 |
| Desperately clinging to the NSFW status of this blog. |
Oh no. Wait. I can put Dischord on this thingy. And Slack. Wait. This changes my life.
Tuesday, January 29, 2019
Various sundries
Multi-messenger Chrome extension thingy-client which puts Whatsapp on your desktop. So yeah, I've got that, Dischord, and Slack running along with Hangouts. Because that's what we do now.
Oh no. Wait. I can put Dischord on this thingy. And Slack. Wait. This changes my life.
Oh no. Wait. I can put Dischord on this thingy. And Slack. Wait. This changes my life.
Saturday, January 26, 2019
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
Wiggle
Cantabile is a VST host for live performance.
Olympic Musical Instruments makes hurdy gurdys.
Terry Britton on MIDI controlling Samplitude.
The traditional sequence of symbols is *, †, ‡, §, ‖, and ¶
Olympic Musical Instruments makes hurdy gurdys.
Terry Britton on MIDI controlling Samplitude.
Tuesday, January 22, 2019
PMC:03 Summative
Assignment Mark (Summative)
Assignment Score 60 %
Tutor Notes
Chris McGuire's Notes:
Hi Andrew,
Good to see you work, you explore some interesting soundscapes in this assignment.
Loop
This has a real intensity to it and links back to the main theme. The pulsating textures are really effective from 39s and synths work well. metals and percussion are strong as well as low brass.
The shouts(?) you have at 2s and 9s may become distracting on a loop. An audience is drawn to ‘humanistic’ elements of a loop such as vocals and melody. Other than that this works nicely.
There is a leaning towards sound design and synths, there could be more textural exploration of the orchestra: eerie tremolo/sul pont/col legno textures would really get the hairs on the neck prickling.
Research 4/10
I am glad to hear story points making a way into this submission. And alien is such an evocative score well ahead of its time so good to reference that.
You may want to consider some critical analysis of the score and how suspense and intrigue is built away from the melody. Think about textures, rhythm and pulse, and how to handle subtle vs stark contrasts – suspense needs both. Goldsmith manipulates these features to give balance to his work, highlighting key areas/main themes, whilst leaving room for an evocative underscore that isn’t too busy but still maintains interest.
I’d be interested to hear if you have listened to any computer game music, and in particular how the loops are handled. Some critical reflection in your research on this point may be needed.
Creative 6/10
Good use of aleatoric rhythms throughout. You explore some interesting timbres which reflect the brief excellently (see practical).
Nice dark textures on the opening. There could be more detail in the orchestral arrangement to really give a sense of depth to the arrangement.
Love the cluster chords in the choral section from 2m04s. you have a memorable theme, which is suitably dark and some great sound design (particularly like the samples use around 47s,).
Some of the transitions between sections appear fairly forced and unprepared. This may suit the genre, although some preparation and sense of space would actually give more impact when the new section starts. Some of the rhythmic values just before a new section are over-complicated and are off-putting to the overall effect (2m02s for instance).
The melodic instrument from 1m11s is a little thin and could benefit from doubing and layering with another element.
Be mindful that the entry points of ideas and hits are lined up appropriately. Whilst this brief may align itself with free rhythmic ideas that move away from meter, the composition can feel sloppy if beats/hits and entry points aren’t aligned correctly. For instance, in the main theme, the percussive hits feel slightly ahead of the brass; particularly second phrase at 36s, and at 30s there are 2 hits that seem to stumble over one another.
Technical 4/10
The mix is heavily focused on synth elements and sound design. As a result some aspect of the main thematic material and orchestral elements do not come across with the power and intensity they require. For instance, the initial iteration of your main theme works brilliantly, then at c.48s, the strings feel fairly feeble in comparison when they take over this line. Consider re-balancing and taking some reverb off the strings in order for them to gain a more appropriate place in the mix.
There is a nice quality to the dohls and driving rhythms that start from 1m09s – some good definition in the transients and upper range of their EQ. Atmospheric percussive hits are mixed well in this section.
More of the ‘screaming/whining’ synths vs mid distortion layers from c.1m30s would give more focus to an engaging timbre. The brass entry at 1m45s feels is again very weak in comparison and has no sense of intensity in comparison to the sound design.
Between 2m00s and 2m04s there seems to be a real ‘tug-of-war’ going on in the compression: each large hit forces the compressor to duck. Perhaps this is a little over-cooked and becomes distracting, especially before the entrance of the choir which is a new timbre, may need a little more space.
At 2m32s, the entry of the main theme is time awkwardly with the percussion hits that come before it. A whoosh or some preparation of this revisit would help smooth over the transition.
Finally, consider the ending: all the tails/samples are cut rather abruptly and at different rates. From 2m48s you can hear each element drop out very obviously. If you want a more subtle fade, continue the midi note for longer, working down through the mod/expression data. You can also automate decrease in volume on the tracks to get a fade that blends well across the mix.
