Rick Reifenstein

This weekend I was in need of a different approach in the studio. So I picked up my Roland GR-1 that I've had since the mid-90's. My goal was to use it for the whole track. Now of course many of the sounds in the Roland GR-1 are dated. They sound very 90's. However, the guitar synth offers articulation possibility that I can't get from a keyboard controller. When using strings in the GR-1 I can get more realistic sounding phrases. Of course the ability to use the language of guitar playing that I've developed over the past 30 years allows me to create pieces that are more complex. Now all the above being said I can't live and compose with sounds stuck in the 90's; so it's important to connect it with a sampler and new virtual synths. I'm always looking for better ways to get the music out of my head and new ways to manipulate the waveforms and notes on the screen. I'm definitely looking into using pen and touch more when working in my DAW. I w

I've been using computers for over 20 years to compose and record music. During those 20 years I, like most, who use Windows based computers in our productions have gotten used to using ASIO drivers for our audio hardware. Well I think those days have come to an end. I read that with Windows 10, Microsoft gave their audio stack some extra attention. The result is that WASAPI is way more robust than in the past. Cakewalk posted on their website that Microsoft worked closely with the major DAW makers out there to ensure their software would perform better using Microsoft drivers. I decided to test this last night in the studio. I have to agree that using the WASAPI drivers on my legacy M Audio gear gave me much lower latency at higher bit rates than with the ASIO drivers. Another side effect seemed to be more robust performance in Cakewalk Sonar X3 Studio. Since this isn't a tech audio blog, nor am I an audio technology professional I'm not gonna start posting a long list o

In the studio today to work on two items on my to do list. 1. Finish a few pieces for a wedding I was commission to compose and record music for; then upload them to my online folder for sharing to the couple. 2. Compile master list of tracks to upload to Jingle Punks. Once the list is complete I'll start mixing and mastering. My goals is to have new music upload this week to Jingle Punks. More later...

While the sun isn't shining today; this morning was made bright with blueberry pancakes with fresh blueberries, and covered in wonderful homemade red raspberry syrup. Fireworks at the lake are planned for tonight. We hope that the rain will hold off. Worked in the studio yesterday. Re-recorded an old song, "Filth", from the band days. Updated and arranged especially for production use.

Here's the latest from the studio. "Dad's Groove" was written on Fathers Day so hence the title. The initial riff was inspired by Clutch. I then added a Deep Purple vibe to it by adding the Hammond B3. The B3 mirrors the Bass line with slight variation to add some depth. The guitar is the 1st generation Jo Satriani model Ibanez with the original DiMarzio "Fred" pickups run through a Randall amp simulation. The gain is cranked, eq slightly scooped and a little presence added. Then it's run through a 4x12 Marshall cabinet simulator with impulses of Celestion greenbacks. No other FX or tweaking on the guitar. I wanted it to sound raw. Enjoy! https://soundcloud.com/rmreifenstein/dads-groove My Soundcloud page is a good way to hear the newest stuff from my studio and production music catalog.

Summertime is here and as usual I'm trying to balance time in the studio with time outside enjoying summer activities. Living next to a big lake with wonderful beaches doesn't help. So I usually shift studio time to the evenings or take advantage of wet rainy days. The kids are in the middle of their swim season. We also have had our fair share of picnics, beach parties and time out on the lake. Great summer fun! Summer also brings visitors that come and stay at the house. This weekend we have my Father -in- Law visiting. His visits usually result in long discussions fueled by good food. I'm not sure what 4th of July will bring. We usually have a pool party with the swim team families, but the weather forecast is calling for rain so we may miss out on fireworks at the lake. Studio News: I've been working on new stuff for #Jingle Punks. Some Rock tunes and EDM pieces. Jingle Punks got my piece "Plucky Theme" in a Blue Cross of California technology video

I've been working on new music for Jingle Punks. The new stuff has a nice mix of electronic, orchestral and some rock. My goal is to have to available by the end of summer. This spring "Plucky Theme" was used in a Blue Shield of California technology video.Nice placement! I released some of the tracks from my production music catalogue on SoundCloud; so head over to SoundCloud and look me up to get a listen to those. I'm also working on a commission to compose and record music for a wedding. Not a usual request but I'm happy to do it. I am also will be starting another commission shortly for Evan City Pa. They do Halloween and Fall festivals every year and would like me to do supply the music. It's very early yet so I'm not sure what styles will end up in the mix. Lastly I'm still debating whether to play the Living Dead Festival this year. What do ya think?

The studio has been quiet this week. Took a mini vacation with the family. Took a couple of days at a resort hotel with an indoor water park. It was a nice way to kick some winter blues. I've been revisiting some older material; doing some remastering and re-recording. I also refreshed the tracks on my SoundCloud page.  https://soundcloud.com/rmreifenstein

Last night I watched one of the latest video's from The Hollywood Reporter which talked with Hans Zimmer, Marco Beltrami, Danny Elfman, Trent Reznor and John Powell. You can watch it on youtube here: It's always good to listen to how the A-list composers deal with issues we all face as composers writing for picture. Granted the projects I have worked on are nowhere near the same league as the projects these composers have worked on; however they share the same fears, anxiety, and pleasure in the same things that I believe many of us who compose music for picture. One area they talk about is how your "ears" change when you listen to your music with others in the room. You hear the music differently when your listening with someone else than when you are composing. Your suddenly not in "your" head but in someone else's. You sense things differently. Sometimes the "magic" that you felt when you were composing the piece or even all the way thro

2014 was a great year! My family was healthy and we were able to make some fun mini vacation trips. My music was heard in more countries and in more shows than before. I signed an exclusive agreement with Jingle Punks music. I'm so excited about the opportunity to expand my work with a great company like Jingle Punks! I look forward to providing quality production music for Jingle Punks clients. My work at UVA this year was filled with lot's of projects and challenges. But with a great team like I have; those projects and challenges were handled successfully. This is an exciting time in the world of technology. As a technologist working in academia there will no doubt be lot's of testing and learning of the latest trends and the impact it will have on higher education.   So what's next? Continued releases of production music through Jingle Punks. I also am planning a better way of using social media to let you all know when new music is available and projects I'm