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2024-10-1100 minNotescastI haven't done the Disquiet Junto for a while because I've been spending my musi…I haven't done the Disquiet Junto for a while because I've been spending my music time on a long project. Then, I took a break from that to work on a shorter project, but that turned out to be long, too.This is the 666th Junto prompt, so I felt I had to make time for this.I noticed that "six" backwards sounds like "skisk", so I recorded myself saying "skisk", then reversed the recording to confirm this.Then, I wrote some riffs. I was able to play the triplet one backward, but the...
2024-10-0701 minNotescastTwo-handed Tetris underway. I tried playing this on guitar. I am totes not used …Two-handed Tetris underway. I tried playing this on guitar. I am totes not used to playing two parts at once, and it was a train wreck.
2024-08-2800 min2024-08-1900 minNotescastMiddle school strings at this camp are tight. Maybe more impressive is that they…Middle school strings at this camp are tight. Maybe more impressive is that they’re actually imparting feeling and style into their playing. A lot of middle school kids never get past the mechanics of playing the right pitch at the right time.
2024-08-1600 minNotescastWe Will Rock You, Despite Having Started Band Two Weeks AgoWe Will Rock You, Despite Having Started Band Two Weeks Ago
2024-08-1600 min2024-07-1700 minNotescastFor long video meetings in which there’s pressure to have your camera on, I’ve s…For long video meetings in which there’s pressure to have your camera on, I’ve started desk drumming. I messed up a bunch here, but at some point in the meeting, things were 🔥 With more practice, I should get more consistent.
2024-07-1100 minNotescastThe left hand part of the Super Mario World Bonus Room theme is starting to happ…The left hand part of the Super Mario World Bonus Room theme is starting to happen!
2024-06-1700 min2024-05-2900 minNotescastI noticed I had some songs, Kart and Hamburger, that I started in January (!). I…I noticed I had some songs, Kart and Hamburger, that I started in January (!). In case they never get finished, I’m posting what I have so readers here can freestyle over them if they want.
2024-05-0900 min2024-05-0500 minNotescastThe riff in From…The riff in From the Air sounded like it had groups of three and two eight notes packed into a four-beat measure (much like the break riff in Seek and Destroy), but when I tried to count it out, I started to feel like it was actually in 7/8.So I reassembled it in NanoStudio (with a cheesy synth that you can at least hear well), and confirmed that it’s in 4/4, with 3-2-3 groupings of eight notes. The thing that made it sound so complex for me is that the snare drops at the beginning of the se...
2024-05-0400 minNotescastKids were hyped up about the high school band playing some stuff from Barbie! Un…Kids were hyped up about the high school band playing some stuff from Barbie! Unfortunately, they could not express that enthusiasm by clapping in time.(And the high school band was actually pretty tight.)
2024-05-0202 minNotescastElementary school horns all end up sounding like kazoo. (I do think this is res…Elementary school horns all end up sounding like kazoo. (I do think this is respectable for a first performance for kids that rehearse once a week! Even though I find it really funny.)
2024-05-0201 minNotescastHey, different sides on the Dutch oven have different pitches.Hey, different sides on the Dutch oven have different pitches.
2024-04-2800 minNotescastKids learn Iron Man in school now! So I can jam along, as long as I roll with th…Kids learn Iron Man in school now! So I can jam along, as long as I roll with the weirdness of this arrangement in C.
2024-04-2301 minNotescastCathédrale Marie-Reine-du-Monde et Saint-Jacques Bell TimeCathédrale Marie-Reine-du-Monde et Saint-Jacques Bell Time
2024-03-1000 minNotescastThis is L-Amp, a good and weird piece to start the music releasing year with. I …This is L-Amp, a good and weird piece to start the music releasing year with. I have a lamp that interferes with my guitar-cable-amp loop. So, I decided to cut the guitar out of the loop and just use the lamp, cable, and amp, with some delay and reverb. Here's a video of the performance.
2024-02-0304 minNotescastThis is Phase the Blood, a short piece I put together in response to the This is Phase the Blood, a short piece I put together in response to the Fresh Pair Junto prompt, which asked for the combination of two (possibly disparate) strong influences.I chose Slayer and Steve Reich. The piece is a Slayer-style riff played on one guitar and a version of that riff that has an extra half beat so that the two parts are not in phase, Steve Reich-style.Slayer is a band I got into when I was 15 (I'm now 46) and saw live over ten times. I don't think any other artist has ever hit...