Practical 5/10
I love your minds-eye description of the scene you envisage for this, sounds epic! It would be good to add some timings with these events. That being said we are provided with a rough timing in the brief so I have been tying this in with what you outline in your commentary.
You have answered the structural parameters of the brief very well. your theme is memorable and this gives way to more aleatoric textures.
In terms of the split between 80% orchestral and 20% synth, I can hear that you are using large orchestral samples, although the essence and balance coming across in the mix is most certainly favoured towards the synths and sound design. This doesn’t really answer the brief in this respect.
Hope this helps. Any questions, or if you’d like to arrange a 1-2-1 please feel free to drop me an email,
All the best
Chris
Chris McGuire's Summary:
You have a good command of synth and sound design, although upper strings and some orchestral elements lacked intensity and became swamped. Be sure that your submission reflects the brief: in this case not enough orchestral exploration was evident in the mp3. You created good thematic material and followed the structure given appropriately. Try not to overcook compression (the loop came across much more powerfully).
David Denyer's Notes:
Hi Andrew,
Thanks for this submission. Lots of very strong work with some very effective textures.
Main Theme
Your theme is very strong, it has an almost mythic quality to it - I’m reminded a little of the “Moloch” sequence in Metropolis. Nice work following the plotted narrative given in the brief. A real narrative journey comes through here. In the very opening, I’m not entirely convinced by the synth drone - it feels a little too static, and probably needs a little modulation of some description - perhaps a moving filter or some other parameter to give it less of a “mains hum” vibe. Otherwise the subtle orchestral textures work well here. I feel that the mad percussion explosion just prior to the statement of the theme - this isn’t so effective. I like the idea - but the percussion feels too distant, and I don’t think it’s quite enough to actually build into that statement - perhaps an ascending string gliss to lead into the moment - at the same time - would be effective. Consider the use of ascending string glissando against determinate notation in the original opening titles to Alien, for instance. Once the theme kicks in, this is good - there’s something a little unsatisfying about the answering phrase. The first phrase goes - E, F, E, C# - and the answering part goes E, F, E, Bb. I feel it relies too much on the same notes as the first part, and in that sense feels a little basic. Perhaps if it ended on a Bb against A dissonance, or if the rhythm of the answering phrase were a little different to the opening phrase. Perhaps harmonising this would also work to make it feel more satisfying. Something about the final note needs to feel like a movement somewhere, I think, and the second time it repeats, it feels like it needs to end somewhere different, like perhaps A, on some mad weird chord. Some ideas. But your theme works, I think it’s not quite as effective as it could be. We don’t really get a B theme, and it’s a shame that the fragments of the A theme appear here in the same key as the statement. If we use the harmonic freedom of Wagner’s Tristan as a basis, for instance, it can be seen that harmonic freedom even between restatements of the same thematic material is a great way to keep a free and open harmonic palette. When the theme comes back at the end, again, it’s in the same key, and it’s a shame because a) it doesn’t really feel like we’ve gone anywhere and b) it doesn’t feel like an escalation of what we’ve had before. For this structure to function, it’s important that the restatement of the theme at the end feels like a conclusion - a climax - and for that to happen it needs to have the sense of “arrival”. Arrival requires a journey and in most cases this needs to be harmonic as well as textural and orchestrational. Here I also think a lot of power is lost in the production - the brass sounds quite distant, and over-reverbed. It’s also quite flat dynamically, and it’s very important to maintain a sense of phrasing, even within these very dramatic, strong statements of themes. In general I’m not reeeeally getting much of the “blade runner” vibe (although this does come through in places), and I think the emphasis on synth is a little strong for this brief.
Loop Section
Lots of energy here - really cool stuff. Nice use of percussion. The closeness of this versus the main theme is interesting - if the Main Theme had more of the production aesthetic of this loop, I’d think it would probably be more successful. Nice use of the little fragments of the main theme. I think you’ve done well to create a loop that won’t get boring or repetitive (although it’s a shame this is in the same key as before). The use of metallic percussion here is very effective too - I’m reminded a little of the music to Terminator - so the suggestion of robots is well-realised.
Overall this is a strong submission - the Loop Section seems somewhat more successful, the closeness of the orchestra and the percussion tends to cut through much better. I think the Main Theme is less successful than it could be - the lack of harmonic movement, and certain production decisions keep this theme from really feeling as strong as it should - and the recap at the end doesn’t have the satisfying climactic emphasis that a recapitulation should. The overall “Blade Runner” aesthetic is a little lost here and doesn’t really come across - perhaps a stronger research into video game soundtracks that engage with a BR-ish aesthetic (Deus Ex: Human Revolution, for instance) would have been beneficial.
Research: 5/10
Creative: 8/10
Technical: 6/10
Practical: 7/10
Kind regards,
David
David Denyer's Summary:
Strong work, with the loop section somewhat more successful than the main theme. Certain musical decisions, ie, the choice of pitch material in the main theme, and the way the theme appears and re-appears, prevent this main theme from really having the impact that it could. More harmonic freedom, and a greater focus on production would probably bring this to a higher level. Generally, the creative aesthetic is very strong with some very effective orchestral textures throughout but the “Blade Runner” aesthetic is a little lost.
