OSC14 - Anubis - Your votes please.

[Mac of BIOnighT]

These are pretty darn good. And they just go to show that it (almost) doesn't matter what tool you use to make your music. A good musician is a good musician. I'm going to listen to these all day before casting a vote as they are excellent imho and I really want to care about my vote. So I'm postponing my vote until later today. What does the winner get? Glory ?

NB: Is there any place where us newbies can learn to put tracks together with our DAWs? Say a tutorial with screen capture? I'd pay say $5 to see the process behind most of these tracks. Could be another way for a muso to earn a bit on the side. There seem to be plenty of vid-tutes on how to get synths working but not many on actually constructing a musical track. How can we learn to do stuff like this - or is it "school of life" / 20 years in the music biz stuff?

Very VERY cool guys.

Thanks for the kind words (I believe I speak for all the others, too)
As to the 5 dollars, in in such financial dire straits that I could even **** you for 5 dollars, so this tutorial option is quite tempting ;-P but seriously, I believe you should just move one step at a time and ask for advice regarding one step at a time, otherwise it's like saying "show me how to build a house": it's much more useful to just ask "how do you dig the foundations?" and when you've learned to do that, you can ask "How do I prepare the cement?" and so on. This will make it easier for you learn and a lot easier for others to explain, not to mention the fact that everybody has a different way of doing things and different opinions as to what is wrong and what is right. If you proceed one step at a time, you will have the chance to develop your own methods and your own music
I think, however, that before worrying about anything technical, you should decide what kind of music you want to make and learn how you build - from a strictly musical point of view (notes, chords, structure etc) - the kind of track you want. There's no magical software that creates music for you (OK, probably there is, but it has no artistic value to do things that way), that's something you have to do. So step number one, from my point of view, would be asking yourself, "What do I have to say? What do I need to exspress?" and go ahead from there

[tattiemannie]

Excellent advice Mac ... objectman ... welcome to OSC .... Just want to add that I had been playing, writing songs, doing live sound work, younameit for about 20 years before I got into using computers, midi, vsts etc ... and the only skill that came in handy was the abilty to listen and learn! ... seriously! I spent a lot of time listening, counting beats, and copying stuff on trackers etc before I could write my own stuff digitally ... and even programming my own previously written material was a crash course in studying what came naturally on an instrument .... in a different way/language.

But if you persevere, and gain personal reference points from listening and executing, two things can happen ... you will be able to listen to a beat, riff, phrase, whatever ... and tap it out precisely on your DAW ...

Or ... you will get so distracted in your efforts you will write stuff that is different .. and your understanding of how stock beats, riffs, phrases are structured will take you to a place where stuff from your imagination can be as easily struck as stuff you remember .... and if you like it? others will too!

The OSC is a good place for you! The more you write, the more you learn ... and the more you learn, the better you write! ... so get one in for the next comp.... and whatever it sounds like, its a step towards where you want to be ... and perhaps a step further than you would have taken otherwise

[tattiemannie]

Oh .. by the way, .. I got a solid kik out of Stringz2 .... are we allowed to use Stringz2 in the next comp? or simply stringz? .. or should kiks be banned anyway in the spirit of the comp?

[Steplton]

Stringz2
How about u-he Triple Cheese, or Hahaha CS33 V2, or Loyd iloSynth 1, or Logana+LoganaFX for OSC16,17,18... ?

[tattiemannie]

ha ha .... stop right there Steplton! ... it has been decided! Dwsel, as looooser of OSC 12 won ( applause! ) the right to choose the synth for OSC15 ... and he chose Stringz ( or hopefully Stringz2 as well )

I've not had the chance to push Abstractcats on his loooooser rights in choosing for OSC16, but thats how it goes from now on .... it was a 'committee' decision, not mine, but I like it

[Steplton]

I only proposed ideas to "winners"

[objectman]

It'd be fun to put something in. Deadlines are often the best way to get "something" done. And if you don't like the result, you can always insert your best synths and come up with something better 'cause it's ... "just midi" right?

[hakey]

If you have Reaper Orbik posted a link to the project file for his OSC13 track - and a superb example of arranging it was too. The link is somewhere in the OSC13 thread. I'm sure I also saw a screen shot for Steplton's track, which, for me, was the other stand out arrangement of the last comp, maybe the project is available for study too?

