Abijah Gupta :: The official website!

Hello, Namastey, Sat Sri Akal!

noreply@blogger.com (Abijah Gupta) — Mon, 04 Dec 2017 20:28:00 +0000

My name is Abijah Gupta and I'm a big fan of great Pizza, awesome movies, cool softwares and casual photography. I blog about my music, iOS music apps, Digital Audio Workstations and other tips & tricks. Academically, I've done a Diploma in Computing Science and a Bachelors Degree in Business (Major: Human Resources) from Thompson Rivers University, Canada.

I'm a part-time musician with a lifetime passion. In the initial years, I played and recorded several popular cover versions on my keyboard. Eventually in 2011, I started experimenting with pre-made loops and samples on my iPad's GarageBand app. 7 arrangements later, Spiritus was born followed by Intoxicated the following year.

As of December 2016, I've released 2 albums and 12 singles, along-with a handful of keyboard recordings.

Enchantment - A tribute to YANNI

Inspired by the "Pure Yanni" series... played and recorded in one take.
I'm grateful to V10 Music's YouTube tutorial video that I learnt from over a span of 2 months! This has been the most challenging piece of music to play till date and has opened up so much more to learn! My future goal is to learn many more such pieces.

Check out the full list of 100+ covers, tips-n-tricks and tutorials on my YouTube channel here.

Enchantment - A Tribute to YANNI - Happy Birthday Maestro!

noreply@blogger.com (Abijah Gupta) — Tue, 14 Nov 2017 14:00:00 +0000

Happy Birthday Maestro Yanni!
It is an honor to present 'Enchantment ' as my tribute to you... Inspired by the "Pure Yanni" series... played and recorded in one take.

Enchantment is the fourth track from Yanni's In My Time (1993) album which gained Platinum status and led to his second Grammy nomination. It has a very special place in my heart since the day I first heard it all those years ago. I've always wanted to play it but as many already know that I can't (yet) read sheet music... it was mostly a distant dream.

Several years later when I started dating my fiancé we exchanged music and again bonded over Enchantment!
I'm grateful to V10 Music's YouTube tutorial video that I learnt from over a span of 2 months! This has been the most challenging piece of music to play till date and has opened up so much more to learn! My future goal is to learn many more such pieces.

Our shots in the video are from William Hawrelak Park (Edmonton), Seba Beach (Alberta), Johnston Canyon (Banff) and Aspen Beach (Lacombe County)

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZxtfflOnhk&index=13&list=PLD53-YHJDTcKfwghL-TGjhJ5JaAjYh-we

On November 7, 2017 during the Pure Yanni's Edmonton tour, I got to meet the Maestro in person! The thought of meeting somebody whose albums have peaked at No. 1 in Billboards, has had 2 Grammy nominations, has performed in more than 30 countries on five continents in front of more than 5 million people and sold over 25 million copies of their albums was... nerve wrecking to say the least! But the moment I met him.. I was completely swept away! Here was a man who had accomplished more than most can even dream of but hadn't let that get to his head. Such humility, passion and love is extremely rare and I got to experience it firsthand!

On your birthday, dear friend, I wish that people continue learning from you while you keep growing yourself! May all your dreams keep turning into reality!
Once again, heartfelt gratitude for the opportunity to connect with you in person. Our warm love and best wishes are always with you. Till we meet again, dear friend!

It was so Nice To Meet You! You've given me A Night To Remember filled with moments of pure Enchantment. Your genuine humility had me Swept Away. Your thoughts are full of Reflections of Passion and everything you're doing is a living testimony of A Love For Life. Before I Go, If I Could Tell You... Someday when this night will be Only A Memory I will remember One Man's Dream and his Ode To Humanity... reliving the Nostalgia all over again! Till then, using the Keys to Imagination and remembering that You Only Live Once, I'll continue to chase my Forbidden Dreams... Until The Last Moment!

But wait... there's more! Check out my other tracks on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/abijah-gupta/id618590862

Subscribe for more!: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=AbijahGuptaMusic

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abijahguptamusic
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AbijahGupta
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/abijahgupta

Technical details:
I'm playing this on my Yamaha PSR S950 using the Ambient Piano coupled with few setting tweaks. Since it's a Piano solo, I recorded it straight to Sony Sound Forge Pro 11 and then mastered it using iZotope's Ozone 5

Take Five - A Tribute To The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Abijah & Elijah Gupta

noreply@blogger.com (Abijah Gupta) — Sat, 05 Aug 2017 09:48:00 +0000

Celebrating one of Dave Brubeck's most popular jazz pieces - 'Take Five'. It also marks the return of the 'Abijah & Elijah' duo after nearly 7 years!

"Take Five" is a jazz piece composed by Paul Desmond and originally performed by the Dave Brubeck Quartet on its 1959 album Time Out. It eventually became an unlikely hit and the biggest-selling jazz single ever - included in numerous movie and television soundtracks, it still receives significant radio play.

Written in the key of E-flat minor, the song is known for its distinctive two-chord piano vamp; catchy blues-scale saxophone melody; inventive, jolting drum solo; and especially the unusual quintuple (5/4) time.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e50YFkEKS80&index=3&list=PLD53-YHJDTcK5zlHIyAqcpvNdTZJFl0hZ

Audio Only: https://soundcloud.com/abijahgupta/takefive

But wait... there's more! Check out my other tracks on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/abijah-gupta/id618590862

Subscribe for more!: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=AbijahGuptaMusic

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abijahguptamusic
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AbijahGupta
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/abijahgupta

Technical details:
The arrangement in itself has been played and programmed on the Yamaha PSR S950 with additional voice effects using the iRig 37 keys Pro.

