I’ve finished another song on GarageBand, though this was the first using midi files. In fact, it just started out as a kind of backing track and then I added files on to it, but I’m not really pleased with the melody or the lyrics, so it’ll only be up for a short time probably.
This is a bit of a sentimental bluesy number about my days in Taipei… It’s the first song I’ve recorded and mixed using Garageband on my new Macbook Pro.
I finally bit the bullet and bought a Macbook Pro 13″ (the cheaper one) as well as buying an audio interface after much deliberation: a Saffire USB 6. Even though I’ve been on Windows/PC for the last 15 years, for recording purposes it just made sense to get a mac because of reliability. My previous Vista laptop was OK but the fan simply wasn’t quiet enough for recording using highly sensitive condensor mics. Plus I was having a headache research laptops that were 64 bit and other compatability issues. Once I’d decided on the getting a mac, the real headache of researching audio interfaces began. Rather than talk more, I’ve just scanned in copy of the sheet that I used to compare and take notes.
I’m currently undergoing the initiation ceremony to enter stage one of “muso-geekdom” -that is I’m upgrading my recording system on to computer.
So far I’ve been using an old Yamaha digital recorder, which even though it has a lot of geeky specs and functions, I’ve only used it in a basic capacity for recording instruments and vocals. I then have to burn the wav files on a CD using its CD burner, and put the files on to my cheap Acer laptop where I mix on the completely free audio software Audacity. I do have basic Sony software for touching up the finished song, a kind of ‘mastering’ if you will, before uploading my demos on to Soundcloud, Myspace and other sites.
So now I want to streamline the whole process with a recording interface that’ll connect to the computer, but I’ll probably have to get a new laptop because my current laptop is 4 years old using Vistas and I’m not confident it will work well with the latest recording products.
I’ve spent the last week or so scanning music recording forums, copying copious amounts of techy notes and articles about setting up a laptop recording system. Then I’ve analysed up to ten different audio interfaces for all the specs, functions and prices. (It’s a headache!)
In one sense it’s not too complicated. I need to buy a laptop and an audio interface. It just gets complicated when you want to make sure that both will work together and have the specifications I’ll need (and used to on the Yamaha). Furthermore, you don’t want to fork out thousands to get a product with a glitch or compatibility issue.
After all that I think I’ve narrowed it down to two items -a Saffire USB interface and a Macbook Pro 13″. The main things I’m concerned about now are: noise from the computer’s fan (that is picked up on a sensitive condenser mic) and the latency (or delay) make it problematic to record over tracks I’ve already laid. I think the pro should be OK with the later problem, but I’ve found issues on forums with the Macbooks’s latest noisy fans. But those could be isolated incidents. Will see.
I’m not a pro musician or artist, I’m still just a ‘serious hobbyist’ and a ‘struggling muso’. I’m not going to pretend to be anything that I’m not. I just love songwriting and playing guitar, and I’ve used 2009 as a ‘sabbatical year’ to try several creative pursuits.
Anyway, I’m still learning the ‘art of demoing’ and I’ve put another couple of pieces up on Myspace/ Reverbnation. One song is called ‘To The Fight’, which is based on a ‘martial arts story’ idea of mine from when I lived in Pusan Korea (and studied the kicking art ‘Taekkyon’). But nowadays my knees aren’t so good, so I’m putting my ‘martial’ into music.
So, again a shameless plug for my demo at www.reverbnation.com/donakrv
And I’m still only doing demos because I haven’t reached the stage of good enough mixes for mastering, and I’m not a protools wiz. In fact I still only mix with Audacity, which is a free, no-frills audio software, but you can load in as many tracks as you want. The recording is done from a Yamaha workstation, and I’ve still got a nice condenser mike. So, I’m still only at the ‘demo’ stage -I’d really need to perform with a band, which I don’t have, and then get tight enough to record in a proper studio and get professionals to mix and master it.
Even though the barrier of entry has been lowered with modern technology, as they say, you still really need professional people to make something professionally acceptable for retail consumption. There are ways around it in the indie world, but that also needs clever marketing. The Blair Witch Project is an obvious example. There aren’t hard and fast rules, but for me eventually I’d still need to go into a professional studio to get to the next level.
I’ve upload on Myspace the second demo version of the song ‘Just to be’ which I cowrote with Lily C when in Taipei back around 2004. You can read about it on my music blogs and hear the song…
http://www.myspace.com/donakrv
and my blogspot:
http://www.donakrv.blogspot.com/
I’ve added my old band, Rhombic Void, to Reverb Nation for some of the free downloads. I’m finding it quite useful in that respect, it’s fairly easy for people to download. They don’t need to join or jump through.
http://www.reverbnation.com/rhombicvoid
I’ve noticed I’ also reached chart position no.6 on the Lismore alternative on Reverb Nation. I don’t think it means much, because there aren’t many acts in that category, but hey, it’s something to yarn about. However, I did fall about 1000 places on the global all-genre’s chart.
http://www.reverbnation.com/controller/main/bes_chart
This is stage two, where I’ve worked out the main melody which is the ‘chorus’. I’ll keep it an instrumental, and bring further updates of how I’m doing with the structure and arrangements.
Here’s what I put in the notes on Youtube:
I think I’ve finished working out the melody and next I work on a form for improvisation, .
Then I’ll jam around with it on bass and keyboards. I’m not really a bass-player (nor a keyboard player), so I don’t know if I can do it justice, but I’ll probably end up keeping it simple. I will say this is the stage I enjoy the most, just jamming around with it to the point of sending my neighbours crazy.
These are the chords I’ve settle upon (if it makes any sense):
Chorus (or melody)
D-7, E-7, FM7 X2
Bflat flat5, C6, Gsus4, A-7 X2
I’ve recently put this up on Youtube about my latest musical project:
I’ve decided to show each stage of an instrumental I’m writing, from a rough idea I’m jamming round with (which is this video) to hopefully a ‘complete’ piece of music.
I’ve given this a political name since it’s an instrumental -I thought if a name can help aid a good cause then why not (ASSK stands for Ang San Suu Kyi)
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