Research Hurts Bert!

I am learning new things today!

By defining and researching the following production and engineering terms, I will be exponetially increasing my knowledge of all things well and good in the world we live in! HOORAY! In all seriousness, I will be using this post specifically to reference any future questions I have pertaining to my adventures in the sonic world. If all goes according to plan, this will be the most helpful tool I have created all year. Cross ya finguhs.

AKG 414: A really famous microphone from the equally well-known audio technology company AKG that led its competitors during the era of the switch from tube to solid state technology...or something like that

Frankly, this is all confusing me already...maybe by the end of this post I will understand more (hopefully)

polar patterns: a graph showing how the sensitivity of a microphone varies with the angle of the sound source, at a particular frequency. Here's a picture of one you dumbass:

tranducer/capsule: a device that converts one form of energy to another. A microphone transducer converts acoustical energy (sound) into electrical energy (audio signal).

frequency response: a graph showing how a microphone responds to various sound frequencies; it is a plot of electrical output vs. frequency. More graphs? Yes.



Focusrite Scarlett 2i2: an absolutely beautiful audio interface (if it were a girl, I'd date it) that is used mostly by musicians "on-the-go" or simply by those who wish to record a quick demo or an idea for a song. It has two preamp inputs and is compatible with Mac OSX Moutain Lion. It is also only $150.

XY/coincident pair: a stereo micing technique in where you put the diagphragms of two microphones on top of eachother, each facing the opposite direction at a 90 degree angle. Here's a helpful diagram that will easily explain this concept:

                                                      

spaced pair: another stereo micing technique. This time, all you would do is place two identical mics equidistant from each other and point them at the same angle in the same direction at the same general target. Picturez:

                                                      

ORFT: a weird micing technique where you kind of space two identical (or at least similar) mics about 17-20cm apart from each other each angled at opposite sides of a recording room. This is supposed to create a potentially more appealing sound as the audio should theoretically arrive at each microphone at seperate times. I'm not quite sure I understand this one yet but I found a diagram that makes things slightly less confusing.

                                                      

blumlein pair: a recording technique that can potentially recreate the spacial experience that the sound would be recorded in. This is achieved by placing the transducers of two similar or identical bidirectional microphones as close as possible to each other while pointing each mic 90 degrees from the other (similar to the XY technique). If done correctly, this technique could produce near-lifelike stereo and spacial audio quality. Here is a sketch of what it should look like:

                                                      

-Peter

Fourth Qatar

Middle East jokes eh?

Last quarter in STAC was a pretty good experience for me; I had learned many new things that I surely would not have had I chosen a different route. Alas, same as the arms of a carousel must continually swap and rotate as it moves about, the fourth and final quarter of the school year approaches me quickly, leaving the third behind in its glass case of remembrance.

This quarter my wishes and creative pursuits remain, for the most part, the same--with music, that is; I will continue to educate myself (with adequate amounts of support) on various topics in music theory, songwriting, audio production, etceteras.

However, I have always had an acute interest in films, moving picture shows, if you will. I have had some brief experience directing and producing a handful of short movies and commercials at the beginning of the scholar year. Not only would I enjoy minoring in film production, but I would also love to explore my acting abilities, albeit if any exist! In today's class improv, I felt myself rekindling the catalytic spark of interest that I had with acting. It would be a pleasure to be featured in any of the STACies' films this quarter, especially after viewing a couple of their more recent works they developed over the course of third quarter.

As far as my indulgences in music and production go, I figure that this biography about Dave Grohl would be an interesting read --> http://www.amazon.com/This-Is-Call-Times-Grohl/dp/0306821427/ref=tmm_pap_title_0

First off, anything that ever come's out of the man's mouth is automatically riveting; about a month ago I found myself glued to listening to his 45-minute keynote speech at the South By Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas. Secondly, he is just meagerly obscure enough to be able to read an interesting, yet unbiased biography on (he's still not quite as famous as David Bowie). If this gets approved, I will be extremely happy with reading this long, paperback, 388-page novel (I sound sarcastic but I'm really not!)

-Peter

EP Updæte

It will be finished...eventually.

For a while I have been away from my studio, the aforementioned term used very lightly, and I have not been recording music as much as I have been during the past year or so. I have been writing, don't get me wrong, and, as always, I am always using my guitar or piano to play and try and stumble upon that sweet groove that I have been so long awaiting. Despite this, however, I have not mustered up enough confidence to take the time to record. That factor, when coupled with a long drought of legitimate inspiration, makes for a bad case of disengagement.

