Experiment In Music

Piccadilly Records review Keep It Stupid Simple - Iain Wright's MySpace Blog |

2010-05-16T09:39:00.000+09:30

"Keep It Stupid Simple" is the first release for Scottish born singer songwriter Iain Wright now based in Adelaide. "Keep It Stupid Simple" highlights the beautiful melody of Iain's guitar and voice, whether it's the strut of the opening track "Bad Dreams" or the haunting quality of "Langdon Street" there enough in this little gem of an EP to keep you happy, yet leave you wanting more. - Piccadilly Records, Manchester

Album available from Piccadilly records Manchester U.K.

Piccadilly Records Review

Radio Adelaide 101.5 FM this Sat - Iain Wright's MySpace Blog |

2010-04-29T20:21:00.000+09:30

Radio Adelaide 101.5 FM this Sat - Iain Wright's MySpace Blog |

Promotion or Propaganda

2010-04-09T13:55:00.004+09:30

I really should update this more often but seem to spending all my time trying to figure out how to promote the album.

Here are some links for you all.

The album is now available on iTunes:

Keep It Stupid Simple on iTunes

It's kind of weird how they have posted it, still in discussion with TCore as to why.

The video audio has been fixed and is now available here:

Bad Dreams on Vimeo

Myspace page has been started and I mean started:

Myspace

The task list is endless and being a one man show pretty challenging. Luckily I have some good friends to help me out along the way and slowly the propaganda machine ramps up!

Would love to get back to recording songs but in the mean time I have to get this stuff happening properly. I need some staff!

Mastering....Zen and The Art Of

2009-12-03T22:45:00.002+10:30

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, good book, read it.

This morning I sat in and on the mastering session for my 5 song E.P. and it was a joy to be part of.

Neville from Disk-Edits spent 2.5 hours polishing my work, offering advice and entering into discussion about recording technique, mixing considerations and software tools. It was some of the best money I have spent.

Not only did I have a wonderful experience I walked out with a 5 songs, polished using professional audio tools controlled by a professional.

An experience worth sharing and I will share more when I speak to you all.

I learned so much and grateful for that opportunity.

2.5 hours, 1 morning, 2 coffee's it's mind blowing what can be learned and achieved in such a small space of time.

Don't forget to have a look at Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

Bonus track and new material

2009-08-22T18:46:00.003+09:30

The album cover is nearly complete, I have a few adjustments I want made and it will be ready.

The new line up is 4 tracks with 1 bonus track. The idea behind this is that 4 of the tracks were completed during the month off and the bonus track was completed after.

The bonus track called "After Thought" is a short piece of work but I have asked a fellow swimmer and musician Anna to help me extend the track with her viola. She has agreed but with some scheduling problems the work still has to be completed.

Added to this a friend of mine, Asha, sent me some of her poems one of which has turned into a song called "Numb Me". A demo has been made. I now need to go back and record the tracks properly but excited about this song and "After Thought".

Just read my last post and guess what? I'm moving house again!!

This time I won't be under the flight path of Adelaide Airport so much more opportunity to record music.

I will try and post more once back on track with these projects but looking good for a new lease of life in all of them.

An update from the back streets of Adelaide

2009-05-08T22:14:00.002+09:30

Lots has gone on but little musical.

Parents have been and gone, awesome having them around.

Moved house, again....

Work has once again taken over my time.

However developments are as follows.

Album art work designed and created by one Mr Sean King.

Check out his site for more info and eternally thankful for having a resource like this at hand and being encouraged by his personal endeavors and success. Plus being a great friend.

http://www.seankingonline.com/

Art work now with Mr Marko Lahnstein for some pre-press work and this man is a gun at getting things right.

A constant inspiration in the swimming pool and on land and a great friend.

Just a point to note here, we need good friends and we need good people to inspire us. We can't do it alone.

Essentially the release of the album has hit the back burner for a few reasons.

4 tracks was never enough but it takes time to write material.

I wrote 2 new songs. One has been recorded and the other to be started.

I felt that with 6 songs I had a real tangible piece of work and there is more....

