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damien
Moderator
USA
692 Posts |
 Posted - 21 Feb 2005 : 22:51:39
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We live in the future, so we might as well deal with it. Musicians who record: have you yet discovered computer recording? I have begun to delve into it and it is mind-blowing how easy it is. When I was recording stuff in the studio in the 1990's, I was paying a studio engineer by the hour to use mics, equipment and other stuff that cost 100-200 thousand dollars to buy for one's self!
Now, due to the power of technology like CoolEdit-Pro, Cuabse, and Cakewalk, I get the same or better quality stuff in my home for no hourly fees or pressures. The best part of it is that the laptop is about $1000 and then your investment just keps adding value as you add software and equipment little by little. The recording programs range from $30-500, and there are many of them.
Roger McGuinn first turned on the public a couple years ago to home recording through his "Homespun" records DVD. He sits there and records some of his album right before your eyes!!!!! (ya know, of the BYRDS, the ones who did Pete Seeger's "Bells of Rhymney" pre-Alarm? plus . . . turn turn turn) Great band, great jangly guitar sound.
If anybody (Including you Dave) wants to chat about the hobby (or profession) of recording at home, or of the recording industry in general, I'd enjoy the dialog. It's become quite an exciting hobby of mine.
What do you think?
Damien |
I have faith in the road ahead. |
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dougm
Major Trooper
Ireland
249 Posts |
Posted - 22 Feb 2005 : 07:56:10
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| i used to love using cool edit pro.....is it still available though?...i thought it was discontinued?.......a really great program though...........tell me...how do you find cubase, its got a great reputation. |
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damien
Moderator
USA
692 Posts |
Posted - 22 Feb 2005 : 16:21:44
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Cubase is not as good as Cakewalk in my opinion. I have heard things about it. Most of those programs are available at www.musiciansfriend.com in CA, USA Guitar Center has a lot of them as well.
Recording opens up a whole new eye with these programs, they are just remarkable. What did you do with cooledit? Did you knwo it has a ton of effects?: ie; "med auditorium," "chorus" etc.
Damien |
I have faith in the road ahead. |
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Vampness
Major Trooper
USA
343 Posts |
Posted - 24 Feb 2005 : 01:04:46
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I have Cubase at home on my mac.. and for me it's good for the WRITING of my songs - mostly my dark electronic ones (alter-ego called DuskMusik) - but not the real recordings of them or my Loki the Grump stuff. (I also use Cubase to edit my MD recording of my live gigs, and mix them up with either a board mix or audio from a videotape recording.)
But since Loki the Grump is a full-on band with drums, bass and guitar... recording at home, especially a NYC apartment, is simply not an option. So I still go spend the $$ on the studio, etc. Of course, I'm lucky that one of my closest friends has his own studio, with my drums set up in there (I used to be a drummer, but I'm up front singing for LTG now), so I get REALLY amazing rates with him. Loki the Grump's EP was recorded there - totally raw and live-to-tape cause that's how we wanted it. Larry has the capacity to do full complete instrument by instrument recording, however. He uses Nuendo and swears by it. Thinks it's better than ProTools.
I am thinking of getting an extra hard drive on my PC and just transferring everything to that and getting Acid or something like that. Not sure yet.
In my experience with my other musician friends, which are probably most of them, many of them live and die by ProTools. But again, I think the main benefit is if you really want to go mostly electronic. Obviously guitar and bass are easily plugged in, but the drums are not so easy. Of course, the plug-ins have really come up to par with very warm acoustic sounding instruments, so one can get away with it.
It's all desire and taste I s'pose. That's what makes horse races... eh? :)
Did I just make any sense at all... just ate a bunch of chocolate.. can't be responsible for what I say after that...
- Michele the Vamp |
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Vampness
Major Trooper
USA
343 Posts |
Posted - 26 Feb 2005 : 01:24:24
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| Boy, am I a threadkiller or what? Whoopie for me! |
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damien
Moderator
USA
692 Posts |
Posted - 26 Feb 2005 : 02:25:04
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Vampness, awesome post. So much helpful info. A lot of this stuff is hidden in recording-speak with pros. It's great to hear a chat-speak reflection on the programs out there. I hadn't heard of Nuendo, I think I will look into it. I have found Cooledit Pro and Cakewalk to be more than enough for what I do: tryin to make catchy tunes with a drum machine and an acoustic guitar. I guess that's why I got tired of spending my tax returns every year on a studio engineer. My songs don't really require it. Nonetheless, I do revere the power of buildng a song with an engineer and time . . . it's just way too friggin' expensive now that I have a family. For me, the programs are a godsent.
Thanks for your cool comments Vampness. You music sounds interesting, have a link?
damien |
I have faith in the road ahead. |
Edited by - damien on 26 Feb 2005 02:28:50 |
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Vampness
Major Trooper
USA
343 Posts |
Posted - 01 Mar 2005 : 17:19:58
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Oh good.. I'm NOT a threadkiller.. whew! ;)
Glad you got something out of my ramble, Damien. And congrats by the way. :D A little late, I'm sorry.
Nuendo is incredibly expense and I wouldn't recommend it unless you were doing some serious, serious studio stuff. Sounds like you've got what you need for what you want to do, and that's great!
Thanks for the interest in my stuff. If you like loud angry fun stuff, then feel free to check out: www.lokithegrump.com
If you want to hear the dark electronic alter-ego, DuskMusik, then feel free to check out: www.duskmusik.com
... or even my pop goddess alter-alter-ego (where I'm not the singer.. just a co-writer of the songs), which will REALLY blow my image: www.vampness.com
Actually, everything can be checked out via the Vampness site, which is my own personal hub for my stuff. :)-
How 'bout you? :D Where can I hear what you do?
