Today, it’s time for a less serious blog post. Recently, I have picked up some gear and begun experimenting with home music recording. A couple of months ago, I began jamming with an old friend again and we started playing around with some songs and recording them. This inspired me to get my own set up happening, as I became motivated by just how easy it was to record ideas and build up a composition. It was not so much about kicking up a career in music, as just a fun hobby in which I can do something creatively in a very hands-on fashion. I have never been a great musician, but I enjoy being able to create music, either my own, or playing others’ and it is a great way to have some fun as well. While my computer isn’t doing so strongly at the moment, hopefully we can get a new one soon, or at least borrow a friend’s, to help when my computer just bugs out. But in any case, it has been fun to experiment and have a play, and this hobby has been taking up a lot of my time lately, so I thought I’d share with you the current set up, and a couple of samples I’ve recorded!
First up, the gear! Music nerds, assemble!
I already had a nice little USB controller, which I had used to record guitars and vocals in the past, the handy little Alesis iO2.
This handy device has allowed me to record demos for past projects and does the job reasonably well. It is not top of the line by any means, but is perfect for just demoing material, and seems to be the closest thing to an mBox that I’ve used, without forking out the big bucks for the real thing.
So while I already had the means to record, my software program was getting on in years, so I decided to upgrade…slightly. I recently got a copy of Cubase 5, which isn’t that young itself, but is a solid tool. I have always liked the layout that Cubase uses. It is simple, but allows you to get very technical if you want to. But the lay out and the ability to easily find what you are looking for is what I love about it. I tried Sonar X1, which seems powerful, but otherwise is incredibly confusing, and aesthetically is just a bulky and junky-looking piece of software. So I returned to Cubase, which has so far been a pretty reasonable tool. Every now and then, it is quite buggy, but I think that is a lot to do with my computer’s memory and other hardware, than it is to do with the program. In a perfect world, I would probably set myself up with Pro Tools and an mBox, but when you are saving for a wedding, these kind of upgrades are just way out of my budget! For the time being, I think I can get the job done with Cubase and the little Alesis. And from the demos I’ve been doing lately, it seems like a pretty good set up so far!
As you may know, I have not got any decent amps at home, or at least any I’d be willing to record with. I had to sell my wonderful Ampeg SVT IV Pro and 810e, which means bass-wise, I am toneless. This is also a problem if I am recording anything but acoustic guitars. So I begun to take a look at my options. Through numerous praises, especially Mansa Mishoor of Periphery, I looked at the AxeFx unit, but unsurprisingly, this beautiful device is extremely expensive. The next best thing was to try to get some amp simulator software that had great tone, but without the expense. That’s when I stumbled onto Amplitube.
Not only can you get great amp tone, but it comes with an array of stomp-boxes, allowing me to save a lot of money and space on the floor. While of course this kind of set up does not mean I can get these kind of tones live, but at this stage I am only looking to experiment creatively, not start a band and tour. So for home recording, I can’t think of any better plug-in. And it works fantastically with Cubase. Personally, I love using the Orange amps and cabs, but the 65 Fender is also a favourite of mine. There are so many amps to choose from, including my old rig, the Ampeg SVT IV and 810e fridge, meaning I have my old bass tone again!
Growing up however, music hasn’t always been about guitars and bass. Those of you who know me will already know of my fond affection for Moby, BT and more recently, Gotye. These one man bands have fascinated me for a long time, and watching various documentaries on their recording process has really inspired me to replicate some of the simpler soundscapes they create. While I am not ever reach the talent or production tools that they have, one simple little device which they depended on was a midi keyboard, and this I did not have. So I saved some money and finally picked up a bargain on eBay. Having dabbled with the piano roll for so long, what a refreshing change it was to have a keyboard! So I have begun to teach myself piano, just by trying to play stuff by ear and getting a lesson or two from YouTube every now and then. I have a long way to go before sounding decent, but I’m starting to really find my way around the instrument now. The keyboard is an Ashton UMK49, and is a cheapie, but is as good as I’ve every played before, so I was really happy to grab a keyboard of this quality so cheaply! There are probably, way better out there, but this is a great little device just for mucking around at home.
One thing I’ve always loved are musicians who experiment with different ideas, styles and so on (hence my artistic references mentioned earlier). I’ve always loved world music, as well as classical, soundtrack and so on. After discovering the wonders of Amplitube, I then went on a hunt to find some midi software that would not only give me a range of sounds, but that was also of the highest quality. Sure enough, I stumbled upon the range from EastWest. If you use midi, and have not heard of or used East West, I suggest you check out the videos below. Their range is phenomenal, and the sound quality is the best I’ve ever heard in midi, aside from recording it live yourself, and then playing it back through your keyboard (a la Gotye). I have 3 of the programs, Colossus, Symphonic Orchestra Gold and RA, the ethnic/world music collection. I have spent many hours playing with the array of sounds available, and there are plenty I am still to discover. I have two Kora instruments at home (8 string and 4), which are hard to keep tuned. But the RA has a great midi Kora, which sounds to me as good as the real thing. This has saved me a lot of time in tuning! Below are a couple of examples of the EastWest programs that I have. I think you’ll agree that the sound quality is fantastic.
So I guess you are wondering what this all sounds like? Well I have two short samples for you! They are nothing special, and are not representative of the stuff I am writing at the moment (I am not prepared to show you just yet). But below are two very short covers of soundtracks I both love. Very short, and just the main pieces. But this is just using the keyboard, Cubase, and the EW Colossus VST software. If you ignore the screw-ups and forgive it as simply a guy learning how to play keyboard, I hope you can get an idea of just how cool this set up is. I’ll post some more teasers soon, of different sounds and maybe even some guitar/bass (of which I play much better) tracks to give you an idea of some tone through the set up. Anyway, these two tracks are just short adaptations, not to be compared too much to the original work. It’s just the main ideas and feel that I was trying to achieve, which is always the best place to get to when learning a piece, rather than try to do the whole thing at once. Hopefully, I’ll get to rest of the tracks eventually (I’ve got most parts, but only comfortable with so many movements, so I’ve just included just the bones for the time being).
If you’d like to hear the originals (which are amazing compositions themselves), check the vids below. Highly recommend if you grab the official soundtracks if you like them 
Until next time bloggers, in which hopefully I’ll have some better samples and music to show you
