“Operation: Reconnaissance” is a electronically manipulated music piece I made with
GarageBand for I-pad. The music's main idea is to have a spy theme. As spies normally work
in other countries, many of the loops have a foreign flavor. It opens with two Egyptian loops,
bringing the music in soft and gradually getting louder as the piece progresses. At this point,
my custom spliced Modern Strings Autoplay #3 continually plays the same five notes in C
minor to add more interest to the music. Later this comes in full. Three Drum tracks, two fully
custom and one machine, come in. All have high reverb and echo. The Hip Hop Machine
adds sounds like gunshots. Now, the main A section theme starts, consisting of Magna Strings
and Pursuit All. These two complement each other, when one is not playing as much, the
other is playing at its highest. Then I add one more Modern Autoplay #2 to add more depth to
the strings. Towards the end of the A section, Maracas come in to help transition to the B
section, also adding another foreign touch.
The B section starts off with all three drum tracks, and a brand new Rabab loop. The
new loop adds another “Spy” into the mix, who is doing some reconnoitering. Four measures
later a Mystery Guitar comes in, playing few, yet powerful beat dominating notes. The Mystery
Guitar is soon doubled up to make it even louder. Soon an Oud joins, adding a deeper,
foreign sound. Vigilante All, a new off beat loop, adds the first bit of orchestral string music to
the B section, a precursor to the return of Pursuit All a couple measures later. At the end, a
brand new Modern Strings Autoplay#4 transitions into the second A section. Unlike the other
Autoplays, I change the chords on this several times during its run.
The second A section picks the Egyptian loops, Magna Stings, and the other two
Modern String Autoplays back up. As in the beginning of the first A section, one Autoplay has
the same custom splicing. All loops and Autoplays continue for several measures, the Modern
Strings Autoplay#4 chord changes keep the music fresh during its climax. The piece goes out
as it came in, the two Egyptian loops, only with one twist, the Mystery Guitar also plays. As
the music fades out, it plays one last note to keep the end a mystery, and the listener
wondering how it ends.
The Loops I used were:
First A section:
Remix Egyptian FX 01
Remix Egyptian FX 02
Magna Strings
Pursuit All
Big Maracas 8 (End A section and transition to B)
Hip Hop Drum Machine (Custom Percussion)
Vintage Kit (Custom Percussion)
Classic Studio Kit (Custom Percussion)
Modern Strings AutoPlay #3 (Custom Splicing)
Modern Strings AutoPlay #2
B section:
Big Maracas 8
Vigilante All
Pursuit All
Afghanistan Sand Rabab 09
Hip Hop Mystery Guitar ( Occasionally Doubled up for added volume)
Eastern Storm Oud 01
Hip Hop Drum Machine (Custom Percussion)
Vintage Kit (Custom Percussion)
Classic Studio Kit (Custom Percussion)
Modern Strings AutoPlay #4 (Customized chords)
Second A section:
Remix Egyptian FX 01 (Occasionally Doubled up for added volume)
Remix Egyptian FX 02
Vigilante All
Pursuit All
Magna Strings
Hip Hop Mystery Guitar (Occasionally Doubled up for added volume)
Hip Hop Drum Machine (Custom Percussion)
Vintage Kit (Custom Percussion)
Classic Studio Kit (Custom Percussion)
Modern Strings AutoPlay #4 (Customized chords)
Modern Strings AutoPlay #3 (Custom Splicing)
Modern Strings AutoPlay #2