Me & The Fly - 291014

Sponsored by "Brian Eno".

Edited the Ric bass parts in CE5. Sound pretty good now.

Back to the real world tomorrow. I might be able to spots of editing over the next few evenings. Or not...

Regards,


djp

Helicopter Shots Of The City - 281014

Sponsored by "The Boomtown Rats".

Programmed a strings-y MIDI part in CE5, using the Yamaha DX100/Phonic Firefly/HALion One SynStrings. Edited in CE5.

The track is now ready for the next stage. Time to move on.

More work tomorrow...

Regards,


djp

Helicopter Shots Of The City - 271014

Sponsored by "Bob Mould etc."

Frustrating, but ultimately rewarding, morning today. Programmed a number of MIDI parts in CE5 using the Yamaha DX100/Phonic Firefly/4Front Rhode. Edited in CE5.

My PC decided that today was the day to start acting the maggot, so I had quite a number of screen-freeze/hard reboot situations.My own occasional lack of decision didn't help here wither. But I kept plugging away at it and eventually got a satisfactory result.

A little more programming tomorrow and then I think the track is ready to dub-up.

Regards,


djp

Accents - 251014

Sponsored by "Bob Dylan".

Busy day today. Programmed a variety of MIDI parts in CE5 using the Yamaha DX100/Phonic Firefly/HALion One Vintage Kit and SynStrings/Prologue Trill Pad. I also edited the various vocal parts in CE5, to fit in better with the MIDI parts I'd programmed.

The track sounds really good now. I'm at the point of either adding more elements to it or leaving it be. My preference is for the former, so that I can have scope for dubbing things up. I'll have a go at this next week.

Another one nearly done...

Regards,


djp

FCA Boots - 241014

Sponsored by "Blues etc.".

Most satisfactory morning. Tracked 12 Squier Strat parts on the Tascam 2488 via the Line 6 Pod 2.0. Audio cleanup in AA3 and inserted into the relevant project file in CE5.

I had no idea that the track would have as much potential as it (potentially) has. Should be a key track on the album.

And so it seems, as mentioned yesterday, that, to use a cinematic analogy, "principal photography" has been completed on the album. In other words, the main musical non-digital elements have been recorded. A lot of editing beckons over the next few weeks, with some further MIDI programming. And then the real fun starts!

More work beckons next week. And then a return to the "real world", Bummer...;-).

Regards,


djp

FCA Boots - 231014

Sponsored by "Bleep Podcast".

New track today.

Tracked 10 Ric bass parts on the Tascam 2488, using the Line 6 Bass Pod XT. Audio cleanup in AA3 and inserted into the relevant project file in CE5.

This is going to be another one of the those mad tracks I've done in the past with multiple time signatures. Not unlike this, in many ways...:-

And, as it turns out that I've now actually addressed all the potential track titles for the new album, this will probably turn out to have been the last bass tracking session for the album. How fitting, therefore, that I should mark the occasion by tracking while wearing my dressing gown. Again...

I'm hitting a pivotal point in the project about 9 weeks early. Which can't be a bad thing, yes...?

More work tomorrow.

Regards,

djp

My Troubles Are As Nothing Compared To Yours - 221014

Sponsored by "Black Sabbath".

Tracked 9 Ric bass parts on the Tascam 2488 using the Line 6 Bass Pod XT. Audio cleanup in AA3 and inserted into the relevant project file in CE5.

The track has, unintentionally, taken on a slight resemblance to this...:-

...and no harm in that.

Incidentally, I only realised this morning that the title I had originally intended for this track was "My Problems Are As Nothing Compared To Yours". Think I prefer "troubles" myself.

May start a new track tomorrow. Who knows?

Regards,

djp

My Troubles Are As Nothing Compared To Yours - 211014

Sponsored by "Bjork".

Started work on a new piece today. Tracked 7 parts of electro-acoustic 12-string guitar on the Tascam 2488 - DI'd. Audio cleanup in AA3 and inserted into the relevant project file in CE5.

To those of you unfamiliar with my cheap'n'cheerful 12-string, say hello to my Godman...

As you know, I can't really play guitar in the conventional sense, but I was able to track 4 parts on a modal drone (is that what I meant?), with 2 Echo & The Bunnymen-esque melodic lines picked on the G-strings, and an occasional upstrum. The melodic lines will need some editing, but the main parts tend to mask each other's flaws, so I'll pretty much leave them alone.

I can hear bass parts (tomorrow), and banks of choral vocals (much later).

And all of this was recorded while I was wearing my dressing gown. Phew, rock'n'roll, eh...?

Regards,

djp

Helicopter Shots Of The City - 201014

Sponsored by "Bing Satellites".