Through swimming I have become friends with a violin player who is what I term a proper musician.

She plays with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and is now currently doing music for the Phantom of the Opera.

I asked, on a whim, if she would consider playing on some songs I had and she has agreed!

I have no idea how to record a violin but the challenge excites me. She can also play a Viola, I think it is called and this can go as low as a Cello! I am just stoked by this concept as the one song I did record I could extend with some Viola and the other song has room for some Violin.

What an opportunity and I am truly excited by it. Thanks Anna looking forward to the experience.

So for now I want to complete another 2 songs whilst finalising the album cover.

Update complete.....

Except I am now riding around on a 50cc scooter instead of my killer expensive car and am going for my bike licence in 2 weeks and then want to get a Suzuki GS500 or similar, if all goes to plan.

Cheap efficent motoring. I like it.

Facebook

2008-12-23T22:57:00.000+10:30

Join me on Facebook if you want to have a listen to the songs.....

Bass Guitar

2008-12-13T19:33:00.002+10:30

Just the one cover song that I really wanted a Bass guitar on, just one! Could I find a bass guitar to borrow????

Looked around for a cheap bass guitar for a while but they were just not right. They were not worth the $200+ that was being asked.

So today I visited Derringers and had a chat about software upgrades and was told about Logic from Apple. This software is like a recording studio on steroids! I did have a good chat about Pro Tools and out of all this I realised I have a pretty good solution as is.

Cubase LE and the H4.

Of course then I was told about Duet....anyway for those interested go and have a look at this stuff:

http://store.apple.com/us/product/MA797LL/A

http://store.apple.com/us/product/TQ936Z/A

Apparently Duet is one of the best bits of kit you can buy.....

Right so then I went over and had a look at Bass guitars and had the same problem as before....but then stumbled across a Yamaha $225 and it had some nice specs! Sold.....

Have messed with adding it to the song and the results have been exactly what I was looking for. Plus it is heaps of fun to play!!

So the saga continues.....am waiting on an album cover design to reach me and then we will be in production...well almost....

Quick update

2008-11-30T19:34:00.002+10:30

I have finally got a good mix but some small modifications required.

I want to look at a Sure mic for future acoustic guitar recordings.

Other than that I need to dedicate a few solid hours deciding on final mixes.

Some people will be getting a sample CD so I can get an idea of where I am at.

I have Sean on board to do a good black and white photo for the album cover, thanks Sean.

Other than that I finally fixed my bike up with a new chain and cleaned all the parts plus adjusted my brakes. Why I didn't do that months ago I will never know.

4 weeks gone....

2008-11-25T22:37:00.002+10:30

Sad but true my 4 week luxury of time is now over.

Back to work and back to the evening dash to get some work done.

The good news is I am now more confident that I know what I am doing and how to get what I want from my equipment.

Technical stuff coming up...

When recording guitar I use the pre-amp in my Taylor instead of a mic configuration. I was happier with the sound quality and signal strength.

Vocals I used a condenser mic at the suggestion of many people but had room reverb issues. Simple truth is I started positioning the mic so that I was facing cardboard covered in egg cartons and this worked well to cut down reverb. No my studio isn't covered in them!

My latest disaster though was muddy vocals. When I created a test CD and played on my room stereo the vocals were very muddy. Thanks Phil for the info on compressors as this may explain why I ended up with muddy vocals. Also will be looking into all your suggestions thanks again.

I have employed a few effects (check out www.cubase.net for more info) to brighten my vocal tracks and am now using send and return effects to get some really good results and keep CPU load low.

Post production is going well however still not sure my final mix will be as strong as production CD's as I just don't have the software tools to get the job done.

I looked at upgrading to Cubase 4 from LE but that costs $1000 that would only inprove my recording and production. Then there is another bit of software for CD mastering.....

Creatively pretty flat, a few ideas but I feel I need more instruments. Want a bass guitar to add some backing to a cover song I have recorded but don't know anyone with a bass guitar I can borrow.

Had a quick look at some accoustic bass guitars....considering this but not a cheap option. Still I have always wanted one.

