Yamaha Products Take Center Stage at Oscars

AN1X synthesizer provided contemporary flavor for production team.

The team of Burt Bacharach, Don Was and Dave Was proved to be an eclectic collaboration that redefined the term "orchestra" at the 72nd Academy Awards®, held March 26 in Los Angeles. In addition to traditional orchestral instrumentation, the ensemble included a DJ with two turntables, a Yamaha AN1X Control Synthesizer, SU700 Loop Factory, and a WX5 Wind MIDI Controller. (Read a special feature about the team on the official Oscars site.)

"When we sat down to work, we knew we wanted to give this event a contemporary wrinkle and get away from the 40-piece orchestra concept," explains Dave Was, whose production credits include Bob Dylan, Ricky Lee Jones, the soundtracks of An American Werewolf in London, The X-Files Movie, and numerous commercial spots for Acura, Microsoft and Toyota. "Today’s soundtracks utilize a lot of those elements, so we wanted to carry them over into the show by using things like contemporary loops and nice fat samples."

Was says the gear choices were a combination of familiarity and sonics. "We’ve used Yamaha gear in the studio," he explains. "We knew it had the sounds we were going for, plus it’s very reliable. You don’t want to have question marks in you system–especially at a gig like the Oscars!"

WX5 adds human touch to the show.

He continues, "Don wanted some ‘dancy’ sounds, and the AN1X provided those with the analog modeling. The WX5 lets you take the AN1X a step further by allowing you to pull out sounds and play legato lines. It brings ‘human phrasing’ to the mix. And I really like the SU700 Loop Factory. It allowed us to grab samples from film scores and use them for things like segues, bumpers, montages and walk-ons.

"It was great to work with a legend like Burt Bacharach," Was continued. "He knows exactly what he wants to hear, so he really keeps you on your toes. We can respect that–he’s a legend. He’s a great songwriter and one of our musical heroes. At the same time, he was open to our ideas and is very forward-thinking. We were a good mix."

Bacharach has earned five GRAMMY Awards and three Oscars. He is best know as the composer of classic hits "Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head," "That’s What Friends Are For," "Walk on By," and numerous film scores.

GRAMMY Award winner Don Was is one of today’s most sought-after record producers, working with artists that include Bonnie Raitt, Iggy Pop, Ziggy Marley and Garth Brooks. He and friend/collaborator Dave Was fronted their own band, Was (Not Was), which produced a string of hits that included "Walk The Dinosaur."

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