More work with Al Park
Monday, December 12, 2011 - 01:20
Last Wed, 7th December, I did the trip to Byron Bay again to work some more with Al Park. We got stuck into the song Lucky, a seven-minute song with a hint of prog rock about it.
When two worlds collide!
Tuesday, November 15, 2011 - 02:04
So on Wednesday, 14 November, 2011, I arranged to meet Al Park at Top Cat Studios so we could add the various midi tracks to the orignal studio-created songs. This was an important occasion, bringing the worlds of Al Park's keys and midi work into my tracks, because once they're all in the studio system I'll have a really good idea of how the pieces are to sound together and I'll be able to add or redo any other vocal or guitar parts etc.
Another great session with Al Park,
Friday, October 28, 2011 - 23:19
This last Wednesday I made the trip to Byron Bay for another session with AL. I was running late as I had to drop three of my instruments into local luthier, Stuart Newman's, workshop where he is going to weave his musical magic.
Home Recording Session
Saturday, October 15, 2011 - 16:39
Got to know my Cakewalk Sonar program a little better tonight and put down an excellent French Horn couple of harmonised midi tracks for Starlight.
Another great sesson with Al Park
Thursday, October 13, 2011 - 00:00
Yesterday I had another great sesson with Al Park. We sat down to his PC music station and worked on tightening up the midi string sounds for my song "Sweet Lady Life". After my last session with Al, I had thought that we'd completed this one already, but I got home and discovered that the midi strings were not adequately aligned rhythmically to the original audio file of the song.
Great session in the studio with Brad
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 - 00:00
Had another great session in the studio with Brad tonight. I booked the studio from 5.00 pm to 11.00 pm and went in with as many instruments as I could carry! I took my new bass, plus my Cort 12-string guitar, a Tanglewood mandolin, a bag of flutes & whistles, etc., plus my old Bas GT-5 guitar effects processor.
I didn't really have much more of a plan than - play a bass line for "One Day Soon" - a thoughtful contemorary piece with a pick-me-up chorus - and have a look at adding some flute parts to "Lucky".
TopCat studio with Brad
Thursday, September 29, 2011 - 01:00
Just back from a recording session at TopCat studio with Brad.We had about six hours and in that time I took in my new bass and re-did the bassline for Starlight - a contemporary/acoustic-rock story-song about a young lady called Sally and her journey away from abuse toward hope. Lot's of guitar in this one, and multi-layered vocals.
Another bass guitar
Saturday, September 24, 2011 - 01:00
Guess what? I bought myself another bass guitar this week as my previous guitar - a Tanglewood 5-string bass - was very old and the action (the height of the strings above the fretboard) was way too high! I tried to adjust the neck truss rod, but there was just no more play in the truss rod available, and so the action remained VERY high (we're talking about 1 full centimetre above the strings! Basically unplayable!)
Had another session with Al today
Wednesday, September 21, 2011 - 01:00
Had another session with Al today. We had a final look through the string arrangements for Sweet Lady Life, a ballad which I loosely based on the Streets of London by Ralph McTell. The combination of piano and strings works well and I intend to couple this with multi-layered vocals, including a sort-of call and response harmony similar to that which Simon and Garfunkel use in their version of Scarborough Fair. It'll be lovely when we're finished with it!
Great session with Al Park
Wednesday, August 24, 2011 - 01:00
Had a great session with Al Park today, at Byron Bay, working on tightening the midi string and wind arrangements for Merlin's Song.
We incorporated the recorder and flute parts I recorded at Top Cat Studio on Sunday and overlayed them with the midi arrangements. The result was excellent! Great sounds, and a great feel. The midi samples and the recorded audio worked very well together, each complimenting the other and combining to create a wonderful accompaniment for the song.
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