This is how I come into sessions... somehow I never actually open the notes once we start editing tracks. #FabricDos
• Silver spoon syndrome... someone else will always pay for our excesses and mistakes. Then the boomerang hits and we scatter. Natch, the one percent profit from that too.
• Big Oil cheers as National Parks open to drilling and it's the beginning of the end. Global warming, in addition to the aesthetic and moral implications of loonyism. More of the wrong types of jobs, big trucks, and tract developments. Was the Bible right, is end-of-days a self-fulfilling prophecy? Because we believe it, it is ordained. In other words build baby build, Mad Max, run and scatter.
• Cryptic words have their purpose: creativity
• "Donald Trump’s false claims serve a purpose – to push the United States toward authoritarianism" No shit.
• Nobody pays me, I don't pay them. Except for musicians. All good musicians deserve to be paid for for tunefully keeping the peace.
• Thinking of starting a new trio called The Jerry Springer President.
For Fabric completists, here is the yin and yang of current Fabric - Chasing Sun and Fabric Dos communications with Mark and Diego at the respective QC and TJ studios.
FABRIC DOS - Namida Borderlands
Hey Diego,
Here are some notes for editing, automating, and mastering… I am cc’ing Maura to keep her in the loop about what is going on with Namida and beyond…
GENERAL NOTES:
All times reference the consolidated “Namida (Border Lands) 6.2 mix” track
Biggest Change is: 3rd (last) electric guitar “Pixies” section in Seaside (reprise) now comes after Namida Chant (which is the last section on the 6.2 mix)
I often use the phrase “slightly more prominent” because its better to err on side of caution….
we will have another edit, incorporating some new arrangements I have after you send me the next version. We can continue to work on level stuff, I am testing on 2-3 speakers throughout…
The overall volume of Namida and Trap seems to still be very low compared with Mountain and Namida Chant.. try listening on your car stereo and device headphones, as well as the big speakers… the mix was so low that I could not hear it on my headphones using device, while driving to San Fran… obviously, there are file compression issues at play, always good to send the files using WeTransfer from your home console.
“in Reno” is a little phrase I use for my benefit, to remind me to record it there. And for you to be aware of what I am planning to add so you don’t mix in too many new sounds.
The good news is that Maura seems to have enough material recorded for Namida already… I think we do need one more Diego session tho. Let’s do it next week, if he has time? I have to make sure the mix you send me is okay for him to work off of…. Maura I will contact soon and see if she is interested in laying down some parts of Separate My Soul.
TRACK EDIT AND MASTERING NOTES
NAMIDA (What is happening?)
00:00 to 3:07
1. Lets make Roy’s “Que Funcionono?” comment slightly more prominent
2. 1:07 to 1:23 make Roy’s voice slightly more prominent
3. Make my voice 1:36 to 2:10 slightly more prominent
TRAP - (Black & Yellow)
3:07 to 5:20
1. I will add a “black & yellow” harmony on my flute around 4:05 to 4:30.. the shifting time signature between bongos and cajon will be fun to navigate in Reno
2. Starting around 4: 38 I will do a little spoken word (rap?) in Reno
3. 3:18 to 3:50 we need Roy to try that deep harmony part… two of his harmonies that I can edit together… don’t make me sing it myself in Reno :)
MOUNTAIN (Borderlands)
5:18 to 9:02
1. This section could come in a little later….. maybe the first guitar tap would come in with the flute, when it comes in the 2nd time, after the slight pause… (around 5:23? use your executive judgement, hard for me to say…) syncopated with Roy’s trap cajon beat..
2. Lose Roy’s percussion in the first part, up to 6:27
3. I will add “hey ya yo” vocal harmonies from 6:11 to 6:23 in Reno
4. Have my primary “hey ya yo” vocal come in a couple seconds later, at 6:09, the end of the small acoustic guitar pattern, such that it also ends closer to when Roy comes in. exact placement is in your hands
5. I will add “maybe I’m falling” vocal harmonies from 6:56 to 7:22 in Reno
6. I want my Radiohead vocal not to fade out and be slightly more prominent from 7:22 to 7:32, continuing into the flute (same track?)… maybe start to fade it out around 7:40.. you want to try the same effect that you did in Ground Control to Major Tom on the flute?
