Margaret and I toast to 8 years of marriage this weekend, and we are making the six hour drive to the coast in celebration. Nothing but sleeping late, waking to the sound of crashing Atlantic waves, and sipping iced tea on a poolside chaise. Divine.
Hey, it's a tough world. Somebody has to suffer.
The bounty of bliss will transport me far away from Studio Redline and its recording capabilities. As such, the blog will be silenced until I return in on the first of June.
My only goals for the Redline Project during the escape will be to play through the tracks on my iPod and carefully consider my next moves. Like any creative process, I am excited to step away from the thick of the work in search of a clearer perspective. Maybe when I return I will rip through all of the tracks and come up with some final finals. What a victory that would be.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Back to Wonderland
After a week's worth of massive Communicycle events, compounded by the sheer joy and utter complexity of hosting out-of-town guests for several days, I have returned afresh to the molasses of mixing Redline Project songs.
What better place to dive in that the song that started it all: Slips Away. It is recognizable to its week-old form, but I reincarnated most tracks to provide better balance and more organic tone. These songs are starting to remind me of the nine lives of cats, with most surviving multiple wholesale returns to square one.
A thin band of silver lines the buttload of work that remains: with each pass, the compositions inch towards refinement and maturation. There is an evolution to my slowly building skill as a home recordist, and it is motivating to throw the occasional glimpse over my shoulder as I crawl toward this project's lofty goals.
Slips Away is a solid song - a simple statement that means much coming from the increasingly cynical curator of this endeavor. And the day is coming when I will finally share it (and much other music) with anyone who cares to have a listen.
What better place to dive in that the song that started it all: Slips Away. It is recognizable to its week-old form, but I reincarnated most tracks to provide better balance and more organic tone. These songs are starting to remind me of the nine lives of cats, with most surviving multiple wholesale returns to square one.
A thin band of silver lines the buttload of work that remains: with each pass, the compositions inch towards refinement and maturation. There is an evolution to my slowly building skill as a home recordist, and it is motivating to throw the occasional glimpse over my shoulder as I crawl toward this project's lofty goals.
Slips Away is a solid song - a simple statement that means much coming from the increasingly cynical curator of this endeavor. And the day is coming when I will finally share it (and much other music) with anyone who cares to have a listen.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Listening Party Aftermath
Five days ago, friends joined me for a listen-through of each Redline Project song. Each brought thoughtfulness and criticism to the table with candor and tact at hand; I was deeply impressed by everyone's thoughtful, intuitive, and constructive comments...
Until I plopped my head against the pillow a bit later. Eyelids defied gravity deep into the early morning as I contemplated the sum of every suggestion. Though encouraging in the moment, the doubts of the pitch black night swirled the bounty of thoughts received into a vortex of doubt and hopelessness.
Might all the work so far have been for naught? Can I even work with the raw track data in these songs? Might the results of this project be much better if I scrapped the whole thing in favor of a reboot?
I wonder if a clean stab at some of these songs may yield more vibrant results. This is daunting, making me consider hanging the whole project up (with some level of seriousness). At this point, I am too deep into this project to shelve it, though more and more moments surface lately when my crammed schedule begs me to lose a hobby or two.
Fear not; I will press on. This is more an admission of struggle more than it is a consideration of drastic recourse.
I will complete this project. I will complete this project. I will complete this project. I will, I will, I will.
If I keep telling myself this, maybe one of these days I will crack open the files and start plodding forward once again.
Until I plopped my head against the pillow a bit later. Eyelids defied gravity deep into the early morning as I contemplated the sum of every suggestion. Though encouraging in the moment, the doubts of the pitch black night swirled the bounty of thoughts received into a vortex of doubt and hopelessness.
Might all the work so far have been for naught? Can I even work with the raw track data in these songs? Might the results of this project be much better if I scrapped the whole thing in favor of a reboot?
I wonder if a clean stab at some of these songs may yield more vibrant results. This is daunting, making me consider hanging the whole project up (with some level of seriousness). At this point, I am too deep into this project to shelve it, though more and more moments surface lately when my crammed schedule begs me to lose a hobby or two.
Fear not; I will press on. This is more an admission of struggle more than it is a consideration of drastic recourse.
I will complete this project. I will complete this project. I will complete this project. I will, I will, I will.
If I keep telling myself this, maybe one of these days I will crack open the files and start plodding forward once again.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Something Different
The fact I must face is that the Redline Project has become a bore. It won't insult me if you think the same, even if you were to mention it out loud. In some ways the blog mirrors the slog of the recording work lately. Instead of composing songs and laying down tracks, the work of the Redline Project has been mechanical, detailed, and downright tedious.
So I am going to write something different today, something fun, something off the beaten path. In a shameless plea to retain what is left of my dwindling readership, I am offering the very best musical humor the web has to offer.
How do you know if there is a percussionist at the door?
The knocking gets slower.
What happens when you play a country record backwards?
1. You get out of prison.
2. Your wife comes back to you.
3. Your pickup truck is returned.
4. Your dog comes back to life.
Know how to make a million dollars singing jazz?
Start with two million.
Bob is throwing a party. He decides that, to break the ice at his party, he'll ask his guests what their I.Q. is--hopefully this will strike up an appropriate conversation from there. The day of Bob's party rolls around, and when the first guest knocks on the door, Bob asks the person what her I.Q. is. "200,000" replies the first guest. "Well, that's great," says Bob, let's talk about ethereal astro physics. Bob and this first guest talk about the aforementioned subject for a while. Later in the party, someone else is at the door. "Hi my name is Bob; welcome to my party, what's your I.Q.?" The new guest responds with "250". "Great," says Bob. "Lets talk about advanced math. Bob and his new guest talk about calculus and statistics for awhile. Much later in the party, after many more guests had arrived and been spoken to by Bob, yet another guest arrives at the door. "Hi, my name's Bob; welcome to my party, what's your I.Q.?" This time the guest replies after putting some thought into it "five". "Well, that's great," says Bob, "what kind of drumsticks do you use?"
