May I ?

The change heard on Into the Blue from Out of the Blue is due to a natural maturity over the years and advances in technology. Only the Yamaha KX76 controller and acoustic guitar remain, now in proximity to an iMac running Pro Tools LE and Reason, and a lone piece of outboard gear–an antique Digitech Vocalist harmonizer.

Most of the synthesis and processing were done “in the box”. The improvement in sound quality was as inspiring as the excitement experienced with earlier setups. The sounds have gotten clearer, and the forms more linear, with smoother transitions between sections. An abundance of audio tracks and types of processing are available, along with new editing options. The whole process is sped up, which is good, because I have less time to compose now.

“May I ?” was done with Reason. I never figured out exactly what was causing the weird plucking sound, or how to control its volume, but appreciate its serendipitous contribution.