Read My Homework

Compare and Contrast Recording Techniques in Two Songs from Different Eras

I thought it would be fun to compare one of my favorite bands from the late 60's/early 70's to what I think is the quintessential modern pop artist. I am going to compare "Pale Blue Eyes" by The Velvet Underground to the number one song on iTunes right now, which is "Party in the USA" by Miley Cyrus. Though they are completely different in terms of style, these two songs were recorded far enough that they show how much recording technology has advanced from the late 60's to now.

First, I will look at "Party in the USA." The song begins with guitars that sound so clean, and the body of the sound stretches. Once Miley starts singing, I notice that her voice is auto-tuned, but it's less obvious than something that Kanye or T-Pain would do. There is just enough auto-tune to keep Miley on pitch. Also, I hear 808 basslines in the background, tambourine, or sleigh bells accompanied by these synths that roll up and down in pitch, like something is being torn. I want to say that the synths remind me of Hard NRG which is a style of dance music, except slower obviously. I think there is actual bass guitar coupled with harmonic frequencies on top, but it could be merely synths. These synths become more prominent during the chorus. In fact, it feels like everything gets turned up during the chorus. Miley's voice is doubled to create harmonies, and some phasing occurs which causes her voice to echo. The song builds, constantly shifting focus from instrument to instrument. Overall, I think the creators of the song have taken techniques, and ideas that have become really popular in recent times, to make a song that cannot help but sound so manufactured, and yet they have put the focus on sounds, and frequencies that are so pleasant to my ear that it feels easy to overlook all of the manipulation of the sound.

Finally, I will talk about "Pale Blue Eyes" by The Velvet Underground. This song could not be more opposite of "Party in the USA." First off, the volume is significantly lower compared to "Party in the USA." I think it was mentioned in class that back in the day, recordings were much quieter, and not as full in terms of sound clarity than more modern recordings. In the recording that I listened to, I noticed that the lead guitar was playing into the right speaker, and the left speaker was playing organ. That remained constant through the entire song. I'm not sure if that means it was recorded in mono, but I know for a fact that the vinyl copy I have says it was a stereo recording. Everything else, like vocals, tambourine, and bass were being played in both sides. There isn't any doubling on the vocals. It's just Lou Reed almost singing monotone. The loudest parts of the song are definitely the bass, and the guitar, with the organ being slightly quieter than everything else. This rarely changes, maybe only slightly during the guitar solo, but hardly noticeable. It's difficult to notice more than that in this song compared to Miley's track. Everything in "Pale Blue Eyes" just seems to have been put in place, possibly some fine-tuning took place, but it all feels very natural. The instruments sound what they're supposed to sound like, and Lou Reed sounds like he's actually singing because his voice waivers, and fades. This track is an excellent example of not only how music was recorded in the past, but The Velvet Underground were all about doing provocative, and interesting music with as minimal sound, or volume as possible.

SMELLS LIKE BS NO?

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Correspondence Cast Episode 9: Dizzy in Beat Sounds wouldn't eat Daffy Duck

We worked diligently to create a proper outline for this week's episode, but then we started drinking a lot, and that outline quickly went out the window. We somehow ended up doing a cartoon draft, and we mention our friend Don way too many times. Hopefully his legion of Facebook fans will assemble to make this the most downloaded show ever. WE'LL SEE. As usual, thank you very much for listening. If you like the show, please subscribe to the show in the iTunes Music Store, and don't forget to tell a friend. You are appreciated!

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Another fucking flowchart.

Our Podcast is Hot

I just checked the stats on our podcast, and in one week our last episode has almost hit 40 downloads which is what we normally do in one month, so I just want to say thanks for listening, and for the support. Let us know that you love the show by leaving questions or comments on the blog. Thanks dudes, and dudettes!

Dead Space(The Real Game of 2008?)