Individual stems were recorded in the Cockos Reaper DAW and mastered using iZotope Ozone 5.

The Big Reveal!
'Abijah & Elijah' is a composite project... meaning... these are two video layers joined in as one. The easiest way I find is to record from the same camera angle and overlay two files over each other. Green screen can get messy and hard to place correctly and a bad editing job could break the illusion.

View post on imgur.com

Greensleeves [The Cinematic Version] - Abijah Gupta

noreply@blogger.com (Abijah Gupta) — Fri, 30 Dec 2016 05:40:00 +0000

Watch this epic 15th century folk song come alive in this larger than life cinematic rendition.

I've heard a lot of traditional renditions and cover versions so far but didn't come across an orchestral rendition... so I made one! :)

The official video is a collaboration featuring my Violinist friend Torrey Eamon Owen.

This is a special project since Torrey and I live in separate provinces and time-zones! Hence, this is is distance project made possible due to the passion for good music!

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBRtTlCpr4Q

Audio Only: https://soundcloud.com/abijahgupta/greensleeves

But wait... there's more! Check out my other tracks on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/abijah-gupta/id618590862

Subscribe for more!: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=AbijahGuptaMusic

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abijahguptamusic
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AbijahGupta
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/abijahgupta

Technical details:
The arrangement in itself has been played and programmed on the Yamaha PSR S950 with additional voice effects using the iRig 37 keys Pro.

Individual stems were recorded in the Cockos Reaper DAW and mastered using iZotope Ozone 5.

My Christmas Album [2016] [FREE Download]

noreply@blogger.com (Abijah Gupta) — Tue, 20 Dec 2016 05:20:00 +0000

I've always wanted to do a Christmas album... and I finally did!
These are instrumental covers of my favorite top 10 Christmas songs/carols.

The playlist:
BLUE CHRISTMAS
GOD REST YE, MERRY GENTLEMEN
GREENSLEEVES
JINGLE BELL ROCK
JINGLE BELLS
LET IT SNOW
O CHRISTMAS TREE
SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN
SILENT NIGHT
WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS

Watch and add this YouTube video to your own playlists!

Listen to the playlist now!

If you would like to download the album, please click here.
Note: The link opens a Dropbox link in a new window. I'm using goo.gl to be able to monitor the number of downloads.

Kal Ho Naa Ho (कल हो न हो) [The ♥ Tribute Cover] - Abijah Gupta

noreply@blogger.com (Abijah Gupta) — Tue, 01 Nov 2016 06:34:00 +0000

Happy Birthday King Khan!
My musical tribute to Shah Rukh Sir's stellar performances in Kal Ho Naa Ho.

I was only 13 years old when I first heard the heartbeat instrumental version of the title track. Over the years, this song has always been a reminder to not stress about what will be but instead focus on living for the present.
This tribute is inspired by and an homage to the original composition by the trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy.

About the Audio Arrangement (Cockos Reaper DAW):

I've used 2 keyboards to record all the sounds you hear:

Yamaha PSR S950 - Drums, Bass, Ambient Piano, Concert Strings, Movie Strings, Sweet Bansuri and Heaven Bells
iRig Pro 37 - Violin, Flute Vibrato (IK Multimedia SampleTank)

Using the iZotope plugin chain, I added various FX (Delay, EQ etc.) to the layers.

About the Video Arrangement (Magix Vegas Pro 14):

Special thanks to Bikram Singh Bathh's creative cinematography using the Canon EOS 5D Mark III DSLR for the lively shots.

Edited using the latest Magix Vegas Pro 14, I haven't modified the original footage apart from the color grading.
Movie footage was taken from different YouTube videos. The video you're watching is the 7th iteration from the original clip arrangement.

Look at the difference between my first rendition (shot using my Logitech C920 HD webcam!) vs. the final one (Bikram's creative shots).

If you liked this tribute, please share or retweet the following post(s). Who knows, SRK just might watch it! :)

Happy B'day @iamsrk Sir. My musical tribute to your stellar performance in #KHNH @SRKUniverse... https://t.co/GIEWELMGbz
— Abijah Gupta 🎹 (@AbijahGupta) November 1, 2016

As always, I look forward to your feedback, thoughts, comments and suggestions.

Check out my other music on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/abijah-gupta/id618590862
Subscribe for more covers, tips-n-tricks!: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=AbijahGuptaMusic
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abijahguptamusic
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AbijahGupta
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/abijahgupta

The easiest way to create and print your own CD Cover [How To]

noreply@blogger.com (Abijah Gupta) — Sat, 24 Sep 2016 08:54:00 +0000

In an earlier video, I covered creating an albumart in Microsoft PowerPoint. In this tutorial, I talk about creating and printing your own cover art.

For starters, you're going to need the 'CD Cover Blank Template.PSD' file. Click here to download the template.

This is what you should have:

Now you will notice there are two black boxes on either sides. The left side will be where the image goes while the right side will have textual descriptions and links. I created a CD Cover for a compilation DVD a few years ago. Here's what it looks like.

Once you are happy with the design, save the image as PNG. Make sure you turn off the guide layers before saving.
Next, open up a new Word document. Change the layout to landscape and set the margins as narrow. This will give you enough space to position and size your cover.

Important: When you drop the image in the document, it will stretch to fit the the width. If you print it as it is, it will be oversized. Here's what you do:
Click on the image, choose the picture layout tool and set the height to 4.72"

Now you are ready to print the file as it is.
Cut across the borders and it will be a snug fit in the CD Cover.

Drop in a comment if you have any questions. Click here for the step by step video.

