home studio recording and mixing, it is important to listen on multiple speaker systems and even cheap earbuds, so you can adjust, optimize, and ensure your mix sounds good on a variety of output sources. Ideally, your song will be playing on the best quality speakers or high-end headphones, but that’s not always reality. Using multiple output sources will allow you to identify potential problem areas, open up your mix, EQ, compress, and etc.; ensuring a clean and powerful song.

Lastly, I was gifted a Big Knob. This is a studio monitor controller that allows you to toggle between two audio sources and two monitor pairs. It’s used to adjust volume easily and more gradually during the mixing process, instead of scrambling for your laptop volume key. Plus, it looks cool.

Conclusion

All of these products were invaluable for scoring and mixing within my workflow. However, everyone’s product list will alter according to style, preferences, and overall project needs. So with this guide and some research, you can start building your dream home studio and begin creating!

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The Loyalist & My Beginning

By Rosie Record

Last year I was given a life-changing opportunity to compose an all-original score for an award-winning short film about the American Revolution, “The Loyalist.” This cinematically stunning film depicts the duality of men at war, the beginnings of war espionage, and the genesis of the Culper Ring in Long Island, New York.

Note: This article contains spoilers! Keep up with upcoming festivals, awards, and general updates here on The Loyalist Facebook page.

Check Out the Trailer!

"How did I get here?"

For me, networking and discovering opportunities is not a science nor an art, it is all random. For nearly a decade I worked in corporate America, so when my partner, Bobby Sansivero, was in the process of making a film I took a chance and asked if I could be involved in the scoring process. With my stubbornness, piano training, and some help from a former DJ and current friend, the plan quickly escalated from potentially working with another composer to BEING the composer. I went from lightly knocking on to completely smashing down that door of opportunity.

Through the process of composing the score, I realized it was a passion and a potential career. Leading me to realize, love of music plus opportunity with a dash of crazy can produce a film composer if you get the basic tools, create collaborative relationships, and try to achieve emotional complexity with your scores. Check out my article about the 5 basics needed to kit your own music studio.

Build a Good Relationship & Mutual Understanding

Like with most things in life, creating good relationships is key; and creating a collaborative dynamic between yourself and the director is essential to the process. Tension can arise when you have two artists together, so it’s best to create an open and honest environment and try to carve out a mutual understanding of terms.

For the initial meeting, the composer and director will discuss artistic direction and ideas, and despite how successful conversations go, they will most likely not be fully aligned. I was with Bobby throughout the whole creation process of his film; from the first draft of the script, to location scouting, to script supervising, to edits, to color grading, etc. However, it was still a struggle to get aligned on music. Music is subjective and a moving target depending upon the listener. Directors will have varying knowledge about music, and they may not have the musical vocabulary to describe what they want. Some directors will most likely have sample music, and while this can be extremely helpful, everyone knows the sentiment “like that, but different” doesn’t lead to a straight forward execution. Our dialog included questions like:

• What are the goals of this film?

• What type of music is needed for each scene?

• When should there be silence?

• Are there any ulterior messages, undercurrents of themes the music needs to capture?

• What are the characters’ motivations, feelings, conflicts?

• Should a theme be associated with any characters or concepts in the film?

Our approach was to be extremely honest about the project, to have deep-dive discussions about other films, other scores, and historically accurate music from that time period. Also, as I was composing I continually checked in to see if we were still aligned. Over time we developed a common understanding and a language for music and emotions.

“What about this one?”

Film composers differ in that they don't write music to fit their brand, band, or artist identity. Instead, they need to be able to adapt and ameliorate into the imagery of a film and adjust with the director's notes and ideas. The whole process started with me at my Yamaha keyboard playing different melodies and asking “what about this one?” After a bunch of no’s, I played something that made him stand up straighter and slightly cock his head. With that, I knew it was a winner and it ended up being the end credit song, "Loyalty." Meanwhile, our ongoing discussions consisted of listening to scores from films like The Patriot and The Grey, picking out the pieces we liked, discussing why we liked it, what emotions were captured and what instruments were preferred. Bobby really wanted to maintain historical integrity and keep the instruments traditional. With the exception of synths I added to build tension and some effects on the piano, I kept the instruments simple: violins, cellos, pianos, flutes, and brass.

Honor the History

During this process, there were also disagreements on melodies and which emotions to emphasize with the score. I remember writing a melody for the encampment scene that was perceived by Bobby as sorrowful and full of angst. He wanted to convey a sense of victory and camaraderie, so I had to shift and rethink. I took it as an opportunity to honor history, looked up music from that time period, and found a song called "Washington's March No. 3." I transformed those notes with glissando violins and flutes, then used it in the barn scene later on to reinforce that same sense of camaraderie. Being able to adapt and rise to the historical need made the director incredibly happy and, ultimately, it benefited the entire project.

