nice one. the sound you get from the guitars is really fine and stylish. some nice a bit of solo here and there... overall it sounds like a very powerful backing track. very nice work. alex
Thanks Alex, I appreciate you listening and being kind enough to leave some feedback.
I tend to spend a lot of time working on tone, probably too much at times, but it tends to drive me creatively.
very fine chillout production (I do not really understand that 'electronic' label in here). man these vocals deserve to be in the foreground! it seems like you have too many interesting concepts here. keep producing and cheers fellow looper!
hi. these vocals are amazing indeed and simply take the entire song to another level. I enjoyed very solid arrangement and production as well. great chillout track! congrats. Alex
another very solid production from you. It seems to me like you really mastered this 2,4,8,16 bar sequencing structure. That's all very nice and very enjoyable to listen to. Most of the popular music is made using that formula, not a deep insight... but you can break that, simply by applying some irregular melodic guitar phrasing on the top of all that or combining different drum patterns like 3/4, 6/8, 5/8 etc on the main 4/4. I say that because I tried this on my actual track and it is actually quite simple to do just by loading more midi stuff into the daw. Hope it's useful.
I enjoyed this one. Best, Alex.
Sounds like my next track should be some Math Metal. The band Mudvayne were awesome at that, back before they started sucking. "End Of All Things To Come" was an awesome album with tons of layered rhythms and time signatures.
Were I a more patient man, I'd have that in every track, but I'm still trying to learn how to make things sound really heavy and aggressive. When I try, it sounds plunky and lifeless. Learning.
Thanks for the feedback. I'll try to incorporate it into future tracks.
hi again, this is some very interesting interpretation of Janis' pella. The track feels like bit too short and sketchy but the arrangement is fine and I am really impressed that you played all instruments in here. That's very creative. Congrats. Alex
Thanks a lot for your comment Alex.
I know that the track is "short & sketchy"; I always wanted this to be just an "intermezzo" between two songs on my album (just a collection of songs for myself...nothing serious) so I did not want to overdo it.
This small piece uses same tempo/chords and epiano sound as the next track, but delivering a completely different feeling...don't know how much sense this makes but I liked the idea :-)
Take care,
Domenico
that's some quite original mix of very different sounds.
nice work. Some instruments (like saxophone about 0:14) might be mixed even better but as 'sound collage' type of music it works perfectly for me. Everything is allowed here in order to get the extremely dramatic expression.
Alex
thanks, Alex. I'm glad you had a chance to check it out. struggling a bit to bring out the voices, creating something a bit richer sounding. best regards. Dan
just checking out again this one from you I noticed clindsay's '7:01 to 8:20' point and thought of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6ymVaq3Fqk
Someone pointed him when listening to my recent music suggesting I might want mail Ry in order to ask him for some guitars to my tracks.
But seriously, it is some very cool stuff - I can hear the 'sitar' and very eastern kind of 'harmonics' in here. Just a thought...
You seem to really enjoy your lm situation, I try to question my role in here by posting spam comments. Example: I always try to avoid giving the constructive track very suggestions/descriptions - it may (slightly) change the actual value of the music... again just a thought. Do you really think your tracks will be possibly better mixed/mastered that way? Again just a thought.
Yes, I like the slide solo here. It is much more of a focused solo than the guitar playing I normally do, which isn't usually about making one solo but a load of different playing that I edit together to provide different textures and moods. But this is a focused, kind of planned solo that seems to echo some of the earlier themes.
I'm not sure if there is any eastern stuff in that slide solo. Maybe- I'm just not sure and certainly nothing intentional. I didn't feel much of an eastern vibe while playing it.
As I said to clindsay, I don't really know much about Ry Cooder but I always hear he's very good. No doubt better at slide guitar than me.
"I try to question my role in here by posting spam comments"
I don't understand that. You post spam comments? You ssem to generally do some pretty good track reviews - much betetr than most people on here.
You're saying you avoid giving people suggestions? really - I'm sure I have seen you give people suggestions. I do that anytime I think I have spotted something out of place or think I can help in some small way.
