free download of my new album

Brice Manuel · Post by **Brice Manuel** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 5:06 am

I love this, good stuff. I have been listening to it a LOT while I am writing. This music is definitely something I will listen to a lot in the future.

Thank you for letting me have it for free.

Kukulkan · Post by **Kukulkan** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 7:56 am

Should I open a PayPal-account to accept donations

(just a joke)

Thank you all for your good reviews.

Its good to know that I'm not the only person who likes my music...

Kukulkan

dkirk · Post by **dkirk** » Fri May 26, 2006 5:22 pm

Kukulkan wrote:Its good to know that I'm not the only person who likes my music...

What are your future plans for your music? You are very talented and I hope to hear more of your work.

Kukulkan · Post by **Kukulkan** » Sat May 27, 2006 10:43 am

Hi dkirk,

What are your future plans for your music? You are very talented and I hope to hear more of your work.

Sorry to tell you that I will need another two years to do a second album

. I'm making music only in my sparetime (remember the title of the album?) and I have to support my family with a time-consuming job. I offered the album to some labels without luck. It is not possible to earn money with music - so it will need time.

But it is very nice to hear, that you think I'm talented. Thank you!

Kukulkan

Jan Vooijs · Post by **Jan Vooijs** » Sat May 27, 2006 2:57 pm

Kukulkan (VSchmid),

Nice album, have you tried a company called www.groove.nl they make low volume (relative) CD's from artists. Give them a try anyway since all the work is done, you have a album including the artwork!!!

By the way I would love to re-mix your album, most songs are to "loud" so if one tries to "amp them up" or filter and re-filter the songs are so loud they overdrive the filters, which give much distortion.

Is it possible to have the first song with all the instruments each on a separate track (multi track recording)? Since the piano "drowns" into the other instruments which is a shame. It should be risen above the rest of the track, most noticable around 2 min into the song there is a overdriven bass element which deforms the music.. looks like an earth quake is comming... (yes i have a very good sound system here in fact on all three sets it has the same problem...)

There are more songs which wil benefit from a re-mix (or other instruments like the guitar on track 10 better to use TWO guitars a spanisch for the lower accords and an other for the top accords since THOSE sounds awfull, like if the guitar is in 'pain'. While on track 3 the guitar sounds better. Or try an other plugin for the guitar. Do you know an englisch magazine called Computer Music (or CM for short)? They have an DVD with every edition with software (like Computer Muzys, demo versions of Traction etc.) but also an abundance of samples and plugins...

But all the same I would buy the album (8 euro). Why don't you offer a "donate" pay pal button on your site? I think there are more people who would pay for the album.

Keep up the good work (sorry we have to wait another 2 years for the next album).

Some GOOD things about the album, the transition of track one into track two , reminds me of an album by Jean Michel Jarre (he use the same 'clock' sound [so did Vangelis some time])

Track 4 one thing came in mind: "Kraftwerk" (the early albums, when they used the moog synth) amazing, very good.

Track 8, reminds me of Kitaro "the silk road" series of CD's excelent work!

Some tracks 'sounds' like Gandalf more like "a like" not meaning to copy but more a tribute to those masters. Very nice.

Best tracks number 6 and number 11 after a NEEDED remix number 1 could be an absolute better track!!

Again keep up the good work!!

Jan Vooijs (music tech)

ps the show a better track adjust filters accourding to these settings"
60Hz +6 db
170 hz +3db
310hz -3 db
600hz -3db
1k -3db
3k -3db
6k 0db
12k +3 db
14k +6db
16k +8db
(filters in winamp) but do NOT use on track 1!!! You blow youre set!!!

Kukulkan · Post by **Kukulkan** » Sat May 27, 2006 3:45 pm

Hi Jan,

thank you very much for your great ideas and the professional review. Yes, I decided to add a 'donate' button in the near future.

Thank you for your offer to remix the songs. But every song is recorded life into a single stereo-mix. Later I mastered all songs into one long project to realize the transitions.
It is a huge effort to record every track once and later synchronize them correct. Maybe I can spend some donated money to a soundcard with 8 different outputs?

Actually I have set up a recording PC with an 8 channel recording soundcard in the last few days. But my 'music-computer' simply has a normal soundcard (terratec 24/96) for output. So I will have to reduce the effort by recording the solo-instruments separated from the background. That may be ok and I can replace the solo instruments by real instruments later.

I will see...

Kukulkan

Kukulkan · Post by **Kukulkan** » Sat May 27, 2006 4:07 pm

Ok,

Now everybody who likes my sparetime-album can donate money for the sparetime-album. I will use the money to buy a new soundcard and, maybe, for some music-gear.

Please look here:
http://www.x-beliebig.info/Music/sparetime/donate.html

Thank you!

Kukulkan

Jan Vooijs · Post by **Jan Vooijs** » Sat May 27, 2006 8:29 pm

Volker,

I see your placed your bank account there (IBAN number) see my donation soon (this evening, late).

Oke, so everything is 'single take recording' that makes it even MORE amazing from my end, I tipp my hat for you (that is in admaration), knowing HOW extreem difficult "live recording" is.

Now i understand that i 'hear' missing notes on track one

I would invest in a multi track recording software/hardware. But apropos what kind of music making software are you using? Most of the time these have a semi-multi track recording on board...

How is your setup meaning which keyboards, synths, trackers, drumbox you are using? Or is all on ONE pc?

There are mixers with BUILD in network capability, they can stream all channels over an IP bases (ethernet) network for recording on a PC.

Remember keep it digital as long as possible!! Meaning the analog chain must be kept short. If you record from a mike record it directly digital.