What do you do when a musician comes to your front door?
You give him the money and take the pizza.
How do you start a conversation with a musician?
Ask him where he waits tables.
And there you have it: something different, something light. Yes, all of this material was shamelessly lifted off of random websites and no, I am not taking the time to reference any of it. Hope you enjoyed the results of my scavenging. The blog returns to pertinent topics tomorrow, with a promise that the content will be less technical. Thank you for enduring the last weeks' slog.
So I am going to write something different today, something fun, something off the beaten path. In a shameless plea to retain what is left of my dwindling readership, I am offering the very best musical humor the web has to offer.
How do you know if there is a percussionist at the door?
The knocking gets slower.
What happens when you play a country record backwards?
1. You get out of prison.
2. Your wife comes back to you.
3. Your pickup truck is returned.
4. Your dog comes back to life.
Know how to make a million dollars singing jazz?
Start with two million.
Bob is throwing a party. He decides that, to break the ice at his party, he'll ask his guests what their I.Q. is--hopefully this will strike up an appropriate conversation from there. The day of Bob's party rolls around, and when the first guest knocks on the door, Bob asks the person what her I.Q. is. "200,000" replies the first guest. "Well, that's great," says Bob, let's talk about ethereal astro physics. Bob and this first guest talk about the aforementioned subject for a while. Later in the party, someone else is at the door. "Hi my name is Bob; welcome to my party, what's your I.Q.?" The new guest responds with "250". "Great," says Bob. "Lets talk about advanced math. Bob and his new guest talk about calculus and statistics for awhile. Much later in the party, after many more guests had arrived and been spoken to by Bob, yet another guest arrives at the door. "Hi, my name's Bob; welcome to my party, what's your I.Q.?" This time the guest replies after putting some thought into it "five". "Well, that's great," says Bob, "what kind of drumsticks do you use?"
What do you do when a musician comes to your front door?
You give him the money and take the pizza.
How do you start a conversation with a musician?
Ask him where he waits tables.
And there you have it: something different, something light. Yes, all of this material was shamelessly lifted off of random websites and no, I am not taking the time to reference any of it. Hope you enjoyed the results of my scavenging. The blog returns to pertinent topics tomorrow, with a promise that the content will be less technical. Thank you for enduring the last weeks' slog.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Listening Party
Big night. Four friends came over to listen through a rough cut of the Redline Project final album. Other than my wife, no one has heard this music before, so tonight was the first unveiling of what has become an epic endeavor.
I am grateful to friends Ian, Eric, Josh, and Peter who spent their Friday night listening to each track and furnishing me with a pocketful of specific, helpful feedback. I am deeply encouraged by their enjoyment of the music and their ability to connect with the emotional content of the album. The advice and ideas for tweaks and adjustments were all spot on and unbelievably helpful.
That said, I am now trying to muster the will to go back through and edit everything yet again. Tomorrow, I will be back to the familiar chain of recording, editing, and mixing. The listening committee all agreed that the opening track needs to grab more than it does, and they suggested a preface track (not yet written or recorded) that may bring introduction and coherence to the overarching album concepts.
Though there is much work still waiting for me, the finish line is within sniffing distance - a cause for great celebration.
I am grateful to friends Ian, Eric, Josh, and Peter who spent their Friday night listening to each track and furnishing me with a pocketful of specific, helpful feedback. I am deeply encouraged by their enjoyment of the music and their ability to connect with the emotional content of the album. The advice and ideas for tweaks and adjustments were all spot on and unbelievably helpful.
That said, I am now trying to muster the will to go back through and edit everything yet again. Tomorrow, I will be back to the familiar chain of recording, editing, and mixing. The listening committee all agreed that the opening track needs to grab more than it does, and they suggested a preface track (not yet written or recorded) that may bring introduction and coherence to the overarching album concepts.
Though there is much work still waiting for me, the finish line is within sniffing distance - a cause for great celebration.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Listening Day Eight
The handful of avid Redline Project blog readers know that I made zero progress yesterday. I didn't even have a few moments to scrap together some scant paragraphs regarding the standstill.
Fear not. To make up for the dearth of Redline action, I have accomplished thorough listening and editing reviews of two different tracks, which means that all the final album cuts have now officially been through the ringer.
The first song to squeeze through the meat grinder tonight is called Sing Silently. I have discussed this track many times during the course of the project's duration. It is the second song written for the Redline Project final album, and I think it may just be the best. Though my wife seldom plays her cello anymore, she is still a magnificent musician with the ability to coax tears from the toughest listeners. I am blessed by her willingness to cameo on this track. Her dark, delicate lines definitely class up the operation. You are going to love this song; little if any thanks to me.
The second piece on tonight's agenda is titled Thursday. Telling the complex tale of Maundy Thursday, this song is a gargantuan work with over fifty tracks and ten minutes of playing time. The length may seem ridiculous, but the music presents itself more as two tracks than one. The first portion is instrumental, based on a scratch recording called Rain. The second half completely new material that shifts through a melange of textures, from delicate and pretty to cacophonous and obnoxous.
