christianc

Thanks everyone! I went to see the post quite periodically after I posted it, but had no answers, so I searched again for anything that would warn me against this setup, but found nothing, so I bought. I understand what you mean Gardener, I thought of buying the Emu 0202, but since I live in Canada, for some reason, I don't have access to the greatest Internet deals (damn, Musiciansfriend says: Ships to Canada: Exlcudes Quebec"... I live in QC :( ) So, is it working? Yes it is! The latency hasn't changed much though, I wouldn't really notice any improvement... really, even with the built-in soundcard and Asio4all, if I don't have too much programs running (CPU or RAM load), I can achieve bearable results (17-18ms is ok for me). The sound quality is way better than I had expected: there's hardly any noise. In fact, first, I thought there was a background noise... then figured out it was the sound of my laptop running haha. As with quite a lot of home recordist, I believe, having a super-low-noise setup isn't really worth the money spent. Most of the time, the environment I'll record in will have at least a little hum or noise (household appliances, lights, computer never more than a couple of feets away, etc.)! Well thanks for sharing your opinion on it!

Hello! I am not really an expert in audio hardware, so I thought I might ask the ycomposers community before buying stuff that might not really be useful :P Well, so I have a Keystation Pro88 controller, which is USB, directly connected in my laptop (fairly recent, 3G of ram, Vista 32bits).. I use this controller with a couple of programs, vst instruments etc., but I get a quite high latency (I use the computer's sound card, Conexant HD something). Even after tweaking and using Asio4all, I still achieve a..well, not so bad, but not so good latency. So I thought (but I don't know if I'm right or wrong!), that buying a sound card which supports ASIO would give me a more decent latency. However, since I use a laptop, the sound card has to be USB (of firewire, but I don't any ports, nor empty PCMthingy slots..) Ok, so, with that in mind... I also might add that I'd like to record, eventually with a phantom-powered condenser microphone. So I thought I had only two options: 1. Buying a USB sound card which includes a mic input with a phantom power. (=about 150$ minimum) 2. Buying a USB sound card with a RCA input (around 30$) and a mixer that allows phantom-powered mics. (So, I would, if that works, connect my mic to the mixer, then mixer out to RCA in (which is the USB device)...! (Yeah, I'm glad you followed me through here ^^) So, option #2 seemed more attractive to me, as I would have a mixer (yeah, more gear!) and probably lower cost as I'm considering the Behringer U-Control for the sound card and the Behringer Xenix 802 for the mixer. But! Well, first, do you think it would work (somehow, it seems that there's ALWAYS something that won't work XD)? And just as importantly, will I, as far as you know, obtain a good latency with the Behringer U-Control? I know it might just be me, but I don't understand how adding a USB sound card would actually help my latency lol... The path is just longer, no? Controller>USB cable>Computer>USB cable>Audio card... I would have thought the "Computer" part was the main cause of latency! :P Well, a lot of thanks for reading and helping me! Christian

Hi, here's my latest compo, "Bossa-Nova", I know, I know... but I have no inspiration for a better title :P SoundClick artist: Christian Comeau - I'm quite a beginner composer. Still, if you want to hear some new things... click here! Any ideas?

Bach Contrapunctus IX, for some reason... I guess I played it a lot. I tend to appreciate more the pieces I played in concert band or with instrument. But going out of classical music, Damien Rice often tears me down... DO NOT listen to that thing on a rainy sunday afternoon.

In most cases, modal songs contain less chords, less harmonic variety. Keeping a drone would be the simplest way to keep in the mode... You could also use only 2-3 chords. Like in dorian I-VII-I-VII etc. Again, focus on melody and rhythm!

:O I never considered it this way, but you're so right! Your piece sounds good, you could just write a contrasting section them play this again... that would make it more complete, and you wouldn't have to start all over ;)

This is similiar to "accordion sucks!" Anyway! I made you overreact I think... that was absolutely not the aim of my post. A lot of people hate accordions, I can't do anything against that. Hey QCcowboy, you're from Quebec too right? Watch Le Parrain II tonight at TVA 22:30! Featuring accordion! Try to find one quality, one thing you like in the accordion ;)

For your particular ensemble, it depends on what kid of music you want them to play... but if it's "regular" music (not serial, not modern, not baroque)... you might want to use the accordion left hand (accompanying). Oom-pah-Oom-pah (Bass C - Chord C - Bass G - Chord C)for 4/4 and Oom-pah-pah (Bass C - Chord C - Chord C) for 3/4 both work well. It will sound a bit "circus"... can't find a better word to describe sorry lol! Then sax and euphonium could duet. I personnally suggest a waltz, it tends to sound less "circus" than accompaniment in 4/4 (of course, you can use something else than oom-pah too!) On the other hand, if you want to write something more baroque (fugue, canon, etc.) don't use the accordion left hand, instead use either the middle reed (leaving high voice to sax) or high / middle+high reed(s) (leaving middle voice to sax).

Lion king soundtrack! I'm not ashamed of loving it, but I guess some people might find this embarrassing :P

I play accordion (I'm not so great though...) and I totally disagree with QCcowboy! Listen to Le fabuleux destin d'Am

Thanks for this! I didn't knew about the borrowed VI chord, but I know the borrowed iv is also a very nice chord. In a major song, finish your piece with a I-iv-I cadence, sounds really nice too.

I just received a book on modal harmony, you're lucky :P There are some useful progressions in every mode: Dorian: V-I ; III-I ; VII-I Phrygian: II-I ; VII-I ; V-I Lydian: II-I ; V-I Mixolydian: V-I ; VII-I ; IV-I Aeolian: V-I ; II-I ; VII-I Locrian: II-I ; VII-I (Use I7 or I9 with no 5th...) As Mark said, modal music mostly focuses on rhythm and melody... You can also use secondary dominants KEEPING THEM IN THE MODE, for example: If you're in A aeolian and want to use a V/V, since you'll be (temporarily) in D aeolian (V), the notes composing the V/V chord will be B-F#-D... yes, a minor chord.

I think metal music needs a different approach than classical music... though you might sit, take a coffee and write chord progressions, it's more usual (and let's face it: more productive) to JAM. Or as one might say: search and develop hamonic, melodic and rythm ideas. I'm not really a hardcore metal fan, but I totally disagree with the ones who think metal can't be original. There's a lot of not original classical music too... For originality, I suggest you add other instruments. Keep guits, bass and drum, but consider adding pads, keyboards, noises (industrial noises would work well in this genre). Also go in contrasts, don't let the guitar plays the same riff all the song, nor let the drum play all the time. A calmer section (either at the begining or in the middle) is going to make the crazier section following much more violent/energetic. Lastly, since this kind of music is mostly about BEAT, put a special attention on rhythm. Usually, metal is harmonically simple (though you might get original and change that) but rhytmically complex... there's a lot of odd meters 7/8 especially. Work the drums and make abuse of the double bass drum pedal ;)

Not an easy problem to solve... I also think art should be "freely accessible"... for equality sake! Especially with music in those modern times! Mp3 files cost nothing materially (except listening device...) So who is going to pay the artists? Ideally - as I tend toward socialism :P - WE would pay for it, and by we I mean it should be subsidized. More than it is already... since for now it's mostly subsidies to people who hire composers/musicians, isn't it?

Duh... I like it! Fits well with the picture... Not easy for the performer I guess though, it's rhythmically complex. Oh, and are you sure about the end? I thought it was a bit out of context and unexpected at this point...