Post #126883 by Urban Tiki on Mon, Nov 22, 2004 1:35 PM

Juno,
I planned to discuss the recording techniques, but I wanted people to hear the music first because most people don't understand the technology and whenever you discuss the digital technology involved think it's just computer synthesized. I even get people that say "oh yeah, I could tell that it's synthesized", even when it's not. They don't understand the difference between a emulation of an instrument on a synthesizer and a digital recording of the actual instrument. The technology of digital sampling has gotten unbelievably good. However, I also don't want to give the impression that I can play all of the actual acoustic instruments involved (I don't want to take credit for more than the moderate talent that I have). Besides piano and keyboards, I also play guitar and saxophone (but not on these songs)

The drums are a combination of real drums and drum samples pounded out on a keyboard triggering digital samples of real drum hits. These are not drum loops or packaged sequences, although I play the instruments into Cubase SX 2 before rendering to audio through several software samplers (primarily Halion 2 and Gigastudio 3). I've tried those, and it becomes pretty obvious because they are too perfect and repetitive.
The other instruments are also played live on the keyboard into Cubase. The acoustic upright bass is a fantastic sample called Trilogy by Spectrasonics. The vibraphone is Cool Vibes by Art Vista. The flute is from Vienna Symphonic Library. The percussion is various samples.

While they are played on a keyboard, I actually get method books on playing the actual instrument and practice the exercises on the keyboard to learn how real players approach the articulations, etc.

The songs are mixed down in Cubase through a series of digital and analogue processors, and mastered in Wavelab. Let me know if you have any specific questions about the equipment used.