PRODUCERS!!!! You can get my file from this google drive if we didn't manage to exchange details in class (click here) Thanks :)
This is the version I'll be sending to my producers for mastering! :D Well, unless there are any negative comments on the 'new melody line', I'm open to changing that part.
All major changes detailed in previous post : Week 11
Enjoy!
Thursday, October 27, 2016
Week 11
CHANGE IN FORM
First and foremost: Found out my verse sounded more like a chorus and vice versa. Hence, I will be changing the naming from now on (however, original order of themes were not changed)!! Thus my form has also been changed to:
Intro | Intro | Chorus | Verse | Verse | Chorus | Verse | Verse | Bridge | Chorus | Outro
(each part is 8 bars)
I'm not SO sure about the naming (e.g. I'll consider the second 8 bars as still the introduction but actually it is very much similar to the Chorus, without a clear melody).
More importantly, learnt that after introducing new ideas in the bridge, I cannot just end the song abruptly. A mash of the chorus and verses was placed after the bridge, then I slowly removed instruments through the Outro, leading to the same end with the xylophone playing 1 note :)
***
Now on to what else I did this week:
SPREADING OUT OF SOUND
Learnt that we should not apply Stereo Spread (shortcut: X!) on lower frequencies. I spread the fills and rhythms out, but kept the melodies centred. However, I did not know how else to spread the sound out and it still sounded very cluttered. Other than the bass, everything else was playing in the mid-range frequency.
During project review, Dr. Hess showed me how to solve that problem: transposition. We moved the classic trance instrument (instrument playing the arpeggiated melody) an octave (I think?) higher. And that not only added interest in the higher frequencies but also removed a huge chunk from the middle frequencies. Perfect.
MORE SPREADING OUT + CLEANING UP
Initially, I had the classic trance playing throughout the song as I thought I needed a common theme throughout the whole song to tie it together (back when I was struggling with the very bipolar sounding sections). However, since I have fixed that weird sound with a consistent bass, it was not necessary to have the classic trance playing throughout. Dr. Hess suggested to remove it from the 'chorus'. This also makes the piece MUCH cleaner and easy to follow -I'm keeping the removal.
However, with the removal, the flow from verse/chorus was a little abrupt so I did the reverse cymbals trick suggested, which I learn from here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LVjn-vggAk
CHORUS MELODY
Finally, added one more synth that carries the melody in the chorus section. (Simple melody that is of the same theme as the arpeggiated classic trance).
ETC.
Chorus drums: had this really weird 'doink' kick bass sound. I finally figured out how to remove it but I don't really know what I was altering. In the provided drummers, under the "Kick, Snare & Claps" bar, I reduced it from 6 to 5, and the ugly 'doink' sound was gone. But what was that changing?
Anyway, I will post my music up soon :)
First and foremost: Found out my verse sounded more like a chorus and vice versa. Hence, I will be changing the naming from now on (however, original order of themes were not changed)!! Thus my form has also been changed to:
Intro | Intro | Chorus | Verse | Verse | Chorus | Verse | Verse | Bridge | Chorus | Outro
(each part is 8 bars)
I'm not SO sure about the naming (e.g. I'll consider the second 8 bars as still the introduction but actually it is very much similar to the Chorus, without a clear melody).
More importantly, learnt that after introducing new ideas in the bridge, I cannot just end the song abruptly. A mash of the chorus and verses was placed after the bridge, then I slowly removed instruments through the Outro, leading to the same end with the xylophone playing 1 note :)
***
Now on to what else I did this week:
SPREADING OUT OF SOUND
Learnt that we should not apply Stereo Spread (shortcut: X!) on lower frequencies. I spread the fills and rhythms out, but kept the melodies centred. However, I did not know how else to spread the sound out and it still sounded very cluttered. Other than the bass, everything else was playing in the mid-range frequency.
During project review, Dr. Hess showed me how to solve that problem: transposition. We moved the classic trance instrument (instrument playing the arpeggiated melody) an octave (I think?) higher. And that not only added interest in the higher frequencies but also removed a huge chunk from the middle frequencies. Perfect.
MORE SPREADING OUT + CLEANING UP
Initially, I had the classic trance playing throughout the song as I thought I needed a common theme throughout the whole song to tie it together (back when I was struggling with the very bipolar sounding sections). However, since I have fixed that weird sound with a consistent bass, it was not necessary to have the classic trance playing throughout. Dr. Hess suggested to remove it from the 'chorus'. This also makes the piece MUCH cleaner and easy to follow -I'm keeping the removal.
However, with the removal, the flow from verse/chorus was a little abrupt so I did the reverse cymbals trick suggested, which I learn from here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LVjn-vggAk
CHORUS MELODY
Finally, added one more synth that carries the melody in the chorus section. (Simple melody that is of the same theme as the arpeggiated classic trance).
ETC.
Chorus drums: had this really weird 'doink' kick bass sound. I finally figured out how to remove it but I don't really know what I was altering. In the provided drummers, under the "Kick, Snare & Claps" bar, I reduced it from 6 to 5, and the ugly 'doink' sound was gone. But what was that changing?
Anyway, I will post my music up soon :)
Monday, October 3, 2016
Week 8
Song: Draft 5
Mixed up the bass. And I changed the bass to have the same chord progression throughout the song. So hopefully it's less bipolar sounding.
Mixing
Reverb
Compressor -> Drums and Guitars
Delays
EQ
Side-chain compressor on a pad -> pumping sounds
Side-chain compressor kick drum on a bass guitar -> cuts off compressor on guitar for a brief moment for drums to come in (share frequency space so that they can both sound 'equally' loud).
Mixed up the bass. And I changed the bass to have the same chord progression throughout the song. So hopefully it's less bipolar sounding.
Mixing
Reverb
Compressor -> Drums and Guitars
Delays
EQ
Side-chain compressor on a pad -> pumping sounds
Side-chain compressor kick drum on a bass guitar -> cuts off compressor on guitar for a brief moment for drums to come in (share frequency space so that they can both sound 'equally' loud).
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