My trip through BBC Radiophonic Workshop history turned up this documentary film, called “The Alchemists of Sound”. I’ll follow up on this post with more information and some reflections, but for now I’m excited to watch this film as I settle in on this peaceful Sunday evening and prepare for the week…. Enjoy.

(The show is split into six YouTube videos, posted here in the full article)

Did you ever learn to play an instrument, and then struggle to find your voice with it? I’m turning a corner, creatively. I feel like something’s changing but I don’t feel like calling it anything… it just is, and I’m happy to have it.

Here’s an experiment that turned out well. I love Allen Ginsberg and this is my interpretation of his poem, Psalm III. It’s not mastered yet but I’m really pleased with it so far. I hope you enjoy it.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Here’s a direct link.

Hey friends,

It’s good to brush the dust off this blog and post new material. Hi!!

I discovered “Continuo’s Weblog” thanks to Google Reader. In this article there is a link to download an album called “Electronic Music From The Outside In”, released on Folkways records in 1980. The first track off the album is titled “Heavy Music For Four Crowbars”. The piece’s composer, Barton McLean, explains the technique behind the piece.

He goes through a number of concepts common to Musique Concrete production, elaborating on his use of splicing, looping, varispeed playback, filters, and modulators. This was particularly useful for me, being a fan of and creator of similar music, because I was exposed to a few concepts that I’d never considered or known of before. Specifically, his mention of using ring modulation was useful because it sent me to the Wikipedia article linked here, and I will at some point look into it further and attempt to build my own device.

Here’s the track in its entirety:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

The track is sixteen minutes long so I recommend downloading the track for yourself: Link here.

I’m still listening to the rest of the album and so far I’m really enjoying it. To download the album yourself, click here. To read the original post at Continuo’s Weblog, click here.

Mission Of Burma has been one of my favorite groups for quite some time. Formed in Boston in 1979, the group was relatively short-lived but had a tremendous impact. The group reunited in 2002 and since then has released new records and has also remastered its old catalog. Whether you’re a fan of the band or not, this series of videos gives a pretty no-nonsense account of the mastering process and how mastering for vinyl is done with the tools and techniques that are specific to this artform. It’s recommended for anyone who has an interest in analog audio production, and I think you’ll find it a special joy to watch.

Read the rest of this entry »

I recently had my Otari MX5050 MKIII-2 set up for +9 operation with ATR Magnetics tape and… Holy Lord, it’s amazing! ATR tape is my new favorite. The sound is unmatched and the product itself is very well designed: It runs silently through my machines’ transports and packs a nice, even wind. It’s a particularly durable tape, too, which I think makes it perfect for loops.

I want to improve the performance of my multitrack deck – a Tascam 48-OB – and I’ve been looking into setting it up / modifying the electronics for +9 operation. I thought that +9 operation was the best route for ATR tape but it turns out that a vast percentage of ATR tape customers use it at +6. To test this myself, I put a 1/4″ reel of ATR tape on my Tascam 34B and I was amazed by its sound… much better for my style of music than RMGI SM911. The result is astonishingly quiet by comparison. I was very impressed by how quiet / less noticeable the tape noise was without noise reduction, and with dbx noise reduction on quieter tracks my recordings sound absolutely incredible. Here are four samples to demonstrate. My digital interface is pretty lousy – so this certainly shouldn’t serve as a reference – but you can at least compare these four samples against each other. The signal chain is Guitar -> ART MPA Gold Preamp -> Tascam DX-4D noise reduction unit (both engaged and disengaged) -> Tascam 34b -> Alesis io26.

RMGI SM911, no noise reduction: Click Here
ATR, no noise reduction: Click Here

RMGI SM911 with dbx noise reduction: Click Here
ATR with dbx noise reduction: Click Here

I ordered a 1/2″ reel of ATR tape and I’m going to try it at both +6 and +9, just to satisfy my curiosity. Judging by how great it sounds at +6 with dbx NR (and since the Tascam 48′s electronics are better than the 34B), I may just stick with +6. But the idea of not using noise reduction at all – thereby getting an even greater dynamic range from my recordings with zero hiss to boot – sounds rather appealing, so I’m still going to try it at +9.

I’m dead tired… it was nice to do nothing and just relax. I’m putting off the parts list / shopping list project for Saturday.

I found this video series by accident… I was searching the Web for something totally unrelated. This guy’s name is Cameron Paul and he apparently had a big hand in creating the dance DJ aesthetic as we know it today. He’s also a native San Franciscan.

Here’s my favorite clip. He gives a no-nonsense intro that I think most people can follow. I like it when people break things down into really simple concepts.

Dig the outfit. He did the official mix of Salt N Pepa’s “Push It” – it was actually a remix of an earlier recording.

