Steve Kempster, a veteran recording and film scoring engineer, mixerand producer who works regularly with some of Hollywood’s topcomposers, recently completed the score for Austin Powers inGoldmember using the George Massenburg Labs (GML) 8900 DynamicRange Controller. The GML 8900 compressor combines modern analogprocessing elements with surface-mount construction in a unit thatallows for accuracy, reliability and calibration stability.
“I have quite a few compressors and each one has its strengths,”said Kempster, who reported that the GML 8900 is a crucial component ofhis processing arsenal. “I use the GML when I’m looking to manage asonic situation and I want complete transparency. In other words, Idon’t want to know the compressor is on. I want it to function clearlywithout tampering with the sound.”
Working with composer George S. Clinton, who has scored all threeAustin Powers movies, Kempster said that the GML 8900’stransparency was used to sculpt the sound of several musical elementsin the Goldmember score. “I used it for several applications:some in tracking, some during mixing,” he said. Most notably, herecalled, the GML 8900 was used on “some percussion elements that wewanted to have really pop and not hear the effect of thecompression.”
“You can really get into things and manage peaks, manage averagelevels, and not have the 8900 tamper significantly with the quality ofthe audio,” he continued. “That’s just a huge win in a compressor.”
Kempster works regularly with scoring composers such as Mark Mancinaand Trevor Rabin in addition to Clinton, and has recorded the scoresfor such blockbusters as Tarzan,Armageddon andTwister. He won two Grammy Awards for Best Soundtrack Album forTarzan and Best Cast Album for the Broadway cast recording ofThe Lion King.
This fall, Kempster will be using the GML 8900 on the score of anupcoming Disney feature animation and on Santa Clause 2, alsowith George S. Clinton.
For more, visit GML on the Web at www.georgemassenburg.com.
