Farlan's Songs

[arifah]

Thank you for changing my name, John or Steve or both. I feel happier using my real name. Seraphina was the name of a lovely cat we had once when we lived on the Orkney islands. He was lovely in nature rather than appearance, being a modest beast with only a stump for a tail. We thought he was a she initially, hence the very female name, but he turned into a big tom cat, went off and did tom cat type things. He came back one evening severely mauled, he looked like he had run into a tiger at least. He never recovered from his injuries and had to be put down. But that was not the end of Seraphina. He came back to visit Farlan. Just the once, to say goodbye, and to show off his magnificent new tail.

I've read Johns article on compression. It's a great article, very clear. I wonder if you could give me some settings as a starter point for Ratio threshold, output, realease and attack. It is quite difficult to work out how each different setting affects all the others, and having a place to start from would be useful. I use a programme called N-Track.

Arifah

[john]

Hey Arifah

I'm a little short of time right at the moment, but I'll pull together some info. Might even post it as an article later

Meanwhile Graeme Young also wrote an article for us (board member Prometheus) which does contain more background info:

The Compressor

Hopefully that will be of interest.

Cheers

John

[arifah]

Hello John,

Thank you for pointing out Graeme's article. It helps me a bit, especially the diagram. For the technologically challenged amongst us a diagram is worth a thousand words. I'm not even a musician let alone a music technologist, and like Rudi, I'm no good at maffs. I probably could have been, if anyone had bothered to teach me properly, but my difficulty with maths was used as a tool by evil teachers to ridicule and humiliate, and is probably the reason why I now have a mental block to understanding the technological side of music. My music programme seems as complex to me as the space shuttle controls, so far I've figured out enough to keep a steady orbit, but not enough to get back to Earth. I've asked advice before on other music forums, Perhaps I've been unlucky with the people I've run into, but they all assume a level of knowledge that I don't have and their answers leave me with more questions and feeling like a dunce.

I have several problems I'm trying to grapple with, but for the moment I'd settle for an answer to this one, about compression. Farlan recorded his songs onto a four track fostex and mixed down onto ordinary casette. When transferring the casette tapes to CD some of them are a bit quiet. I understood that compression could help raise the volume a bit, so I've tried applying random settings which do raise the volume but they make the overall recording sound a lot worse. The problem that I have with Graeme's diagram is that the numbers on my controls are not the same as his and I don't understand what my numbers mean. In my mind low starts at 0 and high is 10 or 100. But the numbers on my release control start at 200.0 got down to 186.0 then up to 208 then back down to 200.0 and these make no sense to me in terms of what is low and what is high. Can you offer any insight or help with this problem?

Arifah

[john]

Hey Arifah

The Release control is normally in seconds. In software that is usually 0.01s to 10 seconds. When you see times like 47 it's usually milliseconds, i.e. 0.047s.

Home musicians sometimes do basic mastering for their music, or at least some basic final mix compression, which is what it sounds like you are trying to do. From the problem you describe though, it doesn't necessarily need compression. Compression reduces the dynamic range of the piece. Addition controls allow you to increase the volume at the same time. If Farlan's music has a great deal of dynamic range, and that lends to the sound, compression might not be the answer.

Here are some ideas to try first, and I'd consider them in this order:

1. The digital version is sampled from an input analogue signal. The amplitude (volume more or less) of the digital signal depends on the amplitude of the original signal and the PC input gain control. If the gain control is set too low the sampled signal will sound quieter. Solution: Resample with a higher gain value. Most sample progs have an indicator to show the max db during any one recording. You want to make sure you don't blow the level during sampling, and leave a little workable headroom (at least some of these individual words are defined in our glossary: see top of the page)

2. Apply gain. I'm not sure what software you are using, but in essence you need to apply gain to bring the volume up. If you bring it up too far, you can cause some digital clipping. You can either scan the wave file to find the peak volume, work out how much less than 0dB your peak is, and then apply gain that means the peak is closer but still less than 0dB. Ideally master to about -3dB, although it depends on the media it is being released on. Straight to web can be pretty close to 0dB. So for example peak is at -4.5 dB (i.e. 4.5dB headroom). You can then apply gain of dsay 4dB safely and know it won't blow your 0dB level. Similkarly you can also Normalize to a specific dB. This basically applies gain or cut to get the signal to a desired peak amplitude.

3. Apply compression if you want to reduce the range of volume between the quietest and the loudest parts. From your description, it sounds like you're looking at a changing release time as you progress through the song, but as I say I don't know what tools you are using. So it starts at 200ms, reduces to 186ms, then up to 208ms, then back to 200ms. Where are you getting the settings from? For example if you are getting this from some midi control of the compression release it would imply something different.