Bring your music to life with DFX Audio Enhancer [Review]

noreply@blogger.com (Abijah Gupta) — Fri, 16 Sep 2016 02:28:00 +0000

NOTE: This review is based on personal experience and is not a paid endorsement. All views are mine.

For quite a while I have been searching for methods to improve the audio quality on anything that I play on my laptop without any external or extra hardware.

I've got over 7000 audio files on my laptop with several jazz albums dating all the way back to 1950s. As much as audio mastering has improved over the decades in music production, there is still great music from the past years.

The top two things that caught my interest were:

The file size for the install file is only 4.88 Mb
It works flawlessly with whatever current hardware setup you're using.

For the purpose of this article, I'm going to review this wonderful little utility called DFX Audio Enhancer, version 12.017.

The software tweaks 5 areas of sound:

Fidelity
Ambience
3D Surround
Dynamic Boost
Hyperbass

These settings can be changed by choosing a preset from the list or manually using the slider.

Presets:

The software offers a bunch of presets that you can choose based on the genre of music you're listening to. There are 48 presets to choose from but I just keep it at the very first one titled "Light Processing - Modern" which I find caters to mostly all audio types

The easiest way to see it in action is by turning the software on and off while playing any kind of music.

Playback Devices:
Choosing any existing playback device is easy with the setting under Menu > Playback Device > YOUR_DEVICE
What I really enjoy about this is the usage of existing hardware without the need to buy a separate device.

My default audio device is Realtek's High Definition Audio but I've also tested it with the Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi and the results are great either way.

Limitations:
As far as limitations are concerned, I haven't found any in the past month of regular usage. I will update here if I run into any compatibility issues.

Troubleshooting:
On rare occasions, changing a playback device through Windows' settings can mute the entire audio. In that case, I usually stop the audio source and start it again or exit the DFX application and restart it.

NOTE for musicians mastering their final mixes: If you're a musician who masters track on your device, make sure you turn DFX off before you start the process.
Since the software boosts all audio, it heavily 'colors' the mix and hence the mastering results may be inaccurate.

The free version is available here: http://www.fxsound.com/dfx/download.php
The full version called DFX Plus retails for about USD $39.99 which was on sale at $29.99 at the time of writing this review.

1920 (The Reminiscence) - About the project ft. comments by Adnan Sami himself!

noreply@blogger.com (Abijah Gupta) — Mon, 20 Jun 2016 01:23:00 +0000

We just got a tweet from the original musician and composer for 1920, Mr. Adnan Sami himself! "When I composed & performed this piece of music, it depicted a part of my soul. Well done on ur interpretation!👏👏👍"

When I composed & performed this piece of music, it depicted a part of my soul. Well done on ur interpretation!👏👏👍 https://t.co/M3mMkRfrfP
— Adnan Sami (@AdnanSamiLive) September 15, 2016

Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks, Within his bending sickle's compass come;
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, But bears it out even to the edge of doom.

- Sonnet 116 (William Shakespeare)

After our successful 'Imagine - Tribute Cover' version, here's our second production: 1920 (The Reminiscence) - Abijah Gupta

Cinematography: Japneet Singh | www.japneetsingh.com
Creative Director and Co-Actor: Mishika Gupta

YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/embed/HgY3ryUWaDo

We are grateful to Sacred Heart Cathedral, Thompson Rivers University and 'The Art We Are' cafe for their friendliness and permission for filming locations.

We planned for over a month with discussions ranging from set locations to actual scenes. Since none of us were really ever available together at the same time, all filming had to be done within a day! Our final plan led us to film starting 7 in the morning all the way till 8 in the evening. Altogether, we filmed at 6 locations. In addition to the required equipment (camera etc.) we carried other clothes and accessories as the scene required.

Thankfully the weather was nice and the bus service was on regular schedule which further prevented delays and/or re-shoots. Our final editing stretched over 2 months due to mostly lack of overlapping free times and occasionally new inspirations to make it bigger and better.

Imagine (The Tribute Cover) - Abijah Gupta ft. John Lennon

noreply@blogger.com (Abijah Gupta) — Fri, 01 Apr 2016 09:41:00 +0000

"Imagine all the people... living life in peace" - John Lennon (Imagine, 1971)

This cover humbly attempts to re-create John's magic and purity as reflected in the original 1971 recording. It's almost unbelievable that I'm able to virtually play the Piano for John Lennon while he 'sings' the vocals on these.

YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/embed/hq2VAXF4G-o

John Lennon was assassinated in 1980, almost a decade before I was even born. Such is the power of technology that timeless musical creations are still handed down to generations even after their artists have long passed. Furthermore, with the power of music production tools, artists are able to pull everything apart, insert themselves and essentially become a part of the song itself.

Isolated vocals, drums, bass and strings tracks courtesy of Gunther Records: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBe8MsXa9F2KZlrDwT7Yxxw

Filmed at the Thompson Rivers University Alumni Theatre
Director/Cinematography: Japneet Singh | | www.japneetsingh.com

LIVE at Thompson Rivers University's International Days Showcase 2016

noreply@blogger.com (Abijah Gupta) — Sun, 27 Mar 2016 21:13:00 +0000

Here's our musical improvisation jam by Shubham Rana ft. Abijah Gupta from the TRU- International Days showcase 2016.
Video footage courtesy: livetru livestream.

