The poem kept rattling in my head all day long and I found them fitting a rhythmic pattern. Then a melody jumped in and I headed up to my studio to get it all down.
There was a mood inspired by the groove and I layed down the guitar tracks to a metronome.
The drums came easily as I followed the rhythms in my head. As I mentioned earlier, this is fun and simple for me. The chorus just jumped out, and I like the changes coming back into the verse. The 6 string acoustic guitar sounded great to me and fit the song perfectly.
From there it was add the bass sound on my MIDI keyboard and it was ready for the Lead and harmony vocals.
It took me a while to sing this one to match the mood and I am glad you didn’t have to listen to me learn the melody and fit it to the music, but I think it came out as intended; short and sweet.
Here is the song mixed down. The whole process took me about a week, but this was before I started working over 50 hours a week!
Another thing that helps recording projects is if the sound board has a number of spare Aux or FX (Effects) Sends. Some boards offer 6-8 sends for various reinforcement and recording needs. If you have multiple tracks to record the live performance, use Direct-Outs when available for each active channel on the board. Record as many separate tracks as you can for the most options during mix down. If no Direct-Outs available use those Sends! You can still record the Left and Right Main outs, then use Sends (you can use the ones not needed for monitors and effects…..) to record instruments you want to have independent mixing control later. If the board offers Sub Groups – even better. You can let the sound guru use Left and Right Main outs if they wish, and you use the Sub Groups to create 2 stereo mixes you can record as pairs. Mix the drums and rhythm section (drums, rhythm guitar and bass guitar for the most part) with a stereo image by L-R panning of appropriate channels and assigning those channels to Sub Group 1. Then take lead guitars and other instruments and hard-pan to the Left out of Sub Group 2, and the vocals hard-panned to the Right out of Sub Group 2. In only four tracks you have great bed tracks to mix with, and control over vocal processing and adjusting volume of solo or lead instruments. This still keeps that ‘live sound’ but helps create a better stereo environment and some independence when mixing and processing limited tracks.
One last set-up where I liked the results I got by using stereo in a different way with the following technique. Instead of thinking left and right as the stereo image, I set up Audience position is 1 (left), and Stage position is 2 (right). To achieve this I create a Mono mix from the sound board as described and available as above and record to channel 1 of the stereo recorder. Then I take a quality microphone and hang it from the ceiling above the center of the stage and record this on channel two…….
I dump the ‘stereo’ wave forms into my computer and you can see right away they are offset a bit: one source delayed more than the other. Recording software allows you to separate the stereo tracks and shift the start time just a little to match the other track and all of a sudden you have a new Live Stereo environment where you can hear what it sounds like to be ON STAGE, mixed with what it sounds like IN THE AUDIENCE. Try it a few times and you can get great results if you are willing to sacrifice typical stereo images!
This has been a very busy year. Even though I have spent most of it unemployed, I find there was so little time to do things on my list. I have been busy recording songs; some old ones from the closet and a few new ones where either the lyrics or melodies have inspired me to power up the studio and work/play. I have not spent much time here. I feel like I need to catch up on some close friends again.
I also started working again. I now work for Amazon and though it is not a glorious position, I do like the company and what I do. It is my first time working 10 hour days and it has taken me a while to adjust. During those days it is hard to get much else accomplished.
I would like to give you a sneak preview of a new release on CD Baby called “After The Chase”. I will post more songs and hope you like them. So, while I may not be in contact with many of you as often as I would like, I keep thinking of the followers and friends I have made here.
I am not very good at naming my songs so it might come to you as a surprise that the name of this song is Get Up! I came up with that one all by myself. The simple groove is introduced with the ringing of a bell. Actually, it is two ‘bells’ that are accurately tuned off center pitch in each direction. If you have perfect pitch, I apologize in advance as this will be like nails scratching a chalk board for you! These were a gift from my friend TR. It just seemed like a good start to this piece.