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damien
Moderator
USA
692 Posts |
Posted - 01 Mar 2005 : 20:03:04
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Thanks for the congrats. The baby Isabella is keeping us up most nights trading off, but I can't help but wanna be her Dad-Slave, she's the cutest bug you'll ever see.
On my stuff: I archived and finished a body of material recently I call LEAD PIPE CINCH, and you can sample a few songs from that album on my website: http://www.geocities.com/damienriley
There is also some stuff for free download featuring my band from the 90's and guest Dave Sharp on Guitar and backup vocals. Two songs to be exact: People, and Talk to Me. Those are historical pieces, and classic to the bone for me.
I'm just now getting into the home computer recording, so stay tuned. I will check out your sites when I get off work. They sound interesting to say the least.
Damien (Jeeptravel) |
I have faith in the road ahead. |
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damien
Moderator
USA
692 Posts |
Posted - 17 Mar 2005 : 04:00:36
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| Here's a little diddy: Floyd Cramer remake on a computer multi-track system. Recorded the entire thing with my newborn in a daddy babysitting harness. She slept through everything but the basslines. Enjoy . . . http://www.adtaweb.org/music/lastdate.mp3 |
I have faith in the road ahead. |
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Vampness
Major Trooper
USA
343 Posts |
Posted - 27 Mar 2005 : 03:37:11
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Hey Damien.. sorry for the delay.
I listened to your stuff. I can see why you and Dave worked together. Cool!  |
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damien
Moderator
USA
692 Posts |
Posted - 27 Mar 2005 : 03:56:55
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Thanks for that kind compliment. Dave's always been a great source of influence to my music (well since I heard the Alarm back in the 80's!!!) Before that I was influenced by greats like the Beatles, ABBA, Johnny Cash and Big Country, to name a few. :) Working with Dave in 91-92 was a dream come true for me.
I visited your site, excellent! "How Could I forget" is a great song! I listened to a few others I liked as well. Are all those tunes yours? Wow! That's a lot of blood sweat and tears girl. Keep on creating, may your tribe increase!!!!
I watched Gwen Stefani go from a gargage band girl nextdoor to one of the most sought after performers in dance/alternative music today, so I'm one who says anything is possible. Most people are curious to know that her parents are best friends with my parents. Obviously, she is a very close friend as a result. Her rise has been both astounding and frustrating for me since I decided to keep music on the back burner in my 20's and focus on a career in teaching. But I'm not bitter . . . lol Very happy for Gwen. What an example to OC artists and those starting out.
Keep on keepin on. If you believe in what you do, then you can see your dreams comes true. (cheesy, but I believe that)
Damien |
I have faith in the road ahead. |
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Vampness
Major Trooper
USA
343 Posts |
Posted - 05 Apr 2005 : 06:27:15
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You've earned that compliment, my friend!
And thank you for listening and your feedback. Glad you liked 'em! Gotta get my angst and frustration out somehow, ya know? ;)- heheh
That's cool about Gwen. I first heard them on a complilation back in.. '89 maybe? A song called "Everything's Wrong". LOVED 'em! Then in the mid 90's I worked for a house music production/remix company, and got a call from Tony Ferguson at Interscope looking for a remix of "Just A Girl". This is before the single got released mind you. And I remember being thrilled that No Doubt were still around. (Tony was very surprised I even knew who they were, actually.) And then they friggin EXPLODED!!! Craziness. They get a lot of crap for "selling out" and not being ska anymore.. but I say good for them. They've been around forever and worked HARD and suffered tragedy for this band to survive. They deserve all of their success!!
That's my two cents and I'm tossing 'em in hard!
:)- |
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Alex
Trooper
Germany
127 Posts |
Posted - 26 Aug 2005 : 17:19:05
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Hi Vampness
You seem to have an incredibly wide range of talent, writing songs from R&B ballads to Punkrock to Darkwave. In addition you play drums and sing. Hats off!
Music is also something that helps me to express my feelings. I remember a time when they mostly consisted of angst and frustration. I know by listening to the songs I wrote back then. Thank God for the change. Today I'm basically a worship band leader and a songwriter trying to cheaply record what he writes. I seem to prefer recording ten songs in a mediocre recording quality than two professional sounding ones, don't ask me why. I probably like my own songs so much.
My very first CD was produced track by track in a friend's semi- professional 24- track studio and did cost some money. I looked over his shoulder whenever he touched a switch. Then I was given a Fostex 8- track digital mixer and harddisk. I produced my next few recordings at home on that thing, trying to copy what I had seen my friend doing. Now I record with Adobe Audition. That's the follow- up to CoolEditPro. Adobe bought it off Syntrillium, or they bought Syntrillium, I don't know. On my first two CDs I didn't have a band, so I learned to program a drum machine and played most other instruments myself. Since I recorded my later CDs at home I never could record a real drum kit. If I ever make another "proper" CD I'll probably find a way to use real drums. On the two Tribute CD tracks I overdubbed the drum machine with our drummer playing percussion. Shame on me...
Alex |
www.freak-alex-band.com |
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Alex
Trooper
Germany
127 Posts |
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Vampness
Major Trooper
USA
343 Posts |
Posted - 26 Aug 2005 : 21:44:05
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Thanks for listening Alex, and for your comments!! :)-
How cool that you're totally DIY! If I could do it all myself, I probably would! lol Although I do love being in a band and all the collaboration that brings.
The audio on my computer at work is non-existent at the moment, so I will definitely check out your site and mp3s over the weekend from home!! Looking forward to it. :)-
Have a great weekend everyone!! |
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