Saturday, November 10, 2007
Sound Engineering Studio (B) - Project
This assignment afforded me with a diverse range of experiences. The first recording was of a piece of music composed for a dance routine. The instrumentation was all acoustic. Recording the musicians commissioned to perform the piece was an absolute pleasure. They possessed a level of skill and professionalism I have yet to see amongst commercial acts and needed only one take to nail the piece. With the post production, at first I was reluctant to use things like compression or reverb on the signal. However, it became apparent that some things needed refining (like the double bass) and in the end, the whole thing was compressed comparatively heavily.
Recording the Classic Metal act was in my opinion, a good practice at efficiency. It is the first time I have allowed myself time to arrive at the studio before the musicians to set up the microphones and ProTools sessions. Unlike the Classical piece, I intended to attempt a degree of refinement akin to the likes of Rick Rubin on the recorded audio going heavy on the compression. When it came to mastering, I tried a couple of different degrees of compression. The track on which the signal was pretty much square waved seemed to be the preferred track. If I am to continue on this path of heavy compression, I would like to find the loudest sound before the signal becomes squarewaved (out of consideration for people’s ears and speakers).
Presenting: the MP3s and documentation for both recordings
J.A.C.
Documentation
J.A.C. MP3
Hero
Documentation
Hero MP3
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Portfolio Presentation: Pick me, Pick ME!
Presenting, Lisa’s sales pitch.
I started my presentation by saying who I am, describing my backing in music (practical and theoretical) and more recently, my experiences in sound engineering. I mentioned how I like to use ideas and techniques learnt from investigating the more obscure varieties of music in my own work. An interest that translates easily into
the realms of sound engineering (after all, there is no point in re inventing the wheel).
I touched in this a bit in my presentation but think that it should be one of the main things I emphasise in the pursuit of work. Yes, I have only been studying/practicing sound engineering since the beginning of this year but, in that time, I have developed a passion for it and an eagerness to learn more and better myself. This passion translates into an enthusiasm to work in this field (enough enthusiasm to put furthering my career in sound at the top of my list of priorities.
The rest of my presentation covered my skill set at this point in time, my experiences in recording and creation of music/sound using MIDI or audio samples or both. I think this straight forward list of skills (using the term lightly) will prove an asset. In all honesty, I have not yet perfected any of these skills but I have a basis competence and in a niche market such as engineering, I think it is important to leave no room for potential employers to fear you are inexperienced.
At this point, I am glad I have a repertoire of work (no matter how small it may be). I am able to list recordings and compositions and hopefuilly, give an impression that I am an established engineer. I also have (and forgot to mention in much detail during my presentation that) spent considerable energy in my own time, trying to make connections in the local, live music scene. These efforts are a good example of initiative taking and demonstrate my enthusiasm for working in this field.
My plans for the immediate future are to practice recording by finding small, local bands and offering to do them demos for cheap or for nothing. While I have access to the facilities at uni, I shall certainly use them, when I have not, I have a couple of friends with the rudimentary elements of a recording studio (ie, they have a computer, recording program, mics and a mixing desk). Getting a good recording out of basic materials would surely be a credit to my developing skills. I am also going to continue attempting to break into live mixing on a local level. I have a few work experience opportunities I can take up, a couple of mates bands who I can offer to mix for free (and practice on) and I intend to ring around the live music venues asking if they will accept my resume (I am inclined to think that there is a sufficient surplus of sound engineers for venues to not ever really place adds for jobs online or in the paper), the first venue I contact is Fowlers as I hear their resident engineer is quite unreliable.
As suggested, I have supported this overview of my skills, experiences and ambitions with a demo CD.
Cover art:
the front cover
inside left
the disc itself
behind the disc
and the back cover
And here are links (it looks like you are going to have to paste them in the address bar, the insert link option in blogger appears to dissappear link from the face of the earth) to all tracks on the disc bar one (which, despite my most painstaking efforts, came home as an aiff file and therefore, could not be converted to mp3 for online hosting.)
My fantasmigorical mega mix
La La Megamix
Of Traffic Lights and Drum Beats
(DAT and protools based sequencing exercise)
Of Traffic Lights and Drum Beats
AfroCelt Sound System - My Secret Bliss: Loop it La La remix
missing courtesy of the existance of aiff files
Mini Moose (yes, from Invader Zim, "I am ZIMMM")
An attempt at techno using MIDI in Logic (much fun automating synth parameters was had :-D ) Disclaimer: The levels of the different elements still need a little fine tuning,I know this.
Mini Moose
5 10 - C.I.A.
The local anti establishment punk group, these lyrics are wicked. They had two bassists you know, one of the bassists played with so much distortion though he may as well have been a second guitar, I certainly ended up treating him as such)
5 10 - C.I.A.
J.A.C.
The minute long intro of saxophone noise aside, this is an excerpt from an 8 minute long, rambling Classical/minimalist piece of work by an Adelaide Jazz student (I used to work with him at McDonalds in Victor Harbour, "I am Ned SeaGoon" generally known as Traeger. Apparently, people at the arts tafe danced to it at some point.
J.A.C.
