# SvK Action Cue



## SvK (Jul 7, 2009)

Hi all, 

This is an action cue I created some time ago...It's a shameless Goldsmith excercise, and dated sounding when compared to say "Bourne Ultimatum", that is I'm not sure if music in this production style could still work in today's films....probably not. So why am I reposting it? I pm'd re-peat and asked him to judge it, as I was very impressed by his work, he liked it and so do I so there ......

Thanx for listening ( all Vienna, TS1, Todd AO, EMT's )

Action Revisited.mp3 ( first file from top )
http://idisk.mac.com/svonkampen-Public?view=web


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## Ned Bouhalassa (Jul 7, 2009)

Great sound!! Love the snare/timp work - you really nailed Goldsmith there. The contemporary techniques are spot on too. 

It does have a very retro feel to it, especially the piano low notes. I found these to get a bit redundant after a while, although they did allow for a break that made the return of the full orchestra more impactful. The sustained high strings reminded me more of Herrmann, I think. I found the last part a bit long, and would have enjoyed a few more surprises/additions there.

Thanks for sharing. =o


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## SvK (Jul 7, 2009)

Ned,

I agree.....thanx!

SvK


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## re-peat (Jul 7, 2009)

SvK,

Listened a few times to this and I think it's near perfect. Really. Apart from the fact that it captures Goldsmith's mid-career style to an amazing degree (if I were told this was some newly discovered and remastered track from one of Goldsmith's 70's scores, I would actually be in serious doubts whether to believe or not), it also sounds incredibly good: completely natural with just the right amount of dynamics, it has a totally convincing (and very Goldsmith-esque) orchestration, it has precisely the right sort of space and openness, ... in short: I couldn't think of anything that might improve it. 
The one thing that maybe stood out a little, is the sound of the piano: to me it sounds a bit as if the piano was either covered with a blanket or it was recorded behind a thick plate of glass or something. There's a slightly muffled and undynamic quality to it and it also lacks the necessary bite and definition to perform the staccato part which you've given it, it seems to me. But that really is the only thing - and it's a very little thing - which I would maybe consider changing. 

One of my favourite moments happens at 1:23 (and following) when the drama seems to intensify and you take the music to another, much higher, temperature: ab-so-lu-te-ly perfect, from a compositional point of view. Just the right type (and amount) of dissonance to fully achieve what you were aiming for, I think.

Masterful.

_


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## careyford (Jul 7, 2009)

SvK,

Thanks for sharing this. I really enjoy this cue. The mix is outstanding and the composition really good as well. 

It does sound retro to me. I guess we've been saturated with the Zimmer/Arnold/Rabin action cues. If you're wanting to try things, what about woodwinds to break up the vamp from 1:20 to 1:56? Maybe runs into the big hits or passing the sustained string idea from strings to ww and back. A WW countermelody that's not overdone might also work, something where they answer or kind of comment on the string line.

Again, really strong cue!

Richard


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## Christian Marcussen (Jul 7, 2009)

I think it sounds great, and fuck retro... It would work great in most action/suspence movies. Any serious suspence movie would be fantatsic with this music.

My favorite part is the fast string motif which starts around 30seks.


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## SvK (Jul 7, 2009)

Piet,

Wow....thanx!.....Now it's time to dig deep and find my voice while still retaining / applying the techniques of my favs (Goldsmith / Herrmann ) AND incorporating modern Absynth, treated Organics, Synthesis techniques........I have this idea in my head.....I love all things Herrmann (the Hitchcock period) The "Esher-like" cascading ever downwards / upwards short motivs phrases.....What would it sound like if that was applied to electronic sources? Probably pretty good, since the basis of electronica is rooted in repetition, trance-like hypnosis........and layering orchestra BEHIND all of that.......

So an updated Herrmann approach using modern Absynth / Reaktor stuff in fore-ground and Orchestra to enhance/thicken all of it.....It's in my head...I'll have to try it..

(and for good measure, odd time signatures ala Goldsmith 

CareyFord....great ideas! Will try them.....

