Some people might remember Mike Oldfield perhaps? He released an album called Tubular Bells back in May 1973 on which he played every instrument himself, recording track by track on a (then) state of the art multi-track recording system. This was featured on Blue Peter (he even re-recorded the Blue Peter theme song in the process) and I remembered being fascinated by the entire process. Equally, being someone who played several instruments I thought it could be good to be my own band. Needless to say, at the time the cost of this type of endeavour was prohibitive for a schoolboy so, whilst I did a little playing with an old four track tape machine, I never really went any further with it.
Many years later (back in 1997), a good friend and I spent hours discussing the possibilities of using our computers as multi-track recording studios. We were both frustrated musicians – having played previously but not properly for many years – and this technological advance looked right up our street. So intrigued by this possibility was I at the time, I even bought a few issues of a magazine that would eventually allow you to get a full recording set up on your laptop (excluding any external hardware).
Even back in 1997, the advances in technology meant that, by using either a microphone or plugging in some type of digital keyboard, you would be able to record, track by track, as you would have done on an old fashioned tape system. The major difference of course being that instead of recording to tape, it records directly to your hard disc and plays back through your laptop speakers (or headphones). This brought back memories of Tubular Bells. Sadly, it ended up as just talk at the time and evenings drinking red wine in France ended up as the reality.
Then, when I bought my first Mac, I was fascinated by Garageband – which came free with the machine. Soon after, out came the iPad and iPhone versions too which showed great promise. This re-sparked my interest in having a try at multi track recording and I did spend a while googling the potential of this software. I played around for a while with the iPad and Mac versions, even plugging in my digital piano to record direct into it. I was never entirely satisfied with the results – due to a combination of unconvincing performances and my basic lack of knowledge of what I was doing. A combination of the two resulted in largely thin and hollow sounds coming from what are called ‘software instruments’ (where you use your keyboard to record a track intended to sound like a violin, a trumpet or what seems like any instrument on the planet from the enormous set that you get).
Anyway, very recently I came across the video linked below on YouTube. I was truly staggered by what this guy had achieved with a combination of talent and technology so decided to try this out in anger for myself. My first project will be the 18th Variation from Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini by Rachmaninov. I remember borrowing the full score to this from Manchester Central Library as a teenager and someone had written, lovingly, in pencil at the top of the page ‘the most beautiful piece of music ever written’ – a sentiment I shared and still share to this day. I still have dreams of playing this with an Orchestra for myself and at a push the piano part should be within reach if I practice hard enough. So, whilst I wait to find an orchestra who wants to accompany me (I clearly won’t be holding my breath), I’m going to record the Orchestra for myself.
This section of my blog will chart the progress (or possibly lack of) on this project.
Just take a listen to this ….
