"Sometimes I like them artificial and sometimes I like them real. And the reason is because sometimes I like a real close sound. And I like a very specific snare sound and I can't get that in the big room"
About this Quote
Danny Elfman speaks as a composer who treats sound as a tool rather than a belief system. Artificial and real sources both have a place because each brings different strengths: control, consistency, and precision on one side; depth, breath, and unpredictability on the other. When he says he likes a "real close sound", he points to the intimacy of dry, close-miked drums, especially a snare whose transient, body, and decay can be shaped with great accuracy. A large room lends grandeur and natural reverb, but it also imposes its own character, smearing the attack and widening the tone. If the target is a very specific snare timbre that punches and stops on command, the room becomes a collaborator that refuses to stay out of the way.
The remark comes from decades of straddling rock, pop, and film scoring. From Oingo Boingo's tight, punchy textures to sweeping orchestral scores, Elfman has long blended acoustic with electronic language. On a big scoring stage, where strings and brass bloom, a snare can blur into the room. In a film mix competing with dialogue and effects, that extra bloom can muddy the rhythm and slow the cut. Samples, electronic drums, or heavily isolated recording let him freeze the sound at the exact point he needs it, repeatably and without the room’s fingerprint.
The stance pushes back against purist debates about authenticity. Real is not inherently superior; artificial is not a compromise. The only standard is whether the sound serves the moment. Often the answer is hybrid: layer a live snare for grit with a sample for attack, shape the tail with gating or transient design, and keep the room out of the decision. Elfman frames the modern composer as a pragmatic sound designer, choosing the method that delivers the emotion and precision the scene demands.
The remark comes from decades of straddling rock, pop, and film scoring. From Oingo Boingo's tight, punchy textures to sweeping orchestral scores, Elfman has long blended acoustic with electronic language. On a big scoring stage, where strings and brass bloom, a snare can blur into the room. In a film mix competing with dialogue and effects, that extra bloom can muddy the rhythm and slow the cut. Samples, electronic drums, or heavily isolated recording let him freeze the sound at the exact point he needs it, repeatably and without the room’s fingerprint.
The stance pushes back against purist debates about authenticity. Real is not inherently superior; artificial is not a compromise. The only standard is whether the sound serves the moment. Often the answer is hybrid: layer a live snare for grit with a sample for attack, shape the tail with gating or transient design, and keep the room out of the decision. Elfman frames the modern composer as a pragmatic sound designer, choosing the method that delivers the emotion and precision the scene demands.
Quote Details
| Topic | Music |
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