Hello folks

Hoping for a bit of input for ideas for my University MSC project in Music Engineering and Production.

My plan is to do a recording project with a singer/songwriter friend of mine, based largely around translating acoustic songs into more complex modern arrangements using digital techniques – sampling, convolution, synthesis, and various methods of sound creation and manipulation.

My idea is to combine this with investigation of, and research into some more original production techniques – primarily in cases where producers have ‘thought outside the box’ to obtain interesting sounds, atmospheres and effects. Artists/producers perhaps such as Massive Attack, Four Tet, George Martin, Phil Spector, Brian Wilson, Bonobo, Portishead etc. I also hope to acquire some e-mail interviews with users of such techniques (not necessarily the greats mentioned, but anyone who has successfully used some interesting techniques).

It would be my intention to incorporate these methods into my own recordings, in some cases perhaps to adapt them for my own ends. I have my own amateur studio set-up at home, as well as access to University equipment and studios.

One focus could be how techniques can be employed to make electronic sounds come alive – use of compression, room ambience, sonic textures etc. How to create space, atmosphere and ‘aliveness’ in a mix. I think Massive Attack (on Mezzanine) miked up playback of their beats through monitor speakers to give them more ambience and texture, although I'm not sure where I heard this...

Another focus could be how conventional instruments (guitar, piano) can be used as raw sound sources for entirely new sounds, through extensive digital manipulation.

One angle - the guy from Four Tet has used sampling in innovative ways (although I'm sure he's not the first) - i.e. using certain sounds to provide the entire arrangement - sampling certain sounds/existing elements already present in a song, and pitching them down to provide the bass as well as lead and rhythm parts.

Melody/harmony being derived from percussion sounds... percussion being derived from musical sounds...

Also the approach used by Amon Tobin on his 'Foley Room' album - the tracks here are composed mostly of non-musical samples from field recordings he made.

I'm basically hoping to just prompt a bit of discussion on this here. Any good ideas for imaginative/unorthodox techniques I could look into? Or any good links/articles out there?

Any input welcome.

Thanks,

Muddy