《90年代复古小号》忠实还原了那个孕育了我们许多人童年的神奇年代里所有关于小号和录音的元素。经过深入研究，这个旋律库重现了那些赋予乐谱独特色彩、齐奏和华丽的麦克风和被遗忘的小号演奏技巧。录音于洛杉矶索尼影业的米高梅配乐舞台进行。
令人震惊的是，90年代如今已是遥远的过去。当时许多录音界的巨头都已退休。随着他们被更年轻的同行取代，某些教学和音乐性原则也随之消亡。
在控制室里，虽然许多核心理念保持不变，但现代录音似乎已经发展到使用更干净、带宽更高、音染更少的设备。现在的声音略有不同，有人喜欢，有人鄙视，而大多数人根本没注意到。
去年，在录制一些无关的东西时，一些书呆子突然从文件柜里翻出了用铅笔标记的《侏罗纪公园》录音棚的原始录音回忆表。这张老旧的纸上，记录着当年为这些里程碑式的录音棚录制管弦乐队时所使用的音色。我们的想法很明确——复制这种声音。为了做到这一点，我们竭尽全力，始终参考回忆表，并参考当时在场的一些索尼配乐团队的记忆。
以下是我们采取的步骤：
- 我们租了三支经过改装的 Neumann M50 麦克风，它们在最初的录音棚里用作 Decca Tree 麦克风。它们拥有独特的高端清脆度和透明度，一眼就能辨认出来。这些麦克风大多在 21 世纪初就退役了。我们把回忆表上的所有麦克风都匹配起来，并按照 90 年代的风格进行设置。
- 在控制室里，我们把同样的前置放大器的设置调整到与录音棚墙壁上完全相同的放大器上，直到今天，这些放大器仍然安装在录音棚的墙上。如今，这些设备大多已退役，取而代之的是当时尚未诞生的公司生产的更干净、音色更柔和的信号路径。
- 备受青睐的 Lexicon 480 硬件混响单元已退役，并配备了完全相同的混响音色。这在 90 年代的大多数录音中都堪称"THE"音色——它拥有浓厚的 90 年代风格，而且一眼就能辨认出来。
- 音色方面最引人入胜的部分之一是 Avalon 2055 的使用——这是一款精致的 A 类分立立体声硬件均衡器，它能以最独特、最 Hi-Fi 的方式为高频部分着色。这款设备也已退役，取而代之的是其他母带均衡器，它堪称珍品。正确使用时，它会赋予泛音最闪耀的光泽；使用不当，则会赋予泛音最刺耳的刺耳音色。
时光倒流的音乐之旅
随着时间的推移，小号的许多细微之处都发生了变化。这些变化的综合结果造就了一支更具力量、更厚重、更前卫的现代乐队。90年代的铜管乐器声略显单薄，更加流畅、悦耳，总体上也更加安静。不同的吐音和混音理念受到了青睐。两个乐队的演奏都极具灵活性和力量，只是听起来有所不同。
恢复一些90年代的技巧是这套方案的关键第二部分。
- 1+1+2=4。在90年代，当时德高望重的小号老将们会使用他们各自喜欢的号角演奏，而不是由乐队总管或首席演奏。90年代初，一支一流的四号小号乐团通常由一支降E调号角（由首席演奏）、一支降C调号角（由第二首席演奏）和两支降B调号角（由第三和第四首席演奏）组成。这些喇叭大小不一，在房间里投射出一系列不完美却厚重的泛音——令人难以置信的齐奏音色，如同小提琴声部的混奏。首席用一支较小的喇叭演奏，也为高八度增添了一种不知疲倦、毫不费力的音质。较小的喇叭会损失低音部分的部分重量，但这正是第三和第四把交椅用他们较大的降B调喇叭贡献力量的地方。现代声部通常倾向于使用四支降B调或四支降C调小号。
——那个时代的首席，尤其是在铜管声部，是"阿尔法"号。当时还没有民主声部的概念，即每个演奏者贡献相同比例的声音。首席在全音和弦中声音最大，在分和弦中声音最大，首席的声音略微增强，首席总是在最上面。其他演奏者了解并尊重这一点，反而贡献了一种充满支持性的音色来与首席融合。三支支撑小号和一支穿孔小号的组合是这个时代的主流。此后，这种组合很少被听到。在这个音色库中，我们录制的力度变化都基于这个比例。
90's Retro Trumpets is a faithful emulation of all things trumpet and all things recording from this magical time that crafted many of our childhoods. Thoroughly researched, this melody-making library resurrects the actual microphones and the forgotten trumpet techniques that gave these scores such unique color, tutti, and magnificence. Recorded at the MGM Scoring Stage at Sony Pictures Studios in Los Angeles.
