Awake - new Ugo track - update: new mix (less bass)

[ugo]

after 7 frustrating months, my writers block lifted and allowed me to finally finish a song! its longer than my usual stuff too. it clocks in at 7:46. im terrible at identifiying genres and sub-genres so i've no idea what this song falls under...something danceable.

awake.mp3
(aprox. 7 megs)
4/8 i've uploaded a new version with the bass pulled down a bit.


if anyone is curious, here's a list of what i used:

vanguard (x2)
discovery
phantom
absynth
string theory
wusikstation
zero vector
kontakt
kompakt
battery (x2)
operating table
personal orchestra
super camelphat
supatrigga
anarchy convolver
dynasone
thrill me
stereo enhancer (cubase)
chopper (cubase)

so...what do you all think of the song? any opinions/comments/criticisims?

-ugo

[MikeLeuz]

Jeezus... think you used enough different synth vst's on this!?!

But seriously, great vibe and texture going on... fluid and evolving... very engaging.

[MikeLeuz]

oh and the mixing and overall production is excellent!

Jeesh, I wish you guys would post worse tracks, I'm having a hard time criticizing people lately... and my own stuff is sounding worse all the time!

[Klemperer]

Hi ugo,

and thanks again for the famous Vertigo2-presets:-). I'm not right into this kind of music, but I very much like the song. Not really the rhythmic sound at the beginning (though very much the melody that starts and the instrument you used there), but that's simply due to me not exactly being into that kind of music, err. But the drive at 1'05 and than even louder and very well done at about 1'30 and a few seconds before...wow... see what writer's blocks are good to (I know that, I'm a writer ). Simply fun to listen to this. Like MikeLeuz already said, you could give as some lessons in how to mix your songs better, this sounds perfect... my favourite part starts at about 5'30. Very nice, well worth listening to many times in my opinion. Sunny song. Cheers!

[Electric Phase]

Awesome track ugo.

[ugo]

Jeezus... think you used enough different synth vst's on this!?!

yeah, there's a hell of a lot of stuff in there. thank god for the new freeze in cubase SL3! at least i can feel better about all the stuff i was buying during the writers block. i used a whole bunch of it in this track.

if anyone is interested, i can list which vst was used for what job.

But seriously, great vibe and texture going on... fluid and evolving... very engaging.

oh and the mixing and overall production is excellent!

thanks! im glad you dig it. im really happy with how this turned out, both in terms of composition and production. it may have taken 7 months to get here, but i think the results are letting me know i've learned something along the way.

-ugo

[mayan]

cool track, ugo...really well done. Congrats on breaking through the writer's block so splendidly!! It sounds as if you were beginning to explode with ideas but managed to contain them. I kept expecting to hear some kind of minor/modal/middle-eastern lead break through but that may just be my present state of aural mind.

[maximilians1]

yeah cool track ugo.

[ugo]

and thanks again for the famous Vertigo2-presets:-).

you're welcome, im glad like them.

I'm not right into this kind of music, but I very much like the song.

cool, i see that as a good sign that you still found enjoyment in listening to it, even though its not a style you are into.

Like MikeLeuz already said, you could give as some lessons in how to mix your songs better, this sounds perfect...

thanks!
i think this is the best mixing/production i've ever achieved. i really tried to make this a good one and not get lazy on the details. (as i sometimes do.) when it came to the mastering, i owe a hell of a lot to dynasone and thrill me. those two plugs are amazing and, if you're carefull, work very well together.

Very nice, well worth listening to many times in my opinion. Sunny song. Cheers!

Awesome track ugo.

yeah cool track ugo.

cool track, ugo...really well done.

thanks guys!

Congrats on breaking through the writer's block so splendidly!! It sounds as if you were beginning to explode with ideas but managed to contain them.

the ideas really were flowing. after months of all my ideas falling flat after 16 bars, this time the whole thing naturally fell right into place. at every point where i wanted a new part or a change, the ideas came right out and fit right next to each other. man, its such a relief not to have had to fight it and to just see it all flow from my mind, to my hands, to cubase. its been a long time since i was able to put a track together this comfortably.

