Arrangement wise, the thing that suggested itself to me would be to filter the highs out of the bassline a bit when the melodic elements are playing over the top, alternating with a section where you reintroduce the top end of the bassline and mute the higher melodies. Over the top I was half expecting to hear some reverbed and delayed stabs source direct style.
It suits a very minimal arrangement to my ears, I wouldn’t have the different sections too drastically different from each other
Thanks for that! I really like that idea of alternating the bassline highs/ melody sections. I do that in other songs, don’t know why I didn’t think to do it here! Stabs are also an excellent suggestion, something I just hadn’t considered at all. That would add some spice without overwhelming the textural elements.
Cool starting point for sure. I dig the sound of that opening pad. My suggestion, and maybe interpret this how you’d like, is that everything seemed very ‘contained’. I wanted some element come in that is more unruly and off the grid and out there. Something that ignores the grid lines and just rudely announces itself. I say push it. Would love to hear where it goes.
Just recorded this…
Any tips for improving the mix?
My options are limited… it is recorded live and the mc101/lemondrop all comes through an op-z which provide most of the sounds so I only have filters and volume to play with per track, no EQ. It comes out as a stereo usb into Audacity. I listen on headphones, I don’t have a speaker system except the laptop speakers.
I will record a new version with some live drum fills and a bit more filter movement.
Shout out to @BLKrbbt, this tune came from one of your challenges!
Word! I’m so glad good came from those challenges.
I’m in a mix class now. It will be fun to check this out, but I’m not that confident yet at my mixing.
This will be fun. Just wait till I get back home later.
Alright… Im pulling out the 1990’s and giving this a critical listen…
Im just going to go off rip what i think, so excuse me if I say something too critical…
Made a tutorial about “generative” Breakbeats on the Digitakt a little while ago.
I’m currently exploring the same technique combined with performance mode on the Rytm:
When the percussion starts, without the rest of the elements, its a bit bright… maybe a bit of a filter… just a TOUCH.
I would either duck the music from the vocals a bit, or bring them up a touch… but since it seems like a tag of such, I would duck the music.
First of all the change up at 1:33 is amazing! you release the tensions so well! I love it…
You could add to the release by having a bit of panning on the synth sound coming right before it… give it some motion… I notide you haveother elements swirling about… so I would make a decision how you would pan the synth… either with it, against it, or following it… it depends on what you like… and this is optional… but compared to how unbelievable you resolve the tension with that lush stereo width and airyness, it felt a bit flat right before that… and only after I heard the release… its in that context…
or add another little panning shaker as a soft ping pong delay leading up to the “break”
Okay… at the two minute mark, you do the panning I was talking about… you have some shakers panning, and others not… thats good, but the non panning shakers, I would add a stereo widener to… the are too center and forward, and the vocals should fill that spot.
I would recommend copying that center percussion element into two tracks, and pan one left and one right… try to spread it out a bit… like 30-35% panned eich side…
I would duck the music a bit with the vocals, either with a small filter, or some sort of texture to make the vocals stand up a bit, but I like the levels, so turning it up isnt it.
2:29 and on is great… I was going to say be careful of the highs, because they also sound a touch bright, but I just remembered that brand new 1990’s (Berendynamic headphones) can be a bit bright, so it might just be my end.
You really incorporate all the synths together really nicely… it sounds great, and i love the groove you got going on… no changes needed… really really nice.
That panning industrial hit at 2:54 could be a bit more aggressive… Id bring it up, pan it harder, and add a touch of filter to not make it too present, but beefer…it could act as a mini “drop” in the middle of that phrase…
OOOOHHH… I love the bouncing acid line!!! you need to add a sine wave bass hit on only the first beat of it to make it kick in the door! and then let it just talk like it does…
At 3:30… and this isnt a mix thing, but an arrangment thing… I would start making a sub bass melody with the acid bass… You have so many stabby and bouncy elements, that having a constant melodic low bass tone would be a great contrast to the other lighter elements… sonmething soft and low.
Especially when everything kinda drops out till 3:50… that bass would be lovely… but mind you , I am a bass head… sooooo…
From 3:50 to like 4:08ish… that new lead synth line is getting buried… its a but cluttered at the start… i would bring in all that older synth stuff a bit later at the 4:08ish mark… you can go super high energy and chaotic, but I would build into a bit, so that new synth line can establish itself first for a couple measures, then it will recontrast the older stuff nicely… or recontextualize it…
Maybe all the way up to 4:36, you could have that new lead synth have the end of the 2 bar phrase… like have the other stuff fire then fade a but… just for texture… a faux leap frogging if you will.
