Week 2
Hello Zachary,
You have a good blog post here. It is very important to keep an open mind while working through the creative process. You are also correct that Revolver is an outstanding album, continually revered in music history for the rest of time.
The first thing about your post that I noticed was the lack of references. A couple things you had stated led me to research a little more. The big disagreement I had was that John Lennon used a Gibson Maestro Fuzz-tone guitar pedal on his vocals. I could not find any evidence to support that claim. The only extreme vocal treatment that George Martin and Geoff Emerick used on Lennon’s vocals was the use of the Leslie speaker for the track “Tomorrow Never Knows.” One more little fact that was incorrect was Paul’s involvement with LSD use during the album. It was actually John Lennon and George Harrison who had the first experiences with LSD. Paul McCartney actually did not participate until later on.
I hope this clears some things up for you. One more small suggestion before I sign off, do not forget to proof read your posts. You want to appear as professional as possible with your online presence.
Sincerely,
Devin Cromwell
Week 3
Hello Daniel,
I think you have a very well written and informative blog here. Brian Eno is probably my favorite producer of all time. I believe you are very correct to say we would not be where we are today without him. Brian Eno has been one of the greatest producers in modern music; not only with his own work but also with the way he has shaped the sound of other groups as well.
Apparently, he is the real epitome of “the man behind the curtain” because he has done so much, yet I feel that so few people really understand what he has accomplished and his roll in modern music. I was one of those people until last week unfortunately, but I realized I knew more about the man than I thought.
After my research, I realized that Eno influenced my style greatly with his work just as you had said, without even knowing it. I am glad that we had the chance to research this man to get a better understanding of all he has done.
Best,
Devin Cromwell
Week 4
Hello Steven,
You have a great post here. MIDI is probably one of the most important electronic innovations in music history. Without it, many people would not even have the opportunity to create music. Almost all of my songs use MIDI, whether it is just a drum track or a pile of synth lines. I would be extremely limited without it. The ability to directly record a musical idea with a controller and then edit it later on to suit your need is the largest step away from the sometimes irreversible recording and editing techniques of tape or raw audio.
You also mentioned sampling and triggering drums. I had realized the advantages of this concept about a year ago. Recording a whole drum set can be a stressful task, especially if you do not have great acoustics, microphones, or a reliable drummer. I suggested that we take samples of my drummer’s kit and then attach MIDI triggers to his drums for recording. This satisfied the need for his drum sound while still being able to edit his final performance if needed. This process sounds like the long way around the problem but it is a lot more efficient than editing audio or finding another drummer.
Thanks for the great MIDI overview, keep up the good work.
Best,
Devin Cromwell
Trebled Productions LLC. 