On the hunt for top-quality orchestral stock content? Explore PremiumBeat’s new Masterworks series in this interview with musicians Matt Nicholson and Shin Suzuma.
At Shutterstock‘s premium music marketplace, PremiumBeat, the focus has always been on high-quality royalty-free music. Through a deliberate, thorough selection process, we publish music content that’s been selected through a multi-faceted review process with multiple team members to ensure it matches the quality we promise to deliver. That’s why we couldn’t be more excited about our newest offering at PremiumBeat, the Masterworks series. The Masterworks series consists of top-quality orchestral stock content of the caliber you can usually only find within the film industry.
PremiumBeat music producer Kate Cooper says, “Nothing beats working with live instruments. There’s a lot of great things that have developed with sampling software, but there are some instruments that you just can’t beat live.”
Cinema-quality, royalty-music is now available with Masterworks. We traveled across the globe to record live sessions with some of the top orchestras in the world to produce this top-quality orchestra stock music. One of those sessions was in Lisbon, alongside PremiumBeat artists and collaborators Matt Nicholson of Big Score Audio and Shin Suzuma. Here are the tracks that Shin and Matt recorded in Lisbon for Masterworks.
Click here for the full Masterworks collection.
We asked Matt and Shin about their experience creating top-quality orchestral content for Masterworks in Lisbon. Here are a few of their words on working on the project.
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Shutterstock Image by Stokkete
Thanks for the time, guys! Tell us a bit about your backgrounds
Shin: I come from a classical music background, training as a pianist. When I finished formal studies, I had the foundation and opportunity to explore a wider range of musical culture through composition.
Matt: I’m a classically trained musician, I started playing classical instruments from a pretty early age. Similarly to Shin, I studied classical music at university. I combined that experience with my love for rock and electronic music, and combining studio techniques with traditional instrumentation. I opened a recording studio in London in 2006, then I started composing music for picture in 2010.
[sstk-pullquote align=”full”]”PremiumBeat has been a big part of the work since 2015. We’re delighted to be recording orchestral stock content for the PremiumBeat catalog.” – Matt Nicholson[/sstk-pullquote]
Amazing. How did you two get started working together?
Matt: Shin and I were actually dating a pair of sisters. While it didn’t quite work out with the sisters, Shin and I remained good friends and colleagues. Shin comes from a strong classical background, so I was really keen to work with him. We’ve collaborated on dozens, if not hundreds, of tracks since.
So, Matt, you’re based in New York, while Shin, you’re in London. How do you make that work?
Shin: We’ve been working on all sorts of projects over the past two years this way. Sometimes one of us will write the track while the other provides notes and ideas over a call or email, and sometimes we’ll write parts of the track individually and tie it together at the end.
Matt: We’re really in an age of nomadic digital collaboration. It really doesn’t matter these days, I have collaborators in at least a dozen countries. Since Shin and I started working together, the thing that’s been really handy is that we both have similar aesthetics when it comes to our work. Shin and I mirror each other’s style quite well.
Seems like it! What got you excited about the Masterworks series?
Matt: This is something I’ve spoken to some of the producers for a long time, recording a real orchestra. There’s only so far you can get sampled strings to sound real. You can only do so much with the software. While they sound fantastic, you miss the magic you get when recording with a real orchestra, and you can never fully replace that sound you get from recording real musicians.
[sstk-pullquote align=”full”]”It was very exciting to work on some high-quality orchestral content commissioned by PremiumBeat. The orchestra was incredible, so it was a pleasure to work with them.” – Matt Nicholson[/sstk-pullquote]
Shutterstock Image by VTT Studio
Shin: There’s so much variation in a single note with strings. Computers can emulate it, but they can’t completely capture it. The sound of a live orchestra sparks an immediate emotional reaction in the listener.
Matt: I think Shin’s really captured it there with emulation vs. performance. A computer can’t give you a performance. When you have a room full of musicians, and a whole string section in front of you, you feel all the emotion – it’s incomparable.
What really stands out between a live performance and digital creation?
Matt: I think the single word to use is expression. You can miss the magic with samples. Whilst these days we do have some incredible orchestral samples, recorded in the best studios in London, there is still a massive difference in expression compared to what you hear in demos or mockups.
[sstk-pullquote align=”full”]”There’s a reaction to the music from the player that any live musician cares deeply for.” – Shin Suzuma [/sstk-pullquote]
Absolutely. And did everything go smoothly on-location in Lisbon?
Matt: They are an absolutely incredible orchestra. We put a lot of pressure on them, and they performed incredibly well. They were young and enthusiastic, getting better and better as the day went on.
Shin: We were able to communicate really effectively with the Lisbon players. Asking for adjustments big and small between takes was a breeze and they took it all onboard in a matter of seconds. There were some tricky techniques for the players, and they embraced them. It was brilliant to witness.
Shutterstock Illustration by VectorPot
That’s good to hear! What’s your creative process when you develop projects to this scale?
Matt: It starts with the producers, they are the bosses. They come up with the references, essentially. There are a lot of sub-genres in production music, be it inspired by a Wes Anderson soundtrack or a Disney film. We wrote 15 tracks in a variety of styles taken from the reference tracks, from grand and epic, to fantasy and adventure.
Shin: The approach changes when you’re writing for real musicians. A computer can handle hundreds of parts without much trouble. So making sure the parts are not only beautiful but also practical to play by a string orchestra of twenty-four adds an extra challenge. But having near-limitless potential can be paralyzing, and the solid framework of composing for an orchestra gives each track a strong identity right from the beginning.
You’ve both been contributors with PremiumBeat for a few years. How do projects like this enhance your experience on the platform?
Shin: It’s an incredible opportunity. When you’re contributing independently, it can be isolating. The moment you have the opportunity to interact with other composers, producers, and musicians, it enhances the experience immeasurably. There’s a really positive energy in the room. It’s been the highlight of working and contributing to PremiumBeat.
Matt: It’s nice to be able to offer something of an uncompromising production standard that’s in line with the very best out there. Recording a live orchestra really takes the music to another level, and has resulted in what has been our highest quality work for PremiumBeat.
Shutterstock Image by Stokette
Any project or new experience that you’d love to do with PremiumBeat?
Matt: We’re next recording in New York with a string quartet, which is a very different sound than an orchestra. It’s going to provide a whole other angle on live players with more applications for filmmakers. You get a much greater level of detail and intimacy.
Thanks again to Matt and Shin for their time and experience working on high-quality orchestral stock content for PremiumBeat’s new Masterworks series. Interested in contributing to PremiumBeat? Click here to learn more.
Featured image by Stokette.
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