Song Report Number Eight: Sing Silently
This track needed a touch of polish, though not nearly as much as most others. As is my custom, I de-esed and compressed the vocals, tweaked the overall EQ, and added automated gain in spots to make an even carpet of sound. The track sounded a little flat and dry, so I selected a medium reverb and applied it to the vocals, guitar tracks, and the cello.
Song Report Number Nine: Thursday
Thursday needed more work than any of the other cuts (probably combined). The track is long and its varied parts present a daunting mixing challenge. In addition to the usual EQ adjustments, compressing/limiting, and de-essing, I had to rework almost everything, adding new instruments, deleting unwanted ones, shortening certain sections, lengthening others. When I opened the file, the song started and ended with a thunderstorm that I recorded through my screen window. The track now ends with heavily effected solo vocals. Hallelujah for the Melodyne plug-in, which has made the impossible possible.
Tomorrow night I am hosting a listening party at my house. A select handful of friends with good ears are coming to listen to these nine tracks and supply honest feedback. This will be the first time that they are heard by anyone other than my wife or me. I selected this quorum of friends not only because of their musical skills, but also because they have unfettered honesty and assertiveness. This gathering promises to be a monumental event in the process of this project that will either leave me bouncing off the walls or tucking my tail between my legs. Though there are still mountainous hurdles between the album release and its current stance, I am starting to carry a sense of accomplishment in my back pocket that lends a little lilt to my step.
Fear not. To make up for the dearth of Redline action, I have accomplished thorough listening and editing reviews of two different tracks, which means that all the final album cuts have now officially been through the ringer.
The first song to squeeze through the meat grinder tonight is called Sing Silently. I have discussed this track many times during the course of the project's duration. It is the second song written for the Redline Project final album, and I think it may just be the best. Though my wife seldom plays her cello anymore, she is still a magnificent musician with the ability to coax tears from the toughest listeners. I am blessed by her willingness to cameo on this track. Her dark, delicate lines definitely class up the operation. You are going to love this song; little if any thanks to me.
The second piece on tonight's agenda is titled Thursday. Telling the complex tale of Maundy Thursday, this song is a gargantuan work with over fifty tracks and ten minutes of playing time. The length may seem ridiculous, but the music presents itself more as two tracks than one. The first portion is instrumental, based on a scratch recording called Rain. The second half completely new material that shifts through a melange of textures, from delicate and pretty to cacophonous and obnoxous.
Song Report Number Eight: Sing Silently
This track needed a touch of polish, though not nearly as much as most others. As is my custom, I de-esed and compressed the vocals, tweaked the overall EQ, and added automated gain in spots to make an even carpet of sound. The track sounded a little flat and dry, so I selected a medium reverb and applied it to the vocals, guitar tracks, and the cello.
Song Report Number Nine: Thursday
Thursday needed more work than any of the other cuts (probably combined). The track is long and its varied parts present a daunting mixing challenge. In addition to the usual EQ adjustments, compressing/limiting, and de-essing, I had to rework almost everything, adding new instruments, deleting unwanted ones, shortening certain sections, lengthening others. When I opened the file, the song started and ended with a thunderstorm that I recorded through my screen window. The track now ends with heavily effected solo vocals. Hallelujah for the Melodyne plug-in, which has made the impossible possible.
Tomorrow night I am hosting a listening party at my house. A select handful of friends with good ears are coming to listen to these nine tracks and supply honest feedback. This will be the first time that they are heard by anyone other than my wife or me. I selected this quorum of friends not only because of their musical skills, but also because they have unfettered honesty and assertiveness. This gathering promises to be a monumental event in the process of this project that will either leave me bouncing off the walls or tucking my tail between my legs. Though there are still mountainous hurdles between the album release and its current stance, I am starting to carry a sense of accomplishment in my back pocket that lends a little lilt to my step.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Listening Day Seven
Tonight's song is about an old friend who spent her formative years facing unthinkable domestic abuse. As I wind my way through the mechanics of the song, it is all to easy to forget the pain and torment this person endured. When I pause to consider the song content, and even as I type these few sentences, I am dumbstruck by the depth of hurt that she and so many others have endured.
On a completely unrelated but nevertheless important note, I reconnected with an old friend from college who now runs a successful recording and editing studio in Massachusetts. His prices seem more than reasonable and he seemed willing to take on the mastering portion of this project. With all the frustrations I have been encountering, he may very well get the gig.
Song Report Number Seven: Cry Justice
To round out the song, I added touches of metallic percussion to various sections of the song, while eliminating texture from other passages. Adding EQ, de-essing, and compression yielded a balanced, full tone. Clearly this song is one the latest Redline Project tracks, because the recording techniques used sound significantly superior to earlier specimens.
On a completely unrelated but nevertheless important note, I reconnected with an old friend from college who now runs a successful recording and editing studio in Massachusetts. His prices seem more than reasonable and he seemed willing to take on the mastering portion of this project. With all the frustrations I have been encountering, he may very well get the gig.
Song Report Number Seven: Cry Justice
To round out the song, I added touches of metallic percussion to various sections of the song, while eliminating texture from other passages. Adding EQ, de-essing, and compression yielded a balanced, full tone. Clearly this song is one the latest Redline Project tracks, because the recording techniques used sound significantly superior to earlier specimens.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Listening Day Six
What a pleasure after yesterday's wrestling match to edit a piece of music needing virtually nothing changed. The sixth track of the Redline Project, Wabash is a smoky, trance piece with a pulsing beat and a tense construction. I must work really hard to control my bouncing knees as I sit and edit this piece. Makes me wish I knew the robot.
