# How were they able to record orchestras in the old Disney classics?



## Abdulrahman (Nov 9, 2020)

Any article or video online that goes behind the musical scores of the classic Disney animated films like Snow White, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, and Lady and the Tramp?
I'm talking about the orchestral recordings specifically and how was it done. I believe they were all written by the same film composer, Oliver Wallace.


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## wst3 (Nov 9, 2020)

Not sure about those, but there was an excellent video about the recording of Fantasia. The soundtrack was recorded by the Philadelphia Orchestra, so it was definitely a one-off, but the techniques used were probably similar to recordings made in LA.

At the moment I am unable to find that video, I will keep looking.


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## ChrisSiuMusic (Nov 9, 2020)

Abdulrahman said:


> Any article or video online that goes behind the musical scores of the classic Disney animated films like Snow White, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, and Lady and the Tramp?
> I'm talking about the orchestral recordings specifically and how was it done. I believe they were all written by the same film composer, Oliver Wallace.


That's a super interesting question..I don't know the answer! But those are some beautiful scores.


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## Abdulrahman (Nov 9, 2020)

wst3 said:


> At the moment I am unable to find that video, I will keep looking.


Thank you!


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## Ashermusic (Nov 9, 2020)

My friend David Raiklen knows a _ton_ about film music history, so I turned to him for answers:

David:
Snow White was recorded at Hyperion Studios. (see pic)

From Rick at Disney:
Stage A was originally built as a scoring stage. Pinocchio was still in production when the staff moved to Burbank in 1940, so it is likely that Pinocchio may have been the first project to have been recorded on the stage. Many projects were scored there including Sleeping Beauty, Mary Poppins, and the Mickey Mouse Club.
Stage A transitioned from a Scoring Stage to a Mixing Stage in 1987.

David:
Fantasia was scored at a RKO stage at Culver Studios.
Disney continued to use other stages, and in 1958 Lqdy and the Tramp was recorded in Berlin!


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## Mike Marino (Nov 9, 2020)

This doesn't answer your question directly but does give you some insight of how many of the behind-the-scenes parts worked together:




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Soundworks Collection


Taking you behind the scenes and straight to the dub stage for a look into audio post-production for feature films, video game sound design, and original soundtrack composition.




soundworkscollection.com


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## robcs (Nov 9, 2020)

ChrisSiuMusic said:


> That's a super interesting question..I don't know the answer! But those are some beautiful scores.





wst3 said:


> Not sure about those, but there was an excellent video about the recording of Fantasia. The soundtrack was recorded by the Philadelphia Orchestra, so it was definitely a one-off, but the techniques used were probably similar to recordings made in LA.
> 
> At the moment I am unable to find that video, I will keep looking.



this one?


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## doctoremmet (Nov 9, 2020)

I think the LA based pretty legendary Sunset Sound Studios was started in an old garage by an ex Disney recording engineer, with some actual seed money from Walt, who decided he did not want to have his own audio recording people anymore. Maybe read into some of that history too. This must have been later though, I’m guessing late fifties.

Later artists such as The Doors, Les Zep, Beach Boys and Vanhalen recorded there. But as stated I thínk a couple of Disney scores started it all there.


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## Abdulrahman (Nov 10, 2020)

Ashermusic said:


> My friend David Raiklen knows a _ton_ about film music history, so I turned to him for answers:
> 
> David:
> Snow White was recorded at Hyperion Studios. (see pic)
> ...


Incredible! That's kind of you turning to your friend to get answers for me 
I would be glad to read a full article written by your friend about the history of Disney recordings. It's truly fascinating to know how were they able to do it back in the days.

I don't what came to me, but I started re-watching those classics again. I can't believe how many years it's been. I purchased a bulk of Disney classics from iTunes and can't stop watching them now.

The animation, the storytelling, the voice casting, the special effects, and the music... it is absolutely Incredible! Way ahead of their time. Pure creativity!

And those are some top pro musicians to perform such difficult scores. Even the orchestration is so rich and colorful. I don't even know how the composer was able to sync his music with the picture without today's technology.


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## Abdulrahman (Nov 10, 2020)

Mike Marino said:


> This doesn't answer your question directly but does give you some insight of how many of the behind-the-scenes parts worked together:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I will certainly watch that video. Thank you!


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## dzilizzi (Nov 10, 2020)

Stephen Limbaugh said:


> Imagine having to put on a tie before setting up microphones...


Crawling around taping down cables, the dry cleaning bills alone would have been pricey. Most men's suits back then were dry clean only. (Still are for the most part)


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## rudi (Nov 10, 2020)

Some interesting information about sound recording and "Fantasound" here:









Fantasia (1940 film) - Wikipedia







en.wikipedia.org









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Fantasound - Wikipedia







en.wikipedia.org


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## bryla (Nov 10, 2020)

Abdulrahman said:


> . I don't even know how the composer was able to sync his music with the picture without today's technology.


They used streamers and punches back then.


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## Mike Marino (Nov 10, 2020)

Not the early films you're after but here's a look inside the recording session for Lilo & Stitch with Silvestri:


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## wst3 (Nov 25, 2020)

robcs said:


> this one?


That's not the video I was thinking of, but it is good, and it does mention that the majority of the music was recorded at the Philadelphia Academy of Music. Wish I could have been there. If you see pictures you will see a bunch of RCA microphones, they were made across the river. Coincidence?


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## KerrySmith (Nov 25, 2020)

Abdulrahman said:


> I will certainly watch that video. Thank you!



and there goes the defense of the panning/placement of instrument sample libraries using "orchestral placement". 

Of course, these films were likely in Mono anyway..?


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## juniorhifikit2 (Nov 25, 2020)

Mike Marino said:


> Not the early films you're after but here's a look inside the recording session for Lilo & Stitch with Silvestri:



That was a treat! I've never actually used streamers. What do you folks use to add those to the reference video?


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## bryla (Nov 25, 2020)

Digital Performer and the app Streamers does it.


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## KerrySmith (Nov 25, 2020)

juniorhifikit2 said:


> That was a treat! I've never actually used streamers. What do you folks use to add those to the reference video?


I run my video in Video Slave Pro, which allows you to add punches and streamers, as well as Visual TimeCode.


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## JonS (Nov 25, 2020)

Stephen Limbaugh said:


> Probably worth noting: Some of those early Disney melodies are lifted from Tchaikovsky and Liszt. Even _Beauty and the Beast_ has Mahler's 3rd in it.


You could say the same thing about John Williams...


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## styledelk (Nov 25, 2020)

The Fantasound stuff is fascinating, as is the recording directly to film before magnetic tape. Amazing how the convergance of WWII both negatively affected Fantasia, and ultimately positively contributed to its re-releases through the adoption of German tape tech 'acquired' in the war.


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