Free jazz video and room test

[David L. Donald]

http://www.youtube.com/user/Samuijazz

(For some reason there is an video unavailable message,
just re-click on the lower version.)


Ok, last month Barry was heading of to NYC indefinitely.
To play guitar and bond with his son etc.
I think he also had one too many small bike accidents.
He got wrist injuries each time and so is playing
quite a bit slower than usual.

Norman was fed up with the Hotel gig he's been on.
And losing Barry on that gig to a cheaper player...
He is heading off to Tokyo for some Sax playing there.

Mark has been landscaping this island to fare thee well
but not playing enough lately. So he was up for playing.

And I wanted to hear how the new large room sounded.
And also get some playing time in. And hear one of
my amps that I built in use with better hands.

So I set up my video camera
and attached 2 Earthworks SR-71 uni-directional mics,
placed a bit over 2 meters up, left and right, just off screen.

And we did a few totaly improvised jams.
This one is the 1st I edited.
It was too heavily back lit,
so I just had some fun with it visually.
Ityhink I will keep on that theme for the others,
as I get to edit them.

No steel playing...
Tenor sax
Electric guitar
Drums,
Upright bass, not my Kay, it was in the shop
.
We just turned on the camera,
and I cut in after I had walked to my bass.

We did what ever we came up with, many discussions,
but NONE about what we might play.
I think Barry told the drummer to play louder...
Tee Hee.

One of my main aims was to hear how the various instruments blended in the room as it sits now.
Glassed in, but with a bit of the booth rooms started, and the side cloths partly lifted on one side.

It is of course smaller than Boston Symphony Hall,
but the dimensions are similar. I am pretty happy
with the raw room sound so far. I am sure I will
have some more diffusion as other interior elements
get built. But good so far.

Comments welcome,
except on the horrible bass pickup sound.
The Indian bass I am playing had a pickup death
THAT morning and my good pickup was with the Kay
in the Bangkok shop and I found a clip-on one in
the bone yard and threw it on JUST before hand.
Oh well. we had fun anyway.

[David Doggett]

I voted no, but it depends on what you are after. It has a bit of the room sound of a live performance in the field rather than the pure acoustic neutrality of a studio. But I might not have noticed if you hadn't asked for a careful listen. And for all I know maybe that's what you want.

[David L. Donald]

Actually I am looking for that acoustics sound.
Just still gradually tuning it in. Or pairing it
back to managable. I purposely recorded this from
at least 15 feet back to hear the room.

Some of the best recordings that I like have
a room sound to them rather than all of it sucked out.
Too many recordings today IMHO have nothing but
dead room recorded, digital ambience and it is less attractive
to my ears. Closer mic'ing can of course change
the room to instrument ratio.

I am gradually building rooms around the periphery
that will have the controlled tight sound. Actually several different sounds.
And these rooms external forms, and outer coverings,
will change the big room's global tone.

If I add some curtains in front of the BIG windows
the room will tighten down immensely.
I know from hearing the change before and during glass installation.

[Bill Terry]

Too many recordings today IMHO have nothing but
dead room recorded, digital ambience and it is less attractive to my ears.

Ditto...

I liked the room sound. I don't know nothing 'bout that stuff, but it was pleasing to me.

[David L. Donald]

Too many recordings today IMHO have nothing but
dead room recorded, digital ambience and it is less attractive to my ears.

Ditto...

I liked the room sound. I don't know nothing 'bout that stuff, but it was pleasing to me.

"That stuff" is;
acoustics or free jazz??

We had some much better moments,
but this was a complete piece in a short time frame.
I will be doing more editing of a composite of some of the others in a bit.

[Bill Terry]

"That stuff" is;
acoustics or free jazz??

Yes...

[David L. Donald]

A more recent visiter.
But tone deaf.