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Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: wysiwyg Date: 24 Jul 00 - 12:37 PM Thanks, Jeri. And thanks, Michael. ~S~ |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: MK Date: 23 Jul 00 - 07:16 PM If anyone still wants to hear the tunes, referred to in the initial post, send me a private message, and I'll refer you to a new link. I won't respond to requests from Guests. (Yes. Now I know how it feels.) |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: GUEST Date: 23 Jul 00 - 07:10 PM Thanks Jeri for explaining It's a shame if Michael's taken his songs down - but then I don't know what messages the less decent and forgiving catters may have sent him |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: Jeri Date: 23 Jul 00 - 07:04 PM I'm not Praise, but Michael K's webpage has "been removed." (Link is in the first message.) |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: GUEST Date: 23 Jul 00 - 06:49 PM praise - what do you mean, please? |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: wysiwyg Date: 23 Jul 00 - 06:44 PM Link no good?
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: Peter K (Fionn) Date: 21 Jul 00 - 06:05 PM Ed, He ain't human if he ain't weird.... |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: Ed Pellow Date: 21 Jul 00 - 11:18 AM Fionn, Michael isn't wierd - I think the medical diagnosis for his condition goes under the technical and difficult to pronounce term: 'human' Ed |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: Peter K (Fionn) Date: 21 Jul 00 - 08:59 AM Dead on, McGrath - a nice thought. Michael K, you must be one weird guy, but aren't we all? And you've certainly squared up to it in that "truth" thread. Anyway, people who can turn out this sort of stuff can't be all bad, and I'm still in the market for that CD, if you ever get it together (and you can still persuade Max/Joe to handle the auction). I might get it at a better price now, as I guess Kat for one is going to be a bit less enthusiastic about bidding. |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: Big Mick Date: 21 Jul 00 - 12:48 AM Careful lads. I used the words lighten up and got accused of driving people off. LOL. I agree that it is time to ease up and start mudcattin' again. Mick |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: Ed Pellow Date: 20 Jul 00 - 07:57 PM McGrath, I totally agree with you. This might be a better place if the words 'lighten up' prefaced every would be thread contributer. One catter hoped that Michael goes to hell. Am almost persuaded to do something really bad - at least the music would be good... Ed |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: JedMarum Date: 20 Jul 00 - 07:05 PM ... I must say, I did enjoy these files! |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 20 Jul 00 - 06:58 PM I just thought that with all the shit going around at present because Michael K messed up somewhat (See "The Truth is out there - now" it would do no harm to refresh this one, just top rermind people that he's done some good stuff for the Mudcat - even after that silly stuff with the fake postings.
Music is why I came here and why I hang around here, even though I spend a lot of time talking about other stuff, and value the exchanges. Out in the real world some of the people I enjoy making music with are a long way short of perfection, and so am I.
Michael belongs here, warts and all. He's had a few warts painfully removed, we should all lighten up.
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: MK Date: 12 Jun 00 - 05:17 PM Thanks MMario. Glad you liked! |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: MMario Date: 12 Jun 00 - 05:08 PM YES! I finally got your page unblocked! And when you you manage to fill a CD - I suspect the competition for them at MudCat auction will be intense! |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: MK Date: 12 Jun 00 - 02:56 PM The most current version of Windows Media Player (vs. 6.4, which supports MP3 playback can be found at here. |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: MK Date: 12 Jun 00 - 02:54 PM Just a quick note to let you all know, I have updated the formats of the songs on the page also mentioned in the first post of this thread. It is no longer necessary to download and extract zip files first. I have just put the straight MP3 files online, and clicking on the individual tracks will automatically start the download and playback process, however you will need Windows Media Player to hear them, (or any other MP3 player), and you will of course have the option to save any or all of them, to your hardrive, after listening to them, by just clicking on the FILE and SAVE AS option in the Windows Media Player box. |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: MK Date: 22 May 00 - 05:34 PM should have read "aren't". |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: MK Date: 22 May 00 - 05:33 PM (No they won't. Most people are that interested. Trust me. *BG*) |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: Peter K (Fionn) Date: 22 May 00 - 05:28 PM If they sold by auction, they are going to go for big bucks. I'll start saving... |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: MK Date: 21 May 00 - 02:32 PM Thanks Fionn. If at such time I have enough tunes to fill a CD, I will make a limited number of copies available to Max, for him to distribute or auction through this Forum.
