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Donna

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Posts posted by Donna

    Hi Donna, just to get off the Hijack of John's thread I've moved this here...

    in Music Production and Recording

    Posted

    How have I missed these two threads? Happened to you, too I guess.

    OK, I want to dicscuss these things (and that lyric) but now it's too late and I cannot comment specifically - I mean to hear it with all the liner notes in mind which I like to do. Ha ha, shoulda stayed silent. But I wish to hear the track again - 30 tracks! Wow! I Like the explanation of the middle eight - while I only have the acoustic, I plan to from now on play the bass lines (if I can) on IT.

    "Utterly abominable - glottal stops" - that's too fun! Your Auntie's must be more colorful than mine even, the language you use. :) Ya won't like this, but I thought the accent may have been enhanced purposely (speaking part). Good we're just writing here - I'd be lost in a pub with ALL y'all (save John B).

    Now WHY do people with accents [from my American view :)] SING in American but speak w/ their native accent? Also, I wonder about American singers who seem to have no accent whatsoever speaking, sound sometimes like they're southern or something when they sing.

    But that first question, I've wondered about that for a long time. Finn and john and you and Hari Ossa et al sound American English when singing.

    Donna Quick Tascam 246 Question

    in Music Production and Recording

    Posted

    Oh dear - I'd better stop listening to The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald in order to reply. Is this what you mean? If it isn't maybe someone else can use it sometime...and this is per the 246.

    ____________________

    CHANNEL 1

    ASSIGN

    L/1 * (square button)

    R/2 *

    3 *

    4 *

    ____________________

    0 (Pan)

    odd even

    _______________________________________

    OK, so that's channel 1, imagaine the vertical strip on the right of the assign box, etc; the strip ends after Pan with a channel fader. Channel strips 2-4 with the assign/pan/faders would be to the right of channel 1, in succession. There might be an extra strip or two (5 & 6) for effects. But to the right of THAT last channel strip is one last one called RECORD FUNCTION, like this:

    RECORD FUNCTION

    1 * (square button)

    2 *

    3 *

    4 *

    ______________________

    The parts highlighted in red are what you'd depress (or PRESS - or PAN for the panning) in order to record on track number one. At the very top of the machine, below the meters are a mic/line/off switch for each channel. Have it to mic/line to record. When recording even channels 2 and 4, the pan should be all the way right (even), opposite for odd channels.

    Whichever jack your mic or insturment is plugged into, it shouldn't matter - you can be plugged into the jack for channel # 1 (cause that's a jack which hasn't worn out), and still depress and record onto assign switch #2 or whatever. (But whichever JACK you're using to record into, use THAT channel's fader which should be well into 7-8 area (I think this is what you call unity gain). Hope that makes sense. Also, the master faders, use L/ (at unity gain) for odd tracks, R/ for even - the other fader should be completely off.

    OK, so after all prepping all this:

    a)channel fader

    2)master fader

    3)pan

    4) assign # pressed

    5) corresponding record function # pressed

    6) mic/line switch on for corresponding JACK in channel number used

    then press play and record at same time.

    Great American Songwriting Contest (info/opinion)

    in Songwriting

    Posted

    Hey, thanks for that reply, jtb, all of it. I will look further into GASC because of the experience you've had in being taken seriously with curteousy and professionalism.

    Is there a link to your award-winning song? That's totally cool, congrats! And I like the part about judges may contact privately if something clicks. That to me says a certain respect (wrong word) right off the bat.

    Great American Songwriting Contest (info/opinion)

    in Songwriting

    Posted

    hee hee.

    I've thought more about contests than entered (songwriting or otherwise). I'd had really bad experiences w/ a couple when a youngster. It messed w/ my head esp. when this one didn't choose a little be-bop quartet who absolutely smoked the outfit I was in...I couldn't believe the judges, it made me certain it wasn't about talent at all, but about the most commercial thing which could be shoved down everyman's throat.

    Maybe like other things, it must be entered into w/ detachment. I was never so happy to see that Songstuff had a contest right when I needed some reason beyond myself to start again - write and record something new. I don't mind competeing, either. I had that feeling like - it'd be considered seriously which is the best one can realistically hope for. It was the BEST experience! Regardless of outcome.

    I kinda thought the G Am. Contest could be OK, too, but maybe it was only that I figured I should be grown up enough to accept a "professional" critique (and pay for it via the entrance fee). I don't know. I've seen weird things even in my children's school talent auditions reminiscent of the be-bop guys getting tanked. I guess if one's counting on the exposure a contest can give, well CAN it really give exposure number one, but number two, it'll probably not turn out like that. Yet I do think that auditioning (so to speak) in new situations can be valuable.

