Artistic Vision and Technical Minimalism. Opportunity or Paradox?

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Artistic Vision and Technical Minimalism. Opportunity or Paradox?

Författare: Eber Calderon Handledare: Patrik Ahlm

Konstnärligt examensarbete

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Abstract

The aim of this study was research how avoiding the use of modern music production tools like virtual instruments, samples, loops and amp emulations would affect my work as a songwriter and music producer in terms of

creativity, artistic expression, efficiency and overall sound quality of the production.

The project consisted of writing, producing and mixing four songs in

different genres, using only a single, a Shure SM7b dynamic microphone and an Audient ID4 audio interface to record all of my sources. In the following step I compared the songs I created for this project to other songs I have created using to unlimited tool and looked for differences and similarities.

The results obtained were for the most part positive. As an effect of

minimizing the number of choices available in the creative process I was able to write and produce songs faster, while exploring my limitations as a

musician, songwriter and producer.

Keywords

Creativity, mono recording, music production, recording technology, songwriting.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Axel Asp for his participation as a cellist on the song

“My Mistakes”, to Anders Rydholm, Tobias Rydén, Hans Erik Holgersson and Patrik Ahlm for all the tips and knowledge I received during my time at Linnaeus University and my partner Malin Johansson for her patience, support and help during the last three years.

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1 Introduction

This is a study about the relationship between music creation and technology.

Here I explore what effects minimizing the use of modern technology have on the process of producing music, from song idea to final product.

1.1 Background

Ever since I was a little boy I have been very interested in songwriting and music production. I was born in 1980 and by the time I was nine years old I had already written my first song.

In 1989 recording equipment wasn’t as accessible as it is today. Back then you would need a big console, a tape machine, microphones, a treated room and of course knowledge of how to use all of these to be able to record your songs. Moreover, you had to be able to play instruments and sing in tune if you wanted it to sound good. In those days there was no Autotune or virtual instruments that could do the job for you.

Fast forward thirty years, into today's digital world, and you find that any music enthusiast with a computer and an audio interface can create great sounding music. The evolution of recording technology literally grants us access to a drum track recorded at Abbey Roads Studios, samples of Freddie Mercury’s piano or even virtual musicians that can execute your musical ideas for you, if you just type in the right key and basic chords.

As a music creator, I find myself using these tools more and more. Even being a guitarist, I find that more often than not, I use a virtual guitar player plugin with prerecorded patterns to help me create my songs. This is simply because it makes it easier and faster to go from a song idea to a final

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production, and the same goes as for virtual drummers, percussion loops, synth and bass sounds and so on.

At the end of the day, it feels like I have created music combining building blocks of preexisting sounds and patterns that when put together ended up being a song. I honestly don’t think that there is anything wrong with that.

Because this is just one way of creating music using the tools that are available to me, but even though I believe these are great tools that speed up the creative process and help achieve professional results without the need of great recording equipment or knowledge of it. I also think that the fact that everybody has access to the same tools and presets has led to a lack of distinctiveness and uniqueness in many if today's productions.

1.2 Foreword

It is a fact that technology has always influenced the way music sounds and the way it is created. For example, in the 1950s music was not created the way music is created toady. Where most of the music we hear on the radio is created using a computer at some point, if not throughout the process.

This is why we can associate songs to a period in time, even if we didn’t live in that specific time period. The sound, the technology used and the

songwriting style of a song, suggest if it’s from the 50s, 60s or 90s and so on.

My interest in finding out how technology can affect the process of creating music led me to do this study, in which I wrote and produced four songs in different genres using nothing but one microphone and a budget audio interface but no modern tools like samples, virtual instruments, loops or amp emulators.

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I was interested in finding out the effect that technology has over my ability to write and produce music. And at the same time, I wanted to see if

changing the tools I use to create would affect the way I go about creating or the outcome of my music in any way.

Once I was done with my productions, I compared the results with other songs I have created in the past using software and look for differences and similarities in terms of artistic expression, way of working and overall sound.

1.3 Purpose

The purpose of this study was to find out if and how technical limitations affect my artistic creativity, process and output in terms of efficiency, originality and technical quality?

These are some of the questions I aimed to find the answer to by the end of this project:

• How will changing/replacing the tools I use affect my songwriting?

• Which songwriting/production method works better for me?

• In what way will the equipment used influence the sound quality?

