Novatlan Sound

music for media

Stacks Image 1654
In my personal studio, I work on music in all genres for media productions, specialising on orchestral/electronic hybrid scores as well as concert works. Whenever possible, real instruments are used because the results are just stunning: A single live recorded instrument can inject life into a "canned production“. This tendency has led to a massive library of instruments adorning the shelves around the studio. Everything else comes from an ever-growing array of powerful Virtual Instruments, accessed over network through a custom-fitted orchestral template spread on three machines.

The studio is based around a Cubase/Nuendo rig on a custom PC system with two slaves for hosting Virtual Instruments. All music is composed, recorded and mixed in-house. For exchanging projects with mixing/mastering houses and for easy collaboration, I have a ProTools rig that allows me to work with the industry standard. Using Sibelius, I also engrave scores for recording by session musicians.

I offer every service imaginable, from composing, orchestrating and recording to mixing and mastering the final result and transferring it to you. For Production Music on a budget or tight deadline there is the Novatlan Sound Library, which includes tracks in various styles suitable for trailers, corporate video and many more projects.

Whatever your vision is, I certainly can make it become reality. Challenge me!

What I use

This list is an excerpt of what hard- and software is in use here. If you have any questions, ask via email!

Ajax Loader Gif

Novatlan Sound
As with any form of art, technology for composers is only a tool to realize a creative vision. The better the technology (and the higher the level of command over it by the composer) the better the idea formed in the composer’s head can be fulfilled.

This section shows you some of the technology I use. Click the tabs to jump from section to section. Some things are explained in greater detail when you click on them.
The Signal Flow section has some explanations about the technical setup for anyone interested.

Main DAW

i7 6*3.2 GHz, 64 GB Ram
Audio Interface: RME Fireface UCX
Hard Disks: 2* 256 GB SSD; 1* 512 GB SSD; 2* 3 TB

NAS / Media Server

Synology 1513+, 15TB, 2 GB Ram
Synology 201+, 4TB
Audio Interface: M2Tech Hiface (192khz)

Slave 1

i7 4*3.7 Ghz, 64 GB Ram
Hard Disks: 2* 256 GB SSD; 2* 1TB HD

Slave 2

Apple MacPro 2* Quad 2,8 Ghz, 26 GB Ram
Hard Disks: 2* 256 GB SSD; 4* 1 TB

On The Road

Apple MacBook Pro 15' 2.4 Ghz, 16 GB Ram
(null)
(null)

Monitors and Headphones

KSdigital ADM25
Yamaha HS80M
AKG K271

Input Devices

M-Audio Keystation 88es
TEControl USB Breath Controller + Headset
Akai EWI USB

Hardware Controllers

Euphonix MC Control
Evolution UC33E
Korg nanoKEY
Korg nanoPAD

Outboard

Bricasti M7 Reverb

Recording

Zoom H6 + APH6 Kit
Zoom SGH6 Shotgun Microphone
Tascam 788
Yamaha MG 10/2
Blue Snowflake
Blue Spark
Oktava MK 012
AudioTechnica AT2020

Sound Modules

Roland Integra-7
Wersi OX 7

Sampler

Native Instruments Kontakt 5
Steinberg HALion 6
Vienna Instruments Pro 2
Yellowtools Independence Pro 3 REVIEW

Orchestral Instruments

Orchestral Tools Metropolis Ark 1 + 2 + 3
VSL Special Edition Full
VSL Special Edition Plus
East West Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestra Gold
Steinberg HALion Symphonic Orchestra
Quantum Leap Gypsy
Quantum Leap Ra
OrchestralTools Symphonic Sphere
ProjectSAM Symphobia 1 + 2 REVIEW
ProjectSAM Lumina
ProjectSAM Orchestral Essentials
ProjectSAM Symphobia Colours Orchestrator + Animator
Spitfire Albion One
Cinesamples CineOrch
Cinesamples CineSymphony Lite

Strings

Orchestral Tools Berlin Strings
Orchestral Tools Berlin Strings Expansion A & B - Special Bows I & II
Orchestral Tools Berlin Strings - First Chairs
Orchestral Tools Berlin Strings EXP E - SFX
Orchestral Tools Nocturne Violin
Orchestral Tools String Runs 2 REVIEW
VSL Solo Strings I Full
Audiobro LA Scoring Strings 2
Cinematic Strings 2
Embertone Friedlander Violin
Embertone Blakus Cello
Dynamic Sound Sampling Orchestral String FX
Dynamic Sound Sampling Orchestral String Arpeggios
Signor Paganini Solo Violin
StrezovSampling Baritone Violin
Cinesamples Tina Guo
Cinesamples CineHarp

Woodwinds

Orchestral Tools Berlin Woodwinds Revive
Orchestral Tools Berlin Woodwinds Expansion A
Orchestral Tools Berlin Woodwinds Expansion B & C - Soloists I & II
Orchestral Tools Berlin Woodwinds Expansion D - SFX
WIVI Woodwinds
Cinesamples Hollywoodwinds

Brass

Orchestral Tools Berlin Brass
Orchestral Tools Berlin Brass - Additional Instruments
Orchestral Tools Berlin Brass - Muted Brass
Orchestral Tools Berlin Brass - Horn FX
East West Quantum Leap Hollywood Brass
Cinesamples Cinebrass Core + Pro
ProjectSAM Orchestral Brass Classic
StrezovSampling AMS Trumpets, Horns & Low Brass
WIVI Brass

Choir

Soundiron Requiem Light
Soundiron Mercury
Virharmonic Czech Boys Choir
StrezovSampling Storm Choir I + II
StrezovSampling Tropar
Eduardo Tarilonte Cantus
East West Quantum Leap Symphonic Choirs

