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Messages - CanoeShop

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General Discussion / Re: Analog Album Advice...
« on: November 21, 2014, 08:29:32 AM »
As it's been a while since my initial post, I am assuming this community may not be as active as it once was, or there simply isn't interest in my project (or both). Thanks for allowing me to post here. Be well.

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General Discussion / Re: Analog Album Advice...
« on: November 14, 2014, 11:24:45 AM »
Minnesota - just north of the Twin Cities metro area. Thank you for taking the time to read this thread.

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General Discussion / Re: Analog Album Advice...
« on: November 13, 2014, 09:33:48 PM »
I'm not asking for anyone to commit to buying this album sight unseen or anything - just trying to gauge interest in this type of project, and whether that interest increases or decreases based on the inclusion of any remotely digital elements.

Perhaps the fact that I'm 'responding' to my own thread is my answer...

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General Discussion / Analog Album Advice...
« on: November 10, 2014, 10:07:18 AM »
Greetings,

Some of you may or may not recall a few years ago myself and a musical collaborator/partner had designs to record and release an album entirely in the analog medium (I had been posting updates on a thread on this forum). As sometimes happens, the project lost momentum, and eventually our collaborative musical efforts also ended (though we remain friends). The tape album as it was initially conceived is simply not to be. I still, however, have several tape machines in storage, and have recently been toying with the idea of resurrecting the concept. At this point I'm more or less just a guy with an Otari 8 track in his basement, not a member of an organized and cohesive musical team, which may or may not be as interesting to any following any progress I make (or experiencing the end result). I am an artist myself (and always have been) so I have my own material - it's just more difficult to do this kind of thing on one's own.

I am still terribly interested in the process of recording in analog (I am apparently young enough where by the time I got into studios, no one was using tape anymore) and would like to use the equipment I have instead of letting it sit and deteriorate. I guess my questions to this group, as the only community I know who is consuming music on this format new, revolve around logistics to a degree. In short, is there even any interest in someone recording/releasing an all analog album, given it will be the amateur work of an individual without the expertise to produce a sound quality remotely close to TP tapes? And secondly, and maybe more pertinently - given that I have 8 tracks at my disposal, and am working on my own, I've considered using electronic beats in lieu of a drummer. I enjoy the aesthetics of this style of music, and it doesn't require me to find a competent drummer and use up half of my tracks for drums and etc. It does however mean that there would be a small amount of digital elements recorded onto the tape. Does this then defeat the purpose of an analog album? My interest is also to record music that inspires me and an audience, and if a small amount of digital signal will improve the quality of the music does that justify it? Or does that create an album that really no one wants (since it's neither digital nor analog in a way)?

I appreciate your thoughts. I don't promise to follow all of your recommendations (haha) but I appreciate hearing what this forum may have to say about it. I face a dilemma as an artist - I realize you don't necessarily write music for any purpose other than for your own fulfillment, but I'm at a point in my life/career where to make something that I know no one will ever hear or enjoy doesn't sound particularly fulfilling. Perhaps it's always a balance.

Forgive the rambling and unprofessional nature of this message. I'm just a guy who's trying to figure out if it's worth it to put time and effort into producing some variety of an analog album or if that window has well and truly passed. Thank you for your understanding and tolerance.

Be Well
-nick

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General Discussion / Re: 2012 All Analog Album
« on: November 16, 2013, 11:45:41 PM »
I'm sure no one is following this story anymore, but I felt I owed this community an apology for dropping the ball on this project. The creative partnerships that spawned the idea for this album have altered to such a degree that it is unlikely this particular project will see completion as it stands. Life has invited us to move in different directions, and prioritize different things. While collaboration in some capacity may continue, it will likely look very different than when the tape album was conceived. There never was the same level of investment from all parties in tape as a medium and/or process anyway.

That said, I still am in possession of the equipment itself, and am setting the intention to either use it myself or put it in the hands of someone who will. I am currently exploring the option of personally recording and issuing an album on tape - when all else fails, do it yourself, no? I am gathering material (songs, that is) and will likely put some feelers out to local musicians to provide accompaniment. At this point, of course, I am reluctant to promise anything - I have had... less than ideal follow through on certain projects in my life and am seeking to strike a new balance with that side of my personality. I apologize profusely for not following through in this particular instance. Perhaps in the wreckage of all of this, there is a different album waiting to be born - I'll keep you all posted. Thank you all for your understanding.

most humbly,
nicholas barr

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Looks like they'll also be releasing an accompaniying album? Recorded to tape, though I'd be surprised if it were released on that medium.

http://buy.soundcitymovie.com/album


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I have no formal affiliation with this film (obviously) but found the newly released trailer to have some interesting scenes that look to be delving into the issue of how music is being recorded in the modern age. Given the accompanying visuals, it would seem there will be some commentary on analog vs. digital recording, and their resulting effect on the way we experience music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=HQoOfiLz1G4

-apologies if this film has already been brought up in these forums. I didn't find it in my searches. Be well...

