KVR Audio

seismic1 · Post by **seismic1** » Mon Apr 01, 2013 1:16 am

12 hours to record in August 2010, the 2013 edit/remix/master took 7 hours. I managed to shave off over 1 minute from the original, changed the timing of the quiet "breakdown" in the middle of the track, added to the synth "lead" line, modified one of the bass synth patches, split the kick onto a separate mixer track, changed the percussion panning and added a reverb. Then I eqd, levelled, added FerricTDS to the master bus and mastered. This is a fairly chilled little number.

Only one synth on here.

EDIT:20200911 removed mp3 link

on SoundCloud

http://soundcloud.com/whatsisname/wall-of-doubt

Recorded in EnergyXT2.5.3/Remixed in EnergyXT2.7beta

ZebraCM
EnergyXT Drum Sampler
IK CSR
FerricTDS
T-Racks Linear Phase EQ
T-Racks Opto Compressor
T-Racks Vintage Equalizer
T-Racks Brickwall Limiter

DR - 13

EDIT: 20200730

Remixed in 2020 - essentially it's cosmetic update of the 2013 mix with a synth addition to the breakdown. The EQ has been improved, and I increased the level of the original synths. I have Satin on the master bus in the mix. For mastering I used T-Racks Dyna-Mu, Equal, Quad-Comp and the Stealth Limiter on quite gentle settings.

https://soundcloud.com/whatsisname/wall ... ks5-master

Recorded in EnergyXT2.5.3/Remixed in EnergyXT2.7/Mastered in T-Racks 5

ZebraCM
EnergyXT Drum Sampler
IK CSR
Equivocate
Satin
T-Racks Dyna-MU
T-Racks Equal
T-Racks Quad Comp
T-Racks Stealth Limiter

DR - 12

EDIT:20240720 - over 11 years later, also on YouTube as a static video

fateamenabletochange · Mon Apr 01, 2013 3:11 am

you put alot of work into these. Lots to like here. Love the effect of that big distant synth, and the beats again.

Frantz · Post by **Frantz** » Mon Apr 01, 2013 5:37 am

This is excellent with some beautiful melodic parts. It's more minimal than some of your other stuff. Each sound is given plenty of room. There are some nice spatial effects with good use of echo. A very enjoyable change of pace although the title Wall of Doubt made me expect something darker than this.

I do think the mix could be improved with slight tweaking. The pad sound is perhaps just slightly too quiet and distant. It almost sounds like it is going to disappear at 1:07.

The hi hats have too much HF snap and sizzle for my tastes. They grab my attention away from the rest of the piece.

Finally, the bass is a little too loud and buzzy. At times, it makes my speakers vibrate.

Great work. You're on a roll.

tatsama · Post by **tatsama** » Mon Apr 01, 2013 5:44 am

Definitely more mnml from you this time around Tim ! Easy listening vibe here..a nice change of pace !

seismic1 · Post by **seismic1** » Mon Apr 01, 2013 10:26 am

fateamenabletochange wrote:you put alot of work into these. Lots to like here. Love the effect of that big distant synth, and the beats again.

Thanks very much for the listen and the comments, fate. Glad you liked it

My memory of the original recording is a little dim, but I think all of those ZebraCM patches are "factory", apart from one whose filter cutoff/res I had to modify.

astrochimp · Post by **astrochimp** » Mon Apr 01, 2013 10:45 am

i like it a lot!

seismic1 · Post by **seismic1** » Mon Apr 01, 2013 12:42 pm

Frantz wrote:This is excellent with some beautiful melodic parts. It's more minimal than some of your other stuff. Each sound is given plenty of room. There are some nice spatial effects with good use of echo. A very enjoyable change of pace although the title Wall of Doubt made me expect something darker than this.

I do think the mix could be improved with slight tweaking. The pad sound is perhaps just slightly too quiet and distant. It almost sounds like it is going to disappear at 1:07.