    Mixing

    in Music Production and Recording

    Posted · Edited by Donna

    Yeah, good advice. My beloved's Christmas gift to me shall be monitors! But I need to figure out how to hook them up (studying the portastudio manual...for the life of me, I don't think I EVER hooked speakers up to it.)

    (Hmmph: if anyone should be drinking and shopping, it is I)! >:(

    Lend Me Your Ears (Please)

    in Music Production and Recording

    Posted

    I suppose I'm what you would call a pure engineer... I don't consider myself a producer as such unless I'm working on my own stuff, or unless an artist specifically asks for my advice in that context, because the responsibility of taking on that role is enormous... When I listen to songs, my mind fixes on musical and engineering aspects of the product... The unfortunate side effect of this is that I tend not to be able to listen to music for fun any more, I instantly start thinking, panning, compressors, gates on the drums, what eq is used on that vocal, that's a great contrapuntal melody being played on the Hammond B4 there... I don't just feel the song the way I did years ago before I got into all this, I can't refrain from analyzing it...

    Funny, I can only imagaine people jumping at the chance to produce. Your view on it is reality, I think. Gives me something new to consider.

    I would really like to see a poll about the side effect you mention. Been there! Trying not to be there...

    Mixing

    in Music Production and Recording

    Posted

    Hey thanks. It s**ked, btw - too fast, blah blah blah. But I had a good time and nothing's wasted, it's more practice under the belt.

    I was happy w/ the drum and vocal sound , + the un-equ'd ('cept a tiny bit) mix is respectable when I played it over two different cassette deck speakers . I'm suspecting that getting monitors will help me gain in remoteness. Now that I'm properly tuned I have to re-learn some of the singing, but therefore can hit most of the notes so that's alright.

    Instead of going overhead, I positioned the mic kind of between the toms, but back aways (and I marked the spot the mic aimed for, so I'd remember it). For vocals thought about fashioning a chamber in another room w/ a made-on-the-spot screen but opted to be comfy in the regular little room. (Our 4 yr old - the one who steals my coffee and will converse all night - asked me this eve "can I learn how to make the music?" meaning the portastudio!)

    She is such an unusual child that my wheels are seriously thinking of taking her up on it, (see what I mean - the charm and authority of that little one has me feeling like she's OFFERING me something. What's crazy is that she probably IS!)

    The acoustic guitar is a nightmare (but I don't care)! :)

    Lend Me Your Ears (Please)

    in Music Production and Recording

    Posted

    Hey John. So...you picked the name because of singing (+ took vocal lessons), well I guess it was appropo to talk about the voice then.

    Wow, lessons on all those instruments!

    Fantastic, your old teacher Sam. Isn't it funny how those who helped "the legends" aren't THAT hard to track down? I've my own version (beloved drum teacher, but not the fame of Gerry Mulligan!) and adored this teacher who took me on as another daughter...

    Got to take 2 of my young un's to an orchestra last week. They get so used to "seeing" stuff...how different (boring!) to look up and only see the orchestra (no cartoon/game, etc). 'Cept they weren't bored always and RIGHT when they were having a time of it, the sinfonia went into a LONG medley from the Sound of Music. It was great to see them making the connection somehow: hey, this song isn't something you just turn a button on to hear, or for backround to a movie. These people (and there were many women players - probably all moms) make the music!

    There was an 11 yr old soloist and boy was he a virtuoso!

    I thought "it starts right here!" 'cause you never know what's going to stick w/ a little child. And the conductor spoke to some of us parents afterward - this man is on a crusade to get any children he can to partake of real live musicians playing music.

    Lend Me Your Ears (Please)

    in Music Production and Recording

    Posted

    John - maybe one reason I bring up singing is your user name!

    Did you take lessons, play in band, orchestra, both? As an adult, are there such groups to play with? As far as scoring: do it! No matter or not if you think it'll be heard. That's great. Have you manually written any scores? It reminds me of Finn, that kind of composing, he says he has many themes, and I think chooses from these to build a song.

    I played alto and tenor for a while as a child but my bottom lip couldn't hack it. Being in or around woodwind and esp. string sections, in my case, it was like osmosis. You don't think it gets in you at the time,

    but it does. Since you were focusing (it sounds like), a lot must've gotten in you.

    That clipping thing - I don't have any suggestion but turn away or back up from the mic, lol. One song, I was practically in the next room, didn't matter. Kept the piercing chorus, it fit the song, but wouldn't on O Holy Night!

