Believe it or not...
Yep, still working on it - although all the in-game music is composed, I need a week of mix time, then it's on to cinematics. Shauna at Bioware is asking me to do another 8 minutes or so for cinematics so it looks like there's plenty of work for January. I'll also be playing really advanced builds of the game and tweaking like mad! I'm really looking forward to that process (one of my favorite things to do!!)



- Posted by Jack

 
Main Theme
Back to tweaking the Main Theme for Jade today. It's based on the very first thing I wrote for the game. It's also the last piece of music I have to write before the cinematics show up at my doorstep. Almost there with this one. I probably have an entire week of mixing ahead of me for all the recent recording sessions. December 1st is my new deadline for all music done and in the game properly.

- Posted by Jack

 
Zhiming Han and Company
I just got done 3 more intense days of recording for Jade. Erhu, Suona, Guzheng, Yangqin and Bamboo flutes on about 8 pieces of music. Really amazing the difference it is making. The music is already approved, but I'm really psyched to mix these and get them up to Bioware. I think they'll flip!


- Posted by Jack

 
Taiko and Percussion Sessions!
Had a GREAT time this past weekend recording some amazing percussion for Jade. Here's a shot of one of the most gorgeous instruments on the planet. It's called a Hira Odaiko. I rented it from percussionist Michael Fisher. He told me that this drum is made from one piece of wood. At 40" in diameter, this was one big tree trunk! And the SOUND is just incredible. A drum like this costs more than your house. Unless you live in LA or other major city, then it's worth about half of your house! Seriously, it's in the 100s of thousands. Awesome.



The drums below are called Shimi Odaiko. They are snare drum sized, but they have a very thick cowhide that is pulled extremely tight by iron bolts. They have a beautifully high pitched sound that cuts through the heaviest orchestration. I LOVE the sound we got from them. Again, they were rented from Michael Fisher.



One of my favorite things to record in a percussion session is a wide variety of toys - strange little things that make wonderful sounds. They sprinkle a track with something no sample library ever will. Just great stuff with great people playing them. This is an art unto itself!





And of course the percussion team working with me to record this past weekend...



- Posted by Jack

 
Susan Rawcliffe
Susan R is coming in today to record some of her specialty instruments. She actually makes them. They will be perfect for 2 tracks I'm working on for Jade. It's always great to work with her. She did some absolutely amazing things with Myst IV - stuff I've never heard before. I'll upload some pics after the session.

- Posted by Jack

 
First Taiko Session
I wanted to post some photos from the first Taiko sessions a couple months back. Pictures paint a thousand words, so I'll be quiet now. These session took place with 9 drummers from The Taiko Center of LA and some friends of mine out at Martinsound in Alhambra, CA.







- Posted by Jack

 
Cynthia (or Hsin-Mei Hsiang)
Hsin-Mei Hsiang or "Cynthia" - the name she goes by for the benefit of we English speaking folk plays the Guzheng shown below. it's a beautiful sounding zither-type of instrument played by plucking with the right hand and chromatics are bent with the left hand. A very distinctly Chinese/Asian sound. Cynthia has played quite extensively on this score so far. Zhiming is in the background reading the music on top of his Yangqin (pronounced "Yangchin") - a Chinese hammered dulcimer.



- Posted by Jack

 
Zhiming Han
Zhiming is the Chinese music consultant on Jade Empire. He has been such a tremendous asset to this score - not only with great advice on Chinese instruments and culture, but he is an incredible musician in his own right. Most of the bamboo flutes on the score were played by him. Just awesome the feel he has. It's been so great to work with him!



- Posted by Jack