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finalisiation of studio track

final preperations and capture of live track

1000 word reflection

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Risk assesment for studio session

Drum mixing development

Summative feedback slot evaluation

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Research into performance of instrumental music

continued documentation of LPW and Pre-production

Continued use of Gibbs Reflective Cycle

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Continuation of summative studio track

Research feeding into my project

Continued use of Gibbs reflective cycle

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Gibbs steps:

1. Played our own rendition of Cochise by Audioslave.

4. We put the song into our style which made it far more enjoyable to play as well as changing the beginning and ending to make it more interesting. However one bit of feedback we got is not to rush it too much until the very end.

6. Tommorow in LPW were going to make sure we don't rush the song too much until the tempo change at the end.

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Gibbs steps:

1. Played our own rendition of Cochise by Audioslave.

4. Had a great time playing it so we were all engaged on stage and having fun. Ending went on for a little bit too long however we all stayed locked in regardless.

6. I think this time we got a little too lost in our performance and having fun, I'm going to aim to find a balance between performance and acuracy.

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I was aware of the concept of blending two different mic's and angles in a studio recorded mix and wanted to explore and emmulate this in a home setting. I found this video giving me some basic tips on how to do this.

Leon explains that there are multiple different IR captures of the same amp in the fractal unit which you can blend your guitar tone through (or use two totally different amps for a more creative approach).

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Tuesday Tone Tip - FM3 Cab Block Tips & Tricks

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After playing around with blending a couple of different amps I tried this. I found Cab 1 to be quite bright so by blending it with an IR captured from the rear of the amp using a 121 ribbon mic it really balanced the sound and warmed it up.

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Music production is something I've struggled with as a performer and one day I came accross this plugin and decided to read into it more. Neutron 4 is an AI powered mixing plugin which listens to the track it is applied to and automatically selects what it believes to be the best EQ corection. While I found this to not always be correct it gave me a really good starting point for my mixing and got me to make a desicion early on to avoid prolonging the task. In my research I also found Izotope have a software called "Audiolens" this can capture a reference from any audio for use in Neutron 4. Say there is a particular snare tone I would like to recreate, Audiolens would capture the sample of the snare tone and attempt to match the tone.

Overall I think this plugin has the potential to really improve my workflow and mixing abilities.

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Comparison of the guitar track without and then with neutron 4

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Project Roadmap LO1

Risk Assesment for safe working practice LO1

Continued use of gibbs reflective cycle LO2

Continued development of tracks LO3

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Risk assessment identifying all potential RELEVANT Risks/Hazards and Control measures for Your Music Project LO1

Continued use of Gibbs reflective cycle LO2

Continued development of project

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1. In production tools this week we covered micing up amps, re-amping, and mic phase.

4. Moving the mic mid recording helped us to hear the different tonal qualities you get from placing the mic in different places. We didn't practically apply phase or re-amping but we looked at the theory and examples.

6. Re-amping is something I've briefly visited before but is something I definitely want to attempt for this project as I use an axe-FX modelling unit. Because I use this unit primarily, micing up an amp is probably not something I'm going to do.

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- Beginning to apply Gibbs Reflective Cycle LO2

- Beginning to implement "Resources" box LO2

- Continued development of musical work for this Project LO2

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This week we looked at recording acoustic guitar using different mic placements. For a mono recording, and using C2 pencil mics, we found it best to aim the mic around the 14th fret to avoid it sounding boomy (sound hole) or tinny (further up the neck). We looked at two placements for stereo recording, XY, and spaced. We found spaced to give a better sound as it captured a wider variety of the sonic profile, however XY still produced a better sound than mono.

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This weeks song, Call Me, is one that I have already performed in college so I was fairly confident going into it. I brushed up on some of the parts before talking to my vocalist and agreeing to transpose it down a tone. Because of how confident some of the others and I were with this song we decided to add a breakdown section to end where I would play some arpeggios similar to what I practiced in the earlier weeks and Patrick could solo. One glaring issue that we did have during this class was the structure. At the end of the lesson we still weren't clear on the structure we had which prompted Me, Joey, and Rhiannon to go home and finalize it immediately after class.

