Donna

Yah, Remo's is good. And I do have touch sensitivity. The sounds are OK, some of them quite workable, I think. You'd figure over 400'd be enough! But there's stuff I'm still searching for which I've not founs on that little machine. I'm keeping John's suggestion to you (demo review nuke) bout downloading sounds, filing it away in brain.... Thanks for the continued interest! Hari has a recording diary proper, and I have this little site here (sigh/flowers icon). I suppose you're right about inserting others' stuff...who has time to try to do THAT? It'd take 10 years to finish the tracking his people down part. I used to bounce on the 246 and am presently totally reluctant to do it, for the reasons/example you gave, but I'm sure I'll get over that eventually. Hey thanks for your detailed responses - are you Scandanavian btw? Something seems midwestern about ya tho from Philly/Reading (they're big on coffe and conversation, lotsa sweedes and such up here, ha ha the only spice is salt and pepper). Yeah, digging into music-land! The part I said about pretending like I'm a REAL guitarist/keys really works sometimes - said something to someone here once about they could get away with a certain line if they sing it with attitude. It's true, that can make all the difference if the basic chops are there. But it's painstaking, learning this stuff not even section by section, but phrase by phrase at this point. I can't wait to experiment with audacity!

Hey JB, btw, I'm starting to get into this little keyboard. I believe it has all 88 keys. Anyway, did a section this eve, er last eve, trying to sort of cop Loo's parts. It was encouraging. THREE lines (+ bass and canned toms): organ, piano and strings. Heh heh, dunno when to quit, that's the hardest part. I went direct and recored the synth stuff to 2 tracks, vox the other 2 tracks, eq'd, added chorus and panned way wide...then driving around in the car checking the mix. But Bowie's "Golden Years" came on the radio and got mightily distracted there for awhile Which led me to want to ask John what the copyright situation is if one wanto insert a vs from Golden Years into a bridge somewhere...for real, not "sort of" copping it... Anyway, I sure wish I'd 8 tracks. However, I really do believe if I keep working on mixing I can get things respectable. It's good to know that I will be able to get a workable groove on the keys if I will put the effort and time into it. When all else fails, the best approach seems to be just feel the music and pretend I'm a (keyboard/guitar) player. More often than one'd expect, this can yield notes or parts which are better than the labored ones. Tangent done. (Where's that "pack" of heads?)

puffffff

Solid!

John and Hari- Cool! Thank you! (yeah I see now how that would work w/ effects patch/guitar).

anyone (Nige?) - should I do this one instead of audacity?

omigosh, I was just reading this thread yesterday...when it was on page 3 and buried. That esp thing strikes again.

Nigel, another question... so, if I re-mix something, is there any way to save the original? Because in one case I for sure want the original intact, not knowing if the experiment will turn out worse.

hee hee. yer a pal. (whoosh! clicking)

Well it's on my computer. What do I do with it? I'd like to try to re-mix an MP3. And also, I'd like to add a part (which is on mp3) to another existing MP3 and mix that (or them). Thanks. Pretend you're talking to a 10 yr old and I should understand.

John, thanks for your detailed responses. I did get the direct signal...don't know what I did differently today. Er, is there a beginner's thread re: midi so that I will be able to make sense of your replies? I will refer back to them. But you've already given me another way for synching + click. So it looks like for guitar I'd have to program the effects manually...dunno how that would work if the patch thing is going on w/ keys. The acoustic sounds so nice with some chorus on it. Tomorrow I get time off and "told" myself I'd best be happy if I even get levels. The 4 track (I don't think) has the midi time capability, but I'll look.

