Conference napalm::commusic_v1

	It looks like there's still room on the tape, right?  I just finished 
(last night) the final session on the piece I am submitting.  All I need to do
now is copy it and get it in the mail.

	Dan

    Congrats, Dave.
    	
    When are you going to incorporate yourself as a record label? :-)
    
    (hey, how much does it cost to get a vinyl master made, and a hundred
    copies pressed?  :-)  )
                          
    	-Bill
    

    
    re .2
    
    I already asked,  he said he wasn't interested.  _sjz.

    Actually, I've had wonderful times trying to think of a name for my
    "label".
    
    Considering that *I*'ve only made about 100 copies of BOTH Commusic
    III and Commusic IV, it hardly seems like we have the kind of volume
    here to start thinking about vinyl.
    
    I've given some thought to opening it up to a wider audience by
    advertising the Commusic tapes in other conferences like MUSIC,
    and GUITAR, or possibly even some general conferences, but I sorta
    like the "just a bunch of Commusic'ers exchanging tapes" informality
    of this and I'm probably not ready for handling volume, even though
    I personally would *LOVE* to expose more people to what DEC musicians
    are doing.
    
    Anyway, one of the unexpected pluses of doing this and moderating
    MUSIC has been getting to know (to some extent or another) a lot of you.
    I would even say that has turned out to be the BIGGEST plus.
    
    	db
    
    p.s. Note that even though *I*'ve only made 100 copies, I'm sure that
    	 there are more copies floating around than that because I have
    	 encouraged people to make copies from friends if that's possible
    	 and their not terribly concerned with the audio disadvantages
     	 of an extra generation.

	Hey, Dave, how's it going?

    I have received enough submissions to finish the tape.  In fact,
    some things will probably have to go on the next one.
    
    But I'm about to go on vacation and so it will probably be a few
    weeks before it's "released".
    
    I'd like to recommend to people submitting stuff to set their
    recording levels on the low side.  I would recommend to set it
    such that it occasionally reaches +2db, and only rarely goes
    above that (assuming your submission is dolby B).  This seems
    to produce the best dub.
    
    I've made a lot of experiments with these methods of transferring
    the submissions to the master: 
    
    	1) Direct dubbing (on my dubbing deck) - no decoding and
    	   re-encoding, recording level of original submission
    	   is preserved.
    
    	2) Dubbing from one deck to another without decoding and
    	   re-encoding,
    
    	3) Dubbing from one deck to another decoding and re-encoding.
    
    They are listed above in what is in my opinion, the order of preference
    so I have direct dubbed all the submissions onto the master.
    
    (3) produces a very breathy sounding type of noise.  It's very
    noticeable and annoying.  Commusic IV was done this way
    
    (2) works well but definitely adds some noise to the recording.
    
    (1) produces excellent copies with very little noise added.  However
    I think some gain is introduced in this process and it actually
    increases the level slightly.
    
    For future reference, here are my submission recommendations if you
    want the absolute best chance of getting a good copy to the master:
    
    	1) Use Maxell UDXL-IIS - this is the tape used for the master.
    	   At the very least, you should use a TYPE II (Chrome) tape.
    	   Using metal or TYPE I is definitely going to produce lower
    	   quality dupes because of mismatches in bias and recording
    	   levels.  (Commusic IV was mastered on a metal tape, direct
    	   duping to the TYPE II UDXL-II's that I used for copies produced
    	   inferior results.
    
    	2) Set the recording level as described above
    
    	db
    
    	

    I am surprised by your results regarding use of noise reduction
    while copying.  It is exactly counter to everything that has ever
    been recommended to me about copying.
    
    So be it.  The proof of the pudding is in the tasting.
    
    len.
    

    Gee, Len.  I find THAT comment surprising although I don't doubt
    your expertise as your Commusic III submission probably had
    the best audio quality of all the submissions I've received.
    
    I find it surprising because, intuitively, one would think
    that the method provided by the dubbing deck WOULD be the one
    the produces the best results.  Even the most expensive dubbing decks
    work this way.  My deck is a $400 deck, definitely towards the
    higher end.
    
    Any thoughts?
    
    I am expecting that most people will agree that the sound quality of
    Commusic V is better than that of Commusic IV.  It does not reflect
    a change in the quality of submissions.  Many of the IV submissions
    had excellent audio quality, but just didn't master well due to the
    process.
    
    I just wish we could use some other form of noise reduction besides
    Dolby B, but I did a fairly thorough examination of that possibility
    and concluded that Dolby B by far made the most sense given the
    equipment that other folks had.
    