Watched a nice bit of TV on ABC2 about David Grey and how he records in the studio....he has a full studio, sound guy, drummer, bass player and is just having a brilliant time bouncing off people...was nice as it focuses the mind on how to tease out new ideas.

Tha's it for now, swimming Wed then maybe more play time Thu but off to see Sean at the weekend to get some album art work in the bag.

Thanks to those who keep reading, good to know someone is!

CD or MP3

2008-11-20T09:05:00.002+10:30

Although I want a final CD and will work towards that as a goal, I am also looking at the Podsafe network http://music.podshow.com/ to distribute music. Only my works will be available via this download site but the nice thing is that you can listen to the music before paying 99c to download the song.

A nice way to distribute music I think.

I just heard a band on the radio who are using the Radiohead model of allowing their album to be downloaded for 3 months after which you can request a CD copy at a cost.

Should artists ask for money for their music?

I think they should, if they have spent time and money on doing what they do then I don't think it is issue.

The problem comes when people want to make lots of money and that is their motivation.

Sustainability, that is what I would like to achieve. If music could be sustainable for me then that would allow me to continue playing music.

There is an artist in Adelaide called Steve Langdon. He is painter, sculptor and has been based in Adelaide for years. He doesn't make much money and in fact owes rent but no one minds because the community likes to have him in the area.

They like the fact that his studio is available and he is always doing something new. He is a local icon and for good reason!

The importance of art and culture highlighted in The Simpsons recently when Lisa is teaching some yokles but struggles until she hits upon the idea of showing them all the culture around Springfield which opens their eyes and learning becomes fun.

Maybe if we were all allowed to slow down then sustainability would be achievable. Maybe not but I like the idea and after all it is just my opinion.

Final decisions

2008-11-19T09:31:00.002+10:30

Technical decisions that should have been made at the beginning have been made a bit late in the game but nothing can be done there.

Still some good articles on 16-bit and 24-bit depth recording if anyone is interested.

Looks like I have 4 original pieces of work and 2 covers. So I guess there will be something for everyone.

Most of the hard work is completed, vocal's recorded again and harmonies added, all before 9am I might add! Lead guitar parts added also.

It's not so much an experiment as a journey or an exercise in music....all of the above and more.

I always thought I would do better late at night but there is something nice about hitting the studio early on, mind you it is now a darkened room with no outside light coming in due to the drapes over the window used to help kill audio reflections...plus all the egg cartons....guitars around the room, cables...guitar pedals....mic stand with mic and spit guard....computers, H4 recording device....oh what a beautiful mess....

Vocal Stuff...

2008-11-17T17:14:00.002+10:30

I'm a guitarist....not a vocalist! One of my frustrations.

Made all the more frustrating when I am not happy with what I have done vocally and don't know how to fix it.

It suddenly occurred to me that my vocals sounded strained, like I was trying to fight with rest of the sounds. Then I realised that is exactly what I was doing.

So then the penny dropped and I could fix that problem but had to redo all my vocals....that brought on this sinking feeling as I wasn't sure it would work and blah, blah, blah.....procrastination, I am very good at it.

It worked, I now have vocals that don't sound strained. Still not sure they are 100% relaxed but they are much better and feel more comfortable to sing and listen to.

There are some really challenges in recording different sounds, guitar, percussion or vocal and making it work.

Interesting exercise which has taken me a step further.

Cover Songs

2008-11-11T12:04:00.005+10:30

Today is the day for cover versions.

I really like hearing what other bands can do with another song and Triple J's like a version concept is great so I wanted to include one.

I'm not sure that what I have done this morning is good enough but I am going to leave it for a few hours and listen again before I make final judgment. The hard part is trying to capture the energy that the song has and that really comes across live but not sure if it will when recorded.

Of course this now means I have to cover off the legalities of covering a song. And so it goes on....

Chords

2008-11-10T16:13:00.002+10:30

I think I struck a harmony with a chord.....oh how I crack myself up! Hahahaha

But no seriously just wrote a wee piece that has some potential.