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: Peter K (Fionn) Date: 21 May 00 - 01:15 PM You will be pissed off with people saying it, but these tracks are terrific - more than worth the lengthy download times. No chance you might rethink, and put some tracks together on a CD? |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: MK Date: 15 May 00 - 04:09 PM It was my pleasure. |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: GUEST,bbc at work Date: 15 May 00 - 11:35 AM Hi, Michael, I just got back to this thread after a couple of days. I wanted to let you know that, even though I am not an instrumentalist, I really enjoyed your technical posts about how you made the music & the thinking behind what you did. Thanks for sharing that, as well as the music itself. bbc (eating lunch) |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: MK Date: 14 May 00 - 11:32 AM Thanks Jed. I'm really glad you're enjoying the little offerings. I hope to record more things over the coming months. I enjoy the arranging end of it as much as the playing end of it. Sometimes it takes more the experienced ears of a fellow musician to really notice the little subtlties, and you obviously have them. "Anytime" could have very easily turned into a bluegrassy sort of rag that "meets" Dixieland. I had that idea very much in the forefront of my mind, until Rick put down the dobro and mandolin parts (which were the instruments I really wanted in that song to cap the feel.) It was fortunate that I happened to know 1 person who could play both, well. I originally had messed around with sampled brass sounds around the vocal towards the 2nd half of the tune (trombone, trumpet) and clarinets, but they just sounded too "synthy". In the end I only kept the clarinets track, and decided to only add them around the second vocal pass and third, and the final fade out around Rick. (The "less is more" thing.) The guitar parts are always a love/hate thing for me. It's like everything suddenly changes when you hit RECORD. I can sit for an hour and play comfortably and nail everything. Then when I hit record, my nerves kick in. I take this stuff far too seriously for a hobby! *BG* Too much of a perfectionist instead of sometimes just letting it flow. This is another reason why I prefer to record any guitar parts early on in the process. They take the most time for me, since this is an instrument that isn't second nature, like the piano. I also refuse to do "punch-ins" on any guitar finger-picking parts. It's important to me to be able to nail the entire tune in one pass, in order to maintain a consistent feel and for the guitar to "breathe" if you know what I mean. Anyway thanks again Jed and thanks to everyone else who took the time to check me out. I'm rather overwhelmed by the repsonse! |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: JedMarum Date: 14 May 00 - 11:07 AM Michael, as I listen more to these recordings, I am more impressed! You have done a wonderful job with the recordings, and added some wonderful subtleties - the keyboard tracks are many but never cluttered. There is one you add in two places on Anytime that I love ... it just tinkles in and out somewhere off to the left during the tune; such a nice touch!! And the guitar work throughout is excellent! I'll bet you had a great time putting these together. I sure have had a great time listening to 'em. Thanks again for sharing them with your Mudcat friends! |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: JedMarum Date: 14 May 00 - 01:11 AM Michael - I've had so much going on over the last week that I hadn't the chance to download these files 'til tonight. WHAT A TREAT!! I have really enjoyed the tunes, all of 'em! I love Rick's song, and of course the other classics - great guitar, keyboards, vocals! They are all songs that I'll enjoy listening to over and over. Thanks for posting them. I hope you keep up the recording, and keep posting 'em for us to enjoy! |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: MK Date: 13 May 00 - 05:59 PM Piano: since age 4 Guitar: about 2 1/2 years. |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: GUEST,Green Eyed Lady Date: 13 May 00 - 01:55 PM Just curious Michael. How long have you been playing piano and guitar? |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: MK Date: 12 May 00 - 08:14 PM Thanks Bonnie. (Rick has a copy of the posted tunes on CD. You can hear them properly when you next see him, if you like.) |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: Little Neophyte Date: 12 May 00 - 07:45 PM Excellent Michael My laptop speakers can only offer a glimpse of the work you must have put into those pieces of music. You should be very proud. Congratulations, Bonnie |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: GUEST,Andrew Date: 12 May 00 - 03:43 PM Michael, this is really really excellent stuff. I hope you aren't getting tired of hearing this. I have been interested in the MD-8 for a while now but haven't had an opportunity to hear it in action in terms of sound and capabilities. Your recordings have made a believer out of me, and I'm going to get one. If I'm lucky I'll sound like you, in about 20 years! Thanks again for sharing all the tunes and all of the info. It wasn't boring at all. |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: TheMuse Date: 11 May 00 - 11:35 PM Michael! Excellent!! Thanks!!! TheMuse (kissinghercableconnection) P.S. More!!! |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: