Web Clips for April 2009

Mar 6, 2009 2:28 PM

p14 | Rurik Leffanta XOXOS Download of the Month

Web Clip 1: This clip uses five xoxos VSTi plug-ins to simulate wind, rain, and animal sounds: Wind, Rain, Oscine Tract, Synsect, and Fauna.

p20 | Pro/File: Charles Cohen

Web Clip 1: An excerpt from the album Space Station (Public Guilt, 2007), by Planet-Y, which is a live recording featuring Cohen on Buchla Music Easel and Yanni Papadopoulos on a Casio DG-20 guitar synth.

Web Clip 2: This clip from the album Those Are Pearls That Were His Eyes (Ruby Red, 2007) showcases Cohen and drummer Ed Wilcox.

p24 | Radical Recording Tips

Web Clip 1a: I physically scrunched up several feet of ¼-inch tape, and spooled it onto an old, tube reel-to-reel machine. Then, I sent a solo vocal to the machine, recorded it, and sent it back into Pro Tools. This is the solo voice track. Artist: Timesbold, “Whale Songs.”

Web Clip 1b: This is the tape-scrunched vocal track inside the mix.

Web Clip 2: In this clip, I’ve placed a pair of my small lavaliers into a trash can, then suspended the can above a grand piano. The resulting sound is aggressive and the sustain is uncanny. Note the way the can physically distorts on louder notes! Artist: A Million Billion, "Pig Faced and Face Down Drowning.”

Web Clip 3: Here, I’ve placed a small, thick sheet of aluminum just underneath the snare drum and hi-hat. I placed a Russian Lomo dynamic mic in between the snare and metal, pointing away from the bottom snare head, toward the metal. In context, it’s an effective way to create a unique space around the snare drum, without the use of distortion or reverb. Artist: Stars Like Fleas, “Regina.”

p30 | Movie-Music Maestro | Tyler Bates

Web Clip 1: In this video, Tyler Bates demonstrates one of his methods for developing ideas when working on a movie score.

p46 | Making Tracks: Creative Pitch Correction

Web Clip 1: The first version of this phrase is the way it sounds triggered by a standard keyboard. The second version is tuned as a violin ensemble would play it. Listen for the more sonorous fifths and thirds. Most of us are so accustomed to equal temperament that it may take several listenings to recognize the difference. Equal temperament most likely will not sound wrong, but just temperament should sound better for this sort of diatonic harmony.

Web Clip 2: The lead line of this horn riff was exported as MIDI from Melodyne. The nuances of the live saxophone track were translated into MIDI Pitch Bend, Velocity, and Expression values so the sampled trumpet’s phrasing would match.

p48 | Sound Design Workshop: Screamin' Drums

Web Clip 1: This two-bar kick-drum clip is heard first dry, then through Scream 4, then with the dry and Scream 4 channels mixed.

Web Clip 2: This two-bar cymbal clip is heard first dry, then through Scream 4, then with the dry and Scream 4 channels mixed.

Web Clip 3: This two-bar clip combines the clips in Web Clips 1 and 2 with snare and tambourine parts. Those are routed to separate mixer channels and a DDL-1 digital delay line is added as Aux Send 3. The snare and tambourine parts are sent to both Scream 4 effects as well as the delay line from the mixer. Notice that the delays are not Scream 4 processed.

p54 | Review: MOTU Digital Performer 6.02

Web Clip 1: This video outlines the major user interface changes in DP 6.

p64 | Review: Yamaha DTXtreme III

Web Clip 1: The ’70s NY preset offers the sampled version of Steve Gadd’s kit. In his honor, I played the unique groove Steve created for Chick Corea’s tune “Lenore.”

Web Clip 2: For this example, I play the Oak Custom snare and then adjust the Pad Control knob that simulates tightening the snare wires on a drum. This seems to mute the ring of the drum too as well as tighten the wires. As I continue to loosen it I eventually get the “snares off” sample heard near the end of this clip. The Pad Control knob on the tom pads is used to quickly adjust their pitch.

Web Clip 3: This is the sampled version of Yamaha’s Maple Custom Absolute kit used on a funk-fusion groove. The toms are tuned slightly higher than on some of the other kits.

Web Clip 4: This is a small bass-drum, bebop kit with toms tuned high. Here I play a Mambo groove inspired by Art Blakey’s drum part on “Night In Tunisia.” I move my right hand to and from the bell of the cymbal for accents as I play this groove.

Web Clip 5: This Pop Rock groove uses the sampled version of Yamaha’s Beech Custom Absolute kit. I play a few snare buzzes and varied my snare dynamics to show off the realism of the kit.

Web Clip 6: This is the sampled version of Yamaha’s Birch Custom Absolute kit. The toms have a lot of attack and are very punchy, with lots of low-end in the floor toms.

Web Clip 7: The Reggae kit offers a mixture of timbales and electronic toms.

p71 | Quick Pick: Sample Logic Synergy

Web Clip 1: Nuclear Residue is a cloudy, bell-like patch with an interesting balance of tonality and inharmonicity. Note the emerging, animated low-frequency motion.

Web Clip 2: A cluster of notes engage the edgy overtones of the patch Rumbles in the Bronx, and suggest something more sinister than a rumble. I’ve activated the Stereo Widener to broaden the sound’s image.

Web Clip 3: This arpeggiated patch derives additional complexity from the clock-sync delay and Velocity-induced detuning. You can create lots of interesting, shifting rhythms depending on the number of notes you bring into play.

Web Clip 4: Telecommunication is a multi with plenty of rhythmic and tonal activity. A tweak of the Mod Wheel lowers the volume of the pad, adds a bit of resonance, and activates a swirling phase shifter.

p72 | Quick Pick: Cakewalk E-mu Proteus Pack

Web Clip 1: The Proteus Virtuoso 2000’s Hall Velocity Legato strings have a beautifully tailored envelope that responds to Velocity.

Web Clip 2: Here’s a short groove played in turn by several Proteus PK7 drum kits.