pop music spoofing redux : how it's done

[Derek Holzer <derek@xxxxxx>]

[courtesy of: 

http://www.4trak.net/dsico/

home of the classic Missy Elliot vs Joy Division "Love Will Freak Us" Mixup 
best.....
.....derek]

| d s i c o | h o w - t o - b o o t l e g |
dsico - sydney - email 


How to mix it up or (Jumpin' on the bootleg wagon - its like so Sept 2001)
So you wanna do that damn hot new Britney vs Black Flag - Super lo-fi indie 
Punkrock mix thats going to send the kids wild. You'll be the next kid606. Damn 
you are hot. But how do you get started? 

Step 1 - Software (Decks = realtime booty is only for da Hardcore)
Seriously, you are going to need some software (or decks -like 1200s - if 
you've got the vinyl and you are a turntablist extraordinaire). So, there are a 
stack of sound apps out there with diffferent levels of complexity and 
functionality. You might want to check out: 
Sonic Foundry - ACID (Win) - popular one, has a lot of built in timestretch / 
repitch capabilities. And its really easy to use, sound quality isn't that good 
though if you ask me. but you could probably do everything with this one app. 

Wave Editors
Also by Sonic Foundry is Sonic SoundForge (Win) basically a wave editor. but 
for Timestretching and pitchshifting its got really nice algorithms and can do 
some severe stuff without totally screwing up the source material. 
in a similar vein are I imagine these are just as good, although I'm not very 
familiar with them. Wavelab (Win)
Peak (Mac)
CoolEdit (Win)
TC Works Make Something (Mac)


Digital Audio Multitracking 
If you go the Wave Editor route you are now going to need some kind a of 
Digital Audio Multitracking Software. Most of these Started of as MIDI apps and 
then added Audio Stuff or the other way. These will alow you to put together 
the whole song, arrange all your different parts drop stuff in and out, add 
some reverb or EQ so the vocal sits a little better oin the mix. etc.. 
Classics
Digidesign - Pro-Tools - there is a Free version with most feature I think. 
Steinberg - Cubase VST - also has a limitied feature Free version called 
Cubasis Inwired or something. 
Emagic - Logic Audio legendary midi sequencer form the old atari ST days. I 
know people who still run Notqtor on Atari 1040STs 
Cakewalk - SONAR Windows only I believe. and doesn't support VST plugins. but 
will probably do the trick 


Step 2 - What / How to Mix
Its siiiick cuts / oh baby one more time


So yo've got your Britany Speared - Baby, I want to take it up the &5#*& - 
Acapella (i.e. vocal only) that you somhow found on that 12" limited edition 
germany only release. Or maybe you found the version that some chap put up at 
Audio Galaxy, or found it on one of the numerous P2P file sharing networks that 
help these limited edition Acapella cuts spread like wildfire. 
- not that I am advocating Music piracy which is bad and could make you a 
member of the AXIS of EVIL. 

You've worked ou that the Britney trackss is precisely 102.465 BPM (beats per 
minute) and you've chopped out some siick damaged guitar sections with your 
Wave Editoring Software out of that old Black Flag track that don't have too 
much vocal in them.
- (and it better be pre-Henry Rollins shit, cause I hate that Post-Rollins 
metal edge of the later stuff).


But theres some problems: 
- those BlackFlag guys don't have perfect timing;
- and the loops are all different lengths, one bit is like 120 bpm and another 
is 125; 
- shit, and its way off that Britany Tempo;
I'm screwed you are thinking.

But no. Heres where you whip out your super timestretching expertise and 
matchup the tempos of all your loops and the Britany Speared vocal. Most of the 
apps will have a few different timestretching methods, you should be able to 
enter in the original tempo and the desired tempo - otherwise use ratios of 
Tempos or just make all your loops eaxctly the same length conserving pitch. 

now you are set, the rest is just too damn easy. 

Step 3 - Shit dat mix is Hot
So you wacked all your loops and the vocal into your Digital Audio 
Multitracker. And it sounds siiick Mate.. don't you just love the way that bit 
drops out when Britany goes into the Chorus ofr the Second time. but you 
learned soo much.. sure the next one will be easier. and the intro . oh its 
just perfect - you've got that baby so in sync. 

Took you fuckin hours to fix it all those minor adjustments here and there: 
- Q points are like soooo cool; 
- the orignal pitch of the vocal was way off, but pitchshifting it down 2 
semitones made it sound almost perfect; 
- and you had to loop the Black Flag verse section twice cause its not the same 
lenghth as the Britany one; 
- and damn i wsh i could get a bit from that other sectio of the Black Flag 
track - but the vocal is way too loud.
(maybe I should try that Phase Inverting Karaoke vocal trick that i read 
somewhere will reduce the volume of the Vocal ) 
hey it took 3 days to get it just right was worth it. you gunna be da next 
Freelance Hellraiser 

Step 4 - Now, Where'd I put that Tigerbeat Contact Number??
Get ya self some free webhosting and post a link to the Messageboard Get ur 
Bootleg On . 
you are on your way baby - maybe you can get your link posted on Boom 
Selection???? Whitelabel release maybe? the future is now. 
Jumping on the Bootleg Wagon was written by dsico