The Active Verb

Sequences & Other Little Ditties

noreply@blogger.com (Kevan R. Craft) — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 11:49:00 +0000

by Kevan R. Craft & Gareth R. Craft

Sequences & Other Little Ditties is a rare oddity comprising of a collection of demos produced using the MIDI Sequencing software Music-X on an Amiga A500 Plus during 1991 & 1992. We invested in the Amiga and Music-X as this seemed the least expensive way of acquiring a computer and MIDI sequencer so we could get our hands dirty and learn this weird thing called MIDI..

The music contained on this album originated from a demo tape recorded to a SONY HD-F-90 cassette and as such wasn't intended for public consumption. The music contained here are demos, experiments and doodling trying to figure out how to sequence music using a sequencer running on a computer and using a couple of synths so the music could play back via MIDI.

The results contained herein are from just over a year of experimenting and fooling around with MIDI which for us was early days before we eventually recorded our A Drop in the Ocean CD so these tracks helped both Gareth and myself to develop a greater understanding of sequencing for MIDI and MIDI technology which we eventually put to use when we recorded our A Drop in the Ocean CD album in 1993.

The music here is quirky, mad and fun and some is quite simply bad but it is listenable to so enjoy and listen to it for the fun of it.. Not many musos release this kind of stuff instead the tapes tend to gather dust on their shelves but I enjoy listening to this collection of music presented here. I get a great deal of pleasure remembering what I did and how I did a thing and the memories of it bring a smile and an occasional giggle at the cookiness of it all..

Music-X sequencer front end screen.

The Music-X sequencing page displayed graphically as a Piano roll.
Sequences & Other Little Ditties A Collection Of Works 1991 - 1992 Kevan R. Craft & Gareth R. Craft

Recorded from SONY HD-F-90 stereo mixdown cassette tape Audio: 44.100 KHz, 16 Bit, Stereo. Digital Restoration work carried out in Feb 2004

01. Jazz Funk
02. Chamelion
03. Tough Talk
04 - A Piece of Glass
05. Equicon Days
06. Get This!
07. Brain Drain
08. Equicon Days Again
09. Playing 5 Parts With 2 Hands
10. Six Part Ensemble
11. Son Of Mr Green Genes
12. Toccata For a Large Organ
13. The Magnificent 7
14. Postmodern Ism
15. Fruit Salad Surgery
16. Machine Man
17. Pork Pie Hat
18. If Your Happy Then You've Got The Clap
19. What?
20. Short & Sweet
21. Sticky Fingers 22. Mahavishnu (I Miss You)

Tape Hiss removed using Dart Pro 32 v1.14 DART Pro (Digital Audio Restoration Technology) is a sophisticated program for the restoration of archived audio recordings. It is capable of removing both impulsive disturbances (clicks, pops and record scratches) and wide-band noise (tape hiss, surface noise) - and does it in a fast and efficient way.

Audio Editor Program used Sonic Foundry's Sound Forge v6.0 Sonic Foundry Process Options used: 1. Channel Converter Setting: Stereo to Stereo - Swap Channels LEFT to RIGHT/RIGHT to LEFT 2. Volume - increased Left Channel by 2.6 dB both channels roughly same level now Direct-X Plug-in technology used: 1. Sonic Foundry Graphic Dynamics Setting: Mute Levels Below -35dB (Hard Noise Gate) Result = removes unwanted line noise in audio below the -35dB threshold 2. BBE Sonic Maximizer Setting: Contor = 6.0 Process = 6.0 Output Level = -4.3 3. Waves L2 Ultramaximizer Setting: Hi Res CD Master at 0.3dB Compressed to 128 Kps mp3 file format Audio: 44.100 KHz, 16 Bit, Stereo. One minute of audio compresses to a file size of approximately 0.91 MB (about 11:1 compression).