From there, you really do tension release very well… I love it…
At 4:58, I would want that melodic sub bass to come in here again if you decide to do it… just me taste though… not yours… I really am not in a position to tell you how to make music… you are probably better at it than me, but Im spitballing…
Love the kicks repeating into the drop, into that bouncing line! (5:18ish)
Okay… now it just seems to repeat, and at 5:44 is that industrial panning hit from before… and I think it can be a bit more aggressive like above…
5:552… add a melodic bass line again… it shouldn’t be all the time, Im saying, let it go till you do a change up, then then add on the backside to add some variation… it dosent sound repetitve at all… just trying to make the low end a bit more… i dont know… present? individual? it just feels like there is room to say something down there that supports the top end…
Yeah from 6:00 on… I love that! the vocals are so cool… I would actually copy that and add it into the middle as a breakdown… and also, it needs something low as well… its a bit sparce, and thats good for an intro, but on the backside… it must sound like your leaving a venue, or battlefield, where you still hear everything going on, but your traveling away to home… then go sparse for just the final few measures…
OKAY! Its fantastic, and probably better than anything I ever did (I dont really believe that, but I feel bad for being critical… we are definitely equals!)
PLus, this is at the point where its subjective… Im talking from my tatses and my headphone over the internet… if this was real, we would be going over stems together, and A/Bing changes to see what works, if Im right, or if you want no changes… blah blah… you know the game… )
Hope i helped!
Love ya @dhunterrr
I am actually hoping you tell me what you think… I want to know if Im in the ballpark… and I hope others give you advice…
now that I know the song, and gave my notes, Id love to hear others takes as well… Id learn some things that way…
And Im really impressed with you for putting this out there like that… this is fun!
Incredible detail and consideration in these comments, thank you @BLKrbbt!!! You are so generous with praise and encouragement.
I’m liking your emphasis on using the stereo field and hints of filtering I could do.
I’ll have to go through methodically and see what is possible for me to change.
It’s all recorded live in one single take with a just a stereo out.
If it’s one take and stereo out, then I’m truly impressed.
Maybe this could just inform you in you producing in the future.
Or, you could remake it using your track as a template.
Not a 1 to 1 at all. Just use the bones.
Edit: okay. I would really recommend you record out your stems from now on.
Multitrack it.
It just gives you greater control. And if your that good at stereo out and live producing, you may not need it. But set up a template and always record both.
You’re at the point you need to start doing this. You’re not “jamming” anymore. It’s too polished, and intentional.
You’ve leveled up past this stage.
Everything you make now should be a fully realized track. Recorded and stemmed out.
Op-z only gives a single stereo out over usb, no multitrack. The mc101 and lemondrop gets mixed into the op-z through a couple line-ins. So multitracking isn’t really an option for me. I’d have to perform/record each track (13 of them) and then realign in a DAW (which I don’t have).
That is why I’m tempted to get an MPC one. Sample all the bits I want from other devices and then have fine control over EQ, filters, panning, layers of audio, fx, multitrack out, all in one device.
@BLKrbbt I did record a new version (before I got your advice) with a bit more filter movement and nailed the fills pretty well. I might DM it to you when I get a chance.
do it.
when you do this, just have a 1 bar in the beginning of of every track with a hit or click then use that to align the start of all the tracks, with silences filled with blank measures for elements that come in way later…
if you ever go with a DAW…
since you are one shotting this, post production is extremely limited. So it becomes more of a performative thing for you. and it would be you just getting a bunch of reps, and living with the results, which are very good…
happy to report this works on M:S with few modifications:
@Jeanne you are like a fountain of creativity
Sometimes I read about the importance to keep the AIR when chopping breaks. I understand the idea but dont really get the best ways to do it. From the Paradox Q&A on dogs on acid:
"What I mean is pasting a constant ‘shhh’ sound/or atmosphere over the break to give its ‘tone’. Amen has that certain sound that doesn’t even sound like a like drumbreak anymore (like a metallic interferance) and this is due to it’s sample re-processing over the years from 1991.
When you listen to certain breaks you can pick up their tones and its possible to extract the noise from 'em. Use delays on the air parts if nessesary (minus bottom end on the sample) to make the trails last longer/stretch over the lenght of the break your creating loop wise."
I dont hear any dead air in the amen for example. Any thoughts on this subject?
Very interesting by the way:
Dropping some experimental tunes here:
Sharing a perhaps slightly daft one from this (last?) week’s record-diving sample challenge.
This is the original
I clocked the bpm and it was roughly half jungle tempo so took it from there 
WIP.
Pretty good 