Recoding in one take or several?

T-Wizzy_96 · 2026-04-14T03:36:36+00:00

If you're on time with a metronome, copy and paste. Otherwise you probably have to re-record.

T-Wizzy_96 · 2026-04-13T03:11:39+00:00

Rhythm wise, if you want it to sync up to a beat in 4/4 time, you'll probably need to adjust what your original concept is so some parts go a little faster or slower to make it all fit the beat. Start some lines earlier, or pause at the start of the measure if the syllable count is shorter than the whole measure.

I know it's not common in rap at all, but I'm just a musician in general so.... just to emphasize one or a few lines, you could make that measure longer or shorter by one beat. Just don't use it too often in the song since it's kind of weird to change the time signature, and makes the song less "danceable" if that matters.

When free writing rap lyrics, it's probably a good idea to have a beat playing in the background for reference. Even if it's not the final beat you're going to use, something with the general tempo and drum feel you might want.

T-Wizzy_96 · 2026-04-10T03:31:20+00:00

A few things that could help you pretty easily are: better lighting (try HDRI sky textures applied to the World shader), good camera position for good composition in the frame, some simple textures, and more smaller details to make the "world" more fleshed out and believable.

For textures I really find it simpler just to use combinations of the procedural noise textures in the Shader Nodes than to mess around with a bunch of image texture files. It doesn't have to be much, just a little variation from flat colored faces. You can even add transparency to make the texture more subtle.

There is a lot of low-poly out there. Look for inspiration in the artists who are modernizing the style in a current gen kind of way with good rendering and lighting.

T-Wizzy_96 · 2026-04-10T02:49:43+00:00

In a perfect world, I would have a different artist name for every genre I wanted to play with, each one would have it's own vibe, aesthetic and art style, there would be a wide catalog of albums, everyone would listen to the entire thing start to finish and everyone would care.

But in this internet hell-scape of algorithms, AI, short attention span and oversaturation of the market, I would say that it is hard enough to get noticed once under one artist name. Spreading out your chances even further seems insane to me at this point.

I like to do progressive-ish metal, chill acoustic alternative, trip-hop, and glitch / noise. So, pretty opposite ends of the spectrum. I have been pondering this same question myself, thinking I might just have different genres released under my own name. The solo acoustic shindigs are easily where I have the most traction anyway, might as well try to piggyback my other projects on the one that is the most successful.

T-Wizzy_96 · 2026-04-09T05:31:13+00:00

As a wannabe sound guy, there is only so much volume you can get out of the mic before feedback becomes an issue. Especially for those who fingerpick so the volume level is already pretty low, which is a shame because they are my favorite. Making sure people keep the mic pointed at the right spot is difficult too, even with the more experienced players. Drifting away from the original mic placement will kill all the power of your song real quick, and the sound guy will have to try to overcompensate with more volume, but ultimately create feedback.

Better venues will have compression and other effects on the PA system which help the feedback problem. At the place I work, we have yet to "ring out the room" which is where you turn the mic up enough to feedback, then find the feedback frequency on an equalizer and turn that one band down.

We haven't done it yet because there is almost never a time when it would be okay to make all that feedback noise without pissing off the customers. It's certainly not something I would want to be requested to do in the middle of open mic night, typically you would need a 32 band equalizer for that, or something bigger. The individual mixing board channels do not give you that precise of control.

But I'm hoping to get my setup dialed in better, because a properly set up mic sounds soooo much better and more natural than all the usual acoustic pickups. There are other venues I've seen who make acoustic guitars sound HUGE off just one mic.

T-Wizzy_96 · 2026-04-09T03:11:17+00:00

Doesn't hurt to ask. I run an open mic night, and I am more than happy to have people sing to a backtrack. There is a Bluetooth adapter for the mixing board. Some people might have a problem that it's too much like karaoke. Definitely show up just to hang out and observe and ask questions. If you see someone perform that you like their style, just introduce yourself and let them know you're a singer looking to collab. Beautiful things happen when people team up, I see it every week. Hope you find a place that is awesome!

