 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: hautbois francais
Date: 2011-03-19 01:30
Robin:
I managed to get to view your site using a proxy, but youtube doesnt quite work,,,bah !
Was wondering if would e-mail the videos you made ?
Anyway, great site. I am sure u got hits from all over the world too.
Let me know.
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Author: RobinDesHautbois
Date: 2011-03-19 12:14
Be happy to, but I can't find your e-mail address anymore. I'm at RobinDesHautbois@gmail.com
If you can get You-Tube, you can find them here:
-Reed Crow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Efo_CHhbH-4
-Bach Fl Sonata E- mvt3:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZngA542mPB0
-Same: Better sound? Annoying video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5EPqGViq2g
Come to think of it, my vid on crowing doesn't show much except explain how I interpret the crow sound. When my wisdom tooth heals enough to play again, I'll do some more demos --- any questions anyone might have, now's the time to ask before I forget what might be interesting to investigate!
Some might disagree with what I like in a crow: to me this is hugely a matter of physiognomy: different body types will like different reeds for different reasons.
Robin Tropper
M.A.Sc., B.Mus., B.Ed.
http://RobinDesHautbois.blogspot.ca/music
Post Edited (2011-03-19 12:18)
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Author: hautbois francais
Date: 2011-03-19 23:12
I can get on your .ca site. It seems to be NOT blocked. This is like one of your WIP (work in progress) site. This will work. As far as format, AVI would be ideal, wmv is also ok,dont have to get fancy. MP4 files are big. Or u can sign up for English version QQ.com International www.imqq.com and send files up to 50 MB.
Post Edited (2011-03-19 23:31)
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Author: RobinDesHautbois
Date: 2011-03-20 02:48
O.K., I needed to know if you could even access my site because the files are very big. Even if your e-mail accepts 50Mb, I'm not sure I could send them.
I managed to convert them to AVI files..... my expertese is in software coding practices for modularity, reusability and so on..... I don't know media file formats or tools so well.
But I managed to reduced them and put them on my site. You can't find them there, you need to know the exact URLs, here they are (your best bet is to "save as" and play from your computer, not from the link directly):
http://robindeshautbois.ca/reedCrow.avi
http://robindeshautbois.ca/corpsHumain.zip
I zipped the 2nd file: it did reduce it a lot. I didn't think the 1st was worth the bother. But in compressing the files, a lot of clarity was lost. The sound for the Bach Sonata movement is made much more metallic than even the You-Tube version.
So I hope these will be useful to you. Don't be shy to e-mail and ask for other things. But I will remove these files in a week so please let me know when you got them.
Cheers!
p.s.: about the web site... when I started my job (just after getting my master's degree) I was very ambitious for technological work. Now that I've re-discovered the oboe, my job has become just a job and my real soul has come back to life.... I won't hurry up too much with the site because it will not help me professionally nor financially. MUCH more beneficial to spend my spare time on the oboe!
Robin Tropper
M.A.Sc., B.Mus., B.Ed.
http://RobinDesHautbois.blogspot.ca/music
Post Edited (2011-03-20 02:59)
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Author: hautbois francais
Date: 2011-03-20 12:20
I managed to view the videos after I re-started the system, my bad, should have thot of that earlier.
The crow is a good crow, and agree on the stability that it should sound the same from piano to forte. That is something one has to strive for to make a good reed. I dont know if u agree, to get this stability, getting the "scrape" symmetry along the reed and on both sides, is key.
Your Bach, didnt sound metallic to me unless you meant the scratchiness of the sound especially in your high notes. Nevertheless, without professional equipment, great job.
Everyone becomes jaded after a while at a job, you are not the only one. I was an engineer in the 80s, the peak of technogical innovations and in Si Valley. Those were very exciting times for me, at least. For me, retiring from my job after 25 years, and going back to music and other things makes me like a kid again, discovering new things about the oboe, reed making etc etc. I dont spend all my time tinkering but I derive the most pleasure from it. I dont blame u for feeling the way u do.