Hey all, I've a number of is-shoes (issues) below and am looking for the most effective and labor saving methods. So I finally did a scratch of a couple sections last night just to see if I can get a workable groove with a bigger-parts tune. The keyboard I have stores enough to lay down several lines (eg chords, bass, strings) for a full song. 1) I "could" lay down the drums, then record the keyboard stuff by pressing the "start song" button on the keyboard EXACTLY at the right time. This is what I did last eve - it wouldn't be impossible to hone my button pressing chops to the exact millisecond...or think you I should bite the bullet and lay down the programmed stuff first (reprehensible in my drummer philosophy, but willing to change). Also: what's the best way y'all deal with actual space in your programmed parts, when there is no discernable rythym, or in the case of pausing for actul beats, there is NO sound at all? 2) The midiverb is up and running, woo-hoo! In mixing the snippet above, I found myself wondering how others deal with programming effects during mixdown. The unit is right next to the mixing board...but if I want chorus in one section and flange in other, is manually pressing different buttons during mixdown the way to go and just hope I can catch up with all the panning and stuff going on? Is mine a specific recording enviornment where recording WITH effects is the way to go? 3) The effects unit itself, exploring its options. In the past I just cranked everything til I "heard" the amt of effect desired. But that just means every mix sounds the same and I'd such a good result doing "Last Train" in noting WHAT k/htz and stuff is. Want to do the same re: effects. On my portastudio there are pans and eq tiers for the effects as well! So it's like quilting, endless options. Any specific idea on how to approach FINDING OUT what my unit can do? 4) Lastly...and I'm glad Lazz is on vacation or whatever, any ideas on how to get a click track (laying down drums) for me? It really would help. Again, mine is an analog 4-track set up, no pc stuff per se. Mucho gratsios! PS: any ideas why going direct from my keyboard to the 4-track is yielding no signal? It's not my cord, either.

WHAT is a trance refill?

Good thread! Had a toy drumset when I was 6 or 7 and before teenage years a couple years plying string bass and sax. I used to tune my toms (and snare w/ the snares off) to make a chord. I'd play melodies on them and build...something, anyway. I was never a solo-er with drums. Too hard to do! I think I was 12 when I wrote my first song. As I wrote the lyrics, the melody came, but also 3 vocal harmonies, horns, big sound. They didn't want me to sing lead as a teenager. Suddenly a few years later I could sing. By then a lot of experience playing and listening, it was so wide. In my early 20's I had a feeling I could write but was afraid of not following through so I sold my drums and used the $ to buy a synth which stored several thousand notes. I did sound-on-sound, too, but w/ ghetto blasters (big step up from the really cheap tape recorders). I didn't get a drumset again til like 15 years after I'd sold it. That was the way to go for me. A good friend (biker who wrote gentle, sad love songs) left his ovation w/ me many moons ago. Haven't heard from him since . But I learned some chords, so now can compose doing simple lines either keys/guitar. Cannot remember when the 4-track came into my life - but so glad it did.

ATom, yah (midwestern scandanavian "yes" for all you others), I may've wanted a textbook answer. Thought there was a formula. But I like your answer - even better along w/ examples from John and John B . Hari, what is an udu - you'd think a drummer would know. The tune sounds really interesting, will watch for it. I'm in some serious February funk right now. Keep trying to exercise and all, but just deeply tired or bored or something. It'll turn around, though I trust.

Ha ha. I would be interested in hearing that one chord song. Sounds like a profitable approach. Been chasing simplicityfor awhile now, albeit in a different way. S & J > Mud Swirl: That's not really a drink, is it?

