Interview: Mark Wherry, Man Behind Hollywood’s Digital Musical Instruments, Hans Zimmer Collabora

Interview: Mark Wherry, Man Behind Hollywoods Digital Musical Instruments, Hans Zimmer Collabora

Mark Wherry is the Director of Music Technology at Remote Control Productions, the music studio founded by legendary composer Hans Zimmer. He is responsible for developing custom software and hardware solutions that enable Zimmer and his team to create some of the most iconic film scores of our time, such as The Dark Knight trilogy, Inception, Interstellar, and more. In this interview, Wherry shares his insights on how he got into this unique position, what are some of the challenges and innovations he faces in his work, and what are some of his favorite tools and instruments.

How did you start working with Hans Zimmer?

Wherry: I was working as a writer and editor for Sound on Sound magazine in England, and I had the opportunity to interview Hans Zimmer back in 2002. I was also working on a Cubase book at the time, and I thought he might be interested in writing the foreword, since he was probably the world's most prolific Cubase user. He said he hadn't really had a chance to play with the new version of Cubase SX that had just come out, but it sounded like I knew what I was doing, so maybe I could come out and show it to him. So I did, and we must have got along okay. A few months later, I ended up moving over full-time to work with him, and of course, once I was here I never had time to actually finish the Cubase book.

Interview: Mark Wherry, Man Behind Hollywoods Digital Musical Instruments, Hans Zimmer Collabora

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What are some of the projects that you are most proud of?

Wherry: There are so many projects that I'm proud of, but I think one of the most challenging and rewarding ones was The Dark Knight trilogy. Hans wanted to create a very dark and gritty sound for Batman, so we had to come up with new ways of manipulating sounds and creating instruments that could capture that mood. We ended up developing our own sampler software, which we called ZebraHZ, in collaboration with Urs Heckmann from u-he. ZebraHZ is based on Zebra, which is one of Hans' favorite soft synths, but it has some extra features and modules that we added specifically for our needs. For example, we added a module that can do granular synthesis, which allows us to stretch and mangle sounds in very interesting ways. We also added a module that can do feedback synthesis, which creates very organic and chaotic sounds by feeding the output of one oscillator back into another. We used ZebraHZ extensively for creating the sounds of Batman's vehicles, gadgets, and enemies.

How do you use touch screens in your workflow?

Wherry: Touch screens are very important for us, because they allow us to interact with our instruments in a more intuitive and expressive way. We use touch screens for both playing and editing sounds. For playing sounds, we use custom software that we developed ourselves, which we call TouchOSC. TouchOSC is a touch screen controller that can send MIDI messages to any software or hardware instrument. We can design our own layouts for each instrument, with different types of controls such as sliders, knobs, buttons, pads, keyboards, xy-pads, etc. We can also use multi-touch gestures to control multiple parameters at once. For example, we can use two fingers to control the pitch and modulation of a sound simultaneously. TouchOSC gives us a lot of flexibility and creativity when playing sounds.

For editing sounds, we use another custom software that we developed ourselves, which we call TouchEdit. TouchEdit is a touch screen editor that can edit any parameter of any instrument that supports MIDI CC messages. We can also design our own layouts for each instrument, with different types of controls such as sliders, knobs, buttons, switches, menus, etc. We can also use multi-touch gestures to edit multiple parameters at once. For example, we can use two fingers to adjust the attack and release times of an envelope simultaneously. TouchEdit gives us a lot of convenience and efficiency when editing sounds.

What are some of the challenges that you face in your work?

Wherry: One of the biggest challenges that we face is keeping up with the demands of film scoring in terms of quality and quantity. Film scoring is a very fast-paced and competitive industry, where deadlines are tight and expectations are high. We have to deliver music that is not only original and creative, but also technically flawless and compatible with various formats and platforms. We have to deal with huge amounts of data and complex systems that require constant maintenance and optimization. We also have to collaborate with other composers, musicians, engineers, directors, producers, etc., who may have different visions and opinions on how the music should sound and function. We have to balance all these factors and still maintain our artistic integrity and passion.

What are some of the innovations that you are working on or looking forward to?