All MIDI tracks sequenced using a Music-X v1.0 Software running on an Amiga 500 Plus computer with a Roland GR-50 Guitar Synthesizer. All other tracks are performed using a Roland GR-50 Guitar Synthesizer, a Fender Stratocaster Guitar and a Roland GK-2 MIDI Pickup

Tracks 1, 4, 7, 13, 14, 16, 10, 21, 22, 23 & 24
by Kevan R. Craft © 1991 - 1992 Tracks 1, 5, 6, 8 by
Kevan R. Craft and Gareth R. Craft © 1991 & 1992
Tracks 2, 9, 10 by Gareth R. Craft © 1991 - 1992
Track 3, 11, 12, 17, 18 & 19
Arrangements by Gareth R. Craft © 1991 - 1992
Originally Mastered to Analogue Stereo Audio Cassette Tape Re-recorded into Sonic Foundry's Sound Forge v6.0 via Yamaha KX-390 Stereo Cassette Deck. Digital Audio Restoration achieved using DartPro32, Waves Restoration Tools on a Windows XP Professional PC System. Mastered using various Direct-X Plug-In Technology. BBE Sonic Maximizer & Waves L2 Ultramaximizer.

Audio burned to CD using Sonic Foundry's CD Architect v5.0

Phantasmogoria

noreply@blogger.com (Kevan R. Craft) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 14:58:00 +0000

by Kevan R. Craft

Phantasmogoria was composed and played on a Korg Trinity Plus/HDR-TRI with a PBS Sample playback card fitted back in 1998.. The Korg Trinity was an excellent digital Synth containing the world's first synth with a touch screen, and excellent synth, digital and drum and percussion instruments, truly a wonder of it's time.. Even limited to the then 32 note Polyphony the sound one could get out of this baby was outstanding.. Listen to Phantasmogoria and hear the wonder and magic of the Korg Trinity Plus/HDR-TRI with a PBS-TRI sample card fitted - a fully-loaded bitch of a synthesizer workstation! The Korg Trinity was the first silver synthesizer to hit the streets and when people saw it and heard it the thing blew everybody away.

Phantasmogoria - CD Front cover

Phantasmogoria - CD Booklet back

Phantasmogoria - CD Traycard

Phantasmogoria - CD Disc Label

Download Phantasmogoria in mp3 file format
http://www.mybloop.com/get/2663909/Phantasmogoria.mp3

Copyright © 1998
All Rights Reserved
Kevan R. Craft

Phantasmogoria is also featured on the Korg Trinity Mailing List Disc #2

Academia

noreply@blogger.com (Kevan R. Craft) — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 23:34:00 +0000

by Push Bar To Exit

Push Bar To Exit was a student band formed in 1986 and lasted two years of my 3 years as an undergraduate studying my Manchester University first degree in Media Studies and Sociology at North Cheshire College. I started the band during my first year with Tim Lowther who played drums but two previous members left. During the 1987-88 academic year we recruited a recently enrolled first year student Martin Shaw on Bass and we became a 3-piece PUSH BAR TO EXIT..

During my second year studies I had access to an 8-track analog recording studio together with digital mastering facilities but in order to use the facilities I had to write a paper on the quality of the studio and it's equipment as an academic paper which could be submitted and graded towards my course. The Three tracks included on this mini EP on CD were originally recorded onto AMPEX 8-track analog reel-to-reel tape and mastered to a SONY Betamax PCM system and finally mastered to a Teac Chrome C90 cassette tape. The Cassette tape was used to master the audio CD first using various digital tools to digitally clean up the audio before mastering.

PUSH BAR TO EXIT
Academia1. A World I Never Knew
Words & Music by Kevan R. Craft © 1983/1988
2. Same Ol' Story
Words & Music by Kevan R. Craft © 1983/1988
3. Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City
Words & Music by Bobby Bland © 1974
Arrangement by Kevan R. Craft © 1988Kevan R. Craft: Guitar, Lead Guitar & Vocals
Martin Shaw: Bass Guitar & Synthesizer
Tim Lowther: Drums & Percussion

Produced & Engineered by Kevan R. Craft
Recorded at North Cheshire College 8-Track Recording Studio April 1988

Originally Mastered to SONY F1 Betamax Digital Stereo System Dub copy to TDK C90 Chrome Analogue Stereo Audio Cassette Tape. Re-recorded into Sonic Foundry's Sound Forge v6.0 via Yamaha KX-390 Stereo Cassette Deck. Digital Audio Restoration using DartPro32, Waves Restoration Tools on a Windows XP Professional PC System. Mastered using TC Electronics TC NATIVE EQ-G & Waves L2 Ultramaximizer.

