Album, EP, or single – what defines each?

Definitions of Single, EP (extended play), or Album (or LP, long play):

1. Single = A single is considered 1-3 songs, each less than 10 minutes.
2. EP = An EP is considered 1-3 songs with one song of at least 10 minutes in length and a total running time of 30 minutes or less. Or, an EP is considered 4-6 songs with a total running time of 30 minutes or less.
3. Album = An album is considered to be 6 or more songs running, over 30 minutes in length, and is considered to be one product.

Deconstructing the Boards of Canada (BoC) Sound and Music

Boards of Canada is a personal favorite band of mine and I have studied their music with the aim of learning how they achieved their distinctive sound.

Here are what I think I have learned so far (I will continue to add to this page as I learn more).

Last updated: 30-April-2022.

Xfer Cthulhu MIDI Out to Piano Roll in FL Studio

Xfer Records Cthulhu program creates arpeggios and chords like none other. Lots of patterns when used with the correct synths, can sound a lot like deadmou5 and this makes sense as Joel Zimmerman has been known to use Cthulhu made by his associate, Steve Duda.

I find that often it is desirable for me to get the actual notes Cthulhu creates out to the piano roll in FL Studio so they can be edited individually and outside of Cthulhu.

I’ll start by showing you the basic set-up and then the one where you can get at those individual notes.

The Music Process: Making Money?

In general, you should not expect to make much, if any, money from music. Do the music for you and not for anyone else. Don’t do it for the money because that is a really rough road to travel – and it leads to poverty (in my opinion).

Intervals and Chords

Intervals in music are important for understanding the sounds of chords and dyads. Even melodies can benefit from a clear understanding of intervals. Unfortunately, a lot of the information I have found out there is confusing. I’m trying to unravel it for myself and you may get something out of it as well.

Last updated: April 23rd, 2021

Boards of Canada Roygbiv in TAL Bassline 101 – Free Presets

Demonstration of Roygbiv Bass in TAL Bassline 101

You can easily recreate the sound of the bass and lead in Boards of Canada’s song “Roygbiv” by using the TAL Bassline 101 synthesizer vst plugin. Here’s how…

How to Make Convincing Disintegrating Tape Loops in a DAW (no tape)

For the aspiring tape loopers out there, I’m sure I speak for us all when I say that we’d all like to have the time to play around with splicing tape into loops and recording through a four-track. But when this is not possible, here’s an easy alternative right in your DAW.

Modartt Pianoteq Piano Presets (FXP files) – Free Presets

I use the Modartt Pianoteq vst plugin as one of my main piano instruments and frequently modify or create new presets. This is my page for sharing those presets in the form of FXP files (.fxp).

Updated: 1-June-2021

I have used many piano vst plugin instruments and have a page dedicated to that: Getting Authentic Piano Sound in a VST Plugin and DAW

In the post below, I have provided all of the presets that I am using and what each sounds like. Feel free to download and use these as you like.

Getting Authentic Piano Sound from Sampled Pianos and Piano Plugins

I started out playing the piano, and I have come back to it often. I like the actual sound of a piano as the hammers hit the strings and it resonates through the wood and structure.

Here is my assessment of how to get a great piano sound in a vst or plugin instead of having the actual piano.

Last updated: 27-November-2020

The Music Process: Actually Producing Music by Fighting Perfectionism

It is easy to be a perfectionist, for me. I like things to be just right and as near perfect as I can get them. This extends well into music and my production of it (or lack thereof). But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Getting Beautiful and Realistic Sound From a Piano Simulation

Simulating a Real-World Piano

After having been to Budapest and found an 1896 C. Bechstein piano in the lobby of The Continental Hotel, I’ve learned much more about how I can make the same sound of it or any other piano within Pianoteq or via other vst instruments and effects. But, in fact, I aim to make it sound even better. Here’s what I have learned so far.

Last updated: 04-October-2019

The Music Process: Organization

I am not a master at organization when it comes to my music, but I can tell you what works and what doesn’t work for me. Maybe it could help you.

The Music Process: Where Music Comes From

Where exactly do songs come from? Not an easy question. But, I believe there are two distinct ways that music arrives to the musician.

The Music Process: Getting Started

Wondering how to get started making music? It’s not hard and I can tell you what I did. Read on and you’ll be able to know my experiences and can adapt these ideas for your own.

My background is not music. For me, I had a little piano experience when I was a kid, but that was it (and not really very useful in itself.) I just, in the last few years, had this need to make music. A desire. I wanted to make music. Somehow.

So I did. Here’s how:

Deconstructing the deadmau5 Sound and Music

I really admire deadmau5 (Joel Zimmerman) and his excellent music, including his use of chords and arps. He has a knack for it. I’ve watched him create on Masterclass and he just absolutely knows what he is doing. Moreover, he seems to be a guy who is limitless in his thinking while still knowing what he likes and dislikes. He doesn’t put out a ton of crap that is not up to his standards. Admirable.

Well, I wanted to know more about his producing talents, so I deconstructed some of his music, his chord progressions, and arpeggios. I’ll be adding more as I learn more, so stop back and check the “last updated” text below.

Last updated: 1-February-2019

Musical Modes Characteristics

Modes can add interest and really shape a musical piece so knowing the modes and what each is noted for is a good thing. I come back to this post quite often when I am composing so I can choose a mode.

Proper Levels and Metering for Sound and Music

There are a lot of ways to measure the levels of sound in your music production. Meter scales vary widely, and there are many misconceptions about what are the correct levels. Here below is what I have found currently works best for me.

Last updated: 09-January-2021.

There’s another, more current post about this: Levels in Mastering for the Various Streaming Platforms (and what happened to the K-system of metering)

Minimalism in Music and Song Design

 

I’ve come to have a new respect for those musicians who say to “keep it simple” when it comes to compositions, melodies, and instruments in songs. Here’s why.

U-he Satin Presets for Tape Delay Effects

Tape delay is a great way to get chorus and reverb effects and U-he Satin is a great tape machine emulation. Here are some presets to achieve great tape delay effects.

U-he Satin Preset for Giving Air to Synths

Air is a term used to describe that high and lofty feel to a mix. Sometimes your mix may get muddy or you just want to get a bit more high frequency into it. “Air it out” so to speak.

The U-he Satin plugin is based on tape and there is an old trick that studios did to air out a mix using tape. It was to record at a high speed and playback at a lower one. I’ve made a preset for it and you can download it. Here is what I did to replicate it and how I use it.

U-he Satin Preset for Simulating Cassette Tape Recordings

Cassette tape is a medium that many bands recorded their sound on before mastering them. I wanted to reproduce this effect using U-h Satin so I made a preset that approximates that.

The U-he Satin plugin does not come with a preset for this, but I can choose the cassette speed of 1 and 7/8 inches per second (i.p.s.). I’ve made a preset for it and you can download it. Here is what I did to replicate it and how I use it.

U-he Satin Preset for Simulating VHS Tape

VHS tape is a sound that groups like Boards of Canada have been compared with. It is that glitchy, old tape sound with plenty of dropouts and fluctuations.

The U-he Satin plugin does not come with a preset for this, but it can be somewhat replicated by choosing a slow tape speed. I’ve made a preset for it and you can download it. Here is what I did to replicate it and how I use it.

Book Recommendation: Composing Electronic Music

Composing Electronic Music is a book that has proven invaluable in my equalization settings in my electronic music creations. I would highly recommend it!

[click here for a link to it]