    I've been using Dolby C (if I might play the tape in my car deck) 
    and DBX (otherwise) for my own personal taping, and am very happy 
    with both.
    
    Dolby C is sorta nice in that it isn't that much worse than B if
    you have to play it back in a machine that doesn't support it.  I'd
    go further to say that throwing Dolby C on when playing tapes w/o
    NR or with Dolby sometimes improves the sound if the hiss is very
    high.
    
    	db

    The rationale that I have seen published is that you avoid problems
    due to misaligned encode/decode cylces on the source and destination
    decks.  This doesn't hold water, though, as it just pushes the problem
    elsewhere, there being *4* decks involved, not just 2:
    
    	1) the original source deck (owned by the COMMUSIC submitter)
    
    	2) the copying source deck (owned by the COMMUSIC copier)
    
    	3) the copying destination deck (owned by the COMMUSIC copier)
    
    	4) the ultimate destination deck (owned by the COMMUSIC receiver)
    
    Even if there's no problems between decks 2 and 3, there're still
    potentially problems between decks 1 and 2, 3 and 4, and 1 and 4!
                                        
    So, I'm not sure what should *theoretically* be best.  If your ears
    tell you your way works best, go with it.
    
    len.
    
    

    Wow! we almost have enough decks for a cruise ship!
    Tom

    Now serving Dolby B on the mezzanine....
    
    

    re: .9
    
    That advice is predicated on the assumption that the playback deck 
    is the deck that was used to record the tape being dubbed, AND the 
    recording deck is the deck that WILL be used to play back the copy.
    
    However if this isn't the case (and it isn't), then as you've said,
    it just pushes the problem elsewhere.  It might well be that you
    make it worse in fact by adding an extra decode/encode cycle.
    It seems like that's a wonderful opportunity to drop in all kinds
    of unwanted things.
    
    We'll have to see what people think of V.   In my opinion, it's
    significantly better than IV, and only slightly (though noticeably)
    worse than III (specifically referring to the III submissions
    that were submitted on Dolby B cassette (some weren't)).
    
    Anyway, I believe that the limiting factor on IV is the submission
    media.  There's not much point to doing a Beta master for a tape
    that was submitted with Dolby B - applying the "weak link in the chain
    theory" that is.
    
    	db

    Actually, it's worse than 4 decks.
    
    What people should realize about the Commusic tapes is that the
    majority of them are 4th generation recordings!!!
    
    The typical process is:
    
    Live to 4-track
    4-track to master
    mixdown to submission tape
    submission to commusic master
    commusic master to copy
    
    Note that in most cases 3 of those generations are Dolby B.
    
    Again, the main idea is really just to hear people's music, not their
    engineering prowess.   That's my interest in this.   It's not my
    intention to become a record company.
    
    	db

Live music makes the deck-to-deck compatibility problems worse.

Dolby B (or C) encoding and decoding is dependant on signal level
as well as frequency.  For an EXACT match, you need perfect frequency
response, precise record-playback level matching, and a well-calibrated
Dolby circuit.  Don't despair...Dolby labs 'tuned' the transfer function
to work acceptably with most recorded music on most tape decks.  Some
manufacturers (Nak, for one) 'retune' to exploit properties of their heads.

If your tape deck is out of calibration, you probably won't notice (encode
and decode are still matched *WITHIN THE DECK*).  You will only spot the
problem when the tape is played on another, well-calibrated deck.

The matching problem grows more extreme if you've recorded a live or
nearly-live program.  The dynamic speed (not necessarily *range*) of
most live or home-studio music is HUGE compared to store-bought stuff.
Again, recording and playback on the same 'bad' deck will almost surely
sound fine, but any mismatch will now be GROSSLY apparent when played
on a 'good' deck.

Home hobbyists can try a pathological case yourselves -- just for grins,
try a mixdown onto dolby C, then play back on B.  The dynamics will be
munged, and the high-end sizzle could crack your dental work.  Now try
it with something store-bought.  The high end will still be a bit exaggerated,
but overall WAAAAY more listenable than the live case.  Fewer fast
dynamics leads to fewer dolby tracking problems.

Since there's NO WAY to ensure that everyone out there has a calibrated
tape deck, I betcha we'd get better sound quality on the Commusic series
if all submissions and distributions were done with NO DOLBY whatsoever.
Failing that, force the fewest possible decode-encode cycles:

encoded submission > master (no decode) > copies (no decode) > home (decode)

This method will add the least amount of error, and also allow us to finger
the folks with bum decks in time for the next tape. :-)  Be careful with
levels on the master and copies, though -- the high-end boost of the
encoded submissions can saturate the tape.