Unlike most of our performances, we went for an unplugged acoustic feel to this set.
We started off with an improv version of Beethoven's Fur Elise, followed by 'You're so beautiful' (From Haunted 3D), 'Photograph' (Ed Sheeran) and 'Fool To Love You' (John Mayer)

We also proudly shared the theme track from ‪#‎NamasteTRU‬ - Bombay Train. Here's the video if you haven't seen it yet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivQc9h2ITPg

Musical Jam: Shubham Rana ft. Abijah Gupta: https://www.facebook.com/abijahguptamusic/videos/1169697363055575/

The IDays 2016 Musical Jam - Shubham Rana ft. Abijah Gupta - T...
Here's our musical improvisation jam by Shubham Rana ft. Abijah Gupta from the TRU- International Days showcase 2016.Video footage courtesy: livetru livestream.Unlike most of our performances, we went for an unplugged acoustic feel to this set. We started off with an improv version of Beethoven's Fur Elise, followed by 'You're so beautiful', 'Photograph' and 'Fool To Love You'We also proudly shared the theme track from #NamasteTRU - Bombay Train. Here's the video if you haven't seen it yet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivQc9h2ITPg
Posted by Abijah Gupta on Sunday, March 20, 2016

After the NamasteTRU album launch, we performed a rendition of 'Runaway' (The Corrs), led by Samridhi Dhawan ft. Shubham Rana on the guitar and Abijah Gupta on the Piano: https://www.facebook.com/abijahguptamusic/videos/1169727053052606/

IDays 2016 - Runaway - Samridhi Dhawan ft. Shubham Rana & Abij...
Check out our rendition of 'Runaway', led by Samridhi Dhawan ft. Shubham Rana and Abijah Gupta from the TRU- International Days showcase 2016
Posted by Abijah Gupta on Friday, March 25, 2016

TRU World usually posts HD videos within a couple of months from the IDays showcase.
Will share the links once they're up.

Here are some pics from the awesome event:

NamasteTRU (2016) - A special collaborative album

noreply@blogger.com (Abijah Gupta) — Tue, 15 Mar 2016 02:55:00 +0000

NamasteTRU is a special collaboration between musicians of different genres and musical inspirations.

Filmed on campus at the Thompson Rivers University Clock Tower’s Alumni Theatre, this is the first major OurTRU audio/video production for this year.

The theme track titled Bombay Train is a rearranged version of the original composition by Canadian Sarode artist, Kenneth Wells who featured his track in the 1999 album Presents of Mind . The take is not only full of energy and motion but also heavily influenced by the 60s rock genre. The rest of the tracks are improvised cover versions of famous Western and Indian songs such as Why Georgia (John Mayer) and Kabhi Jo Badal Barse (Arijit Singh).

(L to R): Abijah Gupta, Zain Mohsin Khan, Kenneth Wells, Shubham Rana, Morley Fernandes)

The full album playlist can be watched online on TRU World’s YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD53YHJDTcL1asHxQD9_J_ZenADBaF9M

Abijah Gupta (Keyboards, Director & Sound Engineer) is a final year BBA Human Resource student while Executive Producer, Suraj Shah, is completing his post baccalaureate in Marketing. Cinematographer, Nathan Piazza, will be joining TRU this Fall for the BSc program. Zain Mohsin Khan (Acoustic Guitar & Vocals) is a recent graduate of the MBA program. Morley Fernandes (Bass/Electric Guitar) is pursuing his post baccalaureate in International Business while Shubham Rana (Acoustic/Electric Guitar & Vocals) and Samridhi Dhawan (Guest Vocals) are post baccalaureate HR students.

Shot within a month of the Winter semester’s commencement, timing was crucial to avoid potential academic coursework clashes and get enough practice to allow filming to wrap up within a day. After hours of planning and utilization of an hour or two everyday after classes ensured a successful filming experience. Previous experience from 2015’s TRU LipDub project, especially the diversity showcase, assisted in creating a minimalistic manageable yet fully functional studio setting.

This project tries to serve as a humble testimony to the fact that less can definitely be more. The difference between the planned budget and the actual budget was almost 500% lower which led to creative and more efficient ways to keep costs low without sacrificing on the quality of the overall production. This encompassed filming with multiple camera sources including iPhones, a GoPro and two Canon DSLRs.

For music production enthusiasts, the project was recorded LIVE on set using the portable ZOOM R16 recorder. Audio files were later edited and mastered in the Cockos Reaper Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) and enhanced using iZotope’s Ozone plugins.

'Tis the season! - LIVE Music at Tim Hortons (Sahali), Kamloops BC [Abijah Gupta ft. Shubham Rana]

noreply@blogger.com (Abijah Gupta) — Sat, 19 Dec 2015 08:58:00 +0000

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

We thoroughly enjoyed playing LIVE music for a lovely audience at the Sahali Tim Hortons in Kamloops, BC.
We started off with traditional Christmas carols and then did a few John Mayer covers.

Track Listing:
Silent Night: 00:00
Blue Christmas: 01:43
Jingle Bell Rock: 03:44
Let It Snow: 05:52
Jingle Bells: 07:43
Deck The Halls: 09:14
We Wish You A Merry X'mas: 10:50

BONUS:
I Don't Trust Myself (John Mayer Cover): 12:50
Daughters (John Mayer Cover): 16:19

Special thanks to: John & Phyllis Pankuch, Corrie Monsen & Amanda Suitor
Director/Producer/Editor: Abijah Gupta
Assistant Director/Cinematographer: Nathan Piazza
Keyboards: Abijah Gupta
Guitarist/Vocalist: Shubham Rana

Shubham and I have done several collaborations before: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD53-YHJDTcKw5SY2AaWjy0HZZN_yRJh_

Sing to Jehovah [Keyboard renditions] - A Dedication to my Mother

noreply@blogger.com (Abijah Gupta) — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 01:32:00 +0000

Dedicated to my Mother.

Note: I was raised as a Jehovah's Witness till I left the Church a few years ago. I played these songs again because I mostly grew up with them and because I like to play them.