Audio burned to CD using Sonic Foundry's CD Architect v5.0, February 2004Mastering and Artwork Kevan R. Craft

Copyright © 1983/1988 & 2004
Kevan R. Craft
All Rights Reserved

Push Bar To Exit - Academia - CD Booklet front

Push Bar To Exit - Academia - CD Booklet page 2

Push Bar To Exit - Academia - CD Booklet page 3

Push Bar To Exit - Academia - CD Booklet page 4

Push Bar To Exit - Academia - CD Booklet page 5

Push Bar To Exit - Academia - CD Booklet page 6

Push Bar To Exit - Academia - CD Booklet page 7

Push Bar To Exit - Academia - CD Booklet page 8

Push Bar To Exit - Academia - CD Booklet page 9

Push Bar To Exit - Academia - CD Booklet page 10

Push Bar To Exit - Academia - CD Booklet page 11

Push Bar To Exit - Academia - CD Booklet page 12

Push Bar To Exit - Academia - CD Traycard

Push Bar To Exit - Academia - CD Label

Reflections

noreply@blogger.com (Kevan R. Craft) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 17:15:00 +0000

by Triangle

Triangle were a three-piece rock band fronted by Kevan and Gareth Craft with third member Mark Hodgkinson on Drums and Percussion. The idea behind Triangle was to try and write songs similar to Rush, UK and some other progressive rock bands of the day. If you listen to the tracks no doubt you'll hear the musical references. The album was originally recorded as demo cassettes recorded during three separate sessions. The first session was recorded in April 1981, the second during a period between 1982 and the third sometime in 1983.
In 1981 Kevan was 22, Gareth was 19 and Mark was 14 years of age..
1. Psychopath 6:19
2. Painted Angel 5:54
3. Images 3:53
4. The Traveller 3:44
5. Looking Back 8:12
6. Adventurer 6:35
7. Without A Word 5:26
8. Show Me The Sign 5:14
9. The Last Time 6:45
10. Futures Past 7:10
11. Final Chapter 8:35
12. The Last Time [Live Take] 6:41
Total Running Time 74:56
Tracks 1 - 8 Recorded April 1981
Tracks 9 - 12 Recorded 1982 - 83
All tracks written and composed by
Kevan R. Craft & Gareth R. Craft
Produced and Engineered by Kevan R. Craft & Gareth R. Craft
Copyright © 1981, 1982, 1983 & 2004
Kevan R. Craft & Gareth R. Craft
All Rights Reserved

T R I A N G L E
Kevan R. Craft:
Acoustic & Electric Guitars, Bass Guitar, Bass Pedals & Vocals
Gareth R. Craft:
Acoustic & Electric Guitars, Bass Guitar, Bass Pedals & Vocals
Mark Hodgkinson:
Drums & Percussion
Drum Machine on track 8 programmed & played by Mark Hodgkinson
Originally recorded using a Tascam 144 Portastudio
Mastered to TDK C90 Chrome Analogue Stereo Audio Cassette Tape
Re-recorded into Sonic Foundry's Sound Forge v6.0 via a
Yamaha KX-390 Stereo Cassette Deck
Digital Audio Restoration using DartPro32
Waves Restoration Tools on a
Windows XP Professional PC System
Mastered using BBE Sonic Maximizer.
Audio burned to CD using Sonic Foundry's CD Architect v5.0, March 2004
Digital Mastering by Kevan R. Craft & Gareth R. Craft .
CD Artwork & Design Concept by Kevan R. Craft.

Kevan R. Craft, Mark Hodgkinson & Gareth R. Craft
The Craft's backyard, 1981.

Gareth R. Craft, Mark Hodgkinson & Kevan R. Craft
The Craft's backyard, 1981.

Gareth R. Craft, Mark Hodgkinson & Kevan R. Craft
Manchester Ship Canal, Sandy Moore, Cheshire. 1981.

Gareth R. Craft, Mark Hodgkinson & Kevan R. Craft
Manchester Ship Canal, Sandy Moore, Cheshire. 1981.