Happy Monday,
Dave

    My V submission was a master off the amiga.  I think.
    Tom

    Well, I've been toying with the idea of SENDING the master to
    submittors, or having the submittors come to my place to make the copy
    onto the master.   In fact, several Commusic submissions were
    mastered ONTO the Commusic III master (a Beta tape). It slows down 
    the whole process of course, but maybe it will produce better results.
    
    I was thinking that the rule would be that if you want your tape
    done this way, you MUST have your submission ready to go and must
    have the tape back in the mail to me within 48 hours.
    
    One submission on Commusic V will be done this way.  I can't promise
    that I will do it again, we'll see.  Again, I have a strong inclination
    for simplicity.
    
    	db

    Puhleeze DON'T send the 'master' thru the U>S> Mail.. The master
    to Commusic I was lost this way !
    
    karl

    The ultimate in mastering would be to send a MIDI sequence (and
    voices) digitally to the masterer, who would load the sequence and
    play it directly onto the audio master tape.
    
    I guess we can do this right now if we limit submissions to use
    only an ESQ-1 and an HR-16. :-(
    
    What-all can you scare up to build a MIDI Standard Studio with,
    db?  (Especially what sequencer, I wouldn't trust my ESQ cassette
    interface as far as I can throw a blank cassette).
    
    Uhmm, anybody got a copy of the MIDI Vocalist spec?  :-)
    
    	-Bill
                                                            

    OK, there's a little bit of space left, but I'm gonna close Commusic
    V submissions and declare Commusic V "released".
    
    The Commusic V contributors are:
    
    	o Paul Kent
    	o Dave Bottom
	o Bob Yerazunis
    	o John Williams
    	o Steve Sherman (Side B begins here)
    	o Karl Moeller
     	o Pete LaQuerre
    	o Dan Eaton
    	o Dave Dreher
    	o Tom Janzen
    
    Submittors: 
    
    	o Please send me liner notes
    
     	o Please send me instructions for returning your tape and
    	  getting your own copy
    
    	  Do I:
    
    		1) Record over your submission tape (was it a C-90)
    		   or do I use a fresh tape ($2.50 cost)
    
    		2) mail it to you (cost: 85 cents/tape), bring it to
    		   an upcoming LERDS-BIM, or will you pick it up
    		   in my office
    
    		3) Have you given me any money in advance (my records
    		   indicate that only Janzen, Eaton and Sherman have
    		   done this. 
    
    		   Important: I will *NOT* front money for anyone!!!
    		   I will not send your tape out until, I get money
    		   from you.  At least one group of folks have objected
    		   to this policy so I'll explain:
    
    			1) I have already been "stiffed" for the price
    			   of a tape.  It's no financial setback but
    			   it pissed me off and I'm not gonna let it
    			   happen again.
    
    			2) I don't want to have to keep track of who owes
    			   what, etc.  
    
    Non submittors:
    
    I will take orders for copies now.
    
    You can do it by mail, pick up a copy in my office at ZK3, or get
    a copyfrom me when I visit LERDS-BIM (probably NEXT week, but not
    this week).
    
    More details soon
    
    	db
    
    		

    Dave's doing a great job, but in the liner notes, Sacre on my
    cuts is labelled PDP11 version, and it's not, it's on the Amiga.
    Tom

    OK, Commusic V copies are available in plenty:
    
    	1) At my office in ZK
    
    	2) Via mail order
    
    I will also be bringing copies to next weeks LERDS-BIM.
    
    I have to make a request for those of you picking up copies at
    my office.  My project is in the very last throes of trying to
    finish off a base level that is already too long.  My inclination
    is to stop working and chat with folks, but I really have to get
    things done so... I guess what I'm saying is that let's conduct
    our "business" and then I have to get back to work.
    
