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Tuesday, July 10, 2012

The Arturia Minimoog V, which is being reintroduced as the Arturia Mini V, doesn't have these drawbacks, of course. Serafine also makes extensive use of the Arturia Minimoog's hundreds of programmed presets. (Arturia recently announced the end of an agreement with Moog Music, so in addition to the change to the Mini V, the Arturia Moog Modular V is being reintroduced as the Arturia Modular V.)

One drawback of software synths comes from the interface. Pushing a mouse is okay for getting an idea down in the laptop, but Serafine uses the Arturia Origin in the studio. It's a hardware synth using DSP algorithms that models the various modules from different synths (Moog, Roland, Yamaha and more), which can be combined inside the Origin to create new synths in a modular system.

"The Origin reincarnates yesterday's systems into a single synth system," he says. "Back when I was playing analog synthesizers, I was playing the control knobs. When software came around, it was pushing a mouse. The Origin takes me back to the analog playability."

Serafine is much more than just a software driver. He's an artist who's constantly seeking new sounds. He tells students to carry a Samson Zoom H4n with them so they can be recording anything that comes along. It's advice he follows himself. Of course, he has a full quiver of other gear at his disposal should he want to capture something specific, but the H4n serves as a sort of compact camera that's always available no matter where Serafine is or what he's doing.

With his constant supply of recordings, ambient backgrounds, and an incredible array of effects and music, Serafine's extensive library is huge and growing. So it was only logical that he would also move into licensing his effects. He started licensing in the 1990s. Today, the Serafine Collective consists of Royalty-Free Music, Sound Libraries, Sound Effects, Star Sound Packs, Photos, Video and Visual Effects (www.serafinecollective.com). He's now distributing through Hollywood Edge (www.hollywoodedge.com) and Sound Ideas (www.sound-ideas.com). He's also working on cloud-based distribution.

"Big production houses can afford to buy every library out there," Serafine explains. "They need to. They need to have everything at their fingertips all the time. For smaller projects, cloud delivery will allow à la carte purchases. You'll be able to search a huge library and audition instantly. The search engine is what makes this possible and powerful. Everyone will be able to know what's available. Libraries add up in cost, so this à la carte cloud model will make elaborate effects available to a huge number of filmmakers."

Adds Serafine, "I'm in the content business."

While some artists stick to one medium for their lives, Frank Serafine is the sort of visionary who continues to push into new endeavors, new media and new ways to bring his content to others. His energy and enthusiasm seem as boundless as his imagination.

For more information about Frank Serafine, go to www.frankserafine.com.

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