normanlevene's 100 Most Recent Comments

Still Have My Heart - Caitlan Crosby cover by Rosebud by RMG_Music 2 years ago
5

Class!
This Love (Maroon 5 Cover) by normanlevene 2 years ago
Ok. I was only going to write a brief list but I really got into this so I'm writing it for fellow programmers too.

This gets uber-geeky so I'll understand if you fall asleep after 10 seconds.

I used Vir2 Mojo for the brass sounds. If you buy their product, they have a technical support that is second to none and they even re-programmed the clarinet sound for me too. (I needed an extra tone on the lower part of the clarinet scale)

After playing this track to them they even featured it on their website under the name of 'Vaudeville'

http://www.vir2.com/4DCGI/vir2/products/mojo/index.html?1205

I also used Sample modelling's "The Sax" for the sax solo.

The drums are a combination of 'Addictive Drums', 'Brushed artistry' and a loop I can't remember the origin from.

The guitar is Musiclab's 'Real Guitar' plugin that has occasionally been put through Native Instruments' 'Guitar Rig' for the trippier moments. My programming method with Real guitar is to play the chords first and play the rhythm after with a heavy dose of randomize for realism.

The bass is Spectrasonics' - "Trilogy"

The piano is Modartt's 'Pianoteq

The strings are from Refx - Nexus

The whole track in its current form is a plain monitor mix that has been put through AAMS auto mastering system. It clearly has too much bottom end, I should take a little off and raise the volume of Trilogy. There's only a little compression used here and there.

As you can hear the vocals are untuned (They go sharp at the end very dodgy) and there is no reverb except as part of the instrument plugins used. To mix this track properly would probably take me the best part of a day so I'm just being lazy and leaving it as it is.

A main programming principle I try to stick to is to avoid quantizing at all costs on all sounds, especially drums (unless its techno or house.) If your performance is really too dodgy then quantize and then use cubase' position & velocity randomize feature, it humanizes what you do.

99.9 percent of brass (and string) sections that are programmed sound unrealistic because they are too tight. They repeat the same samples too much and are too in tune.
Mojo randomizes this for you. Playing the same note 4 times can bring about four subtly different variations. It's amazing how almost all virtual instrument makers are ignorant of the fact that ensembles draw their warmth, character and realism from their random imperfections.

The tuba is my favourite part of the track because it is soooo late behind the beat D'angelo uses this 'laid back' technique with superior effect in almost all his music.

I'm not modest about being a kick *** programmer. There has been only one drum rhythm that I've ever come across that I couldn't copy. Stevie Wonder's "For Once In My Life." Deceptively simple but an incredibly complex pattern, Buddy Rich is a cakewalk compared to that.

Hope this helps and feel free to ask me anything (within common decency)

smiley
This Love (Maroon 5 Cover) by normanlevene 2 years ago
Thanks for that last comment. That's exactly what I was aiming for. I was actually going to put a tap dance in the middle too but decide to keep the whole thing simpler.
Rubber Ducky Escaping from the Bath by PurePerversity 2 years ago
5

Was just feeling pissed off at having to pay a parking ticket and the only thing that cheered me up was hearing this song.
That might mean nothing to most but trust me, that a good sign.

Love this track!
Stairway to Heaven by tonestones 2 years ago
5

wHEN i SAW "sTAIRWAY TO hEAVEN" I thought "Yawn" it's been done to death but damn maaan. This is an excellent and original interpretation.

Love it.
enter sandman by irok 2 years ago
5

FUUUUUUCKKK!!!!
THIS RAAAAWWWWKSSS MAN!
TOTAL JUSTICE TO THE ORIGINAL AND I'M LOVING THE VOKES TOO.
Couleur bleu ciel ilan revivo by ilan 2 years ago
5

Great Voice, Kick *** production, I'm loving this.
"BLUE VIEW" by fatchance 2 years ago
Excellent production, first rate musicianship and a cracking good song too. As for constructive criticism, The Hammond sound is a little too soft. Needs a bit more mid. I'd also have turned up the keyboard during its solo whilst lowering the reverb for extra clarity and re-blended it for the rest of the song. Haven't listened to this on a proper system but it seems that the whole mix good do with a tiny bit more bottom end. Then again that's probably the crap speakers I'm using.
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