For most editors, creating custom music scores tends to fall into the “above my pay grade” category. If you are a whizz with GarageBand or Logic Pro X, then you might dip into Apple’s loop resources. But most commercials and corporate videos are easily serviced by the myriad of stock music sites, like Premium Beat and Music Bed. Some music customization is also possible with tracks from companies like SmartSound.
Yet, none of the go-to music library sites offer curated, genre-based, packages of tracks and elements that make it easy to build up a functional score for longer dramatic productions. Such projects are usually the work of composers or a specific music supervisor, sound designer, or music editor doing a lot of searching and piecing together from a wide range of resources.
Enter Luca Visual FX – a developer best known for visual effects plug-ins, such as Light Kit 2.0. It turns out that Luca Bonomo is also a composer. The first offering is the Mystery & Suspense Music and Sound Library, which is a collection of 500 clips, comprising music themes, atmospheres, drones, loops, and sound effects. This is a complete toolkit designed to make it easy to combine elements, in order to create a custom score for dramatic productions in the mystery or suspense genre.
These tracks are available for purchase as a single library through the LucaVFX website. They are downloaded as uncompressed, stereo AIF files in a 24-bit/96kHz resolution. This means they are of top quality and compatible with any Mac or PC NLE or DAW application. Best yet, is the awesome price of $79. The package is licensed for a single user and may be used for any audio or video production, including for commercial purposes.
Thanks to LucaVFX, I was able to download and test out the Library on a recent short film. The story is a suspense drama in the style of a Twilight Zone episode, so creating a non-specific, ethereal score fits perfectly. Drones, dissonance, and other suspenseful sounds are completely in line, which is where this collection shines.
Although I could have used any application to build this, I opted for Apple’s Final Cut Pro X. Because of its unique keyword structure, it made sense to first set up a separate FCPX library for only the Mystery & Suspense package. During import, I let FCPX create keyword collections based on the Finder folders. This keeps the Mystery & Suspense FCPX library organized in the same way as they are originally grouped. Doing so, facilitates fast and easy sorting and previewing of any of the 500 clips within the music library. Then I created a separate FCPX library for the production itself. With both FCPX libraries open, I could quickly preview and place clips from my music library to the edit sequence for the film, located within the other FCPX library.
Final Cut uses Connected Clips instead of tracks. This means that you can quickly build up and align overlapping atmospheres, transitions, loops, and themes for a densely layered music score in a very freeform manner. I was able to build up a convincing score for a half-hour-long piece in less that an afternoon. Granted, this isn’t mixed yet, but at least I now have the musical elements that I want and where I want them. I feel that style of working is definitely faster in Final Cut Pro X – and more conducive to creative experimentation – but it would certain work just as well in other applications.
The Mystery & Suspense Library is definitely a winner, although I do have a few minor quibbles. First, the music and effects are in keeping with the genre, but don’t go beyond it. When creating a score for this kind of production, you also need some “normal” or “lighter” moods for certain scenes or transitions. I felt that was missing and I would still have to step outside of this package to complete the score. Secondly, many of the clips have a synthesized or electronic tone to them, thanks to the instruments used to create the music. That’s not out of character with the genre, but I still would have liked some of these to include more natural instruments than they do. In fairness to LucaVFX, if the Mystery & Suspense Library is successful, then the company will create more libraries in other genres, including lighter fare.
In conclusion, this is a high quality library perfectly in keeping with its intended genre. Using it is fast and flexible, making it possible for even the most musically-challenged editor to develop a convincing, custom score without breaking the bank.
©2018 Oliver Peters
digitalfilms 
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