popularelectronics-blog

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Hypothetical BOOMbox

Sometime last summer I got really into the idea of analog recording. After searching the local Craigslist I found two Tascam Portastudio 424 MKII cassette four track recorders. I wanted two of the same device so I could do bounces and more overdubs. As a long time vinyl enthusiast I'm not really into cassette culture, but I wanted to make a tape. My idea was this tape would be played out of a old school ghetto blaster style boombox. Although I did not, and do not own such a boombox. Hence the title Hypothetical BOOMbox.

These songs were as a means to test these 4 track recorders I had recently acquired. I made a 700 mile move between then and now. I shelved these recorders and put the tapes away. I started working on other recording projects using Pro Tools. I pretty much forgot about these songs. Until recently while rummaging through my tapes for samples. I came across these three finished songs. Magnetically etched into a cassette I can hold into my hand.  Sure these songs may not be polished, but their raw , barely edited in any way. It has its challenges, but I find analog record fascinating.

This recording is also unique due to other devices I used. For vocals I used an old ElectroVoice 664 Microphone. This thing could be used as a hammer. It has a nice warm tone which I thought would go good with analog.  I also used a Lexicon MPX1 for reverb and effects on the vocals. My Oscar Schmidt OE40 for the guitar and a Washburn AB-20 for the Bass. The AB-20 happens to be a acoustic bass. It has pickups, so I use this primarily as if it were an electric. In turn it has it's own sound, although this may not be the best showcase for it. Finally all the drums and programmed stuff was done on a Yamaha QY-70. Which is  about the most basic sequencer you can get, but it works. It worked great for this recording. 

Recording to cassette had it challenges. I can't tell you how many good takes I accidentally recorded over. There's always noise on tracks. Just because two tape decks are the same brand doesn't mean they record at the same speed. I could go on and on. The real shame it that in the end this recording was made digital to exist online. It's great to know that at any time I have it in it's original analog glory on a cassette.

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Slap Somebody

Here it is, the first new Pop Tronics track in over a year. This is but one installment of the new Pop Tronics/Funk Magnum project. I personally am focusing on beats and samples, but you may hear me slip in there every now and again. This approach leave me open to do sample based songs like this one. It also allows me to focus on other Funk Magnum rappers. I'm currently looking at about nine more tracks, with the possibility of two others. As I've done in the past I will be posting songs as they are finished. So keep your ears open.

Funk Magnum 2013

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The Return of Popular Electronics

It's been a year since I've posted anything on here, but I'm back. Currently I am working on a new Pop Tronics album tentatively entitled Vow of Silence. The title has been chosen because this album will be primarily a instrumental album with heavy sampling. Pop Tronics will make limited vocal appearances, but you may hear from other Funk Magnum Mother Fuckers. Currently I have between 10 and 12 tracks. Some of them are nearly finished, others have just begun. As songs are finished I'll be posting them here. Hopefully this album will be out before the end of 2013. Keep checking back for updates.

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Pop Tronics Equipment History (2012)

This is the newest edition to my ever growing collection of musical devices. This sampler is great. Very easy to use with plenty of room for samples, up to one gig per card. I've been using an MV-8800 for a while now, but it's huge. This sampler is very portable, it even takes batteries. I've loaded up beats for entire songs on this. That way at the press of a button I can play a live hip hop show. I'm really digging the time stretching abilities of this machine. The MV-8800 can time stretch as well, but this machine is much more intuitive than the MV-8800. It's really simple to operate right out of the box. I'd recommend one to anyone interested in sampling.

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PT & FMMF 2012 Report

Just a quick update for all you FMMF fans. This past weekend we started recording two brand new Funk Magnum Mother Fuckers/Pop Tronics tracks. In addition I've been working on several new beats with the Yamaha QY70. Also a few weeks ago I mentioned a new video. Well I filmed some tests, but that's as far as I got. It's still a legitimate project, but I just haven't started. I've been busy recording with my rock band The Furies. That album should be out by this summer. 

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Pop Tronics Equipment History (2012)

Last week I found this interesting little tool.

The Yamaha QY70

This thing is a complete 16 track sequencer that's about the size of an old 1989 Gameboy. It has a fairly large tone library, but it's tones are the basic Yamaha keyboard tones. Similar to what you'd find on a cheap Yamaha or Casio keyboard. Of course that's not my favorite tone bank in the world, but it has MIDI. I can write a song on the go, then come home and transfer it into one of my bigger sequencers with better tones. It has a two octave mini keyboard, which is polyphonic so you can input multiple sounds at once. It can record, step record, and even overdub. Best of all it runs on batteries so I can take it on the train and keep working. Here's a little demo I found on Youtube.

