Disney HSM franchise heads to theaters

According to the Disney Channel, their Emmy Award–winning original movie "High School Musical" (HSM) has been seen by over 250 million viewers worldwide since its debut in 2006. During the summer of 2007, Disney broke yet another record by capturing the largest audience ever for a basic-cable telecast when 18.2 million viewers tuned into "High School Musical 2", followed by equally staggering success for its soundtrack, which topped the charts as the No. 2 album of 2007 in the US at 6.5 million units. This year, Disney will raise the bar once again with "High School Musical 3: Senior Year" …

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Brian Banks: scoring for the Fortune 500

According to the April 2007 issue of Fortune Magazine, composer Brian Banks has written themes and music for many Fortune 500 companies. With a workflow that spans the globe and operates at the speed of on-air broadcast deadlines, Brian handles it all with ease using his state-of-the-art MOTU recording systems: sequencing, virtual instruments, live tracks, full orchestra recording sessions, sound design and even dialog editing. By focusing on the exceptionally demanding, fast-paced world of music and sound for advertising, Brian finds he is able to provide one-stop shopping for all of his clients' music, sound design, mixing and mastering needs. …

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Watch keyboard wizard Jordan Rudess play Ethno Instrument

The Ethno Instrument movies are here! You saw Jordan Rudess work his two-handed wizardry with the Symphonic Instrument. See and hear him again, this time with globe-spanning music played solely with sounds from the Ethno Instrument. From haunting Far East melodies to rousing Flamenco dances to transcendent Indian ragas, Jordan's performances demonstrate the incredible breadth of sounds that Ethno Instrument places at your fingertips. Watch his fingers fly as he triggers loops, loop slices and instrument presets - all at the same time. See first-hand how to employ key switching techniques and Loop Slice mode to take full advantage of …

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David Lawrence and DP Score Big on Disney's Latest "Money Machine"

According to Newsweek Magazine, Disney's made-for-TV movie "High School Musical" has "proved itself a tween phenomenon and marketing juggernaut, racking up record sales on its CD soundtrack and DVD release, and spawning everything from T shirts to sheet music." Industry analysts estimate the fledging Disney franchise already totals $100 million in CD and DVD sales with growth that has no end in sight. Packing almost 80 minutes of music into the 98 minute movie, composer David Lawrence experienced major turning points in his career, both in terms of rocketing success and his decision to go with a 100% native Digital …

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Digital Performer Scores the Impossible

Tom Cruise is back as Ethan Hunt in Paramount Picture's Mission: Impossible 3, now showing in theaters around the world. M:i:3 is directed by J.J. Abrams with original music written by Michael Giacchino, the same director/composer team that has brought you the prime time network TV smash hit shows ALIAS and LOST. Michael has used Digital Performer and a host of other MOTU hardware and software products to write all of the original music for M:i:3, ALIAS and LOST.

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Artist Profile: Scott Healy on Late Night with Conan O'Brien

Best known as the keyboardist in the Max Weinberg 7 on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, now in its 13th season on NBC, New York based musician and composer Scott Healy has been a long-time MOTU user. A native of Cleveland, Ohio with a degree in Composition from the Eastman School of Music, Scott landed in New York and has never looked back, building a long list of performing and recording credits that include the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Bonnie Raitt, Al Green, B.B. King, Taj Mahal, Phoebe Snow, Brandi, Sheryl Crow, Jackson Browne, Graham Parker, The Band, Donald Fagan, …

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"MachFive is the killer sampler that I've been looking for"

Darwin Grosse is a recording engineer, producer, musician and the mastermind (CTO) at Cycling '74, the innovative audio software company known for ground-breaking titles such as Pluggo, Max/MSP and Soundflower. In this month's issue of Recording Magazine (October 2005), Darwin reviews MachFive and comes to the realization that "I'm a rather demanding sampler user." How does MachFive stand up?

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NASCAR 3D: The IMAX Experience

Total immersion: that's what the 3D IMAX theater experience delivers, complete with vertigo-inducing visuals and state-of-the-art surround sound. Composer Eric Colvin, fresh from his recent collaboration with director Simon Wincer on the current Warner Bros./IMAX release of NASCAR 3D: The IMAX Experience, explains how he produced this landmark surround score entirely "inside the box" using Digital performer and his all-native, MOTU hardware-equipped studio. "Digital Performer and MOTU have served as the backbone of my creative environment."

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Artist Perspective: the Evolution of Drum & Bass

Drum & Bass veteran producer and DJ Nookie has been part of the genre's evolution for over a decade. From humble roots in pirate radio to dream deals with labels like Sony Records, Nookie is undoubtedly one of the leading names in the D&B scene. In this MOTU.com exclusive, Nookie shares his take on the evolution of Drum & Bass music and its production and distribution.

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