Where:
Tamuning, Guam U.S.A
Who:
Wendell M. Roden ( Keyboards, Drum Programming,
Vocals, Lyrics and Composition )
When:
Started writing and recording
in 2001
Why:
Because music/home recording is so much fun.
It's like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. It's very exciting.
What:
I am a 31 yr old songwriter who dabbles in
recording and singing.
In
Short:
Since 2001:I've had my first song published,
have had songs played at weddings, local radio and television, and am
still trying to finish a 10-song album of original songs
Influences: Steven C Chapman,
Sting, PhilCollins,
Dianne Warrens.
Preferred
genre: Adult Album Alt (Triple A).
Equipment
used: Gateway PC, run-of-the-mill soundcard, Yamaha PSR-170
Keyboard, AKG D2300S mic, Boss Br-532 4-track recorder for Drum Patterns.
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Wendell M. Roden
by Alessandro De Murtas
Featured
Songs:
You'll
Be In My Heart
#note:
by Phil Collins
Wherever
You Will Go
#note: by The Calling
[..] I am a recent
transplant to L.A. from the beautiful pacific island of Guam. I love
writing power ballads especially and am a big Dianne Warren fan. I
have 2 ultimate goals in songwriting. The first is to write a theme
song to a blockbuster movie. The other is to write an absolute standard
like Somewhere Over The Rainbow. I know it's inside of me somewhere
and will materialize as I mature stylistically and lyrically. Wish
me luck!
Besides songwriting, I also love playing keyboards and singing,
so the last few songs here are songs where I did everything(instruments,
vocals and background vocals) in my bedroom. Home recording is really
fun!
Tips
and Tricks from Wendell M. Roden using n-Track Studio.
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[..] I'm still really new at n-track and discovering neat
new things all the time. Basically, once I pick a song, I
set the drum pattern for it using the Boss BR-532. Then I
ad the bass next and then keyboards, strings and some other
instruments that fit the mood of the song. "Wherever
You Will Go" only has drums, bass, piano, keyboard guitar
sound, and strings for a short while. I don't play guitar
and I wish I did, and the "distortion guitar" on
my keyboard sounds dreadful, but luckily with n'track, I added
a bit of an echo and stereo flange, and voila, it sounded
better.
One thing that I learned (duh) while recording "You'll
Be In My Heart" is how to use the volume/effects envelope
features. Silly me was mixing down manually and raising and
lowering the volume while the song played. With the volume/effects
controls, you can change the volume/effect at any section,
word, or even syllable on a track if you zoom in on the track
close enough. I also learned the power of doubling or tripling
tracks for power!
Just be careful with the balances of frequencies and use the
equalizers on each track to cut out all unnecessary frequency
for that instrument. For example, for high strings, I totally
cut out the low bass on the equalizer.
Lastly make sure every instrument is panned in a different
space left right, even if it's just a little. It prevents
crowding and everything just getting muddled in the center.
Oh and for vocal, you might wanna try using one track normal
and one with just a LITTLE pitch variation. It sounds great
for certain types of songs. Isn't digital recording wonderful?
Well, that's all for now. I'm still learning alot and can't
wait for each new project. I can't imagine what it would be
like without having n-track studio. It has truly made my computer
and bedroom a home studio.
Last Bit of Advice: Always have fun with your music!
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