Do You Have Any Interest in Re-Recording Your Older Material?

[elsongs]

On 11/6/2023 at 9:44 AM, Anderton said:

Re-recording a song feels to me like trying to live in the past while living in the present.

...But isn't that what time-travel is? 

Yes, I've thought about re-recording songs I originally wrote as a teen/young adult in the '80s and '90s. Only a few friends of mine got to hear them, though they're "classics" inside my head. Having only officially released two albums in my entire life (in 1998 and 2001), I don't really have much of a public "legacy" of material that document my progression as an artist, and I constantly feel ashamed and lacking for not having that. So in a small way, this would be a way to play catch-up. And not only do I have better gear now, but I play and sing much better. Besides, it'll be new music to everyone else...

[Notes_Norton]

It's a balance between how long it will take to digitize an old LP and how often I think I will want to play it. It's a matter of what I want to do with my available time.

 

Several have made the cut, most haven't.

 

 

Insights and incites by Notes ♫

[Greg Mein]

It turns out that my interest has returned a little. Back in the day when I was more prolific I used Cakewalk/Sonar and backed things up on CD-R. I wonder if that Bandlab Cakewalk program would open these?

[KuruPrionz]

13 minutes ago, Greg Mein said:

It turns out that my interest has returned a little. Back in the day when I was more prolific I used Cakewalk/Sonar and backed things up on CD-R. I wonder if that Bandlab Cakewalk program would open these?

This is why I also export my work as .wav files, one for each track and all start at zero. Cumbersome in terms of storage but you can drop them into any DAW and fire it up every time. 

[Greg Mein]

2 hours ago, KuruPrionz said:

This is why I also export my work as .wav files, one for each track and all start at zero. Cumbersome in terms of storage but you can drop them into any DAW and fire it up every time. 

 

That's a great idea, however, the point for me would be to reclaim the MIDI data (keyboards, drums, etc.) so I could use some of the more modern software instruments/plugins on my "redo".

 

If I could get them open my process would most likely be to export MIDI files from Cakewalk/PC and then import those into either Digital Performer or Logic on my Mac.

 

Supposedly the new Cakewalk will open these files. The hardest part may be finding the disks and then hoping that some of them might still be readable.

[Anderton]

3 hours ago, Greg Mein said:

It turns out that my interest has returned a little. Back in the day when I was more prolific I used Cakewalk/Sonar and backed things up on CD-R. I wonder if that Bandlab Cakewalk program would open these?

 

The current Cakewalk is extremely tolerant of opening old (and even ancient) projects. Your main issues will be:

• Opening a project where a plugin is no longer installed. In that case, you can open in safe mode and replace the prehistoric plugin with something new.
• Trying to open a Bundle file that's been corrupted. There's no problem with the bundle file format itself, but it's like a Zip file - just one errant bit (e.g., blown flash RAM cell or CD-ROM pinhole), and you're screwed. 

Other than those issues, it should be smooth sailing. You'll also find that they've squashed quite a few bugs in the past few years.

[Anderton]

9 hours ago, elsongs said:

I don't really have much of a public "legacy" of material that document my progression as an artist, and I constantly feel ashamed and lacking for not having that.

 

There's zero reason to feel ashamed!!! Sometimes life gets in the way. I've been doing a yearly album project since 2016, but 2023 had a lot of real-life complications, and there may not be a project for this year (at least I've done two songs). But I guarantee the world will still keep spinning on its axis anyway 

[KuruPrionz]

2 hours ago, Greg Mein said:

 

That's a great idea, however, the point for me would be to reclaim the MIDI data (keyboards, drums, etc.) so I could use some of the more modern software instruments/plugins on my "redo".

 

If I could get them open my process would most likely be to export MIDI files from Cakewalk/PC and then import those into either Digital Performer or Logic on my Mac.

 

Supposedly the new Cakewalk will open these files. The hardest part may be finding the disks and then hoping that some of them might still be readable.

Ah, gotcha. Jump in and see what happens. Worst case, you are probably a more accomplished musician now and can re-create your tracks. 

[Ivan May]

I'm not generally that familiar with the idea of re-recording material. Taylor Swift has done it because she no longer owns the rights to her original master tapes, but I think the only people who need to re-record their old songs are people preparing to release a greatest hits compilation. I remember Motley Crue rerecording their old songs (especially Home Sweet Home) for their 1991 greatest hits compilation Decade of Decadence 1981-91.

[Greg Mein]

9 hours ago, Anderton said:

 

• Trying to open a Bundle file that's been corrupted. There's no problem with the bundle file format itself, but it's like a Zip file - just one errant bit (e.g., blown flash RAM cell or CD-ROM pinhole), and you're screwed. 

Bundle files were my primary method of saving backups on CDRs, it was the thing to do 20+ years ago, some of those CDRs would go back into the 90's. I can vaguely remember finding some of those discs to be corrupted quite some time ago but I thought I still had some around.

 

I've done a fairly comprehensive search for them today but cannot find them even though I was rather certain I'd seen them since the move. I may not be able to get out of the starting gate.

[ksoper]

My upcoming release will have 2 re-records on it. One was all synths and a vocal. It now has live drums and guitar plus vocoder vocals singing all new lyrics. The other is a note-for-note re-recording. Like dB I also had a fertile period in the 80s that was worth exploring. Better gear, four decades of experience. 

[Brad Kaenel]

I do want to re-record them -- but I don't want to be on the recording. 

 

I have lots of material that's 30 and 40 years old now (it's all instrumental jazz/fusion), and I'd love to arrange and publish some of the best tunes for other musicians to play: big bands, combos; high school kids, college ensembles, etc.  If I recorded it again myself, I'd probably just fall back into exactly the same voicings and licks I played when I originally recorded them. (And I say that because I occasionally sit in with my old band, and that's precisely what happens. )

 

It would be much more gratifying and honoring for me to listen to someone else play one of my tunes, than to try and redo it myself.

[ProfD]

Recording is a great way to keep document and keep track of musical ideas. 

 

Technology certainly allows us to produce a high quality product.

 

But, I stopped recording music externally almost 2 decades now.

 

Between myself and others, I could see way too many CDs and files piling up.

 

Since that time, I've been content to sit down at the KB to play, compose and memorize tunes.

 

The rationale for my own music is anything worth keeping, 1) I'll remember it and 2) playing in real-time is the best way to deliver it. 

 

The landscape is filled with music since everybody can record nowadays.

 

Especially with AI incoming, I believe the future of music lies in live performance which also provides listeners with an experience too.

 

To that end, I'll record my music if/when there is a commercial demand i.e. listeners want to buy it.

 

Otherwise, from a vanity perspective and/or for the sake of posterity, I'll continue to sit down at the KB and let it flow in real time.😁😎

[The Real MC]

Over the 35+ years as a pro-sumer I gained a lot of knowledge and better gear.  I'd re-record songs to gain better mix and clarity, but I'm not a perfectionist and I wouldn't re-do every song.