… And here’s a quick noise piece that I’m going to use between sections of a larger piece I’m working on. It’ll probably be edited for length.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Direct link: Here

Calistoga wishes and M&M dreams.

This loop will be featured – heavily modified – in a piece that I am currently working on.

Hey folks, I wanted to give a quick run-down of some techniques I’ve learned these past few months.

I’m spending a lot more time actually recording and mixing these days since my equipment is finally all up and running. Most of the time.

dbx Noise Reduction

Tascam owners, I’m looking at you. dbx noise reduction is a godsend for those of us using narrow format multitracks such as Tascam’s half-inch eight tracks (38, 48, 58, TSR8) and the 388. There are some caveats, though, and also some times when it’s best to bypass noise reduction on a particular track.

How dbx Noise Reduction works
dbx Noise Reduction relies on a compressor and expander to do its thing. The incoming signal – the signal which you want to print to tape – is encoded using compression and some EQ futzing. Common sense in using compressors also applies to using noise reduction: A quick jump in level will cause undesirable gasping/pumping and create undesirable artifacts.

Levels
I try to keep peaks at or below -3 dBu when using noise reduction. This allows noise reduction to work at its best. Pushing levels beyond -3 dBu will cause undesirable gasping/pumping sounds and may add extra high frequency hiss.

To NR or not NR
If you’re unsure about whether to use noise reduction, do a sample take and monitor on the playback head. While the take is running, switch NR on and off and compare the two. You’ll need to adjust the level of the signal before it hits the tape; get the peaks close to 0 or +1 dBu without NR and close to -3 dBu with NR. Folks using two-head decks like the TSR8, the MSR series, and the 388 will have to do a few test takes because these decks lack a separate playback head.

Do NOT use noise reduction with hand percussion!! Shakers, tambourines, claves, etc are notorious for creating transients and will always cause dbx encoding errors before the signal even gets to tape. You’ll notice “thuds” and “pops” on playback. With NR off, try to get the signal to peak around -6 dBu and let the tape’s natural transient-squashing abilities smooth them out for you. The tiny extra bit of hiss will dither the harshness of the instrument and make for a more pleasing sound, anyway.

Bouncing

Don’t Compress
Seriously, don’t compress bounce mixes. Compressing individual source tracks is OK, but don’t compress the whole bounce. Think about how it’s going to sound when those tracks get compressed AGAIN, because they will be compressed again in mixdown and AGAIN in mastering, if you take your mix to a mastering engineer. I learned this after a lot of heartache and after blaming my equipment for the thin, lifeless sound I was getting. Just don’t. Leave that shit turned off.

Monitoring The Bounce
Sort of like how I suggested you try a track with and with noise reduction: When bouncing your tracks down, monitor the new bounced tracks on the repro head and see how they sound. If you adjust the mix at all, you can hear the result instantly.

Don’t Erase The Source Tracks
I hate listening to a mix and realizing that the shaker/bass guitar/Yoko Ono is too loud. If you don’t erase your source tracks you can go back and do the mix over. You’ll need a second recorder to bounce your mix to (I use a half-track 1/4″ deck). Do your mix, shuttle the tape ahead thirty seconds or so, and record the bounced mix onto fresh tape.

Equalization

Cut, Don’t Boost
Cutting frequencies, instead of amplifying them, creates a more natural-sounding effect. I resisted this advice at first but I’m really glad I came around.

Hi-Pass Filter Everything*
You really don’t need anything below 200 Hz except on bass guitar, piano, and percussion (hence the asterisk). EQ this stuff out, especially before sending it to a compressor. Lower-frequency signals will add extra level to your tracks and make compressing difficult, and unless you have a sub-woofer you’re not going to hear all of the low-frequency buildup over each successive track and bounce. Just cut it out at each step.

Other Stuff

I’m leaving this part open for now, and I’ll add to this post later if anything comes up.

I’ve been struggling to create new, exciting material for the record that Alex and I are putting out. We pushed the due date back because we were both having difficulties with our projects.

This has to be the single most challenging creative project that I have ever undertaken. I had no idea that it would be so difficult to put together a 20-minute collection of completed work. Most of the recordings I made before this project were just clever demos, some more “complete” than others, and the stuff I’m working on now totally surpasses my old material in terms of complexity. It feels like I’m in totally new, alien territory here.

I’m trying to make something which truly represents where I’m at as an artist, and my perfectionist tendency sometimes gets in the way of honestly evaluating the pieces I’m creating. I’m learning to manage this, and conversations I’ve had with some close friends about this have been very encouraging. I think it will get easier as I do more work, and hopefully whatever I do after this record won’t be such a big stress-out. I HOPE. I’m going to be very happy when this is finished.

On another topic, I’ve been rearranging mental furniture lately, and so I haven’t felt much like writing. I’m OK with this, but I will write more when I feel the urge.