"it may (slightly) change the actual value of the music"
I don't know why giving advice would change the value of the music. Some people uploading stuff to Lopperman are continually trying to improve tracks (me, for instance) so sometimes people's inoput and suggestions are taken into consideration.
"Do you really think your tracks will be possibly better mixed/mastered that way?"
Not sure what this means. Not sure if you're asking me about my tracks.
Good to hear you enjoyed listening again. I still like listening to this one.
Zrappa I tell you, check out my track. always enjoy your stuff when I drop by. Word attitudes are the dissmisive chances of banning people so NEED to be casreful.
Some poetry I just wrote inspired by your track...
True of the prophecy came and so the world
Pumpkins by forster got the little raised boy
Lordmaster and the princess married crayons of the all-black
Were to(o) good... sailor will as of a warlock - remains of the evil. Rabbadapdab charred to sold of(f) .... token
The abandoned warehouse tricycles ... all went home to the on(e) fishinger!
Hello. This is some interesting mix of dubstep and pop. Quite unusual but still it works... I'd love to hear some strings and acoustic guitar instead of heavy sounding synths, it's basically an acoustic/pop song here for me and I think your arrangement simply overpowered the vocals. There's also some issue with the mix here - a lack of clarity. It sounds to me like very fast made production... Hope some of this is useful.
Also I love your vocals, this last half a year I incorporated so many of your lm acapellas on my tracks. Some of them are really interesting, you might check it out if you will have some time and simply want to.
Either way, thanks for great vocals!
Best to you, Alex
Very cool production. That tempo change was nice. Good electronic/dance/club type of feel combined with some fine latin elements I can hear around 2:34. Good choise with vocals. This is definitely my favourite song from the contest. Great job. Congrats, Alex
Thanks! - I think the latin element was caused by uptempoing hip hop drums. Now that I hear it it does sound a bit latiny but it was supposed to sound dance/hip-hoppy. Thanks again for your kind comments.
-clindsay
hi. this is cool. I am in a funky mood now and it is sounding really fine like this. for me it is definitely a pop kind of oriented funk. a perfect track to sing over some great bnb/blues song. it might be very hard to find a proper vocalist that way though... I mean... I put so much effort to reach the musicians on this site personally but still find the 'collab' thing as extremely challenging.
Good luck!
I really enjoyed your song. Alex
Yes...Alex thanks for stopping in...
I'm not really looking for someone to sing this, this track
is not about love or pleasure, it's about frustration and pain
nobody wants to hear that in words...So I'll leave it just Music...
"Collabs"...Are hard if you have a controlling producer that wants
you to play what he, wants you to play...
I don't work like that anymore, this is just fun for me I don't want
to email and talk for a week, about a track unless there is a
potential payday at the end...
I just don't have the time other wise...
hi again SJ,
this is some very lovely electronic track with nice retro sounding synths.
Brick shaped waveform? This is a good example: https://www.looperman.com/tracks/detail/164089
haha
But seriously, I always enjoy listening to your tracks and this time is no difference. Good to see your music evolving.
Yes, at some point there's a lack of clarity on your recording. It's a bit like a 'filtered' listening. I thought you might try to take off the effects and simply observe what happens. Probably some synths already have reverbs (and other effects) so mixing different reverb effects might be the reason for unclear sound. Some proper order in applying effects might be eventually considered. There are many tutorials out there on YT, some amount of teory is needed at some point anyway. Myself I experiment a lot and ultimately I do not believe in strict rules. But of course there's no way around it.
Hope this makes sense. It doesn't change my perception of your track at all which again is a very lovely one.
Thanks also for checking my song and some nice words. I appreciate that.
Hi Alex!
I suddenly relised that there infact are worse looking wave forms...thanks for pointing that out. =D
The lack of clarity is probably because of the reverb/delay effect I turned on and off with automation troughout the track. I loved the effect it gave but it also clutters the mix too much...I tried to do a more fine tuned automation and not just the on/off type but the program would not let me do that. I need to look in to that some more to maybe figure it out later.