1.4 Earlier Research

There are other studies that focus on similar subjects for example the one that served as inspiration for my research: What is the relationship between creativity and conflict in a studio recording environment? (2020) by Evelina Kyrk at Luleå University of Technology.

Kyrk goes into the studio with the band Baron’s Court and follows the recording of their album in search of unexpected conflicts that may arise during the process and how they lead to creative decisions that affect the

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outcome of the music. In her research, Kyrk describes that conflict does not necessarily mean a dispute between two or more people making a creative decision, but that it could also be a problem with for example a musical phrase that is difficult to execute and makes the musician in question think in a creative way to overcome the obstacle. Other examples of conflict could be the lack of time, or a technical issue with the recording equipment.

Essentially anything that can push the musician or the producer in question to come up with new creative ideas to solve a problem and directly affects the music being made.

Following Kyrk’s study, I aimed to create a conflict between the way I am used to writing and producing music and the tools I use in the process.

Another study that touches on the subject of technology playing a role in the creative process is Plugins: Hjälp eller stjälp? (2018) by Levi Nikolausson at Linnaeus University. Nikolausson researches if having a pre-mixed project with plugins improving the sound inspires him more than having the same project without the plugins.

After trying this method on four different songs, Nikolausson concludes that the pre-mixed tracks didn’t affect his creativity.

1.5 Method

I created four productions without using of virtual instruments, amp simulators, samples and loops and only allowed myself to use real instruments and basic recording equipment to write and produce songs.

The following is a step-by-step list of how I intended to carry out the study.

• Write an entire song using only a guitar or a piano including the melody and lyrics.

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• Record the basic idea of the song using only my cellphone.

• Plan and prepare the arrangement of the songs for the recording sessions

• Record the arrangement, starting with the drums and only using a one channel audio interface (Audient ID4) and a single dynamic

microphone (Shure SM7B).

• Edit the recorded material

• Mix the songs in the DAW Logic Pro X

• Master the song through an automated online mastering service.

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2 The Process

In this chapter I describe what I considered to be the highlights of the creation of these four productions. Everything from how my approach to songwriting changed as the study evolved, to putting the final touches on songs that were recorded with basic budget equipment.

1. Normal Again 2. My Mistakes

3. In the Calm of the Storm

These three songs started out on the guitar. I played the guitar for a while, searching for something that would spark my creativity. When I stumbled upon a chord progression or a melody that I thought could become a song, I immediately recorded the idea on my cellphone and the following day I listened again. If the idea still felt good, I would move on to create a song structure and start tracking.

4. “Do No Wrong” was created differently. This song was inspired by a specific sound I wanted to create while at the same time making the

recording and arrangement processes as simple as possible.

By the time I wrote song number four, I had acquired experience in the method I was using, and I intended to make the recording and arranging of song number four as quick and effective as possible. So, when I had planned which instruments to use and how to record them, I came up with the simple chord progression and the melody that served as the foundation for this song.

2.1 Lyrics

Lyric writing came very late in the process and not as stated in my method description that I would write the lyrics and the music at the same time. The lyrics for all four songs were written after the music was already recorded.

The reason for this was that I didn’t feel inspired enough to write lyrics when

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all I had to work with was a chord progression. I needed to listen to the whole arrangement in order to write lyrics that would have a connection with the music and to be able to do that I needed to hear a production that was ready for vocals.

This experience contradicts the results that Nikolausson, Levi obtained in his research Plugins: Hjälp eller stjälp? (2018) in his study Nikolausson

explains that not having a production ready sounding track didn’t affect his ability to arrange it and come up with new parts for it, but for me was the complete opposite.

I spent on average about three hours writing the lyrics for each song, except for song number three, where I only spent about an hour. On songs one, two and four, I could hear a clear mood in the music and that made it easy to find the subject for the lyrics, but that wasn’t the case for song number three.

Here I struggled to hear what the music communicated. All I could think about when listening to that musical arrangement was bad weather and me being in a warm place. And at the same time, I could hear the words “Would you let me go”. So, I wrote a lyric that included those words but that didn’t really make sense. In a way, I see the lyrics to song number three like a piece of abstract art.

