Mark Isham

"Vapor Drawings was done on a Roland MC8, which was one of the first dedicated sequencers. Before that you had to make click tracks, do overdubs and splice out choruses etc. On Vapor Drawings everything was done off code, I sequenced everything. All the drums were machines or they were being played off Simmons pads."

"Vapor Drawings was done on a Roland MC8, which was one of the first dedicated sequencers. Before that you had to make click tracks, do overdubs and splice out choruses etc. On Vapor Drawings everything was done off code, I sequenced everything. All the drums were machines or they were being played off Simmons pads."

Mark uses an M-Audio keyboard called a Pro-Keys 88, and Dynaudio Speakers.

"The keyboards I played on that were a Prophet 5 and an old Oberheim 4-voice. I think that was it. In fact, I've never amassed a lot of keyboards. I still use my Prophet 5. I've switched to an Oberheim Xpander as my main keyboard, because it's smaller, and I now have a sampler. I pick instruments that I feel have a pretty wide range and I learn them. In a way, I suppose I've had the same basic equipment set-up for 10 years."

Mark writes on a 12-core Mac Pro computer running Apple Logic Pro 9. Mark has been a Logic user from the very early Emagic days, and for the super old school guys, Mark was a StudioVision user before that.

Mark writes on a 12-core Mac Pro computer running Apple Logic Pro 9. Mark has been a Logic user from the very early Emagic days, and for the super old school guys, Mark was a StudioVision user before that. A second computer, an 8-core Mac Pro, sits at his console running Pro Tools 10HD. This computer runs the video that Mark will score to. Mark uses a very, very long list of plugins, and he is always experimenting with new sounds.

Connected via ethernet are two Mac Pro’s running Vienna Ensemble Pro 5 software, and the largest sample library known to man (unverified…but we’re pretty sure).

"The Little Labs VOG is the ultimate kick drum shaper. I find whatever is the 'time keeper' in my sequence, and once I’ve written the bulk of the track, I slap the VOG on it and begin tweaking. In about 30 seconds I can find a sweet spot that really provides the right level of punch for any given low-end percussive sample. But it’s not a 'one trick pony' in that regard, as recent experiments have led to great results reshaping thick, bass-heavy synth patches as well. The VOG can take organic sounding Omnisphere and Trillian patches and slide them right into place amongst string ensembles and other orchestral elements — a truly beautiful shaping tool."

"The keyboards I played on that were a Prophet 5 and an old Oberheim 4-voice. I think that was it. In fact, I've never amassed a lot of keyboards. I still use my Prophet 5. I've switched to an Oberheim Xpander as my main keyboard, because it's smaller, and I now have a sampler. I pick instruments that I feel have a pretty wide range and I learn them. In a way, I suppose I've had the same basic equipment set-up for 10 years."

"The keyboards I played on that were a Prophet 5 and an old Oberheim 4-voice. I think that was it. In fact, I've never amassed a lot of keyboards. I still use my Prophet 5. I've switched to an Oberheim Xpander as my main keyboard, because it's smaller, and I now have a sampler. I pick instruments that I feel have a pretty wide range and I learn them. In a way, I suppose I've had the same basic equipment set-up for 10 years."

"On the tour I used a TC Electronics 2290, which is a computer-controlled digital delay line. It is very expensive and utilises the natural expressiveness of the instrument. It has 32 seconds worth of delay and you can also sample in real-time live. I've just gotten into it and haven't yet learned all the possibilities or the more higher advanced uses of it. It can do more things than just delay though."

"I've been investing in the studio as I go along. I have a Sony F1 digital 2-track, which is quite inexpensive, although I would prefer to have a high quality analogue 2-track."

Mark Isham is credited with flumpet in the liner notes for the Afterglow soundtrack.

