One Synth Challenge #80: MUX by MuTools (Voting Over, preliminary results in)

[wagtunes]

I like it so far Wag, very catchy, theres one thing letting it down though for me and thats the timing/ lag of that lead melody. If you can tighten that up I think you is gonna do well in this round.
Just my 2 euros

Looking at the piano roll yet again, this time quantizing to 16th notes, I took at look at the score and everything is on either the 8th or 16th note beat. Nothing is in between (32nd or 64th notes). I can print out the sheet music and post it online if you'd like to look at it. It's not sloppy. It's just human, which apparently you don't like.

But I feel it fits the style. It's not EDM. It doesn't have to be quanitzed to death.

[rghvdberg]

Just move the notes to the left a bit .. ?
My guess it's the glide/portamento that's causing the delay

But I really like this song. Catchy, happy melody and bass and overall nice, smooth and polished sound.
I also like the form. Nice and clear sections, if you now what I mean.

[rghvdberg]

Oh btw, the main melody is made up of to parts, with a nice question/answer pattern. May use another sound for the "answer" bit ?

I'd like that

PS may be a more mallet/percussive sound in the "answer" part to give it more 'contrast'.

just my 2 ct

[wagtunes]

Oh btw, the main melody is made up of to parts, with a nice question/answer pattern. May use another sound for the "answer" bit ?

I'd like that

PS may be a more mallet/percussive sound in the "answer" part to give it more 'contrast'.

just my 2 ct

I get what you're saying. A different lead sound on the answer. I actually didn't think of that as most 70s prog plays lead on one synth all the way through. But that's not a bad idea. It might give it a little more diversity.

And yes, the portomento might just be what's screwing with the feel. Moving the notes? I wouldn't even know where to begin. To my ears (I grew up during that era) it sounds dead on. I can't fix what I don't hear as broken.

So if somebody wants to hop on a plane and ring my doorbell, you're more than welcome to "fix this" the way it's supposed to sound.

[wagtunes]

Here is a screen print of the piano roll of that section. As you can see, every note starts right on the 16th note.

[psmacmur]

Well and srsly if that's how it is... someone gives you a 2 instead of a 5 because they'd've used 80ms of portamento whereas you used 250ms... here's my towel, i'm throwing it in, all this sweating sound design, modulation, mixing, and whoops, broke a timing convention, game over man...

but of course we have to consider our audience (fellow producers) and compromise... you could try to find the "tightest" time that still fits your vision. try halving the portamento time, if it still sounds ok then try 1/4 otherwise try 3/4 sort of thing. that's compromise in action. winning, too, probably... track sounds solid to me as is, mind you , but then, i'm an amateur with essentially no formal training that i actually remember... at any rate, don't completely forgo your vision just cuz 1 comment; someone else'll probably love how it flows now.

[wagtunes]

Well and srsly if that's how it is... someone gives you a 2 instead of a 5 because they'd've used 80ms of portamento whereas you used 250ms... here's my towel, i'm throwing it in, all this sweating sound design, modulation, mixing, and whoops, broke a timing convention, game over man...

but of course we have to consider our audience (fellow producers) and compromise... you could try to find the "tightest" time that still fits your vision. try halving the portamento time, if it still sounds ok then try 1/4 otherwise try 3/4 sort of thing. that's compromise in action. winning, too, probably... track sounds solid to me as is, mind you , but then, i'm an amateur with essentially no formal training that i actually remember... at any rate, don't completely forgo your vision just cuz 1 comment; someone else'll probably love how it flows now.

This is why I really just want to stop doing these. Nothing I do is ever going to be good enough and I'm only going to be frustrated, angry and ultimately hate making music.

It's not worth it.

[Touch The Universe]

Here is a screen print of the piano roll of that section. As you can see, every note starts right on the 16th note.

If I may, would you consider maybe changing presets for some of the leads? Try to choose richer/fuller sounding ones. Also, try stacking some synths as well. For the intro pluck bass type, layer that midi to one or two more sounds . Do the same for the rest of the melodies, be as subtle or full on as you like. Add some fx at parts to the drums, some echoes at parts, works nice subtly on hats, and a huge verb on the snare every once in a while. Just some pointers. Then, if that wasn't enough, try automating cutoff on some the leads/bass.