Joe Offer Date: 11 May 00 - 06:35 PM Thanks, Michael. I admit that until you sent me a personal message I had bypassed the thread because I was too busy. I downloaded all four cuts today, and really enjoyed them. The music and recording quality are top-notch. Your vocalists are superb. Even Fielding ain't bad.... -Joe Offer- |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: MK Date: 11 May 00 - 05:41 PM Thanks Amos, Shelley and everyone else. Okay, Shelley, since you asked and enquiring minds want to know *BG*......... "A Poet In The Corner" - 1998 Collings OM3H "Anytime" - 1980 Martin M-38 "Don't Think Twice" - 1950 Martin D-28 (fingerpicking part) + 1998 Martin D-42 for all strums, and guitar solo "Don't Get Around Much" - 1998 Martin D-42, using only the under-the-saddle pickup, directly into the board. (faux archtop sound as it turned out.) All other sounds generated by Korg M1 keyboard. Harmonica fills and solo on "Don't Think Twice" courtesy of my old trusty Yamaha DX-7 keyboard. |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: Amos Date: 11 May 00 - 05:12 PM Hey, man! Quit the blushing! You deserve all this praise, 'cause these cuts are first rate! That duet on "Don't Think Twice" is as sweet as anything on the market, IMHO.
Thanks for the treat. Makes my lil cells jump for joy!
Amos |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: GUEST,Shelley - Long Island Date: 11 May 00 - 04:31 PM Just got finished listening to all of the tunes. In a word ---superb. At the risk of forcing even more information out of you Michael, I'd really be interested in knowing what kind of guitar(s) were used in these various songs. They really sound great. Don't be shy. You're among friends, and.........fans! |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: Mark Clark Date: 11 May 00 - 03:25 PM I must have missed this thread entirely before now. I accidently found the reference on the link page this morning and checked it out. I'd say these people are getting the hang of it. *VBG* Terrific job all round! - Mark |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: MK Date: 11 May 00 - 03:24 PM Well in answer to your questions (Duncan, MMario and GMT), first off, all of the recordings were made on a Yamaha MD-8 Digital 8 Track system using mini disc as the record and storage media. Inside "trade secrets" (*BG*) : For me, whenever I undertake to do a recording, the processes involved are usually the same. First it's a matter of deciding to record something that interests me, and that in some way will have an interesting, educational and challenging aspect to completing the recording. Since my main musical interest these days is in acoustic finger-picking and flat picking guitar, I try to find songs that will give me an opportunity to play guitar and use whatever skills I've picked up along the way, and apply them in some manner but ever mindful of Mr. Fielding's words "Don't show them everything you know in one song."*BG* If a tune calls for a given guitar part that I can clearly hear in my head, but may not necessarily be able to play, then I will figure out how to play the envisioned part and practise it over and over again until I can . Cases in point. The arrangement of "Anytime". Joanne (one of my vocalist friends) had been on my back for months to do a recording of this tune with her, and whenever we would get together for a playing session I would accompany her and this was one of the tunes we always played and I've always liked the song. Trouble was, I never thought the guitar part I was playing was "interesting" either in the way the chords were being voiced against the vocal, or the finger picking itself. So I put off doing it. In the interim, I had learned a few Doc Watson finger picking things, and had also taught myself some jazz voicings, and one day starting taking a few of Doc's licks and some of these jazzier voicings, and began experimenting with them around the chords to "Anytime", and essentially that is how I came up with the guitar part now heard in that tune. I knew immediately once I'd worked it out, that it would sound great against the vocal, establish the "feel" I was looking for, and basically carry the tune, with everything else (except the vocal) playing a supportive role. The arrangement of "Don't Think Twice." This was one of those arrangements that just came to me almost immediately. But, the second solo on the tune involves an 8 bar section with some fairly rapid flat-picking, a part which I could clearly hear in my head, but being primarily a finger picker, could not get up to speed, flat picking. So I spent about a week just practising this solo over and over again (driving everyone in my household insane), till I could get it really clean and up to speed. I tried to do it at first using the two-fingered style of flat-picking (thumb on downstrokes and index finger on the up-strokes.) This method was relatively easy to accomplish but it lacked the cutting power that only a true flat pick attack could provide. So after working on it over the course of a week with just a flat pick, got it down...and in the process improved my overall flat picking abilities for other things. The arrangement of "Don't Get Around Much Anymore." I don't deny that I was somewhat influenced by Willie Nelson's arrangement of it on the "Stardust" album, but I wanted to give the verses a more intimate supper-club kind of feel (using just