DIY in audio and music
 

Back in the day, most audio enthusiasts were also keen constructors, valve amp kits, instructions for projects from Mullard, or circuits from Wireless World were put together on kitchen tables on rsiny Saturday afternoons throughout the UK. Speaker building was also popular. Drawings of Tannoy and Goodmans cabinets were available, and Kef produced Kefkits. For those who wanted to make music, the possibilities were somewhat limited but the Ferrograph enabled those who could sing and play guitar or piano, to record themselves at 7.5 ips. Vortexion and Brenell tape machines offered sound on sound, NAB reels and 15 ips, Reslo and Film Industry mics were hugely popular and devices such as the Grampian spring reverb unit were something to dream about.

In these digital days the DIY aspect seems to have all but disappeared and audio has become a sedentary pastime. But digital technology has given us all the possibility to make music. It is versatile and cheap. Every school and college has a studio, and while larger commercial studios have decreased in number, project studios have sprung up like mushrooms. Many people have bought themselves “Music Minus One� CD's, beg borrowed or stolen a trumpet, saxophone trombone or guitar and discovered talents they did not know they possessed.

I play in a big band. We have just released our third commercial CD. Besides a shared hobby in making music, we have players with all the skills required for commercial CD production, portrait photography, recording, editing, mixing and mastering, graphic design, liner notes, translation, copyright and legal, sales and marketing etc etc. We even have our own equipment to replicate and print CDs, so that the only thing we can not do in house is cut, fold and print the digipack sleeve, although we can deliver the artwork complete in the format the printer requires.

We use our CDs as project samplers, as a calling card if you like, when approaching promoters, Our latest recording, “IDA sings ELLA� commemorates the centenary of the First Lady of Song, Ella Fitzgerald, features the young and very talented Ida Boucht, who is in her final year at the Vocal Institute in Copenhagen. We have played the first two of six scheduled concerts. Both were sold out.

Many of the arrangements used in this project are transcriptions of originals written by the legendary Nelson Riddle. Some titles have a 24 piece string-section (classical students in their final year)in addition to the band. Modern string players are not accustomed to the playing techniques of the 40s and 50s. It has been an interesting learning experience for them.

“Bewitched� by Cole Porter (1939) is one of my favourite tunes from this project. Yours truly wrote the arrangement, co-produced and engineered the recording, overdubbed his part in the saxophone section and also tootled the tenor solo.

Here is an mp3.
Please Take a listen. Comments are welcome.

http://mosabackabigband.com/data/doc.../Bewitched.mp3


Best Regards


Iain

DIY in audio and music
 

You thought about using flac rather than mp3 by the way?
Brian

--
----- -
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please!
"Iain" wrote in message
...

Back in the day, most audio enthusiasts were also keen constructors, valve
amp kits, instructions for projects from Mullard, or circuits from Wireless
World were put together on kitchen tables on rsiny Saturday afternoons
throughout the UK. Speaker building was also popular. Drawings of Tannoy
and Goodmans cabinets were available, and Kef produced Kefkits. For those
who wanted to make music, the possibilities were somewhat limited but the
Ferrograph enabled those who could sing and play guitar or piano, to record
themselves at 7.5 ips. Vortexion and Brenell tape machines offered sound on
sound, NAB reels and 15 ips, Reslo and Film Industry mics were hugely
popular and devices such as the Grampian spring reverb unit were something
to dream about.

In these digital days the DIY aspect seems to have all but disappeared and
audio has become a sedentary pastime. But digital technology has given us
all the possibility to make music. It is versatile and cheap. Every school
and college has a studio, and while larger commercial studios have decreased
in number, project studios have sprung up like mushrooms. Many people have
bought themselves "Music Minus One" CD's, beg borrowed or stolen a trumpet,
saxophone trombone or guitar and discovered talents they did not know they
possessed.

I play in a big band. We have just released our third commercial CD.
Besides a shared hobby in making music, we have players with all the skills
required for commercial CD production, portrait photography, recording,
editing, mixing and mastering, graphic design, liner notes, translation,
copyright and legal, sales and marketing etc etc. We even have our own
equipment to replicate and print CDs, so that the only thing we can not do
in house is cut, fold and print the digipack sleeve, although we can deliver
the artwork complete in the format the printer requires.

We use our CDs as project samplers, as a calling card if you like, when
approaching promoters, Our latest recording, "IDA sings ELLA" commemorates
the centenary of the First Lady of Song, Ella Fitzgerald, features the young
and very talented Ida Boucht, who is in her final year at the Vocal
Institute in Copenhagen. We have played the first two of six scheduled
concerts. Both were sold out.

Many of the arrangements used in this project are transcriptions of
originals written by the legendary Nelson Riddle. Some titles have a 24
piece string-section (classical students in their final year)in addition to
the band. Modern string players are not accustomed to the playing
techniques of the 40s and 50s. It has been an interesting learning
experience for them.

"Bewitched" by Cole Porter (1939) is one of my favourite tunes from this
project. Yours truly wrote the arrangement, co-produced and engineered the
recording, overdubbed his part in the saxophone section and also tootled the
tenor solo.

