Trying it on the Arturia Synclavier VST it’s definitely the sound although I can’t quite nail it. Maybe there’s a bandpass filter and/or some tweaking of the partials? I have the timbre transposed all the way down and it sounds close but still too synthy and not woody enough. It does sound best arpeggiating on the diminished scale though, funnily enough!
Amazing. There's also a possibility it's a similar sound from a bank that originated with the Fairlight CMI IIx. Can you send me the sample from the Synclavier?
Have you tried looking in some of the original Synclavier timbres available for download- you can load them into the Arturia VST- found a few familiar things from Silvestri's scores in there...
This just shows that, even in what many consider a "dumb action movie", there are people putting real consideration in their contributions to the film (for the record, I don't consider Predator a dumb, action movie).
Everyone who says that Predator is just a "dumb action movie" is clearly out of his goddam mind! Because Predator is one of THE best movies ever made! The cast, the score, the cinematography, the dialogues, the action, the suspense - OMG fckin' EVERYTHING about this movie is top notch brilliant and stands the test of time with flying colors. This movie destroys ANYTHING that's produced nowadays with ease!
This is a university level presentation. I wish Alan Silvestri would communicate and comment on it. The score for Predator really pulled that movie together. Silivestri's work is a must-study for any modern film scoring.
I remember that the music made the film feel more expensive - it looked pretty cheap at times but the music made it feel like an epic adventure. The same thing happened with Robocop, which looks like a television movie at times but feels expensive because of the Basil Poledouris music.
The voice acting is so on point. We've all heard a million immitation Ahnulds and the effect tends to wear off but these were actually really funny. I rate this entire video A+++ by the way. Good stuff, and nice editing.
Well... I still think there's a little itsy-bitsy tad too much of "throat gruff" in his voice. :-D It doesn't quite stay as clean as real Arnold does, especially in 1987. And the singing... that doesn't really work and is veeeery cringeworthy. I can't be the only one who feels that way.
@@jcp1984again Judging by the comments, like bar and the fact that it's just a bit of light hearted fun, I think you are the only one who feels that way. 👍🏼
@@AlexBallMusic , the problem for me is that while the impression stuff is fun by itself, in the context of your video is a bit bipolar. In a way it feels like the impression is making fun of the video itself.
As a musician hearing both Alan Silvestri and watching predator for the very first time upon its first release i was completely carried away by the action supported by the most superb film score from someone who really knows his onions and my ears never tire of the wonderful orchestration and the depth of high quality sound scapes that inspires me still.
This comprehensive look at this score is so cool! Aside from John McTiernan and an all-star cast (led by none other than the Austrian Oak himself) creating such a visceral and visually stunning film, my love for this picture is almost nothing without the atmosphere created by the score of Alan Silvestri. Thank you for such a deep dive on this hypnotic score!
Just watched this and your T2 breakdown. While I know exactly dick about musical instruments and orchestration, I found these videos fascinating and exceptionally well produced and edited. This is top notch work and fully desrves a wider audience.
It's funny how I can hear twangs or lingerings of instruments as in back to the future - obviously. As a huge fan of the first film mainly for the score which underpinned the tone of the film and to a degree the second , I'm in awe of this video .
Loving how much work you’ve put on this...even down to using a Predator type font for the score titles. The occasional predator call is perfect. All that before we get into the excellent breakdown. Finally, a little on my personal love of synths / keyboards. I’m off out to by a hat, so I can doff my hat to you.
Cheers Dave! It had to be done and it had to be done right! The contributions from the other guys really helped pull it together. Check out Mike's channel, he's got a jaw dropping collection of classic synths we can only dream of.
as a musician and fan of this movie for nearly 4 decades this video was incredibly insightful and no doubt humorous. prob best vid I've watched on RU-vid. well done
I've just watched this and the T2 analysis after watching your synth videos for ages - wonderful surprise. The Predator soundtrack is easily one of my all-time favourites and it was when the start of 'Jungle Trek' dropped that I realised he Alan also did Back To The Future - he definitely uses the diminished scale there, too, usually at points of crisis.
I think I love the score more than the movie as it’s such an intricate , interlocking working of the movie . Without it , who knows.. thank you for making this
Fantastic breakdown of this iconic score. This, Predator 2, Back to the Future and The Abyss just had such a sense of control. Big orchestras but knowing when to rein it all in. I miss that kind of scoring.
