Its called What?!?

O.k., so I was planning on using a different channel name. Turns out that the one I wanted is already taken (sort of). So this blog will remain, as will the Performance Emulation name. It is a decent name but I will be looking for something more general as I branch out and make non-music related videos. Something nonspecific like "Squashed Frog T. V." or "Square Circle" or something silly like that. I started a new channel on youtube. I found a website called Museopen.org that offers recordings in the public domain. I can't believe that it took me so long to find this site. The significance of this site can not be overstated and I expect it to grow quite a bit over the years. My new channel focuses on using music from Musopen. I have three main goals for creating these videos. First I want to finish projects fast. I have the tendency to agonize over details and get bogged down on projects. You might notice this if you check out the release dates on my videos. I want to force myself to be efficient and learn better time management and workflow skills. Along these lines my goal is to upload one video a day. I have met this goal with the exception of one weekend when I was out of town. A good deal of the videos are "under review" however. Second I want to have fun and see what results I can get with Plane9 and some other types of non-midi generated visualizations. Third I want to promote Musopen.org because it is pretty much the coolest thing ever (after Air conditioning). Many of the recordings are pretty low quality. I use some eq and other tools to clean them up as best as I can. However I am not an expert in audio restoration so the results are not exactly stunning all of the time. However there are some great performances available from Musopen as well as some nice amateur ones. So far it has been a fun and challenging project. Overall the videos are lower quality when compared to my main channel, but I am learning a lot about working fast.

Bach BWV 846 series

This series of videos uses two different styles. One uses the traditional harpsichord while the other uses a synthesizer. There are a total of six videos: prelude x2, fugue x2, and prelude + fugue x2. This one brings back some memories: the Fugue is one of the first pieces I ever sequenced when learning MIDI. I used Digital Performer 3.

I first had the idea of making an alternate version with the Mozart piano sonata (I still need to finish the other two movements of that one). I like the traditional sounds of pianos and other instruments, but at the same time I am fascinated by the endless possibilities offered by digital synthesizers. So why not make two versions? I was planning a third version for the Mozart sonata, but I decided that the time would be better spent making versions of different pieces rather than focusing on a single work. This strategy of alternate versions has the advantage that one or two of them will get by the automatic detection system that youtube uses. So far only a single video has made it past.

While this system is frustrating, its not really youtube's fault. Blame your representative in congress (and throw in the lawyers as well!! LOL)

In any case, I will be winding down this blog and replacing it with another that covers all of the activities of my channel and not just the music visualizations. This will include migrating the posts here, but also updating them. I have come to the conclusion that they are too technical in nature. I think anyone reading this is more interesting in why I chose a piece than what the LKFS level is for a video (for example).

Mozart Sonata K V 545 1st Movement Alternate Version

The idea for this video was to get a performance that sounded as if it were played by a computer. I took out all tempo changes but left in the phrasing (I can't stand all these unphrased midi performances, they hurt my ears!)

One of my favorite film composers is Wendy Carlos. I was going for the feel rather than explicit recreation of her work. I am thinking more of Switched on Bach than Tron here.

The instrument I used was provided by Arturia. They gave away the Minimoog V Original free for a single day. This is an excellent synth to be giving away for free. It does have some bugs. Gift horse and all that. The one topic that is discussed constantly is how close to the original instrument does it sound? Is it a 100% accurate recreation? I am not so concerned with the percentage. Is it 70? 95%? Who cares? It sounds like a moog, and it sounds freaking awesome. And it was free. A win win really.

I want to do a third version of this piece. I was thinking of using a FM synth for the next one. Who knows?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvM1bjw-L0M&feature=youtu.be

Mozart Sonata K V 545 1st Movement

I really enjoyed making this video. It was challenging in some ways. This has to do with the way the piece was composed. After spending some time with it, I am convinced that 'facile' refers more to compositional technique than to difficulty in playing. I don't mean that it is a simple piece; rather I mean that it is very simple in its construction. The whole thing is pretty much constructed from scales and arpeggios. This offers some difficulty in interpretation: how to phrase a bunch of scales and arpeggios and not make them sound boring? Well, I did my best!

I ran into a problem while making the visualization for this video. I could not get the audio to line up to the MAM player output. I eventually came to the conclusion that the MAM player does not like tempo ramps. I treats the ramp like a step, thus the misalignment problem. I think this is what my problem was a while back with the Für Elise video. In any case it was a great excuse to use the Zgame visualizer again. Can you tell which preset I like? Yeah, that one.

I have a confession to make. I am a hoarder. A hoarder of vsti's. I have bought a fair number of them, and I have found more freeware instruments than anyone should have. Synth1 (freeware) has over 8,000 presets for example. And that is just one of them.

So I need to use all of these for something. It also turns out that I am deeply interested in interpreting timeless masterpieces using new instruments. I can only imagine what Mozart would have done, had he had access to something like NI's Reaktor. Well, we can only guess. However we can hear his music using these instruments.

