KVR Audio

Locus M · Post by **Locus M** » Fri May 01, 2009 11:16 pm

Hi
Here is another piece of old school electro in odd signatures. This time in 5/4.

Maroon Hunt:

New mix based on feedback:
http://www.box.net/shared/2uzmq4fqay

Of course I would love your feedback on this. Can not change my taste but do take advice on mixing and arranging very serious.

Synth used:

Audio Realism Drummachine
Polysix, MS-20: bass figures
Feldspar: The "electric lead"
TAL U-NO-60: The "pluck-lead"
Photone: The "synth horn"
Imposcar: S&H pad
Sylenth 1: Chords

This tune is supposed to be in the same "style" as the one in this thread:

http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic ... highlight=

If you have listened to both, I would be grateful to know if you think they are related.

All the Best

exxxy · Post by **exxxy** » Sat May 02, 2009 12:22 am

the music was too quiet compared to the drums, i couldn't listen to it very loud and it got a bit tiring before it reached the end
so i cant really comment on the tunes/arrangement too much until i can hear it better (and more relaxed)

Locus M · Post by **Locus M** » Tue May 05, 2009 8:28 pm

Hi
I have posted a usable version now! I would appreciate your feedback on this one. The layered basses were (as usual) the hardest thing to control. Do they sound all right on your systems?

All the Best

exxxy · Post by **exxxy** » Tue May 05, 2009 10:04 pm

ah, much better mix now

i'm sure it works well with the other one, they're both in your style

... listening for 2nd time now, didnt like it so much the 1st time (4 mins ago) but sounds better 2nd time around - not as immediately catchy as the other track but its a grower

got quite a nice 80s knightrider/soundtrack vibe to it

and again you make me think that my beats are way too predictable and basic by comparison, hmmmmmmm

can't fault it, maybe a little more stereo spread/panning for the synth horn and parts like that - the main beats/bass are holding the centre ground really strongly, i think you can afford to spread out the melody parts further across the stereo field

kennymeg · Post by **kennymeg** » Wed May 06, 2009 3:08 am

Like it. Snare rolls could do with a bit more suck. Does that make sense? Anyways, good stuff.

Locus M · Post by **Locus M** » Wed May 06, 2009 6:41 pm

Hi Exxxy
Thanks for feedback. Nice to have you on the spot right away. I see you are busy at this forum. Must make you a popular fella, since it is not that easy to get reponse here in general (unless you claim to be the inventor of a new style or something). You sure have a few stars in my book already.

exxxy wrote:can't fault it, maybe a little more stereo spread/panning for the synth horn and parts like that - the main beats/bass are holding the centre ground really strongly, i think you can afford to spread out the melody parts further across the stereo field

Fine, I will experiment with that, then.

exxxy wrote: and again you make me think that my beats are way too predictable and basic by comparison, hmmmmmmm

I am sorry but thanks

Now that statement triggers some story time:

Must admit that what limited abilities I have to control odd sigs and polyrythmics, I owe to one hell of an Afro-American percussion teacher I had 20 years ago. Some really warm and friendly, but crazy, fella that must be about 80 years old today if he is still alive.

The guy was outright a black racist if I have ever known one. Everything that has ever been in the world of good things, music, mathematics, technology, have come from Africa but have been stolen by the white people. Including all hits since 1900. Among other things, Jesus was black, but history was rewritten....and stuff like that!

With regard to rhythms, he was obsessed with the number 12. This number was somehow THE key number of all other parameters, including polyrhythmics, for some mathematical reason that I did never get, and at the same time it was the key number of the universe and the spiritual world.

If you were to challenge that 12 was the key of all music like "but the books says...", he would go "THE BOOKS!?, THE BOOKS!? NOW WHO DO YOU THINK WROTE THEM BOOKS, MASSA??? DON'T YOU COUNT ON THE BOOKS: COUNT IN TWELVE!"

Of course he could be a true PITA, but today I am sure glad and honoured that he took the time to teach some rhythm to a piece of White Trash like me. Did not come cheaply though hihi:

Locus M · Post by **Locus M** » Wed May 06, 2009 10:12 pm

kennymeg wrote:Like it. Snare rolls could do with a bit more suck. Does that make sense? Anyways, good stuff.

Hi
thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment. Do you mean the hi-hat rolls at the end of every second bar or just the snare in general? I do think the snare is boring if not annoying and will try to play around with a compresser to give it more presence and punch.