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Author: hautbois francais
Date: 2011-03-20 12:36
1st video: Gammal fabodsalm fran Dalarne:
Can u also post this on your .ca site ? You did make reference to a 1st video which I am unable to view because of youtube.
Just a thot.....Perhaps, u may consider skipping the video and just do a sound recording, so one variable is taken out of the recording quality....one less thing to worry about.
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Author: RobinDesHautbois
Date: 2011-03-20 13:11
Well, separate video & audio recording to then mix them together is what I would prefer to do, but I don't know how yet.... I do this on spare time so it will take a while before I get there.
The "server error" you are talking about sounds like you are using Windows Media Player. There are fixes to this, but I recommend instead you download and use VLC Media Player http://www.videolan.org/vlc/
- its legally free
- works on MacIntosh, Windows and Linux
I put the sound file for Gammal Fabodsalm fran Dalarne at:
http://robindeshautbois.ca/gammalFabodsalm.zip
I hope this helps. I'm sorry PRC blocks internet services so much, considering it is difficult, in Canada and maybe U.S.A., to buy anything NOT made in PRC, and that we send humanitarian aid by the millions when PRC has a space program and hosted the olympics, I'm disappointed the gouvernment and business machine is so restrictive... not your fault!
Robin Tropper
M.A.Sc., B.Mus., B.Ed.
http://RobinDesHautbois.blogspot.ca/music
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Author: hautbois francais
Date: 2011-03-20 23:29
The sound clip was great, there wasnt the scratchiness or that metallic sound that you complained about. The sound quality was good.
I was wondering in your crow video, did u use that same reed in the Bach ?
I liked the reed u used in the Gammal fabodsalm fran Dalarne.
Thx for the various videos and sound clips that you made available for me to listen.
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Author: RobinDesHautbois
Date: 2011-03-21 02:03
Thanks for the compliments!
But this is where electronic equipment (recording microphones and play-back speakers) can change the perception of sound.
The crow demo was on the same reed as the Bach.
All my recordings were on reeds that sounded generally the same - some differences, but you can still identify "my" sound. In the 1st recording (Gammal Fabodpsalm fran Dalarne), the microphone and room layout gave a sound with more buzz on all the equipment I used to listen (I don't like buzzy oboes unless its eastern-European folk music etc.). On the 3rd, not so much buzz, but more clarity, less warmth.
=> I don't know, I have to test, if different software playing back the same file changes the sound. Maybe You-Tube in the browser is different than Windows Media and maybe different than Apple Quick Time and different than VLC Media...???
Some other contributors have indicated to me that part of the problem is that I recorded in small rooms. Usually, it is preferable to tweak the sound using software. Instead, I want to find a better place to record, but multi-track recording makes life a lot easier.
Robin Tropper
M.A.Sc., B.Mus., B.Ed.
http://RobinDesHautbois.blogspot.ca/music
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Author: hautbois francais
Date: 2011-03-21 12:11
I did a Bach recording at a church many years back and using basic equipment. Particularly, I liked the echo in that enviroment, it usually suits a piece like Bach. Perhaps, u might want to try that.
If u'd like I have a MP3 of that performance.
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Author: RobinDesHautbois
Date: 2011-03-21 13:09
Yes, I would like to hear that. Recording in an echo environment is tricky: it can help or hurt the sound. "Basic equipment" usually makes things easier: e.g. I sound great using my laptop microphone.... but the sound is not true. It just like for photography, to use a $3000.oo camera, you really have to know what you're doing.
So if you could send that recording (I don't care which file format) to RobinDesHautbois@gmail.com, that would be great.
Robin Tropper
M.A.Sc., B.Mus., B.Ed.
http://RobinDesHautbois.blogspot.ca/music
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Author: Jeltsin
Date: 2011-03-22 07:23
Nice to here Old Shielinghymn from Dalarna (Gammal Fäbodpsalm från Dalarna). It is more common to sing it in a choir.
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Author: RobinDesHautbois
Date: 2011-03-22 10:19
I was in touch with a few Swedish music enthusiasts, through You-tube and facebook... crazy who you'll meet... and they remember Gammal Fabodpsalm from their earliest childhood. Indeed it is mostly sung in community (church) choirs and they say that words exist, but that they have rarely heard the words.