I'd love to see you analyse a Jerry Goldsmith score, for instance Planet of the Apes, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Total Recall or one of his other masterpieces. ;-) Your Predator analysis is a fantastic presentation and both informative as well as an entertaining video!
Fantastic suggestion. Especially ST.TMP, there's a lot of pretty esoteric electronic stuff happening in addition to the amazing orchestra. It needs the docu treatment big time.
Mind blown! I know zero about music theory but do love film music and have attempted the guitar and ukelele (unsuccessfully) - for one I didn't know Alan Silvestri did Predator (BTTF and Forrest Gump I did) but to have it dissected in this manner is amazing - I followed the T2 video link which was equally impressive and considering I watched both in my teens those excerpts sound as fresh as they did back then - brilliant work :D
This was awesome thanks Alex! I was just watching an interview with Henry Jackman who started talking about how he was excited to get on board with 'The Predator' and made it clear to the Director that he wanted to recycle themes from the original, as he loved the use of the Octotonic scale. So I looked up Alan Silvestri's score not expecting to find a video on it and low and behold, here one is! Then it clicked with me about half way through watching this, that this was put together by you! I thought to myself that this was pretty unusual stuff to find on RU-vid and then I remembered that Scott Hazell, our mutual friend, had told me about your vids so there we are! I'll certainly endeavour to watch more of them, brilliant stuff!
This video has been pure gold for me mate! Excellent work all round, I really hope you consider doing a supplement of sorts for Predator 2 at some point
Thanks Alex. I have wanted to orchestrate this for a wind band for a long time - that cue "Goodbye" is one of the greatest in cinema. Reminds me of the solo trumpet in Vaughan Williams' 6th Symphony.
Damn, well done! I stumbled upon your T2 vid and this one. I watched them all start to end. I am a zero percent "movie sound person". Of course I love those movies but never thought about the sounds. Great stuff!
The specifics of notation and structure are beyond my limited musical comprehension, but I love the score deeply and really appreciate the range of techniques Silvestri had at his disposal. Not only a great score in its own right but arguably a large part of what makes Predator such a classic movie, it’s so deeply embedded into the heart of the movie; it’s absolute essence.
I just knew it was David Andrew Brent... in my opinion, his Arnie is the only one that sounds 100% authentic. And great job Alex, really, these videos would deserve much more views (now that I've discovered them, I'll be sure to share them with some friends).
I cancelled my Virgin Media subscription this week as it was up for renewal. When you can watch such great content like this, telly of old can do one! Thank you Alex Ball..... subscribed!
14:49 I didn't need to hear more than a second to HEE HEE. Brilliant video. I'd love to see a comparison of Predator with BTTF since they sound so similar in many ways
Guess I’m 5 years late to the party, but love these videos! I’m using them as instructional tips because I can never seem to understand people who “teach” music. Thanks!
Somehow I already watched and liked this video, but didn't remember ; I'm really surprised this as only 28k views, you did a massive amount of researsh and analysis on this, thank you so much for sharing ! I've added the half diminished scale to my (acid) music, this works so great :) Not sure I would have been able to use this scale 2 years ago tho so maybe that's why, now I have the skills to understand and use it ; Do not hesitate to do more deep analysis and music theory stuff, I'm pretty sure the internet is ready for it in 2021 ! Have a great end of the year :p Cheers and love from France Louis
Just started watching this movie for the first time. Even before it ends, I rushed to RU-vid in search of music breakdown and stumbled upon this video. Very precise analysis with a great presentation; all the best to your channel, it deserves much more views. Special thanks for the link to Silvestri's interview, I was looking for it. Also I've been working in the Bolshoi for several years, and here is a fun useless fact: in Russian music schools they usually name this diminished mode as "Rimsky Korsakov's scale" (yeah having played it in "Sadko" for 4 hours in a row, I can see why) - the guy had often used this whole-half pattern even earlier, about half a century before Hindemith.
Hope you enjoyed the film! Usually watch it once a year as it's such a classic. Didn't know it was nicknamed the "Rimsky Korsakov scale", thanks for the info!
The temp track for "Goodbye" was "Fanfare for the Common Man," and the "Goodbye" track matches some parts of it so closely that McTiernan calls it "Fanfare for the Common Mercenary."
