Travis Dickerson Recording Studios Forum

Vince, thanks for taking the time to write such an incredibly thorough response; also, thanks for sharing your insights and experiences with synth programming and arranging. I am actually quite surprised that you mentioned that some of the basses were done with one synth doing the "punch" and another synth doing the sustaining portion; I had actually thought that that is what you did when I first heard some of those bass sounds on Rocky IV.
 
I will look into some of those software based synth programs you mentioned; actually since my first post I was able to try out an Alesis Micron, Yamaha TX-7 and DX-5. I ended up getting the Micron and a TX-7 (I did not have enough room for that big DX-5; plus I can always add more TX-7 modules.  
 
I do not know if you will get a chance to read this but I was just wondering what CD of yours you would recommend to someone like me, who really enjoyed your compositions in Rocky IV? Thanks again for your help and inspiration.

Hello everyone, since this is my first post I would like to tell a little bit about myself. I have been playing guitar for about 7 years; studying music theory (during high school and college), and learning the techniques of John Petrucci, Joe Satriani, Nuno Bettencourt and others. Since I was very young I always had an interest in keyboards and synths, actually I used to record old nintendo music from classic games like Castlevania II and Mega Man II, that probably sounds funny but either way I still enjoy a lot of that stuff. Anyway, it was not until about a year and a half ago, when I heard Vince DiCola\'s score for Rocky IV, that I decided to take up keyboards (took some class piano courses at college). Anyway, my question is, what gear did Vince use for the soundtrack? I already have a standard ROMpler type synth that does great for real acoustic sounds (it is a Roland FA-76), I am looking for a great analog or virtual analog synth that can do some sounds similar to the various leads, basses and pads that you hear in the Rocky IV soundtrack. Also, since I seem to hear some FM-like sounds in that score (maybe I am wrong), is there a modeling synth that can do analog and FM or would I be better off getting something like a Virtual Analog synth and maybe a Yamaha TX-802 (basically the module form of the DX-7II); I seem to be getting a little ahead of myself but either way any help with that would be greatly appreciated. Last question, which Vince DiCola CD would any of you recommend for someone who really enjoyed the Rocky IV soundtrack?