After completing and posting “The Call of the Challenge” and spending some time with the Computer Music issue which arrived earlier this week, I began experimenting with the Plastic Pop library from Applied Acoustics Systems and developed “Strange Friend.”  This is admittedly a rather simple piece, but the two presets, Epée and especially Marianen, give this piece a true character of its own.

For me, various visions come to mind with “Strange Friend,” most of them revolving around a young child’s imaginary friend; My Neighbor Totoro particularly fills my mind, especially revolving around the soot sprites in the attic.  Images of aliens also come to mind.

Thanks to the unique characteristics of both instruments used, the only audio processing needed were a cathedral reverb for the Epée, two instances of Blue Cat’s Widening Gain to better place each instrument in the stereo field, and volume automation at the end to ensure a good fade-out.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

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This is a relatively simple piece featuring three trumpets from Garritan Personal Orchestra 4.  I have only ever used a single like instrument at a time in my previous compositions – in other words, only 1 trumpet, only 1 harp, etc. – because of the odd workflow I have developed over time to help combat the 24-staff limitation of PrintMusic.  This time, however, knowing from the start that the staff limitation would not be an issue, I initially wrote everything as chords (where appropriate) on one staff, then split those chords across three staffs.

Once I assigned a different trumpet player to each staff, that was when I truly realized just how different each player of an instrument in GPO4 can truly be.  Yes, they all play the assigned notes, and yes, they all sound similar, yet they also all sound rather distinct from each other.  Since I have not performed with other people in nearly twenty years (my performances since then have all been solo piano performances), I had not consciously considered the differences between players of the same instrument, even at the professional level required for the recording of the samples used in GPO4 and similar virtual instruments.

“The Call of the Challenge” is also unique in that it uses absolutely no audio processing in Reaper.  The reverb was applied in GPO4 itself while composing in PrintMusic, and was also captured when creating the initial audio files which would later be imported to Reaper.  Where Reaper became truly useful was for automating volume/dynamics changes, as I find that I can have much greater and more predictable control over instrument volume/dynamics in Reaper.

While it is still early in the year, I have a strong feeling that “The Call of the Challenge” will be one of my favorite compositions of 2012!

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

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[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

This is available for free download on SoundCloud!

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“Magic Awry” would probably do quite well as a unique ringtone.  It could perhaps also serve as the Red Alert alarm on an alien spacecraft.  Or, as originally envisioned, it could signal that a magical endeavor has gone wrong.

The sound source is the Junoesque preset from the Journeys sound library from Applied Acoustics Systems.  About a half-dozen effects were then applied in Reaper to achieve the particular sound of the ringtone/music/alarm.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

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1. “Stardrops” Ringtone and Preview

Since “The Highest Step” was effectively conceived with the 2010 Winter Olympics in mind, if I do pursue this rescoring/mixing project, my goal is to have it completed and released around the start of the 2012 Summer Olympics.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGt25mv4-2Q

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In the time since the release of Siren by Veela, I have been working on “Digital Goddess,” which uses loops and tones from the pack.  This has been a rather fun and interesting project, and also presented me with some interesting challenges in terms of mixing.

In terms of instrumentation, “Digital Goddess” is rather simple overall, but still somewhat catchy as well.  In a way, it is reminiscent of 1980s music (especially the Sliceless Mix), although that was definitely not the original intent when I was composing.

As usual, this was composed in PrintMusic and mixed in Reaper.  As sometimes occurs, “Digital Goddess” also spawned a ringtone thanks to the (I believe) interesting piano line.  Between the instruments and drum kits from www.soundsforbeats.com and the voice of Veela, I believe that others will enjoy hearing “Digital Goddess” just as much as I have enjoyed creating it!

Digital Goddess

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Digital Goddess (Sliceless Mix)

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Digital Goddess Piano Ringtone

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

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1. Now Available: The Goddess Project

While Prime Loops’ offerings are really intended for those who create music entirely in a DAW, Keep It Simple is also quite useful for composing in any format/medium.  I personally compose entirely in PrintMusic, and I find that to some extent, it forces me to keep things relatively simple.  The 24-staff limitation of PrintMusic requires that if I have a really complex piece in mind, then I need to seriously consider how I am using each staff in order to get everything to fit properly!  Since PrintMusic is inherently driven by notation, it is much more difficult (although not at all impossible) to add a lot of fillers such as sweeps and risers and even just a few quick sound effects – again, the program itself practically forces me to keep things rather simple in the composing stage.  The limit of 8 MIDI banks (of 16 channels each) can also force me to keep things simple, especially if I am using a VST plug-in which only supports a single channel, such as AAS Player to drive Angelicals.

