Big Lies Radicalize

Bash This Recording
#1

This is song #2 for 2021 on my new laptop.

I tried to deal with my recording warble and latency by changing some USB power settings to the Focusrite Scarlet 2i2 1st Gen, but that was not it at all, so I again got an unplanned effect and am just living with. This song is more straight rock, and I am going to tell the whole truth- I recorded it at 60bpm but it was 10 minutes long, so I sped it up to 120bpm so now it is 4 minutes and a lot livelier. It is funny how Reaper does this, not affecting the midi and only the audio recording. I did notice right afterward that my Scarlet was set to 48k sampling whereas my Reaper is set to 44100. I switched to 44 years ago after reading thoughts on that being better for music as CDs were 44 and video was 48, and I to this day am not sure if it matters. But it might in the same project!

So this time I waxed political in a serious way, and the music is more straightforward and minimalistic. Still no bass but it does have a synth bass element.

I am thinking of adding some January 6th video and audio at spots (Hang Mike Pence! Hang Mike Pence! etc.)

I do have the next song idea in mind to try, and it will be both political and fun.

Big Lies Radicalize by Steve Bancroft

I used to be so worried about this world that we all live in
Where suicidal bombers didn’t share our brand of religion
They blew up buildings and airplanes and believed heaven their reward
To me it was insanity there seemed no going forward

After 911 our lives were never the same
We sacrificed some freedoms, we knew who was to blame
But those who stormed the Capitol looked an awful lot like me
White women and men carrying a Rebel flag in was a first in history

They think they are the patriotic American
Most go to church and call themselves Christian
They love their guns and hate the sin of abortion
But when oh when did they start saying again “the South will rise again!”

But the president in whom they put their faith in
Kept telling them the election had been stolen
By Democrats and some Republicans like Mike Pence
We’ll march down there together and justice will be done

But that was just another lie
He let them hang there to dry
To take full responsibility
For the violence we all did see

As he watched them gleefully
On his wide screen TV
With his friends and family
From his White House sanctuary

Happy they were successfully
So radicalized the way he needed them to be
For the world and his party to see
And fear his power with nowhere to flee

But there were so many lies, big lies, too big to be lies
So they had to be truths
And the Washington Post and the New York Times
Were full of fake news from liberal Jews

It’s been going on my whole life from segregated schools
And integrating neighborhoods and living with new rules
And many fights arose with the newfound civil rights
Of children of slaves who were blacks and owners who were whites

It was never a problem for me to choose which side I’m on
It wasn’t my color or ethnicity or the state that I came from
It wasn’t the church I attended or my right to own a gun
Whatever side with Nazis and racists was not the side I was on

But big lies radicalize
As what you believe
Is compromised
They will deceive
As they are disguised

But one side is right
And the other side is wrong
And you can decide
Which side you are on

You may be white
Or you may pray to Allah
But your leaders are mere men
So think before you follow

Because you never will be free
The way you want to be
If you continue to believe the big lie
You’ll just be radicalized

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#2

Hey Steve,

If Reaper displays 44100, then your Scarlett switches to 44.1kHz, at least while you’re working in the project. You can click on the area where it says 44100 and quickly access the audio device settings where you can then select a different sample rate for the project if needed.

Reaper automatically converts audio that has a different sample rate than your project’s, so you can seamlessly collab with other musicians who might record at a different sample rate without experiencing the usual length and play rate issues. However, it is good practice to try to stick to one unique sample rate within the same project.

The higher the sample rate, the better the audio quality but whether or not (or how much) this is audible to the average listener is debatable - and highly debated. 44.1 has been the gold standard for audio ever since CDs have been around but things are currently changing and 48k is kind of becoming the new standard. I personally work at 96k inside my DAW and render at 48k.

Now regarding the song, here’s a few comments:

  • I think speeding up doesn’t work for the vocals. They now sound unnatural and it’s hard to make out the lyrics. Overall the song sounds kind of robotic and it kills a lot of the musicality in my opinion.

  • The electric guitar stabs are too loud

  • The vocals are usually centered because they are the main focus. In a song that has a strong message to deliver, I believe that you should place them there instead of pushing them to the right side like you did.

  • The vocals are interesting because although they don’t sound natural, they have a certain smoothness to them, which is kind of pleasing

I hope this helps.

#3

I would think so. If it isn’t that, my warble will still exist, and I will try to check every setting, including the Scarlet driver, against my old laptop. I’ve been moving kind of slow. I probably won’t go to 96 because of the large file sizes and my VST instruments are probably not that high, not to mention, having started out as lo-fi/no-fi, technology and good advice has upped me into the medium-fi category in my old age.

