You'll Never Miss Your Mother Till The Well Runs Dry/Me & The Fly/I Choose Indecision/Tracklisting

Sponsored by "Music (random)".

...MOTHER...

Mixed/mastered 14 different mixes in CE5/AA3. The last one is the best. The balance got sorted fairly quickly, but I kept hearing these timing glitches and I think I've fixed as many of them as I could without actually re-tracking.

And that, my friends, is the last track on the album done and dusted. And to prove that point, here's a little screenshot of my progress spreadsheet, showing a very satisfying preponderance of yellow...:-

I had a lot of PC trouble this morning, which was really pooping on my party, but I eventually sussed that my problem was a Windows update which hadn't "taken" properly. Once that got sorted, everything went smoothly.

So all the heavy lifting has been done. The next step is to concentrate on the tracklisting and putting together a full album mix for inclusion as a bonus track on the Bandcamp release. I am also going to put the mix up on Mixcloud for your streaming pleasure.

Speaking of the tracklisting, I CHOOSE INDECISION isn't going to make the cut. The mix is weak, principally because of the drum parts. The track is totally rescueable, but I don't have the time or the inclination right now, so I'll revive it for a future release.

My Twitter promo campaign for ...FLY is still ongoing, but it's nearly finished now. I've been getting great responses to date, with hopefully more to come. Oh, and the drum & bass mix is in progress, so I'll see how that works out. If I like it, I'll add it as a bonus track on the Bandcamp release.

Tomorrow I will crack on with the full album mix and a spot of promo. After that, we'll see...

Regards,

djp

Me & The Fly/I Choose Indecision/Iye/You Have My Heart Scalded - 010615

Sponsored by "Music (random)".

Greetings from a spectacularly miserable (weatherwise) Bank Holiday Gulag. Here is the news...

ME & THE FLY

Released and getting some nice comments from some nice people. You can judge for yourself right now...

In other news, I had another one of my "windows" and did some work on other album tracks, to wit...

I CHOOSE INDECISION

Mixed and mastered in CE5/AA3. Sounded alright when I mixed, but then I left it for a while and played it back - meh. My choice of drum parts didn't help things, but I'm not sure if the track works as a dub in any event. Probably too much going on with it anyway. 

My inclination is to drop the track from the album, but I'll work up two different tracklistings (one "with" and one "without") and see how I feel about the track closer to release date.

IYE

Mixed and mastered in CE5/AA3. Sounds fine to me, A keeper...;-).

YOU HAVE MY HEART SCALDED

After much consideration, I'm going to revert to the original mix, because that's how I roll.

More over the course of the week.

Regards,

djp

I Choose Indecision/Is Everybody Happy Yet? - 250315

Sponsored by "Christmas".

A combination of "events" and the recurrence of a bloody cold (sat too long drinking pints in a draughty pub in Dublin last Saturday night) lead to yet another postponement of my vocalisation work, so, in view of the looming presence of "shtuff", I had to invoke Plan B...

...INDECISION

Finished off the editing/dubbing-up in CE5. This in spite of my PC freezing on a number of occasions, with the relevant CE5 project file being unsaved at the time. Bugger. However, the track is now ready to mix/master, so, "result"...

...HAPPY

Started working in editing the various vocal parts. They're tidied up now, so I just need to decide where the cuts/pastes are. I changed some of the MIDI drum VST plugin parts, just because I can.

I also need to change out one of the key synth parts. I don't like the tone I used, so I have to find something similar, but not as extreme.

More work tomorrow.

Regards,


djp

I Choose Indecision - 170315

Sponsored by "Buzzcocks".

Editing/dubbing-up in CE5 sorted after much experimentation/trial-and-error/foostering. Track sounds great now.

Time to move on, but the real world intervenes tomorrow. "Shtuff"...

Regards,


djp

I Choose Indecision - 160315

Sponsored by "Bruce Springsteen".

Did some more editing and dubbing-up today in CE5. Progress was interrupted by "shtuff", but I have most of it done now, so I should be able to finish it tomorrow.

Till then...

Regards,


djp

I Can Explain...Everything/I Choose Indecision - 140315

Sponsored by "Bob Marley".

...EVERYTHING

Had a final mess-about with the editing in CE5. It's pretty much ready to mix/master at this stage. I intend to a few hard edits to the master inna Holger Czukay stylee, but that won't be for a while yet. Time to move on...

...INDECISION

...and so I did. I started dubbing-up the drum parts in CE5, just to get a bit of momentum. I'll probably do so more work over the weekend.

Things to do now...

Regards,


djp

I Choose Indecision/Iye/Stiltwalker In The Wind - 270215

Sponsored by "Alternative".

More tracking of "vocalisations" on the Gulag Mobile via the Sennheiser e855...

...INDECISION

- 2 parts

IYE

-3 parts

STILTWALKER...

- 8 parts, 7 of which are more by way of sound effects (you'll know what I mean when you eventually hear the track...).

Audio cleanup in AA3 and inserted into the relevant project file in CE5.

Much editing to do...

Taking a break for the weekend. More work on Monday.

Regards,


djp

Iye - 101214

Sponsored by "Holger Czukay".

