Bondage

Mastering, a form of audio post-production that is the process of preparing and tranferring recorded audio from the final mix to a data storage.

Lately have been debating whether or not to master the next Yezve record myself or pay a lab. Its a $500 decision and one in which I'm asking for your input on the RH side of this blog. Have already said, we are attracted to validating complexity. Above is a basic definition of mastering. In fact, 1 of only 3 clear definitions amongst all the books, articles, and web-pages read. Mastering is one of those topics authors love to over complicate; doing so seems to validate them. Effects, quality monitors, acoustics, multiple referencing and by the time you're mid-article you're convinced that this is beyond you i.e. there are simply too many conditions to consider. The same skills in mixing seemed to be involved in mastering though which makes me think that its not so far-fetched an idea.

Recently I tried the Mastering Tool Kit on my digital studio. It requires mixing to track 7/8 and applying the Mastering Presets from there. Made 4 mixes, exported to iTunes, and then came back several hours later to listen ... wow ... what I discovered ... is that I could not hear a substantial difference. Either my mixes were so good that they barely needed aything or I'm missing something. The results seem substantially better when mixing down to a CD-Recorder via a mixer to add substantial gain + de facto compression. I've achieved more noticeable results through Audacity as well. Of all the things I've read it apparently comes down to this:

1. Creating a mix where volume level is high and near even (Compression + Gain).
2. Emphasizing elements that may get lost in mix (EQ)
3. Creating a full-sounding mix (via enhancers, exciters, expanders, etc.)

Because the master is the source from which all other copies are created, you're striving to create mix you're pleased with that will sound balanced on a number of systems. If all of this is the case, then my studio and myself are fully capable of mastering the songs for the next Yezve reocrd. If I'm missing something, it may be worth payng the lab the $500 fee for their 2nd opinion and adjustments. Part of me yells f"k-the-establishment yet the other argues the value of expertise. So this is where I ask for you to comment and/or vote on the poll on the right-hand side of this blog. Who is my master?

Why Aren't You Naked?

The following sketch has become the dramatization of my mantra lately. Without much specific detail its evident that conformity is a hard monkey to shake for many people involved with things artistic. Its probably of no surprise - we've been hard socialized to color in the lines, not cross borders, and extreme things like wear clothes. At the same time, our innate need for sociability as humans is inevitable, in other words, the nature of sociability requires some conformity. Sound similar to the paradox of pop music? But perplexity sets in when musicians attempt to justify to me why conformity is the needed medicine. Most commonly heard as "we need to make a record that can compete, Chano, because X had their hit using Y and this is where its at right now". So I'll ask the obvious question: Why aren't you naked?



There are several responses to the question:

1. Why are you wearning clothes? (Turning the question around)
2. Naked? That's a subjective matter of definition. (Re-definition)
3. I'm incredibly shy about my body. (Disposition)
4. Its way too cold out here to be in my birthday suit. (Conditional)
5. Oh sh@#! I forgot to take my clothes off this morning! (Intention)

I know what you're doing now - trying to see which one of these justifies your approach (and probably thinking of something to add - make a comment). Think of the nudists as the industry-standards and the exhibitionist as indie artist. The humour in the piece comes from being completely opposite to what we take as normal. There's a strong implication in the performance that our exhibitionist is intoxicated. Why aren't you naked? Because I'm drunk, thus, less inhibited. Some probing makes it clear, there's an element of fear in much of why people refuse to non-conform. You don't need a beer though to go against grains to any degree, but the courage to take risks.

Part of this sounds like a formulae motivational speech. Like anything, the art of music and things around it has its fundamental rules. Cliche - you have to know the rules before you can break & bend them (coupled with assumption that you must know all the rules before you can take risks) Our sketch rest on a blindingly simple premise - people are clothed and the antagonist is not. Think of some of your favorite edgy artists who helped forge a different direction. Was their edge/inconformity unusually complicated? Why aren't you naked? Many of us have heard the classic response - I'm trying to make it the best. 'Best' is inhibition, its stalling, its an excuse to play it safe. Anything worth doing is probably worth doing lousy because, fact of the matter, its probably a great idea that wouldn't get done at all if you if you didn't have the courage to realize in the first place. As the soap-box wobbles under my feet, I'll simply re-iterate the most profound question of all time: Why aren't you naked?