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Video Music

I don't want to say to much just yet, but I started filming a new video last night. Just a fair warning that this is in the near future.

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Pop Tronics Equipment History (2012)

Ah hahahahaha, this weekend I got my hands on a Digidesign DIGI002 .

This is pretty much the best thing to happen to me as for as audio production goes. I used a mbox from 2005 to 2010 and a mbox2 from then until now. So this a major step up for me, and I must say I love it. 

One of the perks of this upgraded system is that I can open the session files for Abraham's 5 False Alarms E.P. It was originally recorded in a studio and the mbox wouldn't support the program files. Well now I can open them and I plan on doing some mixing/remixing. This E.P. has never been released due to it's being unfinished. I'm going to get into it and make some Pop Tronics remixes to possibly release. I'm probably going to have to build drum tracks and add synthesizers/guitars where needed. I'm really excited. Abraham was a great band to be a part of and I'm happy to be working on Abraham music once again. 

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Wyckoff Heights Reprisent

As some of you may know I recently spent 15 days in a hospital. During the first week I had my MC-505 Groovebox. With it I created these two songs about my stay at the hospital. 

Hospital Bed (Week One) is about sitting and waiting until I could get my surgery.

I.V. Drip (Week Two) is about being fucked up on morphine while recovering.

Here's a Photo of my scar.

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A brand new Pop Tronics track is featured on the new short from The Cuteness.

The song is called Moby Don’t Eat Meat. It’s about the eating habits of celebrities. You can listen to the full version here.

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Horny Crazy Babies

So this song kinda fell through the cracks on getting posted, probably due to the content. That being said, I am aware of the content and would like to offer an explanation. This song was recorded in April 2011 while I was on a trip to Michigan. Some other songs to come from those sessions were Shotdog and Take A Kid Fishing. Part of the time I was recording I was in Kalamazoo Michigan, where I used to live. I hadn't noticed while living there, but there's tons of crazy people. It just wasn't noticeable since I was around it everyday. There's reason for such a large community of mentally unstable people. It has to do with an asylum that was there until the 1970's when it was shut down. After the shutdown all the patients were freed upon the city of Kalamazoo. Now 40+ years later they've all bred with other patients and have children that are as unstable as they are. Thus the horny crazy babies keep repopulating themselves, and that's the nature of this song. I usually don't take so long to explain a minute and a half worth of Audio, but I felt it needed to be justified. So without further adieu I present Horny Crazy Babies.

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When Bikes & Cars Collide

This is an instrumental remix of an old song by Abraham. I used to play keyboards for Abraham and wrote this song for them.  I'm hoping to do some more electro-rock remixes of old songs in the coming months.

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John Bohner

!!!!Silvercrow rapping about John Bohner!!!!

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New Studio

I know I promised more content, and that's what I'm attempting to provide. As I stated in my last post I've recently moved into a new studio.

I call it the Boom Bap Womp Womp Room, which is a fairly accurate representation of the sounds it will be generating.I've also recently updated the brain of my drum kit from the very old TD-7 model to the updated TD-6 model. This means improved response and drum quality. I will be attempting to record my drums into a sequencer and working from there. Hopefully with stunning results.

The John Bohner song is bounced and ready to be uploaded later this week. Keep your ears open for that one. I will also be finishing up the Remix of Abraham's When Bikes & Cars Collide. Then all new material for 2012.

Hip Hop Hooray Ya'll

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Pop Tronics Returns Again

Hello anyone who actually reads or listens to the things I post here. I haven't posted anything here in three months. I think it's a damn shame, but sometimes life gets in the way of your hip hop blog. That being said I will do my best to generate some new content. I have a few songs you haven't heard including a rant about John Bohner by Not Blood Paint's George Frye,a remix of an Abraham song, and a song about texting. I am moving into a new space which should allow me to focus more on beats and rhymes. Who knows what new music 2012 will bring.

In the mean time I would like to share my favorite album of 2011, Wugazi

It's a mash-up of two of my favorite bands, Fugazi and Wu-Tang Clan. Mashed by Cecil Otter and Swiss Andy. Because it's a mash-up it's completely free. This album leaves me wondering what Rap/Rock could have become if it had been done correctly. Seriously check it out. It's free so why wouldn't you. Maybe next they'll make Fear Of An Out Of Step Planet.

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Feral Kid (Stripped Remix)

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Time Traveler (Featuring D.J. Twitch)

This song is a answering machine rap left by Andy P from South America.