Composer Takes Deep Dive into Emote Control Software

Little Ferry, NJ (May 19, 2020)—Jacob Shea made a significant change to his workflow when composing for the BBC Natural History Unit’s Seven Worlds, One Planet wildlife documentary series, implementing Eventide’s flagship H9000 multi-effects processor and Emote control software.

The BBC series, filmed over nearly five years across all seven continents, features a theme and score composed by Hans Zimmer and Jacob Shea of Emmy- and BAFTA- nominated Bleeding Fingers Music. Shea also worked alongside Zimmer on the music for the BBC’s Planet Earth II and Blue Planet II series.

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“The H9000 is just so deep, and so thoughtful, in terms of the way that these effect algorithms are built. I’ve had it for a year now and I feel like I haven’t scratched the surface,” says Shea, who integrated the processor into his studio at Zimmer’s multi-room Remote Control complex in Santa Monica, CA.

Shea opted for the H9000R, a version of the 2RU processor unit with no front panel controls. Control of all the settings and parameters is handled by Emote, which is available as a standalone Mac and Windows application and as an AAX, AU and VST plug-in. When instantiated as a plug-in, all of Emote’s parameters may be automated within the DAW session. “I use a two-screen system; one screen has Logic and the other has Emote in full view,” he says.

The H9000 introduces a new paradigm, FX Chains, that allows the user to connect any set of four effects from the H9000’s 1,600-plus algorithm library. As a guitarist, says Shea, “What I enjoyed doing when I first got it was just building weird chains of stuff.”

Shea says he has found the reverb algorithms in the H9000 particularly inspirational. He employs a Session preset loaded with eight reverb algorithms, including halls, rooms, plates, Blackhole and Shimmer. “A lot of times,” Shea shares, “when I was working on an emotional piano-and-strings piece, those H9000 algorithms beat out anything that I had in-the-box.”

Seven Worlds, One Planet debuted October 2019 in the U.K. and on multiple outlets in the U.S. in late January 2020.

Eventide • www.eventideaudio.com