KVR Audio

CypherOne · Post by **CypherOne** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 7:32 pm

Hello

I haven't written anything for quite a while but I have had this kicking around, as always, half finished.

I'm genuinely interested to hear what you lot think I should do with it. As always with me, I've started another couple of tracks and I'm not really sure where to go with this one..

I realise that it's probably too long, or at least that I need to up the interest level towards the end (via beats and/or melody). Keen to hear what people think I should add or take away...

Anyway, I quite like it. All inspired by a preset in Rapture. I'm not completely happy with the beats as something is clashing.

Any thoughts? Bin it/finish it/f**k off?

American Dream

Thanks in advance to anyone that listens

jakob · Post by **jakob** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 9:56 pm

This is not bad. When I listened to the first chord, I thought "mmm, I like the sound of this". Unfortunately, you opted for really short chord "hacks" and not a continuous sound. For me, this was a let down. The drums are quite good throughout the track, but the first drumset sounds too cheap somehow (hate the bass drum).

It might be a little too long, but not necessarily for this kind of music.

Overall, I find the sound lacking a bit in depth. It sounds "low-quality" somehow. Don't ask me how to change this, though, I struggle with the same problem.

Okke · Post by **Okke** » Sun Oct 15, 2006 3:41 pm

I really like it,

I like it to play when working, not too much In Your Face,
I don't think it is sounding cheap, I think it is balanced.
Can't compare it to anything I know, really interesting!

MacZero · Post by **MacZero** » Sun Oct 15, 2006 4:23 pm

Hey cypher, MAD BREAKS MAN! the drums are nice and phat, with some good variation and structure. That sine wave porta bass is really cool too. The root note needs to hit a bit harder i rekon. it's always good to make sure your root note is nice and strong.

Some good chilly synths and pads. Goes really well with the bass. This track would benefit from some incidentals and a few more dub type FX to enhance the space abd make the track a bit more memorable. Up to you.

you asked where to go next? A big phat memorable synth line hook. tis what it needs.

great to hear another person writing breaks on here. loved it, thanks for sharing.

:10: · Post by **:10:** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 12:11 am

damn...very nice. I love rapture. where the kits from the free expansion packs? because if you didn't grab them...do so, as the drums in the new banks are really wicked.

I think you should keep working with it. it has a nice vibe about it.

9b0 · Post by **9b0** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 12:45 am

Liked it a lot. Thanks!

runagate · Post by **runagate** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 1:26 am

jakob wrote:This is not bad. When I listened to the first chord, I thought "mmm, I like the sound of this". Unfortunately, you opted for really short chord "hacks" and not a continuous sound. For me, this was a let down. The drums are quite good throughout the track, but the first drumset sounds too cheap somehow (hate the bass drum).

It might be a little too long, but not necessarily for this kind of music.

Overall, I find the sound lacking a bit in depth. It sounds "low-quality" somehow. Don't ask me how to change this, though, I struggle with the same problem.

I'll go with the opposite of this.

I wasn't looking at my media player and I didn't know you made this. I was about to turn it off, thinking it was yet more tarnce. Aside from the excremental aluminum-sounding hi-hat with the 1/8th note pattern, this is superbly funky, almost Stevie Wonder-like somehow.

Here's my advice, which I advise you to ignore (always):
Just throw the entire hi-hat track away and re-write it (and use a different sound for gawd's sake). Excellent kick drum, btw.

Then let me sing over it (this will require me fixing my soundcard somehow). Certainly don't remove anything else, though, as I like this more-complex sound from you. Great filtery outro, too. A keeper for sure.

blaster78 · Post by **blaster78** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 1:34 am

runagate wrote: Just throw the entire hi-hat track away and re-write it (and use a different sound for gawd's sake).

totally agree with this, when the main break comes in all the nice glitchyness just disappears under the boring hats.

crash is too loud (i'm terrible at that as well)

and slow the f**ker down, who needs more than 90 bpm

jk

funky as all hell, especially when the detuned lead stuff comes in.

one day i'd love to do a tune with you.

cheers,

steve.

CypherOne · Post by **CypherOne** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 6:24 am

hehe, thanks chaps - I'd forgotten about this one. Listening back I see what you mean about the hats - if I get time I will see what I can do about that. Not sure about slowing it down (actually I may not be able to - I think a lot of it is wav files at this state, even though I could use ACID I think it will still notice).

Thanks for the comments - glad it caused some difference of opinions...

BTW, about the hats - do you mean just the cheesy 4x4 open hat?

runagate · Post by **runagate** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 7:26 am

Um.

I personally think the hi-hats, aside from just being a sound I associate only with funkless electro dance as a genre (I've not heard them elsewhere), sound bad. They don't even sound like metal. Which would be less jarring if the rest of the kit didn't sound like a tight, modern hip-hop/funkhard-hitting sound.

The rhythm of the oom-pah-pah 1/8th notes that the hats are in I also associate only with funkless electro dance music, whereas the rest of the drums are funky as hell. It's sort of like throwing rock tom fills into a blues jam song - it's just jarring and inappropriate to this otherwise wonderful song.

dunno, it's not like I have taste I just think it's doesn't belong in this kind of song (which, I repeat, I think kicks ass).

CypherOne · Post by **CypherOne** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 7:28 am

hehe, just trying to save an updated version now, but my software is being an arse...

runagate · Post by **runagate** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 12:25 pm

CypherOne wrote:hehe, just trying to save an updated version now, but my software is being an arse...

I know all about that.
Bloody evil PCs.

SciFiArtMan · Post by **SciFiArtMan** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 3:42 pm

I like it. It's obviously not quite there yet, but shows great promise. I didn't mind any of the drums that much, but I did notice that this song needs more textural diversity - too many of the same type of sounds (grind on grind) and not enough contrast (mixing pure tones with grind tones). This would add to the perceived complexity and provide greater overall interest.

Also I'd like to see more spacial placement of the sounds, no need to drown everything in reverb, but a little clever use of verb and delay could again add more diversity and complexity to the production. Same concept goes for the simplistic beep type tones - they work best when accompanied by more sophisticated accent tones. All this mixing of hard and soft, major and minor, wet and dry, loud and quiet, legato and staccato type contrasts keep the tune from sound too much any one way and give the whole project a more polished sound. It's a zen harmony kinda thing!

And finally, I personally HATE that VERY distorted/crushed snare type sound at the beginning (22-25 secs in) it doesn't fit and ruins the whole trippy mood of the start/song to me. The intro organ needs to be louder at the beginning section

Once the groove starts I'd like to hear a strong but simple repeating synth melody kick in over the background, stopping with the reed organ type sounds, then pick up again later.

This song is a definite keeper, just needs to be finished! Again too much distorted/bit crushed sounds happening at one time (especially at the first vox section, for example) - mix it up! Good luck!

CypherOne - American Dream