Compact Disc v Vinyl

The digital, analogue debate...

 

On the forth coming release of another Salterszo EP, I pondered over the listening formats available to me and the pros and cons of the various mediums. Obviously cost, for a small, relatively unknown artist, is the number one factor. There are various ways to get your work out there and the most cost effective I have found is a digital release. This, for me, would come in the format of downloadable, lossless or mp3 files through my Bandcamp website. It's quick, easily accessible and incurs no cost whatsoever to anyone. My releases are sold on a, 'name your own price' format and so paying the sum of $\£ 0.00 will get you everything for free. Though I have a few who pay and for that I am humble, thankful and feel truly honoured.

Second up is the compact physical release. Now this incurs quite a substantial cost. Compact disc is relatively cheap, but then add in jewel case, printed cd covers, postage and packing on top of choosing to outsource the manufacture and distribution and you now have to weigh up the economics of demand and supply costs. But making the physical copies yourself along with any printed album medium can drastically reduce costs but increase your labour, it's a trade off and one the individual themselves must decide on.

Finally and most fashionably is the vinyl physical release. Now this may still be a niche market but stats show an ever increasing demand. Is it all about the sound, its physicality, historic reminiscing, large artwork? Who knows its all so subjective, but sales are undoubtedly growing.

So this got me thinking, how accessible is a vinyl release to someone like myself? On researching it didn't take me long to realise it was well out of my budget. Due to the way music is pressed onto vinyl with specialist machinery this isn't a DIY project by any means.

Now also consider the difficulty of  keeping a true analogue path. Let me explain. I record into a computer, mix, master and burn to compact disc and despite applying debatable, analogue plugins, the whole path remains solely a digital one. So sending a master copy of my album\ep on compact disc to a vinyl pressing house does not make the final recording on vinyl a truly analogue one. To adhere to a full analogue path would require all recording, mixing and mastering to be done on tape. That, added to the price of production, technical ability, (ask any old recording engineer about the nightmare of recording and working with tape) and raised costs, somewhat nullifies any reasoning for me to pursue the analogue dream.

So digital is unequivocally the only domain I can work in. Costs, flexibility and convenience make it a no-brainer. As for sound quality? The analogue v's digital debate will rage on through the aeons until some other recorded medium emerges to take both their respective places.

Track Two: Stronger

Are you still listening?

After a little taster given of the first track of my upcoming EP 'Most Popular', I thought it appropriate to give more samples of what's to follow.

The first track maybe the opening salvo, the one that will pull you in or make you run away, but with the second track, well, that's when you need to reassure the listener that there's something worth sticking around for. When writing songs it's not unusual for there to be no coherent formula. So getting a bunch of songs all written at various times, moods, styles and bpm's etc, to sit nicely, in good chronological order, as an EP or album, requires some planning. It is with that in mind I chose the track 'Stronger' as No.2.

Stronger' started, as is commonplace for me, on the guitar. My favourite goto instrument of choice. Now seeing as I had decided to, try as I might, do a pop EP, the riff would require a contemporary setting to nestle it into that vibe. Obviously synth's would be needed and that was the beauty of recording the EP with Cakewalk's Sonar X3. It comes pre-loaded with some very professional sounding synth's and sound clips. Throw in a little piano here and there and the track started to breathe a life of it's own. 

Now for some lyrics. Well on this occasion and fortunately for me my good friend and writing buddy Daryl P Hall provided some and a song was born. That's the thing that always amazes me. I start of with an idea and usually end up somewhere I never intended. It's like walking on a familiar street, turning the corner and finding yourself in a foreign land. It all seems so unpredictable but somehow, in the end, you manage to make it back home.

Enough rambling on from me, here's the first sample, just me and guitar and then the final finished multi track EP version. Hope you like where this EP is going?

Just vocals & Guitar; Stronger - vocals & guitar only

Final EP version; Stronger - Final Multitrack Mix

Lyrical Dancer or Rhyming Chancer?

The Storyline...

Writing lyrics can and does cause me headaches from time to time. You see, truth be told, I find it difficult to write something original, to tell a story that hasn't be told before, and therein lies the greatest problem.

How do you tell a complete story in less than three minutes or slightly more that are coherent, engaging and charismatic enough for someone to take the time out and listen to what you're banging on about. Sure there are those listeners who don't really care as long as there is a hook line that grasps hold of them, but for others, like me, it really does matter.

Trying to stay clear of cliché's and well rehearsed rhyme is challenging at best. Think for a moment how many songs you know that use the same ole lines? Tons and tons of them right!

So how do you say something different? For me I tend to think of approaching it like looking up a thesaurus for a synonym, you can say the same thing just differently. Inevitably  I will have to revert to some familiar rhyming words but I try to keep them to the bare minimum. I must also tip my hat to my good Buddy Daryl P Hall who has collaborated on many a tune. I find that is also a great way to bring variety. Daryl will always surprise me with topics and story-lines I would never dream of. Hey, collaboration has been at the forefront of many  successful artists.

There's lots of tutorials on-line, books and courses on the subject but like making music and melody, there's no set formula. Some of the best known songs have pure gibberish for lyrics but  somehow they work. For example;

Black Eyed Peas '

“Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Saturday to Sunday.”

Taylor Swift'

“‘Cause you were Romeo / I was a scarlet letter / And my daddy said stay away from Juliet.”

Nicki Manaj'

“You a stupid hoe / You a / You a stupid hoe / (stupid, stupid).”

On the first song from my upcoming EP 'Most Popular' I actually wrote three different lyrics, sang them all and listened back to which one I thought worked the best. Here's the one I used;

Just Let It Go 

If you should stumble 

Lose your faith and crumble 

Find there's no-one there beside you 

If faith should depart 

If life should mimic art 

Lose the hand that guides you 

Though tears may fall and through it all 

Hope might allude you 

Don't you give up 

Cos seasons change things rearrange 

Nothing lasts forever 

Pass on this bitter cup 

Just let it go 

If life's against you 

Storms should beset you 

Hold on tight let them pass 

Asking the question why 

Feeling like you're gonna die 

On whom or what did you trespass 

© 2015 PinetreeMusic® 

words & music by Steve Salterszo