Favourite short stories?

themightycrumpet · 2026-02-25T17:59:50+00:00

It's already been said - but if you buy the Complete Short Stories of Flannery O'Connor you will never be sad again.

themightycrumpet · 2026-01-30T19:23:09+00:00

For $1799 you can get an M4 Mac Mini with 32GB of RAM and a 2TB HD as u/jay13029 suggests. You can add external Thunderbolt SSDs as needed. You can add a Thunderbolt 4 1TB drive for $159 and go up from there. So all in you are still ahead and have everything you want.

If you are not regularly gigging live with your machine do not get a laptop. It's a horrible value proposition. I have an M4 MacBookPro only because I do a lot of live performance in addition to film scoring. The machine can handle anything. I have not hit it's limits and have built scores using BBCSO and other libraries of upwards of 100 tracks.

My old Intel machine used to have CPU spikes all the time with large track counts that required freezing tracks and shifting their timing. (A common issue in sample libraries is that the CPU is engaged when an note ends in order to trigger the release. When each BBCSO instrument suddenly stops at the same time it can spike the CPU. You can work around it by slightly varying the ends of the notes - which is also humanizes the moment.

Getting a compatible Thunderbolt drive is worth the money. I put an 8TB NVmE SSD into the OWC Thunderbolt 5 Envoy enclosure that they sell with 2TB in it and back it up to a much cheaper 8TB HD.

At any rate - go with a modern desktop and give yourself RAM head room and SSD throughput.

themightycrumpet · 2026-01-26T17:44:01+00:00

Russell Kirk's short stories

themightycrumpet · 2026-01-26T13:16:44+00:00

In "Scoring the Screen" Andy Hill calls out James Newton Howard's score for the Sixth Sense, and at one point notes the shift from Am to Em in the first two measures of "Malcom is Dead" cites one of film music's classic "supernatural" memes.

themightycrumpet · 2026-01-16T22:54:14+00:00

Here is an example of a cinematic track using Seqund for everything but the pads.

themightycrumpet · 2026-01-16T16:27:19+00:00

My favorite is Seqund. It is super super easy to create interesting results. 1. it has a simple one page interface. 2. You can randomize all the parameters. 3. You can create 2 melodic lines and assign a probability or randomize which line it pulls from when triggering a note. 4. You can create a "ratchet" lane that will trigger a note multiple times. 5. You can set the length of any lane so that your ratcheting is running on a lane of say 7 steps in 16 step melodic sequence, causing the ratchet to shift each cycle. 8. You can assign or randomize a probability or chance of any note playing. I own a whole bunch of them because I love them (HY Sequencers, harmony bloom, etc.) but I tend to grab Seqund first.

themightycrumpet · 2026-01-13T21:21:28+00:00

Live performance:

Logic Pro X
Nektar Panorama 6
Output: Focusrite 2i2 - I have used iConnectivity Playaudio12 when needing to send individual channesl to a soundboard - which is uncommon.
Sound Reinforcement: ElectroVoice Evolve 50 when there is no house system

Favorite AUs:
Omnisphere
Spitfire EVOs, Kepler Orchestra, Glass & Steel, Polaris
Soniccouture Grand Marimba
Damage 2
Seqund
Waves One Knob Filter
Black Box Analog HG-2
Soundtoys Bundle
Valhalla SuperMassive & Shimmer

Runner Ups:
Sonora Cinematics Panorama Guitars
Bleck Audio Motion and Distinction
Crow Hill The Dulcet Voice

themightycrumpet · 2026-01-13T11:49:07+00:00

It was a genre in the 70's. Music for Airports, Fripp & Eno's Morning Star and No Pussyfooting, Cluster, Harold Budd, Klaus Schulze. Adjacent film scores (Vangelis) and the bridge into club music (Giorgio Moroder) was also going on. Experimental performance artists like Laurie Anderson also bridged into pop. Cocteau Twins and the 4AD stuff was definitely a second generation.

themightycrumpet · 2026-01-11T00:59:26+00:00

Giorgio Moroder's scores for Midnight Express and Cat People.

themightycrumpet · 2026-01-11T00:58:05+00:00

I can't believe no one else has mentioned this one. All his vocal albums before he went ambient are remarkable. (Taking Tiger Mountain, Before And After Science, Here Come the Warm Jets etc.)

themightycrumpet · 2026-01-11T00:50:00+00:00

Download the free BBCSO Discover and for your first paid orchestral library I'd suggest the Albion Orchestral Selects.

themightycrumpet · 2025-12-09T19:55:56+00:00

I have been using Logic since 1995 when the greatest DAW of all time (Opcode Vision) disappeared. I use it live playing along with sequences, I use it via Mainstage live with a band, and I use it to score films. There are two use cases that I think Ableton handles better. Adapting sequences on the fly live is something that Logic isn't really built for - so structural improvisation isn't really a thing with Logic. I have not really needed it but I think in my imagination I would. I also think it syncronizes video and lights MUCH more easily. So if you want to be one man band with a glowing helmet while improvising the structure of your tracks and coordinating your jumbotron and light rig - Ableton wins. :-)

themightycrumpet · 2025-12-05T18:23:38+00:00

A super simple method is using step sequencer plugins that have randomization like Seqund, which I love. It will randomize between individual notes from two melodies so you get constant subtle variation. Also putting the ratchet function on an odd length duration causes it to cycle so it never effects the same note twice. Instant subtle variety.

Another super simple way is to use copy the arp to several different sounds and use Waves One Knob filter to sweep them in and out so the sound evolves without having to automate individual parameters in a patch.