Add Emotional Complexity

Bobby had an interesting angle to his Revolutionary War film- he didn’t necessarily take sides. During this tumultuous war for freedom and independence, this story acknowledges the ideals, the violence, the deception, and the beginning of war espionage, but more importantly the humanity. By having John and Will, the loyalist British and the colonial American, share equal weight in the film, it refuses to give way to political leanings. Even though John has killed two American spies and one of his own to keep up the facade, he shares a moment of vulnerability, he shares his past and his heartbreak. John is human.

When they discover John’s comrade died in the night, there is a soft theme playing to draw out a sense of loss. That soft melody is then carried across the scene depicting Will murdering John. While Will’s movements are violent and his eloquent speech could have accommodated a hero-type swell of music, it just wasn’t right. The delicate melancholy of the score playing over their interaction lent to the confliction. They had come to know one another and perhaps even bonded, yet John was the enemy and had to die. There's contempt and pride in Will's speech, yet the music reverberates a sense of sadness when John dies by Will's hands. War is hell.

War can sometimes be idealized, but ultimately it’s men and women living, fighting and dying. The score reflects this with a lack of hero themes. Instead, the recurring themes emphasize camaraderie and the heartache of death regardless of allegiance.

Conclusion

Working on this project as a producer and composer was an incredibly rewarding experience that made me realize a harsh truth- you only live once. Instead of being another corporate employee I started thinking I could do something more creative and fulfilling with my life.

Now, creating and composing beautiful music is only half of the equation. I’m discovering the world of film seems vast and yet the higher you rise the smaller the world becomes- so fostering a great relationship with your director is essential. Also, carving out mutual understanding and a common language about music is difficult, perhaps that’s why there are recurring partnerships like Christopher Nolan and Hans Zimmer, Tim Burton and Danny Elfman, Steven Spielberg and John Williams. Maybe one day the next dynamic duo will be Bobby Sansivero and Rosie Record.

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5 Approaches to a Film Score

By Rosie Record

Music is an incredibly powerful tool within film and media. It can add another dimension of emotion, meaning, and connection to the story if executed properly. Choosing the right type of music for each scene, character, etc. is most likely a challenge for all directors, however, when the visuals and score are effectively combined, they feed one another and build each other up, resulting in a beautiful project. This synergy, if you will, creates an enhanced human experience while the audience watches a world unfold before them on screen. That’s a lot of pressure for directors trying to decide on music for their projects. So below are 5 generalized approaches to a score and the possible psychological impact it can have on the audience.

#1. Go with it

This is a simple and effective approach. Akin to what Meg Ryan says in the adorable romantic comedy French Kiss, “happy - smile. Sad - frown. Use the corresponding face for the corresponding emotion.” Or in this case, use the corresponding music for the corresponding scene. When the tone of the score matches the visuals of the film, it reinforces that sentiment with the audience. Dead Poets Society and Under the Tuscan Sun are a good example of beautiful, supportive scores that match the tone of the visuals.

The score can take a back seat to the visuals, however, it’s important to realize when the score is not necessarily noticeable, it doesn’t mean the score is not impacting the overall experience. This is never more apparent than when you watch a film with music that just doesn’t go. Discordant music can completely take the audience out of the moment and suspend belief in the world the director tried to create. Now, as simple as that concept is, the director must consider this- what does happiness or sadness actually sound like?

#2. Go against it

‘Going against’ is like a serene song over a chaotic scene; like classical music playing over a violent car crash. This is otherwise known as soundtrack dissonance. A very prominent example of this is Clockwork Orange. Another good example is Good Morning, Vietnam playing “What a Wonderful World” over a montage of violence from the Vietnam war. Or even Lilu Dallas in The Fifth Element, fighting a pack of Mangalores with a beautiful alien opera singer intercut between fight scenes. Another approach could be a song that is purposely unfitting and clashes with the visuals. A great example of this from American Psycho, when Bateman hacks a guy up to the song “Hip to be Square.” Or Queen playing while Shaun and his buddies take on a hoard of zombies in Shaun of the Dead.

Either way, this method adds a mental interest; the contrast can signify the duality of a scene, amplify the drama or add a humorous touch by having the audio and visual not quite match up. Mentally what’s happening is the audience’s feeling of being embedded in the world with the characters is taken away and instead switched to the mentality of onlookers. While they are still engaged in the world and still relate to the characters, the subtle change can give them a chance to see things in a different way, find humor in violence, tap into their own empathy, etc. Meaning, while the audience can always think and feel what they think or feel, this technique offers them a reprieve from being informed and led by the visuals.

#3. Theme

Jaws, Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, Star Wars; you can probably hum the theme song to all of these films. John Williams is the master of composing iconic and memorable themes that transcend time. Gladiator, Inception, Interstellar, The Dark Knight; Hans Zimmer’s themes are perhaps less hummable but are immediately recognizable and stunning.

While the concept of a musical theme is straightforward enough, the application can be very involved. It is essential to have a question-answer or antecedent-consequent melody that can be built upon. Generally the more simplistic the more memorable; just look at Jaws. While there is absolutely more to that score than the ominous two notes, those two notes are what everyone remembers. Furthermore, the director must decide if the theme should be applied to certain characters, objects, emotional or metaphorical cues. Or if the theme is applied to the overall film, variations of the theme need to compliment the different visual scenes. This can be accomplished by a change in key, different instruments, only utilizing certain sections of the theme, etc.

