MTF - Studio Presentation (Mix)

Analysis:
After hearing the song on the website, the song sounded a lot slower compared to my version, although they were the same speed. The start showed a mix of drums, bass and vocals, while my version only had drums and bass. The vocal performance was incredible, with the use of vocal overlapping gives the song a whole lot of abstractness. As the whistle comes in, the song sounds almost psychedelic.

Band: Afro Celt Sound System
Song Name: My Secret Bliss
Duration: 7:04
Musical Genre: World Music
Style: Abstract – Dark Sounding
Key: Unknown
Time Signature: 83.98bpm
Instrumentation: drum track, percussion, keyboards, both solo vocals
Performers: Iarla O Lionaird, Sevara and James Mcnally
Sound Quality: Excellent
Performance Issues: None

Research and Produce:

1)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prodigy
The Prodigy has the technique of adding a new layer of samples every now and then, so I incorporated that technique into my mix.

2)
http://www.videomaker.com/article/10021/
I used this site for panning techniques, which I used the in abstract keys sample.

3)
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jun05/articles/protoolsnotes.htm
There was an abstract ‘robot’ kind of sound, which I EQ’d with a 7 Band EQ, making it sound different and more distinct.

4)
http://www2.digidesign.com/digizine/archive/digizine_april02/protechniques/ianblanch/index.cfm
To bring out the drums, I chose 2 drum samples and played them both at the same time. The first drum sample didn’t have a crash at the start, and that’s what was lacking in the mix. So I chose another drum sample with a crash and mix them both at the same time.

5) http://www.gamasutra.com/features/sound_and_music/111497/interaudio_sb1.htm
This website shows repeat techniques. I cut a section of the whistle sample and repeated them during the catchy drum beat section.



Notes:
The process of remixing a song was a difficult, frustrating yet rewarding task. I had always wanted to learn how to remix a song, and now I understand how the process is done. I firstly imported the audio from the file into the Pro Tools Session and made a region list. I picked out a few samples and listened to them, considering whether to use them or not. I started out using a simple drum sample and looped it. I added bass, then some abstract keys. I took the use of layering a new sample from The Prodigy. I double tracked the bass, used a reverse cymbal and double tracked the drums. I then panned the abstract keys and added a panflute/whistle sample. I muted every sample except for the whistle and drums, which produces a catchy beat. I added the double tracked bass, along with the guitar sample. The end shows the drum beat being played with the guitars. To finish the song in style, a smooth vocal sound is played to capture the whole songs essence.
A lot of my influences and tastes in music went into mixing this song. Most of the music I listen to have no vocals, so I took that into account. In songs, I like it when there’s a bar of no drums, a reverse cymbal build up, and the drums come back in. I used this technique in the middle of the song, and I believe it’s the best part of the whole mix. I EQ’d these robotic sounding abstract keys to make it sound different to its original sound, also to elevate it more into the track. The smooth vocal sound at the end of the song, I cut out of a backing vocal sample and carefully placed it into the mix.
The major issue I had with this assignment was the samples weren’t in time with the key signature. As I didn’t know how to change the BPM, I slipped every single sample carefully, using the magnifying glass to get the single sample as close together. With close inspection, some samples have a small gap in between them, but are undetectable to the human ear.


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Music Technology Forum: Week 11 - Student Mix Prestations

This week in Music Technology Forum, a select few members of the class presented a mix on their chosen song. The process of this mix started by choosing a ‘real world’ recording session from the EMU server. The sound files were put into a regions list, and a few of these samples were used to create a mix of the song. The use of automation and equalisation must be present in the mix.

Scott Philp chose the song ‘What You Are’ by Joi, which is an Alternate Dub/Dance song. He found the original song rather boring and repetitive, so he tried to create a shorter, more interesting version of the song. The biggest problem Scott faced was in the middle and end section of his song; he had trouble stopping he audio from clipping. He resolved this issue by removing some instruments from the mix.