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Here is an audio recording Me, Joey, and Rhiannon got to help show the final structure of the song ready for LPW.

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Gibbs reflective cycle steps:

1. We played Roxanne by the police adding in a guitar solo to end the song with.

4. The solo flowed nice and melodically however to make it sit better we had to change the chords of the final chorus slightly.

6. Tomorrow I will make sure to add in call and response between the guitar and vocals as suggested by the tutors.

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- Planning for the project LO1

- Reflection and evaluation of what techniques, ideas and opportunities have you been introduced to in your classes and content this week that might contribute towards this assignment LO1, LO2

- Continued development of musical work for this project LO2

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A SWOT pdf identifying strengths, weaknesses, oppurtunities, and threats.

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A Project Roadmap showing the stages of development I intend to make.

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This week in production tools we had a look at using MIDI. This was very beneficial as it is something I identified as a problem in my initial assessment of my project. We were given an in class task to create a small MIDI arrangement and also given a list of good, free, virtual instruments.

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Because of the very messy style of this weeks song (Crosstown traffic) I thought that it would sound far too muddy for both guitarists to play the same part. Instead of opting for the original tab I learnt the chords of the song to provide backing to the second guitarist to avoid just an indistinguishable wall of sound. This song was mostly challenging in terms of structure particularly towards the end which I mess up in the video.

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Our LPW performance went well this week. I think this is mostly due to the fact we went over the structure several times between Pre-Production and this class but also the half-time breakdown aligning far more with my taste in music as well as others in the group. Me, Rhiannon, and Joey got pulled to the side at the end of class and told that we work really well together and should be in a band which was very encouraging! One thing that did get commented on was that me and Patrick were playing very similar parts so I'll try to make sure we have variation next week.

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Condensing initial ideas  LO2

What challenges am I likely to come across? LO1

What GAPS in my current knowledge exist that I might need to fill through research? LO1

what are the key skill sets I'm likely to gain? LO2

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I have decided that I will be writing a track inspired by the halo game series, one track will have a clean sound with orchestral elements and the other will have overdriven electric guitar. I have also confirmed that I will be working on this track with Joey Harris.

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What challenges am I likely to come across? LO1, LO2

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What challenges am I likely to come across? LO1, LO2

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There are two challenges that spring to mind immediately when asked this question. The first is working with midi in a way that sits in the track nicely. This is particularly notable with strings as in the past getting midi strings to sound nice has been a challenge.  The second is making a track that enhances game play without being distracting or boring. With game play music you don't want it to be overly intricate and take away from the star which is the game itself, however I don't want the track to be boring when listened to on it's own.

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What gaps in my current knowledge exist that I might need to fill through research? LO1, LO2

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What gaps in my current knowledge exist that I might need to fill through research? LO1, LO2

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The most important things for me to get a grasp on is making midi instruments sound more natural, particularly strings, so they don't sound jarring in the track and ruin immersion. But also looking at the structure of video game tracks and how they move would help me to know how interesting the piece should be without it being overwhelming.

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What are the key skill sets that I am likely to gain? LO1, LO2

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What are the key skill sets that I am likely to gain? LO1, LO2

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If I continue with my initial plan I will become more familiar using MIDI instruments which if I can do well will expand my options massively when it comes to song writing and recording in the future as well as getting more familiar with writing parts on instruments other than guitar. Another beneficial skill set will be an insight into writing music for games which opens up a whole new revenue of potential profit.

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Here is an initial idea I've had for my track that uses a progression of add9 chords and volume swells.

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After playing around with some ideas I recorded this lead line which I think could be a good starting point for a melody.

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During the song Treasure I played a popping line which helped me to develop my right hand muting skills and work on keeping in time and in the pocket. Feedback we got suggested we look at each other and communicate more on stage which is something I also thought and will try more to do in the future.

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Initial ideas LO1

Potential timelines LO1

Potential resources LO1

Potential research  LO1

Potential challenges  LO1

Potential opportunities for collaboration LO1

Skillsets that may be developed LO2, LO3

Documentation of LPW song LO2, LO3

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My initial ideas for this assignment is to create two versions of an instrumental track aimed mainly at the video game market. Taking much inspiration from the "Halo" video game series, my initial thoughts on the variations is to have one live using electric guitar and drums and the other as a studio version incorporating orchestral elements into this.

