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November 20, 2006
MIDI Gremlins / Bad Songs
I spent most of today trying to chase down a “gremlin” in my studio. Every time I tried to program a part using MIDI, the sound came out all wobbly (for lack of a better term.)
Now, I must admit right from the start that I am a musician first, and a technician second (a distant second.)
I know enough about the technology in my studio so that I can get the results I want, but I’m very much akin to someone who is a good driver, but does not really know what is going on under the hood.
Of course, I stay in business because:
1. I know people who are well acquainted with all things technological, and I’m not too proud to call on them for help. After all, I’m not a mechanic, but I certainly rely on some good mechanics to take care of my vehicles.
2. I refuse to give up trying to learn how everything works, so I’ve learned a lot over the years.
3. The same problems tend to crop up over and over, so I now know a few places to start when trying to solve a problem.
4. I know that the problem is usually simple in nature, and easily fixed once the cause is found.
I have never failed to solve a technical problem, but that doesn’t make them any less frustrating. Fortunately, these types of problems rarely surface when I have a client in the studio.
So, did I find the “MIDI gremlin?” Yes, I finally did, but the solution was so simple that I’m embarrassed to put it in the entry! Oh well, at least I was alone at the time.
Well, onto to something fun.
Sheryl and I listen to a lot of songs in the course of our work. We often get CDs from musicians hoping to get our opinion on the songwriting. Naturally, we’ve heard some songs that were quite good and well crafted, others that showed enormous potential, but then others that left us speechless. To simply say “that was a bad song” is tantamount to saying “Bach was a pretty good musician.”
One amazing thing about the music industry is that people you have heard of have actually recorded some of “those” songs, and they actually became “hits!” Maybe because they were so bad? Who knows?
Anyway, this thanksgiving themed article reminds you of some songs for which we can give thanks if we never hear them again.
Have fun, and watch out for ear worms!
Posted by leon at November 20, 2006 04:09 PM