Rob Manning has been working in music for more than 10 years with his soundtracks perhaps more familiar to British television audiences having composed original music for numerous BBC, ITV and Channel 4 documentaries including Louis Theroux, Dispatches, Gordon’s Great Escape, Heston Blumenthal’s Feasts and Cutting Edge. His credits also include comedies and production music for the likes of Universal and MTV.
Rob’s studio is based in North London with a valve desk, a large and diverse collection of instruments plus an extensive library of virtual instruments including Spectrasonics Omnisphere. Naturally we wanted to find out more so we caught up with Rob to talk about his career and his studio set up.
Hi Rob, let’s start at the beginning, how did you get into scoring for TV?
I snuck in though the side door -- I was working as a TV sound recordist whilst studying music at Brunel University. On a shoot one day the director heard some of my music and asked me if I’d like to write the music for a series of documentary-style commercials that he was doing. I never planned to get into composing -- I always thought I’d make a living out of being in a band. At first there were large gaps between commissions but gradually one job led to the next and soon I was able to retire the boom.
What do you wish you’d known back then that you know now in terms of your experience of writing scores and dealing with producers/directors?
I think the biggest thing I’ve learnt is to take early feedback with a pinch of salt. Goalposts often move, briefs change 
and what producers/directors think they want at the early stages of the edit very often shifts as the edit nears completion. If possible, there’s a lot to be said for spending the time to really get a detailed brief out of your director/editor. Some people find it hard to talk about music which can easily lead you down the wrong path. It’s also quite common for music to be blamed when other production elements aren’t working.
What were the key hardware and software products for you when you first started out?
I was much more experienced with tape recorders so initially I focused on getting as good a recording path as I could afford: mic (TLM 103), channel strip (Focusrite ISA 220) and sound card/interface (MOTU 2408). Purchasing Logic was a massive step for me, before that I was working with my Tascam 4 track and my Atari -- I still have them both.
How and where do you start on a score after receiving the initial brief?
If time allows I like to spend a few days just trying things out: different instrument combinations, tempos, mood etc as it can take a while to discover the right sound pallet for the project. The edit usually dictates what scenes to work on first.
Which of your projects to date are you most proud of and why?
I am a big fan of Louis Theroux and was really pleased to work on his Miami Mega Jail series. Louis had very clear ideas about what he wanted. I was proud of my score on the short documentary ‘Girls on the Pull’ -- a good example of a production that came together well: sensitively directed, beautifully edited and stylistically shot. I also really enjoyed Heston’s Feasts as I was given complete carte blanche to do whatever I felt and as a result the music ended up being pretty kooky.
How have virtual instruments changed the way you work over the years, if at all?
Virtual instruments are vital in composing. We’d be stuffed without them. Directors get very easily put off by poor-sounding MIDI instruments. The current standard of V.I.s allows me to deliver decent sounding temp tracks that can be signed off prior to recording without having to convince the edit that it will be alright on the night.
We hear you use Spectrasonics Omnisphere within your compositions – what is it about this instrument that appeals to you most?
Omnisphere is superb, full of beautifully recorded, inventive and inspiring sounds, pretty simple to use and there’s lots of it!. It’s very easy to write with, always a great starting point.
Is there any functionality or feature that you’d like to have within Omnisphere which, as far as you know, isn’t already there?
It would be great to drag and drop certain sounds from Omnisphere onto my DAW’s arrange page.
What other virtual instruments do you find yourself using time and again?
Recently I have been using a lot of Albion, Omnisphere, and a load of the 8Dio and Tonehammer random instruments.
Do you use any mastering plug-ins?
Not really, I tend to use a bit of gentle compression (SSL’s Bus Compressor) and some mild limiting (Waves L1).
You also have a few Zero-G samples libraries, which do you own?
I used Zero-G’s Deepest India a lot during ‘Gordon’s Great Escape’ which was excellent -- some great sounds there. One of my first instruments was Zero G’s Nu Jointz which is a lot of fun. I still pull it out on occasions.
In terms of the virtual instruments of the future, are there any particular sounds or features you’d like to see that as far as you’re aware haven’t been done already?
I have seen a lot of companies asking this recently and as a result we have plenty of toys to choose from. Standards are being raised all the time -- it’s a really exciting time!
Finally, what’s coming up for you in 2012?
I never like to say too much until a project is done and dusted -- one thing experience has taught me is that anything can happen! So far it’s looking like it’s going to be full of documentaries, a commercial (or two), stacks of library music and some corporate sound design.
Thanks Rob!
Here’s an example of Rob’s work from Louis Theroux Miami Mega Jail…
Click here to view and listen to more of Rob’s credits
For more information about Rob and his work visit his website here
Tags: composer interview, deepest india, gordon's great escape, heston's feast, louis theroux, omnisphere, rob manning, soundtracks, spectrasonics, studio interview, zero-g