Lyrically the song reflects the need we humans have to keep trying and searching for different ways to overcome challenges. Too often we find ourselves on the ground or in a ditch and think it is not worth getting up. Thinking it is unfair; that others have it easy and we deserve what they have.
It is far past time that we leave the animal, cultural and magical baggage behind. We are no longer simply the ‘alpha dogs’ on this planet. We need to look at our species (beginning with ourselves) and our universe from other dimensions. Our perspective needs to widen to see the challenges before us. The solution must be good for all life here, not the one-sided scorching policy all too often displayed in our past.
In order for this to happen we need to look at ourselves as individuals. Do we contribute to the problem or find ways we can be part of the resolutions? It is not too late. If it doesn’t work, get up and try something else. Be more than a moth driven unerringly toward the flame. There are more important things than the social trappings of us vs them, surviving or sharing, progress or nature. Add a little depth. Look past the shallow surface of day to day life. “Save the File As”.
Take your future under your control.
Every step getting closer. Every opportunity improve your understanding and apply what you learn. Once you find the right path, grab some fellow humans and take them with you! Now, do it again!
I programmed the MIDI drums, rhythm guitar and keyboard parts. Thanks to Mr. Lee added the hypnotic guitar parts for me. I do all the vocals and try to make a haunting but energetic feel for this song. I call it my anthem for this millennium. Maybe you find yourself singing this one from time to time.
It never ceases to amaze me how inspired and creative I feel when I change the strings on my guitar(s). Simple chords sound gorgeous. The whole body of the guitar resonates with depth. This makes experimenting and exploring new areas delightful. It is important to keep tools of the trade not just working properly but living up to their potential.
I watch vocalists go into the recording booth and put on really nice headphones to get a direct audio feed from the soundboard. Maybe this is not their first time, but when they start singing – and can truly hear what their voice sounds like they get this big grin that turns into a surprised smile. Hearing through the studio system vocalists can make nuanced changes as they sing ……. and hear the difference. This gives them more control and immediate results. They become confident enough to experiment and innovate. I hope it feels similar to playing my 12 string guitar with brand new strings.
Pictured are of some of my guitars, the drummer from Euphoria/The Chase – Mike Gill, and Steve Steinmann of Iridium.
What tools do you use that benefit from regular care?
Going With the Flow This is a calming piece based on the string sounds from one of the plug-ins on my recording software program. Sometimes a new sound or new toy can inspire themes, songs and projects. This is one of those situations where I am listening to new sounds and noodling on the keyboard to hear the new tones and to see how the patch responds to the keyboard and controllers. As I was listening to the new sounds, I enjoyed the string sound I was playing with and started recording the noodling I was doing. I played for about five or six minutes and stopped recording to listen back.
The first section I scrapped and the rest was rather pleasant (sometimes this is a surprise indeed!). While listening I started hearing harmonies in my head so I started recording on a 2nd track and used the same string sound to add another layer. After that I stopped. I like the mood this inspires. I am not sure why I called it Cotton Song, but I got the feeling of being in the South overlooking plantations. So it stuck! I did not change anything and mixed it down to what you hear in this post. Other versions of noodling or just playing with sounds rarely turn into a solid piece, so I have tons of snippets that have nice themes but to date have never been expanded upon. One of these days I will listen to other noodling sessions and I might make something out of them. For this song, have a cup of tea, sit back for a little bit and let your mind and body relax. Admit it… you could use that right about now!
So many experiences are composed of related stories and within each story a number of players or artists. The telling or remembering of some stories becomes difficult before the first words are shared. What stories do you include? Which ones do you leave for another time, even though the knowing will make this tale more complete? Which characters will be the focus today when so many were needed to play their part.
Too many things to share. If that were the biggest problem we would all become happy and prosperous. Often, your spouse is also your soul-mate. Sometimes your boss is your friend. Do we present the boss or the friend when the story is told?
No Worries.
