\nMolen got his start as a composer early on, interning at local studios in Knoxville while still in high school. When he saw that these studios catered towards the film and television business, he realized there was an opportunity to combine multiple passions into a fulfilling career. \u201cI was always obsessed with film and music, so the idea of making those worlds collide was very important to me,\u201d he explained. \u201cGiven that the industry had a strong presence in Knoxville I realized there was a chance to do this while also being able to bring my own ideas to the table.\u201d<\/p>\n
Molen learned on the job, creating music for The History Channel, HGTV, and others before branching out to develop his own style. A self-described \u2018musical dabbler\u2019 with a passion for exploring atypical uses for familiar instruments, he found himself gravitating towards a signature mix of acoustic instrument textures alongside more traditional sample libraries and synthesizers to deliver a new \u2018take\u2019 on what his clients were requesting. \u201cA lot of the musical cues in television are well-worn territory, so it\u2019s very important to bring in elements that will give a show a sense of its own identity that can stick with a viewer,\u201d he said. \u201cThe trick is to do it in a subtle way that doesn\u2019t hit anyone over the head, because you want to support the visuals of the show, not distract.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI like to surprise people with things that they might not expect \u2014 be it an unusual combination of sounds or a creative use of a familiar instrument,\u201d he continued. \u201cAt the same time though it\u2019s a balancing act, because you don\u2019t want anything that sticks out like a sore thumb in the mix. Being conscious of that and also how that will translate on TV speakers or headphones has made monitoring especially important to what I do.\u201d<\/p>\n Inspiration strikes<\/strong> Molen is quick to point out how the unique challenges in mix translation when it comes to scoring for film and TV, given that dialogue and sound effects are also in play. In order to ensure that the details of his compositions strike the crucial balance, his submitted mixes need to balance all the sonic elements perfectly. \u201cYou really want to make sure that the mixes favor the soft elements, because often once they are in the hands of the show sound people, they have to prioritize dialogue and sound effects over things like percussion and drums,\u201d he explained. \u201cBeing able to turn the monitors very low and hone these details without losing any frequencies ensures that the interesting stuff will be heard without getting in the way and won\u2019t be lost entirely once the dialogue and sound are added.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m really pleased at how well I\u2019ve been able to dial things in since I started using Amphion,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve reached the point where if they sound good on my One15s, I know they\u2019ll sound good on anything.\u201d<\/p>\n For more information about Josh Molen, please visit: http:\/\/www.joshmolen.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/thestudiolounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/JM7-scaled.jpg\")
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\nAfter a lightning strike on his house burned out his previous setup, Molen saw the opportunity to upgrade to a system that would provide him all of the detail and low end information that he had not been getting. The centerpiece of Molen\u2019s current monitoring and mixing setup is a full range system consisting of a pair of Amphion One15 Monitors, Amp100 power amplifier, and BaseTwo25. \u201cYou could say it was a \u2018bolt of inspiration\u2019, but it allowed me to gain better control of my mix and translation needs,\u201d he said. \u201cI was very familiar with Amphion\u2019s reputation and knew that it was an investment I could make in my studio that would immediately make a difference in my workflow.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n