Song Report Number Six: Wabash
As with Tremont, the other strictly instrumental track on the recording, Wabash needs little in the editing department. The reason is because much of the music consists of midi notation, which allows the novice recordist to get instantly clean sounds without much effort. I performed a bit of rearranging, shortening one section and adding some drum hits to another. I also added some overall compression and EQ tweaks to give the recording a darker, fuller sound. That is all; this one is ready for the dance floor.
Song Report Number Six: Wabash
As with Tremont, the other strictly instrumental track on the recording, Wabash needs little in the editing department. The reason is because much of the music consists of midi notation, which allows the novice recordist to get instantly clean sounds without much effort. I performed a bit of rearranging, shortening one section and adding some drum hits to another. I also added some overall compression and EQ tweaks to give the recording a darker, fuller sound. That is all; this one is ready for the dance floor.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Listening Day Five
No matter how adept I become at working the knobs of Logic Pro, I know I am miles away from producing a professional sound, which is inexpressibly frustrating. I must remind myself daily that I have zero training and am working on a do-it-yourself rig more worthy of a garage sale than a serious recording studio. Pffft.
I am trying to polish up the song called Commons, which has potential to be one of my favorite pieces on the Redline Project. The song is about an unlikely friendship that blossoms in Boston's public gardens on a warm summer day. Initially the two children in the story are assigned predictable stereotypes, with one friend coming from the privilege of wealthy urban living and the other dwelling in the misfortune of the projects. As the verses unravel, the cracks in both foundations of living standards are revealed and the subtle joys found in each setting are explored. Its a lyric that discusses the facade of inequity and the beautiful truth of equality among all human beings.
Too bad the recording quality vomits all over what I believe could be an excellent song.
Song Report Number Five: Commons
I am discovering that the source recording for Commons is quieter across the board than all of the other recordings in the project. I am trying to work with the raw material, but I am wondering if boosting the volume digitally is starting to distort the overall sound a bit. The edits to this track include gain, gain, and more gain to get the levels right. I also de-essed the vocals and added some overarching EQ to the mix. I wish a genius recordist would catch the excitement of this project and volunteer time and talents to make sense of my audio messes. That looks improbable, so I will continue to stab at it alone.
I am trying to polish up the song called Commons, which has potential to be one of my favorite pieces on the Redline Project. The song is about an unlikely friendship that blossoms in Boston's public gardens on a warm summer day. Initially the two children in the story are assigned predictable stereotypes, with one friend coming from the privilege of wealthy urban living and the other dwelling in the misfortune of the projects. As the verses unravel, the cracks in both foundations of living standards are revealed and the subtle joys found in each setting are explored. Its a lyric that discusses the facade of inequity and the beautiful truth of equality among all human beings.
Too bad the recording quality vomits all over what I believe could be an excellent song.
Song Report Number Five: Commons
I am discovering that the source recording for Commons is quieter across the board than all of the other recordings in the project. I am trying to work with the raw material, but I am wondering if boosting the volume digitally is starting to distort the overall sound a bit. The edits to this track include gain, gain, and more gain to get the levels right. I also de-essed the vocals and added some overarching EQ to the mix. I wish a genius recordist would catch the excitement of this project and volunteer time and talents to make sense of my audio messes. That looks improbable, so I will continue to stab at it alone.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Listening Day Four
I consider Tremont to be the first mature piece of electronica I have ever produced, and it is a lot of fun. Not really electronica through and through, the track features yours truly on the drum set, though the resulting sound has been generously processed. I always catching myself getting jiggy in my office chair whenever I give Tremont a playback, and nothing would make me more thrilled than to know the track eventually inspires my listeners to do the same.
Song Report Number Four: Tremont
Fantastic that this track should fall on a Saturday, because there is really not much to do here. I added some overall compresser/limiter functions and global EQ. Other than that, I made a quick tweak in EQ and redid a couple of effects in the drum set tracks. I also added a midi bass drum sound in one spot to provide a little more bottom end. No heavy lifting here, which means I am back to enjoying what is shaping up to be a delightful weekend.
Song Report Number Four: Tremont
Fantastic that this track should fall on a Saturday, because there is really not much to do here. I added some overall compresser/limiter functions and global EQ. Other than that, I made a quick tweak in EQ and redid a couple of effects in the drum set tracks. I also added a midi bass drum sound in one spot to provide a little more bottom end. No heavy lifting here, which means I am back to enjoying what is shaping up to be a delightful weekend.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Listening Day Three
There is something marvelous about the crisp spring day of a first tee ball game,something delicious about a first kiss, something enlightening about devouring a first Chicago-style Vienna Beef dog. Tonight I have the digital equivalent of a scalpel, tweezers, and hacksaw laid out on the table to do some subtle yet massive surgery to the first full-length product of the Redline Project - "Slips Away."
Though it is not necessarily my most advanced work, this firstborn child of endless daily effort has become the apple of my ear. My nerve endings tingle with excitement at the thought of sharing it with this blog's readership and anyone else who cares to download it
Song Report Number Three: Slips Away
I added condenser/limiter to the master track and a touch of EQ to bring the mix to life. The vocal track required much cleanup, and I am not entirely satisfied with the result. This is more an issue of poor raw material than it is a product of bad engineering, so I may have to settle. I also utilized the same de-esser settings and added a bit of hollow reverb to add a hint of mystery. I added some automated volume control to the song to bring up the soft spots and reduce the loud areas. The struggle with this track is its progression from extremely sparse to gratuitously explosive. I want to leave dynamics in place while not forcing the listener to consistently adjust her volume knob. The song ends with several bars of sparse, passionate acoustic drums; I completely reworked this section, eliminating a mechanized delay effect and putting the drums in a ridiculously echoey reverb space, just for fun.
