Faraway
The Journey Behind Faraway
Creating music often feels like capturing fleeting moments of inspiration and Faraway embodies that. Recorded impromptu on my digital piano on December 2, 2020, this piece shows my passion for music and the ongoing challenges of perfecting the process.
From battling background noise to experimenting with editing tools like Mauvio, this post unveils the behind-the-scenes efforts of bringing this music video to life.
Dive in to discover the story, the challenges and the joy of sharing this creation with you.
A Dreamy Piece of Music
It's a dreamy piece of music that I quite like. But being a perfectionist, I know it's far from being perfect.
If you're planning to check out my latest music video, please bear with my imperfect music (as well as the background noise that's still an issue).
What's an Equalizer (EQ)?
The app, Mauvio by Accusonus is not exactly good in terms of editing out the background noise, because it's apparently not able to block out the noise completely. Moreover, the quality of my music seemed to be adversely affected when I tried to edit out the noise or use one of the other functions or a combination of functions.
From my perspective, my music is already not ideal, and to have the quality of my music reduced further because of the app certainly adds an extra pressure on me.
And so I'd asked fellow members of two Facebook groups for their suggestions. And one of them told me to try using an equaliser.
According to masterclass.com, an equaliser could be used to remove certain sounds from a recording. It could also adjust audio output so that certain frequencies are emphasised over others.
Someone else suggested using Audacity. But based on google search results, it seems that Audacity couldn't block out certain types of noise such as noise from the traffic outside, as confirmed by the Audacity Team.
Weather Strip for Soundproofing?
I did searches on Carousell for things that could provide soundproofing and came across weather strips sold by some sellers.
So, I got in touch with one of them and even met up with him two days ago. And after sealing up the edges along my windows, I realised that it wasn't able to block out noise from the traffic at all!
Incidentally, if you're interested to know what a weather strip is, you might want to check out the definition here: Weather Strip.
Corrugated Cardboard for Soundproofing?
According to an article on Soundproof Expert, corrugated cardboards could be used for soundproofing because of its ability to dampen sound movement and reflect some of the sounds. It added that corrugated cardboards are mildly to highly effective when used for soundproofing, depending on the locations.
Last week, I'd tried to use corrugated cardboards to block out noise from the traffic outside, but they weren't exactly effective based on my experiment.
Blackout Curtains for Soundproofing?
An article on sleepcavern website states that blackout curtains aren't designed specifically for soundproofing, but because of their thickness, they could still muffle noise coming from outside.
Of course I'd have to try using blackout curtains in order to know if they could really muffle noise.
However , if I'm given a choice, I'd prefer to get professional help to install soundproof windows and doors. But one thing for sure is that it isn't cheap.
And given the fact that I don't have a big budget for soundproofing my room, I guess I'd have to make do with whatever cheaper options that aren't ideal but could still help a little.
Same Note from Same Instrument Could Sound Completely Different?!
On a side note, How to Geek has an article that says the same note from the same instrument could sound completely different depending on different factors, such as the configuration of a room, etc.
It's something new to me, as it's never occurred to me that the configuration of a room, for instance, could actually alter the sound of notes!
Perfecting Imperfections
Every note in Faraway carries a piece of the journey—imperfections and all. While the pursuit of soundproofing and better audio editing continues, the joy of creating and sharing music remains the heart of this experience.
Whether you're here for the music, the insights into soundproofing or a blend of both, thank you for being part of this creative adventure. Stay tuned for more melodies and stories!
Cheers,
Annie Chan
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