Learning Journal (WEEK 4 - CIU330)

Week 4 update on project B&W Funk Bro.

Finally, the bass guitar work is done, and I’m now into edit mode, and correcting some minor rhythm NQR (not quite right) beats on the bar. As the Godfather ‘James brown’ of Soul and Funk music would say to his new musician recruits, “it’s all about the one”, Which means you always have to land on the first beat of the bar with the bass riff beginning note. These cats knew where it was at and I’ve been exploring the Funk genre, to getting as much knowledge so I could create some funk worthy songs.

Bass Guitar work editing

I used warp mode in Pro Tools, so I could make sure that the bass guitar was on beat with the drum, which Voodoo Grand Master of Funk (Phil) was laying down the tracks of drums a week earlier.

Once I’ve finished adjusting the first note onto the first beat of the bar, if required by using a warp technique called range warping (picture above). This technique of editing is brilliant. I wouldn’t exactly call myself an outstanding bass guitarist, so I need a little help with some modern wizardry. By holding down the shift key and clicking the transient you want to shift, it will isolate the area with two warp markers on the outside of the centre warp marker. The two outside warp markers lock their transients and allow the centre warp marker to move the middle transient to the desired position. After I have completed the first run of changes to the bass work, I will check out the whole of the bass guitar track, and tweak and adjust accordantly, if required.

Tracking Vocals

This week I have also started tracking the vocals. Time is not on the B&W Funk Bros side, so we have to get the work done as quickly as possible. I’m aiming to get all the vocals done by the end of week 4, but that also depends on getting the rhythm section grooving properly. I’ve made up a temporary vocal area where I use a bath towel to stop a lot of the vocal reflection, and I use the storage container boxes to defuse the vocal sound as I’m recording the vocal parts. It’s all about making do with what you’ve got and to get the best audio wav transient tracked.

Peg technology for lyric assistance.