Newsgroups: bit.listserv.allmusic
Date:         Mon, 12 Oct 1992 13:54:32 PDT
Reply-To:     "(Jeff Preston)" <bt979@cleveland.Freenet.Edu>
Comments:     Warning -- original Sender: tag was NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU
Comments:     Resent-From: MIKE <MASUDA@SJSUVM1>
Comments:     Originally-From: "(Jeff Preston)" <bt979@CLEVELAND.FREENET.EDU>
Comments:     Warning -- original Sender: tag was ALLMUSIC@AUVM
From:         MIKE <MASUDA@SJSUVM1.BITNET>
Subject:      Re: It's time for a reality check.

In a previous article, CMBIRCH@INDSVAX1.BITNET () says:

>    Have any of you people ever writen some original music, or do you just
>take every opportunity to critique everyone elses?
>    Back in the good ol' days of the Allmusic list, people presented
>lots of creative ideas on music and gave advise on how others could
>go about it.
>    Nowadays it's all:  Bitch bitch bitch or he said that I said that
>he said that I said...etc.
>    This list needs some creativity.  Get a few guitars, assorted amps
>and drums and a garage and have a blast!  My band just sets up a
>Wal-Mart el cheapie radio and records our improvs.
>    Instead of talk it. Do it.

Sounds good, but I've been doing this for the past year now.
Not too many people come up with really cool ideas recently,
so here's my installment:

Weird Recording Techniques:  (Sonia will get a sample of some of these)
part one
by
Michael M Masuda

1.  If you have the reverb coming back on two lines separate from the
other signals, try this:  Get a BOSS pan/tremolo stompbox and send the
reverb only through the tremolo.  Set the tremolo to square wave, and
the threshhold to maximum.  What you get is a reverb that turns on and off
beneath the original signals.  If you have more than one pan/trem box, you
can take this output and pan it around the stereo field, for a weirder effect.

2.  If you have a multitrack recorder, try this:  Get a ping pong ball, or
any bouncy object that has a nicely percussive bounce sound.  At the
beginning of your song, listen to the tempo, and match the bounce tempo
of the ping pong ball with it.  Remember the height of the ball.
Flip the tape over and play the song backwards.  Matching tempos again,
bounce the ball and record the sound as it continues to get faster and faster.
Flip the tape over again and listen to the ping pong ball as it bounces
higher and higher until the tempo matches the intro--and wham, the song begins!

3.  Record a drum track with reverb mixed in.  Send the signal to a compressor
with an extremely high ratio (10:1).  Great way to record psychedelic drums
that wash and pump.  Using the ride cymbal will add wonders to this effect.

4.  The electric ukelele and electric thumb piano:  I bought these things
called piezoelectric speakers at the local computer/electronic parts shop.
They work great as pickups for various acoustic instruments.  To be
extravagant, I picked a ukelele and a homemade thumb piano (mbira style).
I installed the uke with a pickup inside the hole, with a 1/4" plug
coming out of the bottom.  Feedback mania, and great for parties and
getting rid of unwanted guests, too!  It's damn loud--it also picks up
screams if you scream into the hole of the uke.  The mbira is different--
it sounds really classy, especially if you run the electric mbira through
a chorus and a digital delay--you can be the Robert Fripp of Africa.

BTW, these are ideas that I've come up with over a period of a few months.
Use them, but don't forget to cite your references when you show & amaze
your friends....  :)
Is anyone as open as I am about sharing some recording techniques that are
cool and original?  Or is everyone JUST NOT CREATIVE?  C'mon folks, it's
showtime!

I got a million of 'em.
Peace.

 3
M

(that's Michael M Masuda for the new netters)
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