Scott Herriman chose the song ‘If I Had My Way’ by Little Axe, which is a Country/Rock song. He listened to each sample, choosing which one would sound the best at the start of the mix. He chose to start the song with a drum intro and bass line. Once he had finish creating his mix, he looked at using Automation and Equalisation.

Stuart Johnston chose the song ‘My Secret Bliss’ by Afro Celts Sound System, which is a World Music song. He started by listening to each sample and gaining an analysis of which regions would go well with others. Stuart pretty much used all instruments in his mix, including Vocals, Guitars, Drums, Abstract Piano sounds and Whistle sounds.

Simon Kuchel chose the song ‘What You Are’ by Joi. He found the original mix very long, being nearly 6 minutes in length. He firstly imported all the tracks into Pro Tools. He slightly equalised some of the tracks being used in his mix, and added some normalisation and compression to the tracks needed. Simon copied and pasted each track to keep the repetitiveness of the song without the length.

Jake Taylor chose the song ‘My Secret Bliss’ by Afro Celts Sound System. Jake began the song with percussive sounds, as he thought the drums were an important part of the song. After importing most of the tracks he wanted, he began to utilise plugins, double tracking, eq, compression and reverb to bring out the fullness of the song.

References:
Steve Fieldhouse – University of Adelaide (2007)
Scott Philp – University of Adelaide (2007)
Scott Herriman – University of Adelaide (2007)
Stuart Johnston – University of Adelaide (2007)
Simon Kuchel – University of Adelaide (2007)
Jake Taylor – University of Adelaide (2007)

Music Technology Forum: Week 10 – Genre Production

This week in Music Technology Forum, we looked at some more genre’s and how they are produced. We dived into the world of grunge music, aswell as some Punk and music from all around England.

Grunge:
Grunge can be described as raw, unpolished music. Grunge surprisingly existed in Adelaide, with the most well know grunge label – Greasy Pop Records. The idea of grunge music is to add mistakes into the recording so it sounds ‘real’, or as if you are watching them live. As grunge music progressed, it became more polished from record labels; less mistakes were added into recordings.

Nirvana:
Nirvana were recorded in a weekend for $6:00. By listening to the finish product, it was under produced. In later recordings, their music could be described as stylised grunge. They purposely added ,istakes.

Mudhoney:
Used out of tune guitars for effect. Sounded weak.

Sound Garden:
Sounds like grunge meets metal. More bottom end; sounds fuller; vocals a lot cleaner; they used distorted vocals. As they progressed you heard less mistakes.

Wolfmother:
Wolfmother has 2 versions of their song ‘Mother’. The first version was more grungey. Slow drums, unclear vocals, sounded murky. The second version showed clear, bright drums, quicker tempo, louder and a lot more compressed.

Punk:
Punk is a hard genre to describe. It consists of catchy guitar chords along with catchy drums.

Sex Pistols:
Low production, catchy guitars and catchy drums. I noticed that all of songs played by Sex Pistols sounded the same.

Greenday:
Later Punk – Catchy songs, produced with high fidelity. The abrasive midrange feels like the sound is forced in your face.


England:


Bristol:
Portishead: Lots of bass. Clicks. Freaky sounding vocals.
Massive Attack: Dark sounding. Haunting vocals. Lots of bottom end. They match density and intensity between different sound samples. Loops of drums. Odd drum fills. Added layers like Prodigy

Manchester:
The Stone Roses: Lots of layers. Airy quality. Can detect English accent.

South Central England:
Radiohead: Slightly left of field sounding guitars. Fidelity changes between songs

South West England:
Muse: Almost Emo vocals. Very compressed. Over compression on cymbols.

Liverpool:
The Beatles: Reverse guitar solo. Reverb vocal effect.



References:
Steve Fieldhouse - Adelaide University (2007)

Music Technology Forum – Week 9: Genre Based Production

This week in Music Tech Forum, we looked at the production of a range of genres, including: Funk, Acid Jazz, Reggae, Blues, Jazz and Hard Rock. We listened to audio clips from these genres and pieced together different assumptions from the variety of songs.

