# Junkie XL: Batman v. Superman Fight Cue



## Letis (May 5, 2017)

Great new episode from Junkie XL:


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## jononotbono (May 5, 2017)

Loved this one!


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## James Marshall (May 5, 2017)

It could definitely have done with a few more tracks...


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## MarcelM (May 5, 2017)

yes, very nice video. but still i would be even more interested if he would also go into the mixing of this peace


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## John Busby (May 5, 2017)

it's silly....but a handful of years ago i thought to myself - "can i really take seriously a guy that calls himself 'Junkie XL'?"

yea....

i've eaten my words many times since then...
Tom is the man!


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## Anders Bru (May 5, 2017)

Great video. Personally, I love the Batman v Superman soundtrack (picked it up on vinyl last week, actually). Surprised to see just how much sound-design stuff he has! Layers and layers of weird sound.


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## Letis (May 5, 2017)

What I like the most is his willingness to share his experiences and his knowledge. This is not a commercial thing, his channel is not even monetarized. But the time he sacrifices to produce these videos shows his openness and his generosity. Thanks to Tom.


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## Hugh Harrer (May 5, 2017)

It's interesting to see the kind of things he layers.
It would be nice if - after soloing, say, a bass or synth line, he would then immediately play that one section all together.
It would make clearer the role of the soloed section in the whole.


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## Puzzlefactory (May 7, 2017)

I'm surprised he's got so many drum sounds stacked on top of each other. 

Surely that would create a lot of frequency overlap and therefore redundancy in the sound...?

It's the sort of thing I used to do when writing dance music. I would try to create the perfect snare by stacking lots of samples on top of each other and then found that I had pretty much the same sound by deleteing all but two of the samples....


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## jonathanparham (May 7, 2017)

I wonder how much mixing he has to do before presenting this to the client


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## Nathanael Iversen (May 7, 2017)

It is amazing how much the sound design adds to the emotion of otherwise simple orchestral parts. This video underscores how different film music is from concert work. In some ways, the synth sound design elements allow a very specific emotional color to be added without disturbing the orchestra. He certainly worked very hard on that cue! So many custom samples and sounds!


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## Rctec (May 7, 2017)

jonathanparham said:


> I wonder how much mixing he has to do before presenting this to the client


None. ...or a lot, depending on how you look at it. JXL and I work in very similar ways. We mix while we program. So once the piece has its shape, we'd play it to Zack Snider, our director. We never, ever send music to the cutting room! You need to have your director in your room for the first listen. But the piece is still 'open' and very tweekable... obviously, this all happens before the orchestra sessions (which is the point of no return and things get Very Expensive...) and then Alan Meyerson or Steve Lipson get to take it further. But Junkie very often just mixes things himself now. We both know how to engineer well enough - as really any musician, especially writing in a hybrid style should - but I'm slower than him and I like the extra ideas and set of ears I can get from a great recording engineer. We actually have a standard that JXL has defined with the dubstage, so our sessions plug straight into the film - console.
Our systems are fairly interchangeable as far as workflow is concerned. Plus, we are both terrible synth collectors and share a lot of gear and we love doing our own samples. Or building instruments. Obsessive might be the word....it's not a job, it's a passion!


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## Puzzlefactory (May 7, 2017)

It's a shame there weren't more videos like this "deconstructing a cue" in your masterclass @Rctec...


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## Rctec (May 8, 2017)

Puzzlefactory said:


> It's a shame there weren't more videos like this "deconstructing a cue" in your masterclass @Rctec...


We might add that later... I needed to test the waters and see what people where interested in. I left out really serious synth stuff since Deadmouse was already doing his version. ...and I knew JXL was at it. But I realize now that I should do a serious tech class. It's been nearly 40 years of refining systems...


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## jononotbono (May 8, 2017)

Rctec said:


> We might add that later... I needed to test the waters and see what people where interested in. I left out really serious synth stuff since Deadmouse was already doing his version. ...and I knew JXL was at it. But I realize now that I should do a serious tech class. It's been nearly 40 years of refining systems...



The JXL Video Series has been brilliant so far and to be honest I can't believe it is free and have learnt so much from the videos (it's actually made me figure out how to do a lot of stuff that isn't necessarily shown in his videos but made me think "How is he doing this?"). I would have easily have paid for it so if you did a tech class that would be really great.


