Allrighty then, November 1 deadline, working title "Baroque up the wrong tree".
All titles I gathered in my title repository suck - so I stay with the working one. Baroque Up the Wrong Tree, composed, performed and edited by yours truly. Guest vocals - Ernesto Borg9 & Co:
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All titles I gathered in my title repository suck - so I stay with the working one. Baroque Up the Wrong Tree, composed, performed and edited by yours truly. Guest vocals - Ernesto Borg9 & Co:
Sounds A1, ambient, dynamic transitions, well done.
Your comment about bad 70's crime drama [soundtrack] reminds me of the finale of this track of mine I've posted recently [it also features the Magnum Strat copy] -
Quote:
Originally Posted by zeekat
Things I learned to do in like 15 years of "music production" hobby, while aiming for something completely different:
Edit] Some useless background info - A song about survival over the ages in harsh conditions.
Haven’t really experienced it personally but I have been up the arse of a grain harvester at about 150°F unclogging straw walkers, it’s no place to pass out…
Horae - Mythological Greek goddess of the seasons [and perhaps the originator of the term "Freeze, m*therf*ckers!"]
SCYTHE OF THE WINTER
Scythe of the winter, never very far away
All obey yea ay
Fear of the keeper
Lest he send us on our way
All obey yea ay
Who’ll not obey her law
Who’ll not beg, ooh oh oh ooh
Who’ll not obey her law
Who’ll not beg, ooh oh oh ooh
Cold breath of Horae
Whispers beyond the plains
All obey, yea ay
Who’ll not obey her law
Who’ll not beg, ooh oh oh ooh
And when the winter comes in shades of gray
Fading light skies dance, ice cold rain
Falls the night over all the days dying rays
Scythe of the winter
Oh never very far away
Scythe of the winter
Beware lest you meet your end this day
All titles I gathered in my title repository suck - so I stay with the working one. Baroque Up the Wrong Tree, composed, performed and edited by yours truly. Guest vocals - Ernesto Borg9 & Co:
Ten minutes isn't enough even for my procrastination warmup let alone the actual procrastination followed [eventually] by maybe doing something.
There's several hundred presets for Synth One alone, ten minutes gone easily right there. Then if I start figuring what all the dials and switches are for..
Ima try to finish a song in 2 weeks and 15 minutes from now that I haven't got a title for yet so I'll call it 'What It Is Now' for now.
There's other tracks coming out of the woodwork from past procrastination eras so if I post some of them no one should be under the impression that I found a cure.
Ten minutes isn't enough even for my procrastination warmup let alone the actual procrastination followed [eventually] by maybe doing something.
There's several hundred presets for Synth One alone, ten minutes gone easily right there.
Thats that 'too many options' thing again. This is one reason why I chose the hardware synths that I have, no presets and no way of saving any settings
The theory is sound (ha!), but in reality, I still get fuck all done
LOL Zeekat!! Best intro and outtro ever! I mean video and audio of course.
As for the song, I liked it but I have some criticisms...it's actually very interesting to be able to see you play it while hearing it I've just realized.
That's my favorite way to learn songs now actually, since I'm spoiled by modern things. I started out with tabs and I reckon most of my time was spent trying to figure out the most efficient finger to use for which note in a chord.
Trying to learn Johnny B Goode with tabs vs a video of chuck berry playing it is night and day. Like 50 minutes vs 5.
Ok so back to my critique. I couldn't quite put my finger on it until I noticed how economical your playing is. Listening to it, it sounds so complex and then I see you barely moved while playing any instrument.
Haha, ok not trying to bust your balls, there's no need to move around a lot since all the notes are there, anywhere a hand can may be on a guitar, but I think you could use a bit more "energy" in the sound. If you put it into your playing it will come out in the music.
Really I don't wanna be too negative cos your songs and playing are good, but I honestly think if you raised the roof on how hard you hit the strings, the increased dynamics would help to get the feeling across that much better.
Best analogy I can think of is comparing when I go to a show (back when that existed) and dance vs when I don't dance. The more of my body I put into music, the more I enjoy it. I think it works the same with playing it.
Sorry to bombard you, I can't get my ideas out simply sometimes.
Ima try to finish a song in 2 weeks and 15 minutes from now that I haven't got a title for yet so I'll call it 'What It Is Now' for now.
Dude I'm too lazy to math that for you if you want it on the list haha.
Hey honestly this is my favorite song I've heard from you at least until the rock drums. Good lyrics too, I agree with Held. But yea, I guess it's only the drums that ever bother me in your tracks.
Know any drummers, Morgon? Really think your stuff wants real drums from a real drummer.
