Donna
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Posts posted by Donna
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Delightful read, gentlemen.
To answer the question of John's! It was almost a year ago. Couldn't even fathom all the gear. The producer/engineer a Juliard graduate, nice man, let me do my thing. It wasn't my stuff (never been in a pro studio for my own songs - I consider it fortunate I've been to as many as I have).
About the click...I could get by without it when I'm up and playing regularly (I'm talking drums mostly, and recording at home). I love not needing it and it's SOLELY due to not having time to devote to the instrument that >I< need it. (Also loved practicing w/ the metronome.) But I would discuss using it or not with the engineer if there was an issue (and probably would find this out before the session occurred).
I used to do demo's of mine w/ my good buddy Mike. We would discuss things beforehand; and we got down to business musically right away because of it.
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So help me Hannah (as Mom would say).
Hold that PM, Prometheus. Doh, all my profile and info is there intact.
Man, I do computers like a girl.
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PS! Great, I see the addy now (2 posts ago). You're a trooper (I can't wait to post my little demo's - LOVE wrong notes (mine), love all that stuff).
I'll ask the Husband-that-be if our storage is ample.
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Ah Precioussss, he records himself! Prometheus, how fair is that? You get to hear my novice mixes (when I get MP3'd, that is).
No, you couldn't have PM'd me back then, our computer bit the dust (it's actually in the ICU, bummer, but W-A-S [Winamp-anathema-sit] has been requiemed, of which I shall not soon tire of saying!)
Now I've forgotten HOW to hear these tracks of yours? I only have regular e-mail...AND I have no other files nor addresses since Bessie blew her top. You should send me a PM with your info...if you'd rather we hear your real stuff wiff other bands, maybe at some point clients would let you have some kind of access-link? It would be a portfolio for you and (you could argue if need be) exposure for them.
Doh Bart! The 1988 Act...isn't there some way to work it out?
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Agreed!~
Prometheus, do you have links to mixes you've done? Now that Winamp- anathema-sit is no longer an issue, we're able to hear stuff!
I'd like to listen to some of your mixing.
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Well explained. What's the difference between practicing singing using regular performanace vs full voice? Do ppl tend to practice using full voice?
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got it, thx.
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This is true, RD, that one can learn. As far as tone deafness, I don't know what that is like, but HH imo is right on the money.
I have many challenges singing flat or sharp...it's just something to iron out, it can be done.
At one time, no one would let me sing lead.
What I did that helped: I taped myself singing, listened to it, and tried it again, then listened to that. Repeat til ya start hearing what it's supposed to be. Many times I gave up in disgust. But always went back to it the next day/week. And started getting results.
Painful esp. at first, but it worked. Also, took 2 semesters of voice...after that it's like I became an ok singer almost overnight.
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Good thread.
I became lead. It just sort of happened overnight, odd. It's very important to me to be able to do either. I love being a vocal support, but difficlut to do this well while playing an instrument. Tho I'm sure John would say aw, ya just need to get yer feet wet again
Don't think being lead in my case has anything to do with fronting (lol!), just like playing any other instrument would.
The whole fronting thing...mostly sang lead as a drummer (long ago). Sometimes felt comfortable being frontman, but it's hard to judge now, 'cause that was doing other people's material.
I am ambivalent about the whole notion of fronting.
(And another Yes fan here! Tho I know/prefer pre "Going For The One" Yes...we used to giggle at Steve Howe's harmony at one place during All Good People (the live version), good memories. Atom, have you ever heard "To Be Over?" It's sublime! After hearing that I fell in love with lower-than-the-lead harmonies and have never been the same since.)
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I think Finn's routine IS formal, John!
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Hey Finn, thanks for the happy ending, that's encouraging.
When I quit for a few years I lost my bottom register. Now that I've been smoking again for a long time, I'm losing my upper register.
But I can't say that in either instance above is just from cigs, for I've also lost bottom and/or higher register when I used to gig full time (no cigs or ANYTHING. It seems my voice was most fragile when I was being a good girl!) How much from singing all night (lead and harmony), screaming at times (for effect), and trying to cover parts out of range (because no one else would try)...
But these family-years, I've been sleep deprived a long time. And I think fatigue is maybe the worst of all for the voice.
I heard an old Madonna tune the other day and noted how much her voice has deepened over the years. But I don't think in her case this was due to smoking.
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Sometimes a better blend is obtained by not singing harmony in full voice...sometimes it sounds better to be weaker (not just volume wise)or more breathy (esp if the harmony notes are in higher range).
imo.
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Listen (and watch) the lead singer. If the lead is singing "die-yan" for the word "dying", don't sing "die-ING".
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Finn, can you explain what you mean by muting/unmuting tracks and what-not? Are you talking about recording a melody w/ voice, then adding a harmony (16 times, or 16 different harmonies)?
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That article doesn't make singing sound like any fun.
OTOH, David L. Jones' going through and recovering from voice damage explains his crusade. But under that article's criteria it seems unlikely for non-expert folks to know what constitues a good vocal teacher, let alone be able to find one.
I have no idea what he means about flat tongued singing. Does it mean the tongue stays on the "floor" of the mowff, or what?