I request everyone to not start any controversial discussions in the comments below.

The playlist:

Check out the audio:

TRU LipDub: Rock The Dub

noreply@blogger.com (Abijah Gupta) — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 22:44:00 +0000

My role as a Sound Director

Over an year of planning involving countless hours of meetings, brainstorming, arts & craft, trial runs and of course... Pizza!

The LipDub project was filmed on Thompson Rivers University campus on Oct 17th, 2015 with over 275+ enthusiastic participants. Where on one side we had the Iron Man fighting the mighty Hulk, on the other we had a Greek warrior and princesses welcome us to their palace!

The LipDub concept itself may not be new but the conceptualization is what sets it apart. Apart from the traditional lip syncing and having fun bits, we feature a section called the Diversity and Intercultural bit. This section featured traditional dance forms from popular areas of the world and concluded with an instrumental band rendition of the song.

Here's a TL;DR version of the entire video:

If you still haven't seen the official TRU LipDub video yet, here's a 40 sec TL;DR version!Of course, you should watch the full version here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buwLFhgsYcI
Posted by Abijah Gupta on Monday, November 23, 2015

We chose American Authors' Best Day Of My Life for this project.
For the band part, I used GarageBand to arrange a sequence using 3 drum tracks followed by a rendition of the song I played on my MIDI keyboard.
The actual cultural music is Apple's loops which I tweaked for length and/or scale.

Restoring the balance in the force: Music is my earthing connection

noreply@blogger.com (Abijah Gupta) — Fri, 09 Oct 2015 17:00:00 +0000

I've always fancied the keyboards. Mostly for their amazing ability to simulate a vast number of voices and, depending on the keyboard, the voice's dynamics too!

I played a portable keyboard (a.k.a. beginner keyboard) for the longest time till I finally got to see Yanni (the Greek composer/musician), LIVE in concert, in Calgary in 2014. It's amazing how one event can suddenly enable one to finally go ahead on something that got delayed for the longest time for some or the other reason.

The very first time I played on the more advanced Arranger Workstation model (Yamaha PSR S950), I knew I had made the right choice. Suddenly, the guitar's dynamics (slides and taps etc.) were so much more obvious. Even the Grand Piano's sound had a royal feel of a concert hall with lots of velocity controlled movement.

Do I regret not having moved to the advanced keyboard sooner? Not really. It was only because I spent my initial time on the beginner board that I could really appreciate the sound quality of the advanced version.

That being said, I've been blessed tremendously with family and friends who have encouraged my learning passion and journey both by words and opportunities.

I finally started using a dual keyboard setup and have already performed twice using the same. Please check out: LIVE in Calgary and LIVE at TRU International Days 2015

As a final thought, I would encourage anyone reading this to try their utmost best to not let your true passion die, ever! Over the past several years, I have had my own ups and downs like everybody else but music has always been there to soothe, to comfort and to earth all of my energies. It restores equilibrium to my life and I hope your passion will bring you the same joy and peace.

My music website's designs, content and management [Behind the Scenes]

noreply@blogger.com (Abijah Gupta) — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 17:00:00 +0000

Anyone who has ever visited my website before will notice a (major) redesign in terms of colors, arrangement and homepage content. Sometimes it's a minimalistic design, other times it's a dynamic burst of colors. In this article, I try to take you behind the scenes of my 7 year old website and hopefully offer some useful tips and tricks for your own designs. You will also notice that I've included several questions that you've asked via the contact page or the Facebook Page Messages. Got more questions? Get in touch with me here, or here.

Timeline:

In 2008, I created this website/blog and at that time it was linked as the default www.abijahgupta.blogspot.com
Since I was fairly new to the Blogger world, I started posting random funny pics and other articles on this one. At that time, I used to have another blog titled "Angelic Delight" which was basically my online database of all the recordings I had been doing so far.
In 2009, I merged all posts from Angelic Delight to Abijah Gupta and thus this became my primary music website.
In 2010, I registered for a free .co.cc domain and this website became abijahgupta.co.cc
In 2011, I purchased a commercial domain and since then it has been linked as www.abijahgupta.com

Q: What kind of knowledge does one require?
I'm a Computer Science graduate with good working knowledge of HTML, CSS and JavaScript. If those three terms sound weird to you, DON'T WORRY! It's not as bad as it sounds and I will show you great ways to incorporate pearls of wisdom found in the vast ocean of Le Interwebs.

Q: Why did you choose Blogger?
Since Blogger is owned by Google, I decided to create an account here since it would be easier to link within the vast realm of other Google services. I also liked the overall simplicity and the option of being able to customize the template (more on that, later) via simple HTML and CSS

Designing and updates:
I've always been passionate about web and graphic designing and thus from the day it came into existence, I've played around with multiple settings/outlooks multiple times. Blogger offers a good variety of gadgets that you can directly add to your blog. In other cases, it lets you add HTML code which is helpful in displaying content from 3rd party apps (Facebook page box, Twitter timeline etc.)

For graphics, I've been using Adobe Photoshop since version 7.0. Interestingly, I had been using Microsoft PowerPoint for graphics before that! I know it sounds weird but for a totally inexperienced beginner graphic designer it seemed like the best choice. I even have a video that shows how you can design a music cover art using Microsoft PowerPoint!

Here's an album I posted on Facebook showing some of the website designs I've gone through:

At an average, I make one minor change a week and almost a full redesign once every month!These are a handful of screenshots from various points of time ever since my website went LIVE in 2008.
Posted by Abijah Gupta on Monday, August 31, 2015

Q: How do you go about a redesign?
I usually look at my entire website at a glance and then try to highlight the top 3 things that I dislike about it. Then I look at how big of a change I'm looking at.
For example, that short list could be:
1. Header Image is too big/small.
2. The font is not legible enough.
3. The design is too confusing and/or content arrangement is not very user friendly.

