Week 7 - AA1

This week’s exercise was to record 5 pieces of vocal samples utilising various microphone techniques. For the first recording I used a Neumann U87 condenser microphone. I recorded the sample in the control room; according to Steve many singers (including BB King) use this method to record their vocal tracks. I did NOT use a popping filter for this example.




2nd sample is recorded in the dead room; the same U87 microphone had an anti-popping filter on it.




For the 3rd example, using U87 again, I changed the angel of the sound source (my mouth) towards the microphone. Apparently hip-hop singers need this technique because they move while they are singing. The mic was set to its omni-directional pattern.




I used two U87 microphones set in the dead room for the 4th sample. One basically recorded my voice and the second one recorded the sound affected by the reverberation of the room. I combined both tracks together for the final result.




For the last sample, I used an NT3 condenser microphone and placed it in between my hands; then I whispered a sentence and recorded it. I wanted to see how to record a whisper (like Massive Attack and few others).




This experiment (at least in this way) showed me that I have done -almost completely- the wrong thing. I couldn’t even realise what I said when I was listening to the sample again at home. Apparently I say: “This is just a test to see how a particular technique affects the sound. The microphone is in my closed hands; and I’m whispering in the small volume between my hands.”
This is how my final Protools file looked like:



References:
- Rich (the TweakMeister): ‘How to get great sounding vocal tracks in your mixes’, TWEAKHEADZ LAB (Accessed [27.04.2007]), <http://www.tweakheadz.com/how_to_record_vocals.htm>
- Alldrin, Loren: ‘Vocal Recording: IN THEIR OWN WORDS’, Mix Magazine Website (Accessed [27.04.2007]), <http://mixonline.com/mag/audio_vocal_recording_own/>
- Johns, Rob. 1997.'Voxing Clever: Capturing a Good Vocal Performance' Sound on Sound, March 1997

Week 6 - CC1

This week’s exercise was to sequence a piece using a given one particular score.
The score looks like this:
I sequenced each part related to one individual piece of the score and I have shown it in this figure. I also have indicated “what represents what” by comparing these two figures. For the intro of the song, I altered the sound by stretching its time (increase). The time of the track”wave deformed” labelled III is also stretched (decreased).
I considered two different sounds making the part VI cooperatively as shown in the picture.
For some of the blank (and black) parts of the score, I simply cut the sound and considered that a mute. For the part I also did a simple panning since I thought that the sequence should have a reason for being stereo.Since the concept could be interpreted as a surrealistic combination of vision and sound, I purposely assumed time, NOT to pass in equal periods. By that I mean huge brackets of paper, in some cases represent small periods of time; i.e. the relation of parts VII & VIII
You can download the final MP3 using THIS LINK.

Week 6 - AA1

This week’s exercise was to test several recording techniques for acoustic guitar.
I did this week’s project with Alfred Essemyr and Edward Kelly.
1- Using an AKG C 414 and a Neumann U87 (Both condensers) in an XY figure as shown in the picture below:AKG is sent to the left channel and U87 to the right; this is the result:



2- Using two Neumann KM48 condensers, one in front and one in the back of guitar. As shown in figure 2:The front one is the left channel and the back one is the right channel.



3- We used two KM48s again, but this time one close to the bridge of the guitar (right channel) and one pointing the nut of it (left channel)


4- Two KM48s, in an XY pattern:



5- Finally, here is a sample of acoustic guitar recorded using a RØDE NT4 stereo microphone:

The entire session of ours in Protools looked like this:

It should be noted that as the picture shows, we recorded few more tracks but I chose 5 of them since we were supposed to post 5 samples.


References:
- AKG C414 B-ULS Condenser Microphone :
http://www.zzounds.com/item--AKGC414BULS
- Neumann U87 Condenser Microphone:
http://www.neumann.com/?lang=en&id=current_microphones&cid=u87_description
- Neumann KM184 Condenser Microphone (developed version of KM84 which we used in this session):
http://www.neumann.com/?lang=en&id=current_microphones&cid=km180_description
- RØDE NT4 Stereo Microphone: http://www.rode.com.au/?pagename=Products&product=NT4
- Music Technology - Audio Arts Week 6 (PDF format); Click here.

Week 5 - Forum

This week’s topic of our forum was again “Collaboration”.Firstly, it was Luke Digance who presented the story of the collaboration between bands Radiohead, Sigur Ros and the dance company of Merce Cunningham. The act was called Split Sides and was performed in October 2003.