Post #499

I've seriously been considering closing down Reel 2 Real. I would enjoy a compelling reason not to, but the arguments in my mind in favor of not continuing are gaining strength. You ask: What's going on? First, have felt at a severe loss of things to write about this year. Look at the number of posts for 2009 in comparison to previous years. Much of what I have discussed lately feels redundant.

Second, I've also reached a point where I've felt less comfortable about sharing; because I've been reading a number of used marketing books since November of 2008 yet am hesitant to discuss music marketing. Simply, I don't want to function as a music marketing consultant. No pun intended, the knowledge is my business (it was hard-earned).

Thirdly, I'm beginning to think that Reel 2 Real creates noise around Yezve. Noise in the random sense that we use it in recording talk. Because I've reviewed many records and discussed a number of things musical, it can distract from other efforts made to promote Monocultura.

What is the average lifespan of blog? I've asked this several times without reply. I'm beginning to think its roughly 500 posts for a robust, healthy blog. Feb 2006, I intended to keep a journal as my studies culminated in a project that was long overdue. The last multitrack cassette units were still being manufactured, digital units were becoming more inexpensive, and computer recording was still slightly beyond reach. Discussion of songwriting & the development of my own project were natural processions. Reel 2 Real has grown to be a discussion of things musical. Redundancy seems to be setting in though. This is the part where I ask for comments on why I should keep this blog going. No comment will be assumed to be a reason to stop tape.

Executive Problems

"There's an execution problem here!" - my favorite line by Nina Garcia in Project Runway. Its usually the response to a poorly constructed garment despite creative patterns, edgy fabrics, and fresh concept. Patience diminishes when I hear a crisp record with lazy mixing. Endurance is tried when a full ensemble is in the track articulating a half-developed song. Have caught myself frowning when there are signs of a production team not being forthwright with their performer. There's an execution problem here. Call: Well that's your artistic opinion, Chano. Response: You need an artistic opinion if you're going to get any sort of opinion, it should be an artistic one. This post is not a soap-box but rather a probe into inefficiently used resources. Translation: execution problems; when poor use is made of the tools at hand.

A substantial portion of this blog is about execution in the sense that la Sra. Garcia talks about it. I'm careful not to automatically blame the model (singer), because she was employed to demonstrate the piece, thus problems with the the garment are not her fault. I'm overtly cautious about aiming at the easiest target, but this isn't most of the population and this blog often operates contrary to popular assumptions (in case you haven't already noticed). Its how I find more than dichomoties in the Bargain Bin, challenge you to show me more substantial reviews, and still argue that Pussycat Dolls are the genius you should aspire to be. There's a lot I can tolerate and hear past, but execution problems, I'm usually unforgiving. Would like to think the approach is distinctive to Reel 2 Real. The method allows for Bill Fox and Beyonce to be on level playing field. High probability that the sentence you just read with those two names won't appear anywhere else in a long time. If some of this sounds silly, its because you've accustomed yourself to musical discussion heavily orientated around taste rather than actual music. Not 'real' music but 'actual' music. Real is an issue of validity. Further, its an issue of power. Actual is an issue of reality - when the recording generated vibrations this is where discussin begins. Rather than asking whether this is real or fake, music is an actuality I've enjoyed for most of my life.

Executive problems seem to come from major labels these days and artists trying to emulate that sound. The issue is why I remain unconvinced about the buzz of change and new technologies. Whatever latest technology you want to boast about, it doesn't supercede that a user must know how to use it. Further, its not a magic cure for lack of creative idea. The solution to both of these issues has never changed and is a pervasive principle that guides the development of tools rather than follows it: there must be a knowledgable user with an artistic vision behind the tools. When this doesn't happen, there is an exectutive problem.