I almost forgot to share this, but I was listening to the track and kept rewinding it at this one part cos I though you'd accidentally made one of the drums sound much louder and like knocking on my door until I realized someone was actually knocking on my door... I was amused.
I just bought a Komplete keyboard as well with a "scale-locking" feature. I don't regret it or anything, since it's amazing to be able to play in keys I never knew existed (the scale keys even light up), but I've also found it's a little more difficult than I thought to incorporate into my workflow.
Basically it's still a PITA to figure out what key you're in unless you decide in advance, which is pretty hard to settle on if you're indecisive like me...
Anyways, harmonic minor is fuckin sweet. Check it out.
Ok so back to my critique. I couldn't quite put my finger on it until I noticed how economical your playing is. Listening to it, it sounds so complex and then I see you barely moved while playing any instrument.
Haha, ok not trying to bust your balls, there's no need to move around a lot since all the notes are there, anywhere a hand can may be on a guitar, but I think you could use a bit more "energy" in the sound. If you put it into your playing it will come out in the music.
Really I don't wanna be too negative cos your songs and playing are good, but I honestly think if you raised the roof on how hard you hit the strings, the increased dynamics would help to get the feeling across that much better.
Best analogy I can think of is comparing when I go to a show (back when that existed) and dance vs when I don't dance. The more of my body I put into music, the more I enjoy it. I think it works the same with playing it.
Sorry to bombard you, I can't get my ideas out simply sometimes.
Well, I tried! I listen to some proper agressive stuff, and the navy blue guitar in the middle was bought with a plan to learn to shred fast music. But turned out every time I start with a plan to make something more energetic my timid disposition gets into play and I end up with this ^. So I accepted it as some sort of an innate thing. Plus tbh attempting at nailing anything in one take makes you twice as careful as usual.
At least my guitars are thankful - every time I see some old guitar with busted freboard I'm like, what, people play THAT hard? Guitar I played thousands hours on has brand new looking fretboard as I barely touch it while fretting.
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AM bient, rund funk and heavy meteo
my bandcamp+youtubings
Thats that 'too many options' thing again. This is one reason why I chose the hardware synths that I have, no presets and no way of saving any settings
The theory is sound (ha!), but in reality, I still get fuck all done
I mess about with different sound setups way too much compared to actually playing stuff.
That recent song I posted, the picked RG part was done in an hour or two, it was the only change from the previous version but I still found a way to lose quite a lot of time not changing anything.
Dude I'm too lazy to math that for you if you want it on the list haha.
Ok, thanks Fox, two weeks from yesterday it is then, give or take a few minutes.
Quote:
Hey honestly this is my favorite song I've heard from you at least until the rock drums. Good lyrics too, I agree with Held. But yea, I guess it's only the drums that ever bother me in your tracks.
Know any drummers, Morgon? Really think your stuff wants real drums from a real drummer.
Thanks. I'm actually a drummer as well but I can't use my kit here, it's in cobwebs at a friend's place.
I don't have any excuses why the drums aren't better, maybe not enough dynamic range in the MIDI and over-quantised?
Quote:
I almost forgot to share this, but I was listening to the track and kept rewinding it at this one part cos I though you'd accidentally made one of the drums sound much louder and like knocking on my door until I realized someone was actually knocking on my door... I was amused.
If they came to complain about the noise I hope you told them I should be able to improve the drumtrack
I just bought a Komplete keyboard as well with a "scale-locking" feature. I don't regret it or anything, since it's amazing to be able to play in keys I never knew existed (the scale keys even light up), but I've also found it's a little more difficult than I thought to incorporate into my workflow.
Basically it's still a PITA to figure out what key you're in unless you decide in advance, which is pretty hard to settle on if you're indecisive like me...
Anyways, harmonic minor is fuckin sweet. Check it out.
Harmonic minor on the beatstep pro is my fave!
EDIT: Maybe the workflow needs to change, instead of bending the tech to the workflows will? For myself, what buying the keystep 37 has reminded me is that its never the kit, its always me 'at fault'. I think I've had this about a week now and barely turned it on. But then its amazing how one item can throw everything into flux again. I now have a lot of modulation options! Its taken me a few days to figure out what kind of routing to use in the set up as I now have probably as many 'controllers' (and I guess modulation sources, sequencers) as I have sound sources
Here's my thinking...
Beat Step Pro controlling BFD3, and my favourite rickenbacker bass vsti on the PC, plus sending the bass and drums MIDI data out into an RK006 MIDI splitter brain thing, with the Beat Step Pro being the master clock for the whole live set up. CV out on the BSP for other stuff I have that can be synced to the drums/bass. Im hoping those sequences make the Subharmonicon's sequencer go further, especially interacting with the polyrhythms and shifting patterns. I can use the BSP to play back pretty much whole programmed songs of drums and bass.
