If you’ve heard the original Umm… by Charlie Petitt from June 2007, the songs on Umm… It’s Me will sound familiar. VERY familiar. The same vocal tracks were used for this album, and all of the instruments are virtual; there isn’t a single live instrument in any song, not even the guitars! I did this back then because I lacked a good instrument to record with (I bought my Casio keyboard on March 6, 2011 and my first ukulele on April 6, 2012).
This page lists changes that were made since the June 2007 edition of Umm… which was online from 2021 until 2025.
For the whole album…
The biggest difference you’ll probably hear between this album and the original Umm… is the tonal quality of the vocal tracks. These are smoother, less harsh, and less boomy in places. Loud “s” sounds have been softened so they sound natural. A few of the tracks have received minor pitch corrections, though most of this was done really well back in 2007. Some vocal tracks have also received momentary volume tweaks to smooth loud “bursts” or for places where it’s too soft. In still other places, timing issues like late vocal entries have been fixed.
Most songs have received tweaks to instrument tracks: a different synth used for an instrument, a slightly different instrument altogether, or even a subtle chord change or some extra notes (noted below).
All mixing and mastering has been rigorously tested by playback on a variety of devices—small speakers, radios (via an FM transmitter), an iPhone, several very different pairs of headphones, and the stereo in our van, which has quirks of its own (it’s a wheelchair van, so there’s no floor carpeting; that makes a huge difference).
For each song…
When I’m Away
The 2007 edition used a “Music” track I made in early 2007; for this edition, I used separate tracks made from the individual virtual instrument files.
Guitars were reprocessed for a more lifelike sound.
Vocal was edited to smooth the sound, and to fix timing issues.
Drum track was edited for smoothness.
Thank You for My Wife
Added octave bass notes to the keyboard to give it some bottom.
Changed keyboard chord under the word “Each” in the vocal (first word on 2nd stanza) to match the different note I sang.
Changed stereo panning of instruments.
I’m the Umm
Two guitar chords are different during the intro and outro. This is best heard at the end of the song (outro). As the last word “you” ends, the first of the two new chords plays, and the second plays right after it. These chords first appeared in a file that actually predates the original Umm…. That file (from October 5, 2006) used an A in the first chord instead of a B-flat, and that clashed with the vocal, so I changed it to a B-flat on July 31, 2010. But it was never published until now.
Guitar is a bit brighter to match the vocal.
Wendi
Piano was split between left and right hands and panned slightly for a stereo effect; then it was tone corrected. New reverb setting makes it sound very real!
String sections from two synths were blended for a more lifelike effect.
Vocal took an extra bass cut, as it was very boomy in 2007.
He’s Not Here
Virtual upright bass was swapped out for an electric bass.
Drum track was revised a bit.
An extra trombone track was added for warmth and depth.
I Will Praise You
Virtual upright bass was swapped out for an electric bass, but a different synth was used than for “He’s Not Here.”
String sections from two synths were blended for a more lifelike effect.
Stereo panning was changed from 2007.
Hopelessly in Love
The 2007 edition used a “Music” track made in 2005; for this edition, I made separate instrument tracks.
Drum track was revised so you can actually hear the hi-hats.
Celesta (high-pitched percussion instrument) plays five notes after the words “man’s earthly wisdom” in both choruses; these notes were not in the 2007 version.
Autumn Breeze
Harp was done using a different synth that sounds much better.
Bassoon was done in another different synth and sounds realistic.
Flute and Piccolo were given a different reverb that makes them sound more real too, though the same synth was used as in 2007.
Noxious Fumes
Guitar audio was extensively reprocessed for more realistic sound.
A two-measure transition between each verse and chorus was added for the October 2007 edition; I’ve retained it here, but it sounds way better.
I’m Not Stoppin’
Drums were added for this edition; there were none in 2007.
Song title was changed to reflect the pronunciation of “stopping” in the song. Lyrics on the website reflect this difference, as well as in several other words.
