May
30
Posted (Van Santos) in Music Production, mp3s on May-30-2009

And here we have the 4th demo from the Enhanced series.  This track makes me want to continue down the “Enhanced” series. As there were only expected to be 4 tracks with a general production theme, this one put a bump in that plan.  I think this has turned into something greater than the original plan.

I’m actually quite happy with the way this has turned out…what started as a mistake turned into something that really puts a smile on my face.  A few things to note – as always, this is not EQed/mastered.  There is a bit of time displacement on the crash symbols due to reverb but that will be fixed in the final recording.

So… that said…

Download Enhanced (track 4 demo)

or take a listen

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May
25
Posted (Van Santos) in Just Stuff on May-25-2009

Today is Memorial Day, an touching holiday in the U.S.  Here is a little did you know – the holiday was originally started in order to honor Union soldiers who died during the Civil War.  I never knew!  Nothing like having a friend who is a college professor who’s background includes U.S. History.

Since everyone had the day off, the folks in my condo building had a BBQ.  Sure, it is raining and it is cold, but getting together was a good time. I wish that it didn’t feel like a damp fall day, but it did. The food was good (as usual) and the company was quite nice as well. It’s interesting how so many people, with such diverse backgrounds, manage to enjoy the time they spend together.  

I’ve been giving a lot of thought to the concept of a media center once again. I’m thinking that a Mac Mini running Plex may be in order. 

Why Mac?

Well, Plex is a rather flexible option for individuals who wish to develop a media center because of the open source aspect.  It is true that XP/Vista have open source options, but they are not as well developed for my taste. Plus, I don’t want to use the Microsoft created Media center simply due to the freakish desire for control issues Microsoft has.  

There are also Linux open source options, but there is a wide range of issues I would need to overcome with Linux as well. Mind you, I’m not saying Linux is a bad option – I have one system running it now – but the Apple option seems to be the right fit. 

I need to do a bit more investigation into the system before I make that jump.

Speaking of media…

I still cannot believe how slow The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is.  Beautiful movie, absolute shit from an execution perspective. The performances are Oscar caliber, but the constant talking… slow as slow can be pace just kills the movie for me.

Oh.  

So, I’m working on my final track of the “Enhanced” series and everything is coming together better than I had expected.  Thus far the track is 2:30 in length and I haven’t even formed the core of the song yet. 

This an “epic” type of track in the making.  It just has the sound and feel of something that I can look back on and be very proud of.

Anyway, I’m off.



 
May
21
Posted (Van Santos) in Music Production, mp3s on May-21-2009

Here it is, the 3rd demo in the Enhanced series.  This one is an ambient venture that is intended as a break between the first two demos and the final track that I am currently working on… kinda like a quick breather before one has desert.  

This track was completed with all analog gear – all monosythings – which was a fun experiment and is WONDERFUL for background music and relaxing…

Download Enhanced (Unenhanced)

or take a listen

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