2.2 The Recording & Arranging Process

The first step in the recording process for songs one, two and three, was recording the main guitar track and not the drums as stated in my method. I felt that for those three songs I needed to start with the main guitar and let that be the backbone of the song instead of the drums. But on song number four, however I did start by recording the drums as I had a better vision of what I wanted to accomplish before I started to record.

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During the first drum recording session, I realized that in order to get the sound that I wanted out of the drums I would have to record them piece by piece and not the whole drum kit as one instrument. This way of recording drums was then used for the remaining songs.

The recording process overall was simple and went quickly, since I was only using the same microphone to record everything, there weren’t many choices to be made. On the other hand, coming up with the right part at the time of the recording took longer. I think in the beginning I tried to make some of the parts more difficult than I should have in an attempt to compensate for the lack of interesting sounds like the ones I would typically use when I work with samples and virtual instruments.

2.3 The Mix

The mixing process felt both easier and more difficult when comparing it to software-based productions I have worked on in the past. This was also the part of the process where I spent most time making creative decisions, probably due to all the different tools and options I had at my disposal.

The mixing process felt easy because of the number of tracks that I had to work with, and the fact I had already committed to all the sounds I used. I could tweak them but not replace them, so I had no choice but to accept them and make the best out of what I had.

Another factor that played a key role in the mixing process was the fact that when I was recording the different parts, I already had an idea of where I wanted them to sit in the mix. This made it easy to place the different elements across the stereo field as they had already been recorded with that in mind.

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The difficult part was trying to clean up all the noise that was in the tracks and getting my drum sound to match the quality of the samples I usually work with. I also spent more time than usual editing, there were many small mistakes I had made during the recording sessions that didn't become noticeable until I started mixing.

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3 The Results

In this section I present the results obtained regarding different aspects of the study. Here I describe in more detail what I experienced in terms of technical limitations, efficiency, originality, technicality and artistic expression.

3.1 Technical Limitations

When I started to write the first song on the guitar, it felt like it was going to be a pop song in the style of Shawn Mendes, but because I couldn’t use the tools that make producing pop songs easier, I couldn’t try all of the ideas I had in mind right away. Instead, I had to book time in the studio, go there, and set up all the equipment before I could play a note.

I experienced this as a big setback in the creative process because of all the time it took and all the things I had to do before I could test a musical idea.

As opposed to when working with software, where I can just plug in my guitar and record, try different sounds on the spot and if I don’t like it, I can try it on a synth. All within five minutes.

On the other hand, an interesting side effect of working this way was the fact that I felt I didn’t have any control over how the song was evolving, even though it was only me producing everything. I somehow can see a direct link between this feeling and the fact that I could not try all the ideas I had before committing to one. Instead, I had to come up with ideas that would work well with the technology I was using, which during the writing and recording of the first song was an unusual situation but by the time I started to work on the fourth song, I was getting used to it.

It seems to me like there was a learning curve to the new way of working with limited tools, a kind of adaptation process.

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I could say that the first song I worked on was the one that suffered the most from this adaptation process, partly because I didn’t really know how I was going to approach my new working routines, but also because I tried to force my old habits into a new system and that didn’t produce the best results. It took some time, but as I continued working, I started to understand the new system and consequently began to create arrangements and songs that were more suited for the tools I had available to me.

3.2 Efficiency

After the first two studio sessions, I started to notice that I wasn’t second guessing my first ideas as much as when I work using computer software.

Instead, I was committing faster and focusing on continuing the development of the musical arrangement upon what I had previously recorded. I believe that because I had a limited amount of time to complete the project, I was forced to commit faster and move on to the next step, which in a way also relates to why I felt the songs were evolving by themselves.

I also noticed that after I recorded the first song, I started to be more effective with decision making, especially when I was writing and creating the

structure of the songs. I tried to write simpler chord progressions and melodies that felt good and I stopped trying to create modern polished productions that felt relevant to the current trends, I simply focused more on creating.

My thoughts went from “This sounds like this artist, let me study his production style and create something like that” to “Okey, I have this idea that sounds like this artist now, let’s see what it sounds like when I’m done with the production”.

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Instead of forcing the sound of other recordings into my productions, I let the process flow and did the best I could with what I had. Which ultimately led to faster decision making, less second guessing and therefore a more efficient way of writing and producing songs.