2023-12-1901 min2023-12-1600 minNotescastOK, Flying Fortress (fixed)! I introduced last-second arrangement mistake while …OK, Flying Fortress (fixed)! I introduced last-second arrangement mistake while trying to slam out the track yesterday. Also, the cello was added at the last second to thicken the viola, so I took a little time to make it less blend better.
2023-11-2302 minNotescastShifting both hands at the same time is a lot for a kid.Shifting both hands at the same time is a lot for a kid.
2023-10-2800 min2023-10-2600 minNotescastThis is my tribute to doing things, Doing Things. Making dinner, taking a walk, …This is my tribute to doing things, Doing Things. Making dinner, taking a walk, looking for objects — you name it!I didn't do as crisp as mix as possible on this one, but maybe someday I'll do a second pass.
2023-10-2003 min2023-10-1900 minNotescastI mostly do not work on metal songs because I don’t have the riffs, nor do I thi…I mostly do not work on metal songs because I don’t have the riffs, nor do I think that there is much further it can go even if I did.Sometime last year, though, I did come up with what could be a good Krisiun-style riff if I could learn to play it fast enough. So I tried to come up with other riffs to go with it. I finally have the riffs to complete a song.I recorded it slowly, but whoa, I’m still a ways away from playing on time at 100 bpm, as y...
2023-10-1303 min2023-10-1300 minNotescastHere is The Orb, Ascending. No one said ascending was going to be easy. (There's…Here is The Orb, Ascending. No one said ascending was going to be easy. (There's a lot of low humming in this, so it may be hard to hear without headphones or with computer speakers.)
2023-09-2403 min2023-09-2300 minNotescastI didn’t quite capture it, the acoustics of the Tufts music building’s lobby is …I didn’t quite capture it, the acoustics of the Tufts music building’s lobby is really great for ambience. Things like people walking and typing sound good.
2023-09-2300 minNotescastI tried to continue the pump up downstairs with more of the Pikmin match, but it…I tried to continue the pump up downstairs with more of the Pikmin match, but it turns out that moment is over. He said he wanted to think quietly during breakfast, so I switched it to Baba Is You.
2023-08-3000 minNotescastThe guy has put on some Pikmin march to pump himself up for the first day of sch…The guy has put on some Pikmin march to pump himself up for the first day of school.
2023-08-3000 minNotescastThis is Scrambled Plea. It turned out less musical than I would have liked, whic…This is Scrambled Plea. It turned out less musical than I would have liked, which was a known risk, but I think it's interesting for now. I wrote Scramble to make this.
2023-08-1502 minNotescastBonus is at the vet. A hard day for him has started.Bonus is at the vet. A hard day for him has started.
2023-08-1100 min2023-07-3100 minNotescastI wrote this on the plane while barely able to hear what I was writing. I don’t …I wrote this on the plane while barely able to hear what I was writing. I don’t recommend that technique.
2023-07-2400 minNotescastMy looping tool is working enough that I can make obnoxious stuff like this now.My looping tool is working enough that I can make obnoxious stuff like this now.
2023-06-2700 minNotescastI tried to come up with some riffs via jamming, which is always ill-advised. I w…I tried to come up with some riffs via jamming, which is always ill-advised. I was going for something death metal and ended up with the kind of borderline-thrash death metal that was around in 1990. AKA, basically Slayer played through a Metalzone. I am ambivalent about this outcome.
2023-06-0500 minNotescastI meant to try to fix my mic, and I finally did it! Actually, it turned out to n…I meant to try to fix my mic, and I finally did it! Actually, it turned out to not be broken.To find that out, I first had to find it, which took 40 minutes because I stuffed it in a bag labeled "headphones". Then, I spent some time searching for my preamp before I concluded that I probably threw it away.When I plugged it into my mixer (which I probably got because my preamp wasn't working), it registered signal right away. After some wrangling with Pulse Audio Volume Control, I was able to test recording...
2023-05-0400 minNotescastThis is The Sound of Carrying On No Matter How Terrible It Gets.
