2 score clips are up on Ottman's site: http://www.johnottman.com/projects/features/xmen2/

Look for more soon, including scoring session video and (hopefully) exclusive cues NOT on the soundtrack release......

Dan

Boo!

Ah hell, I can wait until Tuesday......for this to download!

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Originally posted by Shaun Rutherford:
Thanks.....for the slow download!

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No prob! I guess the IP limiter is workin!

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Originally posted by PeterK:
Who's the recording engineer?

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Digial Recordist: Kevin Globerman
Recordist: John Rodd
Engineer: Bill Talbott
Assistant Engineer: Tom Hardisty

--Brian

Thanks for the clips! If it's at all possible, I've become even more excited about seeing the film and getting the score.

quote:

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Originally posted by PeterK:
Who's the recording engineer?

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quote:

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Originally posted by PeterK:
Who's the recording engineer?

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Perhaps my friend Dan forgot about who was sitting at the center of the console. I'm Casey Stone and I was the scoring mixer on X2. "Engineer" Bill Talbot is the stage's chief tech, technical engineer. He of course is a vital person on the team, but I was the main "recording engineer" in common record biz parlance.

Just wanted to clear that up. There are a few pictures from the session at my website http://www.caseystone.com/ Click on "pics" at the bottom of the page.

-Casey Stone

Welcome to MovieMusic! I'm really pumped to hear what you guys put together!

Congrats on doing a great film too from what I've been told.

--Brian

Casey, of course I didn't forget about you. Peter asked who the engineer was, not the mixer. I suppose I took him literally, as I'm prone to doing. But with Peter, it's quite fatal to second-guess and presume to know what he's really asking!

Jeff

quote:

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Originally posted by caseystone:
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size=1 face=arial>quote:</font><HR size=1>Originally posted by PeterK:
[b]Who's the recording engineer?<HR size=1></BLOCKQUOTE>

Perhaps my friend Dan forgot about who was sitting at the center of the console. I'm Casey Stone and I was the scoring mixer on X2. "Engineer" Bill Talbot is the stage's chief tech, technical engineer. He of course is a vital person on the team, but I was the main "recording engineer" in common record biz parlance.

Just wanted to clear that up. There are a few pictures from the session at my website http://www.caseystone.com/ Click on "pics" at the bottom of the page.

-Casey Stone

[Message edited by caseystone on 04-26-2003][/B]

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I've read a review of the score to to X2, which mentioned that the recording sounds "sterile", and "Over-Dampened"

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"...a somewhat over-dampened recording hindered the orchestral sections (and the strings in particular) from expressing the vibrant power that the score probably possessed before mixing."

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Why is it, despite Singer himself dismissing the rumour a couple of weeks ago, that so many continue to believe this film is subtitled 'X-Men United'? I have trouble with journalists often failing to do their research...

Can't say I agree with any comment that the mixing was sterile. In the movie certainly, I found it vast and expansive and I've cause to believe the mastering job for the CD will yield similar feelings.

Dan (UK)

Most promotional materials like tv spots and posters tend to read X-Men 2, and on screen in the movie all you get is X2 (that's all I got at the start 10 days ago anyhow!)...

Glancing at the CD cover may have helped those over at filmtracks too.

Dan (UK)

X2: X-Men United

The fact that it shows up nowhere in the FILM is, of course, irrelevant.

As for the sound mix, all I know is that in my CD player "Magneto's Old Tricks" and "If You Really Knew" sound kick-ass.

Damn. And I wanted a sequel to THAT movie.

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Originally posted by TimT:
Do you have any respone to that?

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Well, I guess I have to get used to taking criticism! I think the "sterile" sentence was regarding the composition, but the "somewhat over-dampened recording" clearly is for me.

I disagree with both statements, naturally. I'm not entirely sure what he means by "over-dampened;" to me that could be referring to the overall brightness of the sound, punchiness of the sound, or reverb/ambience of the sound. All of these elements are certainly a matter of taste and I am pleased with the way X-2 sounds. I'm always interested in hearing opinions and I constantly strive to improve the quality of my work.

Yesterday I picked up "Star Wars Episode 2: Attack of the Clones" to see what Williams via Shawn Murphy is sounding like these days. As expected, it sounds nice! My aesthetic is a little different; I tend to start with a natural sound and try to make it bigger, more weighty. I think my stuff tends to have a little more booty, but not as much brightness -- I don't like it to sound at all hyped or shrill (NOT to say that Clones does).