Very glad to hear that you liked this anyway!
thank you again again for more detailed explanations on your track. There's some difference especially when comes to work with samples (audio loops) and 'programmed' real time played synths inside the DAW. Basically it is a 'live played'/'programmed' kind of difference (to me). I noticed it when working on some of my my older track - by turning synth sequence into an audio sample I was able to came up with quite a different sound...
I think this is a very touchy stuff, no matter if it is a 'real piano' or 'digital, 'Reason' or StudioOne'.
EZ seems like it is excellent as an extremely realistic drummer (I really like the improvised jazz midi sequences) but adding more additional instrumental layers make it sounding quite 'generic', like a computerized rock 4/4 drum pattern. Hard to explain... I always try to respect every 'clunk' sound and all harmonics provided by EZ drummer. I guess most of 'rock' musicians try to avoid/ignore it. Basically this is the place where I start.
I can't record a piano sound of quality compared to Ez drummer. Yes, I use a lot of Kontakt instruments instead!
I know my comments are not precise enough, sorry for any confusion btw.
Also it's not because of a 'chillout' label that I checked again your track. Just trying to say something useful. I am aware of the fact that actual experience can't be transmitted that way.
I'm not sure what to say now as I think we're perhaps talking about different things.
I don't understand what you're saying about EZ Drummer except I do agree that it has some excellent jazz MIDI files. And metal, rock, blues, country and many more. I have most of the expansion packs and make great use of the fine and varied drumming.
"adding more additional instrumental layers make it sounding quite 'generic', like a computerized rock 4/4 drum pattern"
It looks like you're saying that adding other instruments on top of EZ drumming makes the drumming somehow sound generic. I don't know why that would be. Anyway, I always add layers of other instruments and I think the drums remain sounding fine.
Sampled instruments have improved so much over the years and they make it really quite easy to make good music. They're not perfect but there are so many available (I'd like many more but I don't have Kontakt) and I have great fun using them. I'm certainly not complaining. I just get on with using and enjoying them. It's as simple as that...
hey. thank you again for a very detailed reply! Just reading your 'dispute' with Spivkurl but do not worry. I truly appreciate a 'real time' playing!
Programmed virtual instruments are great unless they get that 'computerized' sound/feeling for sure. Mp3 quality format is definitely a nightmare here on lm. Higher frequencies (so precious in acoustic-based music) are lost. Ez comes with some excellent performances but stacking so much instruments can create a kind of a vague 'sound cloud' which seems like it is always slightly drifting away from it's original (non processed) message. It might become very relative regarding to the lm 'average' sound. That also may be a reason for my earlier strange comments on 'too much compression' on drums on your tracks (loss of higher frequencies - the drum pattern gets 'programmed' quality).
I tried many times to play the piano along the Ez grooves but I am not really a regular session musician and truly I can't present anything really satisfying so far (in terms of jazz stylistic playing - simply a lack of available internalized patterns haha). Also I can't use a real acoustic piano at the moment but only it's poor substitute: a 'digital piano'.
Sometimes I am trying to take off the layers and the instruments in order to 'deconstruct' my track and then just realize I was simply wasting my time. Truly it is all about eager every-day practising the real instrument, not just fooling around the daw.
I really enjoyed your track, but also trying to share some more thoughts eventhough some of them are very self-centered. Hope you don't mind.
It doesn't change my perception of your track at all (which again is a really nice one!)
A.
I am still a bit confused about Spivkurl's problems with programmed acoustic (sampled) drums. I'm not really trying to make the drum parts sound like one drummer playing in real time on one kit. I'm just trying to do whatever I can to make a good, interesting and unique drum track. I think I've done that in a lot of my tracks and I would say that if you were to listen to all of them, you would hear a different feel/"sound image"/feel in every track.
