KVR Audio

folderol · Post by **folderol** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 12:06 am

This is a tune I've been working on for a couple of weeks. It is a long way from finished, but after burning the midnight oil I think I have it roughed in enough for some opinions.

I already know I need to do more work on the bass - it jarrs in a few places, but what else?

As to why the title is Henry's Ghost I dunno. The name just came out of thin air

runagate · Post by **runagate** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 12:48 am

Thin air? must have been a ghost...

thomekk · Post by **thomekk** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 12:54 am

The composition is ok for me so far.
But: The sounds are quite GM-ish.

Criticism: It's too static.
Some velocities are missing at all.

runagate · Post by **runagate** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 6:31 pm

thomekk wrote:The composition is ok for me so far.
But: The sounds are quite GM-ish.

Criticism: It's too static.
Some velocities are missing at all.

I love the composition.

The actual sounds used, I agree, are barely-better-than-80's.

Which means that, if you're giong for retro, the sounds are too new and pristine. If you're aiming at modern, you're way off the mark.

Now, being someone who designs sounds all the time but only recently (5 years) ago had no freaking idea how to do so, I certainly understand the frustration of trying to emulate real or semi-real instruments with synths.
I have 1000 synth plug-ins, so it's not hard for me to reach for or make something appropriate. So when things sound the way this song does I tend to ignore the sound design aspect, as not everyone has sound design skills or (like me) own no expensive plug-ins with all the work already done for you.

No matter what sounds used, though, I'll eagerly await every new folderol song.

folderol · Post by **folderol** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 7:16 pm

Hmmm, double hmmm, and tripple hmmm

Thanks for your comments guys.

I know the flute instrument is rather weak, but I had thought the horn was quite reasonable and the strings fairly good

@runnagate
Glad you like the tune anyway, and haven't put me in the 'do not listen' dungeon

core · Post by **core** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 7:42 am

Nice song, I like the melodies but I also think the flute sound is a little weak.

folderol · Post by **folderol** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 9:28 pm

Ok, latest version.

Based on a few suggestions, the synth flute has been replaced with a piccolo soundfont and the bass has been changed to a cello.

I hope you like it better.

Henry's Ghost 2

offthewall · Post by **offthewall** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 9:50 pm

IMHO, this is a vast improvement. The changes in instrumentation have been worthwhile.
I would say that, if you wish to make it better again, add some grace-notes to the piccolo line and a bit of attack to the cello (to give more of a bowed sound)
Nice one.

thomekk · Post by **thomekk** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 10:15 pm

Beautiful!
Much better now for me

I hear some sort of elegic klezmer out of it...

thom

folderol · Post by **folderol** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 6:51 pm

@offthewall
I don't know yet how much control I have of these soundfonts. I'll do more experimenting but wanted to get this 'out there'. I also think I am at the point where I need to be careful not to 'over improve' it!

@thomekk
I'm very pleased you like it more. I had to look up 'klezmer', but now I see what you mean. I had wondered what sort of genre this fitted. It had a haunting familiarity that I just could not quite place.

folderol · Post by **folderol** » Fri May 02, 2008 9:40 pm

This is now finalised (as far as music ever is). Having given it a short rest before listening again, I've only made a few small tweaks and tidied up the mix a fraction.

You can have the mp3 or the ogg whichever takes you fancy

knockman · Post by **knockman** » Fri May 02, 2008 11:11 pm

there's an animated (claymation, not anime) series on tv here that i sometimes see with my son. i believe it's imported from somewhere in europe, anyway it's central character is a mushroom who concieves of all sorts of fantastical contraptions by which he can do things not usually permitted of fungi, such as fly etc. anyway, it typically involves his thought processes and dreams combined in a way that is well served by the "elegic klezmer".

hence i was happily reminded of this by your piece - a very nice composition

regards

liqih · Post by **liqih** » Sat May 03, 2008 6:02 pm

oops, there is an italian (or french) song which has almost exactly the same nice melody, <grin>,
anyway since it's also derived from a traditional 3/4 folk melody I would'd say it's a copy,
Ok that's just a secondary note...

About the sounds I would suggest to do not use a second voice as dark as the main one, maybe flute or a fiddle,

Henry's Ghost - Finalised