3.3 Originality and Technical Quality

As mentioned before, I dropped the idea of having my productions sound like other recordings very early in the process. After I recorded the drums for the first song, I realized that I was not going to be able to make my drums sound like a full mic’ed up drum set. I could, at the very best make them sound like sampled drums, but the intensity of the drum hits was too uneven and unprocessed for that too, so, I worked on my own drum sounds for the entire project.

The reason I put so much emphasis on the sound of the drums is because this was the instrument that in my opinion was recorded and performed in a very odd way compared to how one would normally do it, and because it dictated the direction the song was going to take or at the very least the direction for the next instrument that was going to be recorded.

When it comes down to sound quality, I was actually surprised that I could achieve such a good sound out of such limited and cheap equipment. I was expecting the sound to be duller and thinner. I really believed that the character of the microphone was going be more present and have a bigger influence on the overall sound, since all the tracks were recorded using the same microphone. But to my surprise, that wasn’t the case. I assume that the positioning of the microphone played a bigger role in the character of the sound than the character of the microphone itself.

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To sum up, I can say that I feel I’ve gained on both originality and distinctive sound quality when I compared these four songs to songs I have worked on in the past and where I have used modern tools like samples and virtual instruments.

The way I experience it, the productions that were created without using modern tools have a human touch to it. They feel real, which to me translates as them being warm and friendly, for lack of better words. But at the same time, they sound somewhat dated. On the other hand, the productions I made using virtual instruments and samples sound perfect, but perceive as cold and robotic while at the same time they feel “cooler” just because they have a fresher sound.

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3.4 Artistic Expression

There is no doubt in my mind that from an artistic point of view, writing and producing music this way makes it easier to express myself. Because every single sound in these productions was created by me, so whether willingly or because I had no other choice, every sound, arrangement and mistake is a direct reflection of my abilities as a songwriter, artist, recording engineer and producer. As opposed to when I create music using samples and loops. Even though I am the one putting all the pieces together and materializing my own ideas, it feels like it reflects fewer sides of me, mainly because I am not using my own sounds which in a way can feel like I am creating by building on someone else’s taste.

On the other hand, I believe that because I didn’t aim to write hit songs or songs in the likes of other artists, I felt that what I was creating was 100%

my artistic side. Even though I know that it’s not completely accurate, as there were many occasions during the writing sessions that my own melodies and chord progressions, reminded me of songs by other artists, which to my understanding shows a clear influence of other people’s music on my songwriting and production style.

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4 Discussion

In this section I present my final thoughts after the completion of the research. I explain how working this way made me change my mind about different aspects of music creation and suggest ideas for future research.

4.1 Findings

Besides finding out the answers to my questions:

• How will changing/replacing the tools I use affect my songwriting?

• Which songwriting/production method works better for me?

• In what way will the equipment used influence the sound quality?

I discovered a few other things that I hadn’t considered when I set out to do this study. For example, in terms of technology; for many years I believed that I needed the best at most expensive recording equipment to be able to record real instruments an obtain good results but it turns out that even with one of the most affordable audio interfaces on the market and a relatively affordable microphone I could obtain broadcast quality results beyond my expectations.

In regards to the production method in general, I believe that it could be applied in a situation where for example a band of musicians on a budget wish to record their music using their instruments and equipment, and they are willing to take the time to make it work without breaking the bank on studio time.

I definitely don’t think this is the way to approach writing for a publisher, tv, film or songs that need to be delivered within a short deadline. In my

experience, it is too much work and it takes too much time. For example, setting up a microphone in front of a guitar cabinet and getting it to sound

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right vs using an amp simulator software or the line output of a pedalboard.

Even if the real amplifier would sound “better” I don’t think it is worth the hassle for that type of projects.

4.2 Critique of Study

I believe the results of this study were very satisfying, but mostly when looking at it from a self-reflective point of view. I was able to express myself as an artist, musician, songwriter, studio technician, producer and mix

engineer, unfortunately this works only for my ego. I am convinced that if I had done this in collaboration with other people that are more experienced than me in all different areas, the results could have been much more interesting.

In terms of songwriting and decision making, I can say that I learned to commit to my ideas faster and therefore could write and arrange my songs in a more effective way, but unfortunately that does not assure that the songs reached their best form. If anything, it only shows that songs can be written quickly and still be listenable.

4.3 Conclusion

I have come to the conclusion that changing the tools that I use to create music affected my creative process in many ways. I realized that I can create music without having the goal of it being a “hit” or impressing others and that this can be equally satisfying to me. This way of creating music

definitely activated my creativity and allowed me to write music that I would have not written otherwise.