Though it is not necessarily my most advanced work, this firstborn child of endless daily effort has become the apple of my ear. My nerve endings tingle with excitement at the thought of sharing it with this blog's readership and anyone else who cares to download it
Song Report Number Three: Slips Away
I added condenser/limiter to the master track and a touch of EQ to bring the mix to life. The vocal track required much cleanup, and I am not entirely satisfied with the result. This is more an issue of poor raw material than it is a product of bad engineering, so I may have to settle. I also utilized the same de-esser settings and added a bit of hollow reverb to add a hint of mystery. I added some automated volume control to the song to bring up the soft spots and reduce the loud areas. The struggle with this track is its progression from extremely sparse to gratuitously explosive. I want to leave dynamics in place while not forcing the listener to consistently adjust her volume knob. The song ends with several bars of sparse, passionate acoustic drums; I completely reworked this section, eliminating a mechanized delay effect and putting the drums in a ridiculously echoey reverb space, just for fun.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Listening Day Two
Fall Down has tickled my eardrums over and again tonight as I continue my quest to wrench the kinks out of the Redline Project final tracks. Tonight marks the second day of a nine day process, with each one dedicated to one of the tracks of the final project.
Tonight's song is about a friend who chose to cheat on her spouse. Somehow the heaviness of life wore weak spots into the fibers or this person's morality until the strands frayed and shredded. Though the infidelity happened a handful of years ago, the events and circumstances still haunt me.
These lyrics discuss truth and the process of learning, relearning, and ultimately accepting and rejecting different ideas. Like most of my songs are, the topic is a heavy one that begs us to take a closer look at our patterns of thought.
A taste:
Minutes confirm what months deny
As years coax a different truth from passers by
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust
We all fall down
Song Report Number Two: Fall Down
Again, many of the adjustments I made were to the vocal track, fine tuning EQ settings, condensing, and de-essing. I chose a small, soft room as the reverb setting for many tracks, which gives the track more of a live-recorded feel. I warped a harmony track almost beyond recognition with piles of echo and phase to give a swirling effect. Slight edits to analog percussion tracks also tightened the groove. The cherry on top was a condenser/limiter and a msster EQ that seemed to liven up the mix.
Tonight's song is about a friend who chose to cheat on her spouse. Somehow the heaviness of life wore weak spots into the fibers or this person's morality until the strands frayed and shredded. Though the infidelity happened a handful of years ago, the events and circumstances still haunt me.
These lyrics discuss truth and the process of learning, relearning, and ultimately accepting and rejecting different ideas. Like most of my songs are, the topic is a heavy one that begs us to take a closer look at our patterns of thought.
A taste:
Minutes confirm what months deny
As years coax a different truth from passers by
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust
We all fall down
Song Report Number Two: Fall Down
Again, many of the adjustments I made were to the vocal track, fine tuning EQ settings, condensing, and de-essing. I chose a small, soft room as the reverb setting for many tracks, which gives the track more of a live-recorded feel. I warped a harmony track almost beyond recognition with piles of echo and phase to give a swirling effect. Slight edits to analog percussion tracks also tightened the groove. The cherry on top was a condenser/limiter and a msster EQ that seemed to liven up the mix.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Nine Day Plan
Starting tonight, I am working through one recording per day, carefully listening, analyzing and making changes to it after several playbacks. The process is nothing short of exciting, as bothersome details are carefully ironed out of the mix.
After these nine days, I hope to invite some trusted friends with good sets of ears to a listening and critiquing party. This means in a matter of weeks, these songs will be unveiled in rough form for the first time. This is nothing short of momentous to me.
Song Report Number One: Sidewalk
The focus of my adjustments has been the vocal track, performing almost an entire rework of the Melodyne effect and adding a more robotic vocoder to the sound. I also shortened some phrases in an effort to tighten up the composition. Certain effects are gone from certain tracks with others added in their place. The vocals have been de-essed using a beautiful compression method found on YouTube.
None of this will mean anything to anybody, and you have my sincere apologies for the bore. I do want a record of it so I can look back and ponder the series of surgeries each of my tracks had to endure.
I must return to the track to make a few last adjustments and bounce out a new mp3 before the night becomes morning.
After these nine days, I hope to invite some trusted friends with good sets of ears to a listening and critiquing party. This means in a matter of weeks, these songs will be unveiled in rough form for the first time. This is nothing short of momentous to me.
Song Report Number One: Sidewalk
The focus of my adjustments has been the vocal track, performing almost an entire rework of the Melodyne effect and adding a more robotic vocoder to the sound. I also shortened some phrases in an effort to tighten up the composition. Certain effects are gone from certain tracks with others added in their place. The vocals have been de-essed using a beautiful compression method found on YouTube.
None of this will mean anything to anybody, and you have my sincere apologies for the bore. I do want a record of it so I can look back and ponder the series of surgeries each of my tracks had to endure.
I must return to the track to make a few last adjustments and bounce out a new mp3 before the night becomes morning.
Monday, May 10, 2010
When Enough is Enough
I have been pressing through track number nine for the past three hours, which is probably the 12th time I have wrestled with this particular file. I have nine complete, if rough, tracks stacked in a neat playlist in iTunes. On several occasions, I mentioned the goal of producing ten tracks, and while I am one short of achieving that objective, number nine is more or less three separate compositions in one.
Could it be that I have all the music I need for the Redline Project? Halleluia, Amen. Pass the potatoes.
