This song was originally a vocal jam to a new synth bass line I came up with using a sound I created on my Arp Odyssey. It just had a good tempo and a nice feel, so I called it the big ‘D’ jam. (yep, it is in the key of D). The vocal scat became repeated lyrics and the song became one of my first original contributions to the duo and later a trio I formed with my brother in law Ric Ahlers called ‘The Personal Touch’. Later I would use that section of the lyrics for an updated piece I called “Bookin’”, cause the is the main feeling when I drive and listen to the song. Not sure anymore what the lyrics are about. I know something about observations of beautiful women pretending to be unapproachable. What do you expect from 1984, George?
Posts Tagged ‘#bass’
Bookin’ MSK 1984
Posted: March 28, 2023 in #poetry, PoetryTags: #arpodyssey, #atari, #audio, #bass, #guitar, #lyrics, #michaelskennedy, #Midi, #midicontroller, #mididrums, #midimike, #midimike.com, #music, #musician, #personal, #poetry, #recording, #songwriter, #sound, #synthesizer, #vocalist
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Barely Perceptible MSK 2004
Posted: February 14, 2023 in #poetry, PoetryTags: #audio, #bass, #guitar, #lyrics, #michaelskennedy, #Midi, #midicontroller, #mididrums, #midimike, #midimike.com, #music, #musician, #personal, #poem, #poet, #poetry, #poetrypod, #recording, #songwriter, #sound
A hard and simple look at the chances most people never have, even though choices are everywhere. Even still, thinking no chance will ever really come, we continue on. Friends would ask me to do some audio gig or help them get their gear set up. More than a few were acting as if they were in debt to me and owed me a big favor. That is where I came up with the first two lines. Then it was clear that for many chances would be rare, but sadistically many are available to others. The best chances you will ever get are Barely Perceptible.
The Chase looking for a vocalist
Posted: August 17, 2021 in Live Sound Reinforcement Series, MUSIC, projectsTags: #bass, #creed, #guitar, #jamesfidelli, #jimihendrix, #keyboardplayers, #Liveband, #livesoundreinforement, #localbands, #metallica, #michaelskennedy, #midimike, #midimike.com, #petergabriel, #queen, #redhouse, #stonecoldcrazy, #thechase, #vintage recordings
Continuing on in this series, the cover band I performed with is trying out new vocalists. Fortunately I record often and want to share with you some of the live performances during this time with The Chase. The songs were performed by James Fidelli and he also played a bit of electric rhythm guitar.
Music for “Peanut Butter Hill”
Posted: February 19, 2021 in family, My TunesTags: #bass, #childhood, #lindnerpark, #memories, #michaelskennedy, #midimike, #midimike.com, #musician, #recordingstudio, #songwriter, #songwriting, #thelittlehippies, #themerchantsofdeath, #TMOD
This is a song I co-wrote with a friend of mine from Xenia, Ohio. I sent him the basic tracks via the Internet and he uploaded to his home studio. Scott Hadley from “The Little Hippies” then sang the vocals and helped with arrangement to make this song click. Then he added keyboard parts and harmony tracks and sent individual tracks back to me……
To help me with this song I asked a friend and The Merchants of Death band-mate Mike Wheeler to play bass guitar. He is in Dayton and got the tracks back to me faster than I could have driven there and back! He has a way of finding grooves within the melody of a song that ties it all together.
I wrote “Peanut Butter Hill” on 1-21-2021 as I was walking through the woods near our home. I take walks in the same park almost daily now that I am retired. We spent a lot of time here when our kids were growing up. Walking past a steep hill in the park next to a creek I thought I should write a song about this park. (Well, what about?) As I walked I started thinking that this song is not about me but about the kids that tried climbing the bare-mud side of the hill. A fence stood at the top where the real path was and at the bottom of the hill was a creek that remained mostly dry. Soon the melody hit me and I knew this was a song about peanut butter hill.
Decades ago I challenged my kids and all the neighborhood friends to climb up the hill – but they could not use their hands! When they failed and said it could not be done, I put my hands in my pockets and climbed to the top. So did my daughter TK. The hill is not what it was back then, but I think we were the only ones to meet the challenge, but everyone had fun trying!
jjaR
Posted: August 6, 2019 in projectsTags: #audio, #bass, #bass guitar, #Cincinnati, #drummer, #drums, #foodchainoflove, #guitar, #michaelskennedy, #microphone, #Midi, #midimike, #original songs, #photo, #photography, #recording, #recordingstudio, #studio, #studioengineer, #vocalist, #vocals, 102.7FM, 1996, ADAT, Alesis, Annette Rogers, Cincinnati bands, Cincinnati Scene II, Deary Me presents, female vocalist, food chain of love, jjaR, Michael S Kennedy, MSK Studios, multi track recording, original music, originals, photographs, Top Cats, WEBN
Early in 1996 I was introduced to a Cincinnati band called “jjaR”. I met them while they were playing at a popular club called Top Cats. I was really impressed with the band and their original songs. Annette Rogers was the lead vocalist and she commanded the room with her emotional portrayal of each song. The band was intense and dynamic.
