Disproportionate (ElectroProg - Seismic Conflict Resolution)

[seismic1]

Top track Tim! Beautiful synths and a lovely beat/rhythm...

Read on your soundcloud that you were feeling disillusioned at the time of doing this. Maybe you could make it very confrontational by using finger nails on a blackboard...

Well done!

Thanks very much for listening and commenting, John. Glad you liked it

This was intended as an "ambient protest" against some of my current pet peeves, but the final result was quite a mellow and restrained sounding affair. It may be time to mobilise the beatz.

[seismic1]

nice soothing thereminish lead on this one, The lp filtered arp kept a nice rhythm and the level was low enough to allow the pads to peek over it. the start/stop structure was interesting. almost teasing.

ever hear the theme from the 70's show "NBC Mystery Movie"? the lead kind of had that vibe for me!
always liked that sound.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHk5cGwuS6A

Thanks very much for the listen and the comments, layzer. Glad you liked it

I've been using this type of lead sound more frequently this year. It must be a phase I'm going through. I had a period of using sync-leads back in '09-'10. The stop/start thing was a deliberate ploy to highlight the reverb, and gave me the chance to vary some of the timings.

I can't remember hearing the music in the YT clip, but the lead had a very similar character. The shows were on the TV over here although the only one I watched was Columbo, and I was certainly watching repeats in the '80s.

[seismic1]

Very good sounds in this sparse piece. I especially love that choral pad. Excellent use of reverb.

Thanks for listening and commenting, Frantz. Glad you enjoyed it

That "pad" was a recording of the original track ending (actually the reverb tail), fed back into Audacity, cut to length, faded and reversed, and then added back into the project. The reverb was built into the project early on and was an "integral" part of the composition.

Pleasantly drifting into a slightly mysterious fog on my fourth listen. The Netfix show "Stranger Things" is quite popular now and this would fit right in on the soundtrack.

I've never seen Stranger Things, although I was impressed with the list of artists credited as contributors or influences on Wikipedia.

I wish the throbbing bass was mixed a touch louder and the whistle lead a touch lower. Don't ask me what "a touch" is cause I don't know.

I was hoping drums and a mid-range arp would appear at some point and kick things up a notch but I guess that would not be "ambiently correct." Mayhaps in part two?

Great job.

I played around with the levels of that lead synth quite a bit whilst mixing this, but it seemed to get a little lost in the mix even at 2dB lower than it is now. I'll have to think about this some more.

My next track is likely to feature some percussion, but I'm not sure about arps

[seismic1]

Very enjoyable track! I think you got your theremin-type lead to sit just exactly in the right place in the mix - beautifully done!

I'm glad you noticed that. That synth was the trickiest part of this track. I swapped out the original VSTi. I couldn't make it behave with the reverb, so I went back to the ModularV patch that I used for Paraxial, and then spent quite a while playing with the EQ on the instrument channel, (and a couple of tweaks on the master iirc).

Thanks very much for listening and commenting, David. Glad you enjoyed it

[fastlanephil]

Nicely done ambient track! I enjoyed it.

Now some nit-picking.

The chirp sound seemed a little loud and obtrusive in a few spots. I think?

The ending seemed to hit a wall. Maybe that was your intent but some verb trail off or a fade might be more fitting for an ambient listening experience.

[seismic1]

Nicely done ambient track! I enjoyed it.

Now some nit-picking.

The chirp sound seemed a little loud and obtrusive in a few spots. I think?

The ending seemed to hit a wall. Maybe that was your intent but some verb trail off or a fade might be more fitting for an ambient listening experience.

I think I agree with you about the chirp/bleep being too aloud, especially at the beginning of the track, before the reverb is applied. I'll take a look at that in the next day or two.

The ending was intentional. Like a door quietly closing.

Thanks very much for listening and commenting, Phil. Glad you enjoyed it

[All Ears]

Very nicely done piece, I like it.

[seismic1]

Very nicely done piece, I like it.

Thanks very much for commenting, and giving this your ears Glad you liked it

[Jesse Gorter]

nice rhythm, creates a nice suspence.

the high pitched synth is a nice touch, always so pure and nice in contrast to the rest. I love to do that too 

[sazb30]

Very cool track Tim. Love that 'tick tock' style sound that anchors the track. It reminds me of Global Communication.. check out their classic 76:14 album (if you don't already know it that is!!) Liking that that lead sound too. In my mind I hear whispered echoes bouncing around the stereo field..

The way this builds and flows is great. One of the things that I find difficult about making ambient is letting it develop naturally without forcing it (do you know what I mean?). I'm envious of your ability to do this so assuredly.

I enjoyed this track a lot.

[seismic1]

nice rhythm, creates a nice suspence.

the high pitched synth is a nice touch, always so pure and nice in contrast to the rest. I love to do that too 

Thanks very much for listening and taking the time to comment, Jesse

That rhythmic synth is one of the factory presets that came with AaltoCM. It was just a matter of "dressing it up a little" . The synth lead is Arturia's excellent ModularV2. It sits well in mixes, even played in a "lower register".

[justin3am]

Very nice. Thoughtful composition and great synth sounds. Thanks for sharing!

[seismic1]

Very cool track Tim. Love that 'tick tock' style sound that anchors the track. It reminds me of Global Communication.. check out their classic 76:14 album (if you don't already know it that is!!) Liking that that lead sound too. In my mind I hear whispered echoes bouncing around the stereo field..

I hadn't heard any Global Communication tracks until earlier tonight. I guess you're referring to 14:31 with the tick tock reference. It's certainly a similar effect. I was aiming for a very rigid and simple "rhythm" on here, so that clock/metronome comparison certainly fits the bill.

The way this builds and flows is great. One of the things that I find difficult about making ambient is letting it develop naturally without forcing it (do you know what I mean?). I'm envious of your ability to do this so assuredly.

I enjoyed this track a lot.

I'm pleased that you enjoyed the flow /shape of the track, but that was all assembled quite late in the writing/arranging process. For this piece, I assembled all of the parts in different permutations over 3 or 4 two-hour sessions. Once I had a fairly clear idea of the overall sound of the piece, I started the process of re-assembling the various parts into their final order. I'm flattered that you think this sounds natural and unforced, but there was a fair bit of hammer and chisel work going on. I don't think I've managed to complete a track in a single session for over 3 years!

Thanks very much for the great comments, and for taking the time to listen, Sarah. Glad you enjoyed it

[Jesse Gorter]

nice rhythm, creates a nice suspence.

the high pitched synth is a nice touch, always so pure and nice in contrast to the rest. I love to do that too 

Thanks very much for listening and taking the time to comment, Jesse

That rhythmic synth is one of the factory presets that came with AaltoCM. It was just a matter of "dressing it up a little" . The synth lead is Arturia's excellent ModularV2. It sits well in mixes, even played in a "lower register".

I hate that i don't understand synthesis well enough to create my own sounds easily :/ I HAVE modular v3 though D:

[drumity]

Nice trip
Enjoyed listening to

But with 136 artists on an album
selling for 10 bucks
equals 7 cent max
for each artist

Welcome to the streaming world ....


(( D ))