I will combine my psychotic urge to download every free vsti (even the bad ones) and my interest in using them on classic masterpieces. There will be another version or two of this movement using some as yet to be determined synthesizers. I can't wait!

http://youtu.be/Xdviq2UYbR0

Chorale 77 J. S. Bach

It seems like a long time since I posted any music visualizations.  I didn't realize that I missed making them until I produced this video.

My original concept for this was an image of a computer playing by itself in a cathedral.  Usually I take a digital instrument of some kind and sequence a performance as if I were playing an analogue instrument of some kind.  However with this video I achieved a computerized sound by not having any dynamics or tempo changes.  Its true that the volume changes a bit throughout.  However this is due to the constructive interference of the overtone series of the four voices rather than any velocity changes or volume automation.   I kept the fermatas in the score which may sound like tempo changes or rubato of some sort.

I used the excellent MAM player and Fubar2000 to provide the visualization for this video.  The license for Fubar seems to restrict giving credit (?) which is why I did not give credit in the video or on Youtube.

I used Hollow Sun's Vermona for this video: http://www.hollowsun.com/HS2/products/vermona/index.htm  I was absolutely shocked at the quality of this instrument.  I bought it on sale for a really good price and was expecting a mediocre instrument.  I got a top notch instrument.  It is my opinion that with proper marketing Hollow Sun could get at least twice what they are currently asking for their instruments (but don't tell them that, I only bought this one so far!)  The samples sound great, but what sets this one apart from most other Kontakt instruments is its implementation.  Notes sound even across the keyboard (which unfortunately can not be said for all Kontakt instruments, especially bundled ones).  It comes with presets that are a great starting point.  But most importantly it has knobs, sliders, and a GUI that mimics the original hardware in such a way that you no longer feel that you are playing with a sample set, but an actual synthesizer.  Top notch!  I can't wait until I can scrape up some budget for more H. S. instruments.  And by the way you don't have to wait for sale prices because the normal prices are far below what you would expect to pay for instruments of this quality (unless maybe H. S. reads this blog!)

I have implemented a big change starting with this video.  I spent a good deal of time researching the new(ish) loudness standards for broadcast that have been suggested and adopted for the USA, Europe, and other parts of the world.  I noticed upon review that my videos varied wildly in volume.  This could cause discomfort, or at the very least an inconvenient listening experience for the viewer.  Youtube does not have any loudness standards, nor is it likely to ever have them.  However it is my hope that viewers will enjoy a comfortable listening level between my videos.  I apologize for any inconvenience that may be caused by levels in previous videos, but I think that it is imperative to not revise too much.  I am a perfectionist by nature and if I allow myself to revise then I will never move forward.  Its true what they say: projects are never completed, only abandoned.  There is not a single video on my channel that in my opinion does not need revision.  This video was mastered at -18 LKFS (+/-1) using standard 1770-2, with a maximum peak of -3Db (actual peak about -4.5) before encoding.  This seems to be a level that offers an excellent trade off between dynamic contrast and loudness.  I can't promise to always use these particular levels, but unless I find problems or get complaints from viewers I plan to use this in all of my future videos.

Music Theory Basics Episode 2: The Bass Clef

Not too much to say about this one.  It is just another short video, this time explaining the notes of the bass clef.  I used screen in screen this time for clarity among some other more subtle video editing tricks that I picked up.

I have very little time for making videos unfortunately, but I will keep producing them when I can.

Beethoven: Für Elise 3d Removal

It is a sad day when the bully wins.  I made a (not very good) 3d version of this video, but unfortunately I had to remove it.  As is standard when posting any musical video on youtube, some miscellaneous entity claimed rights to my video.  This is absurd of course because I sequenced the music so I own the rights to this particular performance.  I initiated the dispute process (which I amd forced to do with 95% of my videos) but lost the dispute.  As a result, the company that disputed my ownership of the music rights was allowed to place advertising on my video.

I do not mind at all if the video does not generate revenue.  Not all of my videos are monetized, and even with the ones that are, as of this post I have not yet earned the $100 needed for adsense to mail me a check.  No big deal, if I wanted money I would spend my time flipping burgers.  It would pay a heck of a lot more.  However, I absolutely refuse to let someone else make money off of my work!

Strangely enough, the other (2d) video has been in dispute pretty much since I posted it.  This is the way the world under the DMCA works (and other landmark decisions and laws).  Rather than go into those, I will just say that although it is very frustrating to post these videos due to such violations of MY ownership of rights, I will continue to post them.  If we give in then the bullies win.  The change has already happened, but the record labels and other powers that be have not yet realized it.  The big corporations don't just want to protect their own rights, but also to shut down any competition.  Why would you buy a cd when there is so much great music being produced?  There are so many talented independent artists that one does not know where to begin.

I would re-up the 3d video and re-dispute it, but to be honest it wasn't very good (and thus not worth the trouble).  However I will continue to make music.  And every time someone watches one of my videos, I will feel happy inside that we still have the freedom to create and distribute our own art. 

They killed public domain and they will kill this new culture of independent art if we let them.

So lets make some more videos!