Assignment Score 60 %
Tutor Notes
Chris McGuire's Notes:
Hi Andrew,
Good to see you work, you explore some interesting soundscapes in this assignment.
Loop
This has a real intensity to it and links back to the main theme. The pulsating textures are really effective from 39s and synths work well. metals and percussion are strong as well as low brass.
The shouts(?) you have at 2s and 9s may become distracting on a loop. An audience is drawn to ‘humanistic’ elements of a loop such as vocals and melody. Other than that this works nicely.
There is a leaning towards sound design and synths, there could be more textural exploration of the orchestra: eerie tremolo/sul pont/col legno textures would really get the hairs on the neck prickling.
Research 4/10
I am glad to hear story points making a way into this submission. And alien is such an evocative score well ahead of its time so good to reference that.
You may want to consider some critical analysis of the score and how suspense and intrigue is built away from the melody. Think about textures, rhythm and pulse, and how to handle subtle vs stark contrasts – suspense needs both. Goldsmith manipulates these features to give balance to his work, highlighting key areas/main themes, whilst leaving room for an evocative underscore that isn’t too busy but still maintains interest.
I’d be interested to hear if you have listened to any computer game music, and in particular how the loops are handled. Some critical reflection in your research on this point may be needed.
Creative 6/10
Good use of aleatoric rhythms throughout. You explore some interesting timbres which reflect the brief excellently (see practical).
Nice dark textures on the opening. There could be more detail in the orchestral arrangement to really give a sense of depth to the arrangement.
Love the cluster chords in the choral section from 2m04s. you have a memorable theme, which is suitably dark and some great sound design (particularly like the samples use around 47s,).
Some of the transitions between sections appear fairly forced and unprepared. This may suit the genre, although some preparation and sense of space would actually give more impact when the new section starts. Some of the rhythmic values just before a new section are over-complicated and are off-putting to the overall effect (2m02s for instance).
The melodic instrument from 1m11s is a little thin and could benefit from doubing and layering with another element.
Be mindful that the entry points of ideas and hits are lined up appropriately. Whilst this brief may align itself with free rhythmic ideas that move away from meter, the composition can feel sloppy if beats/hits and entry points aren’t aligned correctly. For instance, in the main theme, the percussive hits feel slightly ahead of the brass; particularly second phrase at 36s, and at 30s there are 2 hits that seem to stumble over one another.
Technical 4/10
The mix is heavily focused on synth elements and sound design. As a result some aspect of the main thematic material and orchestral elements do not come across with the power and intensity they require. For instance, the initial iteration of your main theme works brilliantly, then at c.48s, the strings feel fairly feeble in comparison when they take over this line. Consider re-balancing and taking some reverb off the strings in order for them to gain a more appropriate place in the mix.
There is a nice quality to the dohls and driving rhythms that start from 1m09s – some good definition in the transients and upper range of their EQ. Atmospheric percussive hits are mixed well in this section.
More of the ‘screaming/whining’ synths vs mid distortion layers from c.1m30s would give more focus to an engaging timbre. The brass entry at 1m45s feels is again very weak in comparison and has no sense of intensity in comparison to the sound design.
Between 2m00s and 2m04s there seems to be a real ‘tug-of-war’ going on in the compression: each large hit forces the compressor to duck. Perhaps this is a little over-cooked and becomes distracting, especially before the entrance of the choir which is a new timbre, may need a little more space.
At 2m32s, the entry of the main theme is time awkwardly with the percussion hits that come before it. A whoosh or some preparation of this revisit would help smooth over the transition.
Finally, consider the ending: all the tails/samples are cut rather abruptly and at different rates. From 2m48s you can hear each element drop out very obviously. If you want a more subtle fade, continue the midi note for longer, working down through the mod/expression data. You can also automate decrease in volume on the tracks to get a fade that blends well across the mix.
Practical 5/10
I love your minds-eye description of the scene you envisage for this, sounds epic! It would be good to add some timings with these events. That being said we are provided with a rough timing in the brief so I have been tying this in with what you outline in your commentary.
You have answered the structural parameters of the brief very well. your theme is memorable and this gives way to more aleatoric textures.
In terms of the split between 80% orchestral and 20% synth, I can hear that you are using large orchestral samples, although the essence and balance coming across in the mix is most certainly favoured towards the synths and sound design. This doesn’t really answer the brief in this respect.
Hope this helps. Any questions, or if you’d like to arrange a 1-2-1 please feel free to drop me an email,
All the best
Chris
Chris McGuire's Summary:
You have a good command of synth and sound design, although upper strings and some orchestral elements lacked intensity and became swamped. Be sure that your submission reflects the brief: in this case not enough orchestral exploration was evident in the mp3. You created good thematic material and followed the structure given appropriately. Try not to overcook compression (the loop came across much more powerfully).