The day started well, with a quick flit up the M7 to Dublin where my Roland Juno-D had just has its contacts replaced. It can see wonderfully well now, all thanks to James Killilea of Sonic Repair Services.

In the afternoon, I thought I'd be able to start editing the Squier Strat parts for IYE in CE5. However, my PC decided that this was the day to get a dose of the scutters. It took numerous attempts (followed by equally-numerous hard reboots. And a kick) to get CE5 to open and run properly. I did manage to go through each of the six separate parts and at least identify those elements that I won't be using.

So I'll have another go at it tomorrow and see what I can come up with. Like ...INDECISION yesterday, the edit won't really be complete until the vocals are in place and I see (or hear, to be more accurate) what's what...

Til tomorrow.

Regards,


djp

I Choose Indecision - 091214

Sponsored by "Hawkwind".

Finished off editing the Squier Strat parts in CE5. Stripped them pretty much to the bone, but as I said yesterday, there may be scope for further editing when the vocals are tracked.

I also tracked audio for the various MIDI VST plugin synth parts using the Behringer Xenyx 1202, as I need to do some drop-outs on the synth parts, and it's as handy to do them in audio as against VST. But maybe that's just me.

The track is pretty much done for the moment. I have a road trip to Dublin tomorrow, to collect the Roland Juno-D from the vet, but if I have enough time in the afternoon, I might be able to do some editing on another track. At least I have a choice in the matter...;-).

Regards,


djp

I Choose Indecision - 071214

Sponsored by "Harry Nilsson".

Did a lot of work on the Squier Strat parts in CE5. I have more work to do tomorrow, but I suspect that I won't be finished editing these parts until such time as I have some vocals to work against. Which won't be for a while yet...;-).

Regards,


djp

I Choose Indecision - 051214

Sponsored by "Futureheads".

Finished off editing the Ric bass parts in CE5. Took a bit more time than I thought, and, in keeping with the track's title, there were a few moments where I got completely lost in cut'n'pasting and I didn't really know what to do. But I got it sorted eventually. Go Me!

I also edited the MIDI drum parts to sort out some stray kicks.

The track is in pretty good shape, but more editing is required next week.

Regards,


djp

I Choose Indecision - 301114

Sponsored by "Field Music".

After a hiatus, I decided to crack on with the project, so I started editing the Ric bass parts in CE5. Not complete, but another day should do it. Coming along nicely.

Regards,


djp

I Choose Indecision - 260914

Sponsored by "All Songs Considered".

Tracked 11 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.

Another "jam" session - just looking for bits and pieces to use dubwise. The track doesn't really need guitars per se, so all the more reason to put them in. Came up with some mad stuff that might be considered "lead", but only by non-guitarists...;-).

I'm off on two extended jaunts to Europe over the next few weeks, so I won't be doing any more tracking for a while. I have a shipload of editing to do, so that will keep me out of the pool halls...

...and speaking of ships, mine has come in - finally. Those who know, know. Those who don't will just have to die wondering...;-).

Regards,


djp

I Choose Indecision - 250914

Sponsored by "Album In A Day".

Tracked 12 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.

Given the vaguely Simple Minds-y/Derek Forbes-ish/eurofunk stylee bass parts I came up with, I couldn't use my plectrum to play the bass, so I have developed quite a nice blister for myself on my fingertip. Mother always said that there'd be trouble if I insisted on fingering my Ric. Here all week, tell your friends...;-).

More tracking tomorrow (hopefully...).

Regards,


djp

I Choose Indecision - 220814

Sponsored by "Hawkwind etc."

Eventful morning today. Had to rise at 2.30 a.m. to drive my younger daughter to Dublin Airport to catch an early morning flight to Sweden, where she will be studying for the next few months. Back home around 8.30, determined to make myself busy for the morning, even though I was feeling knackered.

In spite of my fatigue, I did some significant work on ...INDECISION. I finished programming and editing the drum parts in CE5, and then I programmed two addition synth parts using the Yamaha DX100/Phonic Firefly/HALion One New Wave Synth/Minimogue VA Simsynth 3. The Minimogue part is arpeggiated, but for some reason that I cannot fathom, the pattern for the arpeggio changes towards the end of the track without my intervention. I've tried to program it a number of times but the same thing keeps happening. Maybe my VST plugins are haunted...;-). I'll stick with what I have, because the track is coming together very nicely.

Now I'm starting to flag, so I reckon it's the leaba for the afternoon. It'll probably turn out to be a nice afternoon, too. Bastid...

Regards,


djp

I Can Explain...Everything/I Choose Indecision - 190814

Sponsored by "The Grateful Dead".

...EVERYTHING

Repeated yesterday's experience with the Loop Loft loops - different set today - DanceGate - and made up a fairly random beatbox drum part in CE5. Then programmed a number of VST plugin parts using the Yamaha DX100/Phonic Firefly/Sophia_1_1 2y2les/ Gargoyle Intereference (not my spelling...). I was checking out another plugin, when I decided it was good enough to use in a separate track, so that lead to...

...INDECISION

Programmed a trance-y part using Predator Dance. I was attempting to programme drum parts using HALion One T8AnalogKit, but I kinda ran out of steam, so I decided to leave at that for the day.

More work tomorrow (hopefully)...

Regards,


djp