As tattie says the general advice is listening, trying stuff out and more listening.

Some slightly more specific advice - try to avoid falling into the habit of creating a 4 bar loop and then tweaking that same loop for hours on end (as I do). Instead, once you've got one 4 (or 6, 8..etc) bar section that has something you like about about it, create another one, with different, but related, bassline/melody/chords etc, *then* work out how to make a natural sounding bridge between the two. It's these transitions from one musical idea to another, and the way that they are resolved, that really captures the listener's interest.

(In the above example, moving from one 4 bar section to another, I find that starting the transition around the 3rd beat of the 4th bar, seems to work. So at that point I'll strip out most of the percussion' or bassline, or some other musical element, or I might 'introduce' a melodic line that will carry on into the next section, or cut everything and put some weird fx sound in it's place etc..)

Even a little musical theory goes a long way - stuff like basic major and minor scales and chords, the I, IV, V chord progression - it helps you know 'where you are now' (what key you're in) and suggest 'where to go next' (chord progression).

Try to find a balance across the frequency spectrum and a range of timbres and dynamic elements - have some instruments covering bass, mids, highs and hard, soft, percussive, sharp, slow attacks etc. Don't get too obsessed with getting a 'fat' or solid bass tone, it's more important that the bass is in balance with the other elements. Where you have two competing elements of similar pitch or timbre, pan them to either side - it's easy to forget about panning, you've got two speakers, so it's a good idea to make the best use of them.

Also, don't get too hung up on production techniques, there's now such a bewildering array of exotic treatments and, if you're not sure what you're doing, it's easy to get lost amongst it all - not to say that's necessarily a bad thing but.. for me the musical ideas are 99.9% of the 'offer', the rest is just the varnish and framing of the painting.

And, of course, take everyone's anyone's opinions and advice with a bucket full of salt. I don't even follow my own advice, as you will no doubt realise if you listen to my submission.

That ended up being more of an essay than I intended.

[Steplton]

It'd be fun to put something in. Deadlines are often the best way to get "something" done. And if you don't like the result, you can always insert your best synths and come up with something better 'cause it's ... "just midi" right?

No. Now I alter (OSC13) "Pazzolla" (with less noisy synths/samplers and live accordeon) and it is necessary to play anew parts for other instruments.

2hakey:
Now it is not available See above.

[PurpleCatfishBettie]

Anubian Dubian: These drums are excellent! The whole thing is great. It's amazing what can be done with Anubis.

Abu Dhabi Do Dah: I like the plucked strings. You've got the synth sounding really good.

Anubian Invasion: This one opens up in a really dramatic fashion. Then it becomes frantic. It's really cool. I really like the tom rolls. Then, going back to half time or whatever at the end really finishes it well. One of the parts i really like is the 'muted trumpet' sound at the end.

Anubis Contest: This has a mellow sort of Pet Shop Boys kind of vibe.

Hybernation Chamber: I'm sitting here listening to the entries by headphone while surfing the web. At the opening of this one, in the back of my mind it were as though an airplane was flying low over the rooftop; for a second i was kind of freaking out because it got too close. Then i realized it was the song in the headphones! Anyway, this track ebbs and flows for quite some time, like shades of grey plying a formless void. Then it begins to gain a bit of harmony, and it sounds like something is being built, or is coming alive. It continues to forge ahead with simple harmonies. Then, it's as though it all calms down, just before the awakening, and fades into some sort of overarching, far-off, event horizon.

Minstrel Cycle: This one reminds me of Erasure, with a kind of quirky beat; at least right from the get-go. This song is incredible. I really like the part with the sort of late 19th/early 20th century chromaticism; and how it mixes with the sci-fi chord progression in the main part. Your efforts in MadTracker really paid off! This song is _really_ good.

More Than Meets The Ear: This one sounds like a trippy/happy movie or television soundtrack. Well done!