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Skill sets that may be developed LO1, LO2

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Skill sets that may be developed LO1, LO2

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Mixing and mastering skills

Composition skills

Arrangement skills

Working with orchestral elements

Performing instrumental music confidently

Writing music for the video game industry

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Potential opportunities for collaboration LO1, LO2

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Potential opportunities for collaboration LO1, LO2

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I am hoping to collaborate with a drummer for this assignment as I feel midi drums wouldn't give the track enough liveliness. I have Joey Harris in mind for this role as we've worked on several projects together in the past and have a good working relationship.

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Difficulty creating an orchestral arrangement for the studio piece

Inexperienced in mixing my own tracks

Inexperienced in writing music alone

The track not feeling engaging when played live

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Performance of Steve Vai instrumental music

How to write orchestral arrangements

Mixing and mastering techniques

Notable features and techniques of the “Halo” soundtrack

Tips for writing music for video games

Use of tone in the “Halo” soundtrack

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Padlet: to track progress

Mendeley cite: to cite any sources

Halo 2 anniversary soundtrack: comparing tracks for inspiration and ideas

YouTube: watching live performances for stage presence ideas

Access to DAW and plugins for arranging, mixing, and mastering the track

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Contextual listening: halo Gungnir mix, Scorpion mix. Wider listening of the Halo video game series sound track.

Compare and contrast mixes

Draft initial musical ideas

Develop ideas into motifs

Create arrangement for live performance of the track

Create a studio/orchestral arrangement for the track

Record live version of the track

Record mix/master studio track

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Gibbs reflective cycle steps:

1. We performed Roxanne by the police adding our own spin on the ending with a guitar solo and call and response between the guitar and the vocals.

4. The solo went well despite me having multiple blisters and worrying that they would tear, I made sure to practice the solo thoroughly and take the anxiety medication prescribed to me by the GP an hour before class. One thing that didn't go so well was the ending as I was on the same note for a lot longer than I wanted, this is because of lack of communication with the drummer coupled with the monitor next to him not working.

6. Next time I would like to communicate more with the drummer for the ending of the song and take on more of a musical directors role by making sure everyone knows where we are in the song and when to finish.

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"Call Me" Gibbs reflective cycle LO1, LO2

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"Call Me" Gibbs reflective cycle LO1, LO2

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This week I practiced using specific fingers and played the arpeggio over two octaves. This is to help with my finger independence and set me up for learning to play flurries of notes by sweep picking.

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During this rehearsal I managed to get the structure pretty spot on. However I think my part is a little busy and isn’t standing out as well as creating room in the mix for other parts. I’ll try simplified the part slightly for LPW.

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Although I didn't get a chance to record any video or audio evidence of this weeks song, Go your own way, I still practiced some important skills by learning it. The main thing I learnt in this song is not being afraid to have space in a solo as opposed to just playing flurries of notes the whole time. Allowing space in a solo is very important.

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I added a glitching synth sound along with an automated volume swell to bring the track to a crescendo before it enters section 2. I also added the original melody idea back in and found when moved earlier in the track it fit well.

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This week during practice I decided to work on arpeggios. I decided to use the key of F major. This is also one of the first times I have properly practiced to a metronome in an attempt to improve my sense of rhythm and timing I aim to practice like this regularly. This exercise helped to improve my finger dexterity particularly in my 4th finger which I don't use much and would make a good warm up, something new I learnt from this is the diminished arpeggio shape from the low E string which increases my options when writing music.

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I feel this performance went very well, the structure was correct and we were very in time and me and Joey were constantly communicating on stage. The changes I made from yesterday in simplifying my part did make it more sonically appealing. One thing I think could've been better was dynamic variation in the song.

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This is the earlier track with the addition of the main idea for section 2. I added some MIDI drums to help me get a feel of this section before I record it properly.

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I think I may have settled upon a final structure for this track. I definitely want to add more instrumentation to vary dynamics and texture but I think the structure is one I am happy with.