That's t…This is The Sound of Carrying On No Matter How Terrible It Gets.That's the name of the song! The latest Junto prompt asks you to do something out of tune, so I put my phone next to my amp and started recording myself playing these two riffs and detuning the A string every so often.I listened back to a version of this the other day and hated it, then listened again today and hated it again. Then, I listened to a different take and thought it was interesting. But maybe it only sounds that...
2023-04-0403 minThat's t…This is The Sound of Carrying On No Matter How Terrible It Gets.That's the name of the song! The latest Junto prompt asks you to do something out of tune, so I put my phone next to my amp and started recording myself playing these two riffs and detuning the A string every so often.I listened back to a version of this the other day and hated it, then listened again today and hated it again. Then, I listened to a different take and thought it was interesting. But maybe it only sounds that...
NotescastHere's Pressures Accumulating, a piece for (synth) strings, trumpet, and drums. …Here's Pressures Accumulating, a piece for (synth) strings, trumpet, and drums. The solo was put together partly via guitar and via this script. I think it turned out fairly heavy for a string piece.
2023-03-2901 minNotescastI recorded this sick riff I thought while walking in Davis Square. I thought no …I recorded this sick riff I thought while walking in Davis Square. I thought no one could hear me, but some guy looked at me.
2023-03-0800 minNotescastI had to go to Nashville for work. There’s a bird outside my AirBnB that sounds …I had to go to Nashville for work. There’s a bird outside my AirBnB that sounds like it’s saying “thirsty thirsty”.
2023-03-0600 minNotescastI implemented sliding between pitches instead of ending an event and starting a …I implemented sliding between pitches instead of ending an event and starting a new one with the new pitch in Flooding. As you may know, the more complex a program gets, the hairier it gets to add things to it, so this one took a day.And as I suspected, the change does not really work with the piece. It is hilarious, though, and I'll probably do something with this later.
2023-02-2200 minNotescastSo, this is Grow Together with the Miasma. I put it together for this So, this is Grow Together with the Miasma. I put it together for this Junto challenge about evolution.I worked on the web app that generated it to and from the train to New York and felt like I was almost done when I sat down to "finish" it Monday night. Very very predictably, I was not almost done when I sat down to finish it Monday night. I ended up finishing it at 5 AM.It is a fork of Flooding, hacked up to 1) make a stack of five riffs with random choices from a 15-limit...
2023-02-1405 min2023-01-2900 minNotescastI figured out how to make something like NES dialogue sounds, and I spent a whil…I figured out how to make something like NES dialogue sounds, and I spent a while trying to fit it into a song, but it just wouldn’t go. So, to assuage the part of my brain that was really into it, I’m posting it here.
2023-01-2900 minNotescastFinally generated some low end for Flooding. Here's a sample, though I don't kno…Finally generated some low end for Flooding. Here's a sample, though I don't know if it will end up like this.
2023-01-0400 minNotescastI tried it out, and I think strings and drum kit can work together.I tried it out, and I think strings and drum kit can work together.
2022-12-0800 minNotescastA live look at what’s in Alfred’s Basic Piano Library Lesson Book Level 1B. Also…A live look at what’s in Alfred’s Basic Piano Library Lesson Book Level 1B. Also: the true Frere Jacques.
2022-11-2000 minNotescastI fit one more loop into Looptober: A Ninja Weighing the Pros and the Cons, whic…I fit one more loop into Looptober: A Ninja Weighing the Pros and the Cons, which you can loop as many times as you want. I'm pretty sure that it is in some part derived from Ninja Gaiden, which is hard-lodged into my brain. You can listen to it if you are a ninja that has some hard decisions ahead of them of if you just want to think about a ninja in that situation.
2022-11-0102 minNotescastThis is Stockholm, which I made for Looptober. It's actually three 3.5 second lo…This is Stockholm, which I made for Looptober. It's actually three 3.5 second loops repeated 25 times. There's two dryer parts and one bass part. It's one of those attempts to make the irregular seem regular through repetition.
2022-10-0401 minNotescastI spent quite a bit of the day trying to make a FFT decomposition tool with JUCE…I spent quite a bit of the day trying to make a FFT decomposition tool with JUCE so I could make a particular idea I had for the Wikimedia jingle contest happen. I basically got as far as getting the buffer chain working, with no FFT, and I figured out a problem I had with nested vectors. So, at the end of the night, I did a cheap version of my idea by manually applying bandpass filters to a chord in Audacity. Oh, well.
