Twilight Meditations Sessions - Night 2

Morning Gang

Well, its night two (well, morning two) of the final Twilight Meditation CD project.  Even as I complete the second track of this CD, I'm starting to feel a bit... apprehensive about finishing it this week.  These last two nights have been really magical.  I don't want it to end.  No one is awake, almost in the whole world, at least from where I'm sitting, and the sounds that the computers and the modules are making just make me so happy.  This Fazioli sample (Piano) is so beautiful I want to go buy the real thing.

Anyone have an extra 250k they can lend?  ;)

Anyway, no more misty, I'm a guy for God's sake.

Track two, tentatively named Vapor on the Fields, clocks in at 8 minutes.  It draws just a touch from the last theme in the first track, but it goes to different and varied places.  Some of it is very warm, especially in the middle, with adagio strings in a very low register.  Its almost pastoral.  The predominate instrument in the piece is a Classical Guitar.  I'd say I did this because it sets the harp, Fazioli Grand and Strings nicely, but I really did it for Jenn, cause she said she loves the instrument.  So do I.

The CD continues to thumb it's metaphorical nose at me at completely deviate from what I had planned to record.  I think I'm getting okay with it though.  I opened my manuscript for the first time and ACK! wrote the piece out with a pen!  Had to, too many changes and I was getting lost at some points.  Sleep deprivation and orchestration, man, any composer will tell you they go hand in hand.

Tonight finished early, which I am thankful for, because I have an evening scheduled with some good friends tonight, and I want to enjoy myself without too much fatigue.

See you Sunday :)

jack

Twilight Meditations Sessions - Night 1

Morning Gang

Well, i've been working on my Meditation CD project for a while now.  Release date is quickly coming, and Jenn told me how long they need to turn around duplication.  So, its full steam ahead, in which will no doubt be an interesting week of midnight sessions.

It actually all started the night before last, with temporary additions to the studio.  I added an 88 Key controller (Yamaha S80) and some extra computer power for those really cpu intensive sections.  There are also three VERY cool mikes setup (thanks Jim!).  A Blue Woodpecker (Ribbon Mike), AKG 414XLII and a Earthworks condenser.  These are setup strategically in no particular fashion or reason, scattered about my studio, ready to capture whatever instrument or weird object,...or breath.. at a moments notice.

Since the majority of the album is written, either sketched in sessions or in my head, very little music really needs to be written.  Just orchestrated, mixed, mastered and out the door right?

Eeep!  I wish it would have been so easy.  Because as soon as I downbeated (is that even a word?) the first bar of the first track, I realized that it was going to go its own way with no consideration for what I've already done and what I wanted.  Yes, the CD has taken off of its own accord and now is laughing at me as I scramble to re-write, re-orchestrate, etc the entire Disc.

Ah, love being a composer, don't you?

Okay here's the scoreboard.  CD = 1 .   Jack = 0.

Okay, I didn't come away with nothing.  I have a rough mix of a completed first track, tentatively titled Twilight Falls, and it clocks in at 5 minutes.  I did have a different name for it, ask Jenn sometime, she'll laugh...at me...again ;)

See ya tomorrow

jack

Soundtrack Review - "Fittest - Original Soundtrack"

“Fittest – Original Soundtrack” Review 

Dreams of Cobalt : One of the greatest challenges an electronica composer faces is to make their pieces lifelike and not-robotic (unless that’s what they are going for). Zircon continues to exercise his strong beat sensibility with Cobalt.  In your face high hats give a solid tempo to this varied synth infused piece.  From odd flanged/detuned pianos (really cool by the way) to more classic synths reminiscent of Oberhiem xpanders and Arps, he has created a wash of ear candy in this D Minor work.  The breakdown at the end of the piece sets up the next piece nicely. 

Photosynthesis:

With Photosynthesis, Zircon demonstrates the right way to incorporate electronica elements with hybrid orchestral and ambient textures.  Marcato strings and syncopated Marimba dance together with lo-fi, “freeze” elements.  One thing I have noticed about his work, Zircon enjoys the wide sweeping bass sawtooth and pulse waves, which really work for has unique style of music.  He is definitely not afraid to use his mod wheel.  Vaguely reminiscent of some of Wayne Lytle’s work, Zircon demonstrates his mastery of all synthesis types.

Cellular:

Very aptly named, Cellular starts as a gentle peek inside your Motorola phone, and then in true Zircon fashion, steps into a pulse-wave-arpeggios, strong back beats, with various synthesis techniques taking their turn at soloing.  This piece will definitely have you taking your battery out of your cell phone in the hopes of finding something that can vaguely be this cool.