I sometimes wonder how I'm going to keep coming up with interesting drum parts/sounds in, say, 20 years from now. I don't know but for now I just go with what sounds good to me. Some parts are like one drummer at a kit and others are more layered - as if there were two drummers playing. And then I sometimes add lots of different sounding drum loops, as in this track.
I was watching Pink Floyd live last night from 1989 and they have two drummers there. I've seen that quite often in big concerts. I suppose my tracks are a bit like that.
Finally, if I didn't use acoustic drum software, the only other way to get acoustic drums would be to actually use and record a real kit. But that would be almost impossible for me - I'd need a good sounding room at home and all the microphones, different snares etc. Oh, and I'm a very average drummer so I'd have to get someone in to play them. So that's not going to happen. I'm quite happy with Superior and EZ Drummer and, as I say, so are lots of other people and I'm still proud of my drum tracks. Everything can always be better but there are limitations in life that you just have to deal with.
I'd like a better guitar sound, better bass sound etc etc but I work with what I have and am generally quite pleased with the results. I may be getting a new bass soon so that might fix my bass guitar problem.
Regarding MP3s, my ears are not very good so I think my tracks sound OK at 128K. Yes, I can notice the difference between 128K and 320K when I listen to my MP3 collection. But 128K is OK just for people to hear the track on Looperman. Of course I wouldn't give anyone a 128K MP3 of my music - one of many reasons I don't allow downloads on here.
I can't remember your comment about too much compression on my drums. I don't use compression much, partly because I still don't understand how to use it.
There are some great sampled real piano instruments available to buy (eg for the Kontakt player). Maybe you should look at getting one (or more).
Thanks again for your thoughts. I also like this track, despite the presence of layered, sampled acoustic drums.
let me be the first person commenting this very unique track... I tell you Zank, keep up the good work! Also I think you deserve more exposure here. Cool track. Loopable. https://loopable.wordpress.com/2008/01/08/punch-loop/
hi again, thanks for your reply! I had a very limited time yesterday to listen and give more concrete review. Also your songs are usually very long (but it's a great thing, so different from every-day looperman stuff!)
For me the 'Tycho' moment is around 2:48 - 2:55 in here. That passage reminded me of 'Hours' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuGO6WHcruU 'Hours' is still sounding much more like a radio-oriented type of piece to me, your song is different but I can hear some similarities in the sound-image.
I really like that Rhodes piano main theme with some lovely passing chromatic tones. Also the strings 'echoing' the harmony are fine. There's some background noises (0:38) that reminded me of some of your guitar riffs, probably used on other productions earlier - it sounds a bit like a scream choir effect here. At some places on your recording (like from 0:27) there's so much space for adding more instruments or just playing some catchy melodies (like this one from Tycho song). I liked synth/guitar dialogue from about 2:00.
Somehow I wanted that last long section (4:20-8:20) to be even more evolving when I listened yesterday. Yes it is morphing and changing nicely but no that much as on your other productions! I guess this is simply how you envisioned it: to have a long chilled section.
Adding the drum loop is some nice concept here - I also used some electronic type of snare loop on my last track. When combined with EZ it may sound quite interesting.
Also the last outro post-section, nicely 'echoing' the entire piece was fine. I can hear the e piano played in 5ths in lower range and some interesting processing. Nicely blended sound.
There's some additional unwanted sound at the very end of the recording.
I will listen again later today when I'll be back from work and let you know if only some new thoughts appear.
Yes, you're right about the unwanted sound at the end. That was just an error when exporting the track that I didn't notice. I will re-export and remove it.
I'm listening to the Tycho track now and really like some of it so understand why you mention Tycho. Yes, more commercial than my track but then I never seem to do anything that sounds like a radio track. Not sure why - probably something to do with my character (I like deeper sounds and moods and not just catchy melodies).
Well done noticing the passing chromatic Rhodes notes (no surprise that a classically trained person would). Actually, it might be just one note.
When trying to find changes, I noticed that darker sort of note and then the track turned into dark, swing/shuffle jazz and then into metal, with a lot of emphasis on the flattened fifth (the tritone). But I decided that should be its own track so I'm working on that now and am glad I removed it as it leaves this track much more beautiful and consistent rather than turning into strange dark jazz-metal.
