The Audio Production Thread

[D_Davis]

I had a great day of music composition and recording. Got my workspace set up nicely, and wrote some stuff that I like - FINALLY. It's been a long uphill battle to overcome this weird funk I've been in, but I think I've broken through.

http://i.imgur.com/LkVjH.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/auM26.jpg

[D_Davis]

Wow D, that trick with the 4-track to get pure overdrive is amazing. I've been playing a strat with Fralin vintage hot pickups http://www.fralinpickups.com/stratstyleVH.asp (yes, I'm pimping these) first input to an old 1965 Guild Thunderbass amp with master volume removed, then piping that into my Tascam Portastudio-424 4-track. Then, I output the 4-track channel (currently just using the headphone out because I can't get the speaker out to work) into a Carl Martin compressor+Ernie Ball volume pedal before piping it into my Fender Deluxe Power amp (power amp tubes channel only) -> speaker cab. The overdrive and sustain I've been able to get out of this is incredible and I can finally play at moderate volumes with fully overdriven tubes. If I want to add a effects channel, say, for a delay+envelope filter, where would be a good place in this chain to put it without compromising the clean overdrive?

Still messing around with this set up?

[endingcredits]

Still messing around with this set up?

Unfortunately, I haven't played around too much since I posted that. I've been really busy with graduate school, so free time is a rarity. I also moved into a new place so it took a while to get an equipment setup I liked. The old Guild amp I was using at the front of the chain amp->4-track->amp is starting to have problems (popping sounds and signal drops), which I think might be a capacitor and/or a switch failing. I should take it in

At the end of last year I bought a semi-hollow Gibson ES-335 and I love it. So lately, I've been playing that directly into my fender deluxe with no effects other than reverb. I've found that with the treble cranked on the amp I get a lot more response out of the tone knob on the guitar. The problem is that now to get real overdrive I need to play loud, which upsets my new neighbors. I've since picked up an old Ibanez tube screamer for the people at analoman.com which gives decent tube-like overdrive.

[D_Davis]

Picking up my Minibrute today.

http://varietyofsound.files.wordpress .com/2012/01/minibrute.jpg

[D_Davis]

After a few hours with the Minibrute, my take away impression is this: it is an amazing instrument to learn the basic ins and outs of analog synthesis. I haven't touched a purely-analog synth since about 2004, the year I sold my Arp Odyssey. I never really got the hang of that synth, and having two oscillators to keep in tune often proved to be more of a hassle than anything. The Minibrute's single oscillator set-up makes everything easier, and the lay out is as simple and as straight forward as can be. I've had an absolute blast creating patches. It is weird going back to not being able to save stuff, but I know that not having that option will make me use the Minibrute more like a synth, and less like a ROMpler that I'll tweak here and there.

The build quality seems pretty good. It's a lot heavier than I imagined. It's hefty, and feels substantial. The keys feel a little cheap, but they are responsive, and the aftertouch feels great - super responsive with a lot of room to move. All of the sliders are smooth, and the knobs feel pretty good. However, the knob for the envelope modulation for the square wave is very loose - like twice as loose as every other knob. That troubles me a bit. I'm going to ask Arturia about this.

And what about the sounds? So far, so good. It's an aggressive little beast; it can get very loud. However, it can also sound smooth and calm. It does lean towards the edgier and grittier side of things, probably due to the Steiner-Parker filter. It sounds more like an Arp than it does a Moog, and it appears that it will handle leads as well as bass without any problems.

I wish I had this instrument when I was first learning the synth. In this way, I'd kind of compare it to the new Roland Gaia. I can't believe that I was able to walk into Guitar Center today and purchase a mono synth with a 100% analog signal path for $500. One synth I'd love to compare it to is the original Novation Bass Station keyboard model. It's great that a person can get something like this for that price.

I will probably end up getting some kind of small modular system to run through the Minibrute. With its MIDI in and CV out, it can act as a MIDI/CV interface, and with its audio in it would be pretty easy to add a second oscillator.