Based on this list, #1 and #2 are easy fixes and won't require a major change; however, #3 would need re-organizing the structure and hence more work.

The next step is usually the longest for me because I try to picture in my mind the exact design that I want. Mostly I 'draw' a blueprint in my head but sometimes I revert to the traditional pen and paper for the same.

Once I know the EXACT design that I want, I go ahead and start making changes.

How to prevent an #EPICFAIL!
In my initial days of designing and customizing, I created a duplicate blog with the same posts and designs as the original. I would make the changes to this mock site and then if I liked the final result I would redo them on the LIVE version.
If you're new to designing or are still experimenting around, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND to have a mock test site for making changes.

More tips and tricks
There's always comfort in the fact that you're not alone and that is specifically true when it comes to any kind of programming, designing and/or customizing. In my initial days, I spent countless hours on trying to fix issues till I googled up the issue and found solutions in the form of video tutorials, other blog posts or even dedicated forum topics. Most of the times, you can even find pre-written code snippets which you simply need to copy and paste into your own HTML code.

As a follow up, I will be doing a video session where I'll build a music blog/site from scratch. Once done, I'll post a link to that article here.
In the meantime, feel free to ask questions in the comments below or get in touch with me on the contact page and/or Facebook page.

[LIVE Broadcast]: Abijah's 25th Birthday: The Global Concert

noreply@blogger.com (Abijah Gupta) — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 18:50:00 +0000

Facebook event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/983852018332611/

Audio:

Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6vpzz9MuK4

About the concert:
Over the years, I've learnt a lot about various genres from all around the globe. For many cover versions that I play on my keyboards, I try to fuse and/or mix-n-match a song with a different style and lead voice.

For this concert, I have prepared a lot of well known music for you which is both close to me and has a certain level of improvisation involved.
Please check out some of my constant experimentation and tweaking around on previous LIVE broadcasts.

Inspirations and dedications:
My main driving force to reach out, LIVE, came after I saw the extremely talented Greek musician, Yanni, LIVE in Calgary in 2014. His music, powered by himself and his talented orchestra moves anybody who tunes into it. After my parents gifted me the Yamaha PSR S950 last year on my birthday, I've been attempting to recreate a similar virtual orchestra ambiance and presence. This concert also serves as a celebration of one year since I embarked on this journey.

I also humbly dedicate this concert to two people I greatly loved and have lost within the past two years. My maternal grandfather, Shri Surendra Kalra and my mentor from Teck, 'Captain' Randy Cooke.

The Golden Eyed Girl: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-golden-eyed-girl/id618590582?i=618590868
Seduction: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/seduction-single/id694991600
Olivia: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/olivia-single/id994862394

Track listing:
PRE-SHOW & SOUNDCHECK
Happy Birthday To You (Piano)
Fur Elise - Piano and Jazz
The Golden Eyed Girl [Abijah Gupta]

MAIN SHOW PART I
Amazing Grace
River Flows In You [Yiruma]
Rhyme of Another Summer/ Comptine d'un ete Amelie
Take Five {Dave Brubeck Quartet]
Truth of Touch [Yanni]
My Heart Will Go On
Ajeeb Dastan Hai Yeh
Kiss The Rain [Yiruma] ft. RainyMood.com

INTERMISSION
Seduction [Abijah Gupta]

MAIN SHOW PART II
Can't Help Falling In Love [Elvis Presley]
Everything I Do [Bryan Adams]
The Godfather Theme
Ode To Joy
Tum Hi Ho
Hotel California [Eagles]
Let It Be [The Beatles]

CREDITS
Olivia [Abijah Gupta]

My setup and equipment for this concert:

For a full setup overview that I use in general, please read my write-up here.

Keyboards & Sound:
Yamaha Workstation Arranger PSR S950
IK Multimedia iRig KEYS Pro 37 keys MIDI
Mackie 402-VLZ3 Mixer
Sennheiser Momentum
Bose SoundTrue In-Ear Headphones

Cameras
2x Logitech Webcam C920

Software(s)
XSplit Broadcaster
Sony Sound Forge Pro (Post-processing for audio file)

Stay tuned for more details and please do join the event!

Rorschach - What do you see? [iTunes Single]: Abijah Gupta

noreply@blogger.com (Abijah Gupta) — Tue, 25 Aug 2015 12:29:00 +0000

Title: Rorschach
Release Year: 2013
Type: iTunes Single

Cover Art:

Browse the iTunes catalogue and buy: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/abijah-gupta/id618590862
Download for FREE: http://www.abijahgupta.com/p/free-music.html

Why two different download options?

I offer free downloads to anybody who would like to download for their own enjoyment and paid for those who would like to support my future music experiments. My tracks are cheaper than a cup of coffee! Literally! Buy me a coffee? ::wink::

About this Single: I visualized an action packed scene while arranging this. More like high intensity activities like parkour. You could also visualize an action chase scene. Jump right into this action packed theme. Rorschach - what do you see?

Audio Playback:

Video Playback:

Updated: My dual keyboard setup, sound output, software, tips and overall review

noreply@blogger.com (Abijah Gupta) — Fri, 31 Jul 2015 17:00:00 +0000

My humble setup involves 2 keyboards, an iPad and an optional mic.
I'm using my latest setup for playing LIVE on YouTube or at gigs.