0:38 background noise is a rising string part. Don't know why it's like my guitar parts but it's a sound I really like. Yes, it does have a screaming effect. Actually, I suppose I do little guitar screams sometimes so that makes sense now.
synth/guitar dialogue from about 2:00 I considered getting rid of the guitar there as the layered synths underneath are quite cool and don't need the guitar but then I carefully edited the guitar parts to sound good so I left them in.
4:20-8:20 long section. 5:45 is the start of a new bassline that reminds me of New Order's classic Blue Monday - one of the best club tracks ever made. That section could have been much longer and evolved more as I had lots more guitar parts. I ended up just going with one - a slide solo. That seems to be enough. Again: I'm trying hard not to make my tracks too long!
Last outro post-section is easily my favourite section as the strings play such amazing melodies (a reprise of 4:10). Yes, you're right again about the fifths Rhodes parts though I also have some higher, twinkling Rhodes notes in there. I love fifths and do it a lot on bass and guitar, probably keyboard as well.
on Sign Here Please - Feat Farisha and Shamoozee by Musicante
Ciao,
M.
on Power Trip by topvega
I tend to spend a lot of time working on tone, probably too much at times, but it tends to drive me creatively.
Thanks again.
tv
on War On Love Feat Thallie Ann Seenyen by FastFunghi
on Down that Road by Ensam
Simon
on So Long Bound by Evisma
I enjoyed this one. Best, Alex.
Were I a more patient man, I'd have that in every track, but I'm still trying to learn how to make things sound really heavy and aggressive. When I try, it sounds plunky and lifeless. Learning.
Thanks for the feedback. I'll try to incorporate it into future tracks.
Evan
on D une facon ou d une autre Ft Janis71 by mrwolf14
I know that the track is "short & sketchy"; I always wanted this to be just an "intermezzo" between two songs on my album (just a collection of songs for myself...nothing serious) so I did not want to overdo it.
This small piece uses same tempo/chords and epiano sound as the next track, but delivering a completely different feeling...don't know how much sense this makes but I liked the idea :-)
Take care,
Domenico
on Stormy stepper by Prelude
nice work. Some instruments (like saxophone about 0:14) might be mixed even better but as 'sound collage' type of music it works perfectly for me. Everything is allowed here in order to get the extremely dramatic expression.
Alex
I've enjoyed some of your tracks as well and
your idea means a lot to me .
Cindy
on foggy forest by DanGoldstein
on A Little Bit Of Infinity by StaticNomad
Someone pointed him when listening to my recent music suggesting I might want mail Ry in order to ask him for some guitars to my tracks.
But seriously, it is some very cool stuff - I can hear the 'sitar' and very eastern kind of 'harmonics' in here. Just a thought...
You seem to really enjoy your lm situation, I try to question my role in here by posting spam comments. Example: I always try to avoid giving the constructive track very suggestions/descriptions - it may (slightly) change the actual value of the music... again just a thought. Do you really think your tracks will be possibly better mixed/mastered that way? Again just a thought.
I really enjoyed listening to this one again. A.
Yes, I like the slide solo here. It is much more of a focused solo than the guitar playing I normally do, which isn't usually about making one solo but a load of different playing that I edit together to provide different textures and moods. But this is a focused, kind of planned solo that seems to echo some of the earlier themes.
I'm not sure if there is any eastern stuff in that slide solo. Maybe- I'm just not sure and certainly nothing intentional. I didn't feel much of an eastern vibe while playing it.
As I said to clindsay, I don't really know much about Ry Cooder but I always hear he's very good. No doubt better at slide guitar than me.
"I try to question my role in here by posting spam comments"
I don't understand that. You post spam comments? You ssem to generally do some pretty good track reviews - much betetr than most people on here.
You're saying you avoid giving people suggestions? really - I'm sure I have seen you give people suggestions. I do that anytime I think I have spotted something out of place or think I can help in some small way.