Baroque Virus:

Shirking a massive pipe organ at any of your favorite churches/concert halls, Zircon demonstrates that orchestral elements benefit when a cutting synth patch takes the lead.  Pipe organ is given a short cameo in this piece, before a energized harpsichord riff tackles it and rips it screaming from the score.

Looking Glass:

Ming the Merciless makes a very short cameo in the very beginning of this piece, before it is covered in arpeggios and crystallized synth stabs.  Noise shots imply the snare sounds which show up later in the piece, and a haunting 8 beat theme, shorted to four beats as this piece progresses builds a tension that is nearly subliminal.  The piece evolves from here, and each element is given the opportunity to show not only where it belongs in the whole mix, but also as a soloed entity.

Fusion Master:

Fused Hip hop and electronica is difficult to do.  Fortunately Zircon is no stranger to fusion, and his groovy clav hits and off beat ride bells make this piece a real treat to play a game to.  It is a welcome relief to hear that gamers can look forward to some fun music, as heavy and thematic can get old after you’ve developed calluses on your thumbs from playing 12 hours straight. 

Psychesphere:

Incorporation of world instrumentation into current musical themes seems relatively common place these days.  Zircon has not bashed the sitar and tablas over our heads in this piece, but that does not mean that they are not present and integral.  However he executed the Sitar solo at 3:20, it is clear that he can express himself in both North American and Asian musicality.  Where else can he take us?

Morsecode:

Well, he’s takin us to Jazz Fusion.  Neat.  His piano playing chops cannot be brought into question as he demonstrates strong pedal technique with his solid left hand, and his octaves on the right scream  Jazz/Fusion done right.  As before, he calls upon a varied library of synthesis techniques to “replace” what you may expect to hear, with something that works just as well.

Star Command:

An aural assault upon your senses, do not listen to this piece without serious ramp up.  I’m serious.  I hope for your sake you are well into your third or forth hour of play before you’re hit with this one.  It is…well, it is.  That’s all I have to say.

Overall : 

Once again Zircon has demonstrated a mastery of style, substance and technology.  He pushes his craft with every title he releases, and “Fittest – Original Soundtrack” is no exception to this rule.  Released by Zircon Studios and Blue Door Productions, it is now available on iTunes. This soundtrack gives us a sneak peek into the XBOX 360 arcade title “Fittest” available this quarter.

iTunes Store - zircon - Fittest - Original Soundtrack---

 See you Soon

j

 

Game Design and Concepts

It goes without saying that knowing your job is essential to thriving in the business place.  I mean, duh, of course you should know your job.

But what about other people's jobs?

In our industry, some of us are focused strictly on production.  There are others who's strength lies in post production, or even pre production.

Take the latest project i've gotten myself into.  I am a small part of a larger whole, developing a video game MOD.  (I still don't know what constitutes a mod since we've rebuilding the game from the ground up :)

Music, SFX and a little programming.  That's my job.  Its split between two providers.  Game Music Inc and Bad Dog Digital.  But how essential is it for me to understand the low level game engine?  Or the SDK iteslf for this game?

I believe the answer is, quite essential.  Since my work is only a small part of the larger whole, in order for me to integrate that part into what comes before and after, I need to understand other's roles.

Instance:  The voice over recording.  We're doing that, we will work off of a script that will be provided by the level designer.  After those voice parts are complete, how do they get into the game?  We can't just stuff them into the audio assets folder and link it to the level, because the scripted action requires lip-synch between the character's textured lips and the voice over.  Is that my job or the programmer's?

Ah yes, blurred lines.   Thats why I love what I do :)

In this case, it will be the level designer's bag, since he's really doing all the scripting and I don't know how the action( Camera angle, movement) is supposed to go.

Since I know the larger part, greater than mine, I can ask these questions and best serve the others working on this project, because I understand what they need, not what they do.

Till next time

j

3...2....1... Kontakt

How many of you use Kontakt in your host sequencer? 

I’ve been plagued by an issue that has existed both in and out of Protools for the last year and a half.  I’ve spoken with customer support many times and they have said that its an issue with Kontakt and most DAW sequencing software. 

Here’s the issue, and please, feel free to chime in if you are having the same issues.  Kontakt opens, I click the little folder icon on the top left to open the browser and then stuff starts to get weird.  The pointer icon starts toggling back and forth between the arrow and the wristwatch (a throw back from earlier operating systems pre-OS x.  I guess NI misses the wristwatch). 

