PAUL LIPSON CREATES ORIGINAL SCORE FOR MICROSOFT FLIGHT

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San Francisco, CA (February 15th, 2012) – The spiritual successor to Microsoft Flight Simulator, Microsoft Flight, is set to release in Q2 of 2012. Paul Lipson composed, orchestrated, arranged, and produced the original score; including performing live guitar and bass while evolving a unique hybrid/live compositional approach.

Paul captured unique instruments to create a fresh, unexpected sound, including new synthesis from Brian Trifon, Tabla, Eukalele, Kora performed by Daniel Berkman, additional bass by Jeff Schmidt, and drums and percussion performed by Daniel Blum. The music was Mastered by Gregory J. Gordon in Pyramind Studios flagship Studio A.

“My Grandfather was a wing commander in the UK RAF, so Flight means so much to me as a both a fan and enthusiast” says Paul. “The original Flight Simulator offerings from Microsoft have been landmark interactive experiences, and it has been a joy to contribute to this innovative take on the classic and craft a score with emotion, texture, and narrative”.

HEAD TO THE OFFICIAL MISCROSOFT FLIGHT WEBSITE FOR MORE DETAILS HERE.

GAME PLAY SCREEN SHOTS BELOW:

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GAME AUDIO NETWORK GUILD (G.A.N.G.) ANNOUNCES FINAL NOMINEES FOR 10TH ANNUAL G.A.N.G. AWARDS

Awards Ceremony to Take Place Thursday, March 8th, 2012 During Game Developers Conference in San Francisco

LOS ANGELES, CA (February 8th, 2012) – Celebrating its 10 year anniversary, the Game Audio Network Guild (G.A.N.G.), the non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement and recognition of game audio, Pyramind Studios has been nominated in five categories for the 10th Annual G.A.N.G. Awards to honor outstanding creative, technical and artistic audio achievement in the world of interactive entertainment.

Voted and judged upon by the game audio industry and members of G.A.N.G., the finalists represent an array of the best audio in gaming from 2011. A 70 person Advisory Committee helps in deciding each of the final nominees which includes hundreds of hours of research, listening, watching and playing.

Nominations In The Following Categories:

MUSIC OF THE YEAR | Kinect Disneyland Adventures

BEST INTERACTIVE SCORE | Kinect Disneyland Adventures

BEST ORIGINAL INSTRUMENTAL | Kinect Disneyland Adventures

BEST USE OF LICENSED MUSIC | Kinect Disneyland Adventures & Rocksmith

BEST SOUNDTRACK ALBUM | Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary

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PYRAMIND STUDIOS, SKYWALKER SOUND UP THE MUSICAL ANTE WITH HALO: COMBAT EVOLVED ANNIVERSARY, KINECT DISNEYLAND ADVENTURES

January 2012 Issue, By Blair Jackson – As videogames have become more sophisticated and complex in recent years, so too have their music scores. Long gone are the days of simple scores banged out on solitary keyboards and integrated into the game at the lowest possible bit-rate. Orchestral scores are common for big-budget games, as are hybrid scores that use electronic and/or percussion elements, rock and other music forms, as well as orchestrated passages. With some top games requiring two or more hours of music, there has been plenty of work for large and small studios to keep up with the demand, and musicians and singers are finding a new source of income for their talents.

Take, for example, two wildly different games that were released on November 15 by Microsoft Games Studios for Xbox 360: Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary and Kinect Disneyland Adventures. Both of these certain hits shared the same audio director (Microsoft’s Kristofor Mellroth), music production company (Pyramind Studios of San Francisco) and recording facilities (a combination of Pyramind and, for each game’s orchestral score, Skywalker Sound in Marin County, Calif.). Yet each project had so many unique challenges dictated by enormous differences between the two games, it’s difficult to make generalizations about what is required from a music recording standpoint at this upper level of what is known as Triple-A gaming.

Pictured Above: Recording Chanticleer at Pyramind Studios for Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary. From left: Peter Steinbach, Paul Lipson, Steve Heithecker, Matthew Oltman, Kristofor Mellroth

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary is something unusual in the game world—a complete remastering and revisiting of a classic first-person shooter game. Bungie’s original Halo title was the flagship game for the Microsoft Xbox format, released 10 years ago to the day of the Anniversary edition. The new version, developed by 343 Industries, hews very closely to the original but with greatly enhanced graphics, plus improved audio and a complete reinterpretation of Martin O’Donnell and Michael Salvatori’s famous score—so instantly recognizable to gamers for its chanting monks and driving synth cellos.

To read the entire story, please head to the Mix Magazine website here.

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Paul Lipson and the Award-Winning Team Produce over Three Hundred Minutes of Orchestral Music for Premier 2011 Kinect/Xbox360 Video Game Release

San Francisco, CA: October 18th, 2011 – Pyramind Studios has partnered with Microsoft Studios to compose and produce the original score to Kinect Disneyland Adventures, an exclusive Xbox360 videogame created in partnership with Disney, Microsoft Studios, and Frontier Developments. Lead by Pyramind Studios Audio Director/Composer Paul Lipson, Pyramind Studios worked with world-renowned talent to produce an unprecedented three hundred fifteen minutes of original orchestral and idiomatic music, recorded with the eighty-piece Skywalker Symphony Orchestra at Skywalker Sound.