    Thanks,
    
    	db

    
			C O M M U S I C   V

	Side A

	    o Paul Kent

		- It's All a Game      (4:15)
		- It's Because of You  (4:30)
		- The Instrumental     (4:00)

	    o Dave Bottom

		- Ain't Found Nothin'	(4:35)

	    o Event Horizon (submitted by Bob Yerazunis)

		- Beyond Event Horizon

	    o John Williams

		- Rule of Thumb (3:05)
		- Games from the Void (3:00)
		- Caught Between Hemispheres (4:10)

	    o Pete LaQuerre

		- No One's Paying Attention (4:55)
		- A State of Mind  (4:00)

	Side B

	    o Steve Sherman

		- No Excuses

	    o Karl Moeller

		- Easter Morning (4:10)
		- Suite Pt. I: The Procession (4:50)
		- The Minefield (8:00)

	    o Dan Eaton

		- He is a Rock

	    o Dave Dreher

		- One Good Dream
		- Seasons
		- Need You Tonite

	    o Tom Janzen

		- Goldberg Variations (Bach)
		- Caterpillar Blews
		- Sacre

	    o Tom Benson

		- Jingle Jangle Jingle
    
    
    Paul Kent
    
        PEEKAY (attic studios) (sic)
        
        Commusicians will all be aware of the progress one can make in 
        a short period of time. The stuff you did 6 months ago can 
        sound trite and amateurish compared with what you can acheive 
        mow. Thus my feelings on relistening to what were originally 
        my Commusic 4 entries.
        
        "It's all a game"
        
        I read with interest that all my entries were about 4 minutes, 
        I have never timed them myself. Thhis must say something about 
        my concentration span. "It's all a game" was based on a CZ 
        patch that I picked up on commusic but that dissapeared into 
        the background somewhere. 
        
        The bass is a multisample on the Akai.
        The Voice is me.
        The song is average.
        Drums are the DDD-1.
        
        
        "It's because of you"
        
        About this time was when I got my Tx802 which is superb. All 
        SYnths are one pass on the TX802 sequenced by the Qx5 and with 
        some vocal samples in the background. The bass patch was my 
        first ever 6 op patch which had the string rattle added with 
        aftertouch. I was desperately impressed with it at the time.
        
        The drums were DDD-1 (I am a fan) with th Snare sampled from a 
        real piccolo snare.
        
        "The instrumental"
        
        I have to admit I haven't got a copy of this at home so I 
        can't remember much about it, other than It was another "one 
        pass" TX802 exercise which I did to impress my colleagues at 
        Berks-Bum (The UK version of Lerds).
    



Dave Bottom

Ain't Found nothin' copyright 1987 dave bottom

written for a woman I never saw again...


Nits:

I am not truely satisfied with the drum parts, just can't seem to get the
dynamics the way they should be.

The vocals are a strain for me, I think this shows, at the time I submitted
this I was in the process of packing to move so they are not as perfect
as I'd like, I was seriously pressed for time.

It's far too long, I would have trimmed it in length but time constraints
were on me...

The song:

Constructed in pseudo-6-track:

Recorded the drums/acoustic guitar rhythm track in stereo on tracks 1-3 of my
3340. The guitar is a washburn acoustic electric, recorded direct, split into
stereo using a rockmodule chorus in the wide mode. Drums are Roland TR-707, the
last time I ever used it. 

Added an electric rhythm (strat) and bass (yamaha, recorded direct) track on
the 3340. 

This was dumped to stereo on my Tascam 234.

I added vocals and lead guitar.

The electric guitar is my strat, effects are a Midiverb II (patch #45).    

Vocals were processed via my symetrix 525 comp/limiter and the Midiverb.
An AKG D-320 mike was used.
    


Beyond The Event Horizon - � Peter Antoniou, Event Horizon Music.

	- P E O P L E -

Peter Antoniou 
Larry Felman
Rudy Kieser
George Ray III
Bill Yerazunis

	- E Q U I P M E N T -

Sequential Circus
  Prophet-600
  Pro-1
Moog
  Minimoog
Ensoniq 
  ESQ-1
Yamahaha
  DX-100
  DX-21
  QX-7
Casio
  CZ-101 (x 2)
Seil 
  DK-80 
  CBM-110 Bass Pedals
Korg 
  MD-16 Sampled Drum
Sholtz
  Rockman
Rickenbacker
  4001
DOD
  Noise Gate, Compressor/Sustainer
Kelsey
  K-16 Studio Mixer
Sony
  PCM-F1 Digital Tape
3M
  Masking Tape
Coca-Cola
  Coke Classic
Cases by
  Calzone
  Anvil
  Tough Traveller
  Fruit of the Loom


	- W H A T   I T   W A S   L I K E -

Oh, what a mess.  Some of the equipment didn't have MIDI- and of course
those were the pieces that had to be played in the strictest synchrony.
Several MIDI chains were used "for depth" - the QX-7 sequencer driving the 
sampled drums, and the DX-21 driving the DX-100 and one of the CZ's,
the Prophet driving an audio signal to the MiniMoog, the Seil DK driving
the other CZ.  

