Got Musician's Instinct?

Rockstar · Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 10:28 am Post subject:

Zeta, I actually downloaded the mp3s; I don't know if those are your originals or if they were re-encoded; if your originals don't have the problem, then you shouldn't worry about it at all.

About the too many melodies part, well I honestly could talk for hours about that subject; I listen to LOTS of music, and in some genres, they use that. To try and simplify things, the human brain can typically only follow one melody at a time; out of everything you hear, it classifies everything else as rhythm/support sections/harmonies, and only keeps ONE part as the melody. If you have 2 or more melodies going on at the same time, and the brain can't re-classify all but one as being harmonies, they will constantly fight for attention, and the listener won't be able to "feel" the music. Doing this for a few seconds on occasion can create a nice "wake up" effect in the listener; but if it lasts longer, you're just confusing him.

Like I said, I could continue on and on, but that's the basic idea.

Lastly, about your "ace", just don't get your hopes up too much; I'm sure there are LOTS of submitters who feel the same way, and in the end, they're only going to pick four or less...

Still, good luck

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Zeta Aspect · Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 4:37 pm Post subject:

About the digital distortion: Hmmm...I listened to the mp3s off of my site, and I could not find said digital distortion. Could be more specific? For instance, where in "Plasma Trip" (the beat revision, since I took down the organ masker and replaced it with the much better halo synth mix) did you hear it? Is there a corresponding instrument?

About the too many melodies thing: Maybe I'm just weird about that. I just love being blitzed by melodies. Maybe my brain selects not the melodies, but any repetitive section in music. Since I dislike repetition, I try not to repeat patterns too much. That could be the problem.

About the percussion: What did you mean by "put more emphasis on the rhythm section"? Do you mean I should increase the volume? Also, I have no more powerful kicks and snares at my disposal - Finale isn't the best for that, but it is all I know how to use for now. Also, I was told that I need a bass line in "Plasma Trip". What do you think? (that could be a major undertaking)

About my ace: I honestly believe that it is that good. However, chances are that it will not make it from concept to product unscathed. In any case, I am sure others feel just as confident with their own pieces. I can only hope that my product lives up to my idea.

I really wish I knew some local peers to give me decent feedback and help me. It is sort of discouraging to have to go solo on everything. I have no decent feedback during production, and, by the time a piece is "done", I usually like it enough to not want to change it. Plus, I don't necessarily feel what you guys feel, which makes it hard to understand your suggestions/critique. I appreciate the feedback though, no matter what.
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Original Songs and Recomposed Remixes, Remixes and 8pack Battles.
Friction is a fickle mistress.

ChocoboJoe · Basic Member Joined: 24 Jun 2003 Location: Fort Wayne, IN

If anyone would care to hear the song I entered in the contest:
www.broadjam.com/helixeternal
It's the one titled "Convergence (DDR Version)"
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Zeta Aspect · Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2006 8:11 pm Post subject:

The full version is much better. I feel that there is a sort of build up in the DDR version at THE VERY END. A beautiful song nonetheless, but it builds up so nicely to a BLOODY CUT-OFF! You dastard! It just stops! I don't mean that it is a badly-produced end; it is just a disappointing one. You know that the time limit is 7:00, right? You could enter the full version. I like the wind howls, although they probably wouldn't make it to DDR.
I don't have enough time to go into depth, but yeah, good job. I'll review it on ACIDplanet.

Coincidentally, I might not enter anything into the contest. This is mainly because I suck.

But we have a thread for the contest. "Got Musician's Instinct?" <-----EDIT: Wow, am I phased out or what? I thought this was a different thread.
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Original Songs and Recomposed Remixes, Remixes and 8pack Battles.
Friction is a fickle mistress.

the_dance_rev · Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2006 11:19 am Post subject:

wow thats awesome it makes me wish i had talent

Daddead324 · Trick Member Joined: 23 Aug 2005 Location: Illinois

Awww come on now, don't sell youself short like that. You probably have talent, just not in the music department. Well i really don't have that much musical talent, well I do but i'm not good at comeing up with names
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Zeta Aspect · Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2006 4:44 pm Post subject:

In other news, my "ace" isn't coming along so well. However, I decided to work on making a mix of "io" for the contest. Yay for catchiness! I just wish I produced higher quality music.
Does anyone even care? If you really did, you'd give me feedback. Yeah. I'm sending you on a guilt-trip.
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Original Songs and Recomposed Remixes, Remixes and 8pack Battles.
Friction is a fickle mistress.

Odyssey · Posted: Sat Mar 25, 2006 9:42 pm Post subject:

So my songs aren't going to make it into the contest after all... from what it looks like.

