John Vanderslice

Today we had a guest speaker, John Vanderslice owner of Tiny Telephone in San Francisco. Of the guest lectures I've attended this semester this was easily the most entertaining. John discussed everything from processors to studio etiquette, throughout detailing an intuitive process to owning and operating your own studio.

Vanderslice began his studio 14 years ago while studying Econ. however, he soon switched to studying the arts but found that the numbers didn't quit add up. To supplement his income he worked as waiter and consistently poured money into his company. While he went into great detail on various topics, one the most salient points for me was when he was describing the dilemma that his associate presented him with.

*At some point you have to choose, either your going to be an engineer or an artist its not realistic to try and do both.*

In the presentation he also touched on the importance of transparency & forming a web of connections. I personally noticed points when I allowed my personal issues hinder handling business and from this point forward plan to thoroughly exhaust connection and relationships. Another aspect i seen as amazing was that fact that he had staff of over 11 engineers which helps him to specifically cater to the artist that comes in. I plan on taking a tour of his facilities in the near feature.

Percussionist Alex Vittum

Today I viewed a presentation by Alex Vittum. Alex is a professional percussionist based out of the east that is heavily involved with creating instruments and processors.

Beginnings

*Graduate School @ Mills
*Under Graduate @ Eddington
*Met Dr. Waters around 2001 (working Cubase)

Currently

* Works as an elementary school teach
* Builds instruments and
* Records at a studio in the East Bay

During the presentation Alex talked about his method for creating...

* Prissim (through Max 5) then highlighted the three elements that were alterable Timber - (color), Amplitude - (volume) & Frequency - (Pitch)

Note: GUI - Graphic User Interface

Then he walked through the various module within Max 5. Many of the modules resembled the functionality of the xpand plugin in pro tools. The difference in Mr. Vittums approach was that his processing was happening on the fly through a midi controller located on his drum kit.
He also spoke on how he used feed back from the speakers located directly behind him to further alter the sounds produced from the kit.

Next he displayed a processor, that was combined digital and analog. He spoke on the different methods of use and showed a couple examples using the midi keyboard. He also highlighted that fact that everything could be either digital with the exception of patching

Structure Free

Structure Free is a plugin that must be placed on an aux track...

To find patches (to use within the plugin) select

Browser:
*App
**Digi-design
***Pro Tools Creative Collections
****Structure Free

Or simply select structure free from the patch list in the left section.

Note: We Experimented with the 60 Sync

Within each patch there is six smart tools knobs at the bottom of page
they vary depending what patch is chosen (each individual patch contains its own vol. / pan / filter)

Plugin allows you to combine multiple patches to create an all new sound (must set all channels to A1)

By pressing the word patch under STRUCTURE FREE you can choose from a list of options to:

Load New Patch
Add Patch
Duplicate
Remove Patch
Cut Copy Paste
Automation
Copy Samples to session folder

Note:
plugin allows you to combine mono and poly synths

Under Edit 1 mode

you can inact glide mode which allows you to glide octives by pressing the lowest and highest limits. Here you can also select mono or poly and glide type legato or just on (Some patches contain there own glides in the smart knob section)

in the Transpose section you can choose from octaves or semitone to alter the sound (you can also use pitch bend up or down a range of two octaves)

Edit 2 Mode

Gives 5 options for both filter and amplitude...

Attack
Hold
Decay
Sustain
Release

Vacuum (plugin)

*Most important elements in the entire plugin are the oscillator and the envelopes

NOTE:

Monophonic Synth (plays 1 note @ a time)

The plugin consists of various larger functions:

VTO 1 & VTO 2
*Range alters changes in pitch among 7 semitones
*using fine adjust by smaller increments
*VTO2 turns into low frequency oscillator
*switching from wide to (32/16/8/4)or 2 varies the degrees of fullness
*4 different wave types to choose from
-Tri = Triangle
-Noise = Random Whit Noise
-Saw = Saw Tooth Wave
-PWO = Pulse Wave

MIXER

VTO knobs 1 & 2 control the amount of each that is sent
Ringmod - hetero-dimes signal one as a sum and the other as the difference

VT HPF (Vacuum Tube High Pass Filter)
*cuts the low end in material off and only allows frequency at or above the the desired limit cut off*

VT LPF (Vacuum Tube Low Pass Filter)

*cuts the high end in material off and only allows frequency at or below the the desired limit cut off*

Note:
Out of tune back up vocals sound better then in tune ones.

Envelope 1
Changes shape over time

& Envelope 2
changes amp.

to be continued...

Boom (plugin)

In class we discussed in depth the methods and various ways to manipulate and use the boom plugin:

Each drum comes comes with 10 elements kick / snare / rim / clap / cl hh / open hh/ high tom / low tom / ride crash.

*Each one these comes adjustable vol / pan / pitch

There is two ways to manipulate any given pattern first by clicking on the matrix display below BOOM and secondly by click on the instrument name of your choice and using the pads below to build pattern (all come with three levels of velocity). This can also be done by manually switching pattern select to pattern edit.

Using the copy button bellow BOOM allows you to copy your current to a another pad.

NOTE:

clicking the 3 on the bottom switches beat to swing mode.
Plugin sends patterns to midi keyboard not pitches!!!

Hidden Feature

clicking on the third line beside the word BOOM (until the word boom pops up in the Matrix) allows you to create your kit with various elements from other kits.

Review Movie Projects

Before delving into this weeks lectures we first to a look at the current... progress of our trailers. After watching mine as a class I received these suggestions:

* Change Guitars - find a tone that works with material and switch progression.

** Switch Hits - coordinate the hits to match the action use one for the race scene and use another for other elements.

*** Audition Re-verbs - use reverb to make over dubs sound more realistic and use busing method to apply.

**** Fade Out - use function to gradually kill drums.

Note:

Raising music a semitone gives entire composition a different feel its recommended near the half way point to give renewed interest.

Expand 2 Plugin

Today we focused extensively on the Expand 2 Plugin. We covered various ways it can be used and manipulated.

Key Points:

Expand uses four slots (each slot can hold 1 of 500 synthesizers).

Note:

Holding command and shifting mouse allows you to move knobs in smaller increments.
Option click returns fader to default
Control click on any knob and select "learn midi cc" allows you to use midi controller (to disconnect select "forget midi cc"). This can be done to any mix, midi, or pageater, modulation, or effects setting.

Smart knobs on the top of the plug in allow you to toggle between manipulating individual synths or the entire plug in as one. In each slot you can alter level pan effects 1 or 2.

Note:

Pan pot = panoramic potentiometer
(was invented by Walt Disney)
tr/fine = transpose fine
hi/ low key allows you to assign each slot to part of the midi controller (the quick key is control click and pressing your desired key on the keyboard)
Using mod allows you to change undertones within a slot
Using arp allows you to arpegiate to a desired tempo

Note:

Using the latch mode within the plug in repeats any desired instrument