I wanted to create a cue that had both percussive “heft” as well as an off-kilter feel. So I went to an odd meter (7/4) and toyed with several types of “split” of the bar, with the 4+3 split emerging as the base. Various textures move through to keep the novelty of the odd meter from wearing off too quickly (at least I hope so). There’s also a bit of extra grit, using some subtle and not-so-subtle distortion on many instruments across the mix.

This cue is about turning a dulcimer instrument into something more other-worldly. I was playing with the Yamaha REV-X Reverb that comes built into the MR816CSX interface, which I’m still taking through its paces. I really like the ability to not only use the reverb for standard “room” emulation, but also as a transformational effect. It’s a double-bonus to have all the control of a plug-in, but the reverb is processed with a DSP chip inside the audio interface – freeing up the computer for other forms of audio mayhem. Fun stuff.

This cue is the result of a range of sonic experiments with a variety of synthesizers that I have in the arsenal.