There was a lot of shouting during this take, as various lines were 
coming in, going out, getting retriggered, etc.  We could not multitrack
it onto the digital tape, hence what you hear is, essentially, "live".
Even the mixing had to be done "live".  Fortunately, there were no
microphones in the mix, or else you couldn't play this tape to anyone
under 18 without their parental consent.

If you count oscillators in the above setup, there's something
like 140 if them, not counting the LFO's in the various synths.  And 
we were worried that the sounds wouldn't be rich enough.  We usually don't
use this much equipment, but some days, you just get crazy, eh?

It really isn't possible to assign a "who-played-what" for this piece,
because we all ran around at various times altering critical parameters.
Even Larry, the bassist, played some keyboards, even though we asked
him not to.  

If you listen very carefully, the piece "calms down" for a few seconds in 
the middle.  That's because the pizza man came and he wanted money from 
us.  

Do we plan to make a record?  Actually, we do.  We even had a contract for
one, with a real record company, but they went broke.  



John Williams

	These three songs represent my first MIDI attempts. They were
recorded on an ATARI ST running KCS 1.6. The sounds are coming from an
MT-32 dumped directly into a tape deck in stereo.

1) RULE OF THUMB

	This song is a little experiment with counterpoint. The bass
sticks more or less to tonic points. I recorded it completely one voice
at a time, the chord progression is more or less arpeggioed in the bass.
The patch is something I call wirestrike.

2) GAMES FROM THE VOID

	This tune has some melody bass lines, which get fairly playful
in parts. No wierd patches on this one. 

3) CAUGHT BETWEEN HEMISPHERES

	The bass in this tune pivots, rather than roots, and the rhythm
sort of swirls around it. More drum fills to this one. Added dynamics due
to the addition of an MKB-200 as a controller as a replacement to the
CZ230S, so this one sounds a little more, how shall we say, realistic.




Peter LaQuerre

	- No One's Paying Attention
	- A State of Mind

Both songs copyright �1988 by Peter LaQuerre.

For these two songs, I used:

	-  A FOSTEX X-15 4-track cassette recorder
	-  A Roland TR-505 rhythm composer
	-  A Casio CZ-1000 synthesizer
	-  A Madeira six-string acoustic guitar

My goal over the past few months has been to develop and use a wider
variety of CZ patches.  Some people observed correctly that the 
patches on my last COMMUSIC selections were too recognizably CZ.

Some notes about the patches:

	No One's Paying Attention

	A while back some of you might have remembered me asking for
	some bass patches for the CZ.  Randi Rost replied with a bunch 
	of patches he got over the USENET.  I'm pretty sure this is
	the one from a random patch generator.  I fell in love with it 
	and I think it works well in this song.  Thanks Randi!

	For the keyboard rhythm I used a patch I wrote myself.  I also
	tried to develop a nice lead patch, but after several ideas 
	didn't work out I found the acoustic guitar lead just
	as nice as anything else on the keyboard.

	The most interesting thing about the drum track was the handclap.  
	Before this song, I couldn't find a good use for it, but I
	needed a sharp hit and after messing around with the congas
	for a while, I thought the handclap was a nice subtle addition 
	to one of the patterns for this song.

	A State of Mind

	I programmed the xylophone/vibe patch myself.  I thought it 
	came out pretty nice for a CZ patch and it was fun to use. 

	This bass patch was a more mellow one that I programmed by
	combining the qualities of a couple I've seen around.  Once 
	again, I think some of it was based on one of the bass patches
	I found here in COMMUSIC.

	The string patch was simply a modified version of the "string
	ensemble" factory patch on the CZ.  I added some reverb by 
	modifying the DCA 1 wave.


Steve Sherman

Title: No Excuses

Equipment uesd: S-10, TR-505, TX81Z, MV2, QX5, Rat Shack mixer and a little 
	cheapie reverb added to the drums.  CZ-101 was not used in the mix, 
	but it will be used for the flute part in the 'live' version.

Notes:  As Dave Orin pointed out, Eddie's demo at the Wurlygig was impressive
	not just because of the equipment, but also because he did a good job 
	with the arrangement.  Besides being just for fun, this piece was 
	partly done to show that a good arrangement (or close approximation
	thereof) can even make a relatively inexpensive setup like mine sound 
	pretty good.  

	In addition, I do composition (to my taste - I love the freedom of 
	being my own patron!).  I don't 'gig'.  I'm just not good enough, nor 
	do I want to take the time to work up my real-time chops.  However, my 
	church is putting on a talent show and I decided to work up this synth 
	number.  (It was either this or embarass myself by taking part in 
	another skit this year ...)  I'll be playing the flute and most of the 
	lead guitar parts in real time.  I'm getting better at improv, which is 
	reflected in this submission and will be what I'll work on for the 
	talent show (May 27 at 7:30 at the LDS chapel in Marlboro, MA if anyone 
	wants to come and watch me embarass myself).