Funk:
The genre ‘Funk’ is biggest in America. There are many factors that make up Funk. Firstly, Funk is not often song based; it’s more groove based. The beat is generally 4x4 with the guitars even on each speaker. The early days of Funk showed very dry sounds. The low budget produced a distorted production. In the 90’s, there was a huge movement of Funk and Acid Jazz. Acts such as Beastie Boys, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Harry Connick Jnr produced clean funk, using reverb on the drums and room mics for recording.

Blues:
Blues, when recorded properly, can be a very clean sounding genre. The use of closed mic’s, upright pianos, and over driven vocal sounds are fundamental when it comes to Blues. The lyrics in Blues usually come from times of struggle, where people’s lives have turned for the worst. In a clip played by Stevie Ray Vaughn, I noticed very clean guitar with reverb + a very noticeable rim shot.

Jazz:
Jazz is recorded a lot different to Rock & Roll. There is no compression and no thumping kick drum to overdrive the song. In the 50’s, the recording quality of Jazz improved immensely. Clean trumpets and guitars we’re heard. With Jazz music, the solos during songs loved to be heard, so saxophone players will play at their limit to put on a great show.

Hard Rock:
In the early days of Hard Rock, the production had only a bit of brightness. Hard Rock sounded very ‘low’ and not enough bite. In the later days, Hard Rock started to use very big sounds. The use of the proximity effect on drums and bass, together with the endless guitar solos formed a huge sounding production. With Hard Rock, there are only three words you should remember: Size Does Matter!


Reference:
Steve Fieldhouse - Adelaide University (2007)

Music Technology Forum – Week 8: Oral Write Up

My oral presentation comprised of a Powerpoint presentation, with information outlining Groove Terminator’s history, influences, people he’s worked with, studio’s he’s worked in, when he was selected, what makes up his style and what he brings to the field of music production. I played pieces of audio from three of Groove Terminator’s songs, outlining his style and trademarks.

Groove Terminator, real name Simon Lewici, is a DJ / Recording Artist / Producer / Performer / Mixer / Remixer / Principal Song Writer / Programmer / Vocals.

History:
He was born on the 21st of January, 1982 in Poland. Groove Terminator started DJ’ing professionally at the age of 13. Originally a Hip Hop DJ, his work progressed into House music. Groove Terminator has played alongside internationally well known acts such as: Carl Cox, The Prodigy, Sasha, Paul Okenfold, Jungle Bros., The Beastie Boys & Moby. Throughout his career, he has produced many types of genres including: Punk, Hip Hop, Rock, Pop, Jazz and Electro.

Influences:
Groove Terminator has a large list of influences. Some common ones include: Chemical Brothers, The Prodigy, Rick Rubin, Kiss, Beastie Boys, Oasis, Rolling Stones, INXS, AC/DC, Guns N Roses, David Bowie and Duran Duran.

People they’ve worked with:
Most people would think Groove Terminator as a Dance/Electro based producer, but he’s worked with a huge number of recording artists from many different types of genres. He has worked with the likes of Grinspoon, Dead or Alive, Groove Armada, Gorillaz and even the Multi-Platinum act; Savage Garden. His work progresses to TV & Radio commercials, having composed and produced for big name corporations such as: Coca Cola, Nike, Vodafone, Virgin Mobile, Quiksilver, Sunsilk shampoo and many others. His music advances to television campaigns such as ESPN, EA Sports, the NHL and Prudential Insurance. After making a big name for himself, Groove Terminator’s work has been licensed for such television series as: Malcolm In The Middle, Queer As Folk & Big Brother, aswell as producing and recording the theme song for the TV show “The Block”, which was Australia’s highest ever rating reality show. His music has been exploited in many films and trailers through well-known studios such as Universal, Buena Vista and Paramount Pictures. His work has also been included in campaigns for movies including: “Lara Croft – Tomb Raider 2”, “Danny Deckchair” and “The Cut.” What’s amazing is that he had worked with all these groups while still maintaining his career as a recording artist/DJ.