Summer is the finest time to catch up on games that you might have missed last year, and I have been playing a lot of great stuff this summer. I cannot remember the last time I've wanted, and yearned to keep playing a game as much as I did while playing Dead Space. Usually when I receive a game from Gamefly it takes me a week or two to get bored, but I played through Dead Space in three days, and have already started a second play through. It's really not that long, but it takes me forever to finish games, so I was completely shocked to have finished it so quickly. I try to avoid scary games because I don't like to get scared, but it's not really that scary. There are just a lot of cheap scares, but Dead Space is a fresh, and engrossing experience that I would love to relive again. I don't have to say that the game looks amazing, but the things that really stuck out were the sound effects, the combat, and the interface of the game.

Most people tend to forget about how important sound is in a game, but in Dead Space it is very difficult not to notice it. Faint whispers coming out of the distance, the creaks of a spaceship, the sound of shooting a pistol in the vacuum of space. At times I stopped depending on my eyes, and I would try to just listen to anything I could hear to help me determine if there was an alien mutant around the corner, but even my ears deceived me, so I ended up just being on edge the entire time.

The combat is a little different from most conventional third person shooters. Instead of just pumping enemies full of lead, or focusing on head shots, the game actually punishes you for doing those things by releasing many tinier alien enemies that get all over the place, and are really fast, hence making them really tough to kill. The fastest way to kill enemies is by dismemberment. Careful aiming is critical to survival, so that's a nice little mechanic that the developers came up with. Things got really bad when like 5 enemies would surround me because I would just scream, and shoot my pistol almost in a blind mess, but using your Stasis power, which slows down enemies, and objects, really helps you focus on shooting limbs off.

The way the developers integrated all of the menu's, life bars, and weapon meters into the environment of the game was so sick. Once you start your game, the only noticeable loading time is in-between levels, so you are in this gargantuan abandoned space ship the entire time. There is no pausing to go into and out of menus. Your inventory menu, and map are all on a "Minority Report" style interactive touch screen that pops up in front of your character. The fact that the game never pauses also works to your detriment because you can be attacked while looking at your map, or your items so I was annoyed at times because I would try to heal while fighting enemies. I didn't know until after I finished the game that there are hot keys for healing, and refilling your Stasis meter, so I guess I was making it harder than it should have been. Anyway I just really liked that the developers really focused on not taking you out of the experience.

I would easily put Dead Space into my top 5 of 2008, but I struggle with the idea that it was the best game of last year. I'm stupid because I think more is better. I know that more is not always better. Can I really say that Dead Space was better than Fallout 3? Left 4 Dead had probably the least content of all the games in my top 10, and it took the number one spot. Well, Dead Space was easily better than GTA IV. It was stupid to put that game at number two, but like I was saying, at the time I thought, "Ehh, it was alright, but there was so much content, I put in so many hours, yadda yadda yadda." Yeah, the game took me 9 hours to beat, but there was so much there in terms of gameplay, and experience. Definitely Dead Space is in the conversation for best game of last year, and everyone should play it. Especially now that it's almost a year old, and you can pick it up for $20 at most stores.

My impersonation of Monday

Evie Sands - Estate of Mind

Classic blue-eyed soul.
http://www.sendspace.com/file/8otjat

California, what's up

California, look me in the eyes.
Stand up, Redwood trees
and the saplings filled with hope
to obtain thousands of leaves.

Take a look at your sons
and your daughters
where a drought is as certain
as running water.

With the Spicoli stereotype
and the birth of Soul On Ice.
Where Chaplin made a living
like Ice Cube does in another city.

Where Polly Klaas kept me
awake at night.
Emperor Norton
made sense sometimes.

Ask us questions
and we have the answers.
The people
that you born have mattered.

Woody Guthrie's guitar,
the opening bars
of Amerikkka's Most Wanted.

Cesar Chavez is more
than just a middle school.
Watts is more than just
a setting in a rap song.

California, look me in
the eyes when
we talk to you.