PLAYING WITH THE TOYS

Wow.

(Some backstory...)

In June 2015 I acquired a new (to me) software application for audio recording on my computer, called Reaper.

(Think of someone who goes into a field that is ripe for harvest and gathers the grain, not the creepy guy who comes to remove you from the living.)

The User Manual is over 400 pages.

This is deep, complex software, but it can do amazing things.

Actually, it does what most other audio recording software does, but is very simple to use.

Back in 2015 I read through the user manual, but missed a few key details ( I know now….), so I had a less than pleasing experience making my first recording with it.

I muddled through that recording project but lost my enthusiasm for recording with it, because it seemingly would not do what I wanted it to do.

I was not pleased with the semi-finished product, but most of that displeasure was because of some errors on my part, not because of the software.

So, for that reason and being busy on other things, I did not record anything for two years.
I wrote some songs, and pondered some arrangements during that time but produced no audio.

(End backstory)

Then, a few weeks ago, I was inspired to have another go at recording.

I looked at two other recording software packages – Garageband, by Apple, and Audio Desk, by MOTU.
And, I had in my mind that I might give Reaper another chance if these other choices did not produce acceptable results.

I tried recording a simple song with each package.

Garageband has been simplified since the last time I played with it.

It seemed pretty limited.

There were several editing functions that I wanted/needed that were missing.

It is almost like a toy.

Audio Desk is a pretty full-featured package that came included with the digital interface I bought a few years ago for the purpose of recording.

It is basically a stripped-down version of MOTU’s premier recording software product, Digital Performer, which costs $500.00.
I had the manual for Audio Desk and began to read it.
I recorded a simple track or two to see how it worked and was not overly impressed.
It sounded fine, but I was having to learn new commands and new ways to perform them.

Having to climb a new learning curve through a 300+ page User Manual was not encouraging.
(especially since I had already slogged through the Reaper encyclopedia a couple of years before and still remembered many of the methods/commands/key strokes)

So I went back to the Reaper User Manual and began to read it again.

And I watched a few videos on how to use it.

It was in one of those videos that I found the most vital and useful feature.

It turned out to be the key feature/command that unlocked many of the other features of the package.
I double-checked the manual, and, sure enough, the book confirmed the feature.
I had read over it twice before and had seemingly missed it both times.

To do most editing functions, you move the cursor to the place in the track that you want to work on and press “S”, then, just move the cursor to the place in the track where you want the effects of your editing to end, and press “S” again.

That is it.
From there, numerous manipulations of the recorded items can done.

I did a test recording in Reaper, utilizing my new-found knowledge and it was like the world opened up for me.

So I started to redo the project I had done in Reaper two years ago.

I had a difficult time trying to get the first track down all the way through.

It was not the fault of the software.

I was nervous. (I always get nervous when I record myself.)

I think it took 7 takes, but I finally got it.

Then I recorded the drums – high hat, snare, bass drum – one track for each.

And I time aligned each track with the others.
Then I got the bass down after a couple of tries.
This time I learned how to get all of these elements in tight time alignment.
Recording software these days allows you to move the individual tracks – or parts of each track - around in time so that they all are in perfect lock step.

It is amazing.

Then I did two electric pianos, each on its own track.

I added two organs, each on its own track, because I could not decide which organ sound I liked better. (I still have not decided and am keeping them both for now.)

Then I added a stereo track of strings.

And finally, after an hour of practice relearning the parts from the original recording, I recorded a lead guitar sound.

10 tracks in all.

All of this took three days.

I was very pleased with the results, so far, and was doing a practice vocal to see how all the recorded instruments sounded with each other and with my voice, when I realized I had made a major mistake. (MAJOR)

I had recorded an extra half of a verse that is not in the original song and not intended to be in this version.
I was faced the daunting task of re-recording half of the song, or chopping eight measures out of the middle of the10 tracks.
But instead of feeling discouraged, I just felt challenged.
I had learned so much about using this amazing software that I believed that I could perform this major surgery on the existing tracks instead of re-recording half or all of it again.

So, after some thinking about how to execute this somewhat complex operation, I began by making a copy of my song thus far.

This was done to preserve what I had accomplished, should I totally fail in my attempt to correct my original mistake.

Then I began cutting and pasting, deleting and attaching, copying and pasting sections of each of my 10 tracks.

The whole final guitar solo had to be moved up eight measures and precisely aligned with the chord changes of the other instruments.

Click and hold, slide and stop.
Listen.

Nope, not quite.

Off about a whole note.
Click and drag a bit.

Listen.
Almost.

One more click and drag just a hair.

Perfect.

One neat thing about this software is that you can make changes to the elements while it is playing and hear the result as it plays.

The whole surgery only took about 15 minutes.

I played it back a few times to be sure that all the drum parts where still in the pocket, and all of the keyboards and bass had all of their chord changes at the same times and to the same notes.

I did it.

Wow.

I cannot wait to finish this project and begin the next one.

I still have about three or four tracks of vocals to do.

And maybe some final detail clean-up on the instruments.

I pretty much have the instrument mix like I want it, but it may get a final tweak before I call it done.