March 13th, 1996 we started recording in my home studio. They were troopers. I have a small space for recording with no isolation rooms for drums, vocals, etc. The band wanted a clean demo. They did not want a lot of processing and effects in the mix. A band after my own heart!
We did two separate sessions. The first session was mixed on March 26th, 1996. I was recording on the Alesis ADAT (Alesis Digital Audio Tape) machine for the first project. We only had 8 tracks to work with back then and no computer editing or effects. They were pros. They set up, got settled in and played their songs with obvious passion.
One of their tracks appeared in a collection of bands our local radio station WEBN (102.7FM) published on CD. They were featured on the second annual CD release. Deary Me Presents – Cincinnati Scene II included “Food Chain Of Love” on the 3rd track of the compilation CD. You can still find a copy or two on on-line.
Here are a few tunes from Project 1 for your enjoyment.
What’s Left
Posted: July 30, 2019 in Cover Tune TuesdaysTags: #bass, #bass guitar, #drummer, #drums, #guitar, #Liveband, #livesoundreinforement, #midimike, #video, #videographer, #vocalist, #vocals, Dollar Bills, Ed Goen, Gary Jefferson, keyboards, lead guitar, live audience, Live performance, live recording, local bands, Michael S Kennedy, musical video, saxaphone, support local musicians, www.midimike.com
Last weekend I dropped in on some friends playing out. With camera in hand I caught a few minutes of “What’s Left” performing live. It reminded me how glad I am that I don’t play out any more. Performing for a live audience is fun and addictive but being my own roadie was killing me quickly! I always joked that we would play anywhere for free……. we just charge to move the equipment in and out!
This was just for fun and I appreciate the guys letting me point my camera at them for a while. I like their logo in the back.
Recordings From The Vault
Posted: June 25, 2019 in projectsTags: #bass, #bass guitar, #Cincinnati, #demo, #digital, #drums, #effects, #guitar, #keyboard, #recording, #recordingstudio, #Soundengineer, #stories, #studio, #studioengineer, ADAT, Alesis, Chakrasrock, Cincinnati bands, demo tape, Digital Audio Tape, historical recording, keyboards, local bands, MSK, MSK Studios, multi track recording, Nikon camera, original music, originals, pictures, songwriting, violin
This is an early recording of a Cincinnati band “Chakras”. I recorded them back when I used the ADAT digital tape recorder. It does not have the ‘bling’ of modern recordings but I think you will enjoy the performance.
https://www.facebook.com/chakrasrock
Chakras MSK 2 
Chakras MSK 3 
Chakras MSK 1
Cover Tune Tuesdays
Posted: June 18, 2019 in Cover Tune TuesdaysTags: #bass, #bass guitar, #Cincinnati, #cover, #drummer, #drums, #guitar, #harmonies, #harmony, #keyboard, #Liveband, #livesoundreinforement, #midimike, #mixing board, #mixingboard, #music, #musicequiptment, #musician, #sing, #singer, #singing, #vocalist, #vocals, #Yamaha, cover band, cover tune, DW drums, fender guitars, Gary Jefferson, gibson guitars, keyboards, Korg, lead guitar, Live performance, live recording, LSR, Michael S Kennedy, multi track recording, music industry, music lovers, music production, musical video, musicians, support local musicians
I posted another you-tube segment of Crash Landing playing cover tunes at a gig in Cincinnati back in 2002. This is the last segment of the 1st set. I tried to break them up into chunks so they are not huge files.
I ran a straight line out from the mixing board. Few live recordings are perfect, and over the years I tried a number of ways to get a good mix. Keep in mind I record all the time so this was not a special occasion and I don’t even think I told the band members we were recording.
I am still collecting new photos from friends and relatives and will add them to future posts. So sit down and grab your favorite beverage and listen to a great live band!
Cover Tune Tuesdays with Crash Landing continues
Posted: June 11, 2019 in Cover Tune TuesdaysTags: #A Night Out, #ANightOut, #bass, #bass guitar, #Cincinnati, #drummer, #drums, #guitar, #harmonies, #harmony, #keyboard, #Liveband, #livesoundreinforement, #microphone, #monitors, #panasonic DAT, #photo, #photographer, #photography, #photograpy, #recordingstudio, #stage, #studio, #studioengineer, #venue, #vocalist, #vocals, clubs, cover band, cover tune, DAT, keyboards, kick drum, lead guitar, Live performance, live recording, liver performance, local bands, MADD, multi track recording, musical video, musicians, PA, photographs, rock and roll, snare drum, sound editing, stage monitors, Stereo recordings, support local musicians, tamborine, vintage video
Here is the 2nd installment of my live recording of Crash Landing back in 2002. I played with them for a number of years. First as a sound guy. I knew the singer Gary Jefferson and he pulled me into the group. Gary and I go back a few years. He knows everyone and has played all over town. I have helped him with outside projects and you can hear his vocals on a lot of my original songs. Great people are hard to come by, but they will be there for you when you need.