Yes, I remember you (John) mentioning the Behringer. After the bass! Maybe

(Atom, you are a wisconsin beast! I complained to Loo yesterday that the keyboardists here were being naughty and not replying - and you have sadly proved me right). John, yes! This will help a lot, the little diagram you wrote up...I just need something to start on. I did "bother" him about all this since last post. He remembers nothing of the tune. However, he offered to listen to it, so I think a road trip to his babyhouse is in order. Yes, I can read simple notation. Your diagram ain't wasted even if Mike ("Loo" - I go by either name) gives me the whole rundown "for I will surely face this situation again." The rythym is not a big problem, I'll just practice. Ta-ta. Have a good one! PS: Hari thanks for the "trust your ears" part... PPS: It'd be fantastic if Mike came here. He'd mix in really well, I think. The guy is a monster writer; great affinity between us because of mutual musical admiration/understanding. It's a rare friendship - am realizing this more, with the passing of years. And ain't it funny? I was all set to record with him last Fall. But we could not mesh our schedules, and then the family just needing to nest together the last weeks of the pregnancy...that sorta thing can come up out of the blue, as it were, you just have to stop the world and get off NOW... Well, because of Loo not available, that's why I ended up searching online for...I didn't know what, just knew I was on my own for awhile. I searched one night and found the link to Songstuff...and couldn't believe my good fortune. So that's how I got here.

Tracking down the adapter as we speak...and the cost will not break me. woo hoo!

James, this is so cool...I know how ya feel. Congrats on getting things moving, and quickly! (Do you have a tuner? Mic stand? Are there effects in your pc stuff I assume?)

Hee hee. No you didn't, it's a good starting point. Glad you mention inversions, which I almost always use. Maybe try a straight triad first and progress to inversion? Sigh. ...ya know those 70's rock jams (esp. live) where the guitarist is soloing and "Viv Savage" is hanging on the hammond B3, punching percussive things. But he's changing chords at the same time. I know, I said "vamp/comp". 4 beats is a long time if you only hit the "one!" So...to comp, but also to change quickly (I think I can figure out the latter). So I do wish to comp on this. I am trying to learn a part, actually, and it's very difficult to hear what's being done. My buddy Loo did it and he won't remember what he'd done since that was years ago. And his baby being new and all, I cannot bother him hardly at all! Wouldn't it be easier to get a keyboard player? Yes - the problem is Loo has spolied me rotten and I don't know any pianists who play in his style (which, for every song he's played on of mine is PERFECT, arggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhh)

Hari, thanks, it does help. Just to clarify then, the example you gave, you're playing that with your right hand? I listened to "Don't Know How To Reach You" and thus heard what you're talking about. That is a sophisticated melody and song. All your stuff strikes me that way...and "Splinter In My Mind" is all that, plus a major hoot. See ya. (PS: you were right, shoulda got a bass first - I am pining for one! Gonna see what I can possibly round up...actually an upright would be fantastic. I'm certain some part of the 12 yr old me remembers how to work that fretboard)

Hey! How do I comp on one chord (or vamp)? Don't say do like you would on a guitar, cause I don't really know how to do that either, other than varying the rythym of strumming the chord. Just...priciples, should I be hanging for the 3rd or fifth of the chord? Or what? We are talking one hand, gentlemen - just how to vary the triad or whatever so I'm not stuck just playing the chord. Thanks much.

I picked up a Yamaha. I did look at the Alesis (no QS8.2 tho) and even some kind of sound box or something like that, w/ keyboard bought separately to be able to get one's own sounds - big bucko's for that situation. This sounds crazy, but my biggest bumout is where to keep it. The little ones can't be expected to not be little. I think for now, I shall have to tear down and stash it every time. With my old synth, I only needed like 5 good sounds. I've already found five on this one which has over 400. The bass sounds are pretty bad, but a couple guitar sounds are alright. I'm sure I can work w/ it via eq. and/or doubling. Also some reverb/chorus built in and manipulatable. The canned beats sound good but don't swing. However, I may use the keyboard to make my own, at least on some tunes. It'd be great to have the recording feature on the keys take care of everything but vocals, so I can stretch out w/ 3 tracks of harmonies (I have a horror of bouncing suddenly on the 4 track). All in all, Woo-hoo!

ROTFL! You'd make a great cartoon strip, Prometheus. Plus I knew you'd chime in - thanks for that. btw, someone in the Christmas Song Thread (songwriting baord) wants to know what it is you're holding in your pic. Atom, I'd love that Alesis - but this time I'll be settling for less.