My current keyboards:
YAMAHA PSR S950 Arranger Workstation
IK Multimedia iRig PRO 37 keys MIDI

My iRig PRO is connected to my iPad3 which runs IK Multimedia's SampleTank, Xewton's Music Studio and Apple's GarageBand, depending on the song I'm performing.

It looks cool! Seriously though, it does. An often asked question is why many popular keyboardists use multiple (6 and/or above!) keyboards during their concerts. Yanni is known to use 6 Korg Krome keyboards and a YAMAHA piano for most of his concerts. The reason is more historical. A decade or two ago, keyboards could reproduce a very limited amount of voices. Hence, an artist would use multiple boards based on all the sounds required. Today though, one keyboard can produce a vast number of voices which can be further increased using expansion packs.

Why use multiple keyboards?

Ever since I started playing the keyboard, I've been fascinated with the kinds of sound and effects one can produce within a relatively short amount of time spent fiddling around with the settings.

A major reason I opted for a dual setup is the relative freedom of switching between voices without having to change any original settings thereby avoiding touching a dial or button on the main board. Also, depending on the keyboards you play, sometimes there is a noticeable abrupt cut when switching between two sounds and having a second board almost eliminates that weird sound while playing live.

My keyboards, stand, extension and setup

My workstation stands on a Yorkville IKS-T2 double braced stand.

The iRig Pro is mounted on top using Yorkville's second tier braces IKS-TS.

My iPad is connected to the main stand using Hercules mount for iPad.

I also have a Shure Beta 58A microphone mounted on Yorkville's MS206 stand. I did recently, however, buy a regular mic with a 6.3 mm jack as the Shure Beta 58A is too quiet due to (most probably) resistance in it's signal.

The new mic works perfectly with crisp audio output.

Software(s)

Depending on whether I'm doing a LIVE broadcast or simply doing a local recording, I alternate between Xsplit Broadcaster and the Logitech Webcam software.

Sound Output

I've used the Mackie 402-VLZ3 mixer till my recent upgrade to YAMAHA AG06 for binding all sound inputs together. I love this mixer due to its direct USB connection and high quality audio recording. The iRig PRO Keys' sound is directly outputted to my workstation itself. The workstation's output Left and Right channels are connected as independent inputs on Line 1 and Line 2.

For sound input to my Asus G73JW laptop, I use a standard 3.5mm to 3.5mm male-to-male cable with one end plugged in the Headphones output of the board itself and the other in the laptop's mic input jack.

For laptop sound monitoring, I use the loopback function on the mixer which is specially useful when I'm performing, for example, on Skype or LINE and when I need to interact back and forth.

I use Sennheiser Momentum headphones which connect on the independent phones jack on the mixer.

Olivia - Easy Listening/Lounge Music [Jazz Drums and Guitar Arrangement]

noreply@blogger.com (Abijah Gupta) — Tue, 28 Jul 2015 06:08:00 +0000

Title: Olivia
Release Year: 2015
Type: iTunes Single

Cover Art:

Browse the iTunes catalogue and buy: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/abijah-gupta/id618590862
Download for FREE: http://www.abijahgupta.com/p/free-music.html

Why two different download options?

I offer free downloads to anybody who would like to download for their own enjoyment and paid for those who would like to support my future music experiments. My tracks are cheaper than a cup of coffee! Literally! Buy me a coffee? ::wink::

About this Single: My latest iTunes Single that I initially started working upon back in 2013! For those of you who have seen me present a PowerPoint show, this is the track I have mostly used in the very end during the Q&A sessions.

Audio Playback:

Video Playback:

Top 6 locations to visit in Kamloops

noreply@blogger.com (Abijah Gupta) — Wed, 01 Jul 2015 23:20:00 +0000

Happy Canada Day! Join us as we take you on a tour to the top locations in and around Kamloops, BC.

About this project:
Special thanks to my friend and budding Canadian photographer, Nathan Piazza for his time and efforts in making this project a success.
Nathan's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/MrNate3333

We completed the entire shoot and editing within 10 hours. Our visited locations (with timecodes):
Riverside Park 00:00
BC Wildlife Park 01:05
Victoria Street, Downtown 02:09
Sun Peaks Resort 02:34
Aberdeen Hills 02:56
Thompson Rivers University 03:08

'Sunrise' is an iTunes Single I released in 2013 which played around with the melodious flute and soft guitar strumming sounds.
iTunes link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/sunrise-single/id690403110

#HappyCanadaDay and Welcome to The City of #Kamloops! Check out Nathan's cinematography and my music in our latest collaboration here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVjLrwvKZ9k
Posted by Abijah Gupta on Wednesday, July 1, 2015

The very first scene we shot was at the Victoria Street Piano. I played the live Piano solo part you hear at 02:05 to 02:35.
A week later, somebody vandalized this very Piano and it was silenced forever till it was reincarnated in the form of a red colored upright Piano.

#HappyCanadaDay and welcome to the city of #Kamloops https://t.co/g30HSeGYGu playing a melody at @dtkamloops 🎶 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/nPxkesdXlR
— Abijah Gupta (@AbijahGupta) July 1, 2015

We then went to the Riverside Park in downtown Kamloops for the video's opening sequence.

Filming a music video for 'sunrise' in #Kamloops today. Bright and Sunny out here at riverside park. 🌴 🌞 pic.twitter.com/gSkTdF2Z3T
— Abijah Gupta (@AbijahGupta) June 30, 2015

After filming the opening sequence we went to the BC Wildlife Park

Filming continues at wildlife park. #Kamloops #musician pic.twitter.com/StoFxb4zw2
— Abijah Gupta (@AbijahGupta) June 30, 2015

Our filming took us all the way to Sun Peaks Resort

Our video filming has brought us to @SunPeaksResort #Kamloops 🎥 🎶 pic.twitter.com/N5CJBZeARs
— Abijah Gupta (@AbijahGupta) July 1, 2015

We also shot some scenes at Thompson Rivers University

The city of #Kamloops would be incomplete without a shot of #ThompsonRiversUniversity @myTRU https://t.co/M70VA6PM6X pic.twitter.com/xrYIli4wWY
— Abijah Gupta (@AbijahGupta) July 1, 2015

Our final scene was an almost nighttime shot of the gorgeous valley.

