some major updates to my discography will be completed and finalized over the next few days.
one of the bigger changes is the introduction of this record, which will be sequenced in the compilations section at the end of my second period. it's an idea i've been slowly cultivating for quite a while, and has finally taken shape.
it is conceptually similar to the thru compilation, but it utilizes a different collection of gear. for thru, the focus was on scorewriting and reproducing those scores using software synthesizers - it's entirely computer generated music. this material was initially scored out over 2001 and 2002 and initially meant to be played by live musicians, so little attempt was made to utilize the gear i had around me to actually create anything out of it. this had to wait until my most recent active phase, where i completed the tracks using a mixture of vst technology and live recording - but the thru compilation is purely vst-based.
this takes a similar approach to some of the material i recorded from 1998-2000, mostly. however, the instruments at the time were not vst-based: the drums were programmed entirely on an ry30, the synths are all from a classic jx-8p and the sequencing is done using a windows 95 system, with what was possibly an 8-bit soundcard.
the result is something like a collaboration between brian eno, autechre and trent reznor. if that sounds like a swell production team to you, you might dig this.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/album/electronic-pieces-in-a-primitive-style
Sunday, December 27, 2015
carnigeon
written 1999-2000. reconstructed from electronics source files in dec, 2015.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/carnigeon
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/carnigeon
rept
these parts were all written and recorded over the first half of 2002. this section was remixed repeatedly in late 2014 and finally isolated and rendered in this form on dec 27, 2015.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/rept
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/rept
insp
written in the summer of 2001. remembered over july, 2014. completed august-september, 2014. isolated on dec 27, 2015.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/insp
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/insp
deus ici
initially written in 1996. recreated in mar, 1998. reclaimed july 20, 2015. corrected to control for malfunctioning electronics on dec 27, 2015.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/deus-ici
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/deus-ici
finalizing suicide is a personal choice
this track is now closed. this is the first time i've uploaded an instrumental version of the track, meaning i'm finally over the hump and moving forwards again.
this is not the file i rendered on july 20. however, i have not modified the cubase file since then, either. i was unable to create a null...
the common theme in being unable to recreate the output seems to be when i'm doubling tracks and rendering before i re-open the save. i'm going to guess that it's essentially a cascade of run-off and floating point errors; stuff ends up phased differently, routed differently, etc. i might be able to recreate the exact output if i stripped the project down completely and tried to recreate my steps, but...
...i can't hear the difference in an a/b, anyways. so i just rerendered.
regarding the phones...
i was testing with this track for quite a while this evening and led to the conclusion that it needs a bit of a boost in the high end, and a bit of a cut in the low end. but, before i actually saved over the project, i swapped back to the old phones to verify....and realized i was compensating for the exaggerated bottom end.
it would have been a mild cut - a db around 100 hz. but, it's enough that my ears picked it up, and i'm consequently swearing off mixing with them.
i don't want to reflect overly badly on the new phones. they otherwise sounded great. but the 440-IIs are just flat as saskatchewan, and the difference really was immediately noticeable. it's more that i'm used to mixing with very flat phones. like i'm a real producer or something.
the reality is that almost everything sounds better with a bit of a boost on the bottom, especially material that's been compressed to mp3. i will find a good use for these phones. but, i can't go from what would be $500+ studio phones today to $150 consumer phones and not notice the difference.
i knew that. i was just hoping i could maybe double with them in a pinch. and, i think i still might be able to. but i need to finish this project with my tinfoiled over archaic babies and hope a new cord fixes what ails them...
initially written in 1996. recreated over 1998 and finalized in dec, 1998. reclaimed july 20, 2015. corrected to control for malfunctioning electronics on dec 27, 2015.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/suicide-is-a-personal-choice
i mean, i gotta be clear...
the record sounds very dynamic through the new phones. it's a bass-heavy disc, and they do a good job of stretching it out without losing the rest of the spectrum. i'd recommend it, even.
but i can't mix with them, because they're not flat.
or, at least, i'd have to spend a long time getting used to them. and i'd rather fix my flat phones.
it's just a question of what the proper application is for a tool. you don't hammer a screw, right. and you don't mix with bassy phones. well, unless you make particularly lame hip-hop.
i think the proper application for this pair is stationary listening to material that has already been mastered, probably while reading or daydreaming. they really seem to be orthopedically designed for reclining. so, you'll get your extra db or two of bass without killing the rest of the signal, and it will mostly sound good.
but if you want totally flat phones, they don't do that.
this is not the file i rendered on july 20. however, i have not modified the cubase file since then, either. i was unable to create a null...
the common theme in being unable to recreate the output seems to be when i'm doubling tracks and rendering before i re-open the save. i'm going to guess that it's essentially a cascade of run-off and floating point errors; stuff ends up phased differently, routed differently, etc. i might be able to recreate the exact output if i stripped the project down completely and tried to recreate my steps, but...