Lastly, if you can afford it I would strongly suggest a professional mastering service. There are some you can even get online (we have at least one member who is a mastering engineer.). I would use one, even if it was simply that it is a specialised area, with changing trends in tools and output. If you want to do this yourself I am more than happy to advise where I can.

It is probably better to move this into the recording board. Graeme and others are more likely to see your posts on this subject and post some advice.

Would it be ok with you if I split off the posts on compression into a recording topic? (that way we can keep what we have and still have your separate intro post)

Hope this helps.

Cheers

John

[arifah]

Thank you for your suggestions John,

Yes, please do move this part of the topic onto the recording section.

I've made two version of one of Farlan's songs. One without compression here and one with compression here. The compression settings I used were :-

Ratio 1.9:1

Threshold -20.4

output 1.4

release 206.0

attack 0.90

Do you think, if you have a minute, you could listen to these. I think your proffesional ear will be more intelligent than my non proffesional explanations.

There is some clipping, but only on the voice. The volume of the voice and music is not equal. I hope this problem can be corrected, as there's no chance of a retake now.

We did have some professional CD's made once. I'm not sure how profesional you get for £40, they were fine, but there was something missing too, something esential stripped away. Maybe it's an emotional thing for me, but when I work with Farlans music myself that essential feeling is there - even if I do lose out on sound quality. So for that reason I'm keen to do as much of the work myself as possible. I appreciate your help very much.

Arifah

[Steve]

Hi Arifah. I think John may have gone away for a few days. I'm not exactly sure what you are trying to achieve with Frlans recordings? How were they recorded in the first place? Was it to a tape? Do you have individual tracks recorded for voice, instruments etc? If the music was recorded as one track i.e. everything to a tape recorder, then there is only so much that can be done, and whatever is done, will affect the whole track not just the voice.

[john]

Hey Arifah

I'm not away yet, it's been postponed a couple of days. I'll have a quick listen later and post back.

Cheers

John

[john]

Hey Arifah

Just quickly, you missed out the "knee" setting - soft or hard?

It will be difficult to bring up the music without overly flattening the vocal dynamic. Farlan has a good deep voice, in terms of improving the music voulme you are into EQ as your primary tool.

Cheers

John

[arifah]

Hi Steve,

I'm trying to transfer Farlans music from tape to CD. Quite a job for me, since, as I said, I know nothing about music technology or technical things in general. Actually getting the music into the computer in the first place was a major achievement, and the result of a great deal of head banging. My brain seems to have been much maligned in this area, but by taking on the technical side of Farlans music, I've been able to discover why I have these difficulties. Partly school, partly other negative experiences that I didn't remember, but by re-experiencing the obstacles I was able to remembered how they got there and to some extent free myself from them. This doesn't make me a technical wizz, but it does free me up to experiment and play around without anxiety, and if I can get the odd explanation or someone to point me in a direction, as John did with EQ, I'll go and play till something does or doesn't click.

It was nice of John to take the time to listen and offer advice, especially when he must have been busy.

I think many people experience similar difficulties to mine in at least one area of their lives. Inhibition and confusion to an extent that they can't approach a subject that they'd like. It's often in the creative arena where people have been squashed or sat on. I remember watching a programme about famous musicians and their other interests, one was Charlie Watts and his interest in astronomy, no problem there. But there was another heavy metal singer. They showed him performing, wild, crazy, extrovert, over the top, a stranger to inhibition - or so you'd have thought. His other interest was painting. he brought out a small painting he'd done, he showed it to the camera with a shy, timid, please don't hurt me look. It was easy to see where his major malevolations had taken place, and perhaps what he should have been doing with his life.

Farlan was the opposite. Painting was easy for him, his big struggles were with the music. He knew that he wanted to do music for about three years before he could even admit it. And that was just the start, he battled huge obstacles, and to get from the level of restriction and inhibition that he had at the beginning to the level of freedom and expressiveness he achieved at the end was very impressive. And that personal victory is part of the spiritual content of his music and is probably one of the reasons why listening to Farlan sing gives me great heart and hope.

How does your music rate in your life. Does it come easy or have you had to struggle to get there? I visited songsparrow and listened to all of your songs. Your lyrics have a leaning towards the sad and sorrowful side of life - clearly you've not found life entirely plain sailing and you sing these songs with great feeling. I like the ballads best, the gentle songs and some of the instrumentals have a great sweetness. One thing that struck me particularly was your poem "So bright the day" It is tranquil and peaceful. You seem very at home with the theme of nature. Was this ever set to music?

Arifah

[Steve]

"So bright the day" It is tranquil and peaceful. You seem very at home with the theme of nature. Was this ever set to music?