That’s true, Jean-Marc. In real life a lot of music, especially but not exclusively loud rock, steps on the words, even hits. But I have not stumbled on the happiest medium yet. It was clearer at real speed. I may try it at 80-90bpm, that would be longer but maybe better. It is 5:25 now, so that 10:50 length is probably too long, even with a video…

They are loud! And although I was going for loud, I probably overdid it. For whatever reason I could not get a Reaper Volume or Velocity automation track to affect the VST instrument, although I could do it universally. I may try that next.

I should have fixed that. My bad.

Once I fix my warble I probably will never sound “interesting” like this again until I find a good VST warble effect.

#5

All true Stan. But why are Nazis and racists wearing MAGA hats?

I don’t need Rachel Maddow to see what I saw with my own two eyes or hear what I heard with my own two ears. We both share that common experience.

My lyrical agenda is absolutely against the white men and women who embarrassed white men and women by acting like they did on the sixth.

I went to the local Ace Hardware store today in town to buy 5 PVC fittings I didn’t want to drive 30 miles roundtrip to get at Home Depot. The two girls/women at checkout were not wearing masks. I confronted them, which they were not happy about and defended their freedom. In our county it is optional. Home Depot wears masks. Rancho Grande across the street wears masks. They don’t because it is not a law. I said why do you wear a seat belt, because it is a law or because it is the right thing to do?

That’s the problem, Stan. Too many people are behaving irresponsibly for stupid justifications like FREEDOM. Biden doesn’t want to do it, but everybody should have to wear masks in public indoor spaces until the pandemic is knocked back, and FREEDOM has nothing to do with that.

Obviously we both want to get the economy back on track, but misguided people are slowing everything down.

So far, Biden is on the right path for economic policies, and he is a bit tough on China, Iran and Russia but necessarily so.

First he is doing a lot with Covid, exactly what he promised. Have you even heard Fauci or Byrx discuss their problems with Trump?

He has a strong buy America and green energy plan put forward. And unborn babies and the rights of women is not exclusive. The same people who are anti abortion are anti birth control! I find it pathetically ironic people who are against government controlling their lives are so copasetic with outlawing abortion, and worse still can’t even support raising the minimum wage or improving social security for the very poor.

#10

Thank you for your reviews! Now your song: I’m not going to say whether I lean to the Left or the Right, but I don’t understand why some people treat politicians like gods, because they are not. Your song is pretty trippy! At first it seemed to have timing issues, but then it made more sense as it played on. It seemed to me this song was pretty cathartic for you, correct? Though I would be careful with certain non-PC lyrics. Per usual, your vocals remind me a bit of Roger Waters. Rock on, and do your best to be at peace my friend. :slight_smile: Audio quality is pretty good.

#11

So according to your “logic”, seatbelt laws ought to be unconstitutional. You wear a seatbelt because it is the right thing to do. No different than wearing a mask, Stan.

It is not against the law for a pregnant woman to smoke or drink if of legal age, but there is the right thing to do that is beyond the law or the concept of FREEDOM. FREEDOM is amoral, like DEMOCRACY. These are concepts which are good or bad based on their application. Whenever anybody uses these ideas to do bad, the lack of responsibility makes it bad, plain and simple.

So what is your opinion about being responsible? Who is misguided again?

Not true. Post macroeconomic theory is the only way to understand how economics works, and that is why Biden’s team is on the right track. Trump did not have a great economic record. How much did the minimum wage increase? Zilch. How much did the wealth increase for the very rich compared to us regular folks? A lot! And with future debt! How successful was his ignoring science in the pandemic fight for the economy? Talk about a huge disaster! The economy is still tanked because of the inadequate pandemic policies he is totally responsible for, including all the mask denying fools he inspired and encouraged we have today.

Consider the stark difference- Biden is saying 500,000 deaths by the end of February is very likely. Trump repeatedly told everybody it would just magically go away, first by Easter, then by the fall. And Trump knew he was lying because Bob Woodward had it on tape.

Very kind of you to say, Aaron. Yes, cathartic is spot on. But I’m not worried about anyone violating my home, thankfully. I’m not a politician or a god! I don’t expect everyone to lean Left or Right, but I do expect everyone to personally try to be responsible. So don’t drink and drive!

And don’t storm the Capitol!

I feel your frustration, dude. How anyone can not see how deluded QAnon is, especially with their latest prediction that March 4th, the old date for the inauguration, is when Trump will once again be inaugurated. We can’t make this stuff up!