...i can't hear the difference in an a/b, anyways. so i just rerendered.
regarding the phones...
i was testing with this track for quite a while this evening and led to the conclusion that it needs a bit of a boost in the high end, and a bit of a cut in the low end. but, before i actually saved over the project, i swapped back to the old phones to verify....and realized i was compensating for the exaggerated bottom end.
it would have been a mild cut - a db around 100 hz. but, it's enough that my ears picked it up, and i'm consequently swearing off mixing with them.
i don't want to reflect overly badly on the new phones. they otherwise sounded great. but the 440-IIs are just flat as saskatchewan, and the difference really was immediately noticeable. it's more that i'm used to mixing with very flat phones. like i'm a real producer or something.
the reality is that almost everything sounds better with a bit of a boost on the bottom, especially material that's been compressed to mp3. i will find a good use for these phones. but, i can't go from what would be $500+ studio phones today to $150 consumer phones and not notice the difference.
i knew that. i was just hoping i could maybe double with them in a pinch. and, i think i still might be able to. but i need to finish this project with my tinfoiled over archaic babies and hope a new cord fixes what ails them...
initially written in 1996. recreated over 1998 and finalized in dec, 1998. reclaimed july 20, 2015. corrected to control for malfunctioning electronics on dec 27, 2015.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/suicide-is-a-personal-choice
i mean, i gotta be clear...
the record sounds very dynamic through the new phones. it's a bass-heavy disc, and they do a good job of stretching it out without losing the rest of the spectrum. i'd recommend it, even.
but i can't mix with them, because they're not flat.
or, at least, i'd have to spend a long time getting used to them. and i'd rather fix my flat phones.
it's just a question of what the proper application is for a tool. you don't hammer a screw, right. and you don't mix with bassy phones. well, unless you make particularly lame hip-hop.
i think the proper application for this pair is stationary listening to material that has already been mastered, probably while reading or daydreaming. they really seem to be orthopedically designed for reclining. so, you'll get your extra db or two of bass without killing the rest of the signal, and it will mostly sound good.
but if you want totally flat phones, they don't do that.
Saturday, December 26, 2015
i don't want to impose deadlines on myself.
there's only a few tracks left, and i wanted them done by now, but it's frustration building up from this taking so long. i need to let that go and just get into finishing the mixes. the sound is stable right now with the new phones. i just need to relax and let it take it's course.
there's only a few tracks left, and i wanted them done by now, but it's frustration building up from this taking so long. i need to let that go and just get into finishing the mixes. the sound is stable right now with the new phones. i just need to relax and let it take it's course.
finalizing sample used without permission
i'm closing this track.
i couldn't get the output to null with the version from july, but i do not believe that the version from july was correct, either. it seems to be routed differently. it's very strange, too, as the time stamps suggest it's almost impossible for the output to be unreconstructible.
to be clear: everything nulled perfectly except a thirty second section of guitar. but, that guitar part is layered over 8 times in the cubase project so it's not as simple as just resetting an eq.
i would be tempted to think that i was getting layered over floating point or round-off errors on all the eqs (i think i'm getting that for another track), but the difference in sound is fairly dramatic - it's really more like it's routing differently.
the only thing i can really think of is that the july output was some kind of error. i may have temporarily placed a bus on those guitar tracks, or perhaps routed them directly to the master.
whatever it was, the reality is that version i have saved in cubase sounds much better and has been uploaded in replace of the previous version.
initially written in 1996. recreated in jan, 1998. reclaimed july 2, 2015. remixed july 12, 2015. corrected to control for malfunctioning electronics on dec 26, 2015.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/sample-used-without-permission
i couldn't get the output to null with the version from july, but i do not believe that the version from july was correct, either. it seems to be routed differently. it's very strange, too, as the time stamps suggest it's almost impossible for the output to be unreconstructible.
to be clear: everything nulled perfectly except a thirty second section of guitar. but, that guitar part is layered over 8 times in the cubase project so it's not as simple as just resetting an eq.