Complex Cathexis

Did you understand the title? Its intentially over-stated; cathexis is a fancy word for the investment of mental or emotional energy into something. A general notion held onto by both musicians and listeners alike: the more complicated something is, the more validity it is given. I'm becoming less convinced of this the more I listen. For some reason the complexity signifies greatness or significance in and of itself. It's complicated. The better display of 'genius' seems to come from material that is blindingly simple - when resourceful use is made of a handful of elements. When an artist has less training yet makes us want to sing, minimalist arrangement that seems larger than life, when the chords seem overly basic yet the song embeds itself in our minds ... these sorts of instances. I cringe these days when an artist can't convey what type of music they make. Its hard to describe, man. We're sort of everything. You mean you're nothing to nobody but yourself? I'm assuming also that you listen to everything but Country. Notice how the listening tastes are defined by the what they're not just as the complex sound is never defined via everything. The point: complicated often means lack of definition.

The proof is in the synthesis. ~ Claude Levi-Strauss

Musical location as of now is that complexities can prove to be a sign of over-indulgence. Its much more impressive when the songwriter makes efficient uses a definite set of elements, as opposed to, the songwriter who uses a wide range of things but leaves us scratching our heads. Can you take a complex idea and synthesize it into something we want to sing? An excercise I try often: reading a chapter of a book and synthesizing it into a song. Because within a song one must be concise, but because it must be concise I have to be sure I understand the material well enought to distill it. Ridiculous? Maybe, but in order to pull this off the material must be concise, simple, and create palatable motifs. There's a general tendency though for people to be attracted to complex ideas produced by complex minds and their accompanying complicated personalities. A final quote that saves me from having to conclude: Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people.

Prime Real Estate in the Bargain Bin

Rare, and even valuable occupancies in the bargain bin. A number of these records are now out of print and despite not having lasting hits, their used price tags place them in the elite sector. This is a distinct case where the lot contains very enjoyable records but its also a case where I begin to look like an incredibly moldy fig if you pay attention to the release dates. I've been meaning to post a list of uncelebrated gems, but in the meantime this functions well as preface.

Patricia Manterola: Niña Bonita

Years ago I purchased this new; it was released as the technotronic wave waned in the mid-90's. Electronica-esque Mexican Pop - the description alone seems enough to make us cringe, but Niña Bonita is suprisingly enjoyable. Mainly due to the clever songwriting coupled with clever production. The title track is a grand excercise in how minimalism can be made to sound absolutely huge! Try looking for the record used and find that sellers aren't willing to fall under the $25 mark. A funny note about the packaging: under the CD tray is a picture of Manterola which the listener actually has to pull the packaging apart to see (not that I actually did, I just curiously know this).

MTV Party To Go, v.3

The idea was simple: you don't need a dj; just pop in the cassette and you've got a party on your hands. Can't remember at what number they actually stopped delivering parties to us. Recently I mastered my cassette copy and was apparent is how clearly the pop music scene is represented for each volume's respective period. Volume 3 is an accurate survey of what radio stations were playing in 1991/1992. Some tracks I had simply forgotten about despite how heavily they were played. Cece Peniston's "Finally", House of Pain's "Jump Around", and Positive K's "I Got A Man" ... probably my favorite forgotten track from the album. Does ayone know who the female vocalist is on the track? If the concept of a party-to-go seems odd, think of the modern equivalent, Now! That What I Call Music. Basic Idea is put a back-to-back mix of the current hits in the listeners hand for wherever they may roam.

Non-Stop 90's Rock

I don't actually own this one and used prices are still slightly steep. Why? One of the best soundtrack compliations of 1993-1995 I've seen. Critics complained that their own favorites weren't included (no Right Said Fred!?), but the issue is petty. A solid survey of the alternative rock of those years. The issue really seems that the title is a bit too wide, but anyone familiar with the era will see a logic to the song selection. Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, CrashTest Dummies, and 4 Non-Blondes would be great additions. Maybe in vol.2 titled - Non Stop 90's Rock Doesn't Stop Rocking: hopefully we included everything you reminisced about so you'll stop crying about it. Like so many other musicians (and folk in general), my life is measured in music and this compilation is one of the notches on the cup.