Studio’s he has worked in:
Groove Terminator has his own studio based in Sydney where he produces his own recordings and does all his mixing.

When he was selected:
Groove Terminator started DJ’ing in the 80’s. He turned professional at the age of 13. In 1997, he signed to Virgin/EMI. During his time with these 2 record labels, he has released 2 full length albums and has had endless sold out concerts all around Australia.


What makes up his style:
There are many factors that make up Groove Terminator’s style. His style mostly consists of Electro and Dance, but had drifted off into other styles such as Pop, Rock and Hip Hop
● Catchy start to songs
● Uses a large number of hook during his songs, with squeals, breakdowns in drums, builds ups etc.
● Uses a large amount of reverb, especially in vocals
● Has that catchy tune that gets stuck in peoples head

What do they bring to the field of music production and recording:
Groove Terminator has always been someone who likes to surprise his listeners and confound expectations, whether as a DJ of producer. He has been recognized as a ‘tastemaker’. He is strongly influenced by abstract music, and he brings a whole new level of abstraction with the music he produces.

Achievements:
• Best Producer - 2000 Dance Music Award Winners
• Several ARIA nominations - including best male artist along the way.
• Several times - been nominated for Best National DJ.
• First single ‘is it love?’ – scoring a billboard #1 in 2001

Songs played during Oral Presentation:

Sunshine Song:
Warpy start to song – Grabs listeners’ attention straight away.
Hooks:
Bass line.
Man yelling: “Say what”.
Squeal: Sounds like Cypress Hill squeal.
Trumpet sounds.
Man yelling out “Techno”.
Man screaming + Crowd yelling.

Here Comes Another One:
Catchy bassline at the start - Grabs listeners’ attention straight away.
Hooks:
Slow fade, then excessive fade in.
Reverb in voice.
Three claps
Yells and voices during chorus.
Catchy “la la la’s”.

Love Song (This Is Not A)
Catchy tune at the start - Grabs listeners’ attention straight away.
Hooks:
Reverb in voice.
Huge build up.
Heaps of warpy effects



In conclusion, I believe my oral presentation was a success. The use of a powerpoint helped deliver information more effectively. The visual aspects of a powerpoint makes people hear and see the information, instead of just hearing it, so I believe using a powerpoint was an ideal choice. The information was up to date and interesting, giving a lot of insight into Groove Terminator’s life and career. Also, by having the information type out letter by letter on powerpoint made people follow the text and read it, instead of putting the whole information down and having the audience read it all. The songs played we’re catchy which attracted the listeners and made them follow the key points to Groove Terminator’s style.

As for the assignment, I believe it was a very rewarding task. I learnt a lot about my chosen producer, and producers that my classmates had chosen. I learnt all about new styles and techniques producers use to capture the songs being recorded. I also learnt a lot about whom Groove Terminator has worked with, and was amazed that he’s worked with such upper class bands such as Grinspoon, Gorillaz and Savage Garden.

Reference:
Steve Fieldhouse – Adelaide University (2007)

Bibliography:
www.myspace.com/grooveterminator
www.discogs.com/artist/Groove+Terminator
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groove_Terminator
www.gtworld.com.au/
www.residentadvisor.net/dj-page.aspx?id=334

Music Tech Forum - Week 8: Final Oral Presentations

This week in Music Technology Forum, the last remaining class members presented their orals.

Seb’s presentation was on the producer Steven Wilson. Steven was born on the 3rd of November 1967 in England. He is famously known for his position with the band Porcupine Tree. Steven taught himself everything he knows to do with music production. At the age of 15, Steven produced his first band. His trademark is using telephone vocals to give a creepy effect to voice.