It's shocking that the 90's are now considered a long time ago. Many titans of the session playing world of this period have retired. As they are replaced by their younger colleagues, certain principles of pedagogy and musicality have been retired as well.
In the control room, while many of the central philosophies have remained the same, modern recording seems to have evolved to use cleaner, higher bandwith and less colored gear. It's now a slightly different sound, which some favor, some disdain, and most simply don't notice.
Last year, while recording something unrelated, the original pencil marked Jurassic Park session recall sheets popped up out of the filing cabinet for some nerdy ogling. Right there on this aging paper was the actual recipe used to record the orchestra for these landmark sessions. The vision was clear - replicate this sound. We went to great lengths to do this while always referencing the recall sheet and using the memories of some of the Sony Scoring crew who were actually there.
Here are the steps we took.
- We rented the three exact modified Neumann M50 microphones used as the Decca Tree on the original sessions. They feature a unique hi-end crispness and transparency that is instantly recognizable. These microphones have mostly been retired since the early 2000's. We matched every other microphone on the recall sheet and set them up in 90's fashion.
- In the control room we patched in the exact preamp settings on the exact same preamps that still are mounted on the studio wall to this day. Most of these are now retired and replaced by cleaner and less colored signal paths by companies that weren't created yet at the time.
- The favored Lexicon 480 hardware reverb unit was taken out of retirement and the exact reverb patch was dialed up. This was "THE" patch of the 90's for most of these recordings - it is so 90's sounding and is also instantly recognizable.
- One of the sonically most interesting parts of the recipe is the use of the Avalon 2055 - a delicate Class A discrete Stereo Hardware EQ that colors the high end in the most unique and hi-fi way imaginable. Also retired in favor of other mastering EQs, this box is a gem. When used correctly, it gives the most glossy sheen imaginable on the overtones, and when used incorrectly gives the harshest of harshnesses.
A MUSICAL JOURNEY BACK IN TIME
Over time, many subtle things have changed for trumpets. The combined result of these changes yielded a more powerful, weightier, and forward-sounding modern section. The 90's sound was less brassy, more streamlined, cantabile, and quieter in general. Different tonguing and blending philosophies were favored. Both sections play with great agility or force, they just sounded different.
Restoring some of these 90's techniques was the critical second part of the recipe.
- 1+1+2 = 4. In the 90's, the venerable trumpet veterans of the day played on horns they individually favored instead of a horn dictated by the chart or principal. An A-list 4-trumpet ensemble of the early 90's was often made of one Eb Horn (played by the principal), one C horn (played by the second chair), and two Bb horns (played by third and fourth chairs). The differing sizes of these horns projects an imperfect yet thick series of overtones into the room - incredibly tutti sounding, like the blending of a violin section. Having the principal on a smaller horn also lends a tireless and effortless quality to the high octave. Some weight on the lower notes is lost on a smaller horn, but this is where the third and fourth chairs contribute on their larger Bb horns. Modern sections often tend to favor four Bb or four C trumpets.
- principal players of the age, especially in the brass section, were the alphas. The idea of a democratic section where each player contributes an equal percentage of the sound wasn't a concept yet. The principal was the loudest on a unison, the principal was loudest on a divisi chord, the principal hair-pinned louder, the principal was atop always. The other players knew and respected this, and instead contributed a tone full of supporting qualities to blend with the principal. The combination of three supporting trumpets and one piercing trumpet is a mainstay of this era. It has rarely been heard since. For this library we recorded the dynamics with this ratio in mind.
- Vibrato: When playing tutti, Trumpet Ensembles do not use vibrato. Four trumpets vibrating at different speeds tend to sound more like a mariachi band and less like a classical trumpet section. When vibrato is heard wi |