This is where the smile turns upside down into a frown. There are miles to go before these rough cuts can be bounced down to a final recording. Here's the shopping list:
1) I need to listen, listen listen, all the while taking notes of problem spots, awkward moments, aural issues.
2) Once all music has been polished with fine grit sandpaper, it will be time to learn how to mix the tracks to obtain at least a semi-professional sound. I am nearly positive I will need assistance with this, and I have no idea who may come to my rescue.
3) Should I make it through the past two items, it will be time for the final audio process, called mastering. How exactly am I supposed to execute a decent mastering of my audio when I don't yet have a good handle on what the term means?
4) Copyrighting the music is not a difficult process, but it takes a bit of running around and a few bucks. Thankfully there is one step in the process that is not completely daunting.
Oh yes, and when I am finally through with these gargantuan tasks, I have to figure out how to distribute this music to 10,000 people. Sometimes I wonder who spiked my New Years beverage when I decided to take on this project, and with what illegal substance. Whatever was swirling around in my champagne glass, I want some more.
Could it be that I have all the music I need for the Redline Project? Halleluia, Amen. Pass the potatoes.
This is where the smile turns upside down into a frown. There are miles to go before these rough cuts can be bounced down to a final recording. Here's the shopping list:
1) I need to listen, listen listen, all the while taking notes of problem spots, awkward moments, aural issues.
2) Once all music has been polished with fine grit sandpaper, it will be time to learn how to mix the tracks to obtain at least a semi-professional sound. I am nearly positive I will need assistance with this, and I have no idea who may come to my rescue.
3) Should I make it through the past two items, it will be time for the final audio process, called mastering. How exactly am I supposed to execute a decent mastering of my audio when I don't yet have a good handle on what the term means?
4) Copyrighting the music is not a difficult process, but it takes a bit of running around and a few bucks. Thankfully there is one step in the process that is not completely daunting.
Oh yes, and when I am finally through with these gargantuan tasks, I have to figure out how to distribute this music to 10,000 people. Sometimes I wonder who spiked my New Years beverage when I decided to take on this project, and with what illegal substance. Whatever was swirling around in my champagne glass, I want some more.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Laundry and Reruns
As the weekend draws to a close, it is rare that I have much energy, and this Sunday evening is no exception. I have never been any good at relaxing or sitting still. My weekends attest to this claim, each one crammed to the rafters with outings, errands, and activities.
By way of example, please allow the following list: shopping for Mother's Day, mountain biking, enjoying a friend's wedding, dancing the night away, selling a bicycle, attending church, eating lunch with my Mother, and recording another final Redline Project track. There was hardly time for sleep in the past 48 hours.
After I the Waffle House rendezvous with the dude who purchased my bicycle, I took the ride home to prepare mentally for an evening of recording, mixing, and blogging. But alas, when I returned home, Facebook called my name softly luring me into its endless list of random ponderances.
One friend posted his amusement with this week's episode of Saturday Night Live and its featured host, Betty White. "Oh right... I wanted to watch that," my procrastinating self contemplated.
Next stop, Hulu.com for a rerun viewing of SNL. Another hour gone.
Next thought: "Hmm... There is laundry to sort, and if I fold all five loads that are sitting in the basement waiting for attention, I can load up some old Seinfeld DVDs and vegetate a little longer, all while pleasing my wife with a completed household chore."
I suppose honesty is better than indefinite procrastination. Simply stated, I do not feel like working on my recordings tonight. Why push? Why force? This is my project, and it is supposed to be fun. I think I will take the night off and return to the Redline Project once I source some much-needed motivation.
By way of example, please allow the following list: shopping for Mother's Day, mountain biking, enjoying a friend's wedding, dancing the night away, selling a bicycle, attending church, eating lunch with my Mother, and recording another final Redline Project track. There was hardly time for sleep in the past 48 hours.
After I the Waffle House rendezvous with the dude who purchased my bicycle, I took the ride home to prepare mentally for an evening of recording, mixing, and blogging. But alas, when I returned home, Facebook called my name softly luring me into its endless list of random ponderances.
One friend posted his amusement with this week's episode of Saturday Night Live and its featured host, Betty White. "Oh right... I wanted to watch that," my procrastinating self contemplated.
Next stop, Hulu.com for a rerun viewing of SNL. Another hour gone.
Next thought: "Hmm... There is laundry to sort, and if I fold all five loads that are sitting in the basement waiting for attention, I can load up some old Seinfeld DVDs and vegetate a little longer, all while pleasing my wife with a completed household chore."
I suppose honesty is better than indefinite procrastination. Simply stated, I do not feel like working on my recordings tonight. Why push? Why force? This is my project, and it is supposed to be fun. I think I will take the night off and return to the Redline Project once I source some much-needed motivation.
Friday, May 7, 2010
First Contest Winner
Congratulations to Jan Fischer, my newly-found musical amigo from across the pond. He is the first (and only) entrant to the 'contest' I posted here a couple of weeks ago. Click below to hear our collaboration. I provided drums and bass, while he furnished everything else. Thank you Jan for entering the contest. For more of Jan's music, check his website.
If anyone else would like to win this 'contest', simply download the Logic files provided in that post, add your creative touches, and send me an mp3 file of your work. Your prize: I will post the collaboration here along with a link back to your website or blog.
Thanks for the music Jan, and thanks to everyone following this hectic and fulfilling journey.
If anyone else would like to win this 'contest', simply download the Logic files provided in that post, add your creative touches, and send me an mp3 file of your work. Your prize: I will post the collaboration here along with a link back to your website or blog.
