Series synopsis
Soundbreaking is an American documentary television series that premiered on PBS on November 14, 2016. It ended on November 23, 2016. It stars Dermot Mulroney.
Explore the art of music recording with a behind-the-scenes look at the birth of brand new sounds. Featuring more than 160 original interviews with some of the most celebrated recording artists of all time, Soundbreaking explores the nexus of cutting-edge technology and human artistry that has created the soundtrack of our lives.
Premise
Explore the art of music recording with a behind-the-scenes look at the birth of brand new sounds. Featuring more than 160 original interviews with some of the most celebrated recording artists of all time, Soundbreaking explores the nexus of cutting-edge technology and human artistry that has created the soundtrack of our lives.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Dermot Mulroney as Self - Narrator
Guest cast
- St. Vincent as Self
- Annie Lennox as Self
- Todd Boyd as Self
- Questlove as Self
- Don Was as Self
- Dave Harries as Self
- Quincy Jones as Self
- Paul Epworth as Self
- Jimmy Jam as Self
- Tom Petty as Self
- Daniel Lanois as Self
- Elton John as Self
Episodes
This series spans 1 season with 8 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 8 | November 14, 2016 | November 23, 2016 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Art of Recording Soundbreaking begins where a recording does––at the intersection of inspiration and execution. There stands the enigmatic figure of the record producer, the person charged with the critical task of both realizing an artist’s vision and capturing it for posterity. Profiling some of the most accomplished and revered producers in the recording industry, Episode One offers a study in contrasting styles and approaches. In the process, The Recording Artist underscores the way in which any music recording is the product of a delicate and infinitely variable balance between man and machine. |
November 14, 2016 |
| 2 |
Painting with Sound "Painting with Sound" chronicles a watershed event in the history of music: the moment when the recording studio itself effectively became an instrument and gave rise to sounds that could never be reproduced live. Beginning with the advent of magnetic tape and multi-tracking technology, episode 2 charts the evolution of multi-track recording, and reveals how recording artists such as the Beatles, the Beach Boys and Pink Floyd used their imagination and ingenuity to transform the sound of popular music. |
November 15, 2016 |
| 3 |
The Human Instrument Celebrating the most powerful of all instruments--the human voice--the third episode of Soundbreaking surveys the range of ingredients that go into a perfect vocal track. At once the most fundamental component of a song and the most challenging to capture, the vocal track is the product of a complex collaboration between performer, producer, and sound engineer--a titrate of artistic commitment, compelling concept, and technical wizardry that, at its best, turns a lyric into the soul of the song. Featuring rare studio footage of some the world's most renowned vocalists--from blues divas to suave crooners to rock star screamers--the show considers the gamut of tricks and techniques that can both enhance and alter the human voice, and explores the ineffable emotional quality that makes a vocal track truly great. |
November 16, 2016 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | PBS |
|---|---|
| First aired | November 14, 2016 |
| Last aired | November 23, 2016 |
| Runtime | 53 minutes |
| Status | ended |
| Schedule | Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday at 22:55:00 |