David Denyer's Notes:
Hi Andrew,
Thanks for this submission. Lots of very strong work with some very effective textures.
Main Theme
Your theme is very strong, it has an almost mythic quality to it - I’m reminded a little of the “Moloch” sequence in Metropolis. Nice work following the plotted narrative given in the brief. A real narrative journey comes through here. In the very opening, I’m not entirely convinced by the synth drone - it feels a little too static, and probably needs a little modulation of some description - perhaps a moving filter or some other parameter to give it less of a “mains hum” vibe. Otherwise the subtle orchestral textures work well here. I feel that the mad percussion explosion just prior to the statement of the theme - this isn’t so effective. I like the idea - but the percussion feels too distant, and I don’t think it’s quite enough to actually build into that statement - perhaps an ascending string gliss to lead into the moment - at the same time - would be effective. Consider the use of ascending string glissando against determinate notation in the original opening titles to Alien, for instance. Once the theme kicks in, this is good - there’s something a little unsatisfying about the answering phrase. The first phrase goes - E, F, E, C# - and the answering part goes E, F, E, Bb. I feel it relies too much on the same notes as the first part, and in that sense feels a little basic. Perhaps if it ended on a Bb against A dissonance, or if the rhythm of the answering phrase were a little different to the opening phrase. Perhaps harmonising this would also work to make it feel more satisfying. Something about the final note needs to feel like a movement somewhere, I think, and the second time it repeats, it feels like it needs to end somewhere different, like perhaps A, on some mad weird chord. Some ideas. But your theme works, I think it’s not quite as effective as it could be. We don’t really get a B theme, and it’s a shame that the fragments of the A theme appear here in the same key as the statement. If we use the harmonic freedom of Wagner’s Tristan as a basis, for instance, it can be seen that harmonic freedom even between restatements of the same thematic material is a great way to keep a free and open harmonic palette. When the theme comes back at the end, again, it’s in the same key, and it’s a shame because a) it doesn’t really feel like we’ve gone anywhere and b) it doesn’t feel like an escalation of what we’ve had before. For this structure to function, it’s important that the restatement of the theme at the end feels like a conclusion - a climax - and for that to happen it needs to have the sense of “arrival”. Arrival requires a journey and in most cases this needs to be harmonic as well as textural and orchestrational. Here I also think a lot of power is lost in the production - the brass sounds quite distant, and over-reverbed. It’s also quite flat dynamically, and it’s very important to maintain a sense of phrasing, even within these very dramatic, strong statements of themes. In general I’m not reeeeally getting much of the “blade runner” vibe (although this does come through in places), and I think the emphasis on synth is a little strong for this brief.
Loop Section
Lots of energy here - really cool stuff. Nice use of percussion. The closeness of this versus the main theme is interesting - if the Main Theme had more of the production aesthetic of this loop, I’d think it would probably be more successful. Nice use of the little fragments of the main theme. I think you’ve done well to create a loop that won’t get boring or repetitive (although it’s a shame this is in the same key as before). The use of metallic percussion here is very effective too - I’m reminded a little of the music to Terminator - so the suggestion of robots is well-realised.
Overall this is a strong submission - the Loop Section seems somewhat more successful, the closeness of the orchestra and the percussion tends to cut through much better. I think the Main Theme is less successful than it could be - the lack of harmonic movement, and certain production decisions keep this theme from really feeling as strong as it should - and the recap at the end doesn’t have the satisfying climactic emphasis that a recapitulation should. The overall “Blade Runner” aesthetic is a little lost here and doesn’t really come across - perhaps a stronger research into video game soundtracks that engage with a BR-ish aesthetic (Deus Ex: Human Revolution, for instance) would have been beneficial.
Research: 5/10
Creative: 8/10
Technical: 6/10
Practical: 7/10
Kind regards,
David
David Denyer's Summary:
Strong work, with the loop section somewhat more successful than the main theme. Certain musical decisions, ie, the choice of pitch material in the main theme, and the way the theme appears and re-appears, prevent this main theme from really having the impact that it could. More harmonic freedom, and a greater focus on production would probably bring this to a higher level. Generally, the creative aesthetic is very strong with some very effective orchestral textures throughout but the “Blade Runner” aesthetic is a little lost.
Monday, January 21, 2019
Fair Dinkum (module 03 formative 1)
I only got a "pass" on this assignment. I'm a bit bummed about it but I have to say the critique is totally fair. This was a formative (doesn't count toward my final grade) I did in order to do something outside of my wheelhouse. I sure learned a lot by doing it. The non-green text is my tutor's grading.
Stylistically the compositions don’t feel enough Mozart or Haydn. Historically, the classical period goes hand in hand with the Age of Enlightenment. The period is defined by scientific and philosophical discourse, which, according to Goethe, is also expressed in classical music: four independent but equal voices having a dialogue. Haydn’s string quartet in G minor (op. 73 no. 3) mentioned in your bibliography is an excellent example. So the best way to approach the composition is to start with very strict four-part harmony, then orchestrate.
