More TonePort experiments with the Ramblers

November 23, 2008 Ryan Jerving Leave a comment

Here’s a few more experiments with the Line6 TonePort UX2 hardware / GearBox software, this time at the Paint Branch Ramblers practice for November 20, 2008.

“Bob Smith Puts the Pedal to the Metal”

for download

This is from some fooling around before practice, with Bob Smith revealing some of his heavier chops. I think this was recorded by running a line directly out of his acoustic guitar through the “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love” guitar setting on the GearBox.

“Tear It Down” detail

for download

My mind is on my money and my money is on my mind. This is equalized a bit using Audacity’s RCA Victor 1938 setting. The musicians you’re hearing are The musicians are: Susan Johnson (washtub bass), Mike Paul (soprano ukulele), Peter Jensen (violin), Bob Smith (guitar). When I’m not singing, I’m playing jug

“Jackknife” detail

download

Normally we go right into “Down Yonder” after this, but I wanted to hear what just our vocal intro would sound like with an attempt to use Audacity’s noise removal feature to get rid of some of the hum from the fluorescent lights in my apartment. Next time we record, I’m bringing out my nightstand lamps! Equalized using Decca FFRR 78 setting, which gives a little more of a trebly edge than the RCA Victor setting. Singing is Mike Paul, Peter Jensen, and me.

embalmed ones

Better things for me?

November 17, 2008 Ryan Jerving 1 Comment

Here’s an attempt to use the Line6 TonePort UX2 for its real purpose, which is as a simulator of various classic amp sounds.

for download

This is “Better Things for You” recorded with my Konablaster electric ukulele strung in mandolin tuning (and the whole thing tuned down a minor third, i.e., E-B-F#-C#, so as not to make the neck snap!) and then run through the GearBox software’s crunch guitar “American Punk” setting. Hey! I’m punky. Then the vocal, such as it is, is also recorded through two crunch guitar settings: the first is “Blues Slide” and the second is “Street Fighting Man.”

I was trying for a Billy Bragg / Social Distortion kind of thing, but I think it ends up sounding like Bruce Springsteen on a bad day. The song itself is a traditional one, recorded by the Memphis Sanctified Singers and included on the Harry Smith Anthology of American Folk Music. But I basically sing the lyrics as heard by Peter Stampfel on the Holy Modal Rounders recording of it.

I have no idea what the actual name is of the guy who “was humble / he prayed to God each day.” Let me know if you do.

those that from a long way off look like flies

Misbehaving

November 16, 2008 Ryan Jerving Leave a comment

Testing out my new Line6 TonePort UX2 recording interface, recorded using Audacity. The mic is recorded using the Line6 GearBox “Classic Vocal Front” setting. The song is by Andy Razaf and Thomas “Fats” Waller.

for download

And here’s a five-minute’s worth attempt at multi-tracking a chorus of “Milwaukee Here I Come” by Lee Fikes. First track is vocals and ukulele together, second track is just cümbüş. I can’t remember the GearBox setting, but I think it was “rhapsody” or something like that.

for download

embalmed ones, fabulous ones, suckling pigs

Fillmore and Buchanan part deux

November 14, 2008 Ryan Jerving Leave a comment

A while ago, after I’d written my Presidents day salute to two of our least remembered, least loved presidents, “The Fillmore & Buchanan March,” Riley Broach took the lead sheet I’d uploaded and scored the piece in Sibelius. (For the background on the piece and the primary documents in question, see my February 20, 2008 entry)

When I asked him if he meant in the style of the Finnish composer, he laughed uncomfortably and wrote:

While an arrangement in the style of our favorite Finn, Sibelius would be hilarious, I was only referring to the program which is entitled, in fact, Sibelius. But you probably know that and are being hilarious as always, though one never can be so sure with you.

Well, he can be sure, because here I sit right now, whistling Sibelius’s Fifth like I’m Morton Feldman or something.

Anyway, here is the arrangement of The Fillmore & Buchanan March in some style arranged using Sibelius.

It sounded great, and really funny. But I was stuck. Because the file exists in a format that this blog doesn’t seem to recognize, it wasn’t until I was living in this backyard cottage I call Ainola (though if I knew the difference, I’d probably call it Shainola) and figured out that I could record streaming sound using Audacity that I also realized I’d finally be able to share Riley’s gift to the world.

So here it is, in all its scored glory, “The Fillmore and Buchanan March.”

For download:

those that are trained

To the Class of 2002

October 21, 2008 Ryan Jerving Leave a comment

Apropos of absolutely nothing, here’s something I stumbled across in my files today. It’s a note I wrote to the graduating class of the Department of American Culture and Literature at Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey in the Spring of 2002, just as I myself was getting ready to wrap my time up there and head for the more Indiana limestoney pastures of Washington, D.C. I don’t remember distributing this, but I’m going to assume it was just a quick email I put together and sent out.

Now that I’m getting ready to leave D.C. for the more golden pilsnery pastures of Milwaukee, WI it seems fitting to reprint this here:

To the graduating class of 2002:

As Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys once sang:

I’d a’ been married thirty years ago
If it hadn’t been for knock-kneed cotton-eyed Joe.

That has absolutely nothing to do with anything, but I hope it’s inspiring to you anyway. And here’s a few other hopes: I hope that your time here at Bilkent hasn’t been easy. I hope that you feel like you know less about literature and culture than you thought you knew when you started. I hope all of you get a chance to see America firsthand someday. I hope all of you stay as idealistic, unselfish, and fresh as you have been in the time I’ve known you. And I hope we’ll all meet again bye and bye. Until we do, here’s to a surprising future. Give ‘em heck, 2002!

Sincerely, yer ever-lovin’
Ryan Jerving