Tag: free control

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Stuff wot I av bin doin

.. short update ….. ( I really need to get back on the blog train)

Studio conversion is going on still.. electric first fix should be done by friday, water pipe plumbed in by then too for the sink. Light points marked out.Lights chosen (but no money to buy them!) Need to buy Rockwool and Soundbloc plasterboard next. Having trouble finalising in my head where the storage and shelves will go……. frustrating as I need to make sure the supports are in place now to fix to. So.. coming con. I have a full day on friday to get on with it. Sorry , still no piccies, but will sort that over the next week for my own sake.

Other stuff… Free Control EP I mixed with Seamus Paul was launched on saturday night at the Guildhall in Leicester.. a lovely old place. I played there years ago with my old band. Great night.

Recorded some vocals for Hannah Brine’s stuff. Still a way to go, but that’s coming on. Bass to redo, guitar to add, lots of bvs to do.

Finished the Lamb remix I started.

by the way… am selling a Behringer 1952 Tube Composer compressor, an Alesis Photon X25 MIDI keys/audio interface, a Roland u 110 and an Akai s2000 .. all in the name of studio conversions, so if you want any of these lovely items, mail me. x

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2011 toodelloo

As a very inactive blogger, I feel I should at least write a blog about the highlights of last year , right? So, belatedly.. a few thoughts.

Did a couple of remixes

The James Blake one reached over 70,000 views and I got some nice comments. The I Am In Love one ended up on the B Side of the band’s single.

One I did at the tail end of 2010 has just been released by She Makes War (: it’s free, here )

Highlights of mixing included One Cure for Man tracks.. proper indie.. and Free Control’s EP (with Paul Wong.. great to work there again after many years ), out soon.

Finally released the waa album and got nice radio play from Steve Lamacq

I remixed a track from it, too

TV music got used worldwide, including loads of Masterchef shows.

Albums I enjoyed most.. Wild Beasts, Lykke Li, Lanterns of the Lake

Gigs… Wild Beasts, Lykke Li and Morrissey.Lana Del Ray was a bit disappointing, but looking forwards to the album.

Music remains at the heart of what I am.. dying to finish my studio so I have a proper place to work. Also on the boil is a remix for Shortwave Fade and finishing tracks for Hannah Brine. And the ‘biggy’ project I’ve been banging on about for years. More on that over the next few months.

Also.. trying to record a handful of Rise and Demise tracks.. written for flipping ever.. no plans, just getting them recorded is enough. Got a few started. We will see.

Happy New Year!

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Win when you don’t try

Late last year, I remixed a She Makes War track. Laura Kidd (the talent behind SMW) ran a remix competition this summer, and although I didn’t enter it, the remix got ‘entered’ into the competition and has been chosen to go on a free remix album as a top 4 remix. Read about it and download here

Other news, with a bit of a back story, the Free Control mastering has been sent my way rather than who it was originally going to go to. So I’ll start that tomorrow.

Mastered another Edgy Productions play, and did some super quick recording of some live drums for the Hannah Brine track’s I’m producing… and I mean super-quick: single passes through two tracks or hats, snare, toms and ride: then to Logic for editing: not intending for them to replace the programming I’m doing.. just add some human swing.

Best news is the progress of the studio build. Two days of Super Gary saw the garage door removed, bricked up and some stud walling done. Hope to finish the studding before the 9th Jan. Will post piccies when I can get em off my (shit) phone

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Free ish

Spent last night at Seamus Wong’s finishing the Free Control mixes with Paul ready for band feedback. Tweaked a little tonight. Sound great, I think.

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What you up to?

Was co mixing with Paul Wong at Seamus last night. Lovely time. Only finished 1 of the 5 songs for Free Control though.. but it was worth the tweak time. Finishing next week.

A little bit of Hannah Brine time tonight.. just structuring and programming to get the feel right before any audio gets put down.

