I thought I would share this little piece with you. I am just experimenting with new sounds to see what I come up with. There is no real structure or drum tracks to speak of. Just a bunch of cool textures and visions of other worlds. Or, maybe it is this one in the future?
MIDIMike
I recently added vocals to the instrumental “It Only Takes One‘. This is just a fun song in my opinion. It has a toe-tapping beat with a fast pace to it. I like the simple chord changes and the way it just sticks in your head after you have heard it a few times.
I sent this to my band mates from ‘The Merchants’. We may have a real version at some point in the future. This version is just me and my toys lol.
I have been preoccupied lately with family and life style challenges, though I have still managed to be productive. It is just difficult for me to put things together in a post. Hopefully in the future I will catch you all up, and visit my amazing followers again. I hope you are all having a great New Year.
MIDIMike
Write about your first computer.
Unlike other computers available at that time, it had built in MIDI ports! This allowed musicians to connect the computer to the new generation of MIDI keyboards, sequencers and drum machines. MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface.
Later I got a job at a music store selling musical equipment and was given the nickname MIDIMIKE!
I still have the Atari and my Yamaha DX7 MIDI keyboard.
Midimike
I posted lyrics earlier for this new song and I have a mix of the music ready for “It Only Takes One“
I am working on the vocals now and will have some ‘filler’ tracks to add at some point. I used drum loops (edited and a bit tortured at times!) for the rhythm tracks. I play all the guitar tracks and added a MIDI bass guitar part from my keyboards ……. until the band can make it in for a session.
But for now, here is the instrumental version.
Happy New Year!
Clearly that is what this was, an idea, but I love the first verse in that it sets up the rest of the mood for the song. I also have a lot of driving references in my songs over the years. Easy analogies, and I am an analogy king. The line about putting away your toys is another question that pops up in my themes about musical equipment and my home studio. I am not sure how long I will continue to write and record original songs and local bands. I am not sure when but I cannot stop now so I have not written my last song yet.
Back with the morbid themes. A how to guide when the end of your life is here. A lesson from the wise and experienced. Dyeing is the easiest part. Once you are gone though, your story can be told by others. So be kind!
Bucket lists have been a recurring thing now and then. In the earlier days I would think about crossing off something on the list before I die. Now my list has a bunch of things to do before someone else like the artist or performer dies! Back to the song, it is trying to inspire us to think of life as short for some but death happens to all of us as they say. What would you like to do? One of those was just to finish something to be proud of. To actually accomplish something good. But whatever it is, I want to take you with me when I do it.
I recorded a nice version of this song to share with all. I edited the lyrics a bit to make things match a bit better but I like the final arrangement. I also had a little fun with some of the percusssion tracks. The chimes and hi hats are from a MIDI keyboard, but the bongo like percussion starting about the middle of the song I am using the top of my Yeti mug – filled half-way with green tea to be exact – as the drum.
Here is ‘Caretaker’:
‘Caretaker’ (C) MSK 12-31-2023
As a biproduct, I wanted to see if the spatial audio affects mixing with ATMOS would work with a YouTube upload.
So I made a video (pictures is all) and posted it to see if my surround sound home theater system will be enhanced using ATMOS for short videos. You will not hear anyting in the mix move at all until the end of the song. But I want to see if it distributes the channels automatically. So, before I test it and find out it doesn’t work and delete it, you can hear the ATMOS mix and pictures of my studio rooms. Or better yet, close your eyes and try to imagine where each player (instrument) is sitting on stage. With ATMOS, they could be……… behind you or ……… on a ladder in front of you. Or sitting next to you.
Happy New Year.
I remember writing this when I was at work managing the call center at CMI. Everyone joked you could tell when it was a full moon – even in an underground bunker – just by listening to the calls we would get. People are just nuts sometimes and many times it is predictable. You can talk plainly and truthfully and make sense and they act as if you are torturing their grandparents or something. So coming back to work from lunch I notice there is a full moon.
I think I originally titled this I promise, until a real song from a real singer released one. That has happened to me before so on we go. But now I am positive about it. A simple pledge of better times when there is nothing left to hold you back. A point of no return.
MidiMike 