I kept expecting to hear some kind of minor/modal/middle-eastern lead break through but that may just be my present state of aural mind.

who knows what would have come out had it kept going. but after nearly 8 minutes, i felt the track had reached a natural point of competion.

im feeling really good after having created this one and i do feel a lot of ideas and creative energy in me right now, so hopefully i'll be able to continue to take advange of this and make some more music.

-ugo

[Hellbilly]

Fantastic song Ugo and welcome back from the writers block.

Very enjoyable song, well produced and uhm, it's perfect i think

[atomic_(no)afro]

One of the best tracks that I've heard on this forum, way 2 go Ugo!

ATA

[mystahr]

im feeling really good after having created this one and i do feel a lot of ideas and creative energy in me right now, so hopefully i'll be able to continue to take advange of this and make some more music.

I surely hope the same; it's definately so that the production of this track is killer. If one thing I'd say the bass line is a bit too hot and bulbed, in my head I hear a more punchier, less tubed bass. But that is just me

Go on; more please

[envoy]

Ugo,

Stellar work! One of the moments I really like is that odd, scrunchy patch that comes in at 1:20. Even though it is rhythmic, you've got a softer attach envelope on it, which makes it feel like some post-apocalyptic metal squeeze-box.

Or something.

But do you have any idea how hard it is to Google successfully for a plug-in called "thrill me"?

Care to point that one out to me somewhere (unless it's Mac only...)?

Cheers,
Envoy

[ugo]

Fantastic song Ugo and welcome back from the writers block.

Very enjoyable song, well produced and uhm, it's perfect i think

One of the best tracks that I've heard on this forum, way 2 go Ugo!

thanks guys

If one thing I'd say the bass line is a bit too hot and bulbed, in my head I hear a more punchier, less tubed bass. But that is just me

hi mark
i went back and forth with the bass levels on this track for a while. sometimes more, sometimes less. the main kicks are more punchy than bassy, but i liked what they offered. however, they left it lacking on the bottom so i put more of the low end task on that bassline. so far i've only listened to the track on my monitors and my headphones, i havent tested it elsewhere yet. so i may end up bringing it down a bit if i find its getting too boomy through other systems.

i know what you mean about a punchier bass would be fitting, but i went for the more bulbus bass in the hopes of providing more vibe/groove and less of an 'in your face' sound. (also i thought it might help fill out the low end.) i almost replaced the bassline with real bass, but i liked the fit of phantom better for this than what i was playing on my bass.

Ugo,

Stellar work! One of the moments I really like is that odd, scrunchy patch that comes in at 1:20. Even though it is rhythmic, you've got a softer attach envelope on it, which makes it feel like some post-apocalyptic metal squeeze-box.

Or something.

i get a kick out of that effect too.
to get that sound, what i did was first mixdown the part of the song right before it, and imported it back into the song. i then applied steinberg's gate vst, chopper, with a triangle wave, added a bit of anarchy convolver for a little extra character, and then put super camelphat on it for the band pass filter sweep. for the last bar of that section, where it gets bigger and more chaotic, i layered it with chunk of the same sample/mixdown and stuck supatrigga on it.

But do you have any idea how hard it is to Google successfully for a plug-in called "thrill me"?

Care to point that one out to me somewhere (unless it's Mac only...)?

yeah, that would definitely send you in all sorts of odd directions. thrill me is made by discodsp, its part of their fx bundle. here are some links for it:

http://www.kvraudio.com/get/1490.html
http://www.discodsp.com/fx

also, here's the link to prosoniq's dynasone:
direct product link
or http://www.prosoniq.com

dynasone handled the majority of the mastering. thrill me was used to add extra power and life.

-ugo

[envoy]

to get that sound ...

Damn, and I was hoping it was just a patch. Thanks for the link on 'thrill me'. I just started using Ozone, so I may end up with similar thoughts. Again, very nicely crafted piece of art.

Envoy