Rock, Pop & Contemporary

Quantum Leap Fab Four
Quantum Leap Ministry of Rock
Sample Logic Fanfare
Fablesounds Broadway Big Band
ProjectSAM Swing
MusicLab RealLPC
Pettinhouse Acoustic Guitar
Wavelore Pedal Steel Guitar
Orange Tree Samples Strawberry Guitar
Orange Tree Samples Cherry Bass
Big Fish Modern Country

Drums & Percussion

Orchestral Tools Berlin Percussion
Orchestral Tools Berlin Percussion - The Timpani
Quantum Leap Stormdrum 2
Spitfire Percussion
Spitfire HZ02 - Los Angeles
Spitfire Marimba
Spitfire Crotales
Soundiron Apocalypse Percussion
Soundiron Drum Corps
Cinesamples Deep Percussion Beds REVIEW
Cinesamples CineToms
Cinesamples Randy's Celeste
ProjectSAM TrueStrike 1 + 2
Evolutionseries World Percussion 2.0
Wavesfactory Tubular Bells
Spectrasonics Stylus RMX
Spectrasonics BackBeat Xpander
Spectrasonics Retro Funk Xpander
Spectrasonics Liquid Grooves Xpander
Spectrasonics Burning Grooves Xpander
Spectrasonics Metamorphosis Xpander
Toontrack EZdrummer 2
Steinberg Groove Agent 4
Steven Slate Drums EX
Wavelore Xpan Drums
Soundiron Cymbology Vol. 1

Other

Native Instruments Alicia's Keys
OrchestralTools The Orchestral Grands
Cinesamples Piano in Blue
ArtVista Malmsjö Acoustic Grand
Spitfire Orchestral Grand
Spitfire Plucked Piano
Spitfire Enigma
Spitfire Grand Cimbalom
Spitfire Harpsichord
Spitfire Euphone
Spitfire Igneous
Eduardo Tarilonte Era - Medieval Legends II
Indiginus SolidState Symphony
Realitone RealiBanjo
Realitone Acoustic Lite
Realitone RealiWhistle
Impact Soundworks Plectra Series 1 - Bouzouki
Impact Soundworks Plectra Series 2 - Highland Harps
Embertone Chapman Trumpet
Embertone Ivory Wind
Soundiron Acoustic & Electric Saz
Output REV
Output Signal
Spitfire eDNA Earth
WIVI Band
…and hundreds more

Virtual Instruments and other plugins

u-he Zebra 2
u-he The Dark Zebra
Spitfire Phobos
Spectrasonics Omnisphere 2
Spectrasonics Bob Moog Tribute Library
Steinberg Dark Planet
Steinberg Granular Guitars
Steinberg Granular Symphonies
Patchpool Sonic Cinema
AAS Lounge Lizard Session
AAS Ultra Analog VA-1
AAS String Studio VS-1

Reverb

Quantum Leap Spaces REVIEW
Ircam Flux Verb Session
Eventide UltraReverb
Parallax Audio VirtualSoundStage 2
VSL MIR Pro
VSL MIR Roompack Stages

Mastering

Izotope Ozone 6
AOM Invisible Limiter
Steven Slate FG-X
Waves Silver Bundle
Waves AudioTrack

Metering

Flux Pure Analyzer Essential + Metering

Effects

Steven Slate VCC
Eventide UltraChannel
PSP Nitro
Celemony Melodyne Editor
Antares Duo Evo
Melda Creative Bundle
Metric Halo Channel Strip 3
Metric Halo Charakter

Network

Vienna Ensemble Pro 5 TUTORIAL

Keyboard Instruments

Korg Kronos 3GB Ram, 90GB SSD
Technics sx-KN6000
Ahlborn CL201
Vogel Upright Piano

String Instruments

The Loar LM-600 Mandolin
Gheorge Ludovicz Violin
Fender Sonoran Acoustic Guitar
Hopf Concert Guitar

Other

Hohner Concerto II Accordion

Wind Instruments

A. Joseph Al Jo Tin Whistle
several other Tin Whistles
Jupiter Tenor Saxophone

Percussion

Schlagwerk CP404 Cajon
tons of percussion instruments!

Fun Stuff

Casio VL-1
Vienna Ensemble Pro Icon
All main processing is done on a hexacore custom-built PC with 64 GB RAM. For best possible speed of writing and usability, I use my very own custom orchestral template, which consists of patches from dozens of different libraries. The whole template runs within Vienna Ensemble Pro 6, which means that it needs only to be loaded at the start of the day and remains in memory even when changing projects, cutting loading times.
About half of the template runs in VE Pro on two slave computers with 64 GB/26 GB RAM. All MIDI and audio data is transmitted via a single ethernet cable, so special hardware, no special software besides VE Pro. Mixing and positioning is done partially inside VE Pro as well as on the PC. This system works really well and can only be recommended.

One Slave PC doubles as a Pro Tools M-Powered rig. For this it has an M-Audio interface connected, which transmits its output via SPDIF to the digital input of the RME Fireface connected to the PC. This allows me to use my studio monitors for Pro Tools as well without having to deal with a complicated monitor controller.

For anyone interesting in building such a system for themselves, please visit OrchestralTemplates.com, where you will find a tutorial as well as setup assistance.

Featured Track

Twitter

Bio

Born in Frankfurt/Germany, Tobias from his studio works as a composer, orchestrator and arranger for media projects as well as an educator in the field of music technology, notation and music theory. Read more...