WHAT was this thread originally about?
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Well, at least you've got gear.
That reminds me of a funny story, Prometheus. I once turned down "something" that "might" have materialized...money figures had been mentioned. When I bowed out, a close relative was furious with me and proceeded to shout and stomp for a long time about artistic pigheadedness. It was frightening at the time, actually.
So at least no one's YELLING at me anymore for this!
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It's hard to pick one favorite.
Bowie has a special place, for sure. John's reasons are my own, too; the older stuff of his I'm attached to strikes deep, but its charm (bad word, too superficial, can't find the right words) I can't wholly analyze right now. And most U2 lyrics I've heard I've appreciated. In a different realm, I love St. Thomas Aquinas' latin hymn lyrics (if those can be rightly called lyrics).
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Husband has FINALLY heard my pleas....oddly after I forwarded him that e-mail on how engineers explain women (complete with diagrams).
Tho that has nothing to do with this.
But your efforts have not been in vain.
Winamp: Anathema sit! (Soon it'll be uninstalled, YAY! Then I can listen to HH's 23 yr old demo, John's Awaken, et al)
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PS: the phrase "just for fun" is an expression (learned from my mom).
It can mean a variety of things, depending on circumstance. In the instance I used it, it's a nice way of saying "Would you just answer the question puh-LEEZE before I get mad and fling that flower pot?!"
he he
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John, I read the WHOLE PAGE of the link you posted. My head is spinning just from your post, so things are good on this end.
(Buying you a cyber beer)
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*&$#!&**??
I agree, it'll be worth it to learn. Am saving this...
Er um, but just for *fun* and in the meantime, if anyone knows how to do the initial thing I asked about...
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First: to Atom, are you still blocked? One time that I was, I wrote about it. I wrote about what being blocked felt like...and that was the end of that block, anyway. I wrote it as a love song, to music itself, how bereft I was without making songs. I love that tune still, even play it quite often.
I've written about 3 this year, I think. Contrary to me blank-ing about not having written anything new, just too wary to let 'em out til I get the library of congress thing.
Allistair, good to know about your years-long break - maybe I need goats to completely turn my tide! I have found tho with the lower output that can come w/ time, they are more keepers than not.
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Steve, that sounds vaugely familiar...yeah, I had it on PGM and recorded on the 4th track but not even a signal was established (before I hit "play/record") much less after. The friend who can help me "remember" is on baby watch at the moment, the baby may be being born as we speak! So I can't really bother him (yet).
Nightwolf, thanks for the links. That bit you pasted is intriguing, I like the sound of that very much.
It'll be less headche to just get the manual, too, eh?
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Good morning, folks.
OK, 4 tracks to work with; what I can't recall is how to take stuff already recorded onto tracks one, two and three and record these onto track 4 (thus freeing up 3 tracks). I tried various things, but none of 'em worked...
Thanks, I've been searching around trying to find this out but no luck yet.
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housewife success
in Music Production and Recording
Posted
This is a happy report: It can be done, getting back into writing/playing/recoring after years long absence.
The 45-version of my little suite is nearly finished being written. I'd been playing the new mixes (2 guitar/2 vox) for Husband about every other day the past 2 weeks as I re-wrote and re-recorded - which we've never done before! Songstuff conversing made it seem natural to let the cat out during the writing process.
I wanted his non-musician opinion: did the suite still sound like 2 1/2 songs, or was it old Bowie thing where you had to listen more than once to really get it? Yet I stand by my own judgement foremost.
2 days ago I decided to record it with drums. (Prometheus you'll love this). I think of the song in my head and "play to the air". The timing was rotten and I scrapped it. Next day I did it again w/ 80% improvement, thus good enough to lay the rest down. I had noted that the little valance hanging over the window would keep a mic from banging against the glass, so I looped the cord up over the curtain rod and hoped for the best.
Fighting the clock as the five school aged children'd soon be home, I got drums, guitar and one vocal on in a 1/2 hour. They returned home (demanding hot chocolate) just as I was beginning that last vocal. "You just sit in here, quietly, while I do this LAST VOCAL," I chirpped while simultaneously shooing them out physically by leaping along behind them. The 5 yr old began to protest and I said, "SHH! THE RED LIGHT IS ON - BYE!!!"
I mixed down between homework-checking and pot roast simmering; and re-checked the mix via boom box and car speakers before the kiddie's bedtime.
I liked what I heard.
The drums made a huge difference. The man is starting to get it; I've played the mix for 3 ppl since.
Next night we went grocery shopping and I grabbed my midi-verb..."say, let's see if I can get an adapter for this thing", and he wanted to know what the effects would do so I told him. They don't yet have the adapter but I had that feeling I was supposed to go in there - sure enough, met 2 gear heads (and picked their little brains for as long as domestic harmony would allow.)
I had so much fun, it was like being online.
And, I figured out (preliminarily in a 90 second experiment) how to bounce the tracks. It was not what I rembered doing previously, so I don't yet know if it'll work.
Haven't recorded drums/vox/guitar as a "band" for ten years, maybe longer. The encouragement from this board has made all the difference. It is a very great relief to my mind (between headches ATom) to be wrapping my mind around all this again.