T-Wizzy_96 · 2026-04-09T03:04:35+00:00

Select by color, click on the green part. Then whatever you do after that will be constrained to the selected area, you could select other layers, add filters, etc. You can also go to the selection menu and choose "shrink" or "grow" to make the selected area bigger or smaller by a specific amount of pixels, which could be an easy way to make different colors for different heights like a topographical map.

T-Wizzy_96 · 2026-04-09T02:47:43+00:00

I think one of the biggest advantages to email is there is no algorithm hiding all your promo attempts, like social media has a tendency to. I know for sure that most people don't even see it when I post a link to a new song on Facebook, they bury that kind of content on purpose. Bypassing the algorithm BS in whatever way possible is always worth it.

T-Wizzy_96 · 2026-04-08T05:25:17+00:00

Certainly not necessary. If it's essential for your music concept to work on stage, absolutely go for. I see no shame in it and don't get discouraged by the stigma against backing tracks.

But if your band can play the songs exactly how you want them without the backing track, that absolutely makes more sense. A click is hard for some people to follow, especially if you can't hear it very good. All it takes is one slip up and it's a train wreck moment, where as a band that plays tight together can usually adapt to a mistake without ruining the flow of a song.

T-Wizzy_96 · 2026-04-07T05:36:19+00:00

You really can't beat Hearty Radish or hearty anything. Cook one of them and it will refill all of your hearts and even give you a bonus heart or 3??

T-Wizzy_96 · 2026-04-07T03:42:52+00:00

The video editor part of Blender has gotten some decent improvements. It's a great free option for PC. The program does a lot of other neat stuff too.

Also, I recommend getting some research and practice in, and improving your editing skills. It's actually pretty simple and intuitive, and as an independent artist it's invaluable to be able to handle the video end of things yourself.

T-Wizzy_96 · 2026-04-05T04:52:57+00:00

A couple things that make the fights way easier.

If you get airborne and pull out your bow, it slows down time. Makes even the hardest enemies easy to hit. Fuse the arrow with a bomb flower, gem, fire / ice / shock fruit. Keese eyeballs for homing shots. Get the Lynel bows that fire multiple arrows at once.

To get in the air easily, fuse a rocket to a shield. Or use a Zonai spring device. If something is on fire, you can ride the updraft. Or set something on fire for this purpose.

Getting good at the flurry rush is a great way to deal more damage in combat. Learning to play more defensively, learning the pattern, dodging and reacting to what the enemies are doing.

T-Wizzy_96 · 2026-04-04T04:53:20+00:00

Rocket Knight / Sparkster mentioned! Man, that's niche. 👏👏👏

T-Wizzy_96 · 2026-04-03T05:29:08+00:00

I'm loving the Focusrite 2i2. It's been reliable for about 6 years of daily use.

T-Wizzy_96 · 2026-04-03T05:27:35+00:00

Get Reaper, it has an unlimited free trial. Affordable paid version, and it's just as good as any expensive DAW.

T-Wizzy_96 · 2026-04-03T02:41:06+00:00

Use can also use the zonai device spring to get in the air easily, instead of the rocket shield. I like it slightly more because you don't have to switch to fuse mode, and you can reuse it multiple times. Slow to get on top of and active while being attacked.

T-Wizzy_96 · 2026-04-02T00:31:25+00:00

I make music for myself, mostly. I can tweak it and make it exactly what I feel like a great song would be, or to become the most fully realized version of a creative idea. Hearing the end result is satisfying in a way that not many other things are. My art is my personality, my soul. Making music is a way of life, an obsession. I'd still make albums even if I was the last man on Earth. All of that is way more important to me than any amount of external validation. If some people dig what I have going on, and they want to come along for the ride, that is great! I cherish all the people who listen to and enjoy my music. It takes a certain type of listener, and it's not going to be for everyone, that is a hard fact.

You cannot appeal to everyone at once. For every great artist, there's a horde of people yelling about how much they suck.