That quiet part near the beginning was deliberately introduced to check out SoundCloud's dropometer, but it didn't work out

Seriously, I let that piece lie in the background to give more emphasis to the bass arp at 1:12

Frantz wrote: The hi hats have too much HF snap and sizzle for my tastes. They grab my attention away from the rest of the piece.

Again, I deliberately gave the EnergyXT percs some emphasis to contrast with the earlier ambient vibes. There is also a ZebraCM patch contributing some swept filter HF during that section.

Frantz wrote:
Finally, the bass is a little too loud and buzzy. At times, it makes my speakers vibrate.

I agree that the bass is loud. That was part of the contrast thing again. there are some "buzzy" HF components in the bass sound at the end, but I quite liked them. I haven't noticed any unwanted vibration on my systems. I ramped off the LF on the basses in the mix so any sub 30Hz stuff is checking in at -50dB - -55dB max on the master.

Frantz wrote: Great work. You're on a roll.

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

Jesse Gorter · Post by **Jesse Gorter** » Mon Apr 01, 2013 6:23 pm

Liking it.

The background sounds more sad than the minimal rhythmic front..

Frantz · Post by **Frantz** » Mon Apr 01, 2013 7:03 pm

seismic1 wrote: I agree that the bass is loud. That was part of the contrast thing again.

We have different approaches. You are deliberately trying to create contrasts in your mixes. My goal is to get all of the instruments to gel into a coherent whole - something like the sound of a band playing in the same room. I often reduce contrasts in order to achieve this.

There is no right or wrong approach. It is a matter of taste. However, based on reading lots of interviews with producers and engineers in Sound on Sound, I would guess that my approach is more common.

seismic1 wrote: there are some "buzzy" HF components in the bass sound at the end, but I quite liked them. I haven't noticed any unwanted vibration on my systems.

EDIT: I just located the source of this vibration. My wife moved an empty metal CD rack behind my speakers. It was acting like a plate reverb.

The CD rack has been moved to the garage.

blipp · Post by **blipp** » Mon Apr 01, 2013 7:48 pm

This is very nice indeed. I have a cd by a guy called "Saul Stokes" and this reminded me in some ways to the music on that.

It does sound like you've put a lot of work into this and it shows.

There's lots here to keep the listener's interest with all it's variations. Nice use of textures and the mix is sounding good to my ears.

Nice work seismic.

polyslax · Post by **polyslax** » Mon Apr 01, 2013 8:48 pm

Nice one Tim! Almost a retro synth pop vibe, with a melancholy feel. Fab groove in that last section. Great stuff.

seismic1 · Post by **seismic1** » Mon Apr 01, 2013 10:30 pm

tatsama wrote:Definitely more mnml from you this time around Tim ! Easy listening vibe here..a nice change of pace !

Hey, tatsama, thanks for listening and commenting. Glad you liked it

I agree. This was quite relaxed compared to my usual stuff. I didn't set out to do this, it just happened.

I think there was quite a high proportion of chilled or minimal tracks in the cafe this weekend. I relieved the calm by bashing seven bells out of my drumkit earlier

seismic1 · Post by **seismic1** » Tue Apr 02, 2013 12:33 am

astrochimp wrote:i like it a lot!

Thanks for listening and commenting, astrochimp. Glad you liked it

We haven't seen you round here for a long time.

seismic1 · Post by **seismic1** » Tue Apr 02, 2013 8:18 am

Jesse Gorter wrote:Liking it.

The background sounds more sad than the minimal rhythmic front..

Thanks very much for checking this out, Jesse. Glad you liked it

This was the first time I have used Zebras of any description on a completed piece of music. There is certainly a good range of sounds to be had from this synth.

fateamenabletochange · Tue Apr 02, 2013 8:37 am

I like the Zebra highs, very clear without fizz if you want them that way.

Wall Of Doubt - (ElectroProg - Seismic Equid)