I have Release Candidate 1 in my grubby little mitts

[solarbird]

Session Two with Mark Guenther at Seattle Disc Mastering went well. We fixed the short list of problems I’d discovered, added track IDs, and also made a couple of small adjustments in equalisation for tracks two (Hide From Me) and twelve (Shout at the Desert), all in about 45 minutes.

And now I have Release Candidate 1 in my grubby little mitts! Once I’ve played it a couple more dozen times, and ripped it a couple of ways to see how it behaves, then, well, I’ll either find something I think needs to be fixed and get it fixed, or I won’t, and we’ll print the two golden masters. I went to Best Buy and played it on about a dozen CD players, and I’m pretty happy.

I’ve had a couple of people bring up pre-orders! Yay! Obviously, you can pre-order by being a $30 Kickstarter backer, and that’s super-awesome! But also more expensive than regular pre-orders. Those will start once the Kickstarter project closes. We have a booklet to print (and for that matter, to finish laying out – aheh, better get on that!) as well as actual physical duplicates to make and all that.

It’s amazing how many little decisions go into making a CD. We’re looking at a new type of CD case – easier to assemble, less fragile, more likely to be undamaged by shipping, cool things like that. I’m told they’re common in Asia and Australia, and am checking with people I know on the ground there to find out. I saw things that match their description in Japan, but used for games, rather than music. I’m hoping they’re available for CDs and look good, because they’d be a hell of a lot easier to assemble.

photo framegrab courtesy Leannan Sidhe

I’ve got a monophonic but I think pretty decent recording of my guest appearance with Leannan Sidhe, by the way. So I may have a free download for you guys in a few days. Watch for it!

Mirrored from Crime and the Blog of Evil.

Comments

[marzipan-pig.livejournal.com]

I like how relaxed and happy you look in that pic!

[solarbird]

Funny part is how relaxed I wasn't. But the good thing about video - even video with terrible lighting that brings out the worst in your appearance - is that there are a lot of frames, and some of 'em are bound to be good despite themselves. XD

[maellenkleth]

Sure, it's probably out of context and all, but it's the nicest picture I've yet seen of you in performance. Keep it for publicity. ^_^

[solarbird]

Just a shame it's so low-resolution. The above isn't reduced. But I suppose I can use it on the web.

[maellenkleth]

Seriously, do that. And it'd stand up to being an LJ user-icon, too.

question about Kick Tracy project

[denelian.livejournal.com]

i'm too lazy to search for a better post to ask this...

if i were to pledge for the album, when would the money be due? i REALLY REALLY want to, but i won't actually HAVE money for that [or, rather, i won't have $10, and i want the CD] until March1. so, if money is required immediately, [or even on the 19th] i can't do it, but if it can wait until the 1st...

yes? no?

Re: question about Kick Tracy project

[solarbird]

The download will stay $10, because iTunes. The physical CD, once it's out, will cost more, but not as much as the $30 that makes you a backer and gets you a signed CD. And there'll be plenty of time for that. Once the Kickstarter project closes and it's confirmed that I get funding (which should be Friday) then I'll set up a page for pre-orders, probably on the order of $15? It'll depend upon printing costs and final case design.

Re: question about Kick Tracy project

[denelian.livejournal.com]

ah. then it behooves me to wait for the pre-order, methinks.

sigh. i hate have a [tiny] fixed income - i can't just impulse buy! oh well. i can do a preorder for next month

thanks!

[gazerwolf.livejournal.com]

When you find out about those CD cases could you let me know more about them. I ship CDs for my work and I'm sure we could use better cases.

[solarbird]

I will, but remind me if I don't.

[maellenkleth]

We've used polyethylene cases which are a one-piece design complete with space for a booklet and with nifty integrated holes to mate with a ring-binder; supplier is somewhere in Richmond, BC (and of course I cannot call the name up in recollection).

[solarbird]

That's the kind of thing this is supposed to be. Are they attractive? Is the cover protection sheet nice and clear so that the cover art isn't clouded?

[maellenkleth]

Opp.

I'm five days away from home where I can look at one in detail and report back, but (caveats given):

It's semi-transparent. The front of the case is highly-polished and made of thinner-guage material (maybe 0.8 mm?) so you can see through it fairly well. It's not crystal-clear like the styrene usually used in jewel cases, but it's not grossly translucent either. The sides are quite a big thicker (say 3 mm) so they are distinctly more opaque verging on whitish-grey. The back, I recall, is of intermediate thickness and opacity.

Note caveats. I think this is a fair general description. Try searching for 'clamshell' case.

G'luck.