Down Tempo Funk Study

[any1particular]

OK!

This is something I've been 'messen' around with lately in Ableton Live 7, Reason 4 and Spectrasonics Trilogy.

Phylosophical Zombi.mp3

It's an unfinished idea/groove.

Now that I've posted it and stepped back I can hear it needs help-can be cut down a bit.

I'm open to suggestions.

I want to learn from you Masters out there!

Mixing can be quite a challenge can't it?

[s4w2th]

I like it a lot, that's one heck of a huge groove you've got. The kick and bass are clashing. You might trim of some of the bottom from the kick. Make the intro shorter. Maybe trim some from the middle. I'd leave the ending alone imo.

I am officially jealous of your groove ability

[UncleAge]

Nice groove. I don't have monitors right now, only headphones, so I'll leave the suggestions on the mix to others. But I'm diggin the vibe...

[martian]

i really enjoyed this, great bass groove, love the vibe. really like the vocals that come it later too. i find the noise fx get a bit messy (3:43). also id tease more with the intro, and leave the bass out for longer, maybe even build the harmony first?

[s4w2th]

i really enjoyed this, great bass groove, love the vibe. really like the vocals that come it later too. i find the noise fx get a bit messy (3:43). also id tease more with the intro, and leave the bass out for longer, maybe even build the harmony first?

+1 martian's idea with the intro

[Lotuzia]

creative zombie track

Fresh ............ meat

[any1particular]

I like it a lot, that's one heck of a huge groove you've got. The kick and bass are clashing. You might trim of some of the bottom from the kick. Make the intro shorter. Maybe trim some from the middle. I'd leave the ending alone imo.

I am officially jealous of your groove ability

I like your criticisms-right on! Great suggestions.

This forum and your comments mean a lot to me and is very inspiring. That must sound like I don't have much of a life. lol

I'm 50 years old (how'd that happen?) and performed guitar here in Detroit and around the country (real funk & jazz) most of my life up until recently.

I was the token white guy.

I have plenty of life experience to draw on. These new technologies are mind numbing. Oh my God sooooooo much fun once you get your head around them a bit!

I'll remix Philosophical Zombi (with your suggestions) and re post it.

I'm interested in learning more about engineering and production.

When you say the kick and the bass are clashing, I wonder what I can do to help remedy that?

Thank you soooo much for the kind words.

[TristezaOrange]

Dayum!

[Cormega]

Very nice groove any1. what did you use for the "bah bah bah" vocals just before the guy says "hello....hey, let's go"? Very cool!

[any1particular]

Very nice groove any1. what did you use for the "bah bah bah" vocals just before the guy says "hello....hey, let's go"? Very cool!

Hey Cormega!

Thanks for the support!

It means a lot to me and I appreciate it.

I actually use a guitar synth to trigger many of the sounds.

The ba ba ba part is a factory patch from the GR-20 Roland Guitar Synth.

The 'Hey Let's Go' is me. I recorded it, cut it up and put it in the new drum racks that's in Live 7. That thing (and the whole program) is sooooo freaking cool and powerful it's just mind blowing!!!

One can't help but be creative with it.

Thanks again for the support.

Peace.

[thenumber23]

Awesome genre-mashing tune. It sounds great and I love the fact I can't classify it. How fresh and unique - More please!

Brian

[s4w2th]

When you say the kick and the bass are clashing, I wonder what I can do to help remedy that?

First if I might say so, I'm probably not a "master" producer. The advice I gave was probably something you would have naturally discovered soon enough just from mousing around here in the forums at KVR, (Welcome to KVR by the way ).

I'd be glad to help you any way I can, and quite possibly you might be able to help me or someone else get the stank in a bassline or two

Alright, fasten your seat belt.

When the kick is hitting, it's lower frequencies are sounding on some the same frequencies as the the bass. Maybe clashing wasn't the right phrase, maybe "muddying each other", would have been better. Not a huge amount but just a little. Resulting in the kick not being quite as strong and the timbre of the bass being effected. Essentially the kick and the bass should have separate frequency ranges that don't intersect.

You need to loop a section of the song that plays only the kick and the bass, just for the purpose this "fix", then ofcourse un-loop it when your done. Let the looped section play while your trying the following:

1. I wouldn't touch the bassline frequencies imo, just the kick's lower end.

2. I'd use an EQ, subtracting from the lower frequencies, and not adding to the higher ones. It should begin to pop out from the bassline.

3. Turn up the volume on the kick while it's being eq'd so as not to lose its prominence within the song as a whole. If the mood strikes turn up it for more prominence, just keep balance in mind in terms of volume and the rest of the song.

4. I'd turn down the volume on the bassline just a hair or two.



On the second listen through the cymbal splash on the frontside of the tune seems a little loudish.

That's all small stuff really.

Good contrast of timbres in the song.

If by chance you need more help feel free to PM me, it's that little "pm" by my nickname.

I'm interested in learning more about engineering and production.

By the way, there's an excellent class on mixing being taught by Kim (esoundz) , right here at this link with in the KVR Production Techniques forum

http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=224331

I would highly recommend it for anyone interested. I believe he's still taking students and he has a nice friendly approach.


Good job.