The Incredibles

The Incredibles

The Glory Days – Michael Giacchino

As the song starts, the music is being played at a walking pace, which is also known as ‘Andante’. At 10 seconds, the piece is of a ‘Vivace’ style, meaning the tempo is also lively. This is so the music can keep up with the fast paced action of the car chase scene in the film. The music changes once again at 18 seconds when the flute starts. The tempo sounds like it slows down, however it doesn’t, it just sounds this way due to the texture becoming thinner as the volume has decreased and the instruments are of higher pitch, meaning there is no bass, losing all power and energy in the audio.

He has made the pace fast and energetic to keep up with the action in the film.

Tonality – The piece is in a minor key. This is strange to hear because a piece in minor is not normally heard, as a minor tone is not normally used for an upbeat or fast paced piece of music. However, it suits the film due to it being an action film creating an unpredictable and mysterious vibe. This is due to the raised 5^th in the minor key.

The texture in this piece of music alters rather a lot. A majority of the song, is polyphonic, however, it changes in various parts of the piece. It is polyphonic because there is more than one instrument being played at one time. Director, Giacchino, did this to create an exhilarating feel on his audience upon them watching the title sequence. When the radio comes on at 18 seconds, it then turns to monophonic. Here, there is a reoccurring theme where as soon as the scene changes from inside the car, to the car chase, the texture changes as well. This is to show the two different moods/atmospheres between the two events.

Dynamics in this sequence vary from forte to piano, determining on the dialogue of the sequence, where the music diminuendos when there is character speech, then crescendos back to the original dynamic of the sound.

The time signature of this piece is 4,4. That is the original time, this being because the car chase represents the pace.

In this piece by Giacchino, the melody of the piece changes throughout its duration, a lot like it’s other musical elements. The introduction is legato and is played by an orchestra, applying a smooth sound to the intro. After this, flute comes in for a Legato melody which then works with the Pizzicato of the violins offering a nice contrast of smooth and plucking sounds. Its melody lines consist of interesting rhythms, such as syncopation from the flute and xylophone. This creates an effect of progress in the car chasse scene and increases intensity through this part of the sequence.

This piece of music has a jazz style feel to it due to the heavy appearance of brass instruments that feature from start to finish. Also, the fact that there is a saxophone in the piece takes away any orchestral feel from the piece, as saxophones do not normally feature in an orchestra. There is no structure to the song, which also references the jazz style of music. It gives an almost improvised feel to the track. At 29 seconds, there is also a trumpet trill, heavily used and popular from the jazz era and style.

    

Before the film footage starts…

• ·      French Horn – It is a very bold and capturing sound, drawing the audience in.
• ·      Glockenspiel – High frequency cutting through the main texture of the melody in the French horn. I enjoy the contrast of these two sounds
• ·      Flute/piccolo – High frequency cutting through the main texture of the melody in the French horn.
• ·      Woodblock – Creating a drum roll effect using a trill to gradually increase the tempo. I feel that the composer does this to build tension and set the scene for the car chase.
• ·      Trumpet – there is an increase in its pitch towards the end of the opening scene. This may have been done to build tension within the scene. To counteract this, there is a glissando going down in pitch and dynamic preparing you for the next scene.

Car chase starts…

• ·      Drum Kit
• ·      Double Bass
• ·      Flute/Xylophone
• ·      Trumpet
• ·      Alto-Saxophone
• ·      French Horn
• ·      Woodblock

Wednesday 29th April - Environment Recordings Project

Environment Recordings (29/04/15)

In today's lesson, we recorded 16 tracks in 4 different locations. We recorded a close mic and distant mic using dynamic and condenser microphones.

Here is the link to my SoundCloud page where you can find all 16 recordings:

www.soundcloud.com/christian_obrien

Locations...

Recording Studio – Close

The first location that we went to record, was in fact the recording studio. We knew what we were going to get with the studio recording. A clean and sharp sound, due to the sound treatment foam sheets placed on the walls and ceiling of the studio. This cuts out any reverbs or echo due to the sound waves hitting the walls and being unable to bounce off creating external noise as the waves are absorbed by the foam sheets.
For all recordings in each environment we used two microphones, a condenser and a dynamic. We also recorded the guitar from two different distances. This meant we would have four recordings for each environment. 
The dynamic recording for both distances sounds very bassy compared to the condenser. This must have been because the dynamic picks up lower frequencies better than a condenser and a condenser is better at picking up high frequencies.
At the end of the track you can hear the metronome that was accidentally left on, but we had removed the snare drums to avoid them making noises whilst the guitar played. The snare drum moves because of the certain frequency the guitar make which causes it to rattle. To remove the snare drum would mean there will be no background noise.
– Far
The far recordings were similar to the close recordings, just slightly quieter. Again the dynamic pick up more of the low-end frequencies, the low notes of the guitar were more prominent in the recording. The condenser picks up the high ones where the high notes of the guitar are more prominent in the recording.

