i quit multi tracking due to the old Mac [which was a 'gift'- "gift" means poison in German] having attacks; was freezing & hanging up 1/2 way through a project- might get one 10 minute track done, but then 1/2 way through the 2nd, the overdub- freeze/hang- song lost. probably better to buy a new one than upgrade all the memory & processor. it was working fine for a while, so thank God i got two multitrack cds done w/those ancient contraptions: found the old kawaii in a 2nd hand shop here- years ago- and it has done its job quite well. never really used it before this trip.this project. not quite enough sounds, but while they worked, i got some good work done- 2 cds: HYMNS and PRAYERS... both very psychedelic, 'out there', but spiritual in their own right.
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| the Mac G4 i have killed |
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| can you say 'rigged'? |
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| headphones & aiwa minidisc on the vintage piano stool which cost more than all the equipment! |
changed tactics: wrote/recorded 9 songs yesterday- improvisations on the old kawaii synth directly to Minidisc; but also had problems- the inputs must need cleaning, because i was not getting stereo after a while. tried a zillion different cables and adapters and finally RIGGED the cable to hang a certain way and i got through it enough last night to work. then today, same merde; and i did manage to find a solution- rigged again- about 4 adapters on one cable & it hung a certain way as for the stereo to work. BUT today i wrote/recorded 12 more songs, so there's another cd. 2 cds in 2 days time; now that's what i'm talkin' about. i could be doing this in Acid on my laptop and it would be a breeze, but sometimes i just love fighting odds and beating obstacles: making chicken salad out of chicken shit. besides that configuration yielded what it did, and i like the results.
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| TOOLS OF THE TRADE |
of course these 21 tracks i have done in the past 2 days are pretty spare skeletal tracks compared to the multi-tracked tracks i did on HYMNS/PRAYERS; most of THAT is very BIG sounding- just layers on top of layers, on top of layers, ad infinitum- occasional dissonance resonance and at times atonal, but strangely coherent and, to me, beautiful. these 2 days of Kawaii to MD have also yielded some good things, and also some very crazy stuff, some influenced by a mad organist who was playing the pipe organ in the Hofkirche in Dresden. he'd do a few 'off the wall' riffs then there'd be a long pause; then he'd do even more bizarre stuff. i'll get my piano, my old synths & sound modules out of storage/mothballs and add more to some of this stuff, as well as possibly to HYMNS/PRAYERS and whatever else i have by the time i get home; which should keep me busy for quite a while.
there again, i'm the type to not mess with stuff too much. as in, once it is recorded, if it sounds good, as is, it's done. its more to do with the organics and capturing the moment; than going back and 'messing' [being the operative word] with it till it IS messed up. less is more. keep it simple, stupid
there again, i'm the type to not mess with stuff too much. as in, once it is recorded, if it sounds good, as is, it's done. its more to do with the organics and capturing the moment; than going back and 'messing' [being the operative word] with it till it IS messed up. less is more. keep it simple, stupid
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| the mad professor in his art & music laboratory |
the solo piano tracks of which there are gazillions dont need anything but wading through, listening to, making choices, then tweaking, putting on cd and sending off. the natural reverb, by placing my TASCAM DR-1 behind the piano on a crate, so the sound bounces back off the concrete wall is perfect. it has a really rich natural tone.
i'm not doing vocals on ANY of this stuff- unless some of the pieces "speak to me" [that they need it] when i begin 'listening'/choosing sessions. doing all these solo piano/keyboard sessions has been cathartic, therapeutic and healing; it has been a way to reach deep inside and confront and cope with a lot of emotions i've been struggling with, and continue to struggle with, daily. [many of you know what i am talking about] it might be too soon to write lyrics; might have to do TRADITIONAL 2 instead, while packaging and tossing these breads onto the waters...
been transferring all i did today, tonight; it's 4:45AM Sunday morning in Switzerland. time for bed. very cool to cold, which makes it great for sleeping; sleep, peace, rest... amen
[C]2011 DOUG DUFFEY
