Q: Are you willing to collaborate with other people to  make songs?

A: Yes of course.  If you're interested in collaborating with me please do not hesitate to contact me.  I will write lyrics for music or write music for lyrics.

Q: What are you looking to do with your music/songs?

A: I am hoping to sell them to artists and or libraries that wish to use my music.  Please contact me if your interested in this matter.

Q: Has your environment affected how you create your music?

A:  Although sometimes I get inspiration from the world around me.  The environment doesn't really play a big part in my music.

Q: What instruments do you play?

A: Keyboards, specifically a Roland VA7 V2 and a Roland G70 V3

Q: How do you create your music?

A: There are two ways to answer this:

1. Creative: Sometimes a tune just pops into my head,  sometimes I just "play" with my keyboards and stumble on something that sets me off creating a full blown song\instrumental.  Other times I write lyrics and a tune develops while I am writing the lyrics.  If I have created a basic tune structure in the case of a song I often sing nonsense (random words) over the top.  In this way I try to get a sense of lyrical timing and melody.  Sometimes these "nonsense" words actually developed into coherent lyrics and are used as the base of my lyrical writing for the tunes.

2. Technical: Record tune/song/instrumental into my keyboard.  Transfer tune/song/instrumental onto my PC (Tracktion 2) via mixer recording each part of the tune/song/instrumental separately.  Now I have a series of tracks recorded I need to match them up so that each instrument is starting/stopping at the required time.  Once the basic tune/song/instrumental is all matched up I can now start working on individual tracks. 

At this stage I put basic EQ into each track and use this to bring that track "out" more.  In the case of drums I may layer several patterns and emphasize different parts of the EQ to create one nice sounding drum pattern from bass drums, to symbols.  Then I may put effects (e.g. Amplitube 2) on track parts if I am not happy with the how that track sounds.

Next stage I group my tracks (not done for instrumental pieces with fewer than four tracks) to output into four different output tracks, i.e. drum and bass = track 9, rhythm section track 10, lead instruments track 11 etc.  First I balance the individual track volume in a group against each other (for example drum and bass), I do this for each group.  Finally I balance each track group against each other.

At this stage if its a song I record my voice.  I do this via my mic. which is input into my G-70 keyboard via mixer to my PC into a track on Tracktion 2.  I may use punch recording to re-do parts of the vocal track I am not satisfied with (if I sung off pitch for example).  I then add EQ and possibly effects (dependant on song).  Finally I balance my vocal track vs the track groups mentioned earlier.

Lastly I add post processing effects, e.g. compression, EQ, and often Mackie's final mix.  To just brighten up and get the best out of the whole song/instrumental.  I may go back and "tweak" EQ or individual track or group volumes at this stage.  This tweaking may go on for some time, dependant on my personal tastes and/or feedback from friends. 

I will listen to the recording both through my monitor speakers and through two different types of headphones (one expensive, one cheap).  I do this to try to gauge how the track will sound on different levels of equipment quality that people may play the music on.  Another trick I use is to put the music loud and listen to the music from outside the room. 

I then export my track to a .wav file and use a wav editor just to trim the silences, or to put in a fade.  I will also listen to the wav because sometimes there are slight differences in balance between the .wav file and my original Tracktion 2 version.  I may do some more tweaking and re-export a track.

Once I am happy that with my .wav file, I will create an mp3 version for this web site for example.   The .wav file will be the version that I send off to publishers/evaluation etc.  The mp3 will be used on the web site, or to send to my friends/brother to get final feedback on the song.

I intend at some point to add to this web site a video of just how do I achieve songs/instrumentals.

Q: How much thinking goes into creating a song?

A: This all depends on how I arrive at creating the song.  In some instances especially with my instrumentals I purely improvise the whole piece, transfer to my PC music studio,  do some small amount of editing and I have my track.

Other times I have a pre-conceived Idea of what I want to achieve with a Song for example.  So thought on structure, how I want to build the song, its tempo,  what instruments do I wish to use.  I may do allot of practice before recording stage not so much to "practice how well I can play the piece" but more to try to hammer out the details of how I ultimately want the piece of music to sound.

In short the whole creative process may take as long as it takes to actually play/record the piece,  Or I may play the piece for weeks, (on one occasion months) before I get to the recording/editing process. 

I find as a rule of thumb instrumentals, expecially piano pieces for example creative processes can be very quick.  Songs due to the fact that there is more of a construction process take longer to create.  Although there are exceptions to these rules especially with the instrumental.

Q: Do you only play your own music?

A:  Yes, I do.  I don't play covers or others peoples music.  I listen to other peoples music, via albums or even movies.  Sometimes this may give me ideas for my own music at some stage.  However every time I sit down to play I always play my own music.

Q: Is Darmin De'flern a band?

A:  No Darmin De'flern is a songwriter/composer and singer.  Unless stated otherwise all of the production, creation, vocals, lyrics were done solo.  Any exceptions are marked up as such in the discography section (for example when I was part of a band called Terarrim).

Q: Is this your occupation?

A: Yes, creating and promoting my music (which includes this web site) is currently my occupation.

Q: How do I contact you?

A:  Via email please go to the tab for further information.

Q: Have you any interests in being a performance artist?

A: I do enjoy playing with and working with other people.  However at this stage in my life I want to concentrate on the creative process and promoting my own music.  However this does not mean I have entirely ruled out the possibility of becoming a performance artist especially as part of a band.

Q: Can I find your music elsewhere?

A:  I have a presence on www.myspace.com/darmindeflern.

Q: Are you a member of any music organizations?

A: Yes I am a member of the Guild of International Songwriters and Composers.

Q: Music to lyrics or lyrics to music

A: I can and I do both.  Sometimes while I play music the lyrics seem to be writing themselves.  Other times while I write lyrics the music seems to be writing itself.  Often I write lyrics to a piece of music I have just written.  Some of my instrumentals have lyrics for them but I have not added a vocal component because I felt that really wanted someone else's vocals over that piece of music.  Rather than putting that piece of music on hold though, I created that piece of music as instrumental.

Q: What would you like to achieve??

A: I hope that producers, artists or libraries, documentaries etc. will like my music and may wish to use it for themselves.  I want to get to the stage that I both create music off my own back and possibly create music by request for producers, artists and or documentaries, adverts etc. 

Q; If I was interested in publishing, using your song, what recordings of the song or instrumental would I have access to?

A: This is what is available for each instrumental or song:

Note all original wav tracks originally recorded @ 88200hz as .wav

Where applicable GM2 midi files of each track

Each separate track recorded @ 88200hz @ 8,16,24,32 bit "dry"

Each separate track recorded @ 88200hz @ 8,16,24,32 bit "EQU + Effects where applicable"

Each separate track recorded @ 88200hz @ 8,16,24,32 bit "post processing"

Above can be done in:

.wav file @ 22050hz, 32000hz, 44100hz, 48000hz, 88200hz, 96000hz,  176400hz, 192000hz @ 8,16,24,32 bit (for each track)

.aiff file @ 22050hz, 32000hz, 44100hz, 48000hz, 88200hz, 96000hz,  176400hz, 192000hz @ 8,16,24 bit (for each track)

.mp3 file can be produced @ any kpbs available, 128kpbs as standard.

Q: What quality do you record your tracks at?

A:  I record at 88200hz (within Tracktion 2). My .wav files (tracks sent to producers/artists on CD's) are of course at 44100hz and mp3 quality is 128 kpbs.

Q; Do you own all lyrics, pictures, music on this web site?

A:  Yes. unless specifically stated otherwise.