The room has a lot to do with the sound you end up with. For example, Abbey Road (Star Wars) is brighter and has more natural reverberation. Fox is a great and easily-controlled room, but doesn't have much decay in the ambience. Just for fun I read the review of the "Episode 2" CD from that same website. It had this comment on the sound:

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mixed with a touch of excessive muting. It's a Star Wars score, for goodness sake, so give it some reverberation!"

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I guess I'm in good company in taking this criticism.

Hmm. I guess I did have a response to that!

"A big plus this outing is longtime Singer collaborator John Ottman, who performs the dual functions of editor and composer of a rousing, full-throttle score that really drives the movie."

Ain't that great?

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Originally posted by Bond1965:
Ain't that great?

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Yup! John was very thrilled with that review. Hopefully the Variety review will be on par......

Now, reading his previous comment about the Star Wars score leads me to assume that he doesn't hear anything wrong, but I know I'm not that only one who thinks that something must've happened to Murphy (maybe the Horner "dismissal?") to create such a drastic change in his sound quality. I mean, listen to something like Hook, Seven Years In Tibet, or Jurassic Park, then listen to Unbreakable or The Patriot. Wha' happened?

Is it digital technology that makes a score like Unbreakable sound WORSE than a score like Close Encounters, which is 23 years older?

Please help me understand!

quote:

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Originally posted by Crono/Kyp:
Don't bagger Casey you guys.

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Would that be like Bagger Vance?
"I hear you lost your swing. I guess we got to go find it."

Or do you mean badger?

While Shaun is cleaning his ears, maybe you should be doing some reading.....?

Dan

I think I have a copy of Jurassic Park, so perhaps when I have a chance I'll compare that with the "Clones" CD I just bought.

I will, however, say that I don't think technology is generally to blame or to praise for the sound. I, as a mixer, have much more of an influence on the sound than the equipment I use does. Not that the gear doesn't make any difference, just not that much. Digital gear probably had a somewhat negative effect on the sound when it first came on the scene, but today I feel that the latest Pro-Tools HD sounds as good as Analog tape machines.

As a side note, an amusing way to compare some of my work to some of Shawn's is to pick up "The Tuxedo" CD which is half Christophe Beck engineered by myself and half John Debney engineered by Shwan Murphy. We did our stuff at Fox and they did their stuff at Todd AO. Every session is different, of course.

From what mixers do you consistently hear good things these days (all may reply)?

quote:

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Originally posted by Shaun Rutherford:
Maybe Casey can explain to us (or just me) what happened with Shawn Murphy. Just about every single one of his recordings from about 1998 on just sound like hell.

Now, reading his previous comment about the Star Wars score leads me to assume that he doesn't hear anything wrong, but I know I'm not that only one who thinks that something must've happened to Murphy (maybe the Horner "dismissal?") to create such a drastic change in his sound quality. I mean, listen to something like Hook, Seven Years In Tibet, or Jurassic Park, then listen to Unbreakable or The Patriot. Wha' happened?

Is it digital technology that makes a score like Unbreakable sound WORSE than a score like Close Encounters, which is 23 years older?

Please help me understand!

Shaun

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Robert Fernandez (Swordfish)
Dennis Sands (Planet of the Apes)
Bruce Botnick (Hollow Man)
Shawn Murphy (Jeepers Creepers)
John Kurlander (Blade II)
Armin Steiner (Road to Perdition)

...and of course (not to be kissing butt) Casey Stone (Eight Legged Freaks) Great recording!

-Matt

quote:

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Originally posted by caseystone:

From what mixers do you consistently hear good things these days (all may reply)?

[Message edited by caseystone on 04-27-2003]

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Well recently the only two recordings I've been imressed with are:
The Scorpion King,recored by David Marquette and was mixed by Shawn Murphy. The sonics of the orchestra are remarkable, though the choir may be a tad under-mixed.

quote:

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Originally posted by TimT:
And Spy Kids, recorded and mixed by Marin County.

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Wow! A whole county recorded and mixed the score??

(Somehow, I think the words "Skywalker Ranch" need to be put in there somewhere.....)

quote:

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Originally posted by dgoldwas:
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size=1 face=arial>quote:</font><HR size=1>Originally posted by TimT:
[b]And Spy Kids, recorded and mixed by Marin County.<HR size=1></BLOCKQUOTE>

Wow! A whole county recorded and mixed the score??

(Somehow, I think the words "Skywalker Ranch" need to be put in there somewhere.....)

Dan[/B]

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