Keystep 37 into the RK006, like wise using Keystep's generative properties, the chord stacking, arp and strum feature, clock divisions, for the same input and potential wackiness into the Subharmonicon, but also routed out of the RK006 to play the Yamaha Reface CS, which has a MIDI looper on board too. Then the Keystep also has an onboard sequencer, and CV outputs, for the same synced features into the Subharmonicon, Crave, and various pedals.
I've made sure all the pedals I've bought can be CV or MIDI controlled. I got a cheap Lexicon MX200 which is MIDI plumbed in now too. I also got a MIDI controlled strange looper pedal. A MIDI to CV clock divider, LFO and envelope generator, theremin style sensor device thing. A CV controlled FX unit.
I got overwhelmed with options, but I think I have it figured out now, all ins and outs resolved in my head, and each controller or noise source can be used alone or with anything else, at any time. With a PC or without. And anything can be easily unplugged from the setup and used with a USB battery power pack. Both the Keystep and BSP can change MIDI channels on the fly really easily so fingers crossed, it'll all work. And with the flick of just one switch too.
Next step is the tedious annoying bit of figuring out the MIDI channels on all the different kit and setting up the software on the MIDI router (which can also playback MIDI files via a USB stick, another bloody option ). Everything is talking to everything else fine when I hit play on the BSP but play is all I have wired in so far, there arent any finer details worked out just yet
And I need to read the 116 page manual for the Keystep 37 yet too.
Brain melting...
Hopefully, it means I can do an album of space rock in one pass, but without any guitars (apart from bass), then let you lot do the guitars for me
EDIT 2: Apologies for wall of text post, trying to get this resolved in my head, and procrastinate. I'M WALKING HERE!
EDIT 3: @Fox, this could help identify the key/scale/chord easier... https://www.scalerplugin.com/ <--- Thats gonna be another part of my eventual arsenal
Still two days to go, but I'm leaving it as it is. I was planning to add some acoustic guitar, but there's something wrong in the audio chain -- you can hear the vocal is distorting. I'm not overloading the preamp, so I have no idea what is going on. Maybe the interface is broken somehow.
Tried to change mic, but I discovered the sm57 needs a soldering job.
EDIT 3: @Fox, this could help identify the key/scale/chord easier...
Well actually was gonna use that plugin for scale locking until I buckled and bought the keyboard. There's a built in musical scale identifier in Reaper that I use, but the names aren't always congruous (making it a PITA).
I plan to put together a ReaScale file that corresponds only to the scales, names and hierarchy of the Komplete stuff. Course, who knows if/when I'll do that, y'know? I tried to drum up some help/interest in doing that but the thread was DOA...
I also have a Beatstep Pro, but I just use it as a MIDI controller. I like the compact layout and the feel of the knobs. You're storing your sequences there instead of Reaper?
Your long post about possibilities is very familiar...I've spent so much time mulling over such things. It's probably my main procrastination strategy at this point except now it just puts me into a state of choice paralysis; like I've literally hit the ceiling of how much setup tweaking I can tolerate in my lifetime.
I make the strings black pretty fast. But some people are literally digging pits in the guitar with their fingers, mental.
Yea I don't know how anyone does that. Really aggressive vibrato? I've had my tele for 15 years, played and gigged a ton and the only visible wear is on the some of the frets themselves. I don't see any benefit to fretting hard, but I beat the shit out of my picks.
Your comment about bad 70's crime drama [soundtrack] reminds me of the finale of this track of mine I've posted recently [it also features the Magnum Strat copy] -
Your finale kinda sounds like Priest proto-metal to me really. Like when people did double kicks but clicky triggers weren't invented yet.
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AM bient, rund funk and heavy meteo
my bandcamp+youtubings
Your finale kinda sounds like Priest proto-metal to me really. Like when people did double kicks but clicky triggers weren't invented yet.
Maybe the kicks should be tightened up a bit soundwise. Last time Fox critiqued my drumtrack was bc of timing issues but this one was step programmed to a track recorded to a click.
Maybe he feels it's too mechanical sounding [it's slightly 'unquantised' deliberately, maybe not enough?] Or that nothing beats a drummer playing real drums, I'm inclined to agree.
@Fox, is it A. All the above B. None of the above C. Some of the above D. Some of the above and then some E. All of the above and then some
I was going for contrast to the slowish tempo earlier in the track so the simple game plan at the end was to highlight the quarter note chords at the ends of the riffs and do lots of dual beater kicks in the spaces, kinda didn't totally come off though, Fox for one doesn’t like it and now he's sent me back into procrastinator hell
@morgon - yea i'm just very critical, don't take it too personal. to me it was maybe too much contrast. When the drums first came in they added some contrast while still fitting in.
