The End

Yup! It's the end of the semester and this is my last blog post. This semester was an interesting mix of of projects. I learned a lot in the recording studio and I did quite a few interesting projects. I'm currently working on mixing a few songs for my Multi-track recording class and a final project for my Computer-Based Production class. This last project is also a little difficult. I was inspired by a classmate to create a loop. Unlike the track I made earlier in the semester which was a combination of already created loops, I plan to create my own loops in Pro Tools, which is actually not as easy as it sounds. As usual, the problem is staying focused on what I have started and not changing everything anytime a new idea pops into my head. So here's a hint at what I'm working on:

By the way - here's the finished Disco Mix...

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Disco DJ?

So now we're on to creating a mix in Pro Tools. I've decided to go with Disco because it's music I haven't used in a while. I loved listening to it as a child. My Mom owned every Donna Summer album ever put out.

But I digress...

I thought it would be fairly easy, since I've done a dancehall reggae mix for a previous class. Welp, not so much. It's a very complicated thing. And I'm not sure that I have enough time to pull it off to my satisfaction.

With reggae, the beats are similar, if not exactly the same. With disco, they all have different BPMs (Beats Per Minute) and some start slow and then speed up ("Last Dance" by Donna Summer). So, I'm gonna give it a try. I'll let you know how it turns out.

In the meantime, here's a lesson on Tempo Matching in Pro Tools.

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Mixing

Today's post is about mixing. I like it. How can you tell if mixing is for you? If you don't mind hearing the same song 250 million times, then mixing might be your dream job.

I'm mixing a song called "Holding Nothing Back" by a Christian Rock group by the name of Damascus Road. They're a pretty talented bunch. I enjoy time in the studio with them.

Anyways, the first thing I had to do was EQ the tracks. There were over 16 of them. Then we get into actually mixing the tracks together to make them sound cohesive.

One thing I know for sure: You can mix a song until forever. I don't feel like I'm done, but I could tweak this song forever. LOL

Here's a photo of my mixing screen:

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Chroma Keying

Soooo, I had to choose a project for class and I decided I wanted to learn how to chroma key. I'm not really sure what I was thinking. It's obvious that I had no idea what a pain it would be.

The thing I hate to do the most is shoot video. If I never have to touch a video camera again in life I will be OK. Yet, when I learned how chroma keying is done, I wasn't deterred.

A classmate took some time to out to show me how to use the green screen and how to accomplish chroma keying in post-production. Shout out to Jonathan for being so patient.

Now that I know how to chroma key, I don't think I will have a reason to use it. LOL

Here's the project...

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Using Apple Loops in GarageBand

So, I had to do a project for a class. Any project. Anything that would teach me something new. Well, if you know anything about me, you know I’m an over-achiever. So what project did I choose? As the title tells you, I decided to create a track using Apple Loops in GarageBand on my Mac.

I had never created a track in my entire life. I thought it would be fairly easy, but umm errr…

My first challenge was choosing a drum beat. I hadn’t really sat down and just listened to all the beats, so I kept changing my mind every time I heard something new. I eventually abandoned working from the beat first and decided to start with my first love: Strings.

I listened to a few and found some I liked. Now, how do I make it into something you wanna listen to? I knew I wanted an intro that was different from the rest of the track, so I chose a loop that I liked, but didn’t think would sound good repeated. Then I added the second loop of strings. But I needed some kind of transition between the two so I added shakers. Then I found a beat that worked with String Loop 2. I liked it, but it didn’t sound FULL. So, I added Stand-up Bass. I just needed something to satisfy that need for a little BOOM.

Now what? How long should the track be? Wouldn’t it be a little boring if I just kept this same loop repeating over and over and over and over again? So, I need to break it up and insert a change. Insert String Loop 3. When I heard this, I almost scrapped everything and started over. I REALLY liked it. But I would never finish if I kept that up. So this would be a sort of chorus (if I were writing a song).

Add a transition and a new beat. Now make the main beat blend into the chorus.

Repeat.

Here’s the result. I can tell you how I recorded the visualization on another blog…

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