guitar, bass and drums, and then kick it into a big band (Count Basie-ish) feel on the bridges.) And of course the solos are fairly jazzy. The guitar part is a hybrid of what Willie played when he did it, but again, I had to discover and figure out the right voicings to carry it off. As for the more technical end of doing the actual recordings. Before I do anything, I already have the entire arrangement in my head and can hear it. I know how everything is going to sound before I actually record a note. I don't write out charts. I only write sketchy little diagrams, and numbers of bars of each section of a given tune for drum machine patterns required, as far as any drum machine programming. (The key to creating effective drum machine parts, is to "think like a drummer" and not get all busy with all these drum sounds at your disposal. Above all else and regardless of what style of music you are recording, the drum part has got to have a solid "groove". It should be solid, but varied just enough that you don't feel like you're listening to a metronome. (ie: Ringo Starr, Buddy Miles, Omar Hakim's work with Sting - three examples of good groove drummers. There are obviously many more.) So the first thing that is actually recorded is the drum part on it own track in stereo. Here my drum set up gets a little tricky. I have a Yamaha RX-5 drum machine, but I also have a nice sampler keyboard (a Korg M1). I discovered that I preferred the drum sounds in the M1 to those in the RX-5. Trouble is, the sequencer in the M1 is very limited both in terms of memory and for linking all the created patterns together into 1 "song". So here is where the wonderful world of MIDI (musical instrument digital interface, for those of you who always wanted to know what midi stands for but were afraid to ask) comes into play. By connecting the midi OUT on the drum machine to the midi IN on the M1, and then via midi re-mapping all of the keys of the drum machine to the corresponding sounds I want to trigger on the M1, I can then use the RX-5 to do all of the actual drum machine programming/sequencing, but, playing the sounds generated by the M1 drums instead of the internal sounds of the RX-5 . So that is my process as far as the drums go. Then the primary acoustic finger picking guitar part is recorded in stereo on its own track. I always try and practise for at least an hour before recording any guitar, so that I'm warmed up, loose and comfortable. Then the bass is added (using the M1 bass sampled bass sounds.) So now I have my primary "rhythm section" or "bed tracks" recorded. Then, the lead vocal is added in stereo on it's own track. I like to get the primary vocal into the recording fairly early on in the process, so that I can determine what musical embellishments I can add, that will compliment or enhance the vocal, without getting in the way of it, or cluttering it up. Once the vocal is in, then the solos are added, on their respective tracks, and then finally, any additional "coloring" or musical accents are added. One of the nice features of the MD-8 is that everything is in real time stereo so there is no need to double track anything during the recording process to achieve stereo. Whenever I "finish" a song, I don't do the final mix on it right away. When you get this intensely involved with a song, often you get too close to it, and can lose your perspective as far as what's appropriate, what's tasty and what might sound really cheesy. So it's important to walk away from it for a few days, and leave it. Then, come back to it and listen with fresh ears. Sometimes you find that you like what you did on a given part; sometimes you get an idea to improve or make a given part better; and sometimes you decide to just eliminate a given track because in the end the part just doesn't work. But in the end, you only have your ears, your common sense and your own sense of taste to guide you. Ultimately you know in your guts, when a tune is finished and when everything is exactly the way you want it to be. When mixing with vocals, I think it's a good idea to get all the instruments placed where you want within the stereo field. Once you have all the instruments lined up where you want them, then, bring in the vocal, and make whatever necessary tweaks required of the instruments surrounding the vocal. I try and avoid using a lot of outboard processing gear for these kinds of songs, and only use a tiny bit of compression on the vocal, and none on any of the instruments. I will add reverb to the vocal and as well to the acoustic guitar sounds, but rely on the internal signal processing already programmed into any of the M1 sounds that are used I generally try to go for as big or fat a sound as I can get. I hate really compressed and tight sounding records. I prefer Phil Spector's "wall-of-sound" philosophy but (hopefully) without over-producing the crap out of something (as Phil was fond of doing. *G*) In general, from the beginning to completion of a song, the time can take anywhere from 10 days to a month, depending on how much free time I have, and also depending on how much distance I want to put between myself and the song, before coming back to reviewing it, and doing the final mixdown. So there you have it. Probably a lot more information than you needed or wanted to know. Right? *BG* |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: MMario Date: 11 May 00 - 02:31 PM Many people here on the forum would love hear how you do it.
