Weekly Update #4, in which we run into all kinds of problems and they somehow miraculously work out!
We take our family reunion to Main Street USA, January 2020
Okay, Tony’s persistence in figuring out all the glitches is the miracle that worked them all out.
For those of you visiting my blog for the first time, here is an introduction:
OSBORN FAMILY because it involves me, my husband Tony, our daughter Rosie and her husband James, our daughter Sonja and her husband Eboy, and our son Russell.
TRANS-PACIFIC because Tony & Russell & I live in Arizona, Rosie & James live in South Korea, and Sonja & Eboy live in Malaysian Borneo.
RECORDING because we are not new to recording, but what is new is that we are attempting to create a multi-track record across the ocean using recording software and this thing called email.
PILOT PROJECT because we don’t know whether it will work out or not. But we are tenacious. Obstacles that might cause others to give up, well, we just find them a minor annoyance. Or a major one, depending on the obstacle.
UPDATE: So I’m on Spring Break right now, extended two days courtesy COVID-19. Yay vacation! I’m practicing piano, doing homework, doing laundry, cleaning house, walking the dogs, and maybe hiking a little. I’ve discovered that you don’t have to drive two hours up the Catalinas to go hiking, even though hiking at the top of Mt. Lemmon is certainly worth the drive.
Time-Lapse from above the clouds on Mt. Lemmon, March 12. It was definitely worth the drive.
Oh, and maybe this little recording project.
Learning new hardware is always fun. Learning the software that came with it doubles the fun! Although the hardware has been working fine, the software has presented some challenges.
Our issues here in Arizona: the software for the Master Studio was insufficient. Ableton Light (which came with the FocusRite hardware) had several drawbacks. The first was that it only allowed 8 tracks, which required lots of pinging between tracks (see Week 3 Update). It also had limited software applications related to audio effects (reverb, delay, etc.) and EQ (equalization). The logistics involved in using Ableton Light for the Master Studio was very time-intensive.
For that reason we decided to spend the money on Ableton Standard. Ableton Standard is compatible with Ableton Light, so the kids in Asia can send us .wav files they create in Ableton Light, and we can plug them right into Ableton Standard. A few of its advantages (it has a lot) are: you can record up to 256 tracks before you have to start pinging between tracks; it has many audio effects that can be added to individual tracks; it has a user-friendly EQ for individual tracks; it can convert .wav files to MIDI files and vice-versa.
Weekly family hangout. We're talking about serious music stuff. And other things.
Rosie’s issues in ROK: She had a latency problem. Actually the reverse of a latency problem. Her voice was a beat or so ahead of the music. Ableton was supposed to sync up all tracks, but it didn’t. So Tony sent her another copy of the live set and told her to sing along with it and then then send just her recorded track as a .wav file. When we got it back, Tony pasted her .wav file into the master and it solved the problem.
Rosie recording, cats napping
Sonja’s issues in Borneo: She had the same latency problem, but she also had a problem that dealt with buffering (also see Week 3 Update) that caused her recording to distort and hiccup. It turns out that it wasn’t the processor on her laptop; it was the settings within the software. She increased the buffering rate to 44,000, and that resolved the problem.
Sonja recording
While the kids were doing their part, we were working here. Tony & Russell determined what kind of drums and guitar parts they should lay down. I laid down a keyboard bass. This completes the rhythm section. The rest is embellishment - banjo, strings, maybe a slide dobro guitar.
Russell drumming
Coming up: Tony & Russell will lay down guitar & drums. I will add strings, Tony will experiment with adding a dobro. The kids in Asia will add their vocals. James will add banjo. I'm starting to think this is really going to work. Stay tuned!
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