Shawn Murphy, back on track!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

He's been doing well lately, Memoirs, Munich and WOTW all sounded very crisp and clear, and I don't have any huge complaints about ROTS.

Anyone else think that he's definatly crawled out of that slump he was in a few ears back? (A.I, Minority Report, The Scorpion King, AOTC)

[Incanus 5,714]

I agree. His recent recordings have been very good. Few years back his recordings seemed to lack in number of areas. Mostly I was annoyed by the muffled sound and e.g. AOTC seems little subdued (that was also due orchestrations as well).

[King Mark 3,631]

I noticed A.I. snd aotC were sub-par,but I haven't listened enough to Minority Report.

the drums in RotS could be louder

K.m.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

ROTS is pretty good, but I found it missing a certain Oomph in the recording or mixing or the action music that WOTW for instance did have

[pi 0]

does anyone else hear some noise pollution similar to the TV frequency on the opening of Memoirs?

[King Mark 3,631]

ROTS is pretty good, but I found it missing a certain Oomph in the recording or mixing or the action music that WOTW for instance did have

The timpani in WotW are mixed much better.The lack of Oompf in RotS is especially noticeable in Enter Lord Vader and Anakin's Dark Deeds.

K.M.

[John Crichton 4]

That time off Williams took in 2003 seems to have helped Murphy more than anyone else. Since PoA the scores have been sounding much better than the '00-'02 ones.

[Trent B 337]

The lack of Oompf in RotS is especially noticeable in Enter Lord Vader and Anakin's Dark Deeds.

K.M.

Those two tracks on the OST, I completely agree with. However Battlefront 2 features the film version mix for the middle half of Moving Things Along (AKA Enter Lord Vader) when Anakin arrives on Mustafar. You'd have to use a DVD rip though to complete the cue.

For Anakin's Dark Deeds again Galaxies: Rage Of The Wookies the cue mus_avatar_platform_final from 0:35-0:55 features the film version mix with the stronger cymbol clash and drums.

Same for Anakin Vs. Obi-Wan...good portion of the film version mix is in Battlefront 2. I don't know why they didn't include the film version mixes on the OST. I personally perfer those than the OST mixes...

[John Crichton 4]

I think a lot of that percussion was added afterward and was not part of Williams' original intentions. Like the soft DotF Sanskrit chants in TPM.

John- who prefers the OST, lighter on percussion versions of those cues

[Trent B 337]

Well they did do a seperate recording just for precussion only and yes it was over-dubbed in a few of the cues. I myself alone think they were ment to be there and Williams wanted them louder?

To me it gives the music the more militaryish feeling to it...especially the film version mix for the latter half of "Moving Things Along." That is just my opinion though.

Like it or you don't, I don't give a frack either way lol.

[Greg1138 3]

The timpani in WotW are mixed much better.

K.M.

This oculd be due to the fact that they were recorded at the same time as the Orchestra......for ROTS there is plenty of evidence that they weren't on several occasions....

[Marian Schedenig 8,192]

Murphy has been back on track since the excellent POA.

Marian -

[Incanus 5,714]

I think a lot of that percussion was added afterward and was not part of Williams' original intentions. Like the soft DotF Sanskrit chants in TPM.

John- who prefers the OST, lighter on percussion versions of those cues

I prefer those added Sith chants in TPM, one of the better music editorial decisions in that film. Some of the added percussion in ROTS is better in some cues than in others. And Williams used quite a few percussion overdubs in ROTS if I remember correctly. And they were clearly his intention. Not all but in numerous cues.

POA was a stellar job by Murphy. He should try to keep that sound in his recordings.

[A24 4,331]

POA was a stellar job by Murphy. He should try to keep that sound in his recordings.

I don't think it works that way, Incanus. A recordist will look for an appropriate sound to match the film. An intimate film needs a more intimate sound, etc.

[Incanus 5,714]

POA was a stellar job by Murphy. He should try to keep that sound in his recordings.

I don't think it works that way, Incanus. A recordist will look for an appropriate sound to match the film. An intimate film needs a more intimate sound, etc.

Totally agreed but for some reason e.g. 2002 Williams scores were missing little Oomph in their sound. And perhaps the most lifeless sound in recent Williams score is Patriot. Though you can't blame sound recordist for the missing of Oomph all the time. The Oomph might be also missing from the score.

[A24 4,331]

And perhaps the most lifeless sound in recent Williams score is Patriot.

Well, Shawn must've felt his life pouring out of him while he was watching this film. I can't blame him.

[Incanus 5,714]

And perhaps the most lifeless sound in recent Williams score is Patriot.

Well, Shawn must've felt his life pouring out of him while he was watching this film. I can't blame him.

LOL Most definitely.

[Josh500 1,615]

That time off Williams took in 2003 seems to have helped Murphy more than anyone else. Since PoA the scores have been sounding much better than the '00-'02 ones.

Well, I guess that's because John Williams realized that too and went for a few scores (SS, CoS) without him. Then Shawn really pulled himself together, so John would have a reason to call him back.

[Antineutrino 0]

Let's face it, Shawn Murphy on a bad day is still better than Dan Wallin on a bad day.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Moonraker still sounds better then A.I.

[Antineutrino 0]

But A.I. sounds much better than Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I'm sorry, if you believe that then you are either deaf or stupid.

TLC has very good sound, some people just seem to forget that it's a smaller orchestra then the first 2 Indiana Jones films.