Arifah

So Bright the day was never set to music, Nor was it ever meant to be.. I love nature. I love being in the countryside away from it all. I love to listen to the birds sing and the wind through the leaves. Thank you for listening to my music, and reading my poem!

Back to your project. I think what you are trying to do with Farlans' music may not be possible. Because you have transfered the recording from a tape to the computer, you only have a recording that you can manipulate as a whole. i.e. you can add compression, but what you add will affect the whole recording, not just the vocal. I think John spotted this in a previous post and suggested you should try using e.q. (which is treble and bass in it's simplest form!) This may help to bring out a little more of what's there.

[arifah]

Hello John,

Thank you for the info about EQ. I've had quite a lot of fun with that. I have made two more recording of Orange Blossom, one with EQ here, and one with EQ plus compression here.

On the first version the compression setting I used was soft knee. On this one I used the default setting on the programme which caused almost no clipping. Obviously there's a limit to the extra volume I can get without distortion, but which of the four versions do you think is best?

Farlans deep voice was responsible for the loss of many a cheap tape recorder over the years. A few weeks, sometimes days of that low rumble and like Victorian Ladies they used to faint away, never to work again. Our son is the same, you can't talk to him on a mobile phone as the timbre of his voice distorts the equipment. It's in the genes.

Arifah

[arifah]

Hi Steve,

I didn't answer your questions. Farlan recorded onto a small 4 track fostex. Some of these tapes he mixed down, some he didn't. We have a bit more room for manouver on the the non mixed down tapes, but on the mixed down tapes I want to try and increase the volume as they are a bit quiet.

I've heard about frequency selective filters that can give more options for working on final recordings, do you know anything about those? Maybe when I'm rich I'll hire myself a great frequency selective filterer.

Arifah

[Nightwolf]

I've heard about frequency selective filters that can give more options for working on final recordings, do you know anything about those? Maybe when I'm rich I'll hire myself a great frequency selective filterer.

I believe you are talking about hi-pass and lo-pass filters, these can be adjusted to specific frequencies and come in hardware and software configurations. The way to understand the terminology is "What does the filter let through?" hi-pass filters allow hi frequencies to pass through and lo-pass filters allow low frequencies to pass through. There is also a type called a band pass filter where you set the range and it will only let frequencies within a certain band range through. The soft/hard knee settings refer to the amount of drama the cutoff invokes, a soft knee will feather the cut off while a hard knee is like hitting a wall, these are drastic examples, but I am using it to help explain the dynamics.

[john]

Hey Arifah

You might find this useful:

Standard Filter Types

Cheers

John

[Nightwolf]

Hey Arifah

You might find this useful:

Standard Filter Types

Cheers

John

Show off

[Donna]

Hi Arifah,

Your story touches me.

It is inspiring as well, not knowing compression (yet).

Offtopic: Did you know the Transalpine Redemptorists while on Orkney?

-Donna

[arifah]

Thank you Nightwolf and John for the info on frequency selective filters. It's very nice gathering snippets of information this way. The fact that they come as a personal response or recommendation seems to make them more accessible, certainly more enjoyable than ploughing through stark facts gathered from the internet. I suppose it's the same principle that works on songstuff, if you know someone a little bit through their posts then it clears the path to go and listen to their songs, and it makes the songs more accessible too.

Arifah

[arifah]

Hello Donna,

It's nice to meet you. The technical side of music is certainly a challenge, I've been getting on better since I found songstuff which has great resources and a nice attitude towards the novice.

Something else which has helped me on the technical front has been learning Gaelic, the language of my ancestors. It's not an obvious connection, but nevertheless in my mind the learning of the Gaelic has opened the way for me to connect with a side of life that has always been a problem.

We never heard of the Transalpine Redemptorists when we were on Orkney. We left Orkney in 1989 so maybe they came after that. I can't imagine if they'd been there that we wouldn't have been told. Nothing goes unnoticed or unreported on Orkney. Gossip is a way of life and binoculars the Orkney farmers ornament of choice. The nights are long - and light.

Arifah

[john]

Hey Arifah

Sorry I haven't had a listen of those newly posted tracks.

Meanwhile, I don't think I posted this yet:

Equalization / Equalisation (EQ)

Hope it helps. It's an EQ primer.

Cheers

John

[Donna]

Hi Arifah

Learning Gaelic makes perfect sense to me.

I've found Songstuff to be invaluable! Almost tender toward the novice, too.

Yeah, the TR's didn't come til I think ten years after you left. They own Papa Stronsay and seemingly mostly self supporting, with their flocks and cheeses and goodness knows what all. It's funny - fellow American women I know kinda dreamily sigh at the thought of visiting, but one day a man squawked, "that God-forsaken island!"

Thanks for Orkney tidbits.