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: GMT Date: 11 May 00 - 09:06 AM I'm with Duncan Michael and would be interested to know a bit more about the technicalities of your recording. It will be more musical in content than a lot of threads I'm sure. Gary (still practising) |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: MK Date: 10 May 00 - 08:56 PM Thanks Duncan. Tell you what. Go to BBC's Resources page and send me a private email, and I will be happy to give you a detailed breakdown of the processes involved, equipment, etc. I fear doing that here will be deemed either extremely boring for most or quite self indulgent or perhaps both. Cheers. |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: MMario Date: 10 May 00 - 04:29 PM regretably the site is blocked where I have a decent speed of link, and the smallest file had an estimated download time of 1 hour 45 minutes at home. I don't have access for that length of time unless the family is out of town. *sigh* |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: GUEST,Duncan Date: 10 May 00 - 04:22 PM Michael, at the risk of being redundant with the other comments in this thread, it is really really FINE stuff. It is truly a shame more people here haven't taken the opportunity to listen as this is one of those all-too-rare treats that does not come along very often on this Forum, but I can only assume that the BS threads and other non musical discussions take priority for them. I don't know about anyone else here, but I would be very interested in knowing how you put these arrangements together, your methodology and process for doing these multi-track recordings on your own, and the type of equipment used. One would swear these things were done in a professional, commercial recording studio. I cannot even begin to fathom how someone would go about making recordings such as these. I've got a 12 string Guild and a 4 track Fostex cassette recorder, and just recording one acceptable track seems to be elusive. Again, my thanks. Very classy stuff! Duncan (Auckland) |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: MK Date: 10 May 00 - 11:59 AM Yep. It's all in the cable. |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: Metchosin Date: 10 May 00 - 12:52 AM Ya mean its not my Mac, just all in the cable connection? Right, I forgot about that little bit. Duh! |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: MK Date: 10 May 00 - 12:39 AM Thanks Metchosin. Ah yes, cable or (DSL, T3 or T1 interent connections.) How easy it is to forget what 56K feels like...till you happen to be at a friends who's connected with a 56K, and you think, "Man, how can you live like this?"...and then you realize what a snob you've become, (as you spend the next 20 minutes trying to talk them into going high speed.*BG*) |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: Metchosin Date: 10 May 00 - 12:06 AM Well sadly, I may not be able to get to Hearme yet, but I am feeling fonder towards my Mac than I have for awhile.
I couldn't figure out what Spaw was talking about on the other thread, regarding long download times, until I came back to read this one.
It only took about 30 seconds each to download Michael's songs and less than that to unzip them. In my ignorance, I just assumed that it would be that way for everyone.
Good girl Tupperware! Good girl! And thank you again Michael, for making yours and Ricks music available. |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: Rick Fielding Date: 09 May 00 - 11:10 PM Isn't this getting a little polite? I happen to know that Mike plays a mean fingerpicking version of Barry Manilow's "I Write The Songs", and a Delta Blues slide treatment of "Feelings"! Just kidding. You'll never have to play those again Mike, and I'll never have to play "You Fill Up My Senses" and make the audience think I'm enjoying it! Oh what whores we were! Rick (bar-free, forever!) |
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Subject: RE: Michael K. - Musical Audio Samples From: katlaughing Date: 09 May 00 - 08:36 PM Michael, the continuity is you. |
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