This does not mean that PrintMusic cannot produce complex music.  “Global Expectations (Extended Mix)” is a very good example of this:  I very nearly hit the 24-staff limit, and I absolutely had to use some rather creative notation in order to get the sonic output I desired prior to mixing.

The mixing stage is where things can become truly complex: multiple reverbs, insane amounts of automation, adding sound effects and stutters and risers, etc.  I find, however, that keeping things relatively simple in PrintMusic allows the introduction of complexity during the mixing stage to have more of a purpose.  A good example is my current project, “Digital Goddess:”  While the project sounded rather good in PrintMusic, it was only as I was beginning the mixing process that I realized that it needed a little extra oomph at one point, and I was able to add (directly in the DAW) a subtle riser thanks to a sustained note in Steamworx combined with an automated pitch shifter which comes with Reaper.  Adding this in the mixing stage gave the riser a true purpose, instead of the riser being superfluous fluff.

Even when keeping things relatively simple as today’s Prime Loops blog post suggests, a lot can still be musically done which can keep the listener’s attention, but if nothing else, the simplicity early in the process can better determine how to make things more complex without overloading the listener’s mind and ears.

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1. Expensive is Not Always Better: I have yet to buy an effects plug-in.  Everything I use for mixing either came with the DAW or was freely available (either online or on the cover DVD with a given Computer Music issue).  By using only free and DAW-included plug-ins for mixing, I inherently had to discover, largely on my own, how to use those plug-ins to greatest advantage.  And best of all, the fact that I have not spent money on effects plug-ins means that I have been able to instead spend more money on virtual instruments
2. Always Mix at the Same Volume: This is likely a no-brainer, but it is important to ensure that when mixing, the speakers are always at the same level.  This is probably most important for those mixing at home on a computer system which is not dedicated to music/mixing – I certainly fall into this category.  I may mix early in the morning, then need to adjust the volume at some point during the day while watching YouTube videos, the need to adjust the volume again while using iTunes, and then return to mixing later in the day.
3. Experimentation: While this is perhaps a no-brainer, experimenting can lead to interesting results.  For example, I was working with EQ and trying to find the best frequency to boost to gain maximum sonic impact on a snare part, and I realized that by automating that frequency-finding process, I could create a subtle but effective rising or falling sweep when using a sustained instrument – this is now part of my regular mixing arsenal when I have a long sustained note in a slow-moving part of the music.
4. Watch the DAW-specific Tutorial Videos: Admittedly, there are not many mixing tutorial videos on YouTube featuring Reaper, and I have never seen one featuring Music Maker.  For that reason, when I first began mixing, I tended to skip videos on YouTube which by their titles were specific to Pro Tools, Ableton, and other DAWs.  Only later did I realize that even though a mixing tutorial might feature a specific DAW, the concept itself is usually DAW-independent.
5. Car Test: It is good to hear the music on speakers other than those used for mixing, and I also believe it is good to also hear the music in a “real world” environment.  For me, the car is an excellent venue on both accounts.  In my opinion, if the music sounds good despite the traffic/road noise and the inherent distraction of the pure act of driving, then the mix is likely successful.  In addition, at least in my car, if there are problems with the mix, the car’s speakers tend to make those issues more blatant, signaling the items or areas which need to be remedied when I am back at the computer again.
6. Turn Around: While the Car Test is useful, an even simpler thing to do, especially to test panning, is to simply turn around in the chair and face away from the speakers.  If the music still “makes sense,” primarily concerning the panned effects, then it is a sign that I am on the right path with the mix.
7. Listen through Walls and Doors: Strangely enough, another useful test for me is to start the playback of a mix, set it to continually loop the entire project, then go into another room and close the door.  The music itself will seem quieter, of course, but the sound waves having to navigate doors and walls and furniture en route to my ears will cause the frequencies to distort in various ways, and if the mix still sounds good, then I know that I am definitely on the right track.  The time I prefer to do this (and it is a very good thing that I live alone!) is overnight:  I will usually have already exported the project to a .wav file, then will have that file play on constant repeat all night long, at a volume low enough to not disturb the neighbors and to be softly heard through the closed bedroom door.  This way, I hear it while consciously thinking about the mix before falling asleep, and I also hear it first thing in the morning when my mind is rather fresh and not focused purely on the music.
8. Multiple Reverbs: When I first began mixing, I was leery of using more than one reverb – not just on a particular track, but on the entire project!  I now almost always have a reverb on each track, and occasionally two reverbs on the same track (one directly after the other in the effects chain).  This tactic can be very, very useful for placing instruments at various depths within the mix, and if necessary, they can be brought forward or pushed backward in the depth range via automation.  I may also have the individual tracks of similar instruments all route to a “group” track with its own reverb – for example, I may have a kick, a snare, and one or two toms on individual tracks with their own effects chains, but those tracks may all route to a Percussion track which might have its own effects, including reverb(s).
9. Routing: I have seen a number of tutorial videos which suggest that effects such as reverbs should be used on Send busses/tracks.  While that could be useful for multiple tracks which will ultimately use the same reverb, I prefer to from such tracks to and through a dedicated effects track, especially if I may need to automate one or more effects on that dedicated track.  Returning to the Percussion track example above, I make use of the Routing/Grouping Matrix in Reaper to direct the output of the kick, snare, and tom tracks directly to the Percussion track and not to the Master track.  The output from the Percussion track will go to the Master track, so the individual percussion instruments can still be heard in the final output of the project.  Since many effects plug-ins permit some level of dry/wet signal mixing, I still have control over just how much of an effect I want to use on the combined percussion audio signal.
10. Keep the Mind and Ears Open: I have now progressed to the point in my mixing that while I am in the composing stage in PrintMusic, I am also formulating a general mixing gameplan, and sometimes I will even make notes on the PrintMusic score about what mixing elements should be used in certain sections and/or on certain instruments.  However, once the mixing stage begins, I tend to let my mind run rampant.  A little experimentation may produce a nice effect on one instrument, and that same strategy can be repeated and tweaked with other instruments.  Perhaps I will discover and test a new effect plug-in while in the mixing stage and find that I like it.  Every mixing project is unique, so even though certain types of music may have similar mixing needs, for example, one must always be ready to improvise, experiment, etc., when mixing.  The ears are usually quite reliable at discerning when something is wrong, but they are also quite likely to rejoice when something is very, very right.