"it may (slightly) change the actual value of the music"
I don't know why giving advice would change the value of the music. Some people uploading stuff to Lopperman are continually trying to improve tracks (me, for instance) so sometimes people's inoput and suggestions are taken into consideration.
"Do you really think your tracks will be possibly better mixed/mastered that way?"
Not sure what this means. Not sure if you're asking me about my tracks.
Good to hear you enjoyed listening again. I still like listening to this one.
on Return of the n word by ZankFrappa
sryyy for spammingg
on Return of the n word by ZankFrappa
on Return of the n word by ZankFrappa
on Return of the n word by ZankFrappa
on The End of a long story by ZankFrappa
True of the prophecy came and so the world
Pumpkins by forster got the little raised boy
Lordmaster and the princess married crayons of the all-black
Were to(o) good... sailor will as of a warlock - remains of the evil. Rabbadapdab charred to sold of(f) .... token
The abandoned warehouse tricycles ... all went home to the on(e) fishinger!
Your vocal is indeed very kwerky. I liked that.
on If ever by janis71
Also I love your vocals, this last half a year I incorporated so many of your lm acapellas on my tracks. Some of them are really interesting, you might check it out if you will have some time and simply want to.
Either way, thanks for great vocals!
Best to you, Alex
on Gonna Make You Feel It - Funkiest Remix by clindsay
-clindsay
on Out Of Time by TotallyTwiztedBeats
on I Wont Quit by soundhound
Good luck!
I really enjoyed your song. Alex
I'm not really looking for someone to sing this, this track
is not about love or pleasure, it's about frustration and pain
nobody wants to hear that in words...So I'll leave it just Music...
"Collabs"...Are hard if you have a controlling producer that wants
you to play what he, wants you to play...
I don't work like that anymore, this is just fun for me I don't want
to email and talk for a week, about a track unless there is a
potential payday at the end...
I just don't have the time other wise...
Thanks again for stopping in...
Peace...TG.
on Come On by SeriouslyJoking
on Come On by SeriouslyJoking
this is some very lovely electronic track with nice retro sounding synths.
Brick shaped waveform? This is a good example: https://www.looperman.com/tracks/detail/164089
haha
But seriously, I always enjoy listening to your tracks and this time is no difference. Good to see your music evolving.
Yes, at some point there's a lack of clarity on your recording. It's a bit like a 'filtered' listening. I thought you might try to take off the effects and simply observe what happens. Probably some synths already have reverbs (and other effects) so mixing different reverb effects might be the reason for unclear sound. Some proper order in applying effects might be eventually considered. There are many tutorials out there on YT, some amount of teory is needed at some point anyway. Myself I experiment a lot and ultimately I do not believe in strict rules. But of course there's no way around it.
Hope this makes sense. It doesn't change my perception of your track at all which again is a very lovely one.
Thanks also for checking my song and some nice words. I appreciate that.
Best to you and till next time, Alex
I suddenly relised that there infact are worse looking wave forms...thanks for pointing that out. =D
The lack of clarity is probably because of the reverb/delay effect I turned on and off with automation troughout the track. I loved the effect it gave but it also clutters the mix too much...I tried to do a more fine tuned automation and not just the on/off type but the program would not let me do that. I need to look in to that some more to maybe figure it out later.
Very glad to hear that you liked this anyway!
Cheers!
/ SJ =)
on Funkmachine by ZankFrappa
Thank you Zank for sharing with us this little but unique masterpiece.
For sure you have many upcoming albums ready to go Zank. Keep them upcoming!
Ahh... it's so nice you added song lyrics Zank.
Gordon added the lyrics, his tiny little piece of "creativity" ...
on A Little Bit Of Infinity by StaticNomad
I think this is a very touchy stuff, no matter if it is a 'real piano' or 'digital, 'Reason' or StudioOne'.