	This was a lot of fun to do.  The lead guitar and bottom distorted 
	guitar are both from Roland's Electric Guitar 2 patch for the S-10.  
	The other voices are the TZ (slightly munged presets with some 
	layering).  The chorus repeats.  I was going to change that, but found 
	I preferred the sound of the repeat.  

	The title is more to reflect the attitude I'm having at the time which 
	I feel is also reflected in the piece.  In essence, I pretty much live 
	by the motto, 'Excuses don't get results'.  (Mostly I like hearing 
	excuses for their entertainment value, but that's about it.)  The 
	piece reflects more my personal life and feeling of drive toward 
	getting things done.  4/4 with a back-beat.  But, hey, it fits and it 
	bakes my cookies. :-)


Steve




                           Karl Moeller
"Easter Morning"  "Suite Pt.I: The Procession"  "Suite Pt.II: The Minefield"
              (these pieces (C)(P) Karl Moeller 1988)

The three pieces I chose to contribute to C-V illustrate two radically
different methods of creating new music. One method is to just turn 
on the recorder (or sequencer) and go for it. The other method is the 
more traditional layer-at-a-time composition/recording. 

These were done with the E-Mu Systems' Emax Rack Sampler and/or 
the Kurzweil 1000PX rack sample player. Original recording was done 
with an Apple Macintosh 512K running Performer v1.2.

"Easter Morning"   
   ... don't tell me to add squeaks. Everyone does.

"Suite Pt.I: The Procession"
This piece was carefully layered using both the Emax and Kurzweil. I've
since added a solo violin voice to the last third of the piece. After
'finishing' this (are they ever really done?) it sounded to me like a
prelude to something more energetic.. but it took about a month to find
the second movement. So I declare these two pieces wedded. 

"Suite Pt.II: The Minefield"
This'll get mixed reviews. It's not always pretty. A small amount of
string orchestration added later. Why is it called "The Minefield" ?

    "Someone who records an 'improvisation', and then distributes 
     it for other people to listen to in their living rooms, is doing 
     nothing less than laying a musical and aesthetic minefield." 
  - from a review of 'Free Improvisation', a Deutsche Gramofon release.



Dan Eaton

	-	He Is A Rock	By Dan Eaton 
				(Unpublished Work Copyright 1982 Daniel K Eaton)

	This piece is the first full-scale piece marking the shift I have made
from analog recording studio (albeit a modest one) to MIDI studio (slightly less
modest), with the intention of taking MIDI to the road.  In other words, my 
submission to COMMUSIC III was done on an analog multi-track tape deck.  This 
one was done all via MIDI (except for voice and a mono synth), and will be 
performed live exactly as you hear it on tape.  In fact, the recording was done 
'live' on a normal home stereo.  The only difference on the road will be that I 
will play the piano live (I didn't here as I needed to man the board while 
singing).

	The sequencing was done entirely on a Commodore C64 using Sonus' 
GlassTracks.  GlassTracks is an eight track sequencer with limited editing 
capabilities.  While it has practically no single-event editing, there are ways
around that, and I have learned many of them.  I don't think I'll want to use 
this package forever (I would like more memory and more extensive single-event 
editing), but it certainly helps to have more than two tracks and to have the 
visual feedback.  In performance, I will dump the data down to the MIDI DJ, a 
dedicated hardware sequencer with a fast disk-drive (5 1/4" floppies).

	The time-keeping drums were entered in step-time (bass, snare, ride cym
& hi-hat), while fills were done mostly live.  This has been the most laborious
work I've ever done on a drum part.  The drums alone took me well over a month 
(one or two nights a week) to sequence.  Those readers/contributors of DRUMS 
may recall an inquiry I made about drum accenting.  Well, this is the piece.

	All other parts were sequenced in real-time (with the exception of the
'KRYSTAL-CHOIR' part in the first bridge).

	The lyrics are a paraphrasing of a chapter from the second book of 
Samuel, where King David celebrates the miraculous intervention of God on his
behalf.

