track: "Programmer's Alphabet"

[mdlbear]

Spent some time this morning working on my track for "Programmer's Alphabet", with what I think are probably acceptable results. This track fell into the sizeable category of "just me and the guitar, all one take, ok except the guitar is bass-heavy". There were originally six songs in that category, so it's nice to know that I won't have to re-record them.

For the record, here's what I did:

• Apply the built-in "equalization" effect to the guitar track. There's a built-in curve called "acoustic" that boosts frequencies from about 60-200Hz, and cuts them below 60. By moving the roll-off point to about 200Hz, I can reduce the amount of "boominess" in the guitar that resulted from putting the mic a little above the centerline (and hence closer to the bass strings) instead of below it.
• Even out the sections where I got the guitar too close to the microphone. It looks like I tend to lean forward at certain times. Eminently fixable with Audacity's "envelope" tool. I really ought to do that before I apply the eq, so that I can play with the cut-off point.
• Apply the built-in "bass boost" effect to the voice track. It's odd -- sometimes it seems to make a noticable difference to my voice, and sometimes it doesn't.
• Adjust the track gain to fix the balance between voice and guitar.

It would be nice if you could save equalization curves; it's kind of a pain to have to remember the parameters. (Actually, there might be a way to do it -- I just don't know what it is.)

For what it's worth, the current version of the "to-do" list is here.