I learned that it is a good idea to change creative routines every now and then, just so that they don’t become exactly that, a routine. I believe that as a

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music producer it can be favorable to not use the same tools as everybody else just because they are current. Changing the equipment, I used to create these songs helped me keep music-making interesting and alive. I also experienced that it can be positive when unexpected things happen in the creative process and that these kind situations can inspire new ideas.

When it comes down to the actual production tools, I believe that it can be a good idea to use all of your resources and not leave any stone unturned.

4.4 Future Research

Regarding future studies, I believe that having an EDM producer use this method of research can produce interesting results. In addition, the opposite situation would also be interesting, having a music creator who doesn’t use software to produce music, create solely using a computer. And see what kind of results they would get.

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References

Kyrk, Evelina, 2020, What is the relationship between creativity and conflict in a studio recording environment?

Bachelor´s degree Luleå University of Technology

What is the relationship between creativity and conflict in a studio recording environment? (diva-portal.org) (2021-03-09)

Nikolausson, Levi, 2018, Plugins: Hjälp eller stjälp?

Bachelor’s degree Linnaeus University, Faculty of Arts and Humanity http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1204043/FULLTEXT01.pdf (2021-03-09)

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Appendix

Normal Again (Lyrics) Verse 1

Can you get a little bit closer?

I Can Barely hear what you say Maybe we should try to start over Maybe we just call it a day I’m tired of pretending My patience is ending

And I’ve lost the power to please myself Maybe you could come and sleep over Cus I have really nothing to say

Chorus

Another day of isolation With digital communication Avoiding the contamination I wish all could be normal again

Verse 2

Maybe I should try to stay calmer Count to ten and take a deep breath Maybe I should try to be open Use the time to work on myself Waiting and waiting

This thing is never-ending

And I’m on the brink of going insane It’s getting hard to breath

My nails is all I eat

All I really want is for this shit to be over

Chorus x2

Another day of isolation With digital communication Avoiding the contamination I wish all could be normal again

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My Mistakes (Lyrics) Verse 1

I’m trying to picture my life Without my mistakes I wonder if I’d still be here If you’d be my friend

Over and over and over again I wonder if I’m in control If I choose my way Chorus

Uhh uhh uhh uhh uhh Uhh uhh uhh uhh uhh Verse 2

I woke up this morning to write On my empty page

With millions of choices to make Which road would I take?

Over and over and over again I’m trying to picture my life Without my mistakes Chorus

Uhh uhh uhh uhh uhh Uhh uhh uhh uhh uhh Bridge

No matter how much I pray No matter how much I try There’s no secret code to break I learn by falling apart and…

Rising again Chorus x2

Uhh uhh uhh uhh uhh Uhh uhh uhh uhh uhh

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In the Calm of the Storm (Lyrics) Verse 1

I’m looking at the rain

I think I want to seat right here and wait It’s been a hard long day

Chorus

It’s cold and I feel warm in here So, don’t let me go

Would you let me go?

You shouldn’t be alone out there But if you want to go

I will let you go Verse 2

The storm will go away

But I still rather seat right here and wait Chorus

It’s cold and I feel warm in here So, don’t let me go

Would you let me go?

You shouldn’t be alone out there But if you want to go

I will let you go Bridge

Don’t want to run away Is there a better place?

There is a storm outside I rather stay inside Chorus

It’s cold and I feel …

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Do No Wrong (Lyrics) Chorus

Yes, ma’am we can dance But don’t you break my heart I know I look tough

But I’m softer inside I bow to your feet

And treat you like a queen But if you do me wrong

I’ll send you back where you belong Verse 1

When I was just a boy My momma said to me Son the lord is happy

If you always do good deeds But some folks never learn And are up to no good

So, don’t never, ever let them take you for a fool Chorus

Yes, ma’am we can dance But don’t you break my heart I know I look tough

But I’m softer inside I bow to your feet

And treat you like a queen But if you do me wrong

I’ll send you back where you belong Verse 2

When I was seventeen My poppa said to me Boy that girl of yours Is pretty as a peach

But beware and play it cool

And don’t never, ever let her take you for a fool Chorus x 2

Artistic Vision and Technical Minimalism. Opportunity or Paradox?