February Album Writing Month 2020

#41

Sort of in the style i’m writing at the moment.

#42

From the intro I was expecting something different, with the noise element to take the dominant role instead of the melodic one, really really nice.
Being a sucker for smack bang snares that’s the only thing I’d tweak.
But then again, that is just my passion for snap snares at slow tempos…

#43

@TheTeknomage @bbb I owe you guys a listen, you haven’t been forgotten.

#44

When I get some time this week I’ll give these all a look.

@Auto-meh-geddon Thanks. I’m thinking I might need to side chain the noisey pad stuffs to the snares specifically to help them stick out a bit more. If not also increase the levels. I’m glad you liked.

Most of the stuff will be Melody drivened, I’m sure. But I’m trying to minimize them to some degree. With chopping up/out midi sections, etc. Same process for some of my drum stuffs too.

#45

update

i think i finished track two…sorry for cheating i started early…tbh feb is the shortest month anyways…

bassically to get the neuro bassline to sound decent i added a craploads of compression cuz my wireless heaphones has a poor bass response…so shrug…

#46

Cheat away! I think it is a given we are all going to loose some days or even a whole week, so get your make up time in early : )

I’ll catch up with everyone’s tracks by Friday for sure, I work from home Fridays.

#47

So I’m posting this as a “things I’d try” post more than anything. At least in initial thoughts.

@Auto-meh-geddon I like the aspect of this but think the clicking sound needs some movement to it. Not so much when the majority of the track is going. Maybe an Lfo opening and closing it or/with some stereo-ing? It sticks out more in the quieter parts(IE - intro). The rest I dig.

@relic The funky bass pluck stuff, makes me want to try some stretch notes. Like every other bar(or however it works) try to layer in a long, stretch note around or omitting some of the other bits. Pretty basic but…“do do do do doooooooo do do do do dooooooo”. Not sure in what format you’re making stuffs overall but might be easy to layer a lower or mid note in with the current pattern, breaking up the loop of stuffs, at least in my head. Overall good sound though.

@bfk You style is really out there overall. It sounds good but maybe too clean? I feel like i can hear a sub in what is playing already, but might test out some added sub-kick element to this. At least in theory. Could literally just be kick and a sub re-mixed with a bit staggered attack and release to carry more low end ? Not sure. Sounds super clean and lacking there. But I know that can go heavily, very easily the opposite direction. And like i said, I do hear it a bit and wouldn’t want to mess up my rythyms.

@TheTeknomage I will say this has a very heavy 80’s feel to me. Like some sort of movie bit I’d hear with a bit of imagery/montage thing. Sounds good overall. The little breakdown towards the 230ish point I like more than the parts with the plucky stuffs. Not that it is bad. Just maybe some LFO/stereo/verb/delay action over that part or some of the other stuff(additionally) may help it fit. You’re another hardware guy, I’m not sure what elements something is or isn’t, or where it can or can’t go. But I think stereo effecting the plucky bit with or without an LFO might make it a bit less static.

@bfk 2nd track - I’ll say I like the mix to this better than the first but the sub sounds super clean. Almost like it isn’t there but then I hear it and think if it were me, I’d have to mute it to get a fuller sound because it’d clash with my new rythym. I know you’re mixing in headphones and maybe it’s more me but I feel like it’s lacking in the up to 200 range.

I know you say you mix through headphones. But it almost seems you mix via numbers and not sound? Just like I mix by ear and can’t get my stuff from sounding too deep or saturated. So maybe I’m thinking, you might try a few things to open your mixes up, where I should be closing mine down. Two opposites of the same spectrum. Though, it still works, but being a non-club speaker guy, might be lacking. Maybe someone with that experience could say?

Still, between all of these, I like them a bunch. ANd this is pretty much just the pre-Feb batch for everyone. Just need 3 to 5 more and we have EPs. :wink: Really enjoyed stopping and listening to these all. Sorry if terrible feedback.

#48

All the sounds bar the samples were from one if these:image
The Pophecy, which I use as my master keyboard only has 5 encoders. Those are set for volume, cut off, frequency, attack and decay. Being the smallest of the JV’s it only has one set of outs, so any effect I put on is going to effect everything. It is possible to go in and change settings, but I don’t have the original software to do so, and to do it from the front panel is a complete balls ache. Add to that, that everything you change is lost when you power off. Changes can only be saved via the software. I will be looking to get a Super JV2080 later in the year, which has two sets of outs, an easier to program front panel that saves from the front panel.
The 80’s vibe comes from the fact I’d been watching ‘Cyber City Oedo 808’ which is a 1990’s anime, when I started working on the track, hence the theme of Neo Tokyo for this FAWM.

#49

thanks dude that is the first time someone said i have a super clean mix lol…i tried added a sub but, the more audible i tried to make it the more it drowned out the other track elements, also had to lower the db’s of the 200 hz range cuz i couldn’t balance it right in the mix

i often go by the visual via the spectrum analyzer in parametric eq 2 and trial and error…

will post my thoughts soon to other people stuff soon

#50

@relic the acid line needs some higher harmonics layer it with another synth patch i’d say add a state variable filter that combines bandpass and high pass so that you can make the acid line scream by adding some disto and then eqing to make sure frequencies dont clash…also like thetape distorted background pad but i’d like to hear the heavily reverbed non tape machine version of that same pad as a complimentary element at some point…also add a clap to accent the kick on every other beat

@bbb very good composition so far…very burial i like what i hear maybe add a stereo layer to that unison detuned synth

@TheTeknomage very 80’s but it may be to 80’s for me…you could easily make a crystal castles type track

@Auto-meh-geddon…you need a distorted guitar some with some distortion pedals and fx…it would compliment your style very well or create distorted synth patches to simulate a guitar… also could push the sound design a bit more

#51

Track number 2. This was originally done just before the last one but I fooked it up and didn’t go back to it. Listened to it the other night and felt it went with what I was doing. As it was still in the Qy700 I figured I’d revamp it. After this will be fresh stuff and will be picking up the tempo on the next one.

#52

@bfk O.K. I’m going to comment in both tracks at the same time here. Now this isn’t my kind of thing, so it’s difficult for me to comment that much. There is just too much going on at the same time for me. I’d love to see you pull some of those elements out, so I can really hear the drums and bass more.

#53

@bbb At first I thought of a horror movie with that intro, and then when the the bass came in, there was something about it that reminded me of music I used to listen to, but couldn’t put my finger on it. It came to me just now, if somewhat slower and more bassy, which is Down in the Park. I’d have to disagree with Auto about the snare though. I like that it’s pretty discrete.

#54

Banned.

#55

Hour or so in my practice room today and the melody for one of the verses may be sorted. Now I just need time to get some words for it and get it recorded.

#56

Now that kind of attitude will only get you into trouble.

#57

V2 of my FAAWM 1 track, with a more squelch, maybe even acid baseline…

#58

I like it, but the intro seems a bit long. Maybe half it or just start with a kick to the head, if you get my drift.

#59

idea for three

update have the meat of track 3:

edit: update of track two simplified the rhythm a bit and played with the mix and compression…

edit: update of track 1 fixed the rhythm and played with the mix…

#60

@bbb I think the track does a good job of setting a mood but I feel like the energy level is pretty static. Sounds all sound good.

@TheTeknomage I like that you have a theme/concept for the project. Cyber Geishas: everything sounds super straight/not swung, no push and pull to the elements, which maybe is the point if you are writing a song about robots. Mix is quite clean though.