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General Discussion / Re: 2012 All Analog Album
« on: November 28, 2012, 08:59:43 AM »
My sincere apologies to the community for our lack of communication, and lack of visible progress on this particular project. A brief update to bring you up to speed...

For any who have undertaken the recording of an entire album on their own (with therefore few restraints on material selection or time), there seems to come a point where you are forced to look at what you have, where you're going, and what you want the album to become. We are in the midst of this in regards to the tape album - a natural point of frank assessment in the creative process. Add to this that we're "learning" an entire new medium, and you have a decided lack of forward motion at this particular point. Not to mention I've relatively recently welcomed my first child into this world, and the words "free time" seem to be more or less memory for now.

I realize all this comes across as an excuse, and I don't mean it as such, precisely. Explanation, perhaps. In short, we have recorded an album's worth of material in rough form, and are now examining if our approach and material selection is the most likely to produce an album we're truly proud of. We still have a lot of work to do. Thank you all for your patience with us, as we navigate these new waters. We hope to have something more concrete to share with you soon. Be Well...

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General Discussion / Re: 2012 All Analog Album
« on: June 13, 2012, 02:21:12 PM »
Thanks for the interest in what we're up to - we're excited to share it with people, absolutely. Glad to hear you're "saving your pennies" for TP tapes - I suspect you'll find greater fidelity and certainly recognized-as-classic albums in their library. This project merely reflects our own interest in magnetic tape, and hopes to propagate open reel tape as a viable pre-recorded media in general. We do hope people find what we're doing interesting, and also what the Tape Project is doing interesting.

While this album won't sound identical to anything else that I know of (it will include elements completely our own, and of course be original compositions) you could say we'll be taking inspiration, if you will, from things like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfJsrJ-lKGc

-stressing that this is only one point of reference, and will serve to generally inform our work, not be a template.

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General Discussion / Re: 2012 All Analog Album
« on: June 03, 2012, 03:12:41 PM »
Tracking is officially underway. At the risk of exposing ourselves, I will admit it feels like learning a new language. I understand how to communicate, generally, but none of the words are the same... I am watching meters instead of waveforms. I have to find the second chorus by time-code. "Punching in" feels much more literal, somehow.

We began by recording a 9' Mason and Hamlin grand piano in a venerable old Lutheran church - the sanctuary itself was built in 1889, and has a lovely natural resonance. Recording this album while watching the sunset filter through the 100 year old two-story-high stained glass windows feels appropriate somehow. We hope you'll agree.

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General Discussion / Purchasing Tape
« on: May 10, 2012, 11:14:38 AM »
Brand new ATR Magnetics tape has now been purchased for this project, largely on the recommendation of this community. Being unable to find the particular product I wanted through authorized dealers, I called the company directly and found them to be extremely friendly, and very accommodating.

Due to the fact that we have several metal reels lying around, we elected to purchase the 2500' of half inch tape as pancakes, winding it onto the old 3M reels (living in Minnesota, there are a few of them floating around - 3M is based here). Each reel wound very evenly, and gave us just over half an hour of capacity at 15ips.

After re-checking our equipment, we'll begin tracking.

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Reel to Reel Tape Machines / Re: otari mx-5050 questions
« on: May 07, 2012, 09:33:58 PM »
Just as an aside, if your rewind is slow specifically on these older tapes, it could be the sticky-shed of the tape that is slowing it down. My multi-track machine rewound old shed-prone tapes very very slowly, and once I purchased new ATR tape, there is no issue whatsoever with the speed of rewind. For me it was simply the "gunk" of the tape causing too much friction, so to speak.

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General Discussion / Re: Hope From the Younger Generation
« on: March 21, 2012, 07:39:39 AM »
Mine says 134 next to the bar code.

Many of the sonic elements on the album certainly sound digitally produced or manipulated to my ears. Not a critique - just trying to understand the source.

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General Discussion / Re: Hope From the Younger Generation
« on: March 20, 2012, 04:02:22 PM »
Found this on my doorstep this morning already... It sounds pretty good through my basic system (MX-5050 BII > Bottlehead S.E.X amp > Voigt Pipes) clearly superior to cd sound quality. Not having heard Tape Project tapes (yet) I'm not sure I have the language for comparison. Just thought you'd all enjoy getting a look at it...

-Interestingly, in the packaging there is no mention of where or how the record was made - whether it is simply a digital bounce or not. All I've found online after a brief search is that it was recorded "over the course of 2011" in L.A. and Portland.

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General Discussion / Re: 2012 All Analog Album
« on: March 18, 2012, 04:57:25 PM »
Think British influenced as in EARLY Coldplay for example ("Rush of Blood" and before), or elements of Radiohead (though less electronic, likely).

It's been recommended to track with ATR-Magnetics, and we plan on releasing the album on RMGI (468 if at all possible). All brand new tape.

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