Our First House Show
So our first house show didn't start out as OUR house show, but the original location of the house show fell through and we gave this wandering orphan event shelter for the evening. The original host handled all the invites (although we also welcomed some neighborhood friends in for the fun of it). Even the food came pre-acquired, so we literally just had to open the doors and move some furniture.
Luckily, the band Faux Fix turned out to be both wonderful musicians and excellent people all around, and I was able to share some geeky moments over our common affection for the SoftStep. We witnessed a fantastic hour-plus show, they distributed some CDs and such (extremely important for a band on the road), and more folks got to hear their music (light but affecting electronic music with folky leanings - extremely likable).
So some quick tips from what we learned:
- Invite more than you think will show to ensure a full house
- Good food goes a long way
- Pleasant flexibility goes a long way
- Working with good people makes all task extremely easy
If anything, shows like this prove you don't have to restrict house shows to simple acoustic affairs or louder shows at larger places. Faux Fix knows how to travel light yet create a full, layered sound.
Dynamic Range Day
The Loudness War rages on, even as folks calm down a bit and realize that music isn't meant to be overly squashed and forced through an aural firehose at the listener (yes, I realize quality mastering folks have said this for years, but even iTunes is getting in on it now). Would you rather have a conversation with a friend, or would you rather that friend shout everything at you at the same frustratingly loud volume? Even if you don't speak the language of audio geeks, the distinction should be clear. And thus, I ask you to show support for tomorrow's Dynamic Range Day - making the world a better place for its tender little albums. Support your right to use the volume control as you see fit, and let your music breathe.
Beware of Upgrades!
Most studios know enough to test their systems and read up on issues before upgrading the OS on their recording computers, but it's important to remember that applies to all devices in this post-PC world - even your phone. Such as the tuning app that suddenly displayed everything a half-step sharp last night after the iPhone iOS 5.1 upgrade. And I was wondering why everything seemed a little off during the warm-ups. Luckily, there's always a backup:
- Another tuning app
- A hardware tuner
Gotta be prepared . . . test and backup. It applies to every digital device.
Mastered for iTunes
Got opinions about Mastered for iTunes? These people do! And it really doesn't change all that much right now. Asking for high-quality files in preparation for higher-quality consumer files isn't a bad idea, but good recordings were already there. The new tools to demonstrate how a file sounds is a bonus, but again, but quality engineers already understood the need to test. The principle that you should always record and master to the best possible format hasn't changed, and the jury is still out on whether the Mastered for iTunes files on sale at the iTunes store really do sound better - there's a ton of other considerations about the recording process in general that could affect that, no matter what tools and guidelines Apple provides. Higher fidelity is always welcome, so let's see what's coming out next. I'm not going to get too excited right now. When Apple sells full lossless or makes low-data cost streaming available, then it's the time to freak out. I like Ian Shepard's opinion that this is a step in the right direction, but the road continues.
And, of course, folks like Bandcamp already make lossless available . . . just sayin'.
Spectacular FAWM.org Failure
Not the site at all, mind you - just my ability to actually put together an album in one month. Not sure if I'm going to blame a rather busy freelance writing schedule this month or the fact that I'm a first-time songwriter in this regard, but there it is. Got starts on three songs, nothing recorded, and definitely not the 14 tracks FAWM expected. So, I'll continue it into March. Nobody says I have to stop writing, no? Look for results on Soundcloud as they become available.
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