	Instrumentation is as follows:

	Piano		     -	Roland RD200
	Mono Synth in intro  -	Korg MS-10 (love that analog!)
	Drums		     -	Roland MKS-7 Rythm block (Equivalent to TR707)
	Bass		     -	Roland MKS-7 Bass block (Equivalent to Juno 106)
	Fill in 1st bridge   -	Yamaha TX81Z (Krystal Choir)
	Brass		     -	Yamaha TX81Z (ChorusBrass)

	Effects:

	Alesis Microverb (setting room #5)
	ADA S1000 Digital Delay

	Other:

	TEAC V-103 Stereo Tape deck
	KAWAI MX-8R 8-channel Mixer
	Commodore C64 with Sonus' Glass-tracks Sequencing Software
	Shure SM58 microphone

    

	Dave Dreher
	47 LaSalle Ave.
	Framingham, MA  01701
	(508) 877-7295


	My tape contains three entries.  All are original compositions.
	All synth and drum machine sequences programmed into MC-500
	and mixed down to master, synced by FSK.  Only Guitar, Vocals,
	and Bass were recorded on 8-track.  All tracks recorded at Baby Shade,
	my home studio.


	1) One Good Dream

		Written by Dave Dreher, Ellen Dreher, Ron Ross

		Ellen Dreher - Vocals
		Ron Ross - Keyboards
		Dave Dreher - Guitar, Programming

	2) Seasons

		Written by Dave Dreher, Ellen Dreher, Ron Ross

		Ellen Dreher - Vocals
		Ron Ross - Keyboards
		Dave Dreher - Guitar, Programming
		Dave O - Bass

	3) Need You Tonight

		Written by Dave Dreher, Ellen Dreher, Ron Ross, Angel Clymes

		Ellen Dreher - Vocals
		Angel Clymes - Vocals
		Ron Ross - Keyboards
		Dave Dreher - Guitar, Programming


	Recording equipment used:

		Tascam 38 8-trk w/8 ch. dbx	Aries 24x8 mixing board
		Roland SDE-3000 digital delay	Effectron ADM-256 digital delay
		ART 01a digital reverb		Yamaha SPX-90 effects processor
		DBX 160 Compressor		DBX 166 Compressor
		Biamp 210 stereo equalizer	AKG 414 microphone
		LinnDrum (sampler)		Roland S-50 (sampler)
		Roland Jupiter-6 (analog synth)	Roland MKS-30 (analog synth)
		Yamaha TX7 (FM synth)		Yamaha FB01 (FM synth)
		Roland MC-500 sequencer		Roland MKB-200 controller
		Gallen Kruger 250ml guitar amp	Kramer guitar
		Tascam 2-22 2-trk		Tascam 122 cassette deck

    
    
    

Tom Janzen
    
The PDP11/23 synthesis project (weekends and evenings) has been cancelled.
All of the expertise is being transferred to the Commodore Amiga, Deluxe
Music Construction Set, and Synthia (to make instruments).
If I remember correctly what I submitted:

Stravinsky: Le Sacre de Printemps, opening of Prelude.  No post processing.
No MIDI.  Only the Amiga sound port was used.

Janzen: Caterpillar Blews (c) 1977; The right hand and the left hand
slip an eighth every four bars.

Bach: Goldberg Variations: Aria.  I used a plucked string model for the
first half, and mixed several instruments in the closing.  I could have
used four different colors at once if I had put each of 4 lines on a
separate staff, but I used a piano staff, and a given staff may have only
one color (I think) in DMCS.

I used no post-processing or overdubbing.  It's all mono.  
I have many more examples that I and other people in the Amiga grapevine
have entered.  Let me know if you're interested.
    



Tom Benson


Jingle Jangle Jingle

Fuso, a friend of mine, found himself singing this song while driving somewhere
with his wife. All he could remember was the first line and something like
"Oh Lulu Belle, oh Lulu Bell, you look like hell..." His wife claimed that it
was so dumb that he must have made it up. He asked me about it, and I agreed 
that it was a real song, and started searching for proof. In the meantime, I 
recorded this version and gave it to them as an anniversary present. I just 
added additional dumb words to the ones Fuso remembered. Later, I found out 
that it was a hit for Tex Ritter in the early forties, and got a recording on 
a "greatest hits" tape. Later, I found the sheet music in an antique store, 
and last month I found the original version on a 78 at the flea market. 

As I've told db, no warrantee is implied with this song. I assume no
responsibility for the use or reliability of this music on any equipment which
might make it audible. The stuff I wanted to have on Commusic V isn't done
yet.

Implements: guitar, CZ5000 synth, RZ-1 drum machine with sampled saucepan,
	    griddle, steamer, and produce scale.

    Attention LERDS-BIM'ers.
    
