My buddy David loaded me up with an arsenal of cast-off equipment from his home studio. I rummaged through the red and white filing box to find microphones, cables, a simple USB recording interface, and (drumroll please...) a set of M-Audio Studiophile studio monitors. Every item on loan is useful, but I am especially delighted to have speakers through which I can playback and edit music. Until now I have been trapped inside a pair of Sennheiser earphones. Thanks David for the loan.
I spent the evening at David's house shooting the breeze and creating some midi loops. He asked about Redline Project's progress, specifically inquiring if I am paring the possibilities down and defining my sound.
Good question - pretty sure the answer is a resounding no. Short of the fact that I am enamored with delay effects, I seem to pull from an array of genres, instrumentation, textures, and rhythms as I compose the individual tracks for this project. The ability to chameleon through the sonic range has its merits, but my inability to settle into a defined sound reveals a whiff of musical immaturity.
As I slowly press towards the goal of the Redline Project album release, I must remind myself of its purposes. I am here to explore, to ideate, to loosen the chains and let the music out. As the recording is released and downloaded, I anxiously await listeners' opinions. Will the tracks have overarching coherence? Will the eclectic nature of each piece lend a pleasing mosaic effect? Or will the lack of homogeny jar the consumer's ear and land the audio files in the digital trash heap?
Showing posts with label Gear. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gear. Show all posts
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Petite Rant
Though I have sifted through countless online forums and tried a dozen remedies, my Alesis Multimix 12 (a firewire mixer) continues to make a horrid low-pitched hum whenever I attempt to record my Guild acoustic electric guitar through it. I have checked for ground loops and acquired noise-cancelling direct boxes. I have attempted to ground the unit by running wires from its chassis to the base of my computer, around my pinky finger, and even down my pants (long story). All solutions reduce some unwanted sound, but I am yet to hit upon the silver bullet.
I finally rang Alesis tech support this morning, figuring they have heard the gripe before. After running me through ten ideas I tried weeks ago, I hung the phone on its cradle and found myself wishing there was hair atop my bald head so I could pull it out in frustration.
How can company after company, with precious few exceptions, possess such thorough ineptitude in troubleshooting their own products? I would put serious cash on the line that my call was not the first of its topic to ring at the help desk. Just once, I would like to dial an 888 number to find a friendly, knowledgeable person on the other end who solves my issue in ten minutes or less. Sounds like a frosty day in the underworld.
There. Rant over.
Considering that I use precisely one of the strips in this 12 input mixer, I have started to research much simpler interfaces that would enable great sound and ease of use in one portable box. Across the board, the Apogee One and the Apogee Duet seem to take the cake. Their prices are on the steep side, so I am hoping to trade the Multimix to someone who has an Apogee product. Until then I will plug along with the Alesis box and clean noise fragments with Logic's host of powerful plug-ins.
I finally rang Alesis tech support this morning, figuring they have heard the gripe before. After running me through ten ideas I tried weeks ago, I hung the phone on its cradle and found myself wishing there was hair atop my bald head so I could pull it out in frustration.
How can company after company, with precious few exceptions, possess such thorough ineptitude in troubleshooting their own products? I would put serious cash on the line that my call was not the first of its topic to ring at the help desk. Just once, I would like to dial an 888 number to find a friendly, knowledgeable person on the other end who solves my issue in ten minutes or less. Sounds like a frosty day in the underworld.
There. Rant over.
Considering that I use precisely one of the strips in this 12 input mixer, I have started to research much simpler interfaces that would enable great sound and ease of use in one portable box. Across the board, the Apogee One and the Apogee Duet seem to take the cake. Their prices are on the steep side, so I am hoping to trade the Multimix to someone who has an Apogee product. Until then I will plug along with the Alesis box and clean noise fragments with Logic's host of powerful plug-ins.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
A Look Back, A Look Ahead
Only 25 days into the mess, and already life without music has become unthinkable. Difficult to believe that a mere 26 days ago (and continuing backwards five years from there), I hardly ever touched a musical instrument. A few have questioned how the time for this project exists, and to that query I offer an amazing and unexpected answer:
I have flicked on the tube exactly once (for a half-hour) since the Redline Project commenced, and I no longer cruise around Facebook or Youtube unless there is some intended purpose. That's it. Nothing else has changed.