Lisa did her oral on Trent Reznorr. Trent has worked with the likes of Marilyn Manson and Natural Born Killers. He has also created the background music for ‘Quake’. He is an industrial music producer, using a lot of distortion and effects on voice and guitar. He is greatly known for using Drum Machines in songs and effects on Bass Guitar.

Simon’s talk was on Phil Spector. Phil was born on the 26th of December 1940 in New York. High School was the basis of his interest in music, learning Piano, Guitar, Drums, Bass and French Horn. After coming out of retirement, he produced the controversial album ‘Let It Be’ for The Beatles. He also produced John Lennon and George Harrison’s first albums. His trademark, the wall of sound, made him hugely successful. His use of double and triple tracks created a fuller sound.

Finally, Josh’s oral presentation was on the producer Phil Ramone. At the age of 3, Phil was already learning Piano and Violin. Phil has worked with the likes of Billy Joel, Frank Sinatra and Paul Simon. His studio was the first to record on CD’s. Throughout Phil’s career, he has won 14 grammy’s. Phil uses clear vocals in his tracks, and changes his style to coincide with the ever-changing music fashion.

Throughout these few weeks, I have learnt about many different styles within different producers. I found this to be an interesting and enjoyable assignment. I believe these oral presentations were a very rewarding task.

References:
1. Steve Fieldhouse (2007) - University of Adelaide.
2. Sebastian Hudson (2007) - University of Adelaide.
3. Lisa-Lane Collins (2007) - University of Adelaide.
4. Simon Kuchel (2007) - University of Adelaide.
5. Josh Bevan (2007) - University of Adelaide.

Music Technology Forum – Week 8: Oral Presentations

This week in Music Technology Forum, five members of the class did their oral presentations on their chosen producer. Each oral went for 10 minutes, with 5 of those 10 minutes being used on audio.

Jake was the first member of the class to do his talk. His oral consisted of a colourful and informative powerpoint presentation on Kevin “the Caveman” Shirley. Kevin was born on the 29th of June in Johannesburg, South Africa. He came into the field of producing in the early 60’s. A distinctive technique he uses is panning the High Tom panned right, and the Low Tom panned left on a drum kit.

Stuart’s presentation was on Dave Fridmann. Dave did his first recording as a sound engineer in 1989. He hanged out with rockstars to gain knowledge and understanding of recording. Dave has his own studio in Cassadonia, located 10 minutes from his house. He has a technique of using many different intro’s to songs with effects on many different instruments, mainly guitar. He has a tendency to use a big ambience sound in a number of his songs.

Rowan talked about the life of Ross Robinson. Ross familiarised himself with audio equipment while picking up knowledge from recording with his band. His first job was an assistant engineer and from there he has made himself a name in the field of music production. His very unique style of producing is using a large number of tribal sounds, using tribal drums and even an intro of tribal singing.

Scott’s talk was on the producer Jason Suecof. Jason started playing guitar at the age of 8, and started producing at the age of 17. His Dad was the biggest influence in his life, along with Frank Zepper and Jimi Hendrix. His studio is based in Stamford, Florida where he produces a number of Rock acts. Two of his production styles are: He uses a click sound in the bass drum and has a very ‘picky’ sound to the guitar strings.

Ben was the last to do his oral presentation. His talk was on Eddy Kramer. He was born in Capetown, South Africa in 1941. He began playing classical piano, and drifted into 50’s music, changing his genre from classical to jazz. He set up his own studio for local jazz bands. In 1965, he made his way into the KPS studio, where he gained an excellent reputation. From there, he has produced huge name acts such as the Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix. His famous style is panning guitar solo’s left to right.

References:
1. Steve Fieldhouse (2007) - University of Adelaide.
2. Jake Taylor (2007) - University of Adelaide.
3. Stuart Johnston (2007) - University of Adelaide.
4. Rowan Bunning (2007) - University of Adelaide.
5. Scott Herriman (2007) - University of Adelaide.
5. Benjamin Hawkins (2007) - University of Adelaide.