Re: ARTIFACTS.................the thread.........

[Dave Trenkel <improv@peak.org>]

>d/t mentioned Loop Artifacts.   I am in love with 
>artifacts..........there,
>I said it <smile>

Cool thread. I love this kind of stuff, and have a few examples to share.

I've been doing hard disk recording on a series of underpowered 
computers for years now, starting with Deck on a Powermac 7100, 
through Logic Audio on an 8500 to my current system, Logic on a G4 
(OK, I guess that one's not underpowered). Of course, I've had more 
than my share of crashes while doing audio. I've noticed that each 
program has a different way of dealing with a disk crash during 
playback, and that these can be seen as creative opportunities. 
F'rinstance, Deck would tend to loop a random length sample of the 
current disk buffer when it crashed. Sometimes these loops'd be 
really cool, definitely not things that I'd think of on my own. So 
I'd keep a DAT around to bounce these loops to before rebooting. 
Logic tends to append little arbitrary globs of sound onto the end of 
the audio files used in the track., often after rebooting, I'd find 
the last few seconds of each track would have a random mix of other 
tracks. On my solo disk (http://www.newandimprov.com/ATD.html) I used 
2 of these crash-produced loops as tracks. Thus far my new computer 
hasn't crashed, which I suppose is a good thing, but I do miss the 
random jolts of creativity.

I do mastering for a local jazz label, Louie Records 
(http://www.peak.org/~louirec). One process I use is to set loop 
markers in Peak or Logic at various points in a tune to fine tune the 
compression and EQ settings. A lot of the time, these loops will be 
really interesting on their own. So much so that when the label head 
heard some of these,  it got me a gig, I'm doing a remix disc of the 
entire label, given free access to anything on any of their discs to 
screw with as I please. Should be a LOT of fun.

On a somewhat related note, over the years that I've been doing 
recording, one of the understandings I've had with the musicians I 
work with is that I get free use of whatever I record to use as 
samples in my own work. For me, this side steps a lot of the 
copyright issues, and adds a more personal side to my stuff, these 
samples have associations and meanings for me that are totally 
different from what the average listener would get from the piece. 
For me, this is more interesting than the plunderphonic approach, 
which I think is valid, but just not something I do anymore. For me, 
when I build  a moody ambient piece from a slowed-down slide guitar 
solo from a locally-produced children's music CD, I KNOW no one else 
is using that sample.
-- 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dave Trenkel                                New and Improv Music
http://www.newandimprov.com         improv@peak.org
                 Now Available: Minus: Dark Lit
"This is music all-consuming in its beauty and power"
                                -Jake TenPas OSU Daily Barometer
-------------------------------------------------------------------------