It feels like a chapter has closed and another one has opened as week 3 commences with a very flat day, no listening to what I have already done and up till 1 hour ago no real sense of anything happening. Not creatively anyway.

I did however look into Copyright and all the things that go along with being a professional in your area. When you dig deep it becomes interesting....I need to dig some more to get a few answers.

Onwards, with that creative burst I just had.

Time is the key

2008-11-06T08:54:00.003+10:30

How quickly do we want things? How long can we wait? What advantage is there to wait? Why not have it now?

Time is a great healer, time waits for no man......on and on they go and they are right.

It's great to look back now at work done and say to myself I like that, or that's not so good, it needs some work. Also to look back at the process and ideas and see that they have grown into something I actually intended them to. You can only gain that perspective by letting time pass.

It occurred to me last night as I was cycling to the swimming pool that there will always be imperfections, something about my bike that isn't just right, something about my car that's not good. Something about a song that's just not perfect.

If we look hard enough we'll find imperfections.

Can someone please stop me from rambling on!

All is going well, yesterday was a zero motivation day but it let me gain some perspective.

1 track complete another in it's final stages but the 3rd is a vocal nightmare and I have no idea what I am going to do about it so at this stage a sample has been sent to a friend for creative criticism.....and it will be criticised trust me!

Update..........

2008-11-04T09:38:00.004+10:30

Well the egg carton's for echo reduction isn't going so well. I approached a shop to try and get lots in one hit. I was told someone else was already collecting them.....very quickly the end of a conversation.

I was going to ask if he could keep just a couple for me but it just seemed to hard!

Bought some cheap carpet tiles and have used them to insulate under my speakers and curved them back up against the wall to deaden sound.

Day 1 off actual recording and 1 song down roughly. The song has developed as it is being recorded. I now need a 3rd verse and want to extend the end.

It is being put to bed for a day or two so I can lend it a fresh ear. An important action to give it break and allow ideas to mature.

Onwards with something new and a different style of music.....

T.F.I.F

2008-10-31T22:09:00.002+10:30

A week!? Honestly, no way that was a week.

I have spent to much time experimenting this week. I am not at a good stage to get things started but have one problem. Sound proofing. Not for the neighbours but for me. When using a cardoid mic to record guitar the room has an echo, reverb, delay....all of the above. When I record voice it doesn't seem to be as apparent.

The plan is to build portable insulation. Using cardboard as backing I want to glue egg cartons to them and then position them strategically around the room. So if you have any egg cartons......

I never realised how important this sort of setup is until now and I have been very frustrated trying to deal with recordings that have reverb on them. If it was a nice reverb it probably wouldn't be a problem but it is a shallow reverb.

Anyway apart from that what great fun! Serious fun.

Excited by an end product but hope to not be frustrated with limitations.

Weekend off and regrouping Monday morning for an early start. But might work on some sound proofing this weekend.

When all else fails, blog

2008-10-30T17:14:00.007+10:30

A frustrating day in the end. I decided to try and take some work through to a final mix and then mp3 the file.

I wanted to get a final .wav file to check output levels on equipment like my normal stereo. Firstly a twist of fate meant that the mp3 file I created wouldn't play on the DVD player, long story....needless to say I hate our DVD player and would happily destroy, accidently, given the chance.

Anyway our very modern plasma TV has a USB port and on plugging in it recognised the file and all was good again until massive distortion! I went back to square one and played with the .wav file. I ended up hooking my laptop to my stereo and listening. To my relief no distortion and reasonable sound.

Here's the problem, I want the audio I create to be as loud as the CD's in shops today. That means if my stereo sound level says 15 and a CD is listenable then so should mine. This is not the case.

Not sure if that is because of recording hardware limitations, my clear lack of production skills and understanding or just that today's CD levels are extremely high. Combination of the above?

I had the idea that the first song I would record would be a fngerpicking number I have had for years, I know it well, have played it many times and well, yeah, 1 track so should be easy.

Great plan but it seems that sometimes certain things are just difficult to play as well as you would like! The end recorded result I was not happy with.