Mainly i just have a problem with artificial drums trying to sound real. I think then they should be wildly artificial or just real drums.
as a separate example, Classical Gas starts out great with the guitar and then loses me with the bombastic orchestral parts. i'm sure plenty of people feel the opposite.
@morgon - yea i'm just very critical, don't take it too personal. to me it was maybe too much contrast. When the drums first came in they added some contrast while still fitting in.
Mainly i just have a problem with artificial drums trying to sound real. I think then they should be wildly artificial or just real drums.
as a separate example, Classical Gas starts out great with the guitar and then loses me with the bombastic orchestral parts. i'm sure plenty of people feel the opposite.
Not taken personally whatsoever, it's not my fault that sampled drums don't sound like a real drumkit
But it is procrastination paradise given the several options. One possibility is maybe to take some velocity off the 'in between' kicks but leaving the main accent kicks unchanged.
Well actually was gonna use that plugin for scale locking until I buckled and bought the keyboard. There's a built in musical scale identifier in Reaper that I use, but the names aren't always congruous (making it a PITA).
I plan to put together a ReaScale file that corresponds only to the scales, names and hierarchy of the Komplete stuff. Course, who knows if/when I'll do that, y'know? I tried to drum up some help/interest in doing that but the thread was DOA...
I also have a Beatstep Pro, but I just use it as a MIDI controller. I like the compact layout and the feel of the knobs. You're storing your sequences there instead of Reaper?
Your long post about possibilities is very familiar...I've spent so much time mulling over such things. It's probably my main procrastination strategy at this point except now it just puts me into a state of choice paralysis; like I've literally hit the ceiling of how much setup tweaking I can tolerate in my lifetime.
Yeah, its a lot! But my hope is that once set up, its just a couple of key presses to get something in sync or in key. I guess for me its less about not being out of tune and more about being able to come up with something... longer than a riff.
Its less about storing MIDI parts on the keystep or BSP but being able to transfer them out of Reaper, and on the hardware for remixing live. I could have a whole stack of songs with just the programmed BFD and bass parts ready to play on a USB drive, or in the BSP/Keystep directly, then just add weirdness and live stuff on top while abusing the Roller/Looper
The setup I have means I can record all audio straight into Reaper, on 16 tracks, and also record all the MIDI at the same time. Or I can go completely dawless, and still record 16 tracks of audio on the external USB drive mixer I have, and all MIDI into the devices themselves (BSP/Keystep/Yamaha Reface). Any can be unplugged and used elsewhere without messing up the whole system, and without it being a nightmare having to rebuild the whole system again. I also have four outs from the PC into the mixer, so I can use the PC just as drum machine kicking audio out.
Its a lot now, too many options, too much paralysis, but once done, it'll all be one button to start
Printed the Keystep's manual last night, now for reading...
EDIT: One way in which I'm attempting to simplify all this, and have less options, and less choice paralysis (love that phrase btw), is eliminating the PC from the equation, except for using it as a drum machine, and/or bass player, keeping its role limited to post production and overdubs.
@Fox, have you checked the chord gun thread? Would that help?
I tend not to use a lot of chords. They just happen naturally as I harmonize melodic lines.
The only issue is that the same scale can have many different names and then I can't find a way to auto-load scales when switching songs (or keys). Since that's getting in my way, I'm not using the tech as much as I intended to.
It seems that shortcuts around learning theory are a bit of a can of worms in themselves.
I tend not to use a lot of chords. They just happen naturally as I harmonize melodic lines.
The only issue is that the same scale can have many different names and then I can't find a way to auto-load scales when switching songs (or keys). Since that's getting in my way, I'm not using the tech as much as I intended to.
It seems that shortcuts around learning theory are a bit of a can of worms in themselves.
Hell yeah. Simplifying and streamlining a workflow is work in itself
Legit tempting to set the timer for 10 minutes and try. Some people are really amazingly fast at this
altough having a habit of thinking of one riff entire evening wont help here
Hey, it was good enough for Status Quo's entire career!
(Tho tbh, part of this way of working is what I'm trying to incorporate with all this hardware I've bought - to get as much done as possible before the track goes any where near Reaper/the PC)
I have ground to a complete halt.
I am getting annoyed at getting nothing done.
Sometimes you gotta take breaks. As in breaks where you don't put any pressure on yourself to produce. Time away is valuable. Sows appreciation. Like I can't fucking stand being around people unless I've seen no one for a really, really long time. Only bad when it becomes the norm.
Quote:
Originally Posted by zeekat
Lots of useless noodling here too. Really bad noodling to recording ratio.
Noodling is the only way to build chops. That's literally how the "great composers" of the past became great. By not getting laid and diddling pianos all day.
I was amused.
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