Introduction

Welcome to the Fascinating World of Film Music!

My name is Chris Malone and, although an IT professional by qualification, I have a keen interest in audio engineering and orchestral music composed for films. This site commenced life in 1997 as a means of promoting film scores and the engineers that recorded them. During a period of approximately three years, scores including Star Wars, Alien, North by Northwest and After the Fox were reviewed here and promoted on Flinders University student radio. The site lay dormant for the first few years of the new millennium however has been reactivated to focus specifically on the technical aspects of recording film music. The rather mundane look and feel is somewhat intentional and should provide welcome respite from the flashy extravaganzas that we are generally subjected to!

I work as a Senior Applications Architect and Customer Relationship Manager for Loftus IT. In my career I have designed software for state and local governments as well as the commercial sector, including ERP systems. I have also performed business analysis activities for government and private entities and I am available to assist with your next IT project. My profile will provide you with a snapshot of my professional background and project experience.

More recently I have assisted some of the film music record labels in preparing materials for CD release. A brief of my film music engineering experience can be viewed here.

Articles, Analyses and Commentary

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Auditioning Audio System Components

To my ears, Steve Hoffman's moniker on a CD makes his mastering the definitive version to own. As my collection of his work has grown, I have recognised the extra effort that Hoffman makes to produce lively, accurate and engaging sound. One crucial factor is the careful selection of tape machine to ensure optimal signal retrieval. I am somewhat surprised to learn that many recordings need nothing other than a faithful transfer to the digital domain -- especially given that other mastering engineers seem to needlessly degrade the quality with computerised tools. Hoffman goes for the right tone via the purest possible route.

I have four pieces of music that I use to audition sound system components. For me these demo tracks are the equivalent of audio nirvana:

DCC GZS-1127 showcases: transparent imaging; silky, warm and palpable vocals; and excellent dynamics. This one is well worth the financial investment. DCC GZS-1132 showcases: stunning vocal clarity and intimacy; brilliant use of stereo miking and delay; every instrument sounds real and has a tangible, lifelike timbre. "Time" was not mastered by Steve Hoffman.

Links to Other Resources