I do not advertise or promote my recording studio. Every project has been from word of mouth or referrals/introductions that happen when good people want to introduce you to other good people. Here is a quick summary of a recent project I was fortunate to be involved with. Through my wife, my studio and talents were offered to record and back-up a song written by Bill Kreutzjans of the band Smokin Zeus to comfort someone after the primary – election process had finally ended. He will play acoustic guitar and sing his song, but wanted a fuller sound and maybe some harmonies.
Before he came over to record I got ready. I listened to a recording of the song and took out the copy of the lyrics. First; I checked the tempo of the song. Then I “mapped out” as I call it, a detailed arrangement of the song. Not just how many verses, bridges, and choruses but also how counting full measures, partial measures, key or tempo changes, and getting an idea of the dynamics that evolve as the song plays out. I pull up my computer and recording software (I use Sonar, but there are many others). I created a basic drum pattern to use as a fancy metronome. Bill laid down his tracks listening to the drum tracks and as most artists do in a studio, he fine-tuned his sound and melody. Very quickly we had a great foundation recorded.
This was one of those dream songs where everything dropped into place. We all had ideas of what we wanted to add. The equipment worked well and everything went smoothly as the song kept building. I played each section of the song back (sometimes over and over) and used a MIDI keyboard to “record” the bass guitar parts. Then I used the MIDI keyboard to again trigger sounds from the computer software and plug-ins, but this time I picked a natural string sound to fill around the acoustic guitar.
Good enough progress for a few hours stolen in the day, so we save and back-up files and plan to meet soon to finish. Send rough mix mp3 so all can listen to tracks we have so far.
In the days before we meet to finalize and mix the tracks, I clean up the drums and add accents to help the song build. The drum sounds are also provided by the software and I can trigger the individual sounds or use pre-recorded and/or user-created loops. These ingredients can be blended, added together and shoved in the oven until you get a great loaf of bread. I add the vocal harmonies based on previous discussions. Now I spend some time with the mastering tools I have and process tracks using E.Q., compression, (where needed. I am not big on heavy compression) volume leveling, etc., and then fun stuff like reverb and stereo placement to make each part noticeable and clear. Send rough mix mp3 so all can listen to tracks.
At this point I am playing the song over and over because I like it. I think it sounds cool and we meet to mix and master. I always try to get an idea how the author/performer wants the components or project to sound like. It is a difficult language, but if I get a feel for what they want – or an example of things like it – I can usually find the ‘tone’ of the mix they are familiar with. We pick preferences as we go and the mix continues to bake. We blend track levels with effects and record the master mix to a stereo track ( ….. this topic will be a series of articles in the future ).
As an update and a gentle lead-in to the title of this post, I recently put in a job application at the Sam Ash Music Store in Cincinnati. I worked for years at a local instrument music chain a while ago (not records or CD type of music store…) and I also worked at an electronics music store called ICB Audio. I thought that and my decades of management, sales and customer service experience would make me a good candidate. I started working at Sam Ash about two weeks ago. For me, it is like being a kid in a toy store……. because I AM!
So, do I feel like the employment situation is getting better because I now have a job? In reality, unemployment rate is very low, and has been for a while now. There are people still looking for work, but there are also companies that are looking but cannot find qualified workers in their field and/or location.
Do we feel that food insecurity is a myth because we do not see it in our neighborhood or town?
Everyone we know is well fed and has no difficulty getting their next meal.
Do we refuse to believe specific facts or national statistics because they do not apply to us?
I am glad to be working again doing something I love. I will probably spend more money than I make as I have done in music stores in the past, but I will hopefully meet a lot of new talented people driven by their passion to make music for all to enjoy.
It is tough when you are unemployed. For those of you still looking I wish you well in 2017!