FRONT L-R: Andre Zweers, Leslie Ann Jones, Lennie Moore, Janet Ketchum, Laura Karpman, Gregory J. Gordon, Michael Roache, Paul Lipson, Mark Griskey, Peter McConnell, Wataru Hokoyama

“This was an enormous project that required some of the finest talent in the industry” remarked Lipson, who served as the Audio Director/Score Supervisor and Composer on the project. “We knew that creating original music and arrangements of classic melodies, all of which spanned generations of beloved Disney characters, would be an exciting and unique challenge.”

L-R: Leslie Ann Jones and Paul Lipson

To tackle a project of this scope and size, Lipson put a team of trusted colleagues together to assist with the massive minute count of original music. “I knew that that the clock was ticking, and beyond my own sixty minutes or so of my own writing, I would need to spread the work around. We approached some very close friends and collaborators to join the crew so we could cross the finish line in record time, and at an astounding quality level that would pass Disney’s and Microsoft’s strict approval process.”

Grammy Award Winning Engineer: Leslie Ann Jones

The composing team became an all-star collaboration, inlcuding (in alpha order) Mark Griskey, Wataru Hokoyama, Laura Karpman, Peter McConnell, and Lennie Moore. Moore also managed the orchestration and part preparartion team, and served as session librarian. Hokoyama and Moore conducted the Skywalker Symphony Orchestra, which was expertly recorded by multiple Grammy winner Leslie Ann Jones Director of Music Recording and Scoring at Skywalker Sound.

Wataru Hokoyama conducts the Skywalker Symphony Orchestra

“Leslie Ann and the team at Skywalker Sound have been a joy to partner with,” said Gregory J. Gordon, Pyramind Studios CEO and Mix/Mastering Engineer. “Recording a project of this size is no easy feat, and our team went above and beyond to ensure the quality of the score. We even broke the record for most recorded cues recorded at Skywalker Sound, capturing four feature films worth of music!” Additional small ensemble recordings, including bluegrass bands, brass ensembles, and additional horns were recorded at Pyramind Studios flagship Studio A live room and Broken Radio Studios in San Francisco.

L-R: Mark Griskey, Lennie Moore, Laura Karpman, Paul Lipson, Leslie Ann Jones, Peter McConnell, Wataru Hokoyama, Andre Zweers, Michael Roache

Press enquiries:

Dheeraj Sareen

Tel: 415.896.9800 ext. 227
Email: dheeraj@pyramind.com

Kinect Disneyland Adventures is scheduled for a 2011 holiday season release.

PYRAMIND STUDIOS WORKS WITH 343 INDUSTRIES AND MICROSOFT STUDIOS TO CREATE HALO: COMBAT EVOLVED ANNIVERSARY MUSIC

Deploys award winning team to record the Skywalker Symphony Orchestra and Chanticleer vocal ensemble for note-perfect rendition of the original score.

San Francisco, CA: June 24th, 2011 – Pyramind Studios has proudly partnered with 343 Industries and Microsoft Studios to produce the music for the upcoming Halo:Combat Evolved Anniversary video game. Celebrating a decade of history with the iconic Halo franchise, Pyramind Studios has been chosen to produce and remaster the famed original score for the exclusive Xbox 360 release scheduled for November 15th, 2011.

L-R Front: Lennie Moore, Michael Roache, Paul Lipson (Pointing), Leslie Ann Jones, Dann Thompson

Lead by Microsoft Studios Senior Audio Director Kristofor Mellroth and Pyramind Studios COO/Audio Director Paul Lipson, the duo inspired Pyramind Studios industry-leading team to re-orchestrate and reproduce the original score by composers Martin O’Donnell and Michael Salvatori. Talent also includes the Skywalker Symphony Orchestra recorded at world-renowned Skywalker Ranch, and Chanticleer – the Grammy winning men’s vocal ensemble widely considered one of the best in the world.

“It was a huge undertaking to transcribe, orchestrate, and produce every note from the original game soundtrack files” said Lipson, Pyramind Studios COO/Audio Director. “Our team approached every aspect of the music with an immense amount of skill and care, keeping the core Halo sound while updating the production to today’s highest standards.”

Microsoft Studios Senior Audio Director Kristofor Mellroth agrees, adding; “This wasn’t just a simple remaster, it was a completely new orchestration and recording using renowned talent and top live players. We are striving to create the ultimate love letter to Halo fans, and celebrate Marty O’Donnell’s and Michael Salvatori’s original vision with grace and style”.