*cue obligatory sad violin music*

Maybe some other time...
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Zeta Aspect · Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 1:32 pm Post subject:

Care to say why?
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Original Songs and Recomposed Remixes, Remixes and 8pack Battles.
Friction is a fickle mistress.

Odyssey · Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 5:30 pm Post subject:

Due to a rather hectic schedule recently, I've been unable. Gigs at my local high school, exams, presentations (both of the previous in college)... the list could go on.

With the amount of time it would take to get my songs in, as well as voted for... I'll TRY, but I'm sure it won't be voted up to the massive extent it would need to be above, say, last.
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Used to be Zoupzuop2. Now I'm not.

[2016] Came back to see what a huge weeb I was. loloops

Zeta Aspect · Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 5:37 pm Post subject:

Last? Gee, surely you won't get last...especially if I submit...
Heh, heh.
Wait, how does the voting work? I'm going to have to look at that.
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Original Songs and Recomposed Remixes, Remixes and 8pack Battles.
Friction is a fickle mistress.

Odyssey · Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 8:31 pm Post subject:

Ironically enough, just as I finished typing my last post here, my dad decided to give me a lift recording my songs.

ATTACK AND THE UPDATED "VENTURE" SONG ARE IN!!!

To vote for my songs, listen for the top two songs listed here:
www.myspace.com/travisodyssey
(YES. I DID CHANGE MY URL.)

Best of luck to my competitors!

EDIT: URL changed/fixed for spelling.
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Used to be Zoupzuop2. Now I'm not.

[2016] Came back to see what a huge weeb I was. loloops

Zeta Aspect · Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 9:31 pm Post subject:

Rockstar · Posted: Mon Mar 27, 2006 9:43 am Post subject:

Maybe the misspell was intentional, as in Odd-yssey

Zeta, sorry to hear your ace isn't coming along. One of my mixing speakers died, so fine-tuning my mixes is going to be hard. I'll probably end up submitting the original version of Duel, and I'll try to fix the mix problems in my band song, but without my speakers, there's a lot of trial and error implied.

I hope I can do it all in time (deadline is Friday!)
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Drakken · Posted: Mon Mar 27, 2006 12:57 pm Post subject:

Zeta Aspect · Posted: Mon Mar 27, 2006 3:51 pm Post subject:

Rockstar · Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 9:09 am Post subject:

Synthetic electric guitars just plain suck, unless you're going for an industrial kind of sound.

For your mixing volume problem, it could either be some effect or configuration, or bad software. I used to have that problem a few years back; switched to Acid and I never had it again. Gonna switch to Logic soon; I'm just waiting for M-Audio to make a driver that works on Intel Macs...

That and my speaker... but at any rate, I should be submitting my songs tomorrow.
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Zeta Aspect · Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 7:31 pm Post subject:

I think I solved the problem.

To remedy the weird accents: 1/16 time. Yep, I changed my kick-drum music to 1/16 time from 4/4, and now the accents are gone. Unfortunately, the kick-drum part is now over 1300 measures long, and the song is only 1:10 so far. Additionally, I have problems with tuplets, but it could be solved if I could change the time sig to 1/12. I can't. But it shouldn't be a big deal (I should be able to manually edit the sound on the tuplets). I don't think I need a simpler time sig, since I only have to use it for the kick. Additionally, I am going to mess around with kick frequencies to see if I can up the coolness.

UPDATE: I messed around with the frequencies. I bass boosted the kicks and they sound awesome. I also ran some through a low pass filter at 2030 hZ and 1015 hZ (and 1 hZ for fun). I don't know how low I need to go in order to make the beats driving. I think I won't use the filter, since they sound lower quality. The good thing is, they no longer sound like cheap MIDI. Yay!!!
I might try some frequency stuff on the electric guitar synth. Might work...

To remedy audio levels: Audacity and ACID and Sound Recorder all have volume increase commands, and I can separate the tracks I need in order to adjust them individually. I still need a better guitar, so I am going to try out some effects in a different program.
I don't think I can use samples, since I don't think that there are any samples of the piece (I'd have to do messy cutting, and I have not really used ACID yet). I might be able to use Fruity Loops, but I don't know if Fruity Loops has any decent guitar synths. Does anyone have suggestions?

Heh, I find it ironic that synthetic electric guitars suck, when real electric guitars suck without synthetic effects.
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Original Songs and Recomposed Remixes, Remixes and 8pack Battles.
Friction is a fickle mistress.

Rockstar · Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2006 10:50 am Post subject:

Rockstar · Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2006 12:58 pm Post subject:

BTW, I've submitted my two entries:

Duel of Speed: A speed Trance song

Burning Beat: A modern rock song

Don't know when they'll appear in the contest for official reviews but you can give them a listen and feel free to comment here or via private messages.

Thanks!
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Bliss, My Muse Tribute Band:
http://www.myspace.com/tributetomuse