THINGS WILL CHANGE

The past week has been a nice reboot for my music and I. Just recently I have been exposed to the wonderful wide world that is the iPad GarageBand app. I do not think I will be using this particular software to record any of my songs for the upcoming album, but it is, simply put, an absolute gem for the creative mind. After one week of working and toying with it, I have been able to produce a couple of "songs" (incorrectly placed quotation marks)that I am very happy with.

Expect A OK things somewhat soon!


-Peter

Songs For The Deaf?

It's a Queens of the Stone Age reference.

The past two days, Luke has given me a few tasks to help better my skills in songwriting which, by the way, is what I want to focus on in STAC for at least the remainder of this year.

Yesterday, I was handed a sheet of paper. This paper had a guitar chord progression on it, complete with sections specific to each part of a song including the verses, choruses, and pre-choruses. My task was to write an entirely original song, minus the part about the already existing chord progression, complete with my own written lyrics for each part of the song. I had less than three periods to make it, perform it, and record it live in one take.

Today, Luke gave me a similar mission to yesterday's, except this time, the lyrics for the song were already written. Using the lyrics given to me, I was required to write my own chord progression to accompany them as well as a melody for the vocal part. I also had about three periods to write, perform, and record this song as well. Oh, and did I mention that, unlike yesterday's agenda, there was no specific verse, chorus, or any other musical section specified in these lyrics. For all I cared I could have written a spoken word poem with a simple G to C and back to G chord progression to complement it and the song would have been acceptable.

I am not complaining. I actually really enjoyed this project. I think that, even though I have never done something like this before, it has been a real learning experience and one of the more unorthodox, yet innovative and effective ways of getting my songwriting mana juices a flowin'.

As far as my final products are concerned, I am pretty content with the quality of each. However, I think my lyrics for the fist song could have been a little more progressive, for lack of a better word, and less forced-to-fit-the-melody kind of lyrics. I know that I could have done better and I know that if I had more than an hour and fifty minutes to write better lyrics, I would. I also need to work on my singing. I know that I am pretty capable of singing fairly mediocre tunes and nothing spectacular, but I would really like to have a better understanding of my vocal range and more comfort with my technique which, come due time, will hopefully eventually occur to an extent.

-Peter

P.S. Those are my initials
P.S.S. That's what I would name my boat...if I had one
P.S.S.S. I am deeply sorry for aligning my signature on the right instead of the left on my last post. I am very angry at myself for this.

Let's Get (meta)Physical

Is our universe infinite?

People say that our universe is ever-expanding, but it had to start from a singular point, right? If this is true, then there must be an edge to its plane somewhere... And if there is, indeed, an edge, what lies beyond?

Is there another universe?

Perhaps it is parallel, or at the least extremely similar to our own. If that is the case then is it possible that there are more than one? Think of all the universes as one infinite mirror. Could it be that there are an infinite amount of ever-expanding universes beyond our own infinitely expanding universe? A multiverse?

Or is it just void?

What if, past the edge of all that is currently known and perceived as plausible, there is nothing; something so empty that we humans cannot even begin to comprehend its importance.

But what if there is no edge?

What if our universe is circular, resembling a giant sphere, and is on one, giant, infinite loop? If this is true, then would it be possible to travel so far, so deep into the universe that one would eventually return to the same spot that he or she began their travels? But even then,

would it ever be exact?


And no, I do not use marijuana.

-Peter 

Art Sucks

Art really sucks.

Okay that was a lie.
Not all art sucks. Music is art. Film is art. The list continues indefinitely and infinitely. But art, from my perspective, does suck.

I am talking about the kinds of art you see in museums. The kind of art that is hung up on white walls by silver nails. To me, it's all just pretentious. You don't even have to be a good "artist" to make art; you just have to string a giant load of cohesive jargon together and hope for the best. And then you get by. Most of the time, with success.

But maybe it's just me.

I understand why the people who do like that kind of art, well, like that kind of art. They appreciate it. I appreciate what I do for my own separate reasons. Everyone has theirs. I wish, though, that art did communicate with me in a way that I could comprehend. It must be something special.

-Peter

Skin & Wires

The past couple days have been a productive few for my music and I.

When I attended the songwriting workshop with Brien from Australia I've been thinking about what he said: "To write good songs, you have to make time for it and do it everyday." (of course I am paraphrasing a bit...but I digress). I have taken that to heart and I'm writing more now than I ever have in the past.

I've also been recording more demos recently (I have had a 1:1 ration of recordings to days for the last 3 days). Overall, I'm feeling much more comfortably musically than I have been in a long while.

I'm thinking of making a short 4-song "EP", if you will, and self-releasing it as a made-up band comprised of anonymous musicians.