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After coming up with a decent structure I decided some housekeeping was in order for my tracks. I started by colouring the tracks by group and then packing the guitars into a folder to make it look more neat and manageable. This is a technique we learnt in our first Production Tools class and it helps to keep everything clear and manageable. I also used the arranger track to clearly display the sections and the changes.

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Copyright claim on LPW performance video! LO3

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Copyright claim on LPW performance video! LO3

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A few hours after uploading the video I went to add it to my padlet and noticed the video had actually been claimed for copyrighted material. To me this proves that we covered it authentically as the automatic copyright flagging system picked it up.

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Hid Melody when working on the track LO2

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Hid Melody when working on the track LO2

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I decided to hide and mute the melody when I was working on the track as I found it was distracting me and making it difficult to develop the track. I chose to keep however as it is a good melody that I can develop and add later.

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I've worked more on the track this week developing my initial ideas. I took some of the lessons we learnt in Production Tools and used MIDI instruments that were recommended to us during the lesson. Initially when I tried to add strings they sounded horrible and unnatural, but when I used Spitfire Labs virtual instruments they actually sounded really good.

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In this image you can see two MIDI tracks that I have added to my project. I used my MIDI controller to automate the dynamics when playing so the parts fade in and out more naturally making them sit better in the mix.

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For writing purposes I've added programmed drums so I have an idea of what everything may sound like in context. I might keep these in for the writing and formative hand in then work with my collaborator to get a nice studio take of something very similar for the final submission.

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Here's a roadmap I created to help me stay on track with this part of my project.

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Gibbs steps:

1. Played chordal guitar on track "From Eden" by Hozier

4. Liam said that the parts worked together very nicely, I didn't want to play the same as the other two guitarists in my group this week so I opted for the chordal backing instead

6. I struggled to stay well in time during the flameco sort of section so will practice the timings of this at home

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Unfortunatley I was hit with sickness once again this week and was unable to attend LPW. However I made use of the time I had at home and developed my project work.

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You can see in the above capture I captured both a processed track and a DI track when I recorded this intro section. I decided I wasn't happy with the processed track so ran the DI back through the FM3 to re-amp it with more reverb.

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Experimenting with DearVR micro LO2, LO3

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Experimenting with DearVR micro LO2, LO3

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For my own research this week I wanted to experiment with DearVR micro to have more options with my panning. The plugin was free and I found it easy to use, the adition of elevation and 360° panning made for a much more immersive experience than only 180° from left to right. My next steps will be to include this in my project to make it feel like you're really in the track.

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I made good progress with my track this week and have the intro section all tracked. Although I am going to seek feedback and make any changes recommended I wanted to see how it fit over the kind of game I had in mind. I got a capture of HALO's MCC home screen and put the intro of my track over it. Peer feedback at the moment suggests the song is a good fit. My next steps with the track will be to record the verse section.

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Gibbs reflective steps:

1. Played second itteration of live track with Joey

4. We have both played together for a longtime so are very locked in with eachother. We also listened to the formative demo I made many times before this rehersal so we had a bank of ideas

6. We will continue to reherse this structure and I will begin research into performance techniques

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At the moment I have recorded all of the main guitar and bass parts for the track. My next steps will be to add drums so I can finalise the MIDI instrument parts.

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Capture from Holding Absence's Instagram 

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On Friday I went to a gig to see Holding Absence. While there I noticed how much the lighting added to the performances of both the headliner and the two support bands with lights matching up with the music and really just adding another layer of depth to the performance. After the show I got the oppurtunity to talk to the singer of the first support band Dark Divine, who's first international show this was. I asked him about if the band brought their own lighting tech and he replied "No not yet but it's something we're looking into, at the moment we just sort of rely on in house lighting techs." this was a shock to me because of how synced the lighting was with the performance which prompted me to ask if they sent their setlist to the lighting tech and he did it from that, to which he told me "not even that really. We just sorta say this is what we're kinda looking for and we're like a halloweeney vibes kinda band and they take it from there." This whole interaction gave me a very nice insight into the touring aspect of the industry and is something I can say I definitely learnt from.