I was supposed to start work on a new track today, but the real world intervened and I had to change my plans. Luckily, I have a backlog of matters musical to attend to...;-).

Edited the various Squier Strat parts in CE5. Also did a little edit on the MIDI drum parts. I hear synths...

Hopefully I should be able to start on the new track tomorrow.

Sweden went great, BTW. Younger Daughter is keeping well, if somewhat penurious. Got back to Ireland yesterday tired, a little bit sad and somewhat out-of-pocket. But it had to be done, so you'll hear no complaints from me...;-).

Regards,


djp

Me & The Fly - 141014

Sponsored by "Bill Nelson etc."

Very productive session this morning. Tracked 15 Squier Strat parts on the Tascam 2488 using the Line 6 Pod 2.0. Audio cleanup in AA3 and inserted into the relevant project file in CE5.

There are two different sets of parts - the first set has a dirty fuzz tone which lends the track a bizarre swampy lo-fi electronic feel, whereas the second set is more clean and dub-friendly. Either set works in their own right - the trick is how to combine them successfully. At this stage, I can envisage a "single" version of the track with a simpler mix and an "album" version which might just be maaaayn-tull...

Which brings me to an interesting stage in the project. I think I will definitely work on one more track for the album before breaking for Christmas, even though I have some more "spare" titles floating around. If I get to finish off that one track, I'll be happy - if I manage a few more, then bonus. As it stands, I have a shipload of editing to do that'll keep me going for a while. In the New Year, I'll start bringing the tracks "home" in terms of lyrics, vocals, additional tracking and editing, and mixing/mastering. And all that that entails. So that's me out of the snooker halls for the first half of 2015, then.

And in the meantime, we are off to Sweden tomorrow to see Younger Daughter. Should be a blast - but not on the aeroplane, hopefully...

Regards,


djp

Me & The Fly - 131014

Sponsored by "Be Bop Deluxe"

Frustrating, but ultimately successful tracking session today - tracked 11 Ric bass parts on the Tascam 2488 using the Line 6 Bass Pod XT. Audio cleanup in AA3 and inserted into the relevant project file in CE5.

The beats are inspired, in part, by this:-

And everything progressed nicely, until I found myself doing a variation of the bass riff off "Whole Lotta Love", and followed that with a vaguely sub-prog melodic bass line which finishes with a Wobble-esque flourish.

Something odd in the water today, obviously...;-).

Found the simple parts difficult to play, and the difficult parts easy. What's with that?

More work tomorrow.

Regards,

djp

Me & The Fly - 121014

Sponsored by "Band Of Heathens".

New track - programmed 3 MIDI beat parts in CE5 using the Yamaha DX100/Phonic Firefly/HALion One Tekno Kit. Edited in CE5.

Hope to track Ric/Squier Strat parts for this over the next few days. Quick and nasty. This track (if it ever gets finished) is a candidate for the lead single from the album.

More work tomorrow.

Regards,


djp

Never Had It To Lose It - 111014

Sponsored by "Augustus Pablo".

Due to an unexpected turn of events (more a case of "I told you I was going to Dublin today - you never listen..."), I managed to have a brief, but productive tracking session this morning. I recorded 10 Squier Strat parts on the Tascam 2488, via the Line 6 Pod 2.0. Audio cleanup in AA3 and inserted into the relevant project file in CE5.

I should be able to squeeze in another two tracking sessions before heading to Sweden next week.

Go, me!

Regards,


djp

Never Had It To Lose It - 101014

Sponsored by "August 2014".

In total contrast with yesterday, had an absolute breeze, tracking 12 Ric bass parts on the Tascam 2488, via the Line 6 Bass Pod XT. Audio cleanup in AA3 and inserted into the relevant project file in CE5.

The parts are mostly variations on a standard parts, with a handful of non-sequitors thrown in for good measure. Very satisfying.

Not sure how much work I'll be able to do over the next few days. Things are going to pretty busy around here, since we're all heading off to Sweden next week to see Younger Daughter for a few days. I might manage to sneak in a few tracking sessions, but I wouldn't swear to that.

And speaking of Sweden...

God eftermiddag, vänner ...

Regards,

djp

Iye - 091014

Sponsored by "ATL Introducing... New Irish Music".

Had a very frustrating morning tech-wise. Two computers decided that today was the day to start acting up. The fact that one of the computers was only bought five days ago just added to the annoyance.

But eventually I managed to track 6 Squier Strat parts on the Tascam 2488, using the Line 6 Pod 2.0. Audio cleanup in AA3 and inserted into the relevant project file in CE5.

The parts are really just little snatches of guitar sound that I can dub up for the track. They're not really that good taken in isolation (I could've tracked 66 parts and they'd still sound crap), but I should be able to edit something decent out of the various parts.

More work tomorrow.

Regards,


djp