Skin And Wires

-Peter

Cheap Self-promotion!

Today I had as little homework as I will ever have ever again for the rest of my life.

Therefore I recorded another drum cover video for my YouTube channel (I will put the link for such at the bottom of this post). "Have A Cigar" by the legendary rock band Pink Floyd was a more than appropriate choice for today's cover, I think. I have always like Mr. Floyd and company, but I recently began listening to them a lot more often around a year or so ago. I played drums on "Have A Cigar" for a Pink Floyd cover show about four months ago and I have loved playing the song ever since.

John, Ellen, Lisa, Austin, and I are also looking to perform the song for the upcoming (and pending) STAClive...

I sure do enjoy music.

THE LINK TO MY FREAKING CHANNEL :D --> http://www.youtube.com/user/TheNoLoops?feature=mhee

-Peter

Smells Like Teen B.O.

I don't understand why so many people criticize their respective peers so often. Actually, I do understand, I just refuse to accept the fact that it is true.

This is especially evident when an occurrence of high interest (the recent shooting in Connecticut, for example) is publicized and therefore easily accessible to most of the general public.

NOW FOR THE POINT!

I cannot fathom all the legitimate bullshit that is floating around our heads each and every day. Who told you that it's not okay to express your opinion on something? You should've really paid attention in American history class, my friend, because I am almost certain that the first 40 percent of that course is composed of how we died for that right.

ALSO, who made you a god? How come everyone else's opinion is foolish besides your own? Show me your ruling scepter, Zeus. No one is righteous enough to put someone down and make them feel like crap, not even you.

-Peter

A "Monumental" Critic

Boy, isn't procrastinating just the greatest? I literally spent my entire day doing homework, with most of said homework being annotating Nathaniel Hawthorne's godforsaken The Scarlet Letter. When I finally completed that task, I moved on to beginning, and henceforth completing my photo series for STAC.

My concept for the entire series was, well, simply put, the image of my head "critiquing" some of the world's tallest and most recognizable structures. You're probably telling me "Peter, you bumbling idiot, that idea is completely out of left field and it will never suffice as a meaningful work of art.".

To you I say "Correct, young grasshopper!"

I do realize that this may be an odd idea, but I wanted something as entertaining and attention-grabbing as possible. Call me when you don't see someone stop and give five moments of their time to look at one of my pictures (that's about as conceded as I'll ever intentionally get).

Here's a sneak peak:

-Peter

Alley, Pacifistic Woman

Isn't it weird how much the word "pacifistic" looks like the word "pacific"? I think it's pretty sweet.

Anyway, this blog post is all about the Rolling Stones song Street Fighting Man. It's a good song.

I've always enjoyed listening to this song, but recently, and most probably because of STAClive, I have been listening to it a lot more and really thinking about it more in-depth than ever before. 

The first thing that has always struck me about the song is its pure rebellious attitude. Think about it; for a song made in 1968, this is as punk as it gets. When I listen to this song I'm not sure if I want to get up and yell out my window, run down the street naked, or punch a hole in my wall.

This song gets me excited.

What's interesting, other than the inspiration for the song (which, contrary to most people's ideas, is about the riots in France at that time rather than the Vietnam War), is its recording technique and writing process.

Guitarist Keith Richards and lead vocalist Mick Jagger would usually record some riffs or melodies they thought sounded cool while on tour. When they returned from their journeys, that melody would sometimes turn into a tune. Street Fighting Man happened to escalate into one of the most famous rock songs of all time.

Richards played a riff on his acoustic guitar and recorded it using one of his cassettes (you know, those little rectangles that our ancestors used to use to listen to music)while he was on tour. Using a simple open-E tuning to accent barred chords on the upstrokes during the verse, the iconic and startling acoustic guitar part was born. From there, Jagger improvised half-heard lyrics that fit perfectly into the revolutionary attitude of the song.

Something I found really interesting about the entire process is that the drums that were first recorded on the demo cassette were played on a 1930s toy jazz kit that was "incredibly louder than the guitar, yet sounded nice", as described by Richards. The track was recorded on a tape in the studio that had no limiter. 

The result was a perfectly sounding, distorted wonderful mess that crackles in your eardrums during the verse and chorus only to be surpassed by a smooth piano riff in the outdo to end the day. WooOOooOOwOOoooooOOoOoOoo!

-Peter

Meaningful Nonsense

The coldest my coffee can possibly become at this moment is 63°F.


-Peter

Sometimes

Sometimes I want to be able to look out my window and see what I want.

Not what is there.


Sometimes I wish there was was someone here who got it.