16:54 I hadn't noticed that in the Predator score mix before, but Silvestri must have liked the effect, I'm pretty certain he uses it again, naked and clear as day, during the darkest moments of The Abyss.
This was incredible!! I did a presentation on this music back in 1997 in my film music subject during my Composition degree and you have taken it to another level!! Amazing video: funny, and super well analysed! Loved it!!
OMG man, this video is so brilliant! I already watched it several times and it always makes me laugh. It's also very informative and well scripted. Thanks a lot!
How the hell has this not shown up in my feed!? I've watched a ton of your videos and several videos on Predator! I only found this by looking through your playlists
Wow! What a nice and professionally made video, I found this while I was trying to hunt the origin of that sound at 16:13. 😁 I truly thought it would be some kind of ethnic wooden drum instrument from South America or something. Alan Silvestri is such a legend. Subscribed for more!
This is so refreshing! There a lot of “let me explain this music to you” videos out there, but few are done by people with as great a mastery over harmony as you. So well done! Please do more like this.
Really interesting although I can't believe you didn't mention the tracks 'The Chopper' and 'Payback Time'. These are in my opinion the greatest tracks in the movie. It's just so perfect the way it matches them sneaking through the jungle. I see you did a mockup of 'Payback Time' which is great but I thought you would go into detail on those tracks more here.
Just watched your T2 soundtrack vid and now this. I'm subscribed!! This is amazing, well put together and some of the best production qualities I've seen on youtube. MIND. BLOWN. 🤯
fantastic video. ingenious work! the percussion sounded always as a kind of amplified african pumkin - water drums but you've solved it . i still wonder what is the source though and i am amazed the Silvestri hasn't answered yet. It is avery flatterring video.
Thank you for this, I really enjoy your discussion of these movie scores. This movie in particular since, being an alien, the hero of the story is most likely one of my distant relatives. 😂😂😂
Years ago, I had a discussion with Mixing Engineer Dennis Sands about recording/mixing this score. I remember that originally they went oversees to record the score (to save money) but it was a disaster so the studio begrudgingly agreed to have it recorded at Fox. I also remember they drastically changed something in the front of the recording studio (ie where the contractor and copyist sit) but I cannot remember exactly where it was. It may have been the first score after they re-worked the front of the room.
Fantastic! One of the best soundtracks ever...along with Lynch's Dune from 1984 (by Toto). I think I might have a problem with diminished/tritone/flat 2nd music.
I'd never really thought about the score to this terrific movie before but it is so cleverly done and so textured, adding a huge part to the impact of the incredible visuals. It is also surprisingly modern for a 35 year old movie (although the film was one of the best examples of utilizing both old fashioned visual effects (no CGI here!) and excellent photography. That the film has some of Arnie's most iconic dialogue too ("We a rescue team, not assassins" and "Get to da chopper" as well as Billy's "There's something in those trees Major, and it ain't no man") also helps, but the score here really punctuates the drama, action and tension to the next level. I must admit finding the Synclavier on what actually sounds like a totally orchestral soundtrack was something of a surprise.
This is great! We are just finishing our minute-by-minute breakdown of the 1987 Predator, and I wish I had found this video earlier! I'm of the opinion that the Predator's music was that more drawn out cue at 6:10 ("...they did the same thing to Jim Hopper..."), and the main Predator theme played over both credits is actually the jungle team's theme.
I return frequently to watch this presentation...great, high class material presented with a pinch of humor. Great Alex...I hope, You will come back with another great movie score analysis!:)
Hello. I mentioned in your other video about scoring I was working on a synth version of an orchestral piece. I am delighted to find out we have similar tastes, I love Alan Silvestri's scoring of Predator. I am working on Basil Poledouris' Love Theme for the movie Conan the Barbarian. I'm very happy to finally read orchestral music from this video and know how it is written on sheet music. I always naively thought each instrument of the string section had their individual piece of sheet music, while now I see and think I understand that Basses, Cellos, Violas and Violins all live on the same piece of paper, but it is to be understood the notes should be assigned from bottom to top to each instrument I just named. Anyway, loving your channel. All the best !
I did a Terminator one that subsequently got pulled by the film studio from RU-vid. It survives here: m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=690101771388975&id=1924932524499141 Unfortunately I've had to put these on the back burner because I had a further analysis video pulled for copyright and I can't invest months researching them only for them to get snagged. I'd love to do more if it was possible.