    I am planning to "do" LERDS-BIM tonite.   I will bring about a dozen
    copies of Commusic V for distribution.
    
    I greatly prefer to distribute tapes this way rather than mail, and
    it's cheaper for you also.  So if you can make LERDS-BIM tonite, even
    if only long enough to pick up the tapes, you oughta try and make it.
    Or you can arrange to have a friend pick up a copy (or better yet,
    make a copy from a friends copy).
    
    Whatever...
    
    Yo Ron, if you get there before me, order up a few DBLMARGs.
    
    	db

    WHERE???
    

    Tom Foolery's, Westboro....
    
    From the north... take route 495 to route 9 west. Go approximately
    1.5 miles on route 9 and TF's will be on the right...
    
    Somehow, people just *know* which group is LERDS-BIM when they
    get inside...
    
    Edd

    TF's is at the intersection of routes 9 and 30 in Westborough.
    As you get off route 9 westbound to get on route 30 westbound,
    the entrance to TF's is right in the hook of the curve.
    
    The traditional way to be recognized is to talk about wearing a
    chicken on your head, but not actually wear one.  Got that?
    Eventually you will be overheard by some regular LERDS-BIMmer, 
    and an arcane exchange of passwords will take place:
    
    	LERDS-BIM?
    	COMMUSIC V!
    	DX-7?
    	D-50!
    	Dolby B?
    	dbx!
    
    	All right, you're ok...
    
    len.
      

    Dave,
    
    How much are you charging for the tapes? Last time it was $4.00,
    but I know the XLII-S's are a tad more expensive than the XLII's.
    
    Rodney M.

    Still (as always) $4 via US Mail, $2.50 if you pick it up from me.
    
    I'm still using XL-II's, not XL-IIS's.  I used an XL-IIS for the
    master, but not for the copies.
    
    Actually, my mailing costs went up, but I found a cheaper source for
    tapes.  So the $2.50 sometimes includes a slight profit.  I'm pocketing 
    this "profit" as small compensation for the duping deck I bought 
    largely for the purposes of making Commusic tapes, not to mention
    the time, electricity and the $25 I paid for the Commusic III and
    Commusic IV master tapes (Sony Pro-X Beta and Sony Metal C-90).
    
    I also have to announce that I will no longer "loan" tapes out to
    anyone whom I don't know personally.  Surprisingly enough, I've had
    a fair amount of problems getting people to return them within a
    reasonable period of time (some folks not getting around to it,
    others leaving the company, etc.).
    
    So the profit in the $2.50 also goes to cover some losses I've
    incurred.
    
    	db

Following the formfeed is a postscript file.  Extract it, print it out on the
LPS40 with a command such as:

$ PRINT/PARAM=DATA_TYPE=POSTSCRIPT/QUEUE=lps_queue filename.PS

and you should get a label to use with your COMMUSIC V tape.

Please let me know what you think, if you have any problems, or if you want the
source so you can do this for the rest of your tapes. :-)

Jill

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Re: Commusic V cover...

Looks great!  ...what did you mean by 'the source'?  what form does this
     take?  some  software  or something?  I'd be interested in having a
     copy to make covers for other tapes.

/Mitch

re .33 (Mitch)

The file that you submitted to the LPS40 was a program, since
PostScript is a language.  It told the Microvax inside the LPS40 what to do.
There is another program (mostly Fortran) that takes a simple input file
and creates the PostScript code.  When I said "the source", I meant the
.EXE file (as well as documentation on how to use it) so you could use it for
other tapes.

Glad you like it!

Please send me mail if you want the .EXE and other necessary files.

Jill

    For what it's worth, there is an internal doctype for DOCUMENT called
    CASSETTE that works quite well at producing labels.  Since I don't have
    access to an LPS40 (just got access to an LN03 last week), I can't
    compare the two.  However, someone should probably check both of them
    out.  Sure makes nice cassette liners.

-b

    Hey, isn't there a potential conflict of interest possibility here?
    Like, won't the Digital Police come after you if you make millions
    using a DOCUMENT-generated cassette label?  Or, if you have scruples,
    won't this make you feel a little guilty?  
    
    Actually, a couple of months ago I brought up this very issue with
    my cost center manager.  Technically, it's a no-no to use Digital
    resources to generate your own album covers to sell your albums.
    Arrangements can be made, but this involves a committee decision
    and the committee tends to be real gunshy.
    
    Steve

    
    re: .-1
    
      Okay, so officially, we don't condone it. 

Disclaimer:

I can't speak for anyone else or what they choose to do, but my the output from
my label program is intended for home use only.

Jill