EZ seems like it is excellent as an extremely realistic drummer (I really like the improvised jazz midi sequences) but adding more additional instrumental layers make it sounding quite 'generic', like a computerized rock 4/4 drum pattern. Hard to explain... I always try to respect every 'clunk' sound and all harmonics provided by EZ drummer. I guess most of 'rock' musicians try to avoid/ignore it. Basically this is the place where I start.
I can't record a piano sound of quality compared to Ez drummer. Yes, I use a lot of Kontakt instruments instead!
I know my comments are not precise enough, sorry for any confusion btw.
Also it's not because of a 'chillout' label that I checked again your track. Just trying to say something useful. I am aware of the fact that actual experience can't be transmitted that way.
I don't understand what you're saying about EZ Drummer except I do agree that it has some excellent jazz MIDI files. And metal, rock, blues, country and many more. I have most of the expansion packs and make great use of the fine and varied drumming.
"adding more additional instrumental layers make it sounding quite 'generic', like a computerized rock 4/4 drum pattern"
It looks like you're saying that adding other instruments on top of EZ drumming makes the drumming somehow sound generic. I don't know why that would be. Anyway, I always add layers of other instruments and I think the drums remain sounding fine.
Sampled instruments have improved so much over the years and they make it really quite easy to make good music. They're not perfect but there are so many available (I'd like many more but I don't have Kontakt) and I have great fun using them. I'm certainly not complaining. I just get on with using and enjoying them. It's as simple as that...
on A Little Bit Of Infinity by StaticNomad
Programmed virtual instruments are great unless they get that 'computerized' sound/feeling for sure. Mp3 quality format is definitely a nightmare here on lm. Higher frequencies (so precious in acoustic-based music) are lost. Ez comes with some excellent performances but stacking so much instruments can create a kind of a vague 'sound cloud' which seems like it is always slightly drifting away from it's original (non processed) message. It might become very relative regarding to the lm 'average' sound. That also may be a reason for my earlier strange comments on 'too much compression' on drums on your tracks (loss of higher frequencies - the drum pattern gets 'programmed' quality).
I tried many times to play the piano along the Ez grooves but I am not really a regular session musician and truly I can't present anything really satisfying so far (in terms of jazz stylistic playing - simply a lack of available internalized patterns haha). Also I can't use a real acoustic piano at the moment but only it's poor substitute: a 'digital piano'.
Sometimes I am trying to take off the layers and the instruments in order to 'deconstruct' my track and then just realize I was simply wasting my time. Truly it is all about eager every-day practising the real instrument, not just fooling around the daw.
I really enjoyed your track, but also trying to share some more thoughts eventhough some of them are very self-centered. Hope you don't mind.
It doesn't change my perception of your track at all (which again is a really nice one!)
A.
I am still a bit confused about Spivkurl's problems with programmed acoustic (sampled) drums. I'm not really trying to make the drum parts sound like one drummer playing in real time on one kit. I'm just trying to do whatever I can to make a good, interesting and unique drum track. I think I've done that in a lot of my tracks and I would say that if you were to listen to all of them, you would hear a different feel/"sound image"/feel in every track.
I sometimes wonder how I'm going to keep coming up with interesting drum parts/sounds in, say, 20 years from now. I don't know but for now I just go with what sounds good to me. Some parts are like one drummer at a kit and others are more layered - as if there were two drummers playing. And then I sometimes add lots of different sounding drum loops, as in this track.
I was watching Pink Floyd live last night from 1989 and they have two drummers there. I've seen that quite often in big concerts. I suppose my tracks are a bit like that.
Finally, if I didn't use acoustic drum software, the only other way to get acoustic drums would be to actually use and record a real kit. But that would be almost impossible for me - I'd need a good sounding room at home and all the microphones, different snares etc. Oh, and I'm a very average drummer so I'd have to get someone in to play them. So that's not going to happen. I'm quite happy with Superior and EZ Drummer and, as I say, so are lots of other people and I'm still proud of my drum tracks. Everything can always be better but there are limitations in life that you just have to deal with.
I'd like a better guitar sound, better bass sound etc etc but I work with what I have and am generally quite pleased with the results. I may be getting a new bass soon so that might fix my bass guitar problem.