Votes:

Anubian Dubian is perhaps my favorite overall track, but the snare rolls and tom rolls in Anubian Invasion take the latter track over the top. Minstrel Cycle is right in there with these two. All of the other entries are really close in their own right. Anyway, i'd vote for a 3-way tie for the top spot, with with the 5-3-1 voting will go with:

5 Anubian Invasion
3 Anubian Dubian
1 Minstrel Cycle

...and honourable mentions all around!

You guys did much incredible stuff with this little synth.

[Mac of BIOnighT]

it were as though an airplane was flying low over the rooftop

And you have no idea how much it cost me to rent that Boeing 747! But I spare no effort when it comes to the OSC

[V'ger]

Stringz2
How about u-he Triple Cheese, or Hahaha CS33 V2, or Loyd iloSynth 1, or Logana+LoganaFX for OSC16,17,18... ?

Well if you can beat my pink noise glitch fest and similar from others to last place you can choose..

About making tracks there's some very good advice above, I'll just add that normal is to start with drums and bass and then come up with the tune, but see if you can come up with a tune in your head first or at least as soon as you have some basic beat going. Have your phone with you always with a nice shortcut to record that melody from your head before it's gone.

And work as fast as you possibly can as you'll be sick of the tune after looping for hours so just write down whatever you can, it doesn't matter where or how, cleaning up is for those down moments. Have a ready made empty track to load where all your fave VSTs are loaded with the best stuff ready to go.

Finally god is in the details. Do work fast to get something down, but after that be prepared for some serious grind with note lengths, velocities, automation, effects etc.

[bserrano]

More Than Meets The Ear - Yeager - 5
Anubian Invasion - Xenobioz - 3
Mac_of_BIOnighT-HYBERNATION_CHAMBER - 1


... And many thanks to all for your interest in my product!

[Mac of BIOnighT]

Hey, thanks!! Any vote from the developer is like ten votes from anybody else (now, please don't you guys let that prevent you from voting my track, OK? )
Thanks a lot!!

[objectman]

Well. Here is my feedback:

Abu Dhabi Do Dah
- nice reggae feel
- excellent church organ
- great piece

Haunted Megalopolis
- lo-tech with 8-bit
- While the tune had something going for it I felt it needed editing. Was this done quickly (for the deadline)?
- liked the naive piano playing overall. Sounded like you were sketching out a tune (which will be quite good once finished)
- this felt like a jam and at times I actually wanted more instruments to break it up a bit.

Anubian Dubian
- also a little reggae / ska
- sounded very familiar (a Madness tune?)
- lovely Tangerine Dreamy licks in this
- excellent trumpet
- it felt a teensy bit repetitive. I felt that you liked that riff and went with it a bit longer than you needed to.

More Than Meets the Ear
- beautiful
- long build up with nice subtle twisting and turning of tension
- fantastic (almost undetectable) musical transitions from one theme to the next
- very Tangerine Dream at times (in a bloody good way). Made me wonder whether this synth is best for TD type stuff?
- nice return to theme after reprieves
- never repetitive (I suppose that's what music is - "repetition"?? But not a nioticeable amount of it)

Anubian Invasion
- Well. Sci-fi Military Ska!?
- Nice beat (and well timed rests in between)
- enjoyed the Arabian excursion at 1:50 and return to theme
- reminded me of an adventure. someone running through a forest / maze with the treasure
- conjured up lovely visuals (of the adventure to me)

Anubis Contest
- nice trumpet but I wasn't sure of it as a lead here. Maybe split / mimic with another instrument?
- it finished a bit abruptly.
- I was just getting into it and wanted more

Minstrel Cycle
- 80s flavour
- but with modern sounds (a nouveau 80s genre?)
Reminded me of Tim & Eric's "Sports"

Hybernation Chamber
- Some of this reminded me of the excursions I go on with my music, so I liked it in general but thought it just went on too long (pretty much a criticism of everything I do). It needed to be broken up with 2 or 3 different musical ideas to give it more contrast and play. I love drones in music. I just wanted there to be a little cul-de-sac or "journey" to hold my interest. It felt like train of thought writing rather than a thought out story with a beginning, middle and end. It lacked structure, but this is the sort of stuff I like to listen to (see Soma FM's Drone Zone ). The darker the better.

-----------------------

My Choice:

5 - Abu Dhabi Do Dah
3 - Anubian Invasion
1 - More than Meets the Ear