Here is an mp3.
Please Take a listen. Comments are welcome.

http://mosabackabigband.com/data/doc.../Bewitched.mp3


Best Regards


Iain

DIY in audio and music
 

maanantai 23. lokakuuta 2017 23.26.03 UTC+3 Brian Gaff kirjoitti:
You thought about using flac rather than mp3 by the way?
Brian

Yes.

Iain

DIY in audio and music
 

"Iain" wrote in message
...

Back in the day, most audio enthusiasts were also keen constructors,
valve amp kits, instructions for projects from Mullard, or circuits
from Wireless World were put together on kitchen tables on rsiny
Saturday afternoons throughout the UK. Speaker building was also
popular. Drawings of Tannoy and Goodmans cabinets were available, and
Kef produced Kefkits. For those who wanted to make music, the
possibilities were somewhat limited but the Ferrograph enabled those
who could sing and play guitar or piano, to record themselves at 7.5
ips. Vortexion and Brenell tape machines offered sound on sound, NAB
reels and 15 ips, Reslo and Film Industry mics were hugely popular and
devices such as the Grampian spring reverb unit were something to
dream about.

In these digital days the DIY aspect seems to have all but disappeared
and audio has become a sedentary pastime. But digital technology has
given us all the possibility to make music. It is versatile and
cheap. Every school and college has a studio, and while larger
commercial studios have decreased in number, project studios have
sprung up like mushrooms. Many people have bought themselves "Music
Minus One" CD's, beg borrowed or stolen a trumpet, saxophone trombone
or guitar and discovered talents they did not know they possessed.

I play in a big band. We have just released our third commercial CD.
Besides a shared hobby in making music, we have players with all the
skills required for commercial CD production, portrait photography,
recording, editing, mixing and mastering, graphic design, liner notes,
translation, copyright and legal, sales and marketing etc etc. We
even have our own equipment to replicate and print CDs, so that the
only thing we can not do in house is cut, fold and print the digipack
sleeve, although we can deliver the artwork complete in the format the
printer requires.

We use our CDs as project samplers, as a calling card if you like,
when approaching promoters, Our latest recording, "IDA sings ELLA"
commemorates the centenary of the First Lady of Song, Ella Fitzgerald,
features the young and very talented Ida Boucht, who is in her final
year at the Vocal Institute in Copenhagen. We have played the first
two of six scheduled concerts. Both were sold out.

Many of the arrangements used in this project are transcriptions of
originals written by the legendary Nelson Riddle. Some titles have a
24 piece string-section (classical students in their final year)in
addition to the band. Modern string players are not accustomed to the
playing techniques of the 40s and 50s. It has been an interesting
learning experience for them.

"Bewitched" by Cole Porter (1939) is one of my favourite tunes from
this project. Yours truly wrote the arrangement, co-produced and
engineered the recording, overdubbed his part in the saxophone section
and also tootled the tenor solo.

Here is an mp3.
Please Take a listen. Comments are welcome.

http://mosabackabigband.com/data/doc.../Bewitched.mp3



It might just be me because - like everyone else on here - I know the
background to the project (ish), but I get the distinct feeling that
the quality of musicianship is significantly enhanced because the
musicians want to make good music and are not just doing it as a job.

Its a long time since I have heard a pianist with such a deft and
light touch for instance - I think the only other I can remember was
from many years ago when Barry Rose was the accompanist to a cello
playing a hymn tune as playout to a 15 min religious programme on BBC
R4 at 23h on Sunday nights (and THAT shows how old I am!)

I wish I still had my (Wireless World) Dr Arthur Bailey designed
transmission line speakers - it would sound superb on them!

Keep up the good work.


--
Woody

harrogate3 at ntlworld dot com

DIY in audio and music
 

maanantai 23. lokakuuta 2017 23.39.51 UTC+3 Woody kirjoitti:

It might just be me because - like everyone else on here - I know the
background to the project (ish), but I get the distinct feeling that
the quality of musicianship is significantly enhanced because the
musicians want to make good music and are not just doing it as a job.

It is quite a challenge for amateurs to play to this standard. Musicians in general are highly self critical, and cringe at intonation and timing errors that most people don't even notice.

Its a long time since I have heard a pianist with such a deft and
light touch for instance - I think the only other I can remember was
from many years ago when Barry Rose was the accompanist to a cello
playing a hymn tune as playout to a 15 min religious programme on BBC
R4 at 23h on Sunday nights (and THAT shows how old I am!)

I just wrote him the chord progression - he did the rest.

It will be interesting to see how many people notice that the intro and the main take were recorded on different pianos, in different locations. I very much like the arco (bowed) bass on the intro. Jazz bass players are usually not too keen to play with the bow. His last note on the intro before the edit into the main take is a low C. He bows a 2nd harmonic which to my ear is a very nice touch.

I also very much like the four trombones in bucket mutes at the start of the second chorus (under the vocal "I couldn't sleep and I wouldn't sleep" The big band colour palette is an interesting one.