One weird thing about that example is that they play tutti at the top. And that doesn't count as parallel movement apparently. I got kinda thrown there.
Some melodic voices (e.g. Country House Theme, violin at 0:46) don’t feel thematic, but they also don’t blend very well with the rest and stand out instead. This means the feeling of four “equal” voices is missing. The material could be more thematic. In the Country House Theme, the woodwinds in the first few bar sort of establish a theme, but it’s not really melodic and doesn’t flow or have a specific direction. Thematic development is quite important for this style. Another important element are patterns that are usually sequenced rather strictly. For example, the arpeggio pattern at 0:35 is irregular. The chase arpeggio pattern works a lot better.
Some melodic voices (e.g. Country House Theme, violin at 0:46) don’t feel thematic, but they also don’t blend very well with the rest and stand out instead. This means the feeling of four “equal” voices is missing. The material could be more thematic. In the Country House Theme, the woodwinds in the first few bar sort of establish a theme, but it’s not really melodic and doesn’t flow or have a specific direction. Thematic development is quite important for this style. Another important element are patterns that are usually sequenced rather strictly. For example, the arpeggio pattern at 0:35 is irregular. The chase arpeggio pattern works a lot better.
The chase does work better.
Classical music uses functional harmony. This means you need to take extra care and check where the voices are going, especially the bass. The chase track starts with an inversion (the bass should be A instead of E). The second chord with the D in the bass is not clearly defined. Shortly later the note G is played (G# being the leading tone of A minor). A minor means A harmonic minor in this period, so as soon as G# turns into G, the music turns into C major. Etc.
Classical music uses functional harmony. This means you need to take extra care and check where the voices are going, especially the bass. The chase track starts with an inversion (the bass should be A instead of E). The second chord with the D in the bass is not clearly defined. Shortly later the note G is played (G# being the leading tone of A minor). A minor means A harmonic minor in this period, so as soon as G# turns into G, the music turns into C major. Etc.
Yeah, I think I made a mistake with the chord form I took. It was an earlier chord progression but I don't think it was actually used much by Mozart or Haydn, but it was used later by Shubert. I should have nipped that in the bud.
Inversions are important in any style and each inversion has a specific effect. A tonal piece always starts with the tonic chord in root position, unless the goal is to destabilise the tonal centre. That is acceptable in some styles, but usually in classical music the key of the piece is established very clearly with a cadence V-I.
There are similar problems with the mystery track. For example, at 0:04 D# and E are played at the same time.
Inversions are important in any style and each inversion has a specific effect. A tonal piece always starts with the tonic chord in root position, unless the goal is to destabilise the tonal centre. That is acceptable in some styles, but usually in classical music the key of the piece is established very clearly with a cadence V-I.
There are similar problems with the mystery track. For example, at 0:04 D# and E are played at the same time.
[Oops.]
The other issue is an aesthetic one. The piano sounds a lot like a modern grand piano with a softer attack, more dynamics and bigger size than the instruments from the 18th century. The woodwinds are a full section playing unisono, which is not the way they were orchestrated back then. If you don’t have fortepiano samples, use a harpsichord. Try to make the close mics of each instrument a bit louder to get a more intimate feeling.
Yeah, the harpsichord was making it sound much too early. But the only pianos I had were too late. 'Twas a bummer.
The mockups are not realistic enough. The clarinets are generally a little too loud, while the non-vibrato strings sound artificial and seem to lack true vibrato (the sampled transitions between two notes). There is a lot of reverb, which takes away the chamber feeling. The panning is too extreme, especially the col legno notes. This happens because CSSS is technically not a string quartet, but the first chairs of each section, so it still sounds very orchestral.
The other issue is an aesthetic one. The piano sounds a lot like a modern grand piano with a softer attack, more dynamics and bigger size than the instruments from the 18th century. The woodwinds are a full section playing unisono, which is not the way they were orchestrated back then. If you don’t have fortepiano samples, use a harpsichord. Try to make the close mics of each instrument a bit louder to get a more intimate feeling.
Yeah, the harpsichord was making it sound much too early. But the only pianos I had were too late. 'Twas a bummer.
The mockups are not realistic enough. The clarinets are generally a little too loud, while the non-vibrato strings sound artificial and seem to lack true vibrato (the sampled transitions between two notes). There is a lot of reverb, which takes away the chamber feeling. The panning is too extreme, especially the col legno notes. This happens because CSSS is technically not a string quartet, but the first chairs of each section, so it still sounds very orchestral.
That's a good point about CSSS. There are a few weird moments in the mockups:
- Chase theme 0:13 - an arpeggio note comes too late
- Mystery theme 0:25 - the cello note suddenly stops with a click
Oh dear. That is. Embarrassing.
The audio files are not directly loopable. When the end of the track is reached, it should be possible to directly go into the first bars again, without any further editing or crossfading.
Oops. I didn't realize we were doing that for this assignment. I know better now.
