VG+ Cut 'n' Paste Project: Sound Editing Software > Technical Stuff > Progress Sharing

[Ian Townsend]

Mindful that some posters have expressed a desire to join in but don't know where to start, please share information here, even if it's just the software you're using. Any watchable YouTube tutorial videos would be ace too!

For those who missed it, the confusing original sign- up thread is here:
An Extraordinary VG+ Compilation: The Sum Of Its Past

A thread to host inspiring examples is here:
Cut'n'Paste Project: Inspiration

'IN'
ginghamkitchen
Sie-Fly
eine
Monday's Child
Cacapo
babycart
MPFlapp
medlar
e3sa934
Paul-K
Ian Townsend
Expiry2011
pitch
Funkjazztical
Great Day
Daddy Ya Ya
Treeboy
Striker
mendoza
Scat Cat
pH
Sam
Swiss Toni

[Ian Townsend]

Babycart got the ball rolling:

"I've already been farting around on Audacity over the weekend and can´t wait for the technical tips and tricks thread to get started.

This BPM counter is very useful. All you do is tap a key in time to the music.

http://www.all8.com/tools/bpm.htm

Then you can change the tempo on Audacity

I am having problems with seamless splices."

He's also using 'It's Raining Men.'

[babycart]

I just d/led the latest Audacity this weekend. The one I´d been working on was 6 years old
The new "vocoder" and "remove vocal" effects are interesting.

What I really want, though, is advice on how to isolate a vocal. "Tall, blonde, dark and lean, rough and tough and strong and mean", for example.

[Ian Townsend]

I just d/led the latest Audacity this weekend. The one I´d been working on was 6 years old
The new "vocoder" and "remove vocal" effects are interesting.

What I really want, though, is advice on how to isolate a vocal. "Tall, blonde, dark and lean, rough and tough and strong and mean", for example.

Do you really want to isolate a vocal from the background?
I've listened to The Avalanches LP in its entirety about four times times this week and part of the brilliance of it (imho) is the way the raw vocal samples are used, even the well-known ones like Kid Creole and Marlena Shaw. It's tough going finding sung vocal samples to incorporate but definitely an element I want mine to have.

Technical:
I'm still building up a small library of potentially usable sound clips (all WAV'd), using my 12-year old Roxio Sound Editor. I will upgrade to Audacity shortly. I should have already really, but I'm in a good systematic, listening flow right now.

Project Progress:
- Beginning to 'code' clips into a number of folders (orchestral, synth, vocal, intros, stabs, spoken word) to locate them easier later on.
- As I've gone along I've heard similarities / possible links in my head between certain snippets based on say, a bassline, a hook, a rhythm, and have rough pasted a few of them together.
- Where I can hear they have potential I've stopped dead (to delay the gratification of tinkering about with them for hours!) and stuck them in a folder called 'Goers.'

Benefits (so far)
- I had an 'OUT' pile, about 8 inches wide, of various orchestral, Latin, S2S, Bouzouki etc LPs with no 'significant' samples on. If there were just one or two good sound samples (like short stabs or drum rolls) I've sampled them but the LP is still out!
- To avoid idiotic prevaricating ('what if I need that sample recorded slower or faster? / 'what if I missed something good on that LP?') I took the first 'OUT' pile to a charity shop yesterday and it's 'GONE.'. It felt really good. A few dozen charity LPs that have sat there unplayed 'GONE' but in the knowledge I've at least needle dropped for samples.
- In needle- dropping I've found some great 'new' music. Was yesterday loving Franck Pourcel's strange, cello- heavy version of The Beatles 'Yesterday'. On his ubiquitous 'Beatles' LP. Recorded it in full for future comps and returned it to the shelf. A Studio 2 Stereo Blitz survivor.....

Time
About six hours in total so far. I'm finding needle- dropping for samples is a great unwinder at the end of the day, possibly because I'm reading, writing and thinking a lot at the moment. Listening for samples is definitely a relaxing abstract kind of rest.

[Ian Townsend]

Fun
= rough pasting some bits together yesterday

Misery
= Trawling several Living Presence LPs today....ugh.

[Ian Townsend]

Interesting little historical guide to music software. Cites early stuff I've never heard of before racing through the likes of Cubase and FruityLoops (FL) to finish on Garageband strangely, despite it being 2004. The Introduction shouts REAPER loud and clear though and even provides a direct link!

I like the fact the articles name artists who prefered various software and links to music actually created on it.

The 14 Pieces of Software that shaped modern music

[stylesforfree]

I havnt started anything yet, got some drums bopping away but apart from that im just listening to records and sticking post it notes on the front with scribbled notes on what track contains what break on what side etc etc.... Im not sure what to go for here, is it a complete free for all? no format or theme?

[Ian Townsend]

I havnt started anything yet, got some drums bopping away but apart from that im just listening to records and sticking post it notes on the front with scribbled notes on what track contains what break on what side etc etc.... Im not sure what to go for here, is it a complete free for all? no format or theme?

No longer than six minutes.*.

And that Sir, is it. Theme if you like. Or don't. Complete freedom. Just be creative and create something/ anything motorik, beautiful, heavy, smooth, groovy, banging, rough- hewn, lilting, fun, political, cacophanous, arty...whatever you want.






* But that rule will bend of course if someone delivers something brilliant.

[SirSlim]

Listening for samples

becomes automatic after a while...