Audio Studies B – Creative Project

Good Riddance
Daniel Trembath
Minutes ‘ Seconds (Italic 11pt Arial)

For my final assignment, I decided to do Green Day – Good Riddance. I decided to do this for my final because I am very familiar with the song, having been the first song I ever learned on guitar.
I recorded electric guitar via Pro Tools in Studio 1. I also recorded Bass Guitar via the Avalon. I used a click track whilst recorded to save time shifting regions.
I recorded the picking start of the song first, then simple chords. After recording, I edited using Pro Tools in the Mac lab. I cut out certain parts of the recording and arranged them so sound like the actual song. I used a few plug ins on the guitars, especially on the bass to bring it up in volume.
Volume automation was used on the bass guitar, and panning was used on the electric guitar.
I routed Reason to Pro Tools and used a MIDI track for the drum track. Simple drums were played on the Novation and the mix was complete.

MP3 File: coming soon..

MIDI Studies B – Creative Project

A Reason For My Day
Daniel Trembath
03‘04

I had the idea of remaking a song one of my friends has made, called ‘A Reason For My. I decided to make this song for my MIDI mix because I know how to play and compose it + there’s a broad range of techniques I could use in the song.
A Reason For My Day consists mainly of piano, which I used some velocity changes in notes for it to sound real.
Strings were added; using the technique of keeping them a bit off the beat for added realism.
Bass was added using the techniques we have been taught.
Percussion was used in the form of drums. These drums have different velocities in each hit to sound like a real drummer playing.
A nylon string guitar was used and I incorporated a few pitch bends, giving the feel of the guitar player bending the strings as notes are played.
The song starts off with improvisation of piano with strings and a choir. As the strings build up, the main tune settles in. As the song progresses the bass comes in, giving a catchy feel to the mix.
A small build up occurs and the guitar comes in using pitch bends.
After a few more beats a huge build of the drums will occur and the whole song comes together with an added piano solo.
As the song progresses, it slowly dies down til the finish.
I have used automation for the build-ups. Strings have been automated and gradually gain volume until it hits the peak. Panning has been used in a few fill ins on the strings, choir and drum kit.

MIDI File: http://files-upload.com/files/611957/MIDI FINAL ASSIGNMENT.lso
MP3 File: http://files-upload.com/files/611980/Reason Fro MY Dayaysfua.mp3

Sound Engineering - Foley Artist

A Foley Artist is part of the creation of a film/video. Their role is to create most of the sound effects in a film to highlight key sounds to bring out the wholeness of whats being portrayed.

Some examples are:
Insects being squashed - Squeezing the inside of a lemon
Two people kissing - Kissing the back of your hand
Horses running - Clapping two coconut shells together

Some times the Foley Artist will try and mimic what is happening on screen. For 'rustling clothes', they will record a Foley Artist mimicking the same moves for added realism. This can also be explained with 'footsteps'.

Specific skills would be having the skill to recreate such sounds. Also, thinking outside of the square. Knowing what random objects would be useful in creating Foley.

:)

Oral Presentation

I believe my oral presentation on my Portfolio was rather successful. The information spoken had all the necessary components mentioned in the criteria. The powerpoint worked very well with the talk. It helped interact with the listeners. It also helped to bring out certain information being said.
The sample track demonstrated my talent in the field of Sound Engineering, although most of it was MIDI based samples.

In terms of experience with Sound Engineering, I’d say the list is very small. In Year 11, we had a subject called Performance Tech which was all about learning how to use the Mixing Desk, lights, recording and all stuff related to this course. I was pretty interested in that subject which lead me to further study this course. I also started making music on Fruity Loops. This gave me knowledge on MIDI programming, as well as music composition.

For my portfolio, I will include a CV and a Mini CV.
I will also include 5 tracks in my CD.

These will include: A song a friend and I had created in Year 12 using Fruity Loops 5
A remix of Alice Deejay – Better Off Alone using Logic Pro
A remix of a friend’s song titled “A Reason For My Day”
A world music remix using Pro Tools
An original techno song composed in Logic Pro

The CD face will hopefully include some awesome logo with some details on it. The CD case will be a sweet picture of some sort which will grab the attention of anyone who looks at it. The back of the CD will include the track list, what will be found on the CD like CV, Mini CV and so on, and any other details like how to contact me, phone number. All the basic information.

My strong points as a Sound Engineer would be the use of MIDI. I have been using MIDI prior to this course, so I found it easy to produce songs using Logic Pro. All the aspects of Music Technology Forum I found very interesting, which motivated me to do the best work possible. I found that subject to be another one of my strong points.

My weak points would definitely be recording. I find all aspects of recording difficult, including using Pro Tools. Also music theory, which I have never done in my life, is also another weak point. I will definitely be studying music theory after this course has finished.