Your welkom for my 'review', if you need help let me know (PM prefered?)

Jan Vooijs

traumatic · Post by **traumatic** » Sun May 28, 2006 12:40 am

Jan Vooijs wrote:Remember keep it digital as long as possible!! Meaning the analog chain must be kept short. If you record from a mike record it directly digital.

Depends on the sound you're after, doesn't it?

Kukulkan · Post by **Kukulkan** » Sun May 28, 2006 10:10 am

Hi Jan,

But apropos what kind of music making software are you using? Most of the time these have a semi-multi track recording on board...

I use an outdated sequencer called massiva. It is the best sequencer for me (comming from Amigas Bars&Pipes). But it's possibilities for soundrecording are very limited.

How is your setup meaning which keyboards, synths, trackers, drumbox you are using? Or is all on ONE pc?

Here is my humble gear:
- PC Windows 2000 AMD Athlon XP2400+, 512 MB RAM
- Terratec 24/96 soundcard
- USB-MIDI-adapter
- EMU Proteus 1000 expander (soundmodule)
- Roland e-piano as masterkeyboard

The rest what you hear are VST instruments like:
- Free Alpha
- Crystal
- Edirol Orchestral
- Slayer Guitar
- and some others (like DelayLama and a free SoundFont-player)

Yes, it is all played on one computer. Drums and pianos are mainly from the EMU soundmodule and also some basses and solo-synths. The rest are VSTi's.

I mixed those two stereo outputs (EMU and PC) together into a 16 channel line-mixer and recorded this signals again using a Creative PCI128 soundcard. Those WAV-tracks are used for mastering and doing the transitions. Thats all. I don't have much money to buy the best gear and I must confess that one VSTi is not payed like it should

Now I have a second computer with the capability of recording 8 tracks at once (maxistudio isis using W98). I will try to re-record about 4 to 8 tracks per song to have more control over the mastering situation later. I look forward to find some local musicans for the solos. I have a flute-player and a e-guitar-player so far. Now I need a chello-player...

If I have re-recorded the songs, I surely contact you for some pre-hearing and mixing advice.

Kukulkan

White Eagle · Post by **White Eagle** » Sun May 28, 2006 3:56 pm

I love this, good stuff. I have been listening to it a LOT while I am writing. This music is definitely something I will listen to a lot in the future.

I still listen to this stuff almost daily. I really enjoy it.

Regards,

Brice

Jan Vooijs · Post by **Jan Vooijs** » Mon May 29, 2006 2:03 pm

traumatic wrote:
Jan Vooijs wrote:Remember keep it digital as long as possible!! Meaning the analog chain must be kept short. If you record from a mike record it directly digital.
Depends on the sound you're after, doesn't it?

In my technical opinion NO never as long as digital is your 'output', being the net or CD or any other digital media (MP3) it is VERY important to keep the analog path as short as possible. Sure if you want to use an overdrive or a wah wah pedal after your electric guitar that is oke, because yes you have to use it (althow there are very good digital vst's for that now).

My tantrum in recording:
"keep it digital" and KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) and The Stupid in KISS is often myself (hahaha

)

Jan V.

Jan Vooijs · Post by **Jan Vooijs** » Mon May 29, 2006 2:09 pm

@Kukulkan,

Woaw that is impressiv!! You make the most of it!! I could not do half of wat YOU do with that equip you have. Personally i would by the store for much more equip (hahaha). Proves that you can do more with less if you have to!

One question out of your last post. Why looking for 'real muscians'? Then you have to share your income out of this or you are dependable in the furure from them.

One other thing did you look at the site: www.legaldownload.net ?? They offer a 'shop front' for musicians on the net....

Jan V.

traumatic · Post by **traumatic** » Mon May 29, 2006 4:57 pm

Jan Vooijs wrote:
Depends on the sound you're after, doesn't it?
In my technical opinion NO never as long as digital is your 'output', being the net or CD or any other digital media (MP3) it is VERY important to keep the analog path as short as possible. Sure if you want to use an overdrive or a wah wah pedal after your electric guitar that is oke, because yes you have to use it (althow there are very good digital vst's for that now).

While this may be not the right place to discuss things like this, I'd be glad
if the world was like you say... Sadly, real analog sound is only captured by
analog equipment. There's no convincing digital emulation of tapes, tubes, etc.
until today. Recording drums for example, I'd always go analog (2" tape).
(Ok, if I could afford it

) Also, mixing on an analog console is just an entirely
different world - soundwise.

Of course I know what you mean, going digital doesn't add noise, still
it's a matter of sound.

Jan Vooijs · Post by **Jan Vooijs** » Mon May 29, 2006 6:21 pm

traumatic wrote:There's no convincing digital emulation of tapes, tubes, etc.
until today. Recording drums for example, I'd always go analog (2" tape).
(Ok, if I could afford it ) Also, mixing on an analog console is just an entirely
different world - soundwise.

Of course I know what you mean, going digital doesn't add noise, still
it's a matter of sound.

Well, I say we both are right in our respective fields. Yes analog is 'best' sound wise!! But NOT noise wise (s/n ratio). Yes I would prefer taping in 2" tape (analog) but for distribution you need digital today. Coming out of the analog world, sound wise myself (47 yrs) i went digital (recording) some 12 odd years ago, loved every minute of it!! The easy of "splice the tape" is so much comfertable digital and SOOO accurate (100%) I love it! Same goes for Video editting, analog = not so exact edit. Digital on the frame accurate (working on a movie this moment in Liquid Pro, steep learning curve but worth the effort).

Jan V.