Mini Resume
Lisa Lane-Collins
PERSONAL DETAILS:
Name: Lisa Lane-Collins
Address: 41 Marden Road
Marden SA 5070
Telephone: (08) 8362 6024
0438 847 438
Health: Excellent
EDUCATION:
Secondary: Victor Harbour High School
2004: Completed Year 12
Tertiary:
2007: Diploma of Sound Engineering (Almost Completed.
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY:
31/8/07
Employer: The Greens
Position: Sound engineer (for the Green the Night
fund raising gig)
Duties: Set up, monitor/manage sound, pack up
REFEREES:
Peter Fiebig
Greens member
Telephone: 0438 883 104
For the full resume, click this link...
My Resume
I started my presentation by saying who I am, describing my backing in music (practical and theoretical) and more recently, my experiences in sound engineering. I mentioned how I like to use ideas and techniques learnt from investigating the more obscure varieties of music in my own work. An interest that translates easily into
the realms of sound engineering (after all, there is no point in re inventing the wheel).
I touched in this a bit in my presentation but think that it should be one of the main things I emphasise in the pursuit of work. Yes, I have only been studying/practicing sound engineering since the beginning of this year but, in that time, I have developed a passion for it and an eagerness to learn more and better myself. This passion translates into an enthusiasm to work in this field (enough enthusiasm to put furthering my career in sound at the top of my list of priorities.
The rest of my presentation covered my skill set at this point in time, my experiences in recording and creation of music/sound using MIDI or audio samples or both. I think this straight forward list of skills (using the term lightly) will prove an asset. In all honesty, I have not yet perfected any of these skills but I have a basis competence and in a niche market such as engineering, I think it is important to leave no room for potential employers to fear you are inexperienced.
At this point, I am glad I have a repertoire of work (no matter how small it may be). I am able to list recordings and compositions and hopefuilly, give an impression that I am an established engineer. I also have (and forgot to mention in much detail during my presentation that) spent considerable energy in my own time, trying to make connections in the local, live music scene. These efforts are a good example of initiative taking and demonstrate my enthusiasm for working in this field.
My plans for the immediate future are to practice recording by finding small, local bands and offering to do them demos for cheap or for nothing. While I have access to the facilities at uni, I shall certainly use them, when I have not, I have a couple of friends with the rudimentary elements of a recording studio (ie, they have a computer, recording program, mics and a mixing desk). Getting a good recording out of basic materials would surely be a credit to my developing skills. I am also going to continue attempting to break into live mixing on a local level. I have a few work experience opportunities I can take up, a couple of mates bands who I can offer to mix for free (and practice on) and I intend to ring around the live music venues asking if they will accept my resume (I am inclined to think that there is a sufficient surplus of sound engineers for venues to not ever really place adds for jobs online or in the paper), the first venue I contact is Fowlers as I hear their resident engineer is quite unreliable.
As suggested, I have supported this overview of my skills, experiences and ambitions with a demo CD.
Cover art:
the front cover
inside left
the disc itself
behind the disc
and the back cover
And here are links (it looks like you are going to have to paste them in the address bar, the insert link option in blogger appears to dissappear link from the face of the earth) to all tracks on the disc bar one (which, despite my most painstaking efforts, came home as an aiff file and therefore, could not be converted to mp3 for online hosting.)
My fantasmigorical mega mix
La La Megamix
Of Traffic Lights and Drum Beats
(DAT and protools based sequencing exercise)
Of Traffic Lights and Drum Beats
AfroCelt Sound System - My Secret Bliss: Loop it La La remix
missing courtesy of the existance of aiff files
Mini Moose (yes, from Invader Zim, "I am ZIMMM")
An attempt at techno using MIDI in Logic (much fun automating synth parameters was had :-D ) Disclaimer: The levels of the different elements still need a little fine tuning,I know this.
Mini Moose
5 10 - C.I.A.
The local anti establishment punk group, these lyrics are wicked. They had two bassists you know, one of the bassists played with so much distortion though he may as well have been a second guitar, I certainly ended up treating him as such)
5 10 - C.I.A.
J.A.C.
The minute long intro of saxophone noise aside, this is an excerpt from an 8 minute long, rambling Classical/minimalist piece of work by an Adelaide Jazz student (I used to work with him at McDonalds in Victor Harbour, "I am Ned SeaGoon" generally known as Traeger. Apparently, people at the arts tafe danced to it at some point.
J.A.C.
Mini Resume
Lisa Lane-Collins
PERSONAL DETAILS:
Name: Lisa Lane-Collins
Address: 41 Marden Road
Marden SA 5070
Telephone: (08) 8362 6024
0438 847 438
Health: Excellent
EDUCATION:
Secondary: Victor Harbour High School
2004: Completed Year 12
Tertiary:
2007: Diploma of Sound Engineering (Almost Completed.
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY:
31/8/07
Employer: The Greens
Position: Sound engineer (for the Green the Night
fund raising gig)
Duties: Set up, monitor/manage sound, pack up
REFEREES:
Peter Fiebig
Greens member
Telephone: 0438 883 104
For the full resume, click this link...
My Resume
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