After participating in the Spitfire Rescoring Competition, I wanted to share some reflections and takeaways from the experience. This blog post serves as a recap of the process and lessons learned, which I hope will be helpful for future projects.

Rediscovering the Joy of Scoring to Picture

It had been a while since I worked on a score-to-picture project, and diving back into this intense focus reminded me why I love this type of work. Seeing ideas evolve from simple voice memo recordings into fully realized compositions synced to picture was incredibly rewarding.

Planning: The Key to Success

With only 12 days to complete the submission, planning was crucial. I started by creating a tentative schedule outlining what needed to be done and when. This roadmap kept me on track and ensured that I could manage my time effectively.

Getting Back into Film Scoring Mode

To refresh my approach, I watched several helpful videos from Spitfire Audio that provided insights into composing for film. These resources were invaluable in getting my mindset aligned with the task at hand.

Here are the videos that I found super useful for this project:

You can find even more super helpful tutorials for composing on Spitfire Audio’s page:
https://www.spitfireaudio.com/professional-guide-to-composing

Spotting and Abstraction

Spotting key moments in the video was an essential step. I locked scene markers in my Logic file and began abstracting the piece—imagining its final form from a high-level perspective. This process helped me generate motifs and define the sound palette, which included Spitfire libraries like Abbey Road One, Contemporary Drama Toolkit, Olafur Arnalds’ Cells, and Omnisphere.

Here’s my spotting session:

Here are my notes for the abstraction, spotting session, and libraries I used for this project:

Sketching and Notation Workflow

Using guitar sketches recorded into Voice Memos, I developed ideas for the score. Once I had a complete concept, I notated everything in Dorico using two grand staves before exporting MIDI to Logic for further refinement. This workflow allowed me to combine notation with sound design seamlessly.

Adapting Plans Under Pressure

As time grew tight, I created two plans: “Plan A” (ideal) and “Plan B” (minimum requirements). Ultimately, I followed a hybrid approach between the two, which gave me confidence that I could complete the project regardless of constraints.

Mixing and Mastering

Mixing involved setting automation levels, EQ adjustments, and mix bus processing using tools like SSL G Bus Compressor and Logic Limiter. For mastering, I used Ozone with custom presets to finalize the track before syncing it with the video.

Finalizing the Project

After completing the final version, I decided to sleep on it to give my ears a rest. Revisiting it the next day confirmed that it was ready for submission.

Takeaways: What Worked Well

• Rediscovering scoring: It was fun and fulfilling to work on this type of project again.
• Pre-production: Abstraction, spotting, sound palette definition, and motif generation were invaluable. Remember to always start with a meter of 1/4 when determining BPM and hitting sync points.
• Planning: Creating Plan A/B ensured progress under pressure.
• Workflow: Combining Dorico notation with Logic sound design worked smoothly.
• Resources: Spitfire videos provided excellent guidance. Perplexity was super helpful in the myriad of questions that came up with this project.
• Libraries: Abbey Road One and Contemporary Drama Toolkit proved highly effective. Creating articulations in Logic was a big win!
• Mixing/mastering: My usual mix bus recipe worked well.

Areas for Improvement

• Centralized notes: Too many disparate places for notes created confusion.
• Technical issues: Syncing to picture had stumbling blocks.
• Spreadsheet usage: A planning spreadsheet could have clarified things further.
• Version naming: Better naming conventions for alternate versions in Logic are needed.
• Templates: Updated templates for Dorico and Logic would streamline future projects.

This competition reminded me how rewarding it is to create music that enhances visual storytelling. The process reinforced valuable lessons about planning, workflow, and creativity that I’ll carry forward into future endeavors.

Here’s the final version that I submitted to the competition:

When it comes to mixing electric guitars, EQ is one of the most powerful tools at your disposal. Recently, I watched an excellent video by Sara Carter on this very topic. While some of the principles—like cutting lows, taming highs, and boosting mids—are familiar territory, Sara’s approach offered a refreshingly quick and effective way to get guitars sitting perfectly in a mix.

Key EQ Techniques for Electric Guitar

Here’s a simple starting point for shaping your guitar tone using any channel strip:

• High-Pass Filter: Roll off frequencies below 100Hz to remove unnecessary low-end rumble.
• Cut at 250Hz: Scoop out some of the muddiness often found in this range.
• Boost at 1.4kHz or 2.8kHz: These frequencies help bring clarity and presence to the guitar.

These adjustments can help carve out space for the guitar between other instruments like bass, drums, and vocals.

Experimenting with Channel Strips

I tested this method with several plugins, including:

• UA SSL 4000 E
• BX SSL 4000 E
• BX 4000 G
• BX 9000 J
• BX Amek 9099
• BX Console N
• UA Neve 1073
• UA API Vision
• UA Helios 69

For the track I was working on, the UA SSL 4K, BX Amek 9099, and Helios stood out as favorites. Each brought its own character to the mix: the SSL added punch, the Amek offered smoothness, and the Helios delivered warmth.

Why This Works

These EQ moves are not rigid rules but excellent starting points. They allow you to quickly shape your guitar tone so it complements other elements in your mix. By cutting unnecessary lows and taming problematic mids, you create space for clarity. Boosting key midrange frequencies ensures the guitar cuts through without being harsh.

Years ago I wanted to compare console channel strip emulations on the same audio material but never came up with a good way to do it. The following video outlined an excellent approach that helped me to immediately hear the differences immediately after some simple set up.

The Setup: A Quick and Easy Comparison Method

Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you hear the differences between channel strip plugins:

1. Instantiate: Place the same console channel strip emulation across all your instrument group buses (e.g., Drum bus, Bass bus, Guitar bus, Keyboard bus, Vocal bus, etc.).
2. Group Control: Set up a group that controls the inserts for all these channels, allowing you to enable/disable the plugin simultaneously.
3. Drive the Input: Increase the input gain to +8dB. This will help you to hear the harmonic saturation of the plugin.
4. Compensate Volume: Reduce the volume fader by -8dB to avoid clipping.
5. Enable All Sections: Activate all sections of the channel strip (filters, compressor, expander/gate, EQ, etc.).
6. Add a Gentle EQ Curve:
   • Boost 2dB @ 10kHz to enhance the high frequencies.
   • Boost 2dB @ 100Hz to enhance the low frequencies.
7. Real-time Comparison: Playback your track, enabling/disabling the plugin in real-time to hear the differences.
8. Alternate Emulations: Switch between different console emulations to compare their impact.

Bonus Tip: When working with Plugin Alliance emulations, be sure to try the “Random Channel” function for all instances to add subtle variation.

Why This Works

By applying this setup, you’re creating a controlled environment to evaluate how each channel strip plugin affects your overall sound. Driving the input gain and applying a gentle EQ curve will help you accentuate the unique characteristics of each emulation, making it easier to identify its sonic signature.

Finding the Right Emulation

Try this approach with any new mix to discover which emulation, if any, enhances the overall sound in terms of EQ or stereo imaging.

Experiment with different console emulations, such as:

• SSL 4KE
• Waves EV2
• Waves Kramer HLS
• UAD
• Plugin Alliance

Conclusion

Channel strip plugins are powerful tools for shaping your sound and achieving professional mixes. By using the simple method outlined above, you can quickly and easily hear the differences between console emulations and make informed decisions that elevate your music.