7. 7:56 to 8:15 need some long ocean wave rhythm sounds (Playa field recording, or maybe I can record them using my instruments in Reno)
SEASIDE
9:02 to 12:26
1. My voice at 9:06 should increase volume slightly but not quite to level of next “seaside” vocal.. you want to try out a couple effects on it? such that it sounds like someone singing in a VW bug with a round metal roof while driving through the high desert on the way to Elko or Denver, through a lightening storm
2. At 10:22 we could use a Diegs bass at 1st electric riff (in style of Kim Deal of Pixies? Maura is giving you a nice rhythm to work with)… 11:24 again some bass with 2nd electric riff
3. My lead guitar could come in slightly later, at 10:26
4. Let’s bring Roy’s conga in at 10:51 instead of 10:42
5. We need Roy’s vocal to continue within 2nd electric riff (11:18 on), another two part scat vocal harmony here, taking the place of your bass… fading out around 11:44 (or I can do it in Reno)
6 My guitar that comes in at 11:45 should come in a couple seconds earlier?… there seems to be some guitar work of mine (that I liked) missing
7. at somewhere around 12:24 add that old tremolo guitar lick from second session Guitar Take 13, which is a great lead in to the next section Namida Chant. This lick lasts from 3:33:15 to around 4:05 in Guitar Take 13 … listen and i think there will be a nice place to join the section…. I am fine with the song featuring only that solo for now.
8. Throughout the electrified sections we could use a little Roy cajon… he will need to practice this style I think, his default is more samba and hip hop inflected. This is more Pixies hypnotic.
9. A good Pixies example for cajon (in addition to No. 13 Baby) might be: Motorway to Roswell, particularly where it gets hypnotic at the end….
https://www.youtube.com/watch v=fTNsgrposiU&list=PLFPCXxKiNwShit5_BmrDIMlv2HDV4stFe&index=14
NAMIDA CHANT
16:45 to 18:16 (end)
1. Main instruction involves track order placement: the NAMIDA CHANT section, positioned at 16:45 in Namida 6.2, should now come in after SEASIDE, at around 12:25
2. Check the volume of this section. Like Mountain (same original session, hm) it is also relatively loud.
3. Need to to add Roy’s percussion as in earlier takes…. (This was Percussions Take 43, it is on most Namida mixes you sent me and will need to be copied and repositioned here, as it was originally bridging two other sections)
4. cut gap between 17:46 to 17:52 (use judgement) to have just a slight pause between sections
SEASIDE (Reprise)
12:25 to 13:24
1. Back from Namida Chant to reprise of “Pixies,” the 3rd electric riff
2. Make my voice slightly less prominent from 13:00 to 13:12, and also Maura’s from 13:12 to 13:20
3. Make Roy’s deep voice slightly louder from 13:16 until fade out starts around 13:25
HIGHER (Just OK) 1
13:25 to 16:46
1. from 13:25 to 15:58.. my voice slightly higher volume.. ditto last flute and vocal to end… I must arrange some percussion here in Reno
2. Guitar Take 12 from 2:57:11 to 3:26:10 should come in around 15:50 to accompany the ending of Higher. basically that last high bird-like tremolo ends around the time Maura says “cool”
FABRIC - Chasing Sun
Hey Mark,
do you think mastering all 12 tracks well is possible with what you have?
this may be a case of lost Masters
I mean master takes
if that is the case, it adds to the legend
talk to you later man... super busy... but we may have some recording with Nils soon... how is your schedule?
there is actually a song we jammed that session....
part of the jam session
I think it could be really cool if Nils redid some of the drum parts
with all your mikes on the different drum components, the sound is great
and I could even add a few percussions in US, or you could
And then we have a song on Fabric DOs!
I am excited... listen... this Fabric Dos song is now 18 minutes long and mixes 91 takes
of all real instrumentation and vocals
its is insane how much my arrangement skills are expanding, just cuz F-- lost files a lot
beyond basic mastering, these are the critical issues:
1. Horizon
We need some sound that connects the two sections of Horizon 5:38 to 5:42
there were a couple but they were not edited in
but I think you are good with percussion… I like what you gave me already.
just needs to very light touch to connect the two sections
2. I Did Not See You
This song has always been a huge headache, because F--- lost the master takes before I received them (it was after that that I started taking single takes home and editing them myself)
the balance is demo quality
but I love that take!
it is really raw
so whatever you can do post mortem to massage that back into equilibrium with the other songs helps
0:25 to 0:27 there is a weird thing where we dropped one track's volume to zero to get rid of John's seat creaking loudly while we played.... this creates a jarring effect for the listener we need to somehow add some ambient air sound back in
maybe splice a couple seconds in from somewhere else on the track
3. She Don’t Believe
I am sure you will notice the level issue between the two halves… other thing I want is that last line I sang (from 3:52, for 10 seconds) back in the mix as the one that my voice fades out on before Paolo’s comes in.