Christian / MadBulk Thanx! means a lot...

SvK


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## Ned Bouhalassa (Jul 7, 2009)

I hear you, Steven, 100% I was just trying some cascading Vertigo-type arpeggios on Hang Drum samples. There are so many possibilities! Go for it!


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## Olias (Jul 7, 2009)

Sound really fantastic. I actually like the piano tone. Sounds odd, but in a way I thought was cool.

FWIW, if you want to post direct links to your pieces (instead of directing people to your iDisk page), you can link like so: http://idisk.mac.com/svonkampen/Public/Action_Revisited.mp3 (http://idisk.mac.com/svonkampen/Public/ ... isited.mp3)


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## SvK (Jul 7, 2009)

Olias....Ahhhhh...got it!

thanx for feedback..really appreciated!


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## SvK (Jul 7, 2009)

I'm feeding the Boesendorfer too much ER........

SvK


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## Dave Connor (Jul 7, 2009)

Love that cue. Nobody has a better sound than SvK. My sound was crap until he graciously helped me (a lot!) A capitol fellow.


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## SvK (Jul 7, 2009)

David...has been teaching me to voice chords, hits, orchestra for some time now....and I've been teaching him mock-up stuff........Dave i WISH I had your music chops  thanx buddy!

SvK


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## SvK (Jul 7, 2009)

thanx again everyone....bye

SvK


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## Dr.Quest (Jul 7, 2009)

"Take your paws off me you [email protected] dirty ape!"
"You blew it up! [email protected]@mn you all to H*ll!"

Love it! [email protected] near perfect! DO NOT change that piano! It's brilliant as it.
Too good!
J


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## schatzus (Jul 7, 2009)

Simpy fantastic... A little dosage of many styles makes it singular and unique... Leave it the way it is... Production is well done as well.
Thanks for sharing!


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## SvK (Jul 7, 2009)

Dr Quest, Schatzus...thanx for props 

SvK


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## stevenson-again (Jul 8, 2009)

> It does have a very retro feel to it, especially the piano low notes. I found these to get a bit redundant after a while, although they did allow for a break that made the return of the full orchestra more impactful. The sustained high strings reminded me more of Herrmann, I think. I found the last part a bit long, and would have enjoyed a few more surprises/additions there.



i couldn't agree with this - though i respect that opinion.

it does sound very slightly retro but these days that almost counts as fresh. it's absolutely fantastic steve - unbelievably well mixed. great composition - the string voicing at the end are perfect. i liked the piano, and felt the end was nice and simple yet sophisticated - that's magic blend - and allowed me to really enjoy the idea. the danger with throwing in surprises is that the music then becomes over-written and too full of ideas....something i do far too often.

2 questions:

1. what reverb technique are you using on the snare? how did you stop it from sounding 'pingy'?

2. man the string figure 2o secs in sul G violins is fantastic. is that vienna? great RR and balance...it really sounds like they are ripping the guts out the instruments for you.


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## SvK (Jul 8, 2009)

Stevenson,

many thanx.......

Snares are all True Strike so verbs are baked in to samples .....I'll share a trick though....stack the distant field drum snare with any of the stage 
position or close position snares, you'll love it.

Also for extra bang on TS1 On accent hits I play the distant concert toms stacked with stage position toms

The fast violins are Vienna Staccato Harsh (VI-14) 

Best,

SvK


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## Waywyn (Jul 8, 2009)

Hey Stephen,

really cool stuff alter! 

I would have one little criticism but this would be almost nitpickin'

I feel the tempo is steady .. I mean sequencer-steady on the constant parts ... I think it would add more life if the tempo slowly varies ... you know like little nuances from e.g. one measure of 116 to 119, then a slight curve back to 113, then next bar 115, then 121, back to 116 to 114 ... then a little rush etc.blablabla ... kinda like every bar or so something new.

I mean to make it short, if you look at the "tempo map" a very tight and steady played orchestral track, you know what I am trying to say ...


