Splice had the privilege of leading a workshop for 17 young film composers at NYU Steinhardt, diving into the need for technical fluency in music production.
The class, typically focused on traditional MIDI and DAW skills, hosted Sr. Content Producer Niall Hoban who demonstrated how to blend classical composition theory with the sound of the contemporary charts.
The session focused on careers in scoring and production, demanding fluency in sound design and sampling.
Part 1: From sample library to synth mastery
Niall, whose background spans audio engineering and content creation for Splice’s in-house labels, opened the session by showcasing how Splice acts as both a library and a laboratory.
The first demonstration centered on the popular synth, Serum 2. For students familiar with orchestration, Niall showcased how Serum can be a deep synthesis engine capable of complex textures.
“I’m a big believer in picking one or two synths and learning them like you would learn to play the piano or the guitar,” he says. “Preferably, a versatile synth that can make a lot of different sounds. Learning to make different types of sounds with a synth will deepen your understanding of sound design.”
The conversation pivoted to the intentionality behind sound design. By reverse-engineering a custom patch, students learned that genre-defining sounds—like those found in modern drum and bass—are not random; rather, they are achieved through meticulous sound engineering that balances overtones and fundamental frequencies. Using presets (and analyzing them) is the fastest way to learn this balance, accelerating a student’s ability to create a complex score.
Part 2: The easiest way to beat composer’s block
For students tasked with capturing rapid ideas, Niall demonstrated how Splice’s AI tools act as a “sketch pad.”
- Splice Create: Students saw how the AI feature quickly layers sounds from the entire catalog to create harmonically compatible stacks. As one student commented, it’s a tool that gets a raw, musical idea down in seconds, serving as a legal and inspiring foundation.
- Splice Mobile: Niall highlighted a key songwriting workflow—using the Splice Mobile app to record a raw vocal melody or instrumental snippet from their phone. The app then detects the key and tempo, and automatically generates compatible commercial-sounding loops from the Splice Sounds library. This directly translates a raw idea into a structured, executable composition, eliminating the need for tedious manual arrangement.
Part 3: The reference track challenge
The most hands-on section involved reverse-engineering a professionally mixed track, using it as a reference point for critical listening and production skill-building.
Niall demonstrated the method using a popular track by UK MC Central Cee. By splitting the track into stems and isolating the drums, he showed that recreating the balance was less about expensive plugins and more about sound selection and frequency alignment.
“If you can create quality drums from scratch, you likely have a good understanding of sound design, mixing, and production,” he explains. “These are essential skills that define a producer.”
Using the Splice library, Niall quickly found separate, individual samples (a kick, rim shot, and hi-hat) that matched the spectral balance of the professional track. This exercise proved that high-quality production is achievable for any student who learns to select the right sounds that “sit in the right pocket” of the mix.
Conclusion: Industry fluency is the new curriculum
The workshop affirmed that for film composers and producers, the new curriculum requires industry fluency and technological agility. By using tools like Splice, students learn how to think like sound designers, understand the engineering science behind audio, and maintain a consistent flow of creative ideas—all while accelerating their path to professional readiness.
Interested in bringing industry expertise to your students? Splice offers educators a four-month free trial of the full platform for their students, followed by a 30% discount for up to four years. Check out more about our education program here.
February 12, 2026
