Reset

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted on a regular basis. A lot has changed in my life and I’m at a point where I am repositioning this blog. I’ve worked in audio production since 1994, or 18 years. I can’t believe it’s been that long! I’ve worked in all areas of audio production – live event audio, recording, mixing, mastering, radio and television broadcast. My work has won awards on the regional and national levels. People are coming to me looking for a consultant and a freelancer.

I’ve decided to embrace this role, and this blog will be my access point of my thoughts, adventures and advice. I’m available for discussion, as well as hire. So here’s to new adventures, and resetting of lots of things!

Old is new and new is easy to find

Lately I’ve been tracking new performances and live shows of classical music, especially symphonies, at work.  I produce a weekly, 2 hour radio show that features concerts we recorded.  Consequently I’ve been tracking to see what other radio stations and areas are doing.  We often hear that classical music is dead, that radio is dead, that live music is dead.

NPR Music is doing a great job to buck that trend.  Their site is top notch, and they feature many different styles of music in interviews, concerts, album reviews and even first listen streams before the albums are available.

Last week the Los Angeles Philharmonic performed a concert, nothing new.  What was new was that the concert was shown across the country live at movie theaters.  It’s just like what the Metropolitan Opera has been doing for a few years.

Radio stations are still around, and many of them are using their HD-2 and 3 channels and their web streams to push the boundaries of programming with new music and genres that would never make the air otherwise.  Of course working in public radio I have a tendency to lean towards those stations, but KCRW, The Current and WXPN are some of the leaders that I turn to for non-classical music when I’m looking for something different or new.

So just when you might be getting discouraged that there is nothing new out there in new music that’s decent or you are looking for a classic – it’s out there, you just have to find it.

1 Semester ends, another begins

Tonight I finished up the Fall semester by sending the grades in. I immediately started looking at next semester. We’re switching text, so it will re-focus the course lectures. I’m also looking at adding a few more tools for the students. Oh well, the class may be done but the work continues. And then there’s my full time job.

Editors, Editors Everywhere

Over the past week a coworker of mine has been asking me to help pick put an audio editing software for their peresonal use. We stepped through what they wanted to do, how complicated they needed it to be and how much processing they would be doing. In the end, they decided on the platform I liked & another organization uses.
Today unless you drop serious coin (over 10Gs) most of the editors do almost the same thing, at least in terms of radio production and if you don’t write your own music. What I like to rely on is a platform that 1) you know will work and 2) you don’t already know. Why? Knowing an additional platform is always good, because it forces you to look at a problem from another angle.
The real key is not mastering any one platform, but truly understanding how sound works. Because then it doesn’t matter what your working on, you’ll be able to get the job done.

Life is what happens when your busy making plans

Lately at work I have been doing more administration work with our automation and less work with audio creation and production.  I don’t mind, because it’s what the job needs right now.  However, while sitting at a computer reviewing logs and writing reports (TPS Reports anyone) it got me thinking, “this is not what I pictured I would be doing while I was in college.”

Tonight I talked with a friend from college through Facebook.  She studied audio production at JMU with me.  Now she’s an system admin.  In fact, most of my classmates are in other fields (though some in related fields).

I’m happy where I’m at in my life.  My friends are happy where they are at.  All of this reminded me of the saying, “Life is what happens when your busy making plans.”  I didn’t plan on working in public broadcasting or teaching, but I really enjoy it.  I enjoy my family and my friends near and far.  I’m grateful that I still get to record, edit and mix music from time to time.  So sit back, relax and enjoy the ride.  Sometimes life will let you steer, other times your locked in the trunk.  Either way the ride should be interesting!

Acoustic Recording

We are trained in the different styles of stereo recording of acoustic music.  Some prefer XY, others like ORTF.  Blumlien is liked by some, while many prefer spaced pair (AB) or a Decca Tree.

Image via Wikipedia

Of course we teach that certain techniques work for some situations (like XY for radio) and other techniques work for others (Decca Tree for CD Recording).

Over the past nine years I have recorded classical music and other accoustic music.  At first I tried each of these techniques.  I would evaluate the effectiveness of each.  At the end of the day I’ve decided that I don’t like any of them and yet I like them all.

Yes, a stereo recording works.  However, combining these techniques provides so much clarity and realism that you just can’t get with just 2 microphones.  I love using 2 ORTF setup on the same stand for string quartets (1 faces forward and 1 to the back).  XY and pick ups for a duo.  It really depends on the hall and the makeup of the group.

Image via Wikipedia

I know that many people just set up a stereo pair and hit record.  However, if you take a little extra time you can really open up your recording and make the realism come alive.

Sir James

On St. Patrick’s Day I recorded the York Symphony Orchestra with soloist Sir James Galway, flute.  Though very long, the concert was a joy to record, and was even better today as I mixed the recording.

I’ve noticed as I watch more and more hockey that some teams play better when they play good teams, and play worse when they play teams with bad records.  Well, the same thing happened this past Tuesday evening.  The York Symphony was just great.