Triangle live at Brady's/Erics in Liverpool, UK
- across the road from the Cavern, 1981.
Kevan R. Craft vocals & Bass, Gareth R. Craft Guitar
Mark Hodgkinson Drums & Percussion.

Triangle live at Brady's/Erics in Liverpool, UK
- across the road from the Cavern, 1981.
Kevan R. Craft vocals & Bass, Gareth R. Craft Guitar
Mark Hodgkinson Drums & Percussion.

Triangle - Reflections CD - front cover

Triangle - Reflections CD - page 2

Triangle - Reflections CD - page 3

Triangle - Reflections CD - page 4

Triangle - Reflections CD - page 5

Triangle - Reflections CD - page 6

Triangle - Reflections CD - page 7

Triangle - Reflections CD - page 8

Triangle - Reflections CD - Traycard

Triangle - Reflections CD - Inlay

Triangle - Reflections CD - Disc label

Deep House In Japan

noreply@blogger.com (Kevan R. Craft) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 23:11:00 +0000

by A. S. Goodwin

Pop Promo
Edited by Kevan R. Craft Sept 2008
Running Time: 3 mins 28 secs approx
Shot on SD Video 1:33:1 PAL
Edited and rendered in Letterbox 4:3 PAL format

This Pop Promo was an exercise in "scratch video" utilising short clips footage and actual footage of the artist cut rapidly and juxtapositioned to create an impression of time running fast and in timelapse in a creative and artistic way to enhance the instrumental music "Deep House in Japan" composed by A. S. Goodwin.

Work done using Final Cut Pro 6 on a MacBook Pro 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 4GB RAM and an external 500GB LaCie Hardisk...

Artwork for the DVD cover produced using Adobe Illustrator CS2 including screenshots exported from Final Cut Pro 6 and de-interlaced. Exported to JPG format.

Artwork for the DVD disc produced using Adobe Illustrator CS2 exported to JPEG format.

A Drop in the Ocean

noreply@blogger.com (Kevan R. Craft) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:01:00 +0000

by The Craft Brothers

Recorded in a bedroom 8-track recording studio at home during 1993 running a Tascam 38 8-track reel-to-reel tape machine hooked up to a Studiomaster 16 into 8 into 2 analog mixing desk and mastered to SONY DAT.. All vocals, electric and acoustic guitars by Kevan R. Craft and Gareth R. Craft. Additional backing sequencing completed using MIDI synthersizers hooked up through the Music-X v1.1 MIDI Sequencer running on an Amiga A4000. The CD was officially released January 1994..

Kevan R. Craft - Vocals, Electric and Acoustic Guitars

Gareth R. Craft - Vocals, Electric and Acoustic Guitars

Songs written, Album produced, Engineered and Mastered by Kevan R. Craft & Gareth R. Craft.

CD Mastered at Nimbus CD Pressing plant December 1993..

Copyright © 1994
Cheshire Cat Records
Kevan R. Craft & Gareth R. Craft
All Rights Reserved.

The Shooting

noreply@blogger.com (Kevan R. Craft) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 20:36:00 +0000

Drama short written and directed by James Thomason
Edited by Kevan R. Craft Sept 2008
Running Time: 4 mins 21 secs approx
Shot on SD Video 1:33:1 PAL
Edited and rendered in Letterbox 4:3 PAL format

This short video drama was shot by a British student as his final year BTEC film which required a final cut edit to improve on an earlier edit made by the director himself. Work done included adding an incidental music soundtrack using Soundtrack Pro with sound effects to enhance the drama together with the actual cut.

Work done using Final Cut Pro 6 on a MacBook Pro 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 3GB RAM and an external 500GB LaCie Hardisk...

Download the shooting script in Adobe Acrobat PDF format:
http://rapidshare.com/files/150371980/The_Shooting.pdf

Artwork for the DVD cover produced using Adobe Illustrator CS2 including screenshots exported from Final Cut Pro 6 and de-interlaced. Exported to JPG format.

Download:
http://www.mybloop.com/get/2367960/The_Shooting_-_DVD_-_Cover.jpg

Artwork for the DVD disc produced using Adobe Illustrator CS2 exported to JPEG format.

Download:
http://www.mybloop.com/get/2367965/The_Shooting_-_DVD_-_Disc.jpg