Thanks for the music Jan, and thanks to everyone following this hectic and fulfilling journey.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Dark Fun
Tonight I am chiseling away at the meat of Thursday, a song I refer to in May 4th's post. After meandering through a couple of light verses, the composition takes what I hope will be a surprising turn into a dark, percussive alley with hollow metallic sounds and earthy, hypnotic drum patterns. Needless to say, it has been a fun night.
In the spirit of Found Sound, I swished a fork around a (dirty) cereal bowl and banged my metal bulletin board with mallets. Both rhythms were captured in one take and will indeed make their way onto the final recording.
The clock to the left tells me 176 days remain until the Redline Project album launch. You may have gathered by now that I am moving ahead with all the speed and gusto I can muster so I might wrap up much sooner. In around two months, I will travel with my wife to South Korea to receive our son and bring him home. How lovely it would be to share all of this final music before that day comes. I am not nearly confident enough to subtract from that clock's sum just yet. Stay tuned.
In the spirit of Found Sound, I swished a fork around a (dirty) cereal bowl and banged my metal bulletin board with mallets. Both rhythms were captured in one take and will indeed make their way onto the final recording.
The clock to the left tells me 176 days remain until the Redline Project album launch. You may have gathered by now that I am moving ahead with all the speed and gusto I can muster so I might wrap up much sooner. In around two months, I will travel with my wife to South Korea to receive our son and bring him home. How lovely it would be to share all of this final music before that day comes. I am not nearly confident enough to subtract from that clock's sum just yet. Stay tuned.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Stardom and Anonymity
I join the masses in loving the music of Norah Jones. I watched an interview she gave today on Billboard.com, and was far from impressed. For being such a brilliant songwriter, singer, and instrumentalist, she was a far cry from articulate. And I found her comments leaned toward the conceited side. What a let-down.
Famous musicians, the ones who become household names, seem to lead lives that are often disturbed and filled with angst. Strange how money and fame mangle the lives of those who have both, yet somehow hold strong appeal to those who have neither.
As the Redline Project album begins to take shape, I am convinced of two things:
1) The music I am producing is fairly good - compelling, varied, and gives the listener a good bit to think about.
2) The music I am producing is not nearly good enough to be an attention-getter or career-builder.
Somewhere inside of me lurks the evil desire to strike a chord with a world full of music listeners and piece together a career as a touring, recording, performing musician. The sensible part of me - a small but growing percentage of my being - inches closer each day to rejecting those thoughts. What a mess stardom would be; anonymity is far superior.
Famous musicians, the ones who become household names, seem to lead lives that are often disturbed and filled with angst. Strange how money and fame mangle the lives of those who have both, yet somehow hold strong appeal to those who have neither.
As the Redline Project album begins to take shape, I am convinced of two things:
1) The music I am producing is fairly good - compelling, varied, and gives the listener a good bit to think about.
2) The music I am producing is not nearly good enough to be an attention-getter or career-builder.
Somewhere inside of me lurks the evil desire to strike a chord with a world full of music listeners and piece together a career as a touring, recording, performing musician. The sensible part of me - a small but growing percentage of my being - inches closer each day to rejecting those thoughts. What a mess stardom would be; anonymity is far superior.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
New Term
I learned a new term today. The word is sibilance, which refers to the unnaturally loud frequencies that appear on a recording when a vocalist sings certain consonant sounds. The most pronounced are the s-sounds and the p-pops, but t-sounds, k-sounds, sh-sounds, and others can pose similar decibel spikes.
As I let iTunes cycle through the Redline Project's completed tracks, certain problematic patterns have begun to emerge. Sharp consonant sounds abound in the recordings, even though I have always positioned a pop filter between my mouth and the microphones when singing.
Logic Pro ships with a plug-in called a De-esser, a little piece of software that purports to remove the troubled frequencies. One small problem: it fails to work. Initially, I assumed its yield was unsatisfactory due to incompetent user error. However, a Google search revealed that scores of other recordists have experienced similar woes.
What then is the antidote to this perplexing aural enigma? YouTube to the rescue...
I located a useful video tutorial that outlines the process of using a condenser plug-in to remove unwanted sibilance. A few clicks and loud hissy consonants seem to melt into a natural sonic spectrum. Looks like the old adage of, 'You learn something new every day,' applies to this one. Your ears will unknowingly thank me for unearthing this discovery.
As I let iTunes cycle through the Redline Project's completed tracks, certain problematic patterns have begun to emerge. Sharp consonant sounds abound in the recordings, even though I have always positioned a pop filter between my mouth and the microphones when singing.
Logic Pro ships with a plug-in called a De-esser, a little piece of software that purports to remove the troubled frequencies. One small problem: it fails to work. Initially, I assumed its yield was unsatisfactory due to incompetent user error. However, a Google search revealed that scores of other recordists have experienced similar woes.
What then is the antidote to this perplexing aural enigma? YouTube to the rescue...
I located a useful video tutorial that outlines the process of using a condenser plug-in to remove unwanted sibilance. A few clicks and loud hissy consonants seem to melt into a natural sonic spectrum. Looks like the old adage of, 'You learn something new every day,' applies to this one. Your ears will unknowingly thank me for unearthing this discovery.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Rerecord and Reminisce
As I opened up one of my earlier tracks, one desperately needing a complete vocal redo, I noticed the corners of my mouth forming a soft smile as I recalled the process of putting the initial recording together. Nearly a month has passed since the last time I chiseled away at the sound of this song, called Thursday.