• Big Oil cheers as National Parks open to drilling and it's the beginning of the end. Global warming, in addition to the aesthetic and moral implications of loonyism. More of the wrong types of jobs, big trucks, and tract developments. Was the Bible right, is end-of-days a self-fulfilling prophecy? Because we believe it, it is ordained. In other words build baby build, Mad Max, run and scatter.
• Cryptic words have their purpose: creativity
• "Donald Trump’s false claims serve a purpose – to push the United States toward authoritarianism" No shit.
• Nobody pays me, I don't pay them. Except for musicians. All good musicians deserve to be paid for for tunefully keeping the peace.
• Thinking of starting a new trio called The Jerry Springer President.
For Fabric completists, here is the yin and yang of current Fabric - Chasing Sun and Fabric Dos communications with Mark and Diego at the respective QC and TJ studios.
FABRIC DOS - Namida Borderlands
Hey Diego,
Here are some notes for editing, automating, and mastering… I am cc’ing Maura to keep her in the loop about what is going on with Namida and beyond…
GENERAL NOTES:
All times reference the consolidated “Namida (Border Lands) 6.2 mix” track
Biggest Change is: 3rd (last) electric guitar “Pixies” section in Seaside (reprise) now comes after Namida Chant (which is the last section on the 6.2 mix)
I often use the phrase “slightly more prominent” because its better to err on side of caution….
we will have another edit, incorporating some new arrangements I have after you send me the next version. We can continue to work on level stuff, I am testing on 2-3 speakers throughout…
The overall volume of Namida and Trap seems to still be very low compared with Mountain and Namida Chant.. try listening on your car stereo and device headphones, as well as the big speakers… the mix was so low that I could not hear it on my headphones using device, while driving to San Fran… obviously, there are file compression issues at play, always good to send the files using WeTransfer from your home console.
“in Reno” is a little phrase I use for my benefit, to remind me to record it there. And for you to be aware of what I am planning to add so you don’t mix in too many new sounds.
The good news is that Maura seems to have enough material recorded for Namida already… I think we do need one more Diego session tho. Let’s do it next week, if he has time? I have to make sure the mix you send me is okay for him to work off of…. Maura I will contact soon and see if she is interested in laying down some parts of Separate My Soul.
TRACK EDIT AND MASTERING NOTES
NAMIDA (What is happening?)
00:00 to 3:07
1. Lets make Roy’s “Que Funcionono?” comment slightly more prominent
2. 1:07 to 1:23 make Roy’s voice slightly more prominent
3. Make my voice 1:36 to 2:10 slightly more prominent
TRAP - (Black & Yellow)
3:07 to 5:20
1. I will add a “black & yellow” harmony on my flute around 4:05 to 4:30.. the shifting time signature between bongos and cajon will be fun to navigate in Reno
2. Starting around 4: 38 I will do a little spoken word (rap?) in Reno
3. 3:18 to 3:50 we need Roy to try that deep harmony part… two of his harmonies that I can edit together… don’t make me sing it myself in Reno :)
MOUNTAIN (Borderlands)
5:18 to 9:02
1. This section could come in a little later….. maybe the first guitar tap would come in with the flute, when it comes in the 2nd time, after the slight pause… (around 5:23? use your executive judgement, hard for me to say…) syncopated with Roy’s trap cajon beat..
2. Lose Roy’s percussion in the first part, up to 6:27
3. I will add “hey ya yo” vocal harmonies from 6:11 to 6:23 in Reno
4. Have my primary “hey ya yo” vocal come in a couple seconds later, at 6:09, the end of the small acoustic guitar pattern, such that it also ends closer to when Roy comes in. exact placement is in your hands
5. I will add “maybe I’m falling” vocal harmonies from 6:56 to 7:22 in Reno
6. I want my Radiohead vocal not to fade out and be slightly more prominent from 7:22 to 7:32, continuing into the flute (same track?)… maybe start to fade it out around 7:40.. you want to try the same effect that you did in Ground Control to Major Tom on the flute?