New batteries for pre-amp and 5 takes later....yeah it's OK. Keep it simple stupid.... this is what I need to remember. Just because something is there I don't need to use it! Thank you, maybe my problem is solved.

It's all about the toys

2008-10-30T12:06:00.002+10:30

It's all about Cubase right now. It has some great features.

Also digging around on the net to understand some concepts better.

Using the sample tracks I put down, learning about a new feature, testing it, breaking things then understanding better. Luckily there is an undo feature.

The flip side is I start seeing better ways to do things for songs and keep my brain ticking over on how to record.

Onwards and upwards

2008-10-29T11:04:00.005+10:30

It has been a strange combination of learning how to use Cubase and being creative at the same time.

After importing some files I had already recorded on the H4 I put down some slide guitar over it and then started playing and learning about Cubase.

Now trying to under stand exactly what an Audio Gate can do for me and how to use them effectively. Plus I have a Compressor and Limiter at my disposal. Also a nice EQ to really fine tune what is coming out.

The great thing is I have time to play and understand then the opportunity to revisit things the next day.

Cubase really satisfies the inner geek in me!

The last thing I did was put down a short vocal track and that was great fun. I now have a real sense of where this song is going and some new ideas to try out.

Perfect Day

2008-10-27T12:01:00.002+10:30

Over cast but warm, a perfect day to start.

Dropped the H4, panic ensued as the device said "No card"! Panic over after turning it off and back on again! Lucky I work in IT.

The finality of recording something is apparent. Will it be right, should I add this part or that. Decided to record any ideas I have on separate tracks which can be added or removed later once I have distanced myself from the music and gained perspective.

On another note, we swam into a seal between Henley and Grange on Sunday morning. Caused a panic as a USO was sighted but then identified.

Must stop procrastinating and get back to work.

Stage 2, sort of....

2008-10-19T10:46:00.006+10:30

1 week to go before I take time off work.

Life has been consumed by work, the Chiro and getting back into the water and swimming. Not very Rock 'n' Roll is it!?

I had good intentions of spending time playing guitar and singing each day for a few weeks before I start time off. Best laid plans of mice and men or as Burn's put it "The best laid schemes o' mice an' men/Gang aft agley." (The things you learn on Wikipedia!)

This week I will make sure I play.

For the geek community I have a niggling thought in the back of my mind about a piece of equipment. The BOSS RV-5.

Originally it was on the list of purchases but fell of once I worked out the effects available in the H4. For guitar I would prefer to have the RV-5. Opinions?

Creatively I am not feeling it right now. My mind is consumed with work and developing a few new skills.

My spare time has been taken up with camping trips (was very unprepared for that), weddings and catching up with friends and my girlfriend, of course!

I am lucky actually, I have a full life with good people around me.

Stage 1....The setup

2008-09-24T20:41:00.006+09:30

The project is to record, at home, songs written by myself plus cover songs to put together an album or at least an e.p. all in 1 month of unpaid leave.

The purpose of this is to document the creative and technical experience.

Originally I was going to documnet this privately but a friend was interested in following the month and suggested I blog it instead.

Some things in life just work out. When my girlfriend dragged me to Ikea to stop me complaining about my desk things worked out.

I purchased a desk and wooden tops for some furniture I already had.

The result was a desk setup perfect for my computers, H4 plus 2 speaker stands either side of the desk positioned to get the best studio setup I could with the room I had. It stopped me complaining! Prolem solved....

Here's a list of the technology I'm using:

Apple MacBook Pro
Zoom H4
Yamaha HS50M Monitor Speakers
Cubase LE

Taylor 310-CE-L30 Electro Accoustic Guitar
Ibanez Electric Guitar
Esteve 7CE Spannish Guitar

Boss RC2 loopstation
VOX Celestion Amplifier

That covers the geek in me!

One of the reasons for taking a month of is that I find it impossible to be creative when work soaks up so much time and energy Mon to Fri. With time off I want to redirect that energy into music.

I have six songs at the moment. 1 with lyrics and another that needs them.

That's all I have for now. More updates will come along closer to the time.

P.S. Working title for album is "Keep It Simple Stupid"