As for next year, I will be getting membership at Fresh FM. Fresh will take me onboard and train me in all aspects of Radio, broadcast and technical equipment from professionals with years of industry experience. Fresh is a voluntary Radio Station so I wouldn’t get paid, but Nova are always looking to recruit people from Fresh to take them on board for a paid job.

References:
David Gryce - University of Adelaide 2007
My Uni

Music Technology Forum: Week 12 - Oral Presentations

This week in Music Technology Forum, the remaining members of the class showcased their oral presentations on their Portfolios thus far. This portfolio consisted of: A CV, a mini CV, full tracks, a sample track, CD's with a cover and label, any additional features such as a website, multimedia etc.

Simon:
Simon's presentation consisted of a talk, powerpoint display and sample track. Simon started guitar at a very young age and has been playing it his whole life. After he finished high school he tried out for a bachelor in Jazz but didn't make it in, so he decided to give Sound Engineering a go.

Lisa:
Lisa, or "Sound Techie Sam", has been immersed in music from a very young age. She leared multiple instruments: piano, clarinet, guitar/bass, tin whistle, kazoo and vocals. She has skills in recording, mastering, live mixing and theatre sound, as well as composition using MIDI.

Ken:
Ken has decided to add some comical essence with his Portfolio to show more of his personality. His porfolio will include MIDI songs he has created using various different programs. These songs are mostly in the Aphex Twin type genre.

Scott Philp:
Scott's portfolio will include nine tracks. These nine tracks will showcase his difference styles of production. He will be showing his skills in: full band mixing and recording, full MIDI based compositing and production, use of video in Pro Tools, remixing tracks and smaller based production and composition.

Music Technology Forum: Week 11 - Oral Presentations

This week in Music Technology Forum, half the class had to present their orals on their Portfolio. This portfolio consisted of: A CV, a mini CV, full tracks, a sample track, CD's with a cover and label, any additional features such as a website, multimedia etc. The oral presentation would show how much the individual has done to date.

Lauren:
Lauren used a great concept of a logo and a name for herself. The logo stands out, and when people see it they will know exactly what it is referring to. Lauren has worked in schools, bands, local artists and soloists. All of her work is going towards her EP.

Brendan:
Brendan is showcasing 8 songs with his portfolio. Each song reflects his skills and knowledge. Songs to: show different styles of recordings; in composition and playing; show skills in MIDI composition and skills in remixing. Brendan is keen on making a website showing his portfolio.

Ben:
Ben started off his presentation by explaining his background in Music. Starting out at a young age, he progressed with guitar. He joined a band which each member had their own influences and tastes in music. He chose to do Sound Engineering to record bands and live the life of a studio owner.

Scott:
Scott explained the profile he had written about himself. He was employed in a Music store mainly tuning guitars. He has communication skills, volunteering at a Primary School for work experience, and guitar skills as he has played his whole life. His songs comprise of recordings for bands, MIDI songs and recordings for Audio Studies.

Josh:
Josh decided to do Sound Engineering to gain experience in MIDI studies. His future is to make video games and music for video games. He has had experience in working for an accountant. His sample track consists of remixes of video game music and foley work which was rather interesting.

Overall, the presentations were well presented. I quite enjoyed them and cant wait to do my presentation.

Music Technology Forum - Week 10: Jingle Studio

This week for Music Technology Forum, we visited a local Jingle Studio called "Timms Tunes". The address of this Studio is '15 Sydenham Road Norwood SA 5067'. As we arrived at the Studio/Church, we seemed to be fascinated by the bowls of lollies in every room. We were taken into the main section of the Studio where we were told about what Timms Tunes is all about. They specialize in making Jingles for TV/Film. We were shown a very emotional video which Timms Tunes composed the song playing in the background. This song comprised of very slow Piano at the start to capture the emotion and devastation. As the images become more intense, the drums comes and strings come in to capture the extreme emotion being presented. Some thought this song sounded similar to Coldplay. I couldn't hear any obvious similarities between the two. We later listened to a Jingle that was made for a Winnie The Pooh Video Game. This jingle was a very happy, cheery song which basically made you smile when you heard it. The contrast between the two jingles was huge.
Timms Tunes uses the same programs we use at Uni. They use Logic for creating and Pro Tools for editing. As we progressed through the Studio, we met a few people who work at Timms Tunes. They told us about what they do at the Jingle Studio, their background and some experiences they've had working at Timms Tunes. This gave us an insider about what would happen if we applied for a job there.
After meeting the workers, it was back in the Studio where we talked about our background and what we wanted to do as a career. Many of us were undecided about exactly what we wanted to do, but we had an understanding of where we were heading.
The field trip to Timms Tunes was a great one. I learned all about the jingle process and it sounds like a very rewarding career.

