ONU May/June 2009 Update
Bart in the "Cave"
Today I thought I’d give you a glimpse into the super-secret bunker from which I will be writing, arranging, and recording. It’s a place that is definitely not for the claustrophobic!
I converted the 4-foot crawl space under the addition to our house into a recording studio. We call it “the Cave”. I don’t know if this is in reference to Batman, Plato’s Republic, a man’s need for solitary space as mentioned in Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus, or just the fact that the place is cramped and dark. Thankfully it is not damp, with all the gear I have down here.
I just did a recording test yesterday to make sure the ambient sound of the Cave was acceptable. It seems that the Owens-Corning pink fiberglass insulation is pulling double-duty as sound dampening material, and the tiny walls and assorted stored junk break up any standing waves that a four-walled room would normally have. Dead quiet. I was even surprised that the whirr of my laptop cooling fan and the grinding of my hard drives were completely imperceptible when tracking. I was using two very sensitive mics–a CAD e100 I got about ten years ago in Kenosha, and a CAD M9 tube mic I bought last year–and when tracking acoustic guitar the only thing I could hear other than the instrument itself was my own breathing. Guess I’ll have to wear a ski mask when tracking guitars.
Even though you would think the Cave is a place only a man desperate for solitude would ever want to inhabit, it turns out that this is not the case. For one, my loyal Black Lab, Lawrence, loves the Cave because he can have me all to himself there. We have a new “Bogle” puppy, Choral, who is not allowed in the Cave yet, which suits Lawrence quite fine. Lawrence is quiet enough to not be heard during tracking, according to my initial testing. His fur might even dampen more low end for me–I’ll have to move him around the room to see where that might be most useful!
Also, my daughters LOVE the Cave. Amidst the monitors, interfaces, and guitars you’ll find Webkins and an Etch-A-Sketch. The other day the entire family, wife included, were with me in the Cave. So much for complete seclusion!
The Cave also serves as my “prayer closet”. Getting on my knees is easier in a room where one cannot stand upright anyway!
Last night I caught a vision for the opening song of the musical. I don’t know if the ideas will pan out, but I have some hunches as to how I can convey the horror of the sacking of Eupatoria by weaving some motif fragments from the songs “Blood Of Eupatoria”, “O Nox Ultima”, and “Tonight Our Final Night” into a powerful, eerie, and atmospheric opening that, Lord willing, will set the hook in the listener/viewer deeply enough to bring him/her into the world of this story.
Onward,
Bart
July 4, 2009 at 11:55 am
Hello Bart and DIS – everytime I am reminded of you and other spiritual progressive projects that take so much endurance and conviction to continue on it inspires me in my life. I will continue to keep praying for you and asking for the Holy Spirit to give you strength, wisdom, and revelation. Blessings, Rich
July 4, 2009 at 12:43 pm
Thanks, Rich. We need your prayers.
Megan will be finished with her degree in a month, and I should be able to place O Nox Ultima back on the front burner. Every so often, even in the current busyness, I’ll catch an inspirational idea and jot it down. I’ve also been able to work out issues with my studio a little bit at a time, all in preparation for the ACTUAL recording work yet to come.
Pray for our perseverance, and for the inspiration sufficient to make this project worth the time and resources poured into it already.