Trump will probably not be convicted in the Senate, but the world will have to see the evidence, and they will also see the Senators who are cowards and turn a blind eye to all of it. I do not think it will help them politically in their reelections. Just today 44 Republican Senators voted that this impeachment was unconstitutional, including Mitch, because Trump was no longer President. Mitch also refused to hold the impeachment before the 20th, which Schumer was quite willing to do and was within their power. But there is nothing in the constitution that says you must hold the trial while he is in office.

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#12

Ha yeah the Q-Anitwits are a special kind of stupid. They’ve now taken up ideas from the “Sovereign Citizens” movement, which is also a special kind of stupid. These are braindead hicks and rednecks that think they can find loopholes in federal laws. “I’m not driving officer, I’m traveling.” Idiots. I don’t know how many soul crushing defeats Q-republidiots have to endure until they gets their heads out of their asses, but I’m happy to have them keep losing.

And I’m not surprised about House and Senate Republicans. They are spineless cowards. They could easily rip their party away from trump’s tiny fat greasy hands but they are scared of the trailer park’s voting power. He won’t be convicted. There’s no way 17 traitor republican senators will vote to convict their fuhrer. And that’s okay. Their own personal ambitions are more important to them than their country. Not a shock from republicans.

#13

It is okay. This current state of the GOP is no longer conservative.

Oh, and I did figure out my audio latency. I had to select the ASIO driver (had Waveout) and set it like my older laptop. Now I’m pretty sure I’m back to normal, so on with the tests/new songs!

#14

Isn’t it weird how they’ve abandoned all of their morals and ideology? Not that their “morals” were ever very moral, but damn, this current crop of GOP traitors is not the party of Lincoln, Reagan, or even George W. These losers choose to kneel at the feet of a fat fragile reality tv guy? Republicans are pathetic disgusting coward traitors.

#15

They are the cart, the voters are the horse, but the horse is following a perverted news media/social media carrot and wearing blinders to boot and heading for a cliff. And Trump is still driving the cart.

So I have here a 100bpm version that clocks in at about 6 1/2 minutes and maybe is a little clearer on the words without giving up its frantic energy. I did not level the vocals as I realize I recorded with two mics in stereo and drift left and right during the song. Personally I don’t mind it, although I do tend to use a leveler most of the time since it doesn’t go over well with many people, but this song feels fine as it is like I’m walking on a stage (in my imagination).

#16

I like the attack on the guitars, instrumentation is great. I liked it sped up better than the slow one.
Though if you want it sped up, you might want to rerecord vocals with the faster tempo.
Vocal intelligibility is an issue with both versions, I think it is from your choice of room reverb and eq. (unless the goal is for them to be a bit unclear and a bit straining)
What reverb are you using (if any) and what are its settings?

#17

When I recorded it, Michelle, the latency was a second or so, and there was that warble as well, so it was its own effect. It was driving me crazy! I was running out of breath at points, but I also had time to enunciate in slow motion almost. To make it louder and add presence I used Boz Provocative Full Bore and Manic Compressor a Dynamic Vocals 1 I think and ReaFir for noise. I don’t think Boz saves the presets unless I create a new one, so I should write them down or I end up with a default.

Now that I think my ASIO is set properly, I might rerecord it at 120bpm. It wasn’t my goal to be a bit unclear and straining, but I also didn’t want to sound like the Eagles :innocent:. I think if people wanted to know all the words they could listen to it on headphones 10 times and/or read the lyrics because they certainly are getting the gist of it as it is!

It’s funny how a song’s tempo can change from concept to listening. Can you imagine a fast Unchained Melody? Some songs like Born to Run sound great fast and slow. One day I might slow down Ramones’ songs just for grins.

#18

yeah tempo can change the feeling of the song entirely :slight_smile: .

To add more focus to the vocals, first, I would remove nearly all presence or loudness plugins in the vocal chain and start over with just a compressor.

Next, there is too much “room mumble” coming in as well, so you could significantly filter some lows and boost a bit of highs. If you want to get your hands dirty even further, boost the parts where the consonants are coming in using automation. That should stage the vocals pretty good without needing any plugins for presence.

Then,
I would advise a plate reverb or a medium hall reverb with higher predelay (100ms ish.) If you are using it as an insert, play around with the dry and wet knob till the vocals are wet but not too far away.

As for loudness, instead of boosting the vocals, bring all the other instruments down in volume.

lastly, put a limiter at the end and get it to a pleasant loudness.

#19

Michelle, thank you, even though you make my brain melt! I am uploading the next song in a few minutes to BTR with my newly improved ASIO settings. Each song is a new test, as I do not want to be speeding up vocals except in emergencies.

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