i would be tempted to think that i was getting layered over floating point or round-off errors on all the eqs (i think i'm getting that for another track), but the difference in sound is fairly dramatic - it's really more like it's routing differently.
the only thing i can really think of is that the july output was some kind of error. i may have temporarily placed a bus on those guitar tracks, or perhaps routed them directly to the master.
whatever it was, the reality is that version i have saved in cubase sounds much better and has been uploaded in replace of the previous version.
initially written in 1996. recreated in jan, 1998. reclaimed july 2, 2015. remixed july 12, 2015. corrected to control for malfunctioning electronics on dec 26, 2015.
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/sample-used-without-permission
Friday, December 25, 2015
i'm finally getting out of this systems collapse i've been dealing with.
i seemed to have had shorts in two pairs of headphones, and those shorts were interacting with widespread environmental noise. new phones fixed the problem immediately. i'm hoping my main phones can be salvaged with a new cord.
but, it means i'm finally moving forwards. i've been stuck here since the beginning of july. that's almost six months.
by the end of the year, i expect to have completed several updates to finalize remaining, lingering ideas related to period 1. i then expect to close period 2 fairly quickly, and be on to period 3 by my birthday at the latest.
so, i'm going to be reorganizing the media pages again. facebook seems to have removed the highlight feature. ugh.
i seemed to have had shorts in two pairs of headphones, and those shorts were interacting with widespread environmental noise. new phones fixed the problem immediately. i'm hoping my main phones can be salvaged with a new cord.
but, it means i'm finally moving forwards. i've been stuck here since the beginning of july. that's almost six months.
by the end of the year, i expect to have completed several updates to finalize remaining, lingering ideas related to period 1. i then expect to close period 2 fairly quickly, and be on to period 3 by my birthday at the latest.
so, i'm going to be reorganizing the media pages again. facebook seems to have removed the highlight feature. ugh.
Thursday, December 24, 2015
i've decided to reboot the alter-reality back approximately four months, which is actually fast-forwarding it four months. instead of the alter-reality existing 18 years and four months in the past, it now exists a strict 18 years in the past. so, it is now dec 24, 1997 in the alter-reality. i'm going to switch back to the track that would exist on that date, which is inrisampled. the track will switch again on january 8, 2016 - which maps back to jan 8, 1998. i haven't checked to see if i'm in sync with leap years; i guess we'll find out...
there's a few reasons i'm doing this. see, i started creating the tracks i've been stuck on for months when i got a four-track for christmas in 1997. i'm now about to finish them over christmas, 2015. i like the symmetry in this.
and, the symmetry across the years is broadly useful, too. realigning the tracks to the weather will help me retrace them better.
i've also been stuck, and it's screwed with me in a broader sense. there were things i wanted to go over in this period that i've had to skip because i'm mixing the material i wanted to promote.
i kind of didn't want to ever do this, but the situation i find myself in right now suggests it makes a lot of sense. so, i'm throwing myself back. it's only four months...
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/album/inrisampled
i won't be posting further obligatories until i catch back up, which won't be until the end of april.
there's a few reasons i'm doing this. see, i started creating the tracks i've been stuck on for months when i got a four-track for christmas in 1997. i'm now about to finish them over christmas, 2015. i like the symmetry in this.
and, the symmetry across the years is broadly useful, too. realigning the tracks to the weather will help me retrace them better.
i've also been stuck, and it's screwed with me in a broader sense. there were things i wanted to go over in this period that i've had to skip because i'm mixing the material i wanted to promote.
i kind of didn't want to ever do this, but the situation i find myself in right now suggests it makes a lot of sense. so, i'm throwing myself back. it's only four months...
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/album/inrisampled
i won't be posting further obligatories until i catch back up, which won't be until the end of april.