Matteo
Research: 4/10
Creative: 5/10
Technical: 5/10
Practical: 5/10
- Chase theme 0:13 - an arpeggio note comes too late
- Mystery theme 0:25 - the cello note suddenly stops with a click
Oh dear. That is. Embarrassing.
The audio files are not directly loopable. When the end of the track is reached, it should be possible to directly go into the first bars again, without any further editing or crossfading.
Oops. I didn't realize we were doing that for this assignment. I know better now.
Matteo
Research: 4/10
Creative: 5/10
Technical: 5/10
Practical: 5/10
Matteo Pagamici's Summary:
Overall, the defining stylistic elements are missing and the harmonies aren't exactly 18th century style. The mockup needs more work.
Fair Dinkum.
Sunday, January 13, 2019
Okay. Do it again.
Sustaniac.
Rich's recommended strings for Stratocasters.
Stew Mac on cutting inlays.
Squire Classic Vibe Telecaster with Alnico III's is $400.
The Art of Story YouTube classes.
Mike Verta Master Classes.
David Denyer Music.
Footnotes -- outside punctuation.
Thomastik Infeld guitar strings.
If you are insane you can try to find the measurements for fanned frets with this online fretfind tool.
Rich's recommended strings for Stratocasters.
 |
| Inspiration |
Squire Classic Vibe Telecaster with Alnico III's is $400.
 |
| The Banana Bass |
The Art of Story YouTube classes.
Mike Verta Master Classes.
David Denyer Music.
Footnotes -- outside punctuation.
Thomastik Infeld guitar strings.
If you are insane you can try to find the measurements for fanned frets with this online fretfind tool.
Tuesday, January 08, 2019
specs
 |
| I do so love these kinds of body shapes. |
Top six are tuned like a guitar: E-A-D-G-B-E. Bottom three are like a 5-string bass: B-E-A.
Specs for 4001 Rickenbacker
Body Type Solid
No. Frets 20
Scale Length 84.5 cm (33 1/4'')
[b]Neck Width at Nut 41.3 mm (1 5/8'')
Neck Width at 12th Fret 52.4 mm (2 1/16'')[/b]
Crown Radius 25.4 cm (10'')
Body Wood Maple
Neck Wood Maple
Fingerboard Wood Rosewood
Weight 4.5 kg (10.0 lbs.)
Overall Length 114.5 cm (45 1/16'')
Overall Width 33.7 cm (13 1/4'')
Overall Depth 31.8 mm (1 1/4'')
Neck Binding No
Fret Marker Style Dot
Martin acoustics:
Standard Series 1 11/16", Low Profile since the early 90's, 2012 and later D-18 is an exception
Vintage Series 1 11/16", Mod V shape always, HD-28LSV was an exception at 1 3/4"
GE/Marquis Series 1 3/4", Mod V shape always, no exceptions that I can recall right now
Authentic Series 1 7/8", 1 3/4", or 1 11/16" depending on which year the guitar is based, mostly larger profiles with subtle or no V-shape
Also remember that bridge spacing typically changes along with the nut size. Normal pairings are 1 11/16" with 2 1/8", 1 3/4" with 2 5/16", and 1 7/8" with 2 3/8". There are some exceptions.
Most seven- and eight-string guitars also have a larger, flatter radius than a standard six-string guitar. While a vintage Tele’s 7.25-inch radius may seem perfectly fine (especially if you just play open cowboy chords on the lower frets), on a wider seven- or eight-string neck it will seem absurdly rounded. On a wider neck, even a 12-inch radius will have noticeable curvature.
Choose your two scales (get the fret placement from a fret calculator like the one at http://www.stewmac.com/FretCalculator, or you can calculate it yourself too.), and decide which fret will be your perpendicular fret. I like fret seven most of the time but it depends on the scales you use.
Then lay out your frets from your perpendicular fret, but be sure to lay them out along the string center lines for the high and low E (not the edges of the fingerboard). Remember to factor in your bridge offset too when placing it and you are done. Then it’s a matter of very patiently and accurately sawing each fret by hand.
Neo-Reimannian theory is more complicated than I'd hoped.
Saturday, January 05, 2019
Really clearing my browser this time.
Monoprice M160 headphones are amusing. I don't know if they're worthwhile. Some mods exist.
New Birdline skins for Samplitude.
Green wood dye is more expensive than I'd wanted.
The Folia is a European musical theme.
I want to build my own Strat. But I keep wanting guitars which have tuners on both sides. And maybe I keep wanting them to be LP scale length. Honestly, it's probably time for me to just make an instrument with my own neck for real for once.
One of my Blue Sky drivers isn't working. It could be the crossover I suppose. But I think it's the driver.
There are still ways to upgrade to Windows 10 for free. And I have two computers I have to do that on.
Fixaudio is really interesting. I do want to check out how it works. You upload audio to the site and it betterizes it.
The Open Music Library.
New Birdline skins for Samplitude.
Green wood dye is more expensive than I'd wanted.
The Folia is a European musical theme.
