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Glenn · 06-26-2011 11:05 AM

Thanks Ish and Violet

Violet, yes, I don't think any software could provide this look automatically. But I think I know the software you're talkng about. They used to advertise something on facebook that gave people an almost cartoon look.

Matt · 06-26-2011 11:40 AM

I think you might be referring to Convert To Cartoon.

I've used it a couple times to help me draw. If I'm drawing a portrait it can help me figure out how to translate a photograph into a graphite pencil drawing (though I think it's kind of cheating and makes me feel guilty so I don't use it much).

Glenn · 06-26-2011 02:49 PM

Yes, that could be it Matt. I know there are filters for programs like Photoshop that are supposed to provide a cartoon look as well, but I've never been too impressed with the quality.

Glenn · 07-12-2011 03:39 AM

Been a while since I checked this part of the forum.. But thought I would just post an update that I'm feeling pretty happy about

I've been sorting through the 24 song ideas I've recorded using Garageband on the iPad2. Really simple software, but it's amazing what I've been able to do with it. Better music than I've recorded using a whole studio of gear.

Anyway, I sorted through those tracks I've recorded and have picked 11 really good ones. There are three others I'm not 100% sure about. Actually, I'm humming one of those in my head right now.. It's catchy.. I'll make number 12! Ok, so two I'm not sure about. One is really good, but isn't exactly the sound I'm after. And the other sounds a bit happy, but is nice. So either way I've got 12 or 14 tracks that I'm confident sound good. And that's enough for an album!

Still a lot of work to be done, but essentially I have an album's worth of material which I'm pretty happy about. At one stage my plan was to record the whole thing on the iPad2, making it a kind of novelty album like what Gorillaz did. But listening to the tracks, I know I could make them sound so much better on the computer. So that will be my next job, getting all the individual parts into the computer. Which will take a lot of work. Plus, all the tracks I've recorded a vocal onto only last 4 or 8 bars. In which case I think I'll need to write proper lyrics for most of them, but in the same melody. Oh, and I'll definitely also need to use some pitch correction software for a few of them! I'm not a vocalist.

But overall, I'm pretty excited about the project. There's one track in particular which was one of the first I recorded, and it blows me away everytime I listen to it! I don't know how I did it, but it's this really dreamy track that just sucks you in. The vocal part I sang makes no sense at all, but still, there's something about it.

Moirawr · 07-12-2011 07:22 AM

That is amazing, Glenn! I am so happy for you and glad to see you so revved up and optimistic about the project. I know it will go well for you!

stacey_dream · 07-12-2011 01:31 PM

Your excitement is so contagious, Glenn! So that it travels through time and space, from your part of the world into mine!

So I'm sitting here and smiling, feeling happy for you! You must be a very talented person, to tell you the truth

Matt · 07-13-2011 07:00 AM

Hey, Glenn. I didn't even know you could sing. Can't wait to hear it.

Glenn · 07-13-2011 05:48 PM

Thanks guys! I added a few more vocal parts yesterday. I know where I was going wrong before.

(07-13-2011 07:00 AM)Matt Wrote: Hey, Glenn. I didn't even know you could sing. Can't wait to hear it.

I can't! That's the thing

This is why I need to get the tracks into a computer where I have a pitch corrector

Actually, I'm probably not that bad.

It's going to take me a while to finish. I've decided to get myself the latest version of Apple Logic for finishing the tracks off, as that's the easiest way since the exported files from Garageband can be loaded there. The alternative method won't give me as much flexibility or allow me to change the sounds on the computer. Which means I need a Mac. But instead of buying one, I'm going to build a Hack Pro, a homebuilt PC that can run Apple OSX.

In the mean time, I've got a few other projects I've been neglecting including creating a whole album from a single hand clap sound. That one's a bit too techy to explain!

Lastly, I quit gluten and wheat products for good the other week. I keep reading about how unhealthy wheat is due to the grains and gluten. So decided enough is enough. No more bread, biscuits, muffins, cakes or pasta made from wheat. There's a book about it here - http://www.amazon.com/Grain-Damage-Rethi...1893831051 So far I'm already seeing a slight improvement. I've made a gluten free version of my favourite pasta dish which previously contained pasta made from wheat and nut balls which used to have bread crumbs as an ingredient. Now I'm using rice pasta and rice crumbs. And it's so much better! The rice pasta is a lot easier to digest, it tastes better, doesn't take as long to cook and doesn't stick to the pan. My wife prefers it too. You can buy corn pasta too which is also gluten free, but I've read a couple of reports on processed corn products not being healthy, so will be sticking with the rice versions.

Glenn · 07-18-2011 02:12 AM

Something really rough I recorded in Garageband on the iPad today. Sounds the best through big headphones. The vocal is just an adlib I recorded in a few seconds while my wife went out for a 10 minute drive earlier. No way I'd record it with her here, or she'd be laughing at me! But I just wanted to get a rough melody down and see how it sounded.

http://soundcloud.com/avene/my-song-24

By the way, the guy in the photo is Puggles.

Moirawr · 07-18-2011 04:55 AM

That's pretty awesome, Glenn. I really enjoyed the relaxing but uplifting vibe of the melody. And the vocals weren't that bad, but I hope you turn up the volume on them in contrast to the melody when you get the finished product.

Glenn · 07-18-2011 10:21 AM

Thanks Moira! Yes, the final version will sound a lot better.

Matt · 07-19-2011 03:39 AM

Great job, Glenn. I agree with Moira. Very cool mellow song but the vocals could be louder.

I have a question for you. I know you said you would be using a pitch corrector on your vocals. What percentage of artists do you think use pitch correction? I sometimes wonder how many artists can really sing and how many just have people in the studio who are really handy at manipulating sounds. I'm sure a few artists refuse to use these methods though. A few years ago I purchased a White Stripes CD (which was probably the last time I bought a compact disc) the credits very proudly proclaimed that no computers were used to record to edit the songs.

And please let us know how your Hack Pro works out. A few months ago I tried to install OSX as a virtual machine on my computer but it just didn't work out. I have read mixed reviews of how well Hackintoshes work. Some have said it was successful initially but then OSX updates disabled their system. That's what happened to my PC when I installed a pirated copy Windows 7. I'm back to Vista now but it's so slow compared to 7 or a Linux distro.

Glenn · 07-19-2011 11:57 AM

Thanks Matt! I might take it down now. I never like to leave anything incomplete online for too long. It will sound a lot better when completed.

The pitch correctors are a bit tricky to get a good sound out of. At least the one I use is, although it's more of an all in one vocal processing plugin. It's Izotope's Nectar I have, but most people use Autotune or Melodyne, which have been around for longer and are probably better. If you push them too hard, you'll hear that Cher sound, or that sound you hear in a lot of R&B or pop. They probably get used a lot, but with a good singer you wouldn't notice much difference. When I record this properly I think I'll just comp together a few good takes instead of using the pitch corrector. That's when you record a take multiple times and then choose the best parts from each take. So there might be one word from take 3, a sentence from take 2, another couple of words from take 5 and so on. Comping would be a lot more common that the use of pitch correctors.

There's a tutorial for building a Hackintosh here. My only concern is that they use a different file system to Windows. But until I get around to building it, I might see how I get along recording everything manually track by track into the computer. See how long that takes.

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