Oh, Shortwave Fade’s first album’s on Bandcamp for free… their second one will be done … errrrm…. before 2018… they want to record a couple of more tracks to add to the 5 we’ve done already then do a mini album ….. I think… . Anyways, get the first album here.

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What’s up?

Grown up day job in full flow.. meaning marking, lesson prep and the stress that goes with it all. Still, had time to pop to to see Paul at Seamus Wong.. he finished recording the Free Control stuff so I went up for a listen and to get the files to mix them. Started last night. Really well recorded , with the sound of the Wong’s room in full effect. Got 5 to mix.. going to mix a couple first rather than start them all. Hoping to have 2 or 3 ready by mid week.

Garage to studio plans approved by the council.. pleased as punch.Can’t wait to get going. Could do with a month off and five grand. I have neither, so we’ll just have to get by.

Enjoy this, which has been guiding me to work this week.

 

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stuff and then some

.. quick update. FInished the Shortwave Fade mixes ready for mastering. Taken a while and many revisions so advised the band to master with someone else. Hopefully they’re using the mighty Robin Junga for mastering. The band want to do another three songs to make up an album (?) so we will schedule that .. don’t want it dragging on, so it’ll be recording one week, mixing the next.

Here’s a link to one of the tracks pre mastering.. dead strong song.

Started some pre production with Hannah Brine .. very much from a distance, so we aren’t jamming in a rehearsal room (as if I would anyway), but I chose a couple of tracks I think I can do stuff with, am setting her homework like ‘write more words, that’s shit. thats ace’. Theres one track am very excited about called Antistatic. Theres a version out there already but I’m ignoring it and its totally rewritten. The palette for the project in my mind is Air bass, Oberheim drum machines, acoustic guitars, analogue synths.. it needs to translate to the live environment down the line.

Also need to pick up the files from Seamus Wong Paul for Free Control’s new stuff which I’m mixing.

One Cure for Man EP is done and out, which sounds great.

The studio plans are still up in the air.. should hear any time now. Can’t wait. Bought three tape things pre holiday.. a WEM Copicat, a Revox 1/4inch and an Akai 4 track 1/4 inch.. really excited to plum em in.

Just treat myself to a pair of these mics after reading a review in the new Sound On Sound : a pair of matched Omni mics with clips… £31 with postage from America… watch out Behringer.

Musically, enjoying the new Antlers album.. but only some of it…….

Disappointed in the new Washed Out and Little Dragon albums….. both have their moments but ace production doesn’t mask pretty average songs. When they hit the spot, they’re great though.

 

 

 

 

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Up to what?

… had a couple of weeks off and went camping, but took my old Macbook with me to start some pre production and programming for Hannah Brine… .. it’s going a bit French Pop so far.

Other stuff.. nearly done the One Cure For Man EP and am on track 3 of the Shortwave Fade stuff…. mixing stuff recorded by Jamie Ward (excellent engineer) to slot into the tracks I recorded with them.

About to start on the Free Control mixes: I popped in to see them record the stuff at Seamus Wong this week. Sounds lovely .. looking forwards to getting started.

Mastered some other bits and bobs including a school play and an EP for Peter Wyeth, which sounds dead nice.

Garage to Studio conversion : Council accepted plans as accurate.. just waiting objections from neighbours.

John R and I had a track we wrote for the WAA album but didn’t include picked up by a publisher for TV/Library music, too.

Busy as a bee.

Ooh, I came across some nice free AU’s via this blog. Trying them out on current mixes. Some nice ones. Will blog about them when time.

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What’s going down (man)

Prepping mix sessions for Shortwave Fade and One Cure For Man, did some pre mastering stuff on a new Peter Wyeth piece (lovely by the way), then just finished a Christmas album master for Edgy Productions. Plays havoc with your body clock.

Coming up, I’m mixing an EP for Free Control  which I’m happy about as it’s being recorded at Seamus Wong, my favourite studio. Paul’s producing it, and I think that’ll be interesting for the band . Plus I’ve known the band for a long time in various guises.

…. finally….. still flipping trying to find time to sort the garage-to-studio plans out