The valley, #Kamloops https://t.co/M70VA6PM6X pic.twitter.com/afCNShRHxS
— Abijah Gupta (@AbijahGupta) July 1, 2015

One man band - Why and how I got into musical keyboards - Workshop at TRU [ORGB 3770]

noreply@blogger.com (Abijah Gupta) — Fri, 26 Jun 2015 17:30:00 +0000

I started my musical journey at the age of 5 with a CASIO PT-22 keyboard. In this workshop, I relive some memories while demonstrating the power of the keys on the iRig PRO 37 keys MIDI keyboard. I'm using IK Multimedia's SampleTank as the DAW app on my iPad.

My fascination for the keyboard opened up a virtual universe of various instruments. Not only could I play in the sound of a traditional Grand Piano but also could simulate the Guitar, Drums, Flute, Organs, Bass and any other popular instrument right on the keys. I didn't take formal music lessons but gradually developed a good sense of playing by ear. Over the years, with the help of YouTube tutorials, peers and other sources, I've learnt a good number of songs ranging from Indian to Western, Classical to Hip-Hop and so on.

You can read more about my musical journey, inspirations and other works here.

Special thanks to Amy Tucker for the opportunity for this workshop.

This video stops at 7:45 since my iPhone ran out of memory to record!! Moral(s) of the story:
1. Always ensure you have enough space on your recording media
2. Have a backup!

I also performed a cover version of Ed Sheeran's Give Me Love with talented guitarist Shubham Rana

How I got Facebook's verified blue tick mark

noreply@blogger.com (Abijah Gupta) — Sun, 12 Apr 2015 06:46:00 +0000

Disclaimer: The following notes are from my own experience and experiments. I do not represent and/or endorse any of the mentioned services. Also, I do not have an "inside guy at Facebook" so please avoid sending me requests for verification.
I got verified on Facebook in 2014. Since then, I've been receiving several messages requesting me to unravel the mysteries of the shining blue verified badge. Check it out here: https://www.facebook.com/abijahguptamusic/

What does it mean to be verified?
Some Pages and profiles are verified by Facebook to let people know that they're authentic. These Pages and profiles may include:

Celebrities and public figures
Global brands and businesses
Media

Why do people want that verified badge on their profiles?

Mostly used by public figures, a verified badge is a 'proof of authenticity' basically stating that you are who you claim to be.

It's interesting to see the search trend for verification rising ever since 2009 in the graph I generated below at: https://www.google.ca/trends/explore#q=twitter%20verification%2C%20facebook%20verification%2C%20verified%20blue%20badge&cmpt=q&tz=Etc%2FGMT%2B8

What changed after verification?
A section called "Linked catalogs" opened up for me which lets you add a link to your profile from any supported music service. Those links then appear under a tab titled "music".
Just in case you were wondering... apart from that, no other "secret features" opened up (as far as I observed).

How do I get one?
METHOD 1
The recommended method is to contact Facebook directly. After much digging around, I found the following link. The steps are:
1. Log out of Facebook first.
2. Open link: https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/538602519577289
3. Fill out all details as requested
4. "Send" your request
5. Wait for response

METHOD 2
Get an agent to do it on behalf of you. I found one via a "gig service" at a site called Fiverr. (Read my disclaimer above)

I got my blue verified badge within a month of application.

Final thoughts
Getting an online agent is challenging since there are many online who take your money on the promise of verification and then disappear. PLEASE look and read through reviews of the agent you choose to be sure of their legitimacy.

Also, from my understanding, verification is meant for specific groups. In other words fan pages will probably not be considered for verification. I also read somewhere that artist pages with a large fan following (number of page likes) is a criteria, however, I've seen some pages with as low as a 1000 page likes carrying the verified badge. So I guess it really comes down on your agent and whatever connections they have.

If you're applying for verification, good luck and do share your own experiences with me. Feel free to ask more questions. I'll be happy to answer as much as I can.

My trip to the National Music Center [Calgary], home to Sir Elton John's initial vertical Piano!

noreply@blogger.com (Abijah Gupta) — Mon, 15 Dec 2014 01:00:00 +0000

I was in Calgary for 16 months on an internship job when I was finally told about this magical place by a friend and colleague, David. The National Music Center (NMC) is known for its collection of over 2,000 rare instruments, artifacts, sound equipment and Canadian music memorabilia. The new building is currently under construction in downtown Calgary and scheduled to open in the Spring of 2016. NMC also hosts a wide variety of live music events—from sit-down jazz performances, to raucous punk and hip hop shows, to touring out-of-town electronic acts.

These pics are from the 3rd last guided tour they had before closing their existing location for relocation to the new place (due to open in 2016). It's an absolute privilege to have physically seen and touched few of these preserved milestones of the evolution of the modern day Piano.

In the picture to the right I'm standing next to one of Sir Elton John's initial songwriting pianos (Vertical Piano, 1910 | A. Day | England)

Guiding our tour that day was the talented musician Sarah Davachi

Below is an embedded post of the entire 70+ photos I took that day and posted on my Facebook page. Sarah was very kind to further comment descriptions on most of the pics.

Post by Abijah Gupta.

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