[rghvdberg]

If I was to play (live) the melody with this portamento sound, I'd probably, not on purpose, play the notes early so to get the end of the pitch rise one the beat.

The length of the portamento I REALLY like.

Copied your notes in my sequencer.
Timing sounded very unnatural to me. Seems like quantizing gone wrong
I would play it like this: much more on the beat.
Also added a note in the middle and removed one at the end.

http://imgur.com/kLfV71F

seem to be unable to attach a screenshot

WHY !!!!

[Touch The Universe]

Someone else mentioned the portamento, I think that would work well with your track. Also, for every note that has a neighbor a half step apart, extend it over it to trigger the legato glide and choose moderate glide amount like psmacmur suggested (250ms-ish)

[rghvdberg]

This is why I really just want to stop doing these. Nothing I do is ever going to be good enough and I'm only going to be frustrated, angry and ultimately hate making music.

It's not worth it.

wow my friend .. don't over react

[wagtunes]

Here is a screen print of the piano roll of that section. As you can see, every note starts right on the 16th note.

If I may, would you consider maybe changing presets for some of the leads? Try to choose richer/fuller sounding ones. Also, try stacking some synths as well. For the intro pluck bass type, layer that midi to one or two more sounds . Do the same for the rest of the melodies, be as subtle or full on as you like. Add some fx at parts to the drums, some echoes at parts, works nice subtly on hats, and a huge verb on the snare every once in a while. Just some pointers. Then, if that wasn't enough, try automating cutoff on some the leads/bass.

These are all great ideas.

I have 9 days left.

I'll do what I can.

[Touch The Universe]

Here is a screen print of the piano roll of that section. As you can see, every note starts right on the 16th note.

If I may, would you consider maybe changing presets for some of the leads? Try to choose richer/fuller sounding ones. Also, try stacking some synths as well. For the intro pluck bass type, layer that midi to one or two more sounds . Do the same for the rest of the melodies, be as subtle or full on as you like. Add some fx at parts to the drums, some echoes at parts, works nice subtly on hats, and a huge verb on the snare every once in a while. Just some pointers. Then, if that wasn't enough, try automating cutoff on some the leads/bass.

These are all great ideas.

I have 9 days left.

I'll do what I can.

Took your melody and found a nice preset for it while tweaking the glide amount some. I added one note and extended the part I mentioned. Just to give you some an idea of what I meant by fuller sounding preset and with the glide. It is a mux preset and midi file.

idea.rar

[mehum]

The way I hear the melody, the second part (except the last note, C3) should be a 16th later. If that still feels robotic, try adjusting just slightly. Quantizing to a 16th "wrong" does not give a human feeling it gives a broken robot feeling
It sounds like you've played the part a little bit too fast and then quantized, which just makes it worse...

This is not the first time I hear this in your tracks, like you're often rushing when playing. Being a little bit ahead can work well for certain types of music and melodies while other benefit from being a little behind. But again, quantizing to 16ths rather than 8ths is not the way to make it feel human...

I often fake humanize my programmed or quantized parts. When played by a human notes that are distinct and on beats are generally tight or ahead rather than behind while softer notes in between can drag a little bit. Very subtle changes, just a few milliseconds.
In one bar the downbeat is generally tight while the upbeat (snare) may be rushing or hanging depending on the mood of the track.
In syncopated (off-beat) patterns it depends on the relation to the straight beat. If you're playing a note a 16th ahead of the beat you may want to hang it a little and playing behind the beat you can rush it... But all this is very much dependent on the nature of the track and root of the beat of course. And again, just subtle changes.

Anyway, I think the track certainly has potential but I agree there's issues with the timing.
Reminds me a bit of Swedish synth group Pluxus:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... 2AA35D271E

[bibz1st]

My comment was meant to be constructive, honestly I like it a lot.
Im certainly no expert, as you'll hear when I submit my effort.