Sound Engineering: Week 8 - Automation

Auto Off: Whilst running Pro Tools in manual mode. Ignores all automation
Auto Write: Write automation such as: Volume, pan, mute, plug in, send volume, send panning, send mute. Auto Write is destructive! Can turn on/off what you want to automate.
Auto Read: Reads the automation you have written
Auto Touch: Only writes while your touching, slowly goes down to 0 when unclicked.
Auto Latch: Stays at the level you leave it at.
Auto Trim: Keeps your previous automation, but can bring it up or down in volume.
Offline Trim: Trims while its not playing. Write 2 points and drag everything in the middle up or down.
Null Indicators: Indicate what direction you need to move the fader.

Uses
Auto Off: When you want to hear the finish product vs no automation
Auto Write: When you want to automate various drum hits left or right
Auto Read: When you have finished automation and you want to listen to it
Auto Touch: When you want a huge build up, with a slow fade down immediately after
Auto Latch: When you want a huge build up which stays at that high level
Auto Trim: When you want a voice level to be boosted while its playing
Offline Trim: When you want a voice level to be boosted while its not playing

Music Technology Forum - Week 8: Film Corporation

This week in Music Technology Forum, we went on a Field Trip to the Film Corporation located in Paradise. After some fun times in the park, it was time to enter the Film Corporation building. Once we had signed in our names and stuck our "Visitors" stickers on ourselves, a man, who we thought was Stephen Curry's brother walked past us. Much to our surprise, the field trip must go on.
We were first taken in the Foley room. We were told it was messy, but I don't think any of us were ready for the clutter that was in that small room. Shopping trolleys, pay phones, sand, rocks; you name it, it was in that little room.
After much talk about the Foley room itself, we were taken into the recording room. We watched a television series which the Film Corporation recorded their own Foley for. They used Foley for footsteps, bags with clanging metal, rustling clothes, and a police officer patting down two young boys. These scenes were watched on TV in the Foley room, while creating the sounds as they appear on the screen. This is a lengthy process, but needed to be done as some countries strictly want Foley in TV shows.
Next we headed into the film room where there was a huge theatre screen with a huge mixing desk. We watched snippets of a movie without Foley, and listened to it when Foley was added. The movie sounded fuller and more realistic with the Foley added.
Our next stop was the 'white room'. This room had a space painted completely of white with the edges curved inwards. This gave the deception that the wall is larger than it is. This room is where car commercials and other joyous commercials are filmed. With car commercials, they dump sand on the floor and have the car drive over it. On the commercial, they edit the sand to harsh scenery to give the effect that the car can withstand to these types of obstacles.
In conclusion, I believe the field trip to the Film Corporation was a very useful one. I enjoyed learning about Foley. I think its a clever idea and would like to understand more about the topic. Thanks to the guys at the Film Corporation for letting us into their domain.

Music Technology Forum - Week 7: Assignment

This week in Music Technology Forum, we spent a majority of the lesson viewing the upcoming major assignment. The assignment involves creating a portfolio in the form of a CD. Along with the portfolio we must include many things. A number of songs, which is entirely up to us how many songs we include, though we must take into account quality over quantity. A snippet of the songs we choose, which comprises of the best sections of the songs. The snippets must be no longer than 2 and a half minutes.

The portfolio must also include a CV. This CV should clearly note past achievements (relevant or irrelevant) that will demonstrate your willingness to the career at hand. A mini CV should also be included.

We split up into two groups to discuss more indepth about the portfolio. As a small group, we came to an agreement that 3 to 4 songs would be best. The number isn't small enough for the listener to think they aren't serious about the portfolio, but not high enough for the listener to lose interest. We thought a name for yourself + a logo would be useful.
For example - Don Patterson > D.P > ₯

Alot of detail and thought must be put into the portfolio, as we may be using them in our career. Its best to catch the viewers attention, maybe with a colourful CD, or a unique concept. We were told about one band who used the concept of inserting their CD inside a balloon and placed it in a box. The balloon was clearly labelled "*band name* are about to burst". I thought this was a clever idea, as it grabs your attention straight away whilst being unique.

Next week we will be visiting the Film Corporation near Paradise Studios. Ashley Close will be taking us through the building. I'm rather excited about this field trip, as it veering into the career I'm rather interested in.

Music Technology Forum: Week 6 - Ashley Close

This week in Music Technology Forum, we had a guest speaker by the name of Ashley Close. Ashley was recently overseas where he won 2 awards at the APRA awards, one of them being the national award for film & television. He began to talk about other countries, and which ones are the best for a film & television career. Some countries mentioned were: America, Japan, China, India; but the "film capital of the world", he says, is Los Angeles.
He goes on to say if you are looking to make it big in the film & television industry, the best place to visit is Los Angeles as there is so many opportunities. Many movies are shot in Los Angeles. Some movies have been thought of in another country, and then transported to Los Angeles to bring the script to life.
Ashley then talked about the role of "foley". A Foley artist on a film crew is the person who creates many of the natural, everyday sound effects in a film, which are recorded during a session with a recording engineer*.
To 'foley' a scene with a person walking with keys in their hands, you would have to mic from ear level the footsteps of the person. You would also