I want to build my own Strat. But I keep wanting guitars which have tuners on both sides. And maybe I keep wanting them to be LP scale length. Honestly, it's probably time for me to just make an instrument with my own neck for real for once.
One of my Blue Sky drivers isn't working. It could be the crossover I suppose. But I think it's the driver.
There are still ways to upgrade to Windows 10 for free. And I have two computers I have to do that on.
Fixaudio is really interesting. I do want to check out how it works. You upload audio to the site and it betterizes it.
The Open Music Library.
Friday, January 04, 2019
More MIDI, less Joy
Mad Katz Street Fighter joystick. It's not really what I want, but I do just want a ball on the end of a stick as an X/Y controller. Replacements sticks do exist for it.
Fergo Joystick MIDI seems like a practicable software solution to getting X/Y data into a DAW.
Some people have used game pads.
Musikalisches Würfelspiel -- even Mozart wrote music by chance.
Fergo Joystick MIDI seems like a practicable software solution to getting X/Y data into a DAW.
Some people have used game pads.
Musikalisches Würfelspiel -- even Mozart wrote music by chance.
Details for DIY joystick implementation.
GIZMO is an open-source MIDI device thingy.
PACMOD MIDI DJ Controller is pretty much the thing, but it's entirely DIY Arduino.
ControllerMate is Mac OS only.
MultiControl is... something.
Thursday, January 03, 2019
MIDI Joy
I kind of fantasize about a joystick controller for controlling panoramas in surround. It's not quite as easy as one would think.
The MJoy is a joystick-to-MIDI application. It's in alpha, and is designed for DJ's. But it does seem interesting.
Touchpad-2-MIDI is a VST plugin to give X/Y control over stuff with your touchpad.
The MJoy is a joystick-to-MIDI application. It's in alpha, and is designed for DJ's. But it does seem interesting.
Touchpad-2-MIDI is a VST plugin to give X/Y control over stuff with your touchpad.
Monday, December 24, 2018
My Life as a Tailor
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| Sky in skirt. |
So I thought to myself "Who would like a skirt?" and reached out to Sky. Luckily, Sky's sizing was exactly what the smallest pattern of this a-line skirt was. The other lucky thing is that I (like a boy) chose a material off the Internet with really minimal thought about it.
I got a very heavy black cotton material. But the thing with it is that 1. the color totally hides any sewing, er, "incidents"; and 2. the heaviness actually makes the curved sections stretch nicely. Sky, with her dancer figure, was made for this design.
Thank you Sky for being such a good sport. I didn't even have to poke her with needles! And it obviously fits great. The drape is very classy (because of the heavier material) and I'm rather proud of the work I did.
(I noticed that this year they added a men's tie as an option to the skirt for the class. ;-)
Tuesday, December 18, 2018
Second Summative
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| I love this spacesuit design so much. |
Assignment Mark (Summative)
Tutor Notes
Allison Piccioni's Notes:
Hi Andrew!
Thank you for your “Titanium Oil” submission!
Thank you for a detailed commentary and links to the engine and oil advertisements you watched for inspiration! I will always forewarn about watching or listening to a final version of something that you will be re-scoring for the fear that it will overly influence your own music, but obviously since the final brief was changed for the commercial it can be used as a good reference. Also love the David Wingo reference - an unusual reference but relevant nonetheless and I like the influence in your writing.
Nice choice in instrumentation and development through electronic to organic sounds. Great sound design to represent the engine!
I’d love to read a little more in your technical section about why you chose specific harmonic structure and how you developed melodically and rhythmically. Also curious what elements and how you created a greater density in the mix - EQ’s? Added layered elements to fill our the kHz? A mastering track, compression, etc? Would also like to know which plug-ins you are using!
Overall I find the mix and balance between varying sections to be a little scattered. There are such dynamic changes between sections, the instrumentation, and the overall mix layout- which makes me curious to know what and how hard of a compressor and limiter you used on the track. For commercial music, you will want the mix to be pretty hot, especially considering it will be ridden down underneath dialogue, and will be coming out of an assortment of speakers including iPad, iPhone, and television speakers and usually needs the bass boosted and treble or dialogue heavy kHz reduced. The beginning has a really GREAT mix balance. The heavy mechanical sounds at :19 are a little mid-range heavy (however, awesomely crunchy!) but then we go back into this atmospheric section that is well-balanced, with a good swell, although the transition into :54 could use a little something extra to smooth it over. I personally want a heavier low end under the smooth vocal sections from 1 minute out - but that is merely a personal preference.
I like the concept of bringing the vocal in the beginning, but you may want to consider using a more staccato vocal here to emphasize the mechanization of the engine at this point in the brief. Great bubbling synth bass here!
I love the junkyard percussion sound design starting around 19 seconds in, although I feel it is missing a bit of low-end or needs the bass and larger percussion boosted underneath it for power, the sound design feels more mid-range heavy here.