2022-09-2700 minNotescastI’m going to enter the Wikimedia audio logo (AKA jingle) contest. This first att…I’m going to enter the Wikimedia audio logo (AKA jingle) contest. This first attempt is too staid and un-modern, but it’ll work as something someday.
2022-09-2200 minNotescastUnfortunately, I have to use Zoom several times a week, like everyone else. So, …Unfortunately, I have to use Zoom several times a week, like everyone else. So, I might as well take advantage of them supporting entrance and exit music. I'm trying this out as my entrance music.
2022-09-1500 minNotescastWhile trying to come up with the solo for another song, I made this commercial j…While trying to come up with the solo for another song, I made this commercial jingle for a Cool Breeze Product.
2022-09-0901 minNotescastEver think you remember a song, then don't realize that you don't until you star…Ever think you remember a song, then don't realize that you don't until you start playing it?
2022-09-0200 minNotescastImagine some dialogue about time crystals or something going on during this riff…Imagine some dialogue about time crystals or something going on during this riff.
2022-08-2300 minNotescastI think these chords are EmDim7+6, F#mDim7, G2, E4. But also it might not be wo…I think these chords are EmDim7+6, F#mDim7, G2, E4. But also it might not be worth naming them.
2022-08-1500 minNotescastPikmin and street crossings. There’s a lot of street noise in this one, I think.…Pikmin and street crossings. There’s a lot of street noise in this one, I think. Hopefully, you can still hear the speech!
2022-07-1900 minNotescastIn an earlier version of the summer jam, I accidentally drifted off into some ki…In an earlier version of the summer jam, I accidentally drifted off into some kinda Pantera riff.
2022-06-2900 min2022-05-0600 minNotescastThe guy kept complaining about having to do his writing assignment, and while I …The guy kept complaining about having to do his writing assignment, and while I was sitting here making sure he did it, I kept picturing the guy from The Unforgiven video from the ‘90s, being forced to write two pages about a small moment in his life.
2022-04-0300 min2022-03-0400 min2022-02-1700 minNotescastThe difficulty of figuring out what matters and what doesn’t.The difficulty of figuring out what matters and what doesn’t.
2022-02-0700 minNotescastI got a small m…I got a small mixer partly so that I can play my guitar through an amp modeler on my computer. I like the mixer so far and was able to get a few amp sounds that I like better than what I can get on iOS, but there are issues with it working at the low latency I need it to work at (hence the pops in this recording).I had to do a lot of poking around just to get sound going. So, I see why so many people prefer traditional hardware devices to software.
2022-02-0600 minNotescastThis is Winding Down. I didn't use the Synthruary prompt because I was short on …This is Winding Down. I didn't use the Synthruary prompt because I was short on time. Basically, I wrote a tool to graph this into midi. Fun fact: It does not actually slow down.
2022-02-0401 minNotescastMy second Synthruary song is Message from Afar. It's another low song. I made a …My second Synthruary song is Message from Afar. It's another low song. I made a simple instrument that shifted the pitch by amount depending on the note in the sequence. It also delayed by an amount based on its position in the sequence. So, it was quite chaotic, though I didn't feel it was completely unrelated to what I was playing on the guitar. I did want a more complex sound than some offset sinusoids, but I had enough trouble as it was.
2022-02-0303 minNotescastThis is Energy Ladders, a piece that I recorded by triple-tracking myself playin…This is Energy Ladders, a piece that I recorded by triple-tracking myself playing an FM synthesis patch (the "twist" being that it has an extra cosine applied to the modulated signal) written in Pure Data.I need a push to reactivate the music writing after having to spend all of my time on other things, so I'm doing this as part of #synthruary, one of those things where you wear yourself out trying to do a thing every day of the month.
2022-02-0102 min2022-01-2900 min2022-01-2500 minNotescastThoughts loosely related to the book How to Move to Canada.Thoughts loosely related to the book How to Move to Canada.
2022-01-2400 min2022-01-2100 minNotescastThis is called Inchoate Burbler. It uses a lot of low, low frequencies. I actual…This is called Inchoate Burbler. It uses a lot of low, low frequencies. I actually played this on guitar, thanks to Pure Data's MIDI integration being really easy, despite my fears that it'd be a configuration nightmare.
