I hope you enjoyed my track! In this project, I was able to continue to develop some of the techniques that I talked about last time (automating distortion cutoff, using melt plug-in to create warmer, richer sounds, etc.), as well as discover different techniques and experiment with new processes.
INTRO
The track begins with a simple chord progression, which I recorded on my midi keyboard. For this key/synth instrument I used subtractive with instances of Phaser and a touch of “Melt.” To make the intro a bit more interesting, I intermittently opened up the pad by automating the “FM” parameter of the frequency filter within my Subtractive patch. After an 8-bar intro of the chord progression, I wanted to introduce a motif, which I accomplished with my midi keyboard along with another Subtractive Patch. I also developed the instrumentation sustaining the chord progression. Instead of using the same pad patch in the introduction, I created two more Subtractive patches. The first, a low-mid frequency heavy, grimier, wetter sound, which I achieved by using “Bit Crusher’ and “Melt,” is juxtaposed with the second, a clean, higher energy, dry key-stab, which I achieved with a phaser effect. These two patches hand-off the chord progression to each other every two bars. In order to emphasize the development from the first pad to the two new pads, I kept the intro pad pretty much in the middle of the mix and added an intensive “Stereo FX” widener on the two new patches. This method of devising the chord progression was my attempt at transforming a simple key progression into something fun and surprising. Overall, I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. Other elements in the first section of the project include panned, pitch-shifted hi-hats, snares, panned hard left and right, as well as a round sub-bass, which hits every two bars.
Second Section
In the second section, I wanted to preserve some elements established in the introduction, while also giving the listener a fresh sound. There are a variety of things going on here, so I’ll provide a broader description of the overall composition process followed by some remarks on some of the sounds one hears.
Composition:
I wanted this section to be high energy; I was striving for a busy, yet uncluttered listening experience. To achieve this, I tried incorporating audio samples that provided different textures, chopping midi sections, and sprinkling melodic embellishments throughout the section. In comparison to the last project, I programmed all of my drums at the end this time. My drums included individual hi-hat, kick, and snare samples, which I processed lightly and arranged. While the kicks and snares are somewhat unexpected at times, I programmed fairly uniform hi-hats to provide some consistency.
Distorted Lead:
The section opens after the impact with a distorted lead, which is actually another Subtractive patch. Although the actual midi information that I programmed is quite simple, the lead sounds a bit intricate because I parameterized a redux filter on the patch, linked it to a wheel on my midi keyboard, and recorded extensive automation to vary the pitch and timbre. The makeshift riser that one hears after the impact at 0:42 is the lead with a very low redux cutoff. As I increase the cutoff, the sound morphs from an atonal, gravely buzz into a distorted, tonal lead. Throughout the entire section, I use the cutoff filter to modulate between the gravely, atonal version of the patch, and the tonal version.
Chord Progression:
With regard to structure, the chord progression is similar to the introduction. I did, however, vary a couple of things. Notably, I replaced the melted pad with an audio sample, which I then pitch-shifted. I applied widener, EQ, and compression to this sample, as I did to all the other pads. The stab synth patch in this section is identical to that in the previous, although I altered a couple of midi notes to better match the audio sample.
Synth Melody:
In this section, I also introduce a new melody to complement the distorted lead. The patch is practically a saw wave – I wanted to keep it very simple. I recorded the midi information with my keyboard and decided to purposefully leave the input unquantized. I quantized information earlier in the track, but something about the simple sound design of the patch made it feel like leaving the line unquantized was appropriate — at least it sounded nice to me.
Bass:
There isn’t too much going on with the bass, sound design-wise. I imported a separate 808 patch and used my midi keyboard and waveform’s multi-sampler to create the line. I EQ’ed out some intense lows and distorted the sound a bit, as well, to make it a bit brighter. In most cases, I aligned my kicks and 808 hits to emphasize the bass hits, but this resulted in the problem of bass and kick frequencies clashing, which I discuss later on.
Post Drop and Outro:
The third section of this piece could be considered a reflection of the first section with call-backs to the second. I practically repeated the chord progression, bass line, snares, and hi-hats from the first section, as well as reintroduced the motif, mildly tweaking some parameters and effects as needed. Some elements of the second section make appearances, such as the saw melody, which takes form in a new Subtractive Patch for the sake of variation.
I actually wrote the outro before the middle sections. Inspired by producers, such as Sam Gellaitry and Galimatias, I decided to end the track by taking it somewhere completely new (which in general isn’t always a great idea). The harmonic elements of the outro, therefore, are similar to the other sections, yet the genre/feeling is completely altered. I intended to create some jazz-electronic fusion, which took the form of my incorporating jazzy drums, a piano patch, and a soft, gliding synth melody. I added heavy reverberation to capture a fleeting feeling, as if the music is fading away, or distant.
Mixing and Master
Since there are a lot of elements at play in this project, I took Professor Petersen’s advice of “mixing as I went.” In general, I subscribed to the philosophy of positioning lead melodies, kicks, snares, and bass in the center of the mix, and placing all other elements around them. I added stereo fx plugin on all of my pad elements to further push them to the sides and panned hi-hats. I had a really tough time mixing my bass in the track. I wanted the bass to be present and have a punch without sacrificing clarity, which proved to be difficult. To remedy this, I experimented with distorting the bass and taking out excessive low-end frequencies.
I didn’t do much processing on the master, aside from adding a bit of high end with an EQ, subtracting a bit of low end, and adding a touch of compression.
Some Take-Aways
- 808’s are really hard to get right
- Addition isn’t always a net positive: sometimes I get carried away when It comes to adding elements, since I sometimes strive for a choppy, busy track. This often results in a muddy mix. Instead, perhaps I should focus on making sure that what I have already sounds good before adding more.
- Compress Less.
- Play your track for a friend: sometimes I incorporate complicated rhythms, which sound fine to me while listening because I project what I think it sounds like, or what it should sound like, onto what it actually sounds like.