: My Life in Music..............
No tunes this time...It's a BOOK! Not known for having a 'Kindle' finger, books are not on the top of my 'must get this week' list. The same could be said for Judy Collins, I have never been the biggest of fans but own up to just the one CD in my collection and very nice it is too. This book was something of a serendipitous find while watching the 'one eyed monster'. Judy was on, talking about the book even though it was late promotion as it has been out a year. Anyway, I bobbed into Leeds to pick up some strings and called for a coffee (in a popular high street bookstore) and there it was, this very same book so onto the 'plastic' it went and it's a wowser!
Although I was born in '53 I was not of an age to take advantage of (what I'm told were) the hedonistic, free love, pot smoking thing that was going on in the '60's. I just missed out! But by all accounts it was the time to be 'around'! Reading this book, I'm glad I missed it! But it is a Who's Who of the folk scene at that time. From Judy's meeting with Stephen Stills to several stories and anecdotes involving Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen etc. To a very poignant meeting with Janis Joplin and recalling later that she was as 'near to the edge' as she was! She grew up with an alcoholic father and made several attempts at suicide while still very young. All in all a very interesting tale that will keep you page turning. It is also a book of hope to all that need it and a stark reminder of what can be, to those of us that don't! A good read!
Cover Photo by Francesco Scavullo.
ISBN: 978_0_307_71736_8.
£15 ish (hardback).
Home Studio Pt 1.
I think that at this early stage it would be a wise move to get your software installed. For one thing it's the FREE bit and another you can have a play around with it and follow some of the 'lessons' that come along with it.
For the recording side I have gone with 'Audacity' (http://audacity.sourceforge.net/). Also download the 'Plug-In's' (effects etc) that come with it. You will also find software that lets you export files in mp3 format when you have done editing. So download that as well.
You will be needing some file converter software and for this I have chosen a little number from NCH Software, (www.nch.com.au.) No surprise here as it's called, 'File Converter'!
As you play around and follow the tutorials you will need some data to play with. You can import any music track of your choice and practise cutting the length or section of a tune but will not improve on the quality etc. That's all been done. So get some 'raw' data. For that I used my mobile phone. Just turn on the voice recorder and play it a tune. Load that to your PC, convert it to a file type 'Audacity' is happy with via your file converter and you have your data to play with.
Next time we will look at how to get the signal from your instrument to the PC, then we can start some 'real' editing.
Top Tip: If you have never been very good at disc 'housekeeping' START NOW! Work out a system that suits you and stick to it! Every time you alter your track in any way and save it, it will create another file and you may want to edit a previous one so decide how you are going to name them and file them. It will pay off in the end!
Well I think that's enough for now? If you do have any idea's pls drop me a line but for now it's Ta Ta from me.
Contact: Email folktalkinfolk@gmail.com. Twitter @folktalkinfolk. Direct 07526 504285.
No tunes this time...It's a BOOK! Not known for having a 'Kindle' finger, books are not on the top of my 'must get this week' list. The same could be said for Judy Collins, I have never been the biggest of fans but own up to just the one CD in my collection and very nice it is too. This book was something of a serendipitous find while watching the 'one eyed monster'. Judy was on, talking about the book even though it was late promotion as it has been out a year. Anyway, I bobbed into Leeds to pick up some strings and called for a coffee (in a popular high street bookstore) and there it was, this very same book so onto the 'plastic' it went and it's a wowser!
Although I was born in '53 I was not of an age to take advantage of (what I'm told were) the hedonistic, free love, pot smoking thing that was going on in the '60's. I just missed out! But by all accounts it was the time to be 'around'! Reading this book, I'm glad I missed it! But it is a Who's Who of the folk scene at that time. From Judy's meeting with Stephen Stills to several stories and anecdotes involving Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen etc. To a very poignant meeting with Janis Joplin and recalling later that she was as 'near to the edge' as she was! She grew up with an alcoholic father and made several attempts at suicide while still very young. All in all a very interesting tale that will keep you page turning. It is also a book of hope to all that need it and a stark reminder of what can be, to those of us that don't! A good read!
Cover Photo by Francesco Scavullo.
ISBN: 978_0_307_71736_8.
£15 ish (hardback).
Home Studio Pt 1.
I think that at this early stage it would be a wise move to get your software installed. For one thing it's the FREE bit and another you can have a play around with it and follow some of the 'lessons' that come along with it.
For the recording side I have gone with 'Audacity' (http://audacity.sourceforge.net/). Also download the 'Plug-In's' (effects etc) that come with it. You will also find software that lets you export files in mp3 format when you have done editing. So download that as well.
You will be needing some file converter software and for this I have chosen a little number from NCH Software, (www.nch.com.au.) No surprise here as it's called, 'File Converter'!
As you play around and follow the tutorials you will need some data to play with. You can import any music track of your choice and practise cutting the length or section of a tune but will not improve on the quality etc. That's all been done. So get some 'raw' data. For that I used my mobile phone. Just turn on the voice recorder and play it a tune. Load that to your PC, convert it to a file type 'Audacity' is happy with via your file converter and you have your data to play with.
Next time we will look at how to get the signal from your instrument to the PC, then we can start some 'real' editing.
Top Tip: If you have never been very good at disc 'housekeeping' START NOW! Work out a system that suits you and stick to it! Every time you alter your track in any way and save it, it will create another file and you may want to edit a previous one so decide how you are going to name them and file them. It will pay off in the end!
Well I think that's enough for now? If you do have any idea's pls drop me a line but for now it's Ta Ta from me.
Contact: Email folktalkinfolk@gmail.com. Twitter @folktalkinfolk. Direct 07526 504285.
No comments:
Post a Comment