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Gibbs reflective steps:

1. Played Ain't it fun by paramore

4. Me, Joey, and Rhiannon regularly perform this song in our set as a band so this was very natural for us to play. The structure was well tied down however there was a little bit in the bridge where we drifted in terms of timming.

6. we should try our best to nail that section in the bridge and keep everything tight tommorow.

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Gibbs reflective steps:

1. Performed Ain't it fun by Paramore

4. The stage was very crowded which meant there wasn't much room to move around but communication was very good between me and Joey and Matt however I could've communicated more with the rest of the band. We got the section from yesterday right.

6. I should aim to communicate more with all band members in the future.

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In this video Vai performs a rendition of the Halo theme tune. While doing this he remains quite upright, it is clear he is enjoying the playing but he isn't walking around the stage too much or thrashing about to the piece. It is played tastefully in a style reflecting the style of the track. In my performance I plan to take from this and let the track be the main focus while still enjoying it. The other thing that really stands out is the use of lighting and background video, these really help to make it an experience of the music and not just a listening of it. Although there isn't a board behind the stage as far as I am aware I will definitely talk to the lighting tech for the venue to disscuss options for my performance.

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Safe working practice: Wrist exercises LO1, LO2

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Safe working practice: Wrist exercises LO1, LO2

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Because I am playing exclusivley stretchy Add9 chords for my track it is putting a lot of strain on my writst. Because of this it is important I warm up and warm down using exercises shown during this video to avoid being in a condition were I cannot play fluently.

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Evidence safe working practice: Wrist exercises

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Our studio session on thursday we made sure to use certain techniques and conduct ourselves in a professional manner. We arrived with the backing track in a suitable format labeled with the tempo stored on a USB. Some key techniques we used during this session are use of a room mic to help give the drums a really big sound and fully micing the kick and snare (Kick in+kick out, snare top+snare bottom) to provide more control over the sound. We also insured we followed the risk assesment control variables [see Recording risk assesment part B] to keep a safe working practice.

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As you can see in the screen capture I have added the drums to my track. I have also re-organised and colour coded everything to optimise my work flow, the arranger track has also been used to navigate sections quickly. The drum stems were all exelently balanced by the engineer so I went straight to mixing making use of Neutron 4 to give me a solid starting point, it wasn't necessary on all the tracks however it had great effect on the room mic which really made the drums sound huge. I boosted the room mic at 200hrtz to make the snare really punch and dipped it at 2K due to a nuisance noise, possibly the kick pedal.

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Gibbs reflective steps:

1. performed my summative track with Joey Harris and got feedback telling me to boost the high-mids on the guitar tone, communicate more on stage, and move about the stage making use of the space.

4. Moving about certainly made for a more immersive performance, this is because I was enjoying and moving to the music which often makes the audience want to do the same. Communication on stage made the performance more dynamic because we were pushing and pulling in exactly the same places. Brightening my tone gave the guitar more clarity and made it sound more well rounded.

6. As all of this feedback clearly gave a disireable effect I will make sure to follow it for the perfornance, walking around the stage before starting to familiarise myself with it.

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My track is almost complete yet it feels like it's missing something. I think that perhaps adding a topline melody will bring it all together.

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Gibbs Reflective Cycle: Week 9 LO1, LO2, LO3

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Gibbs Reflective Cycle: Week 9 LO1, LO2, LO3

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Finalisation of studio track (in context) LO2, LO3

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Finalisation of studio track (in context) LO2, LO3

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After adding some backing distorted guitars, synth drone in the first chorus, and simple melody in the second chorus as well as a string swell to round the track off I am happy with the way it sounds. After seeking peer feedback I was told that it fits the game well and overall sounds good showing that it would be recieved with credibility by the target audience.

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Gibbs reflective steps:

1. Captured original track and made use of stage walking technique to encourage a good performance.

4. stage walking prior to performance helped familiarise myself with the performance area and made it easier to move around during the piece. Good communication between me and Joey made the piece nicely in-time. Lighting could've been more engaging.

6. For a similar capture next time I should prioritise talking to a lighting tech to increase the depth of my performance.