All the Best

VicDiesel · Post by **VicDiesel** » Thu May 07, 2009 1:57 am

Nifty piece. The rhythm is complicated enough that you can just count it in 4 and think that there are some interesting off-beat accents.

Victor.

Locus M · Post by **Locus M** » Thu May 07, 2009 3:16 pm

VicDiesel wrote:Nifty piece. The rhythm is complicated enough that you can just count it in 4 and think that there are some interesting off-beat accents.

Victor.

Hi Victor. Thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment

Yes you can count in 4/4 for every 4 bars of 5/4 since 5 x 4 = 20 and this is the number that can be divided with both 5 and 4. You can also count twice as fast in 4/8, then you only need 2 bars of 5/4 (= 2 x 10/8 = 20/8 ) to count in 4.

Doing that, however, will dislocate the beginning and end of the figure across 5 bars of 4/4 (or 4/8 ) and you will lose the "five-feeling" in which the figure always starts on 1 and ends after 5.

BTW The above is also the principle of polyrhythmics. If you want to combine a figure in 4/4 with 5/4, then simply multiply the two numbers: 4/4 x 5/4 = 20/4 and you have the number of beats needed before you can complete a cycle in which they both start on 1 and end at their last beat, respectively.

All the Best

Jazzyspoon · Post by **Jazzyspoon** » Thu May 07, 2009 3:46 pm

Nice tribal groove and some interesting keys. Enjoyable enough. I dig syncopations in rhythm. The drums sounds themselves could be a little more unique or exciting, but it's got energy.
Thanks for sharing, Hskovlund.

exxxy · Post by **exxxy** » Thu May 07, 2009 3:57 pm

Hskovlund wrote:Hi Exxxy
Thanks for feedback. Nice to have you on the spot right away. I see you are busy at this forum. Must make you a popular fella, since it is not that easy to get reponse here in general (unless you claim to be the inventor of a new style or something). You sure have a few stars in my book already.

ah, thanks for that but i don't think i'm remotely popular, i'm quite invisible here

oh, and glad to hear you had those lessons 20 years ago, makes me feel a bit better - i only started thinking about rhythm/percussion programming a year and a half ago after assuming that 'someone else would do it' while i just thought about 'the songs' .... so i've got an excuse for being a bit basic in my approach

Locus M · Post by **Locus M** » Thu May 07, 2009 6:33 pm

Hi Exxxy and Jazzyspoon. Thanks for your visits once again.

Now exxxy, I think you are pretty popular but that you just do not know. It is logically impossible for you to be anything else, even at KVR

Be patient about learning rhytms, because genetically, white folks have no sense for rhythm from birth and will be lucky if they learn it during a lifetime

!

Jazzyspoon wrote:Nice tribal groove and some interesting keys. Enjoyable enough. I dig syncopations in rhythm.

Cheers mate

Jazzyspoon wrote: The drums sounds themselves could be a little more unique or exciting

Spot on! I also think the sounds are pretty lame now, including the snare. They are just the out-of-the-box 909 emulations from AR drummachine, so they are kind of...err..heard before! They need some love in form of some heavy processing. I'll look into it!

Jazzyspoon wrote:Thanks for sharing, Hskovlund..

Are you serious?

It is me who thanks you for bloody listening to it and commenting

With all these daily releases from our local celebs, I do not expect anything, so I am positively surprised that some drop by at all. ...and so far, I have taken just about all advices into the final mix of both tunes.

All the best

Locus M · Post by **Locus M** » Mon May 11, 2009 2:12 pm

Hi

There is a new mix up based on feedback in this thread:

http://www.box.net/shared/2uzmq4fqay

More stereo spread on the high and mid section for Exxxy

Hi-hat rolls should "suck" a little more now thanks to kennymeg

I have treated the toms with some compression and rolled of some highs of the snare for Jazzyspoon. Makes the toms a little more boomy and the snare less annoying IMO.

All the best and once again thx for feedback

D.H. Miltz · Post by **D.H. Miltz** » Thu May 14, 2009 3:36 am

I don't have any useful advice, but I like this a lot. Thanks.

Locus M · Post by **Locus M** » Thu May 14, 2009 6:13 pm

D.H. Miltz wrote:I don't have any useful advice, but I like this a lot. Thanks.

No worry on the advice. Your comment is more than enough for me. Thanks a lot, mate

OS Electro in 5/4 - New mix up!