Sonora Tropicana: Me Gusta

One of La Sonora Tropicana's more obscure records, but I'm lost as to what rationale resulted in this. This is one of their strongest records and later works don't prove as potent. In fact, I would go as far as to dub this La Tropicana opus magnum.The songwriting and arrangements are outright catchy and ingenious! Because I've been preparing to write a Cumbia, I've been casually listening to these sorts of records in our collection. A friend had noted after watching the Selena film how similar (but not exact) Cumbia and Reggae grooves are. When you enter a Cumbia record, you know exactly what the groove is going to be. In this sense there is a challenge to the writing to keep an already known groove from becoming monotonous. Sonora Tropicana handles it masterfully here. Thinly guised innuendos, bawdy chants, rock elements, and some material that borders on being slightly twisted. Me Gusta!

Gloria Trevi: Si Me Llevas Contigo

Still trying to figure out why this record runs for an average of $45 on Amazon Marketplace. Its out of print, but fans generally agree its nowhere near as strong as her previous work. If anyone can offer a rationale, please comment. Curiously, reviewers describe it as tamer than earlier albums, but a charactertically outlandish Gloria Trevi record is still present. During the period of 1989 - 1995 had listeners become de-sensitized to her sound? Compared to other pop records, its is outlandish but agreeably it is more predictable than other Gloria records. A double-standard almost seems to emerge, but apparently she had established her own standard and fans were holding her to it. Paradox was probably inevitable. Listeners were expected to be taken by surprise and the producers and writers thought it would be unexpected to take a 'straighter' approach. Perhaps because her approach was a lucrative gamble to begin with, the logic was to prove that she didn't necessarily need those things to exist. What is your opinion?

SlapChop, You Better Work!

The potency of a good song shouldn't be underestimated. I was reminded of how effective song can be to introduce something previously unfamiliar (and seemingly silly) to an audience who wouldn't otherwise pay attention. At work, some of the college students insisted I check out an info-mercial on YouTube. In fact, it was a remix of an the info-mercial for the kitchen tool known as SlapChop. Demographic - young men in their very early 20's who kept reciting "SlapChop, slapchop, slapchop .... you're gonna love my nuts". The concept alone was curious to me as they continued to explain what the SlapChop did. "It's a rap about SlapChop, Chano" they kept saying. I couldn't resist improvising some flow to their amusement. Twenty-somethings excited about a cullinary tool and reciting rapped lyrics about cutting vegetables? Continually moving their hands as if they were pretending to work the device!? Aroma of clever marketing which demanded I watch the following:


My co-workers kept noting how incredibly clever the song was. Further, that when their financial aid checks arrived they were going to buy SlapChop because of the song. Wow. For the folk of my generation, there was nothing particularly "new" about the track; it sounded like the classic 80's old skool sound. In fact, lyrics from the genre were known to be just as quirky. There's the distinct sense this is not the independent remix that many think it is. Wouldn't doubt that the SlapChop investors comissioned DJ Steve Porter. Why? SlapChop + Dorm Room living = a lucrative market to profit from. College students are pressed for time, short on funds, often at a lack of food, but slapchop slapchop slapchop coupled with those 80's sounds that are experiencing a rennaisance and we see first-hand how distilling the idea into a song works. The concept is the same when writing pop songs. It would be tempting to call the marketing genius, but overuse of the term dilutes its efficiency. Better stated that its clever, but hardly a new idea. The genius is best reserved for a stilletto-wearing drag queen who presented a product to a demographic who certainly should have been resistant. Kids in the suburbs singing and dancing along with a drag queen willfully indulging in the fantansy of being supermodels!? In the first half of the 90's this was exactly what happened when RuPaul told us we better work. Again, it was a clever song that people loved to laugh at, followed by banter about homosexuals, followed by them posing and reciting - Chante, Sashay. Had it not been for the hit Supermodel, absolute rejection would have ensued, but the doors were opened wide to a culture that had previously been forced to reside underground. Ultimately what's proven is that singing has never lost its potency to embed things in people's mind nor to widen their scope to what was previously a blind spot.

