March Contest: Gossip

[Marc JX8P]

As an addition to my reviews, here's my personal definition of the ideal prog rock track (and probably way too restrictive):

• - Overall sound: rock (meaning a heavy, band based sound);
  - Heavy use of keyboards or other non-guitar instruments like flute;
  - Different tempo and meters during the track;
  - Relatively simple, monophonic musical phrases which get complexity from their key and time signatures;
  - Drums are played like an instrument rather than rhythmic accompanyment.

[mellotronaut]

As an addition to my reviews, here's my personal definition of the ideal prog rock track (and probably way too restrictive):

• - Overall sound: rock (meaning a heavy, band based sound);
  - Heavy use of keyboards or other non-guitar instruments like flute;
  - Different tempo and meters during the track;
  - Relatively simple, monophonic musical phrases which get complexity from their key and time signatures;
  - Drums are played like an instrument rather than rhythmic accompanyment.

Brillant description!
For this contest we need sounds from the 70's like Moogish, Mellotronish, Wurlish, Rhodish, ARPish, Hammondish, Clavinetish etc..... .

[Beardedone]

Styx, Love and Deep Purple made me wanna quit music and become a professional hitman. To this day when I hear that gawd-awful garbage like 'Smoke On The Water' I wanna hurl. AFAIC, you could put all of Richie Blackmore's so-called 'fantastic guitar work' into a one-minute lead break during a Pepsi commercial and never notice it...

Amen!

Stevie Wonder, Jeff Beck! Yeah!

[adj]

Ma man!

I'm such a cynical old bastard these days...

But really -- that sort of crap music we used to call 'Teeny Bopper Music'

[Arglebargle]

I have a question, how would I make a track sound like it was made in the 70s? Got a song coming along, but the general production sounds too modern.

[Beardedone]

I'm such a cynical old bastard these days...

But really -- that sort of crap music we used to call 'Teeny Bopper Music'

Yeah and Rock Schlock!

[Beardedone]

I have a question, how would I make a track sound like it was made in the 70s? Got a song coming along, but the general production sounds too modern.

A fair bit of tape saturation and tracking out of phase. Try iZotope Vinyl perhaps.

[duncanparsons]

I have a question, how would I make a track sound like it was made in the 70s? Got a song coming along, but the general production sounds too modern.

You wanna use EQ22 judiciously Click my sig

I also did a peculiar Springline reverb effect early last year, which I used on my track. If you search the forum for springline, all three betas are still available

DSP

[Echo Voodoo]

Echo Voodoo - Why are you calling me?
You've caught the SID bug! heh. Some great sounds in there, nice work on the vocoder. What did you use for that pad? Sounds great

No SID involved, most of the sounds were FabFilter One, except for the drums and pad. The pad is courtesy of Nolwenn's PAD Synchoir 3 preset for Oatmeal.

Thanks for the kind words!

[duncanparsons]

Nice entries so far, seems prog rock can be anything

Duncan Parsons - Retropolis
I was going to mention the crackles but I see you already put a new version up. I really don't like the sound of some of the instruments used, mostly the drums which sound like GM which I don't like.
Halfway the song I'm liking it much better, good synth sounds and the guitar sounds sweet!

thx The only way to listen to prog is off an LP, hence the entry GM? The samples used are almost identical to my Pearl ELX kit and Hollywood steel snare (Hollywood were a subsidury of Ludwig). I would have played the part myself, save for the lack of mics and space to set the thing up at home! The Guitar is Gregjazz's UltimateGuitarKit2 through JCM900 and EQ22, with careful programming - it could be better, but I've got alot on this month

Duncan Parsons: This is completely prog from the 70's. The instrumentation, the changes, the sounds and melody-lines. Very well done and...it's a great tune condensed into two minutes. Hats off!

thx again I love prog of all kinds... tbh most of my contest entries have either had a prog element, or I've had a prog band in the back of my mind when writing. It's nice to be explicit about it tho'

I'll be d/ling the current crop later tonite (on dialup, so might take a little while!)

DSP

[me109]

To this day when I hear that gawd-awful garbage like 'Smoke On The Water' I wanna hurl.

I knew there were more of us out there! I remember playing with a fusion kind of band back then. We had them sitting on the dance floor listening intently to our version of Norwegian Wood in 11/8. We got canned because a dance floor is designed to generate sweat which dehydrates the dancers which sells more beer. We were alternating sets with the other band who must have played Smoke on the Water every set. It's an example of big business controlling the musical taste of the people. A travesty!

[Arglebargle]

I have a question, how would I make a track sound like it was made in the 70s? Got a song coming along, but the general production sounds too modern.

A fair bit of tape saturation and tracking out of phase. Try iZotope Vinyl perhaps.

yup I thought about saturation. I think there's a plug in Sonar that'll do that.

I have a question, how would I make a track sound like it was made in the 70s? Got a song coming along, but the general production sounds too modern.

You wanna use EQ22 judiciously Click my sig

I also did a peculiar Springline reverb effect early last year, which I used on my track. If you search the forum for springline, all three betas are still available

DSP

now reverb, I didn't consider that. I'll try to use reverb that sounds more vintage.

Thx for the link also.

[emdot_ambient]

I have a question, how would I make a track sound like it was made in the 70s? Got a song coming along, but the general production sounds too modern.

A fair bit of tape saturation and tracking out of phase. Try iZotope Vinyl perhaps.

And lay off the compression/limiting.

I don't mean don't use it, but don't use it on the master as heavily as we tend to do so today. It was being used a lot in the '70s by diverse groups but classic prog rock, influenced as it was by classical music, utilized a wider dynamic range than the pop, hard rock, funk, sould & R&B of the day.

Another mixing tip: Drums and bass back then were never mixed as high as they are today, except when they are taking a prominent musical roll. If you're hearing the kick pump through the mix, it's not '70s style mixing. I'm sure there are exceptions to this but while transfering LPs to digital, I'm constantly amazed how far in the background drums/bass were placed. And to use an exception to prove the rule: part of what defined the Yes sound as being very different is the fact that the bass was brought forward and often used as a melodic, rather than rhythmic element.

Also, watch the reverb you're using. Prog rock bands recording in studios would have been using analog plate reverbs. So, it's easy to get too clean and digital with todays reverb plug-ins, especially free ones.

Actually, using Kjaerhus Audio's Classic free plug-ins is a great way to emulate the '70s sound. Classic Delay, Flange, Chorus and Reverb all work great for this.

[Arglebargle]

thanks for the great advice emdot.

[Nils_B]

translation of my lyrics (roughly):
(not a typical phantasie-prog theme, I know...)

the sun shone, it was warm, it was nice
and tears were cried
because something was over

I come over to you one more time
to fetch my stuff

why do we have to hate, love, argue, forgive, here on earth ?
aaaahhh

tears were cried...

...because something beautiful was over