Having pictures being shown on the screen, he told us about the background of each of these artists.
He noted the importance of the use of electronic music in the career of Radiohead (while the song Idioteque was being played as the speech’s theme!). Introducing their albums and side projects of band members, he also mentioned Radiohead’s influences in few of their albums and other projects.
Then we were told of the story of Sigur Ros; their origin –Iceland-, the band’s special characteristics like the use of a bow for guitar and some other notable issues about them.
He read a the New York Times’ review on the act and finished the presentation by answering students’ questions.
Daniel Murtagh went next and introduced (or rather talked about) Faith No More’s Mike Patton. This individual has been collaborated with numerous musicians and non-musicians throughout the years and it is impossible to revise all he has done in a single presentation. Daniel talked about some of his interesting techniques of live performing (for instance utilising several microphones in order to get various sounds on stage) and named few people who he has collaborated with, such as John Zorn.
He played several tracks of different genres all having Patton as either the composer or one of the performers.
Darren Slynn came and brought a question whether in many cases, collaboration was a necessity instead of a creative idea. He provided different examples and told us about several people who have collaborated with some others just because of the lack of musical knowledge, or as a result of not having enough facilities, etc.

He particularly focused on the works of Steely Dan (and showed us parts of the DVD “Steely Dan Confessions”) and Frank Zappa. In Zappa’s case, he expressed that the basic reason he collaborated with “film people” –as he addressed Zappa’s collaborators- was that he was a musician; that collaboration had facilitated Zappa’s way towards his aims.
Overall, Darren’s presentation was the best so far, in my opinion.
The last was Alfred Essemyr who talked about “Collaboration on demand”.
He focused on the fact that in many cases (particularly the music scene in England), musicians collaborate with magazines, mix-tapes and mix-CDs and other sorts of media to promote their works and to get known to audience. Providing few examples of drum n bass music as well as other genres, he explained how the idea of distributing a song would collaborate with the idea of commercialising through various mediums.

Week 5 - CC1

This week’s exercise was similar to last week’s; to sequence a soundscape.

Like the previous one, I used the “Deformed Paper Samples”..
As shown in figure 1, as a base for the sequence, I used the sample of chafing the paper (deformed) and I constantly panned it to 100% left and 100% right (However in many technical software-based terms, to 63 left and 63 right)


Importing two samples of “Pulling the paper..” I made one single panning using the automation for volume control. The sound starts from 100% right and finishes in 100% left. It must be mentioned that as shown in figure 2, just before applying the volume control, I stretched the time of both left and right channels’ samples.


For the next part, I used the sound of rumpling the paper, faded it in, and then applied 2 effects on it. Using RTAS phaser, I gradually increased the amount of LFO and recorded the real-time effect on the sound. Two things must be noted: first, the use of a compressor, to avoid possible (or probable) distortions. It was chained AFTER the phaser effect. Secondly, it’s the process of changing the input and output channels to play and also record the sound REAL-TIME in protools. All are shown in the figure 4. It also is important to notice that the change of the channels is TEMPORARY & they are just for the real-time recording purpose.

I chose a small part of the track “Scratch deformed” and imported it to one mono track panned totally to the right channel. I simply copy-pasted it for several times afterwards. Then used a delay effect and changed the elements of mix, feedback, and the tempo of the delay device.
I applied the same thing to another sample and panned it to 100% left. The only differences were that I chained a WAH effect (as shown in figure 5) and -because of the possible distortions- a compressor. Again it is important to mention that the use of a WAH effect AFTER the delay would result in a fantastic sound (in my opinion) which I tried but I didn’t end up using it.


At the end, this was how my entire project looked like:

Again, like last week, I couldn’t actually use photos of papers to come up with a graphical figure representing the sequence, therefore I used colours.
In this figure, the deeper the colour becomes (for each track), the more its volume. I hope it makes sense.

..And this is the final result (mp3 format):




References:
- Protools Plugins : http://www.digidesign.com/index.cfm?langid=61&navid=26&mkt=HD
- Fade effect; definition: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fade_(audio_engineering)
- Delay effect; definition: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delay_%28audio_effect%29
- Week 5's Seminar on Creative Computing: (PDF format) Click here

Week 5 - AA1

This week’s exercise was to record 5 different 10-second pieces using several microphones and comparing different techniques through observing the result of each recording. For this session, Alfred Essemyr and I went to the studio and recorded the stuff we needed.
I played a constant E minor – A minor chord for a number of times and recorded each of them in a different track in Protools as shown in the picture.

Rendering all the tracks to one single wave file, I edited the final result using ACID pro.
The first sample is using Shure SM58 with a 0 degree on its axis:




The Second, is SM58 as well, but 180 degree off axis and it results in a great amount of reverb on the sound because the microphone is actually getting the sound from the reflection of the wall in front of it; apart from the direction of the sound source, it’s distance has been tripled compared to the first sample.



Third example uses a Realistic PZM microphone 90 degrees off axis:


I used a Neumann U-87 condenser microphone in its 8-shaped mode on axis for the forth sample:

Fifth sample uses the same microphone but in its cardioid shape.




References:
- Shure SM58 Microphone: http://www.shure.com/ProAudio/Products/WiredMicrophones/us_pro_SM58-CN_content

- Realistic PZM Microphone:
http://www.mtsu.edu/~a_e_s/microphone/pzm.htm

- Neumann U-87 Condenser Microphone:
http://www.neumann.com/?lang=en&id=current_microphones&cid=u87_description