When they were asked to create a software instrument for Emmy-award winning film and TV composer Jeff Russo, the team at Orchestral Tools must have known that they needed to be at the top of their game. Russo, after all, needed it for his work on high-profile shows Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Picard; no pressure, then.
Fortunately, the resulting product - Modus - Jeff Russo - delivers. More than an orchestral library, this promises a unique palette of instrumental colours, and is designed specifically for TV scoring and underscoring (creating a soundtrack that plays quietly underneath the dialogue). However, it might also pique the interest of any producer who’s looking to expand their tonal options.
Despite its out-of-this world sound, Modus remains remarkably easy to use, offering you several distinct articulations that can easily be applied. Tensions are designed to help you create suspense - you can build complex chords, overtone series and clusters with a single key, then use the mod wheel as a tension controller - while the custom-recorded Transitions swell to a crescendo before switching to a new pitch or articulation.
Then there are Continuums; designed for underscoring, these complex pads shift through multiple layers and textures and add space and atmosphere.
Modus–Jeff Russo contains a total of 21 instruments and ensembles, including a selection of unique specialist patches. These include a shakuhachi, vibes and glock, alto flutes and violas and even a Klingon choir. Now that’s what we call bespoke.
All of the instruments used to create Modus–Jeff Russo were recorded at the Teldex Scoring Stage in Berlin and, because it runs in Orchestral Tools’ SINE Player, you’ll soon be able to buy them individually starting from €10 each (plus VAT). Not only is SINE designed to smooth out your workflow, but it also enables you to save on system resources by merging different mics into a single channel within the player.
Modus–Jeff Russo can be pre-ordered now for the discounted price of €199 (regular price will be €349). It’ll be released on 28 October, after which the instruments will also be available individually.
To find out more and see and hear what Modus - Jeff Russo can do, head to the Orchestral Tools website.