Wherry: One of the things that we are always working on and looking forward to is finding new ways of creating sounds and instruments that can inspire us and our listeners. We are always experimenting with new technologies and techniques that can expand our sonic palette and expressivity. For example, we are currently exploring the possibilities of using machine learning and artificial intelligence to generate and manipulate sounds and music. We are also interested in using spatial audio and immersive technologies to create more realistic and engaging soundscapes. We are always open to new ideas and challenges that can push the boundaries of music technology and art.

What are some of the tools and instruments that you use and recommend?

Wherry: We use a variety of tools and instruments, both software and hardware, depending on the project and the musical style. Some of the tools and instruments that we use and recommend are:

ZebraHZ: As I mentioned before, this is our custom sampler software that we developed with u-he. It is based on Zebra, but it has some extra features and modules that we added for our needs. It is very powerful and versatile, and it can create a wide range of sounds, from realistic to synthetic, from organic to chaotic. We use it for almost everything, from orchestral to electronic, from ambient to percussive.

TouchOSC: This is our custom touch screen controller software that we developed ourselves. It can send MIDI messages to any software or hardware instrument. It allows us to design our own layouts for each instrument, with different types of controls and multi-touch gestures. It gives us a lot of flexibility and creativity when playing sounds.

TouchEdit: This is our custom touch screen editor software that we developed ourselves. It can edit any parameter of any instrument that supports MIDI CC messages. It allows us to design our own layouts for each instrument, with different types of controls and multi-touch gestures. It gives us a lot of convenience and efficiency when editing sounds.

Kontakt: This is a very popular sampler software from Native Instruments. It has a huge library of sounds and instruments, covering almost every genre and style. It also has a very powerful scripting engine that allows us to create our own instruments and effects. We use it for many projects, especially when we need realistic acoustic sounds.

Spitfire Audio: This is a company that produces high-quality sample libraries for Kontakt. They specialize in orchestral and cinematic sounds, recorded with some of the best musicians and engineers in the world. They have a very diverse and expressive collection of sounds, from strings to brass, from percussion to choir. We use them for many projects, especially when we need epic and dramatic sounds.

Arturia: This is a company that produces software and hardware synthesizers. They have a very impressive collection of software emulations of classic analog synths, such as the Minimoog, the Prophet 5, the Jupiter 8, etc. They also have some very innovative hardware synths, such as the MatrixBrute, the MicroFreak, the PolyBrute, etc. We use them for many projects, especially when we need vintage and modern synth sounds.

These are just some of the tools and instruments that we use and recommend, but there are many more that we could mention. We are always looking for new tools and instruments that can inspire us and help us create better music.

What are some of the tips and advice that you can give to aspiring composers and sound designers?

Wherry: I think the most important thing is to have a passion for music and sound, and to be curious and open-minded about learning new things. There is so much to explore and discover in the world of music technology, and it is constantly evolving and changing. You have to be willing to experiment and try new things, even if they seem daunting or difficult at first. You also have to be adaptable and flexible, and be able to work with different people and different situations. You have to be able to communicate your ideas and vision clearly, and also listen to feedback and criticism constructively. You have to be able to balance your artistic expression and your technical skills, and find your own voice and style.

Another thing is to have a good understanding of the fundamentals of music theory, harmony, orchestration, arrangement, etc. These are the tools that will help you create music that is coherent, effective, and expressive. You don't have to follow the rules strictly, but you have to know them well enough to break them creatively. You also have to have a good knowledge of the history and culture of music, and be aware of the influences and trends that shape the musical landscape. You have to be able to appreciate and respect different genres and styles of music, and learn from them.

Finally, I think it is important to have fun and enjoy what you do. Music is a form of art, but it is also a form of entertainment. It is meant to evoke emotions, tell stories, create atmospheres, etc. It is meant to make people feel something, whether it is joy, sadness, fear, excitement, etc. It is meant to make people connect with each other, with themselves, with the world. It is meant to make people happy.

Thank you for your time and for sharing your insights with us.

Wherry: Thank you for having me. It was a pleasure talking to you.

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