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## Puzzlefactory (May 8, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> The JXL Video Series has been brilliant so far and to be honest I can't believe it is free and have learnt so much from the videos (it's actually made me figure out how to do a lot of stuff that isn't necessarily shown in his videos but made me think "How is he doing this?"). I would have easily have paid for it so if you did a tech class that would be really great.




Yeah me too. I loved the "writing for strings" and "furioso" videos, where he goes from piano sketch to fully fledged string section. I found them reallly useful. 

It's also why I watched so many of Daniel James's videos. Not so much for the libaray reviews, but to see the tracks deconstructed on screen.


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## AlexanderSchiborr (May 8, 2017)

Don´t know that guy, only the name from here, but he is supposed to be a composer or sound designer? Most of the stuff is non musical for me and so I ask.


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## jononotbono (May 8, 2017)

AlexanderSchiborr said:


> but he is supposed to be a composer or sound designer?



Both. It's all music.


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## tokatila (May 8, 2017)

Well, this is exactly what I would have hoped HZ Masterclass had been (+even more engineering).

Let's really hope that HZ-part 2 actually realizes.


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## ontracktuts (May 8, 2017)

Very interesting his use of sound design elements. When you listen to it without knowing is easy to mis these parts. But when he shows you them and you lsten again to the track, it takes it to a whole new level. Very awesome video. Thanks JXL!


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## zvenx (May 8, 2017)

Letis said:


> What I like the most is his willingness to share his experiences and his knowledge. This is not a commercial thing, his channel is not even monetarized. But the time he sacrifices to produce these videos shows his openness and his generosity. Thanks to Tom.



Huge +1.
Between him, and 'our' own Charlie Clouser and Hans Zimmer, the education for me is very very informative/instructive. 
rsp


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## Musicam (May 8, 2017)

Letis said:


> Great new episode from Junkie XL:



Whats the name of his keyboard?


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## Puzzlefactory (May 8, 2017)

Musicam said:


> Whats the name of his keyboard?



NI Komplete Kontrol S-88


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## Musicam (May 8, 2017)

Thanks! Expensive?


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## Musicam (May 8, 2017)

I need a similar keyboard. Can you suggest me a keyboard like this?


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## Puzzlefactory (May 8, 2017)

Dunno really. Have only ever used one 88 key controller and that's the s-88.

Oxygen 88 looks like a cheaper alternative although I have no idea how good it is.


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## SymphonicSamples (May 8, 2017)

Just finished watching the episode, there's so much to appreciated and admire about Tom Holkenborg. For me he's one of few film composers who's orbiting just the right modem day distance from the Sun ( The Sun being where Beethoven Bach and all the greats exist in my musical solar system ) , he has a wonderful blend of composition, technology , knowledge , sound design, production, instinct , and to die for synth collection. And to be able to look over his shoulders as it were and share the process is very interesting indeed, and a lot of food for thought. Looking forward to seeing more


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## AdamKmusic (May 8, 2017)

Musicam said:


> Thanks! Expensive?


£700 or so I think, not sure about in $


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## pranitkhedekar (May 8, 2017)

Musicam said:


> Thanks! Expensive?


999$


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## John Busby (May 8, 2017)

the sound design and orchestration is one thing, but how does he keep up with 200-300 + tracks like this in just (1) cue??
it's unbelievable to me! i get lost with 50-100 tracks and how to mix them accordingly
Tom, you're a freak dude.....
and i love you


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## jonathanparham (May 8, 2017)

Rctec said:


> None. ...or a lot, depending on how you look at it. JXL and I work in very similar ways. We mix while we program. So once the piece has its shape, we'd play it to Zack Snider, our director. We never, ever send music to the cutting room! You need to have your director in your room for the first listen. But the piece is still 'open' and very tweekable... obviously, this all happens before the orchestra sessions (which is the point of no return and things get Very Expensive...) and then Alan Meyerson or Steve Lipson get to take it further. But Junkie very often just mixes things himself now. We both know how to engineer well enough - as really any musician, especially writing in a hybrid style should - but I'm slower than him and I like the extra ideas and set of ears I can get from a great recording engineer. !


Cool. Thanks for taking the time to answer. I enjoyed your master class as well


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## artur (May 9, 2017)

Letis said:


> What I like the most is his willingness to share his experiences and his knowledge. This is not a commercial thing, his channel is not even monetarized. But the time he sacrifices to produce these videos shows his openness and his generosity. Thanks to Tom.



Tom shows the real thing rather than talking bullshit like...


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