Mikolaj Holowko's Page

Thank you very much!

On your piece "The Return" what program did you use? The quality sounds really good.

Dear Mikolaj.

Am trying a new piece utilising your comments, maybe these 2 questions are based on the fact I've never used any really 'posh' software so perhaps things are a little different with the 'posh' stuff. I've just used QSE because it's all I've ever understood.  It's a notation program, all the notes with a mouse, but it makes life easier with my disability and it SHOWS you everything, it doesn't shroud everything in insane complexities only a musical magician could hope to understand....!! Anyway.

You said put volume on -10. QSE doesn't do minuses, it's 0-127 with everything. And I've tried just having volume on 10 but that's SO quiet you can't hear anything even with the speakers on full blast (well you can then, but not much!)

Hokay. I feel dumb asking this but how do you tell what the OUTPUT volume actually is? All the little lights tell me is what the INPUT volume is before it hits any effects. As most of the noise is created by the effects - gain, compression etc - and as you can have the speakers up/down to any volume level you like, and as the little lights in QSE will seldom change because they're monitoring the basic INPUT level only, not the final OUTPUT level - how do you know what the actual OUTPUT level is? Apart from sheer guesswork, which is what I've always used and obviously not too successfully, how do you know if you're too loud or not?

Yet another question I know sounds stupid, sorry.

Yours respectfully

Chris.

Dear Mikolaj.

Just to get you prepared for the torment of dumbass questionery to come, my current state of knowledge is this. Imagine you had a loose screw in your mixing desk. And you went to a box of tools and took out a hammer, a monkey-wrench and a screwdriver. All three could be used to re-tighten the screw - but which one would be the most appropriate?  I fear I'm at that stage with just about every effect going. I want to make things sound richer and fuller (esp. strings.) I've got East-West Orch (ask not from whence it came but if you want a copy, by all means just ask) Edirol Orchestral (my fave - I UNDERSTAND that one!) I hear other people's strings sounding rich and full - and I can hear they're my packages, or dead similar. I don't know how they achieve the richness/fullness AND not have them drowning out the piano or whatever the lead instrument is. I've tried just adding more string notes but I don't know how to keep the lead instrument audible. If I get the lead instrument audible it either sounds over-effected by far or the strings sound too weak again. Here's a link to my latest failure Shelby%20Three%20Take%202.mp3

It's got the same probs. as everything else I write because I flat don't know what to do about them - there's tons of places telling you what things DO, but not WHEN you use them!

You tell me what to do, I'll have a bash and upload the result for you to laugh at (feel free! I laugh at my wrecks all the time.)

Yours respectfully. And with untold thanks.

Chris

Dear Mikolaj.

I love your music - and I'm on the prowl for a paid-for favour. 

I don't live too far from you - and I was wondering if you ever gave lessons in mixing music.  I flatter myself I can think of a tune and accompaniment but I can't mix it so it sounds good afterwards. I put many hours into trying and it sounds, always, like I didn't bother. Or that I needn't have bothered!

I HAVE good sounds (good enough for New Age, which is what I'm trying to write!) it's just there's nobody in my area willing to teach me how to use them properly.

I'm disabled but don't let that bother you. It just means I need to be taken through things with a bit of patience.  I know that, given a bit of tuition, I CAN get things sounding up to your standard. 

Yours hopefully

Chris. (There aren't any classes anywhere in Hastings!)

Thank you.  Interesting that you and several others call my music Celtic since, as far as I know, I have no ancestry from Ireland or Scotland.  I suppose it's a sound carried by Scottish settlers to these Appalachian mountains where I live. 

Thanks for passing my website address on to your uncle.  I appreciate any help finding a new audience or fan.  I hope he likes it.  Bye, MM

Hi!

Thank you for your great comments concerning Gothic Music. I created a new one and I want you to hear it. Please see my "video" it is an audio/video. I heard your stuff and I am very impressed...Excellent Sound and Music!