If a theme is associated with a corresponding person or object, the repeated union can build up a subconscious interconnectedness. Star Wars was able to have a theme for almost everything, for the overall film, for certain characters, and film motifs. It can strengthen the emotional attachments or help make mental connections, so if the visuals don’t show something, the audience will think of it anyway because the music acts as a stand-in for that character or object. Just think of the theme song, otherwise known as leitmotif, for Darth Vader and the Empire. While it might be used as the ringtone for an in-law to denote dread, most people will immediately flicker to a memory of Vader’s dark figure walking the halls and that iconic helmet breathing heavy. That’s the power of nostalgia and effective theme songs.

Another possible effect of an overall theme is to make the audience feel like they know something. Humans are creatures of habit and take comfort in the known. Even with key changes, different instruments, different intensity or tempo changes, utilizing a familiar melody makes the audience feel a sense of comfort because they feel like they know and understand the theme. They can still be surprised by the visuals and not know the plot, but take comfort in knowing or anticipating the next notes of the score. This happens subconsciously and doesn’t detract from the film, it simply creates a pleasing continuity and deeper connection to the characters, ideals, and story overall.

#4. No Theme/Ambient Music

There are films that don’t really have a theme because they consist mainly of songs by other artists, songs frequently heard on the radio. However, in this case, no theme means ambient music. Meditative type music is excellent at enabling a person to reflect inward. Similarly, ambient music can often act as a mirror for the audience.

The Grey and The Revenant are gorgeous examples of this. There are twinkles of themes coming through, but they aren’t theme-driven like a John Williams’ score. Another example of a beautiful score that does not necessarily correlate to the visuals is The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. The music, while stunning, seems to just drift along on its own, like a companion to the film.

Have you ever listened to a song and swelled with an emotion then listened again and it just wasn’t the same? Music has a transmutable power. When music doesn’t seem to have an intent or denote something specific, when it simply fills up the screen and the audience, it allows the individual’s mind to reflect inward. When in conjunction with a film, it allows the audience to feel like they are tapping into the characters and the world. Because the music is not informing the audience, it allows them to think for themselves, but because they are engrossed in the world on screen, they then apply those feelings back to the film. This can cause the audience to self-identify more with the characters because they think the character is thinking what they are thinking or feeling what they are feeling. Ambient music may not have this impact with the audience, but it shouldn’t detract from the visuals either, making it a great approach to add fullness to the audience's viewing experience.

#5. Diegetic and Non-Diegetic Music Comparison

Although Birdman uses clever applications of this technique throughout the film, this is more of a technique used to punctuate certain moments, not a driving style.

Diegetic sounds come from inside the world on screen. For example, a blender in the background of a cafe scene, phones ringing in the background of an office scene. Likewise, diegetic music is music that comes from within the film’s world. Non-diegetic music is from outside of the world, like the score. Although interwoven seamlessly, non-diegetic music has an omnipresent effect when compared to music from inside the film. A simple example of this is when a song playing as part of the score switches to an audio source within the film, like a car radio or a character’s headphones; and can sometimes be denoted with a shift in the quality of music. However, there can be much more subtle and ingenious ways to execute this technique.

The Truman Show is a character within a world within a world, and another audience inserted between Truman and us, the real audience; making the diegetic and non-diegetic musical classification like Inception. Music heard by the audience viewing Truman is still part of the film world, therefore diegetic, although it’s not part of Truman’s world, therefore it’s non-diegetic to his character. This added musical complexity really helps solidify the terrifying concept.

A hilarious example of this is from Blazing Saddles, as Bart rides across the landscape to a non-diegetic big band song, and then continues to ride right up to Count Basie and the musicians themselves; revealing the music as diegetic in a ridiculous way. When watching a film an individual can become enveloped, making it almost as if they have been transported into that world. Diegetic and non-diegetic comparison can momentarily snap the audience from that sense of being transported; it’s almost like breaking the 4th wall, only with music.

This can add humor by disrupting expectations, it can deepen immersion or effectively redirect the audience’s attention, humanize the character or further manipulate emotions, or remind the audience they are onlookers, so it needs to be done carefully. The juxtaposition adds auditory interest and if not meant to add humor is usually more effective if it goes from the non-diegetic to diegetic to non-diegetic, or from the score, the character’s music, and then back to the score. This way the audience gets sucked back into the world after the brief reminder that this music is the character’s reality and they are still the audience.

Conclusion

Scores can be true labors of love. They can take on a life of their own and breathe soul into a film, or they can distract the audience and detract from the film. The 5 generalized approaches in no way encapsulate all of the fantastic techniques and options a director can use when creating an auditory element for their film. However, it gives an idea of some of the more prevalent approaches and perhaps can inspire a unique take for an upcoming project.

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