23-12-2015: headphone testing
tracks worked on in this vlog:
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/album/jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj-2
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/album/jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj-2
i need to come online quickly post a reassessment of these phones.
when i first put them on, i realized they fit a little oddly but figured i'd get used to it. i walked around and did groceries and thought they sounded great - although they had an exaggerated bottom. when i took them home, that bottom got very muddy. i was sitting upwards the whole time i was testing them. i noticed that they seemed to fit my ears better if i twisted them forward, so the headband was on my forehead, or if i flipped the stereo around. i kind of concluded it was probably a factory defect, and they were meant to have the l and r on opposite sides - although they were wired correctly relative to the labels. i was getting a little remorse.
see, i got a $150 pair of headphones because i was hoping i could use them as a back up studio monitor. the testing i was doing suggested to me that this was a bad decision, and, worse, i'd have to flip the stereo to use them as walking phones. yuck, right.
i eventually got the idea tonight to lie down as i was listening to my 2001 record and everything immediately snapped into place. see, when you're lying down, you want to push the phones forward a little - the headband comes up on your forehead. so, the cups on the phones snapped in and the exaggerated bass disappeared.
so, it's almost like these phones have two settings. as walking phones, the bass is really pretty crazy. as lying down phones, they really balance out and actually sound very nice - not as nice as my very flat 440-IIs, but certainly an upgrade over my last pair of walking phones.
that's something that might be useful to point out about this model. these are sennheiser hd-449s. if you want them reasonably flat, you really have to listen to them lying down.
i'm going to try and mix with them tomorrow to see what happens. if i can use these as stereo backups, i will probably keep them solely for stereo backups and get a pair of $60 phones for walking that don't have these oval, noise isolation pads.
when i first put them on, i realized they fit a little oddly but figured i'd get used to it. i walked around and did groceries and thought they sounded great - although they had an exaggerated bottom. when i took them home, that bottom got very muddy. i was sitting upwards the whole time i was testing them. i noticed that they seemed to fit my ears better if i twisted them forward, so the headband was on my forehead, or if i flipped the stereo around. i kind of concluded it was probably a factory defect, and they were meant to have the l and r on opposite sides - although they were wired correctly relative to the labels. i was getting a little remorse.
see, i got a $150 pair of headphones because i was hoping i could use them as a back up studio monitor. the testing i was doing suggested to me that this was a bad decision, and, worse, i'd have to flip the stereo to use them as walking phones. yuck, right.
i eventually got the idea tonight to lie down as i was listening to my 2001 record and everything immediately snapped into place. see, when you're lying down, you want to push the phones forward a little - the headband comes up on your forehead. so, the cups on the phones snapped in and the exaggerated bass disappeared.
so, it's almost like these phones have two settings. as walking phones, the bass is really pretty crazy. as lying down phones, they really balance out and actually sound very nice - not as nice as my very flat 440-IIs, but certainly an upgrade over my last pair of walking phones.
that's something that might be useful to point out about this model. these are sennheiser hd-449s. if you want them reasonably flat, you really have to listen to them lying down.
i'm going to try and mix with them tomorrow to see what happens. if i can use these as stereo backups, i will probably keep them solely for stereo backups and get a pair of $60 phones for walking that don't have these oval, noise isolation pads.
reacting to a review of the new sennheisers
you mentioned something about the ears.
i got a pair of these the other day, and was initially blown away not by the lack of mids but by the exaggerated bass. it was just way too much. what i eventually realized is that you have to push the phones forwards on your head to get them around your ears properly, and if you don't then the improper isolation can really make it sound like you're listening in a hollow cavern. the only way pushing your phones on your head like that makes any sense is if you're lying down.
if you really like an absurdly exaggerated bass, i guess they can work for you as walking phones. but, i'd really suggest that these phones are really only going to sound right if you listen to them on your back, and that applications are planned around that fact accordingly.
i got a pair of these the other day, and was initially blown away not by the lack of mids but by the exaggerated bass. it was just way too much. what i eventually realized is that you have to push the phones forwards on your head to get them around your ears properly, and if you don't then the improper isolation can really make it sound like you're listening in a hollow cavern. the only way pushing your phones on your head like that makes any sense is if you're lying down.
if you really like an absurdly exaggerated bass, i guess they can work for you as walking phones. but, i'd really suggest that these phones are really only going to sound right if you listen to them on your back, and that applications are planned around that fact accordingly.
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
i picked up some new walking phones yesterday. i can't mix with these phones - they are too heavy in their bass. i am getting interference from them that is easily blocked with a blanket, but it's different - it's on the low end.
i think the interference is environmental, but that it's probably a short, too. fixing the short will probably fix the interference.
i'm going to finish the record with the tinfoil and get some new cables in the new year - nothing to lose from trying. no clear conclusion yet.
i think the interference is environmental, but that it's probably a short, too. fixing the short will probably fix the interference.
i'm going to finish the record with the tinfoil and get some new cables in the new year - nothing to lose from trying. no clear conclusion yet.
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