Pyramind Studios’ production team rose to the challenge of bringing Halo Anniversary to life, and included some well-known video game luminaries on the Halo Anniversary music team including: Paul Lipson, Gregory J. Gordon, Matt Donner, Steve Heithecker, Tom Salta, Lennie Moore, Brian Trifon, Wataru Hokoyama, and esteemed vocalist Jillian Aversa. Fans will also appreciate new live guitar performances by Bryan Dale, and the roster of Grammy-winning talent including Skywalker Sounds’ Leslie Ann Jones and the singers of Chanticleer performing the famed Halo Monks choral melodies.

L-R Back: Lennie Moore, Janet Ketchum, Wataru Hokoyama, Leslie Ann Jones, Paul Lipson, Gregory J. Gordon, Brian Trifon, Tom Salta

L-R Front: Michael Roache, Dan Thompson, Andre Zweers, Robert Edwards

Press enquiries:

Dheeraj Sareen

Tel: 415.896.9800 ext. 227

OFFICIAL TRAILOR FOR THE RELEASE SCHEDULED FOR NOV 15th, 2011

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Pyramind Studios in association with Independent Distribution Collective licenses two songs for the newest release of Need For Speed: The Run.

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Tracks include: “The Nightlife” performed by Big Omeezy and written by Omar Helton, A. Turner, Jose Aquirre Lopez, and William Joseph. “All Together” performed by Lovemakers and written by Lisa Light, Scott Ayers, and Michael Urbano.

“Pyramind and IDC Licensing have come together to represent a large catalog of diverse and high quality
music to the video game industry.” says Greg Gordon, CEO of Pyramind Studios. “We are very pleased to see EA taking advantage of this relationship and using these two great tracks in Need For Speed: The Run.”

Paul Lipson and the Pyramind Studios team worked with Ubisoft to develop Rocksmith, Ubisoft’s next generation guitar game – that uses real guitar! Paul Lipson served as external audio director, and managed a complete SFX, Foley, and Implementation pipeline.

Here is the official announcement from Ubisoft – scheduled for release

October, 2011:
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Introducing the next stage in the evolution of the guitar game. Rocksmith™, the first and only game where you can plug into any real guitar. When we say any guitar we mean any guitar. 
Whether it’s the guitar sitting in your attic, your cherished faithful steed, or the guitar you have yet to buy, Rocksmith lets you plug any guitar into your Xbox 360® or PlayStation®3 system.

Difficulty settings that adapt to your ability. 
You love a challenge, but hate being overwhelmed. With addicting gameplay that adapts to your personal skill level, you will automatically progress from single notes to complex chords without getting in over your head.
Lots of music. Lots of styles. 
One of the most satisfying moments for any guitar player is hearing yourself play your favorite song for the first time. Rocksmith has amassed an amazing library of songs from different music genres allowing players to experience that moment first hand.

Play songs instead of just learning them. 
You want to play new songs, but you don’t want to labor through tablature or cringe through poorly produced videos. No problem. Rocksmith will not only present you with new songs, but will also challenge you to step away from the notes on screen and play songs by memory.

We can’t reveal everything just yet, but the FAQ below will answer most of your current questions. Don’t see the answer you’re looking for? Click on over to Facebook and ask us directly.
Nothing compares to playing a real guitar. Except playing Rocksmith.

http://rocksmith.ubi.com

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June 1st, 2011- Congratulations to the Pyramind Studios team and Microsoft Senior Audio Director Kristofor Mellroth for their epic win at the 2011 GANG Awards. Competition was fierce this year, but the team pulled ahead of the pack with their lauded work for 343 Industries Halo animated series “The Return” – winning BEST AUDIO – OTHER.

Credits:

Paul Lipson (COO/Audio Director/Composer)

Peter Steinbach (Senior Sound Designer)

Steve Heithecker (Chief Engineer)

Michael Roache (Project Manager)

David Earl (Composer)

Teaser Video

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Pyramind Studios’ Production has a big month ahead! Starting the first week of March, Pyramind’s Paul Lipson will be speaking on several panels at the Game Developers Conference, and a number of our current projects will be officially revealed to the public.

Pyramind Studios continues to develop and deliver quality music, sound design, voiceover, foley and audio post for some key clients like Microsoft Game Studios, 343 Industries, 5th Cell, Idle Games and many others. Award-winning developer 5th Cell will be unveiling its debut Xbox360 FPS, HYBRID at GDC, which is one of the most anticipated games of the year – and features full SFX, VO, and Post Production from our team.

Speaking of GDC, it’ll be a big event for the Pyramind Production Team – Thursday night following the GANG awards, Pyramind Studios will host an all star after party with drinks, food, entertainment and giveaways. Attendees will mingle amongst the biggest names in the game audio world and will check out the new studios, which we’re putting the finishing touches on at the time of this writing.

Pyramind Studios is proud to announce that Idle Games has chosen the team at Pyramind Studios to create the sound behind the new MMO “Idle Worship”, including sound design, voice over recording, and the development of the main musical theme.

In the video above, Adobe CTO Kevin Lynch demos the game during his keynote address at the AdobeMAX 2010 conference in Los Angeles. (During that same conference, home style guru Martha Stewart also gave a plug to the game.)

More information will be coming about this exciting new title very soon.

In the meantime, to learn more, please visit:

http://www.idle-games.com