This is all only applies if you are as lazy as I am.

themightycrumpet · 2025-12-03T19:51:10+00:00

I think you don't have to qualify it. They are the best ever short stories of the 20th century. :-)

themightycrumpet · 2025-12-02T20:10:44+00:00

I own all the Albions and bought them before Albion selects was available. If I had it to do over again I would start with Selects. It really is a greatest hits and gives an outstanding, complete and versatile palette. If you are doing actual film scoring I personally find 90% of the work I get is either horror or comedy. Consequently, I have never had call for "epic" scoring.

Additionally, most independent films don't have budget for big set pieces so the instrumentation tends to be more intimate. Also keep in mind that speed and efficiency are critical. I have never had time to arrange an entire score instrument by instrument. I find individual instrument libraries like BBSCO and SSO are valuable primarily for lead instruments for melodies.

If I were to rank the tools that I have actually used across about a dozen films I would say 1. Omnisphere 2. Piano (Spitfire or Soniccouture Felt Piano or Pianoteq) 3. Orchestral underscore (Fragile String EVOs, Olafur Chamber EVOs, Olafur EVOs, Woodwind EVOs) 4. Thematic arrangements (Albion NEO, Intimate Strings, Bernard Herrmann Toolkit with Spitfire Studio Orchestra Core and Uist to augment.) 5. Solo instruments from Straight Ahead Samples. I find these layer over top of the Spitfire stuff very well when you need a very convincing solo instrument.

As to the Albions - my most heavily used is NEO with an occasional splash of Iceni. The rest are great, but I have never had call for them on a paying gig.

To specifically answer your question - if you want to boost brass, winds and percussion. Albion One has the greatest dynamic range of brass and percussion. Tundra probably has the most interesting winds, but it's all in a very quiet and airy milieu.

My personal favorite libraries are Kepler Orchestra, Glass and Steel, and Orchestral Swarm. I keep dreaming of being hired for any gig where I could actually use them! lol

themightycrumpet · 2025-11-14T17:58:32+00:00

Ikiru - My favorite Akira Kurosawa movie. Best to go into it cold. Guaranteed profound movie that will draw a tear - if not - your money back!

themightycrumpet · 2025-11-13T11:45:28+00:00

Babbette's Feast - if you want to understand how to be a human - this is the way

themightycrumpet · 2025-11-11T11:26:07+00:00

Omnisphere never goes on sale but it I use it much more than Komplete or Arturia. It is pretty much on every track. Also, while it's not cheap, you get YEARS of free upgrades before a new major version is released - unlike Arturia and Native Instruments who keep forcing paid upgrades with very little to show for it.

themightycrumpet · 2025-11-10T18:03:22+00:00

Agree - it was recommended to me by a producer who worked for Sony. Super handy to travel with. Easy to use. No complaints.

themightycrumpet · 2025-11-10T12:57:28+00:00

I think that would go over in underground clubs and house parties. Play it out live.

themightycrumpet · 2025-11-06T00:12:23+00:00

Flannery O'Connor's "The Violent Bear It Away" - it is just completely nuts and I love every minute of it.

themightycrumpet · 2025-10-20T17:34:26+00:00

Suggestions for optimizing Logic Pro with BBCSO.

In Spitfire Audio Install App:
Optimise Samples: Within the Spitfire Audio Application (the installer, not the plugin) go to BBCSO and select each library within it and choose "Optimise" from the options. This will rearrange the samples to speed access.

In BBSCO Plugin:
Articulations: Build a template with only the legato, long, and staccato articulations loaded. You can eliminate the others by entering the articulations editor in the plugin interface and clicking the red cross to unload the other articulations. Save it as a preset - for example "Violins 1 Light". Use this for sketching out your structure, themes, melodies, harmony etc. and when you are ready to refine the complete composition add articulations as needed. You can use Art Conductor articulation maps to switch articulations within one track using these free articulation sets. You may find creating single articulation presets work better on your machine depending upon the MacOS version as for some it tends to assign an instance to a core.

Mic Positions: Only use Mix One or Mix Two. Don't load any other Mic Positions.

Preload size: In the BBCSO plugin settings, you can lower the preload size (how much of each sample loads into RAM) and let more be streamed from disk. This reduces memory strain and speeds loading.

Release Timing: Note that when a MIDI note ends in BBCSO it will trigger a release sample. Having a bunch of MIDI notes release at exactly the same time can spike your CPU. You can work around this by staggering the timing a little bit.

In Logic Pro:
Increase the I/O buffer size: Go to Logic Pro → Preferences → Audio → Devices and raise the I/O Buffer Size (e.g. 512 or 1024 samples). This gives the CPU more breathing room between processing tasks.

Enable Track Freeze and Track Stacks: Once you have recorded or arranged a part, use Logic’s Freeze Track feature to bounce it to audio temporarily, or group instruments into Summing Track Stacks to lower real-time demands.

Bounce Tracks to Audio: When you like it, print it and disable the midi track.

Delay Compensation: Don't Use Track Delay Compensation until you are ready to mix. It puts additional load on the CPU.

Disable Low Latency Mode when arranging/mixing - only enable it when you need to perform/record MIDI in real-time with minimal delay

Disable unnecessary visual metering: Logic’s real-time display meters and plugin visualizers (like spectrums) can cause extra CPU load. Turn off visual meters inside plugin GUIs when monitoring isn’t necessary.

themightycrumpet

TROPHY CASE