Someone who gets it.

Who gets me.

This.


Sometimes looks really weird if you stare at it long enough.

I wish someone understood my clichés.

I know someone does.

I think.


Sometimes I want to stop making everything so personal.

I wish I didn't have to make everything so personal.

It's too cliché.

And those were never easily understood.



Sometimes I don't think.

I only assume. 


-Peter

Asleep While Sleeping

My work is becoming stale.

Why is it becoming stale? Did I forget to close the box? 

No. 

That's just silly. 

It's common sense. Everyone knows that you need to close the box of work when your finished with it. 

Maybe I wasn't finished. 

I think I still wanted more of it. 

But now it's too late. Now it is stale. 

Now it is work. 

Now it is not work. 

What is it? Why is it stale? 

It's more than that. 

It's reminiscing. 

It's no longer the present. Therefore, it is no longer itself. 

I think it is becoming stale. 

I don't want them to become stale. 

I don't want her to become stale.

It is not about her.

Anymore.


-Peter

Oedipus Takes Manhattan

Please forgive me, for I am loathing the world right now. Tomorrow should be fun. I'm planning to shoot some video of "normal" (and I use that word lightly) urban life and possibly turn that into a music video.

You: A music video eh?

I: Why, yes ol' chap! My main mission is to take the audio that I capture and record a song over it, using The City as my inspiration. I already have an idea of what the song needs to be about.

The City is a wonderful, but hectic place. So many things are occurring at one particular moment in time and so many lives are being affected at once in such a densely concentrated area. There are things that repel and attract us all over the place (see what I did there?).

You: Well then I suppose we will see you tomorrow then!

I: No you won't! You are just a figment of my imagination! You don't exist silly!

-Peter

Off A Cliff

There's not much I need to say about The Fall. That is probably true, but it can also be due to the fact that I am suffering from a case of extreme lack in want.

Maybe.

...but for the sake of this blog (and my ass) I'll elaborate. What can I say? It amazed me. The Fall was, in my eyes, a perfect visual execution of Tarsem Singh's representation of imagination through stories. That really gets my head spinning sometimes, just thinking about all the movie's meanings that are brought out into the foreground and yet all of its meanings that underly and burrow their way into the mind of the viewer, ever so underexposed due to its creator's complexity.

Like I said, the movie was absolutely stunning. Every thing filmed, down to the directions each grain of sand was blown by wind in a desert, was so carefully observed that only its utmost beauty was showcased. This being said, the movie is imaginably one that has the audience's full attention.

Singh and his team also devised a twisting plot that had your heart hung from puppet strings at any moment in the film. From the first time Alexandria meets Roy in the hospital to the last intimate moment they share before she is sent back home, there is never a moment where the true emotions of the character are hidden.

Speaking of Alexandria, Catinca Untaru has put on probably the greatest performance I have ever seen a child actor or actress do in film. The moments where she is happy are the brightest moments of your day and the moments where she is sad are the most gut-wrenching moments of your life. Her interaction with Lee Pace (Roy) is also unusually genuine for a actor or actress. She interacted with him during filming almost as if they were off the set, just like family.

While this is obviously a great film, it is also one of the more complex ones I have seen. And by complex I don't mean that you need an above average IQ to watch this movie, but in reality the movie is simply weird. While it is not as cryptic as something like Inception or 2001: A Space Oddessy, their are many subtle yet important meanings that, unless pointed out, are extremely difficult to catch, making The Fall just that much more riveting. 

-Peter

Th3 Math of Me

1. Dignity

2. Consciousness

3. Individuality

It seems like everything spurs from this, at least for me...personally. My entire living character is spawned from these three core principles. Is that okay? I know the whole point of this exercise was to find ourselves and to get a better sense of our artistic direction, but I still feel lost.

Lost.

That would probably have been a better word to use. The thing is, all other emotions stem from these three words. These emotions, like markings on a map, are supposed to lead you to your destination. They are supposed to give you an answer you are looking for. Their purpose is not to propose even more questions than the amount you had started with. According to my calculations:

Individuality + Dignity = Creativity

Dignity + Honor = Respect

Respect + Creativity = Knowledge

Knowledge + Individuality = Originality

Originality + Knowledge - Individuality = Knowing

Knowledge + Consciousness = Answers

Answers - Knowledge + Creativity = Mystery

Mystery + Consciousness = The Greatest Enigma

The Greatest Enigma + Knowledge + Capability = Life

How can an idea as simple as the ones I began with circle all the way back around to the greater meaning of life? Life? Really!? You're telling me that the answers to all my questions are more questions?? This is infuriating.