    I wonder if you'd like this book I'm reading "Inside Tracks" (I'm sure the engineers like Bong and Prometheus would). It's engineer/producers speaking about recording, but many of these are musicians or writers, too. About every few pages, the engineer/producer in question brings up performance, sincerity (re: O Holy Night - dry but sincere). Very few (if any) emphasize production per se. It's been a great confirmation to do what I think in the first place: try to get a good track singing or drumming or whatever-wise. Which is not what I expected - I wanted the technicals. But they're artists, just artistic in knowing rooms and micing and boards as well.

    Lend Me Your Ears (Please)

    in Music Production and Recording

    Posted

    I find it difficult to detach myself from my vocal performances and have a vocal range of about three notes... The only way I can tolerate my singing is to sing in a deep basso like Pete Steele from Type O Negative, and swamp it in delay effects...

    http://www.geocities.com/thetrueprometheus/mp3/Night.mp3

    -

    Prometheus thank goodness for baritones is what I say to that. It is hard to detach from vocals - why is that so? I'm convinced that if the courage to work on the voice can be mustered, it will improve. We begin learning other things easier, like a guitar.

    I like your singing on "Night"; did you double the lead? And, is there a lyric page? Is your speaking voice on "Night" the range it is on the recording, or did you change that, too? Sorry if badgering - I'm interested in stuff like that. Both my siblings and children mess around a lot with their voices!

    Re: "Night" the pattern of full band, breakdown interests me, some ppl are able to do that. Did you write it like that, envision that from the beginning?

    Oh - wanted to add this (wonder what Finn would think?): sometimes if I can't/don't feel like practicing singing, I will talk. Had a vocal teacher long ago and he had me try to - not sing through the nose, but sort of. Had me imagine and also go thru motions of biting an apple, to overemphasize a quality I cannot explain and have not really talked about in my life (til I get here). Anyway, I sometimes monitor speaking voice and go for that apple-biting sound, or I lift it when tired. I think it helps and doesn't freak people out like singing all the time can.

    (sorry John B. for hijack)

    Mixing

    in Music Production and Recording

    Posted

    Right , best deal- I'll bet the Alesis are nice. Hate the thought of plugging in one more thing (power amp). Our electrical's kinda old.

    Hey, wish me luck - I'm re-recording today (that is if nothing else goes wrong and school callin' for me to pick up another ailing child). I got new strings and wanted to put them on a few days ago, not the night before the session. They're Ernie Ball strings this time and I like them very much - so far.

    I found "A" at 440 hz online. It sunk in the other day - CONCERT A - hey, I know that frequency! No tuner's/ pitchfork/pitchpipes here presently. I can usually remember it just right, only what I remember is an A#! So now that's solved, too, and I saved the link.

    Been experimenting with micing the kit, baby steps, can't recall how I used to do it. Supercool, the 246 manual will be mine next week! Lucky, I remember stuff in print. Recall should increase once I begin reading it.

    Lend Me Your Ears (Please)

    in Music Production and Recording

    Posted

    But first (or last) - John, I'd also been out of the loop re: singing - just keeping my fingers wet via a once a week choir (if that). Now I've gotta lose some of this...un-pop thing I've picked up.

    Liked hearing your backround, I'll try Chopin (and check out Debussey (sp) - I'm sure I've ripped that man off in voicings or something, his stuff is so nice0.

    Give the voice time - even w/ your ear being lost a bit (my ears lost something, too). My voice is beginning to open up a little again - never say never!

    I'm waiting for the Christman Song contest "Start" date to post an MP3. I want to re-record it again - it is the first MP3 I'll have. Got old stuff on 4-track, but am a beggar right now having someone else do the copying from analogue to digital (plus I need a host site). One thing at a time.

    I've a large family to care for and so everything's taking time. But I'm very happy at all the steps and STEADY progress I've made since being here. Like got my Christmas "suite" (and it was a suite) pared writing- wise down to 45-rpm version, and in record time! More progress here from writing to recording to computer stuff learning all these new things, too, than in the past 9 years.

    At times, much rather work on music and conversation w/ y'all - but the babies need me and not bragging it's just reality, there's no replacement for me.

    Mixing

    in Music Production and Recording

    Posted

    Little update pasted from the PC board:

    _________________________________

    ** I'm listening to the MP3 [that Husband figured out how to convert from CD] and why I do NOT know, but the tempo and pitch are as they were originally! I may just send this one, it's adequate - in fact, I'm almost PLEASED with the mix! I think it'll work.

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