Re: Basic intro (OT)

[Caliban Tiresias Darklock <caliban@darklock.com>]

On Thu, 16 Aug 2001 17:50:44 -0400, "Liebig, Steuart A."
<Steuart.Liebig@maritz.com> wrote:

>so i don't know if i can agree that there is more range in samples, per 
>se.
>different combinations are being created everyday. i suppose you could
>sample all of those  . . . in which case, you may be right. 

Not to mention every sample can be processed, just as every note can. We
have a near-identical array of effects to apply.

>are you doing this in a live situtation or a controlled studio situtation
>(forgive me if this is old ground, i came in somewhat late on this). 

Studio. I can't play live for shit using samples. If I'm going to get up
on stage and play something, it's either a drum set or a guitar. (I'm
not a good enough bass or keyboard player to play live.)

>are you doing in interacting with others, or in one-person environment?

One-person, usually. Sometimes I collaborate with people either over the
net or in person; over the net, we pass samples around and occasionally
half-completed mixes. In person, I usually run the equipment while one
or two other folks kibitz and toss out ideas. I'm an arrogant bastard,
so it usually works like something of a dictatorship... someone will say
"what about this", and I'll either veto it or agree. I find it almost
infuriating to operate on equal terms with others when making
electronic/sampled music for some reason. I sort of feel like stage work
(including rehearsal) should be collaborative, while studio work should
be directed and the one directing things should be the guy on the
console. This occasionally backfires when I go over to someone else's
house and they expect me to take charge the way I do over at mine, while
I expect that the guy on the console is going to tell me what to do.

>how do you come up with the combinations of samples? are they consecutive 
>or
>at the same time? 

Both! Sometimes I layer, sometimes I serialise. Constructing different
conversations from existing dialog is fun, but simplistic; it's not like
any moron couldn't do the same thing. Layering is more interesting to
me, since it's harder than it appears to get two disparate songs to mesh
well, and I have great fun constructing interesting transitions or
breaks which are amusing to hear. 

>can you hear combinations in your head before you do them, or is it all by
>trial and error?

Combination. Sometimes I think "this will sound good", and it sounds
like shit. Then I either have to switch samples or tweak something, and
sometimes I'm not really sure *why* it sounds like shit so I just futz
around till it sounds good. The most common problem I have is that I
have a sound in my head, and then I can't reproduce it -- but in the
process of trying, I find something else entirely different that I think
sounds good. Then that sends me off in a whole other direction. I
actually don't think I've ever sat down with a project in mind and
completed that project as originally intended.