Change of Plans

We have decided to scrap the idea of recording samples from Chinese Orchestra. We, as a team, felt that it would take us too much time and effort to record a whole orchestra. We believe that as a result, we would not be able to have enough time to do our own individual songs based on the mentioned sampling.

Thus, we have decided to record the Koto instrument from STA Labs instead. We chose this as a team because we felt that we can have more access to this instrument rather than the Chinese orchestra instruments. Also, this will lessen the manpower needed to record as we, as a team, can benefit by learning the Koto tuning and how to play it.

At the same time, we can learn more about Japanese musical instrument and its cultural influences. We believe that from here onwards, we can create original compositions as our final product based on the Koto instrument.

YES from Chinese Orchestra

Great news. RP's Chinese Orchestra have agreed to let us record them during the first week of our June holidays.

The recording shedule will take about 3 days. The first day will consist of preparation and a dry run so we don't cock up on the actual recording days and waste everyone's time and energy.

The next two days will consist of recording the different instruments found in the Chinese Ensemble such as Guzheng, Erhu, Yangqin and Dizi.

Hopefully, all goes well but the Chinese Orchestra are not used to improvising so we have to give

them some string or similar sounding Western instruments sound samples that can give them an idea of what we want them to play.

If this doesn't go too well however, we still have our back up plan of recording the Japanese and Indian instruments found in the STA lab.

Miking Up the Koto

Minutes of Meeting: Meeting #2

Date: 7th May 2008
Venue: Kaffe Esplanade
Time: 5pm
Present: Hasif, Sharime, Saifuddin

Agenda:
- discuss about what instruments to record from Chinese Orchestra
- discuss research findings about Chinese Orchestra instruments
- send email to President of Chinese Orchestra IG

Minutes of Meeting: Meeting #1

Date: 1st May 2008
Venue: Starbucks @ Bugis
Time: 2pm
Present: Hasif, Sharime, Saifuddin

Agenda:
- assign roles to team members
- assign tasks to team members for the upcoming week
- plan out a recording schedule for sampling instrument(s)
- research on recording techniques such as microphone placements
- research on Chinese Orchestra instruments

Project Objective

Our Final Year Project will consist of 2 parts. For Phase I, we intend to create a sample library of Chinese orchestra instruments the Japanese Koto. And after we are done with Phase I, we will proceed to Phase II which is to create a series of original compositions using the sample library.

Research and discussion on recording tools and setups.









Some brainstorming ideas that come and go.

Equipments

This is our main production tool: The Apple Mac G5. This is where we will do most of the editing.


Our main MIDI controller: The Midiman Radium 61


M-Audio Trigger Finger


Mackie Onyx mixer


Tapco studio monitors


Ultrasone monitor headphones


Mics

These will be some of the mics we probably will be using to record the Chinese Orchestra.


Blue Baby Bottle


Rode NTK


Shure SM58


Shure SM57


Sennheiser e504 & e604