When one of the bands I worked with collapsed under the pressures of day to day life, it was quickly resurrected in a new form. Most of Euphoria members did not want to stop playing so we regrouped with a new guitar player to replace one of the founding members and became The Chase. We played out with about ten different names for a few months – Scenic Route was another favorite of mine – until we settled on The Chase. These guys were great. We had a solid rhythm section, a great lead singer and back up vocals that were tight and an amazing lead guitar player that could feel everything he played. We could play cover songs no other bands would play live. We also threw in originals from time to time. The banner was hung one each side of the stage vertically as seen in one of the photos below, and horizontally behind the drum set. It was pretty eye-catching and a lot of people complimented it.
I am an archivist. I record everything. Audio recordings of practice sessions and live performances. Video of many performances and photos of major events. Before YouTube I posted a number of them on our cable TV Local Access channels using their video editing suite. I had my fingers in everything. Some of the projects got finished, but a lot of the raw tapes have only been viewed by me and a select group of people.
I just put together a new video that uses a lot of this vintage raw video and some of the photographs from the time period. The medium is so old that the quality suffers, but it does a good job of representing the events of the time. We played in many clubs and outdoor events and I will create future videos to highlight more venues. For this video I used an original instrumental song that Nick Robinson was working on and our new band, The Chase, made it our own. There is no video of the song as we only played it out a few times. Nicky has since re-joined Euphoria when it regrouped a few years ago and is still playing out with some amazing players.
Please check out my latest YouTube post (and other videos while you are there) of his original tune: “Chasing The Dream”. Enjoy!
I’ve admitted in earlier posts that I observe people a lot, and that I get a number of ideas for songs from watching other people; friends, family, co-workers, I steal from them all! I can empathize with people as they face challenges and triumphs in life. I try to understand what it feels like to be in those situations even though I myself might not be directly affected by them.
I also have some rather obvious political points of view. I can understand why there are those that do not always agree with my positions but in many cases I can still understand theirs. In this song I basically insult every group I can think of! As you are more than likely in at least one of these groups I apologize in advance. In a lot of ways, this song summarizes the items on my Love – Hate list. I hate things that should work but do not, and I really hate personal and corporate greed. The song uses a lot of references to things we would hear on the news, although it was written a long time ago. Unfortunately most of the issues are the same today!
Recording this song took a LONG time. We did rough mixes here and there changing this or that, but it did not feel right from beginning to end. Eventually, I think we rearranged some of the chorus/verse structure and it just fell into place. For some songs this is the agonizing part; all the components are there and sound good, but the piece as a whole just does not grab you. I might have even tried changing tempo on this one to get it right.
If this is not the first song I did using my new Alesis ADAT recorder it was one of the first. I was also transitioning from the Atari computer to a Windows machine, so not everything went smoothly! I played electric guitar on this one (I have a few guitars and do not know which one was used for each song but my guess this is either my Ibanez or a Yamaha 6 string) and did all the sequencing and drum tracks as described earlier. My wife does the vocal main lines. Using the limiter/compressor chain I described from other songs the vocals are recorded so they stay soft and spooky and a little eerie as the lyrics become more and more cynical. A bunch of family and friends came in and did the voice add-ons. You can hear both our daughters, my co-writing brother and a few neighbors help out with the spoken parts. I ‘sing’ the chorus.
The bass line in this one is particularly cool because it is my Oberheim Matrix 6 synth and it has this patch or sound that continues to play an arpeggio (sequence of predetermined notes) as long as you hold a key down. So the bass lines are done by holding one note for a while but hearing many notes played. We even got to play with one of the audio samplers from the music store and used it to trigger the ‘broken word’ parts. Once we got the arrangement right it was just fun to ‘decorate’ the basic tracks and add a little movement to the mix. Have fun with this one.
Going With the Flow This is a calming piece based on the string sounds from one of the plug-ins on my recording software program. Sometimes a new sound or new toy can inspire themes, songs and projects. This is one of those situations where I am listening to new sounds and noodling on the keyboard to hear the new tones and to see how the patch responds to the keyboard and controllers. As I was listening to the new sounds, I enjoyed the string sound I was playing with and started recording the noodling I was doing. I played for about five or six minutes and stopped recording to listen back.