The point was made in June about songs we love to laugh at, but the stickiness of this tune is not an accident. Pay much attention as the song begins its 2nd cycle @ 2:09. Three devices particularly demonsrate intelligent songwriting - Can you name them?

Chromatic Solfege

A significant amount of traffic has been generated from a small handful of posts here at Reel 2 Real. Didn't think much of them when I wrote them, but they apparently are of some use. Solfege, EQ, Pop Music, Circle P, Foto 1000, Melodic Contour. What were you hoping to find when you visitied that little blog titled Reel 2 Real? Initially, when this blog began it was a forum to share the stack of notes I had taken on record production. No use in being bourgouise about the matter, if you could produce for yourself, more power to you. Apparently the purpose has been served ... cool.

A funny fact about this blog, the Solfege posts generate a handful of hits daily. Mainly from educational institutions and have a feeling the posts appear on university website as a reference. Looking at the daily stats of Reel 2 Real often proves interesting, but rather than talk about the objective of Reel 2 Real and save myself from grandiose impressions, I'll offer some limited notes while we sing the major scale through Solfege:

• Do for yourself. Listeners, don't let fashion music magazines dictate how you should hear. Indie artists, don't let someone take an aspect of your project over if they can't contribute something that you cannot.
• Re: the reviews found on this blog, I challenge you to point me in the direction of a major publication that can offer a more substantial review of the same records. I've become very suspicious of publications that only cover what's buzzing. It smacks of not really listening but following trends rather than forging them. It screams "our edge is dull and we're going to play it safe". A number of artists featured here haven't been given the time of day. Time for the sun to shine.
• Mi Música - this becomes 1st person as you read, so your music as well. Want to learn more about songwriting & production? Analyze the music in your collection. Much of the discussion here isn't offered in books. Have sometimes wondered if I've been too forthwright about the discipline of songwriting and production. It doesn't seem any more adhesive for folk despite writing about it so much, but there still are some cards up my sleeve.
• Fawk that! Don't trust someone who proclaims great taste in music. You'd do better to trust someone with self-proclaimed bad taste. Because the facade of taste is gone they'll probably have more ability to tell you why a piece is significant rather than using the dichotomy of good/bad as crutch.
• Solo - the solo, stand-alone record store is becoming a rarity except in the Latin communities. Many memories of my youth are tied to the record store, and, have been making it a point to buy more CD's lately.
• La Alternativa - any critique not offering an alternative is awkward. For whatever criticisms made of the music here I've always tried to offer a solution. To simply say 'it sucks' doesn't demonstrate anything one way or the other. If it sucks then you should know exactly why. Tragically many artists are not prepared for this sort of critique where the set of ears is actually listening. Again, props to putting your many hours of work out there for us to hear. It would be disrespectful to quickly deride it. My form of appreciation is to take the time to really hear the music.
• Tis altruism, you ask? (don't be afraid to talk like a pirate, arrr) I've debated whether I've given away too much here, but fact of the matter is, since its inception Reel 2 Real has always been a forum for my notes. In other words, I discuss topics I want to know more about myself. So in the next set of other words, its not without some benefit to my own knowledge and skills. What's always bothered me is the implicit code in the music business that substantial discussion regarding the craft of inner-workings is not articulated. Aren't you afraid of the masses becoming hip to what your talking about? Again, it doesn't seem any more adhesive as much as I have written about it. Not again, if you're looking for a serious blog about things music-related, you'll find a fresh approach at Reel 2 Real.
• Do as you would like others to do. I discuss music in a way I would like my own music to be discussed. Do buy my record: Monocultura.