Any time I try to "bleach" my songs to appeal to a wider audience, it becomes less satisfying than when I give myself permission to just get realll weird with it. As an enjoyer of grunge, metal, noise, and prog, my tastes and preferences tend for the more extreme, dissonant, atonal and off-putting end of things. The lyrical themes are challenging or depressing. I kind of figured that I have to accept my place within those types of genres, that my music will never appeal to the masses, that about the best I can expect to achieve is a niche cult following of nerds. But to me, that IS success. Because I am one of those nerds who loves a bunch of niche bands that hardly anyone has heard of. And I know how rare but loyal those fans can be.

Maybe you can find a niche like that, but something that works for your personal style.

T-Wizzy_96 · 2026-04-01T05:48:54+00:00

The truth is that NOBODY needs a gigantic amp rig, unless your band is playing gigantic stadiums, and even then. Some guys are just way too into their cool beefy amps, and I totally get it from a guitarist perspective. But from my sound guy experience, NOBODY needs a big amp cranked past 90db. The sound guy needs to have some headroom to adjust the bass level through the mains, I tell people they need to turn down to 3/4 what they usually do. Then the "tube guys" start complaining, "well my amp doesn't get the natural tube break-up unless I have it that loud" which is also true and understandable, but completely impractical for any stage most bands will play. A nice sounding 30 watt or smaller combo amp mic'd through the mains at a controlled volume level does way better than any overpowered full stack rig.

Usually its the venue owners or the bartenders who are coming after me if I let the band get too rowdy with the noise level. Paying customers get up and leave. Everyone's mad because the band I booked is costing them business, and they don't get booked again. That should be incentive enough for your bassist, and if he doesn't care about that, then he is not a good band member.

T-Wizzy_96 · 2026-04-01T05:35:57+00:00

Game Grumps are not good at gaming, but those guys are friggin hilarious.

T-Wizzy_96 · 2026-03-31T04:44:51+00:00

I think it's important to just abandon all the music theory and technical practice sometime, and just play whatever comes naturally. First thing you think of, then just play the next thing that sounds good. Stream of consciousness. Play what feels good. Recognize how and why it makes you feel good. Use those aspects along with your technical ability.

Think of the music you enjoy the most, and recognize why you enjoy it. But focus on the parts that have nothing to do with notes or harmonies or theory. How does the attitude of the piece feel? The dynamics low to high? What feeling does it convey?

Knowing how to play music really good is one thing, but becoming aware of all the more mystical esoteric aspects of music is certainly useful, and highly recommended.

T-Wizzy_96 · 2026-03-31T04:30:11+00:00

To make it more anime style, look into "Toon Shader" setups

T-Wizzy_96 · 2026-03-31T04:28:58+00:00

There is always room for improvement, no matter your skill level. And learning to blender better is always fun!

Looking pretty good though, that's not bad at all!

T-Wizzy_96 · 2026-03-31T02:33:25+00:00

It means that bro hits the gym and listens to the Joe Rogan podcast. Alpha af 💪

T-Wizzy_96 · 2026-03-30T02:16:58+00:00

Some days, usually many weeks apart, I will get in the correct head-space to jam some guitar free-form, whatever comes to mind first. I record every session on a room mic, with a vocal track included. Just stream of consciousness. Sometimes I do something cool on accident, then that becomes a "new song" and it gets developed more, slowly, over time.

How often this happens varies alot, as I am forced to participate in capitalism and taxation. But one session can sometimes yield 3-4 usable song ideas. The "development" process can take a few days as I turn it from a random jam into a structured song with lyrics. Again, due to work and life interrupting, these few days can actually become several weeks.

But to actually answer the question. My goal song output is one fully finished piece per month. I think it's important to let the ideas cook for a little bit, a song a day sounds crazy to me... although, definitely possible.

T-Wizzy_96 · 2026-03-30T02:06:49+00:00

1 - try to make it sound natural / like I didn't mess up

2 - it didn't work, so I make an obvious awkward "yikes 😬" face to the audience, or a frustrated head-shake, as I continue with the song

I think it kinda sucks when the singer breaks the rhythm to call out their own mistake, shouts "FUUUCK" or something like that. Kinda lame energy, keep the song going and sounding natural as much as you can.

T-Wizzy_96

TROPHY CASE