7. 7:56 to 8:15 need some long ocean wave rhythm sounds (Playa field recording, or maybe I can record them using my instruments in Reno)
SEASIDE
9:02 to 12:26
1. My voice at 9:06 should increase volume slightly but not quite to level of next “seaside” vocal.. you want to try out a couple effects on it? such that it sounds like someone singing in a VW bug with a round metal roof while driving through the high desert on the way to Elko or Denver, through a lightening storm
2. At 10:22 we could use a Diegs bass at 1st electric riff (in style of Kim Deal of Pixies? Maura is giving you a nice rhythm to work with)… 11:24 again some bass with 2nd electric riff
3. My lead guitar could come in slightly later, at 10:26
4. Let’s bring Roy’s conga in at 10:51 instead of 10:42
5. We need Roy’s vocal to continue within 2nd electric riff (11:18 on), another two part scat vocal harmony here, taking the place of your bass… fading out around 11:44 (or I can do it in Reno)
6 My guitar that comes in at 11:45 should come in a couple seconds earlier?… there seems to be some guitar work of mine (that I liked) missing
7. at somewhere around 12:24 add that old tremolo guitar lick from second session Guitar Take 13, which is a great lead in to the next section Namida Chant. This lick lasts from 3:33:15 to around 4:05 in Guitar Take 13 … listen and i think there will be a nice place to join the section…. I am fine with the song featuring only that solo for now.
8. Throughout the electrified sections we could use a little Roy cajon… he will need to practice this style I think, his default is more samba and hip hop inflected. This is more Pixies hypnotic.
9. A good Pixies example for cajon (in addition to No. 13 Baby) might be: Motorway to Roswell, particularly where it gets hypnotic at the end….
https://www.youtube.com/watch v=fTNsgrposiU&list=PLFPCXxKiNwShit5_BmrDIMlv2HDV4stFe&index=14
NAMIDA CHANT
16:45 to 18:16 (end)
1. Main instruction involves track order placement: the NAMIDA CHANT section, positioned at 16:45 in Namida 6.2, should now come in after SEASIDE, at around 12:25
2. Check the volume of this section. Like Mountain (same original session, hm) it is also relatively loud.
3. Need to to add Roy’s percussion as in earlier takes…. (This was Percussions Take 43, it is on most Namida mixes you sent me and will need to be copied and repositioned here, as it was originally bridging two other sections)
4. cut gap between 17:46 to 17:52 (use judgement) to have just a slight pause between sections
SEASIDE (Reprise)
12:25 to 13:24
1. Back from Namida Chant to reprise of “Pixies,” the 3rd electric riff
2. Make my voice slightly less prominent from 13:00 to 13:12, and also Maura’s from 13:12 to 13:20
3. Make Roy’s deep voice slightly louder from 13:16 until fade out starts around 13:25
HIGHER (Just OK) 1
13:25 to 16:46
1. from 13:25 to 15:58.. my voice slightly higher volume.. ditto last flute and vocal to end… I must arrange some percussion here in Reno
2. Guitar Take 12 from 2:57:11 to 3:26:10 should come in around 15:50 to accompany the ending of Higher. basically that last high bird-like tremolo ends around the time Maura says “cool”
FABRIC - Chasing Sun
Hey Mark,
do you think mastering all 12 tracks well is possible with what you have?
this may be a case of lost Masters
I mean master takes
if that is the case, it adds to the legend
talk to you later man... super busy... but we may have some recording with Nils soon... how is your schedule?
there is actually a song we jammed that session....
part of the jam session
I think it could be really cool if Nils redid some of the drum parts
with all your mikes on the different drum components, the sound is great
and I could even add a few percussions in US, or you could
And then we have a song on Fabric DOs!
I am excited... listen... this Fabric Dos song is now 18 minutes long and mixes 91 takes
of all real instrumentation and vocals
its is insane how much my arrangement skills are expanding, just cuz F-- lost files a lot
beyond basic mastering, these are the critical issues:
1. Horizon
We need some sound that connects the two sections of Horizon 5:38 to 5:42
there were a couple but they were not edited in
but I think you are good with percussion… I like what you gave me already.
just needs to very light touch to connect the two sections
2. I Did Not See You
This song has always been a huge headache, because F--- lost the master takes before I received them (it was after that that I started taking single takes home and editing them myself)
the balance is demo quality
but I love that take!
it is really raw
so whatever you can do post mortem to massage that back into equilibrium with the other songs helps
0:25 to 0:27 there is a weird thing where we dropped one track's volume to zero to get rid of John's seat creaking loudly while we played.... this creates a jarring effect for the listener we need to somehow add some ambient air sound back in
maybe splice a couple seconds in from somewhere else on the track
3. She Don’t Believe
I am sure you will notice the level issue between the two halves… other thing I want is that last line I sang (from 3:52, for 10 seconds) back in the mix as the one that my voice fades out on before Paolo’s comes in.
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