I still ride my bike. I still help run the Communicycle co-op. I still play Scrabble and Settlers of Catan with my wife. I still sleep late on Saturday. I still hang with friends midweek for all kinds of shenanigans. I still help with music at church on Sundays. And yes, I still work the old day job. Get the picture?
Two minor epiphanies: First, it is astounding how much time I have wasted doing absolutely nothing over the course of the last several years. Second, it has taken me far too long to recognize the truth of epiphany number one.
It has been downright nifty to figure out that there is plenty of room in my daily life for a new ordeal, and a time-munching one at that. This may become one of my favorite unexpected outcomes of the Redline Project, and I sincerely hope it encourages everyone reading along to consider subtracting a measure of fluff and adding something of significance to the daily grind.
A glance at the project schedule (in an earlier post for those wanting to have a look for themselves) exposes the truth that I can be an overachiever when I set my mind to it. By the 31st of January, my goal was to acquire all funds for the Redline Project, with the follow-up February goal of acquiring all equipment necessary to complete this project.
If you have visited before, you know that Studio Redline has at least enough gear on the shelves to produce the ten scratch recordings peppered throughout these two dozen posts. To be exact, the funds came in (and went back out) for a 12 track mixer, a 49 key midi controller, two condenser microphones, two microphone stands, a pop filter, an electric guitar, and a tangle of XLR and quarter-inch cables. True that many components are stickered with the names of friends who lent them to the project's cause, and for these acquisitions I am forever grateful.
So here I am, surrounded by an arsenal of recording equipment. Professionals may turn up their noses, scoffing that Radio Shack peddles finer offerings, but I am enamored with these electronic components of bliss. And I believe in time they will prove themselves to be the little recording engine that could.
A nice surprise popped into view when I checked the analytics for this site last night. It looks like Google has found this humble project and been so kind as to send not one, not two, but six visitors to its pages. Go ahead, laugh, all ye blogosphere experts. I think that is exciting news.
In the course of three weeks a small but steady stream of folks has materialized. We are over 200 strong on Facebook (The Redline Project) and even have a few people sniffing the bones thrown out on Twitter (@RedlineProject). Google also heralds visitors worming their way to this website from five countries outside of the United States (Germany, Moldova, Australia, Hong Kong, and Canada for the curious).
Regarding a look forward, what do all these bits of excitement mean?
Absolutely nothing.
I am still a nomad meandering around the genres, window-shopping the possibilities of music and musical expression. I have no voice. I do not understand recording theory in the least, and I have no control over the finer points of my extremely powerful and complex software workstation. The electric guitar buzzes and pops, and the acoustic guitar produces a lead quilt of magnetic noise. And the ambient noises from my 1970s split-level infect every attempt to lay down an analog waveform.
Almost a month of thought, effort, purchasing, contemplating, exploring... is in the back pocket, and 11 short ones remain. My level of investment took the plunge some time ago, and I have no confidence in my ability to deliver on the goals set forth on the header of this page. This is a fearful expedition, one that may be without specific destination.
I am left with a question. It nips at the heels of my daily routine and robs sleep from the darkest part of the night: Can I do it?
I have flicked on the tube exactly once (for a half-hour) since the Redline Project commenced, and I no longer cruise around Facebook or Youtube unless there is some intended purpose. That's it. Nothing else has changed.
I still ride my bike. I still help run the Communicycle co-op. I still play Scrabble and Settlers of Catan with my wife. I still sleep late on Saturday. I still hang with friends midweek for all kinds of shenanigans. I still help with music at church on Sundays. And yes, I still work the old day job. Get the picture?
Two minor epiphanies: First, it is astounding how much time I have wasted doing absolutely nothing over the course of the last several years. Second, it has taken me far too long to recognize the truth of epiphany number one.
