Latin America. The audio industry is a melting pot of visionaries who mix innovation and technology. With countless players on the field, RME continues to be a powerhouse constantly pushing the boundaries of sound.
Jim Daneker, a renowned composer and producer, has used the power of RME to influence his work in the music and film industries for more than three decades. Daneker's commitment to his craft has resulted in a concrete foundation in many different areas. In 1995, he began his career as a musical director, producer, and keyboardist for artist Michael W. Smith.
Over the years, he composed, arranged, and produced music for both albums and films, including trailers for The Chronicles of Narnia, the Fast and Furious franchise, and Transformers 2. Daneker has also collaborated with a variety of artists, including Amy Grant and instrumentalist Paul Cardall, to create award-winning pieces.
Since the beginning of his career, Daneker has always relied on RME for his systems. It started with a main studio setup that included the Fireface 800 and later expanded to a variety of equipment. From compact, easy-to-transport live equipment to a mobile setup created at George Lucas' famous Skywalker Ranch. Throughout its history, Daneker has relied on RME's reliability to bring its ideas to life.
In 2017, he released his debut cinematic instrumental album Ad Alta, which showcased a live orchestra with bold melodies tapping into a wide range of emotions. That album would be the turning point in Daneker's career, igniting a new fire of creativity. After an impressive twenty-seven years as musical director and decades of dedication to other artists, Daneker decided that the time had come to take on the dream project of his life: Arcade Orchestra.
"I've always recommended RME, especially to those who have live sound equipment that needs really low latency and something to depend on. The interface is the key to successful equipment success and this next project will need the same kind of reliability," says Daneker. "I grew up in the seventies, especially in the eighties, and I've always liked the music of the eighties. I have a large number of synthesizers and equipment from the 80s, and I've always believed that there was a way to combine those iconic sounds with a live orchestra to create something new. To achieve this, RME will be crucial to what we are doing."
By immersing themselves in a project of this magnitude, Daneker and his team are tasked with fusing the iconic sounds of pop music, film scores, and '80s culture with deep cinematic energy, to create Arcade Orchestra. Their goal is to create an epic live experience that takes us back to Hans Zimmer and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's encounter with the music of the 80s, without losing an ounce of authenticity.
Each setup will feature a mix of vintage synthesizers and modern software instruments, Roland V-Drum kits in acoustic shells, supported by RME's UFX III interfaces and DSP effects on the unit, and its extremely low latency. Daneker is also working to produce custom samples that capture those distinctive sounds, using 24 discrete ADAT outputs to solidify the high audio quality and flexibility. As each step of Arcade Orchestra takes shape, Daneker's trust in RME only grows.
RME's dedication to manufacturing quality, robust drivers, wide product range and customer support, make it an easy answer to any mission-critical situation. Daneker's focus on each project shows an unwavering commitment to excellence, continually setting a new standard for music and live entertainment worldwide. His loyalty to RME speaks volumes and has contributed significantly to his innovative ideas. With RME as an ally, Daneker is well on his way to solidifying his legacy as a visionary in the audio and live entertainment industries.
"RME allows you to do what you need to do without compromising anything, it will give you a set of features and perform at a level that nothing else can reach. Another great thing about RME is that you can count on their teams to be supported for many years to come, they are future-proof," adds Daneker. "I have always liked them and will always recommend the RME teams. Not only do they have a great track record of rock-solid drivers, reliability, low latency, and quality, but it's a world-class solution. RME is really a crucial part of what we're building with Arcade Orchestra."