Anyhow...

tl;dr - so far I'm pretty happy with the Minibrute.

[Sven]

I recorded another song. It's here. http://picosong.com/w63b/

I used a Snowball mike, my iMac desktop, and Soundtrack Pro. Pretty much all I've ever used.

[D_Davis]

Sounds good, man!

[D_Davis]

So I bought a Roland HS-60 (Juno 106) last night, from Jeff Simmons - he played bass with Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention. Turns out, he lives in Shoreline, WA, just about a mile from me.

[Sven]

Thanks, and...


So I bought a Roland HS-60 (Juno 106) last night, from Jeff Simmons - he played bass with Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention. Turns out, he lives in Shoreline, WA, just about a mile from me.

...whoa, neat!

[D_Davis]

We should get you over here for some bells and whistles recording. Maybe add some analog synths to that uke.

[bac0n]

I recorded another song. It's here. http://picosong.com/w63b/

I used a Snowball mike, my iMac desktop, and Soundtrack Pro. Pretty much all I've ever used.

okay yeah, this is totally awesome. love the nasally falsetto.

[D_Davis]

So the album I'm releasing this week will by my 28th album. My life goal was 20 - looks like I have successfully won life. When does the money start rolling in?

Discography:
The 4-track Early Adventures of…
Marvis – Marvis
Twin Cam Akiko/Z Phantom 4 – The Sounds that Surround You (split L.P.)
Twin Cam Akiko – Space on Earth
Z Phantom 4 – Lo-fi Lullaby
Z Phantom 4 – Laying Down the Law
Z Phantom 4 – Three Unfinished Albums
Z Phantom 4/Barry – More Unfinished Business
Twin Cam Akiko – I Can’t Live With the Red-Lunch Box-Man
The Slow System Revival (produced by and song writing credits)
I Am Not the Janitor – Theoretical Trance Rock With Guitars (live bootleg)
I Am Not the Janitor – The Sofa Rehearsals (live bootleg)
I Am Not the Janitor – The Tailor’s Song E.P.
I Am Not the Janitor – Lunar Landing (Live)
I Am Not the Janitor…is dead (another live bootleg)
Carl Sagan’s Ghost – Music for Home Offices: Volume One
Carl Sagan’s Ghost – Behind Clouds
Carl Sagan’s Ghost – Darkness and the Light
Carl Sagan's Ghost - Myth of the Near Future (split EP)
Carl Sagan's Ghost - At Dawn's Harbor (split EP)
Carl Sagan’s Ghost – MAAP:E1 Mixed by CSG
Carl Sagan’s Ghost – At the End of it All
Carl Sagan’s Ghost – The Colonial Spa EP
Carl Sagan's Ghost - Especially For Them
Carl Sagan's Ghost - Music for Home Offices V.2
Carl Sagan's Ghost - Talking in Technicolor
Carl Sagan's Ghost - Remnants
Carl Sagan's Ghost - KorgAmbient

[D_Davis]

Got this today:

http://the-wsproject.com/files/2011/06/casio_cz3000_h1.jpg

[Sven]

http://picosong.com/whYi

[D_Davis]

Sounds good, Sven!

I need to upload my cover album. Recording covers is a lot of fun.

[Sven]

I need to upload my cover album.

I'd love to hear it.

[Russ]

Sven, do you take requests? I have a terrific obscure song that I think would sound great with your ukelele treatment. It's a duet, so you'd need to find a husky-throated female companion.

Also, you should definitely do a cover of the song Little Boxes from the show Weeds.

[Sven]

Sven, do you take requests? I have a terrific obscure song that I think would sound great with your ukelele treatment. It's a duet, so you'd need to find a husky-throated female companion.

Also, you should definitely do a cover of the song Little Boxes from the show Weeds.

:lol:

Well, I can't make any promises, as I have a lot of potentials on my queue. But if you tell me the song, I'll see what I can do.

[Russ]

pm'ed.