Interestingly, a You-Tube search will bring up many wonderful renditions, including fantastic sopranos with organ or with choir, and they choose not to sing the lyrics.
It's just a beautiful tune. Now that my endurance is returning, I'll probably want to rework the MIDI accompaniment and re-record it at a slower, tempo. i guess I should give it a year to mature.
Robin Tropper
M.A.Sc., B.Mus., B.Ed.
http://RobinDesHautbois.blogspot.ca/music
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Author: RobinDesHautbois
Date: 2011-03-22 15:13
That MP-3 sounded blooming amazing!
For basic equipment, you sure found the right position in the church... I'm guessing you don't mean a handy-cam!
The tuning is right on target, the orchestra sounds professional and the expressivity (both you and the orchestra) is nothing to sneer at!
Thoroughly enjoyable - reminiscent of some of the You-Tube recordings of well-known pros.
Robin Tropper
M.A.Sc., B.Mus., B.Ed.
http://RobinDesHautbois.blogspot.ca/music
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Author: hautbois francais
Date: 2011-03-22 23:25
It was not perfect, you can detect some transition flaws that I made, 2nd octave C to D....etc
It was part of a CD for sale. So, it had to have some level of quality. No audience, a few rehearsals and boom we recorded. We had 1 hour to record, because they had a schedule to keep and others to record that day. The equipment was basic for recording, as I remember, they used 8 tracks, mixers etc and had a few mics going. One mic was directly at me. We re-recorded about 3 times, because I stopped as I wasnt happy with the way it was going. By the third time, everyone was getting a bit pissed off and like you my endurance was wearing thin, if I didnt get it rght, we'd have to record it the next day or not at all !!
The point I was making was when playing a Bach, it would be best to choose a location or room with natural accoustics with some echo and natural reverb. One of the places, I had once was a large old garage which was also great. Let me see, if I can dig an old tape up....but only problem is to buy a tape recorder which is tough to find nowadays. Other places I had used, were an old brick clock tower and light house. They had high ceilings which provided the natural accoustics. A room built with built with sheet rock is not going to give u good sound no matter what you do.
Post Edited (2011-03-22 23:27)
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Author: RobinDesHautbois
Date: 2011-03-22 23:46
O.K., that makes A LOT more sense!
When you said "basic equipment", I was under the impression this was some amateur recital videotaped by your wife, or something!
Naturally, the acoustics of my study/studio in this new suburban town-house are not flattering to my performance.... that was part of the study on the blog. I was under the impression that purchasing a top of the line recording device would give my real sound... turns out that was a misconception.
If I start analyzing the flaws of my performance, I will probably get discouraged to the point of putting away my oboe again. But the purpose of the blog is to chronicle how a person can revive oboistic activity after a long hiatus and with very limited time - as well as how chronic pain and fatigue factor in all that.
I know I am not alone in this situation, in fact I think there are some participants in this forum in more difficult situations than mine. In all cases, the joys of playing is its own reward and, for me, offers enough enjoyment in life to keep on at it!
Cheers!
Robin Tropper
M.A.Sc., B.Mus., B.Ed.
http://RobinDesHautbois.blogspot.ca/music
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Author: hautbois francais
Date: 2011-03-23 00:48
Remember the choo choo story, you go, " I think I can, I think I can", then in the end, "I know I can, I know I can", never giving up is the secret to any kind of success. That is the joy of living a fruitful life.
You are definitely not alone in your quest for getting back, albeit your other challenges and disabilities. In the last 8 years, I have had 2 strokes and I am still not giving up. I may not be able to do the many runs in the Mozart concerto in C like I used to when I took my LRSM, but at least, I havent or will never lose the skills of playing and reed making that I had acquired over the many many years. Most importantly, I have the many treasured memories of what I had achieved in my hay day.
That is the thing about a "hobby", if u call it so, because you have been relentless, because you never gave up, that is the source of your ultimate enjoyment ! That is the greatest reward in life.
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The Clarinet Pages
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