Regarding MP3s, my ears are not very good so I think my tracks sound OK at 128K. Yes, I can notice the difference between 128K and 320K when I listen to my MP3 collection. But 128K is OK just for people to hear the track on Looperman. Of course I wouldn't give anyone a 128K MP3 of my music - one of many reasons I don't allow downloads on here.
I can't remember your comment about too much compression on my drums. I don't use compression much, partly because I still don't understand how to use it.
There are some great sampled real piano instruments available to buy (eg for the Kontakt player). Maybe you should look at getting one (or more).
Thanks again for your thoughts. I also like this track, despite the presence of layered, sampled acoustic drums.
on Philosophical Discourse 1 by ZankFrappa
on A Little Bit Of Infinity by StaticNomad
For me the 'Tycho' moment is around 2:48 - 2:55 in here. That passage reminded me of 'Hours' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuGO6WHcruU 'Hours' is still sounding much more like a radio-oriented type of piece to me, your song is different but I can hear some similarities in the sound-image.
I really like that Rhodes piano main theme with some lovely passing chromatic tones. Also the strings 'echoing' the harmony are fine. There's some background noises (0:38) that reminded me of some of your guitar riffs, probably used on other productions earlier - it sounds a bit like a scream choir effect here. At some places on your recording (like from 0:27) there's so much space for adding more instruments or just playing some catchy melodies (like this one from Tycho song). I liked synth/guitar dialogue from about 2:00.
Somehow I wanted that last long section (4:20-8:20) to be even more evolving when I listened yesterday. Yes it is morphing and changing nicely but no that much as on your other productions! I guess this is simply how you envisioned it: to have a long chilled section.
Adding the drum loop is some nice concept here - I also used some electronic type of snare loop on my last track. When combined with EZ it may sound quite interesting.
Also the last outro post-section, nicely 'echoing' the entire piece was fine. I can hear the e piano played in 5ths in lower range and some interesting processing. Nicely blended sound.
There's some additional unwanted sound at the very end of the recording.
I will listen again later today when I'll be back from work and let you know if only some new thoughts appear.
Again very nice work! A.
Yes, you're right about the unwanted sound at the end. That was just an error when exporting the track that I didn't notice. I will re-export and remove it.
I'm listening to the Tycho track now and really like some of it so understand why you mention Tycho. Yes, more commercial than my track but then I never seem to do anything that sounds like a radio track. Not sure why - probably something to do with my character (I like deeper sounds and moods and not just catchy melodies).
Well done noticing the passing chromatic Rhodes notes (no surprise that a classically trained person would). Actually, it might be just one note.
When trying to find changes, I noticed that darker sort of note and then the track turned into dark, swing/shuffle jazz and then into metal, with a lot of emphasis on the flattened fifth (the tritone). But I decided that should be its own track so I'm working on that now and am glad I removed it as it leaves this track much more beautiful and consistent rather than turning into strange dark jazz-metal.
0:38 background noise is a rising string part. Don't know why it's like my guitar parts but it's a sound I really like. Yes, it does have a screaming effect. Actually, I suppose I do little guitar screams sometimes so that makes sense now.
synth/guitar dialogue from about 2:00 I considered getting rid of the guitar there as the layered synths underneath are quite cool and don't need the guitar but then I carefully edited the guitar parts to sound good so I left them in.
4:20-8:20 long section. 5:45 is the start of a new bassline that reminds me of New Order's classic Blue Monday - one of the best club tracks ever made. That section could have been much longer and evolved more as I had lots more guitar parts. I ended up just going with one - a slide solo. That seems to be enough. Again: I'm trying hard not to make my tracks too long!
Last outro post-section is easily my favourite section as the strings play such amazing melodies (a reprise of 4:10). Yes, you're right again about the fifths Rhodes parts though I also have some higher, twinkling Rhodes notes in there. I love fifths and do it a lot on bass and guitar, probably keyboard as well.
Thanks again for your detailed thoughts.