I wish I still had my (Wireless World) Dr Arthur Bailey designed
transmission line speakers - it would sound superb on them!

The track was mixed on Tannoy Lancasters, with JBL Centuries as a second monitor option.

Glad you liked it.

Iain

DIY in audio and music
 

maanantai 23. lokakuuta 2017 23.39.51 UTC+3 Woody kirjoitti:
I get the distinct feeling that
the quality of musicianship is significantly enhanced because the
musicians want to make good music and are not just doing it as a job.


Our band is organised just like a professional big band, but none of us have the skills of professional players so we have to work quite a lot harder.
We usually play in clubs and theatres with a capacity of about 300. Our performances are usually sold out.

The music, Ellington, Basie, Chick Webb, Bennie Goodman, Jimmy Lunceford etc, is quite difficult. People who buy tickets expect to be entertained to a high standard. You can't put your head round the curtain before the concert and say, "Don't expect too much, we are not a pro band!"

So, ya gotta practice:-)

Iain

DIY in audio and music
 

On 23/10/17 20:17, Iain wrote:

Back in the day, most audio enthusiasts were also keen constructors, valve amp kits, instructions for projects from Mullard, or circuits from Wireless World were put together on kitchen tables on rsiny Saturday afternoons throughout the UK. Speaker building was also popular. Drawings of Tannoy and Goodmans cabinets were available, and Kef produced Kefkits. For those who wanted to make music, the possibilities were somewhat limited but the Ferrograph enabled those who could sing and play guitar or piano, to record themselves at 7.5 ips. Vortexion and Brenell tape machines offered sound on sound, NAB reels and 15 ips, Reslo and Film Industry mics were hugely popular and devices such as the Grampian spring reverb unit were something to dream about.

I was leafing through an old 1980 copy of Hifi News and Record Review,
marvelling at the amount of constructional projects in that mag. Wow and
tears that that general interest doesn't exist anymore.

snip

“Bewitched� by Cole Porter (1939) is one of my favourite tunes from this project. Yours truly wrote the arrangement, co-produced and engineered the recording, overdubbed his part in the saxophone section and also tootled the tenor solo.

Here is an mp3.
Please Take a listen. Comments are welcome.

http://mosabackabigband.com/data/doc.../Bewitched.mp3

Wow #2.

--
Adrian C

DIY in audio and music
 

In article , Adrian Caspersz
wrote:

I was leafing through an old 1980 copy of Hifi News and Record Review,
marvelling at the amount of constructional projects in that mag. Wow and
tears that that general interest doesn't exist anymore.

You may be right. However I keep wondering if the problem is the lack of
either items which would draw people into DIY and/or that people who'd like
it don't bother to tell editors so.

Jim

--
Please use the address on the audiomisc page if you wish to email me.
Electronics https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~www_pa...o/electron.htm
Armstrong Audio http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/Armstrong/armstrong.html
Audio Misc http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/index.html

DIY in audio and music
 

In article , Huge
wrote:
On 2017-10-26, Jim Lesurf wrote:
In article , Adrian Caspersz
wrote:

I was leafing through an old 1980 copy of Hifi News and Record
Review, marvelling at the amount of constructional projects in that
mag. Wow and tears that that general interest doesn't exist anymore.

You may be right. However I keep wondering if the problem is the lack
of either items which would draw people into DIY and/or that people
who'd like it don't bother to tell editors so.

Home construction is dying in all fields, not just Hi-Fi. Indeed, home
DIY is nothing like as popular as it used to be.

However that wouldn't necessarily invalidate the point I was making.

Jim

--
Please use the address on the audiomisc page if you wish to email me.
Electronics https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~www_pa...o/electron.htm
Armstrong Audio http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/Armstrong/armstrong.html
Audio Misc http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/index.html

DIY in audio and music
 

torstai 26. lokakuuta 2017 14.03.04 UTC+3 Jim Lesurf kirjoitti:
In article , Adrian Caspersz
wrote:

I was leafing through an old 1980 copy of Hifi News and Record Review,
marvelling at the amount of constructional projects in that mag. Wow and
tears that that general interest doesn't exist anymore.

You may be right. However I keep wondering if the problem is the lack of
either items which would draw people into DIY and/or that people who'd like
it don't bother to tell editors so.

Are there any modern audio products available in kit form other than speakers?

I think that the fairly recent surge of interest in valve amps, killed off by cheap Chinese amplifiers with poor sound but fascinating pyrotechnics, was partly due to the fact that some people wanted to get their hands dirty, metaphorically speaking, even if only by adjusting the cathode bias:-)

Many tube/valve amps are wired point to point, so that the owner has little difficulty in replacing say the original cathode resistor with a low noise, 1% component, and enjoy the subsequent improvement which even the milkman commented upon:-)

It is probably the DIY bug in people that make them want to try exotic high-price speaker cables, and screened mains cables. This is probably the closest that many can get to building anything.

There used to be an excellent mag called "Elektor" published in German and English. I wonder if it is still going?

Iain