[D_Davis]

Just ordered one of these:

bGQhZyqIg0A

4 Analog monosynths, a CV output for controlling external analog gear, and a sequencer for it all.

This will be my first piece of Elektron gear. Really looking forward to getting it, but it won't be here until January!

[D_Davis]

I have never been more stoked than I am right now.

New Korg MS-20. 100% Analog. So legit it even ships with the original 1978 manual. And....$599.

http://createdigitalmusic.com/files/2013/01/korg_ms20-640x296.jpg

http://createdigitalmusic.com/2013/01/korg-ms-20-mini-analog-classic-reissued-599-first-hands-on-impressions-sounds-1978-manual-pics/

This is the greatest day.

[D_Davis]

And ordered. Spring 2013!

[bac0n]

Nice knowing you, Dan.

[D_Davis]

Nice knowing you, Dan.

Ha. If you guys need me I'll be in Analog Heaven.

[ledfloyd]

oh man, i might need to get one of those. that price is tough to pass up.

[D_Davis]

oh man, i might need to get one of those. that price is tough to pass up.

Tell me about it. It's crazy how cheap good analog gear is now. A Minibrute for $499, and this new MS-20 for $599? That's just awesome. So much synth for so little.

[D_Davis]

Tonight I officially, for real, fell in love with the Analog Four. It's basically a Berlin-School-in-a-Box machine, and has become my sole provider of poly-rhythmic sequences. It's pretty incredible what this little beast can do, and mind-blowing that it does it all without a hiccup in sight; how it processes everything so quickly and flawlessly is amazing. It really is a marvelous piece of kit as they say across ye old pond.

[bac0n]

Holy shit. Latest Reason has midi. This is huge. Christ on a stick.

[D_Davis]

Holy shit. Latest Reason has midi. This is huge. Christ on a stick.

I know - it's finally 1973! ;)

I recently made a big software purchase - Ableton Live 9 and Izotope Ozone. I'm learning 9 now, and loving it.

[D_Davis]

This will be arriving today.

http://s3files.core77.com/blog/images/2012/06/TeenageEngineering-OP1PortableSynthesizer-COMP.jpg

I've been selling a ton of gear lately, and soon I'll probably be down to just the OP-1 (shown above), an iPad, my laptop, and a MIDI controller. With the OP-1 and iPad, I'll have a completely self-contained, super portable, battery-powered work station. I'll be able to fit everything I need in one small bag, and make music anywhere and everywhere.

[D_Davis]

Holy shit. Latest Reason has midi. This is huge. Christ on a stick.

Did you get the new Reason?

[bac0n]

Not yet. Would like too once I have a bit of free time, which these days I have none.

[D_Davis]

Picked this up today.

http://i.imgur.com/MGtqdyK.jpg?1

[Qrazy]

New mash-up. Wolfgang Gartner's 'Illmerica' and Prodigy's 'Funky Shit'.

https://soundcloud.com/djqrazy/ill-funky-shit

[D_Davis]

Good mash-up. Bring that Big Beat back, boy!

[D_Davis]

After nearly a month with the OP-1, I can safely say that it is the most inspiring instrument I've ever owned. It and the iPad have completely changed the way I think about the studio and making music. I no longer go to a certain place to make music; now, everywhere is my studio. I'm making shorter works, more frequently, and worrying less about perfection than I ever have. Five minutes, ten minutes there, at the park, on the bus, at my desk during a "break," at lunch, an hour here, two hours there...music is being made constantly.

[Qrazy]

Good mash-up. Bring that Big Beat back, boy!

Thanks, I miss it so. Just amassing the last few pieces of my gear to start doing my own tracks. :)

[D_Davis]

Novation Bass Station II - highly recommended. Amazing little analog synth, for $450 (Novation has a $50 rebate going on right now). It just blows my mind that we can get an analog synth with this much power for under $500.

http://d19ulaff0trnck.cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/novationmusic/products/Bass-Station-II/Bass-Station-II-Overview2.jpg