Stewart Copeland making the Spyro soundtrack on a Macintosh (video)

[yotsugawa]

G’day everyone – long time browser, first time poster.
https://youtu.be/tQq6rXdFGwE
In this video, Stewart Copeland is interviewed while making the soundtrack for Spyro the Dragon using a MIDI sequencer with a Kurzweil K2500, on a Macintosh (at least System 7.5.3). The video would probably be from 1997 or early 1998, as the game was released in September ‘98.
It’s not the best quality video, and you only get limited views of the UI, but can anyone identify the software he’s using?

[Syntho]

Thanks for posting this. Brings back memories from when I had this exact Playstation Underground CD that this video is taken from. There are programs out there where you can rip and convert the videos from a Playstation disc and that's definitely what this is taken from, hence the quality. I remember there also being a video about piracy on this same disc and it shows video of what I think is the FBI arresting a guy and raiding his apartment where he burned and sold CDR Playstation games. I believe I still have this disc in storage. I might get it out for some nostalgia soon.

But to answer your question, he's using Digital Performer 2. I have the complete-in-box Digital Performer 2.7 for Mac. Hmm, now I kinda want to break it out and try using it again. DP is the only software that can do certain things that other DAWs can't. That's why I keep it in my collection, being a Studio Vision and Pro Tools nut.

[Syntho]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkut0PO6mUg - yep, that's it. I remember there being a red disc and a black disc. You can see the Copeland video and then later on the video about piracy.

[yotsugawa]

Thanks for your response! I’m glad the video struck a chord with you 
Very interesting to get an ID on the software. It looks like some Classic versions of DP are available on MacintoshGarden, including 2.7. I might make use of it pretty soon.
While looking into this topic, I found that some dedicated Spyro fans actually tracked down a lot of the MIDI sounds that Copeland used for Spyro, and released them publicly as a (soundfont). I’m very much an amateur myself, but some people have really gone to town making their own Spyro-inspired tracks.

I just got back into OS 9 during isolation, for the first time in about ten years. I got an indigo G3 very cheaply to tinker with, but unfortunately it’s just too difficult to keep opening up, and the plastics are pretty flimsy. I have my eyes on a Quicksilver, which I can hopefully settle on and load up with 9.2.2. So I’m keen to explore what useful old software is out there!

[Syntho]

I've been a fan of the Spyro soundtrack since I first played it over 20some years ago, and that video helped me like it even more too. I believe I may have first tried Spyro via demo on the PS Underground disc but I can't remember if there was a playable demo on that set or not. I bought it later even though my PS was modded. It was that good 

Copeland was using a Kurzweil synth I think. Man, I think I'm gonna go fire up a spare Mac and put DP2.7 on it...

[Nesufire]

IIRC the composer confirmed in an email that he used bitheadz products for some other things as well. Notably Unity DS-1, Retro AS-1 and Voodoo have stuff in it. although not all of DS-1's factory library is archived... anyone happen to have the original disc for it?