I am fairly certain that some people will find “fault” with some of these tips, but the good thing about mixing is that there is not necessarily one right way to achieve a certain result.  Fortunately, this is music, not astrophysics!

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The piece has a generally eerie, dark feel to it, but also somewhat deathly.  I recognized this almost instantly, and I also realized that when the mixing stage began, I would not really be able to mix this to sound “clean” and “crisp.”  Compared to my other compositions, this is very much out-of-band, but sometimes the anomalies are quite interesting.

Perhaps the best thing about this piece is that I finally discovered the reason for a PrintMusic oddity which has been occasionally plaguing me for more than a year.  Now I at least have a workaround so that I can mix properly from the moment I import audio files into Reaper.

Instruments and vocals used:
* Applied Acoustic Systems: 7th Heaven and Dark Mystery
* G-Networks: Veroica Drums snare
* www.soundsforbeats.com: ShadowMoan and Bosen’s Spirit
* Garritan: Cello
* SampleCraze: Tom
* Sonokinetic: Trailer Voice
* Black Octopus: Veela vocal effects

Given that this is my final new (and finished) project of 2011, perhaps “The Death of 2011” is a fitting title…

Listen below, and feel free to download “The Death of 2011” on SoundCloud!

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

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…I found it extremely interesting and proves that two people using the same template can come up with completely different but equally valid end results.

Definitely different end results, but I like both.  I also wish that I had previously thought to make use of Second Life for creating music videos

The two different usages of the “Circles” stems:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LanGyOLgs1g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXiBnz-ixrc

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3. Not a Remix, but a Reimagining

This has definitely been a very interesting two years for me!  Musically, I have definitely advanced over the past two years.  The things I have learned over time have certainly helped me to create better music, especially in the mixing stage.  New areas of creativity have opened up for me as I blend genres, instruments, and more.

On the negative side, I have had so much enjoyment from composing and mixing that my piano/keyboard skills are still quite terrible, since this two-year period follows a decade of having not touched a piano or keyboard at all.  There have also been more than a few very late nights for me because the Muse has decided to strike me when I should really be focusing on other things.

One of the things which still somewhat surprises me is just how relatively easy it is now to create high-quality music with rather little financial pain.  I suppose this still surprises me because I remember the early days of MIDI, when everything was insanely expensive, meaning that I had to watch from the sidelines because there was no way my family could afford to get me the gear I needed (they did buy me a MIDI-capable keyboard for Christmas one year, but that was all).  Now, MIDI still exists, but technology has generally advanced so much that, while much of what I do relies on MIDI (especially in the composing stage), I need not think about MIDI per se; instead, I can focus almost completely on the notation and how the various tools/instruments interact with each other aurally, rather than on trying to make them all interact on the technological side.

In two years, I have advanced from computer music newcomer to selling my music on Bandcamp (http://jms3music.bandcamp.com).  I have become a relatively active and (I believe) respected user on the Finale Forum.  I now have this Web site, plus Twitter and YouTube and Facebook pages/channels, all revolving around my music.  If I had the means to be independently wealthy, I would almost certainly be spending much of my days involved with music, bouncing between composing and mixing.