It has been downright nifty to figure out that there is plenty of room in my daily life for a new ordeal, and a time-munching one at that. This may become one of my favorite unexpected outcomes of the Redline Project, and I sincerely hope it encourages everyone reading along to consider subtracting a measure of fluff and adding something of significance to the daily grind.
A glance at the project schedule (in an earlier post for those wanting to have a look for themselves) exposes the truth that I can be an overachiever when I set my mind to it. By the 31st of January, my goal was to acquire all funds for the Redline Project, with the follow-up February goal of acquiring all equipment necessary to complete this project.
If you have visited before, you know that Studio Redline has at least enough gear on the shelves to produce the ten scratch recordings peppered throughout these two dozen posts. To be exact, the funds came in (and went back out) for a 12 track mixer, a 49 key midi controller, two condenser microphones, two microphone stands, a pop filter, an electric guitar, and a tangle of XLR and quarter-inch cables. True that many components are stickered with the names of friends who lent them to the project's cause, and for these acquisitions I am forever grateful.
So here I am, surrounded by an arsenal of recording equipment. Professionals may turn up their noses, scoffing that Radio Shack peddles finer offerings, but I am enamored with these electronic components of bliss. And I believe in time they will prove themselves to be the little recording engine that could.
A nice surprise popped into view when I checked the analytics for this site last night. It looks like Google has found this humble project and been so kind as to send not one, not two, but six visitors to its pages. Go ahead, laugh, all ye blogosphere experts. I think that is exciting news.
In the course of three weeks a small but steady stream of folks has materialized. We are over 200 strong on Facebook (The Redline Project) and even have a few people sniffing the bones thrown out on Twitter (@RedlineProject). Google also heralds visitors worming their way to this website from five countries outside of the United States (Germany, Moldova, Australia, Hong Kong, and Canada for the curious).
Regarding a look forward, what do all these bits of excitement mean?
Absolutely nothing.
I am still a nomad meandering around the genres, window-shopping the possibilities of music and musical expression. I have no voice. I do not understand recording theory in the least, and I have no control over the finer points of my extremely powerful and complex software workstation. The electric guitar buzzes and pops, and the acoustic guitar produces a lead quilt of magnetic noise. And the ambient noises from my 1970s split-level infect every attempt to lay down an analog waveform.
Almost a month of thought, effort, purchasing, contemplating, exploring... is in the back pocket, and 11 short ones remain. My level of investment took the plunge some time ago, and I have no confidence in my ability to deliver on the goals set forth on the header of this page. This is a fearful expedition, one that may be without specific destination.
I am left with a question. It nips at the heels of my daily routine and robs sleep from the darkest part of the night: Can I do it?
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Shopping Spree
The sale of some old turntables and bike bits gave some gas to the project budget, and I am pleased to announce that the basement studio is steadily piecing together.
Here is a breakdown of collected gear that is either ready to go or about to arrive:
Already here:
Alesis Multimix 12 Firewire
$200: from a CraigsList ad
Audio Technica AT4033a Condenser Mic
Free Loan: from a buddy's closet
Logic Express 8.0
$70: from eBay
Coming soon:
Epiphone Les Paul
Free Loan: pulled from a friend's living room wall
Total spent so far: $270
Though $270 is a significant hunk of dough, it seems a reasonable amount to invest in the start an adequate rig. There is more to buy, including a quality set of headphones and/or monitor speakers, and a solid microphone stand.
Logic Express 8.0 arrived yesterday in a stout, mustard envelope. With fingers crossed, I unstuck the seal. Purchasing used software is a precarious endeavor, and though I communicated extensively with the seller, I had a few needles on my nerves. In order for this copy of Logic Express to be a worthwhile purchase, it needed to be (A) the full retail version (not academic) with (B) install discs and (C) legit serial numbers. I tore the thick paper and took a gander: (D) all of the above - Score!