I wish I had more video to share. I have a call out to other band members and friends to send me copies of anything they have. I have created videos for years but never really did much during this time. Again, I wish I had. Here is the next section of an evening with Crash Landing. This is still the first set and we are getting warmed up. Settling into the sound. That is the toughest thing about one-night-gigs; everything sounds so strange for the first 3 or four songs at the minimum. Depending on the sound guy/gal, this could take up to an entire first set to get comfortable.
I don’t have records of who was running sound this night. With this band I USED to run sound from the audience, then became a band member and ran sound and played/sang from out in the crowd using our own equipment! In many ways that was very cool. After a while we hired sound companies and I just don’t know who was at the board.
I hope you enjoy a night out – to hear a live band – without leaving your home. It’s like you are at the show, but you can still have one more drink and not have to drive home!
Here is the you-tube link for part two: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vHdxs6z-Qg
Live Sound Reinforcement Series Chapter 19 – To Dream the Impossible Dream
Posted: August 10, 2015 in Live Sound Reinforcement SeriesTags: # mixer, #audio, #band, #bass, #digital, #dreams, #drummer, #drums, #guitar, #keyboard, #livesoundreinforement, #microphone, #mixingboard, #monitors, #music, #musician, #performance, #performer, #runningsound, #sound, #Soundengineer, #soundman, #speakers, #stage, #stereo, #synthesizer, #tech, #technology, #volume
Think of the stage as a speaker sitting in front of the audience….. sometimes the club or venue actually looks like a box where the performers are positioned. You have the low-end Bass Guitar, Kick Drum and Floor Tom and maybe keyboard sounds or textures. You have the Guitar and Vocals in a mid-rangy area and at the upper end you have symbols and higher range Guitar and Keyboard sounds. All inside the same box just a blasting away at different levels and pointed in all directions.
Now you have a better understanding of the challenge of making these various chunks into a tasty audio stew!
For the best way to present music to the savvy listeners of today, we do what has been done for decades. In the stereo image, you want to create a “room” or “place” for the listener. We have become comfortable with the very low end sounds coming from both speakers at about the same volume. This places the sound to the center of the listener’s field.
We like the vocals or in most cases the melody line to be in both sides equally, again placing the singer in the middle of the left-right field. We are fine if other instruments or singers are more to the left or right as long as the main sounds are where we expect them. We usually place big speakers on either side of the stage facing the audience…… usually in front of the stage and performers…. But as mentioned above this is not a finely tuned speaker cabinet by any means. The components are not necessarily proportionally balanced in volume or location. Setting up the Stage and PA system with this in mind can help reinforce the natural stereo image out in the audience.
Now that I have made a connection that is awkward if not confusing, even though the PA system in all likely hood is a Mono mix coming from both sides or columns of speakers, the listener still hears this as a stereo field. They want the low-end sounds or tones from the center of the stage. Typically the drum – the Kick Drum to be specific for this example – is the most used and most amplified instrument in band situations or where you have audio media. The Bass Guitar player is usually next to the drummer. This helps them keep tighter timing and solid beat, but also supports the stereo image of the listener.
Guitar and other amplified instruments on stage can be heard more from their side of the stage than from the other as an easy example, even if the volume through each side of the Main is sent the same level signal. If keyboards are on the opposite side of the stage from the guitar and also uses a monitor or amp, standing closer to them in front row can make it seem like the keyboards are too loud and those on the other side of the stage think the guitars are somewhat overbearing. It won’t stop them from standing there though! As you get further away from the front of the stage or if the venue is very large, this stereo effect has less and less meaning to the listener. Still, as a rule, most sound systems do not place low-end PA cabinets (or dumps) on one side of the stage and the mid or hi-end cabinets on the other side. It can be however, advantageous to place the low-end dumps in the center of the stage or along the front-center stage area. To make this more inclusive, it is also more comfortable to hear low-end tones coming from an elevation point lower (on the floor, for example) and the higher tones or frequencies coming from higher points (mounted above the stage or on tall poles).
If the volume on stage becomes to strong a level it will negatively affect all the above and more. To reinforce another post of mine, musicians just need to worry about performing great – we sound geeks will make them sound good and loud! I keep dreaming.
MidiMike 