Mark writes on a 12-core Mac Pro computer running Apple Logic Pro 9. Mark has been a Logic user from the very early Emagic days, and for the super old school guys, Mark was a StudioVision user before that. A second computer, an 8-core Mac Pro, sits at his console running Pro Tools 10HD. This computer runs the video that Mark will score to. Mark uses a very, very long list of plugins, and he is always experimenting with new sounds. Some of Mark’s favorite plugins come from Universal Audio, Native Instruments, Spectrasonics, East-West, Rob Papen, Waves, Plugin Alliance, DMG Audio, U-He, among many others.

Mark’s writing computer uses an SSL MADI Xtreme card and an SSL Alpha Link MADI AX, and the video computer uses a Digidesign/Avid 96i/o and 192 Digital, along with an SSL Delta Link MADI HD.

Mark’s writing computer uses an SSL MADI Xtreme card and an SSL Alpha Link MADI AX, and the video computer uses a Digidesign/Avid 96i/o and 192 Digital, along with an SSL Delta Link MADI HD.

Mark’s writing computer uses an SSL MADI Xtreme card and an SSL Alpha Link MADI AX, and the video computer uses a Digidesign/Avid 96i/o and 192 Digital, along with an SSL Delta Link MADI HD.

Mark uses a number of outboard effects as well, including a number of classic effects like the Universal Audio LA-2A, 1178, Eventide H3000, Urie Limiters, and Lexicon reverbs.

Mark uses a number of outboard effects as well, including a number of classic effects like the Universal Audio LA-2A, 1178, Eventide H3000, Urie Limiters, and Lexicon reverbs.

Mark uses a number of outboard effects as well, including a number of classic effects like the Universal Audio LA-2A, 1178, Eventide H3000, Urie Limiters, and Lexicon reverbs.

All audio in Mark’s studio is routed through a Euphonix CS3000 console.

Behind Mark’s writing computer is the infamous Wall of Synths Museum. The wall has undergone a recent transformation, and Mark has jumped oscillator first back into the world of analogue. He just took ownership of a new Buchla, a Verbos, a CMS, a CMS repaired Arp 2600, a Roger Arrick Dot Com system, and a few other modules as well. It’s truly a synth geek’s heaven, and growing every week!

"On action-oriented film sequences where drums play a major role, I don’t know what I’d do without the 1176 Plug-In Collection. The new AE version is so spectacular. The 2:1 ratio gives me options I didn’t have before, and when you want a bit more distortion and rock, the A Bluestripe version is perfect — an incredible emulation. As a side note, I have two hardware LA-2A’s, and an original 1176, and I could not be happier with the sound from this plug-in collection."

"At my studio have a lot of great sounding outboard reverbs and plug-ins — with some nice sounding impulse response libraries— but the Aux 1 in my Logic template will forever have the Lexicon 224 Digital Reverb plug-in cued up."

"The UAD Precision Mastering plug-ins give me a quick and effective means to get demos to punch the way they need to in rough listening environments, while allowing me to keep my session dynamics intact. In other words, I can leave a healthy amount of peaks and valleys on the composition side of things, and rely on the Precision Mastering plug-ins on my printed stereo demo to help 'sell' the piece. Invaluable."

Video in which Mark Isham discusses Dynaudio DBM50 monitors.

Mark Isham praises Spectrasonics' Symphony of Voices, highlighting the exceptional quality of the Women and Boys Choir samples. He expresses satisfaction with how this collection has enhanced his work, as noted on the Spectrasonics Legacy Products page.

"Right now I use the Stylus RMX for a lot of drums, but also any “cut up” type samples – guitars, anything to be cut up and sequenced in that fabulous format that he’s designed. Omnisphere is a big part of my sound as well as Trilian. Those three give a very solid background, a very flexible group of instruments."

"Right now I use the Stylus RMX for a lot of drums, but also any “cut up” type samples – guitars, anything to be cut up and sequenced in that fabulous format that he’s designed. Omnisphere is a big part of my sound as well as Trilian. Those three give a very solid background, a very flexible group of instruments."

"Right now I use the Stylus RMX for a lot of drums, but also any “cut up” type samples – guitars, anything to be cut up and sequenced in that fabulous format that he’s designed. Omnisphere is a big part of my sound as well as Trilian. Those three give a very solid background, a very flexible group of instruments."