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## SvK (Jul 8, 2009)

Alex.....I couldn't agree more..... That "digging" in feeling.....I got lazy...and called it a day as I remember, but you are absolutely correct...Good call....thanx!

SvK


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## NedK (Jul 8, 2009)

Yes, very nice. Great work SvK.


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## SvK (Jul 8, 2009)

NedK, 

I apprciate it....thanx,

SvK


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## gamalataki (Jul 9, 2009)

SvK @ Wed Jul 08 said:


> The fast violins are Vienna Staccato Harsh (VI-14)
> 
> SvK



I searched for these, since I'd really like to have them, but only came up with Orchestral Strings 1. Is buying this collection the only way to get this patch or are these available in a smaller collection too? 
I use the E/W stuff and unless I'm missing something there's nothing like this there.
Thanks,


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## SvK (Jul 9, 2009)

in big collection orch str 1, only
Apass strings1 also have harsh but attack to soft for this application.

SvK


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## SvK (Jul 9, 2009)

why not buy the older KONTAKT 2 edition used...and then you can do whatever you like....

SvK


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## gamalataki (Jul 9, 2009)

Hmm, searching and pm'ing,
Thanks,

btw, can't add anything that hasn't already been said - great ear man.


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## SvK (Jul 9, 2009)

gamalataki....

thanx so much!


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## SvK (Jul 9, 2009)

the best thing about vienna orch strings 1 / 2 are all the short articulations ....lotsa repetitions and soooo many choices...you can do great stuff with them.....harsh Staccato on accents and regular stacc on other beats.....just great things...

SvK


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## shin (Jul 9, 2009)

Great piece of music! Thanks for sharing!


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## SvK (Jul 9, 2009)

Shin,

vielen dank!

Jetzt muss Ich meine eigene Stimme finden 

SvK


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## shin (Jul 9, 2009)

Ah, man spricht deutsch  Die eigene Stimme kommt von ganz alleine unterwegs. Das Stück ist großartig und da ist ja nicht nur Goldsmith drin, sondern auch viel von dir. Du hast es ja schließlich gemacht und du wirst schon deine ganz eigene Mischung aus Goldsmith und Herrmann finden, wenn das für dich die Richtung sein soll. Und du wirst damit etwas Neues schaffen, weil Herrmann + Goldsmith + von Kampen gab's ja vorher nicht.

Die andern Tracks auf deiner Site sind auch hammer. Ich wünschte ich wäre schon so weit 

Keep it coming!!


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## Craig Sharmat (Jul 10, 2009)

Beautiful Mix and nice piece....well done!


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## SvK (Jul 10, 2009)

Craig,

thanx a bunch!

SvK


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## ChrisAxia (Jul 10, 2009)

Wow. This is really excellent! I can understand you spending 10 hours/minute now!!

~Chris


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## JohnG (Jul 10, 2009)

A good piece Steven. And a very good mockup -- must have taken hours...


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## SvK (Jul 10, 2009)

Chris, John thanx.....

SvK


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## Seb (Jul 10, 2009)

> David...has been teaching me to voice chords, hits, orchestra for some time now....and I've been teaching him mock-up stuff....



Okay, is there anything a "contemporary metal production nerd" with lots of recording and production experience on guitars, drums and "more than loud screaming vocals" can teach you in exchange for being taught in "mock-up stuff"? I´m serious! Your sound is awesome and if there´s any way to get you into telling me something about it, I´m in  

This is a great piece dude. I´m arranging a CD-R with stuff I like and want to "suck in" about every week to take it with me to work in my car. Your cue just went on that list. 

Seb


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## SvK (Jul 10, 2009)

Seb...thanx so much!

SvK


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## R. Soul (Jul 11, 2009)

I'm lovin' it. 

Sounds really organic which is not an easy task. Well done. 

Looking forward to hear those Reaktorchestra tunes


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## SvK (Jul 11, 2009)

R. Soul....

Thanx for listening...working on the reaktor stuff 

SvK


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## George Caplan (Jul 12, 2009)

Very reminiscent of Capricorn One. Like Goldsmith and Shire.


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