“And I did get to do a session with Count Basie and his orchestra. You know, it’s a lot easier to record people that play well than people who can’t play well. Because, I mean, it almost records itself. I mean, yeah, you got to set up the microphones, you got to use the right techniques and so forth, and don’t overload the microphones. But these great players are much easier to record than mediocre players with the same equipment.” – Robin Gulcher
This episode is the second half of my conversation with sound designer Robin Gulcher as we discuss how room tone can make or break recording quality, Robin’s advice to film students on making the best use of sound, and his memorable recording session with a bagpipe-and-jazz band.
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(00:00) – The Importance of Dynamic Range
As the second half of our discussion begins, Robin reveals when and how commercials became so much louder than the shows we’re watching. “That was sort of intentional,” he explains, “because back when radio and television were broadcast through the air, the way they could increase their advertising rates was getting to more people. And since the [signal] of a compressed commercial is denser, it could travel through air farther.” He tells us about his work with film directors, and the dangers of overlooking the importance of room tone in a recording session. “The director that I was working with said, ‘You know, in this digital age, we don’t need to stop and take the time to do the room tone because you can just do your digital stuff.’ I said, ‘Yeah, but the problem with that is, what do the actors do between sentences? They breathe. So that’s not room tone – that’s breathing.’”
(12:39) – Robin’s Most Memorable Sessions
Robin tells us about some of the artists he’s recorded over the years, such as Count Basie and the Orchestra, and what he learned from setting up the microphones for a bagpipe-and-jazz jam session. “I’ve recorded a lot of, you know, great instrumentalists,” he tells us. “And it’s just, when you’re recording great players, and the Count Basie Orchestra was full of great players, it’s just an easier job.” He shares the lessons he gives his students about the power of sound in marketing, and why jingles aren’t necessarily his go-to branding approach. “It really cramps creativity,” he explains. “Clients say, ‘Well, I spent all that money on that jingle, and I want to hear it. I want to hear my name sung.’ And so it sort of limits the agency’s creativity options by selling them things like jingles.”
(24:26) – Cinematic Soundscapes and Sonic Logos
As our discussion comes to a close, Robin tells us about what his work in cinematography has taught him about the power of sound. “In films, whether it’s animation or drama or comedy, I think it’s more environment branding,” he explains, “putting them in a space. And you know, if this particular space is seen in other areas of the movie, it sounds the same because it’s the same space.” We discuss how brands can take the same approach to sonic logos, and talk about the art of creating impossible sounds. “They were in that big castle,” he recalls a climactic scene from Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy, “and the dragon was in there, and no one had ever been in that space before. And the sound design team had to create something that nobody had ever heard before for that environment.”
Episode Summary
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We discuss Robin’s sound design approach at Columbus College.
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The importance of dynamic range in sound design and commercials.
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Exploring the untapped potential of sound in film and advertising.
Connect with the Guest
Website: https://audiblericochet.com/index.html
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This interview episode was very skillfully made to sound beautiful by the talented Humberto Franco.
** Transcript available upon request