While I feel that I have come rather far in just two years, I definitely have a lot more to learn.  There are plenty of virtual instruments and sound libraries which I would love to acquire and utilize in my music.  Certainly there are plenty of mixing tricks and techniques for explore.  And, it would be quite nice to obtain more equipment to help improve the creative process, especially in the composing stage.

Two years down, hopefully two centuries (at least!) to go…

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It was initially my intention to do a full remix.  Listening to the vocals in isolation, I envisioned a piano and a cello for the instrumental accompaniment.  Yet as I worked on the intro, my mind seemed to gravitate more toward a very short piece utilizing just one of the stems.  When I added a violin for a little musical interest, that sealed it:  Only one stem would be used at the very end of the piece.

In essence, this is no longer a remix, but a reimagining: a completely different style, and certainly not something intended for a dance club.  “Roniit – Into a Dream (jms3music Reimagining)” is really more akin to something on an Enya album, thus the reason I call this a reimagining and not a remix.

The vocal is from Roniit, the instrumentation (piano, violin, and cello) are all from Garritan Personal Orchestra 4; the final mixing again done in Reaper. 

Hopefully Roniit likes this perhaps-unusual twist!

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

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1. I started playing piano at 5 years old and alto sax in middle school, and at one point did not even touch a musical instrument for a full decade.
2. My “studio” is about as basic as it gets: a desktop computer with monitor, a MIDI-compatible keyboard, PrintMusic (for notation), Reaper (for mixing), and virtual instruments.  Nothing fancy, no elaborate setup, no dedicated music room in my apartment.
3. While I have a collection of music loops (primarily percussion loops), I rarely ever use them.  I much prefer to create all my music “from scratch” within PrintMusic, both for greater control and most importantly because I try to do all composition within PrintMusic itself.
4. Although I have a guitar, I do not know how to play it… and due to needing to work for a living, I do not have enough time to really try to learn how to play it.
5. At a music convention in Paris in 1995, I was able to play several grand pianos in the space of a few hours, and it was the first time that I truly realized just how different one piano can be (in feel and sound) from another.
6. When I am composing, if I do not have a decent title for a project, I tend to use a random combination of numbers and letters as a working title.
7. A goddess oversees my music efforts!  I have a figurine of Belldandy on the counter just above my keyboard, and I am considering mounting my Belldandy poster on the wall behind the computer desk. (Belldandy is also the main inspiration behind The Goddess Project.)
8. I have actually been to Salzburg and to the place where much of The Sound of Music was filmed (in 1991).
9. In 2011, most of the music I have created was/is composed in a minor key.  This is not intentional – honest!
10. When composing, I try to introduce all instruments fairly early in a piece, so that it is not a complete surprise when some instruments are silent for a while and suddenly return much later in the piece.

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For now, every instrument is from www.soundsforbeats.com (including some new instruments Genycis released earlier this week) with the exception of the kick, which is from G-Networks.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

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…and thus a new ringtone was born!  Actually, this is really short, so it is probably best used as another event notifier, such as receiving a text message.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Want it for free?  Download it (and my other ringtones) on SoundCloud!

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2. “Stardrops” Ringtone and Preview

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-sz1iOGLio

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Tomorrow’s Deviants was inspired by Movie Dialogue Vol. 4, an offering from Loopmasters (www.loopmasters.com) in which audio from old public domain media has been cleaned up and packaged for royalty-free use in modern music and media production.  As I listened to the demo of Movie Dialogue Vol. 4, I knew that it would eventually be useful for something, although at the time, “something” was yet to be defined, yet I instantly bought it.  Several months later, as I was combing through the myriad sound files of this Loopmasters offering, everything finally clicked in my mind, and “Tomorrow’s Deviants” was quickly underway.

The core of “Tomorrow’s Deviants” revolves around audio of the 1965 anti-pornography propaganda film Perversion for Profit, which features the narration of news reporter George Putnam.  It is interesting that while the arguments Putnam presents in the film focus on pornography magazines, many of the same arguments could potentially be made in the early twenty-first century with the prominence of the Internet and other modern technologies, which in turn have made it much easier than ever for the average person to find pornography.

Admittedly, Tomorrow’s Deviants is a somewhat tongue-in-cheek recasting of Putnam’s own words from Perversion for Profit. In fact, several key words and phrases from the film are featured in the newspaper-style cover art.  Putnam’s narration naturally inspired the use of sound effects, which essentially perverts his arguments to convert his message into a comedy of sorts, especially when his words are heard more than forty years after they were initially spoken.

Once again, a big, big thanks is due to Ulrike Kleinert for the cover art.  It is truly amazing how she can take my odd descriptions and turn them into great artwork!

Tomorrow’s Deviants is available on Bandcamp now!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FK3m4_JngOs

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2. Getting Ready!

A quick teaser:

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mghhLqu31cQ

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[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

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