I knew James Galway was good, I’ve heard plenty of this recordings, but listening to him live was something different.  I had a microphone just in front of him, so I had the best seat in the house.  His sounicquality is just amazing.  To think he has been his entire life, as he is about to turn 70, and he is still rock solid.  That said, it blew me away that he stopped one movement because he was flat, and had the orchestra start over.  Others might blame the orchestra or try to hide it.  James just stopped the orchestra, apologized to the audience while making a joke and started the 2nd movement over again.

I bring all this up because most concerts that I record don’t stick with me all week long, but this one did.  It’s these types of concerts that make we want to record symphonies more and more often.  Now if only I could get on a recording for a CD release, that would be truly interesting.

Discovering New Music

So here’s a question. When I talk to people who are under 30 years of age most of them do not listen to the radio. So that leads me to a question for all of you: How do you discover new music?
We used to hear something new or different on the radio and then go and buy the CD to listen to more. Today there is radio, tv, myspace, facebook and friends, but how do you find new music? Please reply to this post or send me an email. I’d appreciate it.

Welcome Back Music!

Yesterday I bought music for the first time from iTunes.  I admit it.  It’s not that I’m weary of the technology, but I was scared of myself.  A web page where I could buy whatever music I wanted whenever I wanted.  That was too dangerous.  Some people are addicted to drugs, others it’s alcohol.  Me – it’s music.

However, recently I have not been going to stores to look at music.  I listen to the radio and surf the web, but I haven’t been shopping and buying music.  My wallet was happy, but my ears were craving more.  I needed a fix of music.

After talking with my 22 year old sister I decided it was time to dive into iTunes.  I ran out to a local gas station and bought 2 $15 iTunes gift cards (why 2?  I couldn’t come home with one for myself and not have one for my wife! Jeesh. ) and sat myself behind my computer.  It was time to join the millions of people who have purchased music online.

4 hours later I hadn’t purchased a single song.  I had found great new music and songs I hadn’t heard in years, but I couldn’t make up my mind.  Quickly I made a move and in 5 minutes I only had $0.04 left on the gift card.  So, what did I buy?

I bought the Bob Marley album “Legend.”  I love Marley, and I owned this CD until it “disappeared” while at college.  My music library was feeling empty, and it needed to be returned.  Besides, I needed to introduce my daughter to Bob.

I also purchase:

- Kayne West’s new single, “Love Lockdown.”  It’s so simplistic in it’s groove, and yet every time we hear it both my wife and I are bouncing and singing along.  Always a good thing to have in a song.

- Evanescence’s “My Immortal,” because I love Amy’s voice.

- Israel Kamakawiwo’ole singing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World.”  If you do not know Iz you must go out now and listen to him.  Iz was a Hawaiian with the most amazing tenor voice ever.  This song is nothing more than him singing with a ukulele.  I believe it was in the movie “50 First Dates.”  I know it’s been in a few commercials.  I first heard it a few years back and I have been on a mission ever since to get it.

So, what does this list tell me (or you)?  Yes, even though many people say it, I do have every eclectic taste in music.  But, if you listen to all of this music you will find a constant running through it all – great songwriting.  There is nothing better than a well written piece of music. I don’t care if it’s Bach (I will be buying Gould’s performance of the Goldberg Variations soon) or the latest from Kanye West or Led Zeppelin or Hoots and Hellmouth.

I do think that is one of the better things to come out of music moving to the internet.  Now that we can all find a new group to listen to, so musicians have to stand out.  Some are still trying gimicks (Miley Cyrus) while others are just producing great music.

So thank you Apple which created  iTunes.  I’m sorry I’m a little late to the party, but thank you for giving music back to me.  I needed it.

Requirements

The final project of the past semester for my class was a radio feature where I set certain requirements to meet, 6 minutes long, at least 1 interview, focused on music.  Some of the students found these requirements as limitations.  They worried so much about the requirements (so they could make the grade) they forgot about the story.

It’s understandable.  As a student your job is to get the best grade possible so you can get the best job possible after you graduate.  For some students, meeting these requirements is so important that they forgot the artistry in telling a story.

I find that requirements when creating a news story helps to make it more creative.  By limiting the time I can use, I am forced to remove all but the very best audio.  Since time is limited, even if it is 9 minute story, I make it a point to record as much sound as possible (interivews, sound, etc) so I have as much as possible to work with.  However, you are not going to record 25 interviews for a 6 minute story, but you might talk to that many to get the background you need.

I am not a reporter, so I am not concerned about the reporting aspect, but I am a producer.  I am interested in the art of telling the story.  I try to tell a story as clearly as possible.  If that means 6 actualities, then I will get them in.  If it means 25 actualities then I’ll make it work.

One of the “techniques” I saw in some of the projects was filling for time.  This drives me up a wall.  On the radio it tells me they didn’t work hard enough to tell the story.  In the classroom it tells me they only did the minimum to get the grade.

I told the class that the requirements I listed for the project would only earn them an 80%.  In order to do better they must “impress me.”  I gave some examples (more interviews, multiple pieces of music.  In the real world we are forced to “impress” our audience every time, or they will turn us off.  Every thing that goes on air, from a promo to a show, must make the listener say, “Wow!”  In the real world our grade is a 100% or a 0%.

So what’s the point?  No matter what you are working on, from a class project to a international show, work to impress every time.  Good enough doesn’t pay the bills.