As Apple products often boast, the application dug itself into my hard drive without a hiccup. GarageBand is the musical version of building with Lego blocks; a little too easy to mouse around and conjure up a decent track. By contrast, Logic Express presents itself as a complex animal with seemingly endless facets that are anything but 'click for easy results.' Despite the complexity, I hope to have my explorations posted here in short order. Stay tuned...
Here is a breakdown of collected gear that is either ready to go or about to arrive:
Already here:
Alesis Multimix 12 Firewire
$200: from a CraigsList ad
Audio Technica AT4033a Condenser Mic
Free Loan: from a buddy's closet
Logic Express 8.0
$70: from eBay
Coming soon:
Epiphone Les Paul
Free Loan: pulled from a friend's living room wall
Total spent so far: $270
Though $270 is a significant hunk of dough, it seems a reasonable amount to invest in the start an adequate rig. There is more to buy, including a quality set of headphones and/or monitor speakers, and a solid microphone stand.
Logic Express 8.0 arrived yesterday in a stout, mustard envelope. With fingers crossed, I unstuck the seal. Purchasing used software is a precarious endeavor, and though I communicated extensively with the seller, I had a few needles on my nerves. In order for this copy of Logic Express to be a worthwhile purchase, it needed to be (A) the full retail version (not academic) with (B) install discs and (C) legit serial numbers. I tore the thick paper and took a gander: (D) all of the above - Score!
As Apple products often boast, the application dug itself into my hard drive without a hiccup. GarageBand is the musical version of building with Lego blocks; a little too easy to mouse around and conjure up a decent track. By contrast, Logic Express presents itself as a complex animal with seemingly endless facets that are anything but 'click for easy results.' Despite the complexity, I hope to have my explorations posted here in short order. Stay tuned...
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Out of the Woodwork
At present, the Redline Project in its entirety consists of a few patchy blog posts, a Facebook group, and a Twitter account. You can imagine my surprise and great delight to find out that several people from around the country, and yes even a couple from across the pond, have chosen to connect to this idea. It seems the social networking services are living up to their claims.
I am somewhat bewildered and deeply encouraged by comments submitted from people remembering me from the high school and college days. I assumed I was long forgotten; what a treat it is to receive kind remembrances of my then-budding musicianship from many with whom I have performed, studied, and composed.
One of the greatest hopes I have for this humble, strange project is that it will strike a chord (as it were) with other artists - musical and otherwise. If you are someone with an artistic talent that never made it into the stratosphere of fame, please drop me a line and tell the story. Just as I am hoping to wiggle out of the woodwork, it will be a pleasure to bring our common sentiments into the light.
On that note (again, as it were - apparently it is pun day), I am thankful for the two contacts I received with offers to borrow recording gear. $1000 is not much of a budget, but it is still a lot of money, and borrowed-for-free is a concept much more in line with the spirit of the Redline Project. If anyone has an audio interface (firewire/usb), decent microphones, XLR or quarter-inch cables, a midi-controller keyboard, or anything else even remotely useful that is in a corner getting dusty, please send me a note. I will give credit where credit is due.
I am somewhat bewildered and deeply encouraged by comments submitted from people remembering me from the high school and college days. I assumed I was long forgotten; what a treat it is to receive kind remembrances of my then-budding musicianship from many with whom I have performed, studied, and composed.
One of the greatest hopes I have for this humble, strange project is that it will strike a chord (as it were) with other artists - musical and otherwise. If you are someone with an artistic talent that never made it into the stratosphere of fame, please drop me a line and tell the story. Just as I am hoping to wiggle out of the woodwork, it will be a pleasure to bring our common sentiments into the light.
On that note (again, as it were - apparently it is pun day), I am thankful for the two contacts I received with offers to borrow recording gear. $1000 is not much of a budget, but it is still a lot of money, and borrowed-for-free is a concept much more in line with the spirit of the Redline Project. If anyone has an audio interface (firewire/usb), decent microphones, XLR or quarter-inch cables, a midi-controller keyboard, or anything else even remotely useful that is in a corner getting dusty, please send me a note. I will give credit where credit is due.
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