2022-01-1801 minNotescastThe audio entries for this blog are now available as a podcast! Point your podca…The audio entries for this blog are now available as a podcast! Point your podcast app at smidgeo.com/notes/deathmtn/podcast.xml!Podcastification made possible by static-web-cast .
2022-01-1700 min2021-11-2900 minNotescastThis is Searching the Bogs, a song I wrote in response to a This is Searching the Bogs, a song I wrote in response to a Junto prompt about gradually changing between two chords. I wrote a Pure Data patch to do this fairly literally with a bagpipe sample.
2021-11-0807 minNotescastHere's another dungeon synth piece, albeit a more upbeat one: Midnight Feast. I …Here's another dungeon synth piece, albeit a more upbeat one: Midnight Feast. I consider this one "composed ✔". There's stuff that needs to be cleaned up and some decisions I'm not sure about (there's four muted tracks that seemed to muddy it up), but I don't think the bones will change.
2021-10-1802 minNotescastMessing up in Pure Data sometimes yields fun results.Messing up in Pure Data sometimes yields fun results.
2021-10-1100 minNotescastSome thoughts after talking to a tech union organizer today.Some thoughts after talking to a tech union organizer today.
2021-09-2900 min2021-08-2400 minNotescastThis song is called You Must Explain the Delta Variant to Your Parent and Resche…This song is called You Must Explain the Delta Variant to Your Parent and Reschedule Your Flights. (I drew from life experience.)I wrote it in response to this Junto challenge, which asks you to play a theme as yourself, then as two other identities.I've been mostly making music by programming and clicking on piano rolls for the last few years, but I feel like that gets you very diverse sounds, and my stuff doesn't seem consistent enough for an identity yet. So, I played the "self" part on guitar.The other identities...
2021-08-0203 minNotescastI made this altered soundscape, which I call "Closing" (you can see why in the m…I made this altered soundscape, which I call "Closing" (you can see why in the middle of the piece), as part of this challenge, which asks that you add an imperceptible sound to a field recording, then make it become more obvious.I found the imperceptible part really hard because I know where the added sound came from, and therefore can always perceive it. I did run it by Katt, and it didn't jump out at her, so I counted it as good enough since I didn't have time to survey a whole bunch of people....
2021-07-2705 min2021-06-0800 minNotescastLego planning, one of the problems with last-minute compositionLego planning, one of the problems with last-minute composition
2021-05-1100 minNotescastThis song-a-week song is Sky Ghost Farewell Fugue. I was trying to make somethin…This song-a-week song is Sky Ghost Farewell Fugue. I was trying to make something with loose timing instead of the strict lockstep I usually use. I also wanted to shoot for something ambient and got about halfway there.I don't know if I'm going to say this every week, but again, this was a struggle. Never challenge yourself!
2021-05-1002 minNotescastI'm going to try Ludum Dare this weekend, so I had to do my song a week early. I…I'm going to try Ludum Dare this weekend, so I had to do my song a week early. It is called Rumor of Robot in Town. I was going for a YMO/SNES JRPG kind of song.
2021-04-2202 minNotescastNarrating my street crossings with unclear ethical advice.Narrating my street crossings with unclear ethical advice.
2021-04-0700 min2021-03-2801 minNotescastI got my old GI-20 working with my phone. I can now use a guitar to create MIDI.…I got my old GI-20 working with my phone. I can now use a guitar to create MIDI. Way back in the ‘00s, there weren’t that many interesting synths I could get my hands on, so I forgot about it. Now, I have a ton of synths from NanoStudio that are actually worth using.This test isn’t a great performance, but A) it’s not quantized and B) it’s around 150 notes of varying length and intensity which were entered in under a minute.The way I usually enter notes is by hand tapping them in or...
2021-03-2800 min2021-03-2300 min2021-03-0500 min2021-03-0400 minNotescastI have tried to come up with a French horn line, but I have no idea what to do w…I have tried to come up with a French horn line, but I have no idea what to do with it.
2021-02-1400 min2021-02-1200 minNotescastIf I ever make a video game, this could be some character’s leitmotif.If I ever make a video game, this could be some character’s leitmotif.
2021-02-1200 min2021-02-1100 minNotescastI accidentally recreated the Still DRE beat while trying to make music for a CRP…I accidentally recreated the Still DRE beat while trying to make music for a CRPG inn.
2021-02-0800 min