Axis Part 1 (ElectroProg - Seismic Phoenix)

[D.H. Miltz]

Very enjoyable piece. I think it would be nice to hear fairly loud while lying down with one's eyes closed. I'm too tired to test this theory (if I close my eyes I'll go to sleep and it isn't quite that time yet), but I'm pretty sure about it. Thanks, seismic1.

Is it only the SoundCloud link that has the new version? Nothing in the first one bothered me, but having read the thread I'm curious to hear the second.

[Frantz]

Is it only the SoundCloud link that has the new version?

Yes, the MP3 is unchanged.

[D.H. Miltz]

Is it only the SoundCloud link that has the new version?

Yes, the MP3 is unchanged.

Thanks for letting me know.

[Frantz]

So I put the wav file through spek and saw that I was getting signal up to about 20.5 khz.

Spek is a terrific free cross-platform spectrogram app. Just drag and drop audio files onto it and you get an instant spectrum analysis.

As an interesting side note, everyone may want to see if they can hear TeenBuzz. Turn down your speakers before playing. It is a blast of sound at 15kHz. Most adults can't hear it. Teenagers use it as a secret ringtone so they can text each other in class without the teacher knowing.

Even though I am in my forties, I can hear it easily, possibly because I always wear earplugs in clubs and concerts. It sounds very similar to the high pitched whine old CRT displays made. If you can't hear it, it's not a big deal. There isn't anything musical happening at 15kHz. The top note on a piano is 4.1kHz. However, consider if your mixes are loaded with frequencies at 15kHz and above, you are including a lot of unpleasant frequencies that may irritate those that can hear them.

TeenBuzz in Spek:

[seismic1]

great buildup on this one. i liked the shifting drone and i will never get tired of the good ol krafty Q snaps! as far as the mix, even without looking at it
with the freq analyzer i can confirm Frantz's observations. hf's a bit loud in the high end. up till the bdrum kicks in, theres almost no sounds below 100hz which further accentuates the HFs. would be interesting to hear a version with a boost to 100-50hz and a slight cut from 7khz - 10khz and a sharp rolloff cut from 12khz and above. good to hear NEW seismic stuff!

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

I have just uploaded a new mix/master to SoundCloud only, replacing the original file. This one rolls off a little of the HF introduced by the reverb, although I was deliberately aiming for that sort of sound. I found an error in my routing setup in eXT which meant that my EQ wasn't being applied correctly. I haven't touched the low end yet. I have a couple of updates planned for the weekend, one of which might plug that LF gap a little, although I don't want to overdo it.

[Frantz]

I changed the routing in eXT, applied an EQ cut from 15khz on the Shimmer output and remastered with a slight cut in the HF EQ. The spectrogram looks a lot quieter up in the high end now.

Thanks for doing this. The new mix is no longer painful for me to listen to it. Dogs everywhere are breathing a sigh of relief.

I think the music is great. It gradually builds and keeps my interest all the way through.

(The only slight distraction are these periodic bursts of "noise" at 9.5kHz which sound to me like a swarm of digital insects. However, I am sure no one else would be bothered by this.)

[V0RT3X]

So I put the wav file through spek and saw that I was getting signal up to about 20.5 khz.

Spek is a terrific free cross-platform spectrogram app. Just drag and drop audio files onto it and you get an instant spectrum analysis.

As an interesting side note, everyone may want to see if they can hear TeenBuzz. It is a blast of sound at 15kHz. Most adults can't hear it. Teenagers use it as a secret ringtone so they can text each other in class without the teacher knowing.

Even though I am in my forties, I can hear it easily, possibly because I always wear earplugs in clubs and concerts. It sounds very similar to the high pitched whine old CRT displays made. If you can't hear it, it's not a big deal. There isn't anything musical happening at 15kHz. However, consider if your mixes are loaded with frequencies at 15kHz and above, you are including a lot of unpleasant frequencies that may irritate those that can hear them.

TeenBuzz in Spek:

Goddamn that was painful for me lol, it was like a poke in the ears.

[Frantz]

Goddamn that was painful for me lol, it was like a poke in the ears.

Sorry about that. I added a warning to turn down your speakers before playing.

[V0RT3X]

Goddamn that was painful for me lol, it was like a poke in the ears.

Sorry about that. I added a warning to turn down your speakers before playing.

I heard it through my MBP speakers at about 75% volume

Im glad I never used my headphones.

I've always been fairly sensitive to sounds though. I can hear fairly high frequencies emit from all sorts of things.

[Frantz]

I've always been fairly sensitive to sounds though. I can hear fairly high frequencies emit from all sorts of things.

How does the MP3 in the original post sound to you? Are the frequencies irritating?

[V0RT3X]

I've always been fairly sensitive to sounds though. I can hear fairly high frequencies emit from all sorts of things.

How does the MP3 in the original post sound to you? Are the frequencies irritating?

Well its definitely got a bright sound to it. I like the drone, but ya you are right about the higher frequencies. I can't really hear the noise but there is some kind of high frequency crowding in this track that makes it difficult for me to enjoy.

The sound design and drone itself are excellent sounding though, maybe just a bit of EQ work on the higher frequencies.

Cheers

[Frantz]

Well its definitely got a bright sound to it. I like the drone, but ya you are right about the higher frequencies. I can't really hear the noise but there is some kind of high frequency crowding in this track that makes it difficult for me to enjoy.

Thanks. Good to know that I'm not the only one. I think Seismic has pretty much fixed it in the new mix.

[layzer]

soundcloud mix

[seismic1]

nice one tim! I really liked the slowly evolving overtones and it remindet me of the overtone singing technique. also the beginning of the percussion @ 00:57 is subtle and tasty. i could imagine this tune very good as an intro for another song. keep it up!

cheers


wolf

Thanks for taking the time to listen and comment, wolf. Glad you enjoyed it

I few people have commented on the vocal-like qualities of the drone. The percussion is µTonic, some clean and some processed with Permut8. I bought it about 1 year ago, but this is the first time I have used it on a complete track.

[seismic1]

Mmm... nice! I like the way you slowly build things up in the first half, keeping us in suspense before the more beaty second part. Lots of interesting things happening to keep the attention. Good stuff!

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

I built 2 drones in Audacity and then messed about with them in EnergyXT until the harmonics fitted into the 120bpm schema I had devised. then I added the reverb, synths, percussion and delays. It all came together quite quickly for a change.