At 40 seconds into the track, we get this really cool other worldly atmospheric presence in the music. The percussion and vocal that comes in around 55 seconds adds to this foreign feel, which I personally find is perfect for the scenario of the brief, although I think that adding a louder, low pad would really add some depth to this section. This is where the Doppler effect is
I hear that you have a Doppler affect car zoom sound later in the track, this is something that I haven’t heard in other projects, and I think that works extremely well in a creative, sound design, and musical way!
The smooth vocal sample is great, good levels of reverb here. If you decided to use a more staccato vocal at the beginning, you may also consider taking off some of the reverb at the front, to give it a tighter and closer feel. I also find that the synthesized sounding strings are appropriate here
I myself would have gone for a bigger ending to the track, however this is difficult to assess without having visual aid of the commercial.
Research: (9/10)
Creativity: (9/10)
Technicality: (8/10)
Practicality: (9/10)
Execution: (8/10)
Style and Originality: (9/10)
Allison Piccioni's Summary:
You have a great assortment of creative sound design in this and really nice differentiations between sections! Overall the mix is great - my only critique is the mix balance between sections and trying to even out the dynamics and/or mix spread, compressor levels, etc. I feel this mostly because the sound effects (which are awesome!) seem to be very mid-range heavy in the mechanical sections around 00:19 in, and the transition into the fluid vocal section seems just a bit rushed or in need of being smoothed over. You have a really nice development to this track and I thoroughly appreciate how you have turned a multitude of sound effects into musical and rhythmic elements!
David Denyer's Notes:
Hi Andrew,
Overall very strong work with this submission. The narrative beats are well defined and clear and you’ve clearly taken the narrative aims of the brief very seriously.
On the whole the use of engine sounds has been really cool but in general I’d suggest more processing to make them sound less like an early musique concrete and more in line with contemporary synthesis - pitch shifting would be a great start (generally pitch shifting down is the only kind of pitch shifting that ever really sounds any good), but also glitching them, or FFT processing or some other kind of garbling/warping could make them sound more refined, polished and generally heavier and more dramatic. In particular, the “vroom” sounds at 1:03/1:08 etc feel a little underdeveloped and could really be stylised somehow a little more, ie to be less immediately familiar (and therefore a tad gimmicky) but more intuitively familiar. Earlier on, the “engine ignition” sounds at 0:21, 0:23 etc, similarly have that slightly early-concrete feel, where the sounds are being used but the processing on them is limited, so the source is quite familiar. If this had been slowed-down via playback rate by, say, 50% this could be a really cool grumbly sound but the familiarity of it is a little bit too jarring here - what we’re after is the feeling of “engine-ness” without actually the recognition of the sounds that we’re hearing. Consider something like the sound effects used in the Transformers films - they communicate “high-tech machinery” without actually sounding much like machinery that we’re familiar with and this allows those sounds to operate within a less clearly-defined spectrum.
Perhaps more problematically is the fact that, dramatically, the “spikey dance” is actually the coolest part of the music - and the “elegant smooth” dance towards the end actually sounds much less cool. This is a problem because the engine oil is the product that is aimed at being sold by this ad - which means the smooth elegant dance at the end has to sound like the absolute pinnacle of coolness and elegance and power and climax - this really has to be the “act 3” of the advert, where the whole piece has been building up to. What it feels like though is that the spikey dance is the climax - and the final part almost feels like a coda, or an appendage to the end of the piece, which has this kind of dreamlike, slightly resigned, sort of muted feel. So functionally and dramatically, this would probably not suffice for the producers of this ad.
Overall the production is very good, there’s some really cool sounds here and the electronics are used quite tastefully - your electronic percussion, especially in the “spikey dance” works really well. Really nice use of the stereo field too. As a track this really has promise, but the dramatic emphasis and climax so early on during the part of the film that’s supposed to be the “problem” that is solved by the “product” later - confuses the message slightly, and it’s a shame because you set this piece up really well for an incredible payoff in the last act that never really happens.
Research: 9/10
Creative: 7/10
Technical: 9/10
Practical: 6/10
Kind regards,
David
David Denyer's Summary:
Overall very strong work, some very cool sound design and an overall aesthetic that really suits the product. I think the engine sound-design needs to be masked a little more, as the familiarity is a little jarring and diverts the piece away from the more artsy/fantastical realm, and dramatically the part of the piece that should be the climax - ie, the engine finally operating at full efficiency due to the brilliance of the product - actually sounds less dramatic than the earlier part of the film (ie, the “raucous danse macabre”), which ultimately undermines the goals of the film and the music. Strong work otherwise.
Sunday, December 16, 2018
Shining Edit Latency
The music in The Shining. Pretty complete notes in a .pdf.
Murch, Coates, and Farr on editing picture.
Latency Monitoring Software.
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| Hedy LaMarr |
Murch, Coates, and Farr on editing picture.
Latency Monitoring Software.
re [ (f)use]
Huck Hodge. Atonal and gestures. Good lesson for me.
Buck Sanders. Sound designer. Works with Marco Beltrami.
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