My newest hobby

[Doug Nelson]

I just thought I'd inflict my first effort at my new hobby on everyone. It's a slow, quiet instrumental piece, kind of melancholy.

http://www.retouchpro.com/music/sea.mp3

All those who say "I'm embarrassed to show my first retouching work" can listen to this and know I understand how they feel

[rondon]

almost like a lead in to some of Floyd's mellower pieces.

you say Hobbie.... is this from scratch or editing style ? what sort of program ?

[Doug Nelson]

Wow, I blush at any comparison to PF. Thanks!

From scratch. I designed most of the sounds using softsynths, and recorded with Cubase. There's really no mixing at this point, since that's further up the learning curve for me.

[Doug Nelson]

Here's my latest to inflict upon you. I envisioned a cool little baby with sunglasses, beret, and a tiny thin mustache trying to go to sleep. But a friend tells me it sounds like the music they play in thrillers when you finally get to see the serial killer's handiwork.

http://www.retouchpro.com/music/lullabyblues.mp3

My clumsy fingerwork is quite evident, and I still haven't learned to mix.

[Duv]

I'd like to hear your stuff but for some reason my XP keeps crashing on me when the file is loading. I wonder why?

Cheers
Duv

[Doug Nelson]

I actually did this one about the same time as the other two, just now got up enough nerve to post it
With all the suggestions that my music was creepy and melancholy, I decided to go all out in that direction.

http://www.retouchpro.com/music/creepy.mp3

Duv:

Try right-clicking and "save target" to dl them to your desktop. That might help.

[Ed_L]

Very cool! I can see that being played in "Halloween XXV".

Ed

[Duv]

Thanks Doug. I was finally able to listen to your tracks. Wow! What a disappointment.....Just jokin! Your first piece was nice, Kind of atypical enviro New Age to me. Nice, very relaxing. Your second piece blew me away in terms of what you did and where it can go. Personally, I didn't find it that creepy, although I can clearly see that side of it. I'm a somewhat older duck brought up on Bill Halley through the Beatles and somewhat beyond. My son now 30 comes over regularly and downloads his own music. I not sure what you call it but it has a lot more interest and depth than New Age. In his folder he has groups such as Arovane, Boards of Canada, Brian Eno, Labradford and Vincent Gallo to name a few. Not household names but music that can definetly transport you (that's old man me!)

We both just listened to your second piece about 8 to 10 times and while we recognise where you're currently at in the scheme of music production, we both agree that you have some serious talent and hope you keep on pushin forward.

We both like the way the music builds, there's nice contrast if you think pictorially and it challenges your "dreamstate" more than your first piece. Just our thoughts but we both hope to hear more from you. Definetly..Don't be shy.

Dave

[Doug Nelson]

Ed & Duv, thanks for the kind comments. As for where I'm at in the production scheme, the retouching equivalent would be "which one's the mouse?". One of the reasons all my pieces are so slow is that's as fast as I can play I bought some "learn piano" software, but it's obvious I'm going to have to find an in-person teacher.

[Doug Nelson]

I can't tell if I'm getting better or worse at this, but it's certainly more...complicated

http://www.retouchpro.com/music/harpo.mp3

[Janet Petty]

Coming from a total non musical person like me take the compliment as it is intended...Not bad. Not bad at all. I enjoy your melancholy, thoughtful music. You definitely have talent. Keep up the good work.

[Doug Nelson]

Thanks, I'll take all the compliments I can get

I guess I'll just have to bow to the popular opinion that my music sounds sad. It still puzzles me, since I just mash keys until I come across a combination that makes the little hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Perhaps it says something deeper about me than I'm willing to admit.

[Doug Nelson]

I call this one "Get out of my mind", simply because I had to record it just to stop it from repeating over and over and over and over in my head...

http://www.retouchpro.com/music/goomm.mp3

[CJ Swartz]

Hauntingly beautiful.

Now, how do I get it out of MY mind....

[Doug Nelson]

Such a nice thing to say! Thanks.

[Doug Nelson]

This is incomplete (I can't make up my mind where to go from here), but I thought I'd post it if for no other reason than to show I'm making some sort of progress

http://www.retouchpro.com/music/fragment.mp3

[Janet Petty]

Progress is noted. I like where you are going with your "new" hobby. Keep up the good work.

[rondon]

for a bit there I envisioned a mutineer limboing down the Gang plank... then it changed... good strong theme music.