The lyrics aim to capture the confusing emotions surrounding the gospel accounts of Jesus Christ and the disciples as they celebrate the Jewish holiday of Passover. It is a story that even the decidedly irreligious have heard in some form, and yet its facets remain a foggy riddle. Why must the Christ die? For what crime is he being crucified? Why does one disciple hand him over to the authorities? Why does another pretend he never knew the man?
And why would Jesus sweat bullets in the Garden of Gethsemane as he prayed the night before his death sentence? Didn't he know the end of the story?
There are tidy, pious answers to all of these questions, but I must admit that most leave me feeling flat and unsatisfied. The song I am honing tonight speaks about this overwhelming story and the sobering emotions that are packaged with it.
A snippet:
Weeping lead, sweating drops of blood
Wielding piece, fear I caused the flood
The rain must fall
inside the garden wall
Some believe vehemently that the story is the gospel truth. Others claim it never happened. Hardly anyone is neutral on the matter - such a polarizing event and poignant story. I am honored to join thousands of artists throughout history that each tell the tale from a slightly different angle, and I can not wait until the day that everyone can hear my take.
The lyrics aim to capture the confusing emotions surrounding the gospel accounts of Jesus Christ and the disciples as they celebrate the Jewish holiday of Passover. It is a story that even the decidedly irreligious have heard in some form, and yet its facets remain a foggy riddle. Why must the Christ die? For what crime is he being crucified? Why does one disciple hand him over to the authorities? Why does another pretend he never knew the man?
And why would Jesus sweat bullets in the Garden of Gethsemane as he prayed the night before his death sentence? Didn't he know the end of the story?
There are tidy, pious answers to all of these questions, but I must admit that most leave me feeling flat and unsatisfied. The song I am honing tonight speaks about this overwhelming story and the sobering emotions that are packaged with it.
A snippet:
Weeping lead, sweating drops of blood
Wielding piece, fear I caused the flood
The rain must fall
inside the garden wall
Some believe vehemently that the story is the gospel truth. Others claim it never happened. Hardly anyone is neutral on the matter - such a polarizing event and poignant story. I am honored to join thousands of artists throughout history that each tell the tale from a slightly different angle, and I can not wait until the day that everyone can hear my take.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Initial Car Test
Armed with six of my compositions loaded into the trusty iPod, I took the wheel of my Honda Element and headed down the highway. My buddy Peter, a fine musician and sound technician, advised me to do so every now and again to gain perspective on how the music sounds in consumer speakers.
Good advice. What is full and resonant in Studio Redline comes across as thin and whiny in the car. I compared my work to the mp3 files from a few favorite artists; their music is a quilt of balanced sound that fills every corner of the vehicle with their artwork.
How do they do that?
Admittedly, I am recording on subpar hobby gear. Add to that a complete lack of mixing knowledge and no clue how to master recordings, and you have a fair assessment of my capabilities. If I desire the result of the Redline Project to sound halfway decent when I finish with it, some outside help is definitely needed.
My goal for the week is to find a talented, local recordist and schedule a consultation or two. Bonus points if said recordist offers their time on the cheap. While a maneuver of this sort may blow my intended budget, it would be much worse to leave every aspect of the work to my shaky, unskilled hands.
Good advice. What is full and resonant in Studio Redline comes across as thin and whiny in the car. I compared my work to the mp3 files from a few favorite artists; their music is a quilt of balanced sound that fills every corner of the vehicle with their artwork.
How do they do that?
Admittedly, I am recording on subpar hobby gear. Add to that a complete lack of mixing knowledge and no clue how to master recordings, and you have a fair assessment of my capabilities. If I desire the result of the Redline Project to sound halfway decent when I finish with it, some outside help is definitely needed.
My goal for the week is to find a talented, local recordist and schedule a consultation or two. Bonus points if said recordist offers their time on the cheap. While a maneuver of this sort may blow my intended budget, it would be much worse to leave every aspect of the work to my shaky, unskilled hands.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Side Step
My wife and mother-in-law joined me for an afternoon outing to the High Museum of Art, where an exquisite temporary exhibit called, 'The Allure of the Automobile' is on display. A score of the rarest of automobiles from the 1930s to the 1960s are on view for a couple of months only, and the collection is nothing short of jaw-dropping.
What does any of this have to do with the Redline Project? Hardly anything, except that the trip took me away from music recording, mixing, and once again, blogging.
This project has become a fixture of daily life, and a weekend devoid of progress make me feel as my wife does without eyeliner - that something is missing. The habit of producing basement recordings is certainly a better one than biting nails or cracking knuckles, and I am glad to be hooked on this constructive and invigorating pastime.
I accomplished a skosh of composing and editing today; a twist of a knob here, a tweak of a dial there. That's all. With the house returning to its standard population, tomorrow will bring a grand return to the project's goals as I try to polish and shine the last few rough cuts.
If you have a moment to navigate to high.org, where you can peruse a sampling of the marvelous automobiles on display.
What does any of this have to do with the Redline Project? Hardly anything, except that the trip took me away from music recording, mixing, and once again, blogging.
This project has become a fixture of daily life, and a weekend devoid of progress make me feel as my wife does without eyeliner - that something is missing. The habit of producing basement recordings is certainly a better one than biting nails or cracking knuckles, and I am glad to be hooked on this constructive and invigorating pastime.
I accomplished a skosh of composing and editing today; a twist of a knob here, a tweak of a dial there. That's all. With the house returning to its standard population, tomorrow will bring a grand return to the project's goals as I try to polish and shine the last few rough cuts.
If you have a moment to navigate to high.org, where you can peruse a sampling of the marvelous automobiles on display.
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