ACE Studio Creator Spotlight: John Pattison
A composer bridging worlds with AI vocals and orchestral soul
A Life in Music, from Theater to Composition
“I’ve been working with and loving ACE Studio for a few months now.”
John Pattison is a veteran composer whose musical journey spans film, theater, songwriting, and now, AI vocal production. Based in a quiet town in North Yorkshire, UK, John’s music has reached global stages—from the orchestral halls of Paris to the bright lights of Broadway.
Two of his most notable projects include composing full orchestral scores for five hours of film for legendary French director Alain Resnais (Smoking and No Smoking), recorded at Studio Guillaume Tell in Paris. John also served as a longtime collaborator with English playwright Alan Ayckbourn, scoring over 130 productions, five West End runs, and three Broadway shows. Together, they co-wrote three musicals, including "Dreams from a Summer House," which was performed internationally and translated into several languages.
Until recently, John ran a theater company with his wife, writer-director Allie Watt, producing only original works and specializing in contemporary musical theater.
Discovering ACE Studio: A Natural Progression
“I came across ACE Studio online and was immediately struck by its huge potential.”
John spends much of his time in his studio working with virtual, sampled, and modeled instruments. When he came across ACE Studio online, it immediately fit into his creative approach.
“I approach the software in the same way that I would approach a good multi-sampled Cello or French Horn. You need to try and understand how the original instrument is manipulated to make a note to be able to create convincing musical lines.”
He’s already completed several songs using ACE Studio vocals exclusively. While fine-tuning phonemes is a detailed process, he finds it rewarding, especially when crafting layered vocal arrangements early in the songwriting process.
“For me, writing intertwining vocal lines and harmonies is a passion. ACE Studio makes it possible to be very creative very early on. This is extremely cool!”
The Music That Moves
John’s recent work centers around expressive, emotionally driven vocal compositions, all crafted using ACE Studio.
He doesn’t just sketch vocal lines — he builds full performances, interweaving harmonies and phrasing with orchestral textures, ambient layers, and cinematic progression. His pieces are as much about tone and intention as they are about melody.
Here are three of his standout tracks, all featuring vocals created entirely in ACE Studio:
Stay With Me
“A track from the musical Pull For The Shore by John Pattison (music) and Alison Watt (lyrics).”
Recorded at Phoenix Studios in Scarborough, this theatrical ballad combines lyrical warmth with orchestral depth, featuring vocals created using ACE Studio.
Sugared Poison
Originally written and performed by John in 1985 at venues across the UK, “Sugared Poison” was revived and rerecorded in 2025 at Phoenix Studios in Scarborough. Now featuring vocals created entirely with ACE Studio, the track blends the intimacy of its roots with the precision of today’s technology.
Melodically sparse and rhythmically hypnotic, it plays like a musical soliloquy — reflective, intimate, and emotionally immersive.
U R THE 1
“A duet created for AI voices using ACE Studio AI software.”
Built on contrast and movement, this song blends shifting harmonies with delicate storytelling. You can hear the theatre influence in every phrase.
For more, explore John’s full discography on Bandcamp — where genres melt together into something uniquely his.
From Composer to Educator: Giving Voice Through Music
Beyond his personal projects, John works with students who have special educational needs, including some who are non-verbal. Their desire to express themselves through music has become a new creative focus in his work.
“Some of my students are non-verbal, but would love the opportunity to write songs and hear them sung.” “They love the fact that they can play in a melody and then type in their lyrics and hear their songs come to life.” “I can't stress enough what a major life event this is for these learners.”
He’s integrated ACE Studio into his lyric writing classes, enabling students to create melodies, input lyrics, and hear the results instantly. This experience is not just creative — it’s empowering.
John plans to present this approach at a SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) conference, demonstrating how music technology can unlock new forms of self-expression for learners who are often excluded from traditional music education.
Looking Ahead
John is now exploring custom voice modeling, aiming to develop a voice that captures his own tone for future use in composition. He sees tools like ACE Studio not as shortcuts, but as creative instruments — ones that allow him to stay immersed in his process from the very first spark of an idea.
“I intend to spend the summer months locked in my studio creating as many AI vocal tracks as I can. I also want to learn to use the custom voice AI model to clone my own voice.”
Start Composing Without Compromise
Whether you’re writing for stage, screen, or your own inner world, ACE Studio gives you the tools to bring your vocal ideas to life. Just like John does.