Closing the folder gives me a nice steady arrow.  What gives you say?  I have no idea.  One email and two phone calls to tech support, and I am given the stock answer that pro-tools and logic’s audio settings are to blame. 

Okay, in the words of my youngest daughter:  Fine. 

On a whim, I opened Kontakt 3 in stand-alone mode.  Sure enough, the problem persists.  This is going way beyond Protools or Logic’s” auto save function answer. 

I’m going to call tech support on Monday, and there will be answers.  I will post them here when I get them. 

As of the posting of this blog, there is an update of Kontakt pending Soon ™. 

Best

Jack

Update : Sunday January 18

Success:  A little research goes a long way.  Research into the depths of my brain.  A buddy way way back told me that if Pro Tools ever acted funny, try trashing the Preferences file for it.

I trashed the plist for Kontakt 3, no more hourglass/arrow oscillation.

I hope this revelation helps someone out there.

Best

j

 

A Great Mic Pre…

...is a pleasure to behold…listen to, you know what I mean. 

Okay, so we’re all composers so why would we ever need a microphone, mic pre, and A/D converter?  How bout solo instruments?  I know there are some closet tuba players out there.  Trumpet was my primary instrument before I discovered piano.  

See, something interesting happened 2 weeks ago.  A fellow composer was doing a ska piece and was unhappy with the trumpet samples he used.  I suggested we lay some real trumpet down.  One Virtual Glass (esession.com) session later, there were 5 very tidy trumpet recordings on their way to their heaven of mixing. 

My signal chain was decent.  Shure SM-57 (A respectable mike by anyone’s standards) into a Digi 002, right into Logic.  It sounded great and there was much rejoicing. 

But, could it have been recorded better?

For those of you who have not reached front end audio signal chain, ill sum it up.  Mind you this is a very general flowchart.. 

Soundsource (Jack’s Bach Model 43 for Instance) –> Mike (SM57) –> Mike Pre (Digi 002) –> DAW

 If I was actually going to start recording Trumpet, Voice, Acoustic guitar… what would a better signal chain gain me? 

First I started with the mikes.  I good friend and fellow studio owner from New York lent me a few microphones to test drive.  Among them were a Blue Woodpecker and Kiwi, an AKG 414, and an Earthworks SR30.   Okay, Mikes are very well taken care of. 

Now the Mike Pre…  A few days of weighing options as well as some expert advice from my buddy in NY and the folks at Mercenary.com and I had a new Mike Pre delivered, an Arsenal MP-R20.  WOW what a difference a pro Mike Pre will make. 

On to the A/D (Analog to Digital Conversion).  The 002 Still served as this piece in the chain, however, since the Arsenal is such a mean machine, its balanced outs delivered mondo audio signal into the analog ins of the 002.  The result?  A scary vocal track, clear, bright, but not too harsh. 

Now, each Mike, Mike Pre and Converter combination will yield different results. Think of it as a painter's palette.  The gear are the colors, and mixing them in different ways will yield different colors.

In my case, the arsenal was the best bang for buck, it has two channels of API designed pre-amplification, and has a doubled warranty which any business owner can appreciate.  However, my chain may not make sense for another's recordings.  A completely clear Mike pre would have been a John Hardy, or a Great river..  Mikes were also a very important consideration.  In a future blog I will get into that, its a whole weeks worth of entries by itself.

So, whats the synopsis?  A decent Mike and Mike Pre will definitely change your mix, and for the better. 

Till next time

Jack

 

 

Bursts of Sound

There will invariably come a time when you are recording and these sets of circumstances collide:

 1 You are listening to your mix at a (eh em) relatively loud volume, either through headphones or your monitors.

 2 You are fully enjoying not only the fine mix you have crafted for what it is, but also the natural compression your ear has when listening to (eh em) relatively loud music.

  3  Your digital Mixer decides to throw digital feedback through one of your channels.

 The sudden explosion of ear-splitting noise tears through your head, numbing your senses and nearly gives you heart failure.  Biological effects aside, you may have well killed the high end of your monitors.

 As any of my friends and clients will attest, I am a digital junkie.  I enjoy the relatively noiseless and clear work environment gives me.  2 O1vs are the heart of my studio, effortlessly mixing together both digital and analog sources and feeding it back into my Mac, for a mix down to be proud of.

 There is something that the guys at the music store didn’t tell me about these mixers.  The mixer occasionally loses its mind, and routes something wrong, and all hell breaks loose.

 Unfortunately there is nothing to be done about it, other than checking.. (and re-checking) your routing, both real and virtual and maintain your equipment as well, both real and virtual.

 It may very well save your monitors and your hearing as well.

See you next time.

J