I appologize for not posting since November but I have not had much to say. Now I do so here we go-
I am recording quite a bit. It has taken a while to figure out how to be an improvising musician working on my own and using this type of recording software. The way I am now recording is that I will begin with a track of synth noodling using my IPAD. I love the Moog apps and also Korg has a nice one. I usually try to develop something that is quite abstract and record for as long as I like. Usually 5 minutes or more. I will go into quiet sections, mimimal grooves, parts that build to a climax and then I will pick up my bass or record drums "live" using my midi keyboard. The best suggestion I have for anyone wanting to do this in Reason 6 is to click on the auto quantize so that you keep everything in time. Of course if you are not looking to remain in time ignore this step.
From here I will keep building a piece of music. Sometimes I will mute a bunch of tracks while I record a new one and then see how the new one fits against the other tracks. Basically I begin to give myself options and in the end the piece of music I make is nothing like the piece of music I started.
I was working on one piece where I developed a melodic bass line I liked and then added a drum track that was much more aggressive. I then muted the original bass part and recorded a much more aggressive part, added a second lead bass part using guitar amp simulators in Reason and some signal destruction. By the time I finished I was really surprised (all of this happened over a 2 hour session) with the result. I felt I was not spending my time arranging songs, which I really have no interest in doing, but I was constructing entire pieces of music by improvising.
I bought Reason in the first place because it seemed like it was a program that would offer me the ability to be creative. I was nervous because most of the music I have listened to having been produced in Reason has been hip hop or other modern forms. However I also use a Korg Kaoss Pad and have been able to avoid using that in a way most people do. I will acutally really be posting some links to a few toons I will upload shortly... Stay tuned.