[A24 4,331]

It is? I didn't know that. The sound is very good.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Well it's an 85 piece orchestra, certainly not small, but I've always assumed the other scores for the other 2 (particulary TOD) were bigger.

[Antineutrino 0]

TLC sounds good?!?!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Yeah, what is wrong with it, exactly?

[Ollie 1,059]

Temple if Doom was recorded in Los Angeles but I don't know the size of the orchestra. But I agree the TLC sounds thinner than the first two.

[Antineutrino 0]

I agree with Mark. TLC sounds "thin", especially for a 1989 recording. TOD sounds much better.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I don't think the smaller sound has anything to do with the recording.

TOD was a HUGE and loud score that had everything and the kitchen sink.

TLC is a more refined score.

[Antineutrino 0]

But TLC also had some action music and I don't think that it sounds nearly as good as TOD. This is the first time I read that somebody actually likes the TLC recording.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I really don't see what is wrong with it.

[John Crichton 4]

I prefer those added Sith chants in TPM, one of the better music editorial decisions in that film.

Totally agree. The only bad ones are in the cue where Amidala confronts Nute Gunray in the throne room towards the end of the battle.

John- who has no problems with the sound of LC

[Ollie 1,059]

I really don't see what is wrong with it.

Oh there's nothing wrong with it just sounds a little thinner.

[Mattris 416]

TLC was recorded and edited/mixed in the analog domain, as was Schindler's List - maybe just to give them an "older" sound.

A = analog

D = digital

On the CD packaging you'll see the "AAD". If I understand correctly, the first letter is how the orchestra was recorded; the second, to do with the editing; and the third, the method in which the final tracks were transfered to the CD. Does that make sense?

Matt, who thinks the trombone section in TLC could have had a stronger sound

[A24 4,331]

All three Indiana Jones CDs are analog recordings.

AAD: analog recording, analog mixing, digital transfer

ADD: analog recording, digital mixing, digital transfer

DDD: digital recording, digital mixing, digital transfer

TLC was recorded and edited/mixed in the analog domain, as was Schindler's List - maybe just to give them an "older" sound.

Analog doesn't sound older, if anyting, analog sounds fatter (not thinner) because of analog distortion, often referred to as "warmth".

----------------

Alex Cremers

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

All three Indiana Jones CDs are analog recordings.

Alex, what is your source for this?

According to the LP I own, TOD is digital.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

I think TOD sounds great, and LC sounds great, its just that I prefer TOD. TOD is a top 10 JW score, or top 15.

[A24 4,331]

The first one is too old to be digital and the third one says so on the CD. Temple of Doom might indeed be digital. However, the CD gives us no info. Usually, in those days, they took every chance they got to advertise it as digitally recorded. People believed that only digital recordings were good. Today people know better and the three letter codes are seldom used.

[Marian Schedenig 8,192]

TLC sounds good?!?!

TLC sounds fine. Not stellar, but fine. AI, on the other hand, is among the worst-sounding CDs I've ever heard.

And speaking of A/D differences, I still fail to see what point there is in a DAD recording? I.e. a digital recording transferred to analogue media for mixing or whatever, and then back to the digital domain for release.

Marian - who thinks the hiss on Red October was absolutely unnecessary.

[nightscape94 965]

Well, digital recording was first done in the mid to late 70s, but more as an experiment, I have no idea when they started to do it commercially.

Tim

[Marian Schedenig 8,192]

I think labels started switching to digital recordings around 1983. At least that seems to be when Deutsche Grammophone made the switch. And those early digital recordings sound clearly inferior to their 60s/70s recordings remastered on the Originals series.

Marian - who doesn't really know about other labels.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

I've had this CD since 1985, its one of the first I ever got. Songs from the Big Chair by Tears for Fears was my very 1st ever CD purchase.

It was indeed digital, as you can clearly see.

[Damo 0]

Hey since when did Shawn Murphy started working for John Williams? I mean the recordings for John williams music.

[nightscape94 965]

I believe Empire of the Sun was the first Williams score for which he was credited as score mixer.

Tim

[Damo 0]

Shawn Murphy, back on track! and He's been doing well lately, Memoirs, Munich and WOTW all sounded very crisp and clear, and I don't have any huge complaints about ROTS.

Thats good that means the score for Indiana Jones IV is gonna be very good.

[A24 4,331]

I believe Empire of the Sun was the first Williams score for which he was credited as score mixer.

However, the album was remixed by Armin Steiner.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Armin Steiner

didn't he play Quark?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Armin Shimerman played Quark on DS9.

Armin Steiner mixed the CD release of the DS9 pilot.

[Trent B 337]

Armin Shimmerman played Quark on DS9.

Actually it's "Shimerman"

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

The first one is too old to be digital

No, filmscores were recorded digitally as early as 1978 or 78.

But since Raiders was done in London, it's mkost likely good old analogue.

Temple of Doom might indeed be digital. However, the CD gives us no info. Usually, in those days, they took every chance they got to advertise it as digitally recorded. People believed that only digital recordings were good. Today people know better and the three letter codes are seldom used.

Well this is true, the CD of Star Trek II says Digital Recording, however a Star trek Compilation CD from 1991 states that TWOK was AAD.

In the 80's they printed the world DIGITAL on just about any audio device, preferably as big as possible.

I've owned tape recorders from those days that were DIGITAL.