[byRo]

Finally, I got to hear one of Doug's pieces. On a slow dial-up an mp3 download is a major project.
Glad I wasn't disappointed
If the mp3 player didn't have Doug Nelson written all over the place, I'd have sworn it was something from Jean Michel Jarre (that's supposed to be a compliment, OK)
Can't comment on progress, as this is the first I've heard.
I don't think you intended this to be just background music, and so I'd say it lacks the "hook".
What makes a memorable piece of music isn't the general well-executed theme but that something special (hook), even when the something special is often a well-worked piece of (almost) silence.
OK to put it on RP terms....little separation of the subject from the background - to much saturation in both, could use some high radius USM to pull out some general contrast and some low-radius High-Pass to define the outlines.
But other than that I did like it, honest!!

Rô
(PS - have you ever noticed just how many things are similar between music / audio and photos. I do stuff in Cakewalk/Sonar and it seems that the ideas just flow from one side to the other.)

[Duv]

As you have progressed from Sea to Goomm to Creepy and finally Fragment, the tempo has picked up to the point where my bum cheeks are slapping together in joyous ecstasy. Not really knowing what I'm talking about, I do think that an off key counterpoint to the main might be interesting. Whoa!! Two Saki's too many!

Cheers
Dave

[Doug Nelson]

Thanks for all the kind comments. My music (so far) does tend to be a bit backgroundy (although I prefer 'cinematic' ), probably because I'm a movie nut who loves music so a lot of my favorite music moments are from movies. As for getting faster, that's a deliberate attempt to stretch (that, and I just got a cool new drum program, I never had drums before).

I've found that I can't fit music and Photoshop in my mind at the same time. This both helps me relax after finishing a big project and prevents me from composing while I have a project going. My pet theory is its the left/right brain thing, since I do the two very differently. Perhaps this will change as I get better at both. I could use some right brain help with my Photoshop work, and my left brain is stubbornly refusing to help me with any of the music work.

If anyone else also records their own music, feel free to add a link to your songs here.

Dave: did you wear the Groucho glasses?

[PixiePirate]

I prefer to call this "ambient" and it's definitly very refreshing and relaxing! Great job Doug!

Which program are you using to create your music?

You might be interested to know that there is a whole community of digital musicians out there. Try www.myspace.com and search musicians in your area. I found out that there are a TON in the Philly area (I don't know why that was a shock) and you can listen to their songs from their pages and also RATE them and add comments! Are you wheels spinning yet? Maybe an offshoot of retouch pro?

You could call it digimusic pro!

Thanks for sharing that with us, I can't wait to hear more!

-Mindy

[Duv]

No Doug. I wasn't wearing my Groucho glasses but this morning I shot an elephant in my pyjamas. How he got into my pyjamas I'll never know.

Cheers
Dave

[Doug Nelson]

There's already a music equivalent of RP over at http://www.kvr-vst.com (I post over there almost as much as I do here).

My host program is Cubase SX2, but the software instruments I've used for the music I posted here are too numerous to list.

Dave: I go my whole life never hearing of Nanaimo, then I hear about it 3 times in the past week, including the aforementioned Groucho competition. I looked it up on the web, it looks like an amazing place to live.

[Duv]

Doug, you have no idea. Check out Victoria, Campbell River, Comox. We moved out here 13 years ago from Ontario and we're still pinching ourselves. I just travelled from Nanaimo to Campbell River on our new highway. I think I passed maybe 10 vehicles in the hour and half ride. No crime, no traffic, georgeous scenery and everyones as friendly and crazy as me. We've got a big house. Bring everyone up and stay a bit!

Cheers
Dave

[Doug Nelson]

I don't even know anyone named Jane, but this is for Jane (as in "Jane, get me off this crazy thing!" since I couldn't figure out how to stop it).

http://www.retouchpro.com/music/jane.mp3

[Doug Nelson]

It's been awhile, but I still occasionally peck something out to relax. This one owes more than a little to Vangelis' Albedo, but it wasn't intentional (I swear).

http://www.retouchpro.com/music/simplestar.mp3

[Doug Nelson]

I should be better at this by now
Shows why I usually avoid faster songs.

http://www.retouchpro.com/music/squeaky.mp3

[winwintoo]

Doug, when are you getting your G5 with Garageband and all that goes with it?? Then you'll really be able to ROCK

Even I, with my two tin ears can make music in Garageband!

Margaret

[Doug Nelson]

It's funny you should mention that, it was Steve Jobs' keynote speech introducing Garageband a year or so ago that got me interested in doing music on my computer.