But maybe this is a good thing. After all, without questions, life would be boring. If we knew everything there is to know, there would be no motivation to learn and we would all eventually shrivel up and die not knowing anything more than what we did the minute we were born. 

-Peter 

BIG Questions (Double Post Yaya!)

I like that..."Double Post Yaya!". I'm pretty sure that's going to become a regular thing.

Anywhösen, my first big week was part hectic, part malarky. At times I felt as if I was trying to do so much that it seemed to me that I was about to one-up Superman in a way, but other times I didn't know what to do. Maybe these questions will help answer some of my own.

1) You've worked on a group film and on your own. In which situation are you most comfortable - group or solo? Which do you work best in?I wish I couldn't say this but I think I work more productively alone as to with a group of people.

2) What did you learn that you expected to learn?
I learned how to manage my time more wisely and precisely, which really helped me towards the end of the week.

3) What did you learn that you didn't expect to learn?  
I was constantly surrounded by others who were also working on their various BigWeek projects, so I guess you could say that I learned more about the others in STAC and their interests, especially during presentation day.

4) What didn't you learn that you expected to learn?
To speak truthfully, I wasn't expecting to learn much, if anything at all when starting this whole shebang. Whatever I did learn was a total, pleasant surprise.
 

5) Praise your amazing achievement and explain your brilliant plan for pulling it off.

My end result was better than I expected, but I sort of saw that coming, being that I'm usually hard on myself and critical about most of my work. I had done things in that recording that I have never tried before (using glassware as an instrument) and was impressed with the first-time results. This coming from myself, a guy who had no idea how he was going to record common kitchenware a week and a half ago.

6) How much time did you spend working?
I spent about three to five hours a day working. So over the course of BigWeek (not counting presentation day) I would say I spent a total of about 18 hours on this project.

7) How much time did you spend thinking about the work - sort of sitting there and staring at it, or listening to it over and over again, etc.?
Probably a quarter of my total work time.At times, it really took a while to figure out what I wanted to put next into the song...almost like creative trial-and-error.

8) How much time did you spend doing other stuff that seems like work to that make you think you're working but you're not?
I would have to say only about an hour...I don't have time for games you know?minecraft

9) How much time did you spend socializing?
I'm not sure exactly how much time, but yes, I was talking to people here and there.

10) How did you use your community?
If I was stumped on a part in the song, or I wanted someone's opinion on a new track I just added etc., I would ask someone to listen to what I had so far. I'm also a part-time charcoal model as it may seem...

11) Rip apart your awful project and how did such a disaster happen?
I hated the fact that I didn't have much time for final mixing/mastering because that's what I usually do with songs I produce and I'm used to their kind of quality. Time was also an issue when I came up with the brilliant idea to create a "music video", per say, to accompany the song. I have it half completed to this day.

12) You've completed a step on your path. What is your next step?

This is a very abstract question. It deserves an abstract answer. Peaches.

As Drew Carey would say: "Don't forget to get your pet spaded or neutered! Have a good night everybody!"

-Peter

Thursday: The Day After Wednesday

Sorry about the lack of writing the past few days...I've been pretty busy. The project is almost complete and, well, most of you know what it is anyway so I might as well just let y'all be informed. Due to lack of motivation and extreme laziness (side effects usually associated with Claritin-D) I will be using my final statement for Luke as my writing for today. Please excuse me if this is sort of scatterbrained.

And now I would like to present to you, a crappy excuse for a blog post!


To Luke,

THIS IS MY FINAL STATEMENT!! DUHDUNNNN!!!

No but really, my project is definitely 100% going to be my own rendition of "Hedwig's Theme", the theme song for the Harry Potter series. It may also possibly be a music video accompanying the song…and by music video I mean a visual representation of what's going on in the song such as the guitar being played in sync with its instrument track etc. I am currently working on the video right now so it's existence all depends on whether or not I'm pleased with it's "birth" by the end of tonight.
By the way, I hope you don't mind that I am using this as my blog post for tonight…life gets pretty hectic as an internet mogul you know?



-Peter

Tuesday: Day Two

Today was a surprise. I was finished early with what I had to do! Granted, the project is still unfinished, but I had completed my self set in-class task today and I was lost...which led me to thinking. 

I was inspired.

I was inspired by the things around me and how they act. A general idea, yes, but a common and almost constantly occurring phenomenon in our world. With a little thought, I found that this can be related and applied to all forms of art. I will keep this in my mind for the weeks to come and try to revel in this idea every time  I look for a source of inspiration for a project. Such a broad theme to work with...the possibilities are infinite.

-Peter