Corridor – Close
The corridor is long and narrow with nothing attached to the walls. There are 5 people in the corridor not counting the performer, which means they absorb some sound waves reducing the amount of reverb.
In this recording you can hear some reverb but it is very short and quick due to the thin corridor.
The dynamic microphone is very similar but less reverb is picked up and more low frequencies like the low notes from the guitar are picked up from the microphone. This gives the guitar a very bassy feel on the recording.
- Far

The far condenser microphone placement made the reverb more noticeable as the microphone is not close to the guitar so it picks up more audio especially the reverb as it has a chance to bounce off the wall and be picked up by the microphone.

Outside – Close
The outside environment was a very open space with a brick corner. This meant any sound waves would bounce off the brick wall or just go into the open space. This means there should be loads of reverb. There is also quiet a lot of background noise which is inevitable because of natural ambience and other people near by.
The condenser microphone picked up some wind during the recording but surprisingly there was not a lot of reverb, this was because the microphone is close to the instrument it is only picking up the audio coming from the guitar the most due it being the loudest audio instead of any reverb.
The dynamic microphone did not pick up much of the background noise such as wind due to its limited ability to pick up certain frequencies such as the very high frequencies.
– Far
Placing the microphones further away made the wind more noticeable and actually ruined the recording. At the end of the recording you can hear the background noise easily. There is not much of a difference in reverb as the sound waves seem to be just fading into the large space instead of bouncing back. Due to them not bouncing back at all it creates a really loose feel to the recording.
The dynamic microphone did pick up the wind noises as well and even the back ground noise. This meant the background noise and wind was very loud that the dynamic microphone could easily hear it.
Changing room – Close
The changing room is very similar space to the recording studio however has no sponge on the walls to absorb any reverb. There were also 5 people in the room, which would absorb some sound waves reducing the amount of reverb being recorded.
The changing room had a lot of reverb, it was quick but the small room meant the sound waves could bounce multiple times especially because the guitar was very loud which produced strong sound waves. The reverb had a slight delay and the reverb could have been worse if there were less people in the room. The dynamic recording was very similar to the condenser recording but as usual the low frequencies were mainly picked up giving the acoustic guitar more bass to it.
– Far

Moving the microphone further away from the performer made the reverb even more noticeable, this was because the reverb can bounce back into the microphone instead of the microphone just picking up mainly guitar. Moving the microphones further away makes the recording more open to the surroundings, which may or may not be a good thing. If there is no surroundings and there is just pure audio then you can edit the recording by placing inserts to give the recording it’s own custom environment. However sometimes this will not be as authentic as recording it live in the environment with it’s own reverb.

March 25th - Apologize

Apologize (25/03/15)

In this piece of music, there are many problems that occur during the song.

The first problem I noticed was the metronome at the very start, counting the musicians in was not cut out, therefore creating a distraction of background noise such as instruments being touched/moved and the performers talking. Cutting this out would have given it a slicker and more professional sound.

Also, the piano sounds like it was recorded from a distance. There is way too much reverb, so to eliminate this, it could have been recorded closer to the mic. I would either lower the gain of the condenser so it wouldn't pick up any other audio in the room or use a dynamic microphone. I would also use foam squares to reduce the echoey reverb sound.

Gaps in between vocals aren't cut out, meaning you can hear the singer breathing and swallowing. I would fix this by going through the song and lowering the gain or cutting out the parts between the vocals.

The microphone is not levelled too well as she becomes too loud at 1:14, when compared to the other parts of the song such as the beginning, which is a lot quieter, I could also change the automation of the gain during the track to make sure the volume does not peak/distort.

Not using a pop shield created popping in the vocals. One pop can be heard at 0:46. I would record the song again and use a pop shield or try my best to reduce the pops by lowering the gain using automation when there are pops. 

The microphone audio was not cut at the end, this results in being able to hear her taking off her headphones. I would cut this out and it would make it sound more professional.

GaGa-RaGa

Gaga-Raga

As soon as you press play, you can hear performers moving/talking and instruments being touched, the metronome also can be heard at the beginning far off in the distance. This is because they have not edited/mastered it properly and automated the audio. The metronome is also at a very high frequency making it easy to hear. I would have cut out those parts which means it sounds more professional and slick, therefore making the song start at the beginning when you press play rather than waiting a few seconds.

Yet again, the piano sounds like it was recorded far away. Too much reverb, recorded using a condenser, this is because you can hear everything else in the room. I would either lower the gain of the condenser so it wouldn't pick up any other audio in the room or use a dynamic microphone. I would have also reduced the reverb by placing foam in the room to absorb it. I would have placed the microphone in a better position and close to the part that emits the sound this would also mean it wouldn't pick up anything else as there is a shorter distance between the microphone and noise being recorded.

Gaps in between vocals aren't cut out, meaning you can hear breathing and swallowing, I would fix this by going through the song and lowering the gain using automation at parts of the song where the performer isn't singing so you can't hear anything else happening such as swallowing from the performer or them shuffling, or just cutting all parts between the vocals on the track.

Microphone gain isn't set right she becomes too loud at 1:14, when compared to the other parts of the song such as the beginning it is very different in volume, I could also change the automation of the gain during the track to make sure the volume does not peak. I would either record it again or use a compressor.

Not using a pop shield created popping in the vocals. One pop can be heard at 0:47. I would record the song again and use a pop shield or try my best to reduce the pops by lowering the gain using automation when there may be a pop.

Didn't cut the microphone audio at the end, can hear her taking off her headphones, i would cut this out and it would make it sound more professional.

Listening Log - Katy Perry - Firework (X Factor 2010)

Katy Perry: Live Review (X Factor 2010)




Within this performance, there are multiple performance issues like timing, tuning and intonation. With the track being pre-recorded, it is NOT the music that has created these issues, but her own performance. From the beginning of the performance, it sounds as if she cannot reach the deeper parts of her vocal parts and is almost forcing it out instead of 'performing' it. 

Intonation – Flat at 1:54 and 3:12

Tempo (Out of breath 4:05)

Voice is very quiet at the beginning. 1:12

The song is out of tune all together. The original song is a few notes higher than what she is singing at.

The whole performance of this was flat when compared to the actual version released. When listening to both songs you can hear that the live performance is a few notes lower than the original. Another difference is she starts to improvise some vocals at 2:40, this is sung entirely differently to the original song. At 1:54 and 3:12 she sings some lyrics out of tune, this is possibly due to the performer not warming up properly or being ill during the performance.

To improve this live performance I would have made sure the performer was at their best. I would have made sure they have warmed up their vocals. I could also use pitchshifter on the vocals, this could have made the voice sound less flat and bump the notes the vocal is singing up to the correct pitch. However the improvisation might be unique and the audience might like it as it is original, I would have liked the song to to be sung how it was recorded as it shows professionalism and the performer is skilled enough to sing the song and make it sound similar to the recorded track. I would have also reduced the amount of dancing the vocalist does. This means the performer cannot become out of breath and can focus on singing and hitting the notes. It also means the performer and audience have a connection as the performer is focused 100% at singing to them rather than dancing around the stage in front of them which is the dancers' job.

Listening Log - Beethoven - Symphony No. 5 (Proms 2012)

Beethoven - Symphony No. 5 (Proms 2012)

It starts off with a dramatic opening compiled by string instruments such as violins, viola and double bass' (cello). This is a classical piece of music, and this particular track is world renowned for its powerful opening. After around the 12th second of the song, it starts to calm down, before the 20th second where it builds up again, with more of the orchestra playing their instruments. The instruments vein used are still the violin, viola and cello. There is then a high-pitched violin sounding note played for a second or two before the opening sequence is repeated once again in the 25th second, however, with a key change. It is performed in a higher pitch creating a less bolder sold, but still overriding with power. In the Beethoven symphony there are many of the same instrument, playing the same notes, as this would create layers and give the song a fuller feel.

All the instruments that are the same are playing in unison as well as many other instruments playing the same note at the same time. This can be seen at 1:55 with most of the orchestra playing the same notes and then start playing separately again. When at the 1:55 mark the song is homophonic, with all the instruments playing in block chords of the same note together. At 2:05 it then becomes polyphonic with all the instruments playing separate parts that compliment each other. They do this as they are in the same key and play similarly to the other instruments blending well with the whole song.

I think the song was recorded using an omni-directional microphone. This is because the shape of the theatre is designed to have a specific reverb. However this meant that the audience can be heard throughout, such as a person sneezing at 0:17 and the audience coughing and moving about at 8:00. To prevent any of this I would have placed dynamic microphones in front of the groups of performers. The performers were split into the different groups based on what family group their instrument was in. Placing one or two microphones in front of these groups would mean that the recording would have been just of those instruments and there would be minimal disturbances in the recording. However placing the microphones in these positions would mean losing the reverb of the hall.

Listening Log - Ray Charles - Mess Around

Listening Log - Ray Charles

This song starts with a jolly sounding piano sequence which lasts around 6 seconds. It is a short piano sequence that is repeated four times before it breaks into a classic jazz sounding track. This part is where drums and bass are introduced. An original sounding jazz snare tapping sound plays throughout the song, and the vary of high to low bass plucking creating a funky sound. This lasts for the opening 19 seconds of the song before Charles' voice comes in accompanied with a jazz trumpet sounding brass instrument.

Charles voice sounds comfortably strained, with an almost croaky tone. This is a skill of his and a distinctive feature in his voice. 

During the piano solo at 1:15 there are some trills in the right hand and block chords in the left hand. The saxophone solo at 1:37 is basic just keeping in time of the beats of the bar with some improvisation playing. The song is melody and accompaniment the whole way through.

The recording sounds like it was recorded with one microphone at the front recording all of the instruments at the same time, with a separate microphone for the lyrics. This means that some instruments such as the drum are quiet as they are further away from the microphone. I would have close miced the drum kit and had the bass and saxophone and piano on its own separate microphones. This would mean that all instruments are equally loud and you would have more control over how loud you want each instrument. If you were using just the two microphones with one for the vocals and the rest for the instruments then it would mean that if you wanted one instrument higher than the rest you would either have to raise the gain on the microphone which would increase every other instrument as well or use EQ to raise certain frequencies to make a certain instrument louder. This would however mean that other instruments that have similar frequencies would be louder as well. However, this track was recorded aquite a while ago, and the availability of technology was limited.

However, it is still a tune.