Issue #21 — Thursday, November 2, 2017
Beth, I hear you callin’
but I can’t come home right now.
Me and the boys are playin’
and we just can’t find the sound.~ “Beth” by Kiss (1976)
I may be a solo artist, not a band, but I know the feeling all too well, especially when it comes to recording. People say I have a great voice, but getting it to play nicely on a wide variety of devices, including phones and tablets, is a tall order. I’ve tried for years and have never quite accomplished it to my satisfaction…
…or so I thought. Check out “Autumn Breeze,” track #8 of my May 2016 Sampler, currently on the Kharlie.com homepage as a Bandcamp plugin (this is NOT the version from “Umm…” in the Music section of the site). The harp and woodwind instruments were synthed in a program I no longer use, and their sound is somewhat dark, but the audio quality in the vocal is stellar; this has become my new gold standard.
The trouble is that this vocal was recorded years ago, on a different mic, using a vacuum tube preamplifier run straight into my computer’s sound card — a much different setup than I currently use. But I can compare spectra and stuff and do the same thing with my current setup; if this fails, I still have the old equipment! The good news is that as soon as I figure this much out, I plan to get busy recording new material. I also now have 10 great (but old) tracks that can be easily remixed and re-released; all of the instruments are computer-synthesized but can be “freshened up” by using a different synth or even my keyboard.
I know some of my friends have unfinished albums they want to release; if my newfound setup works well for me, I would consider making my recording services available to them for a nominal fee.
October 28, 2 pm - Elmer and the Ceramic Trees
Paramount Record Shop, 402 E Main Street, Watertown, Wisconsin
November 11, 7 to 9 pm - Prone to Sorrow featuring Mystery Mirrors
Crescendo Espresso Bar + Music Cafe, 1859 Monroe St, Madison, Wisconsin
Door charge: $8.00
In an 8-cup (0.8 to 1.1 liter) French press put 1/2 cup ground coffee, 3 Tbsp. baking cocoa, 3/4 tsp. cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp. nutmeg. Fill the press with hot (nearly boiling) water and brew as directed. This makes 3 servings. To each mug add 5 fl. oz. (150 ml) of warm milk and 3 Tbsp. sugar or equivalent in no-calorie sweetener. The flavors will be perfectly blended throughout.
(Other methods are strongly recommended, if you can do them.)
Find links to all of the musicians mentioned in these newsletters, at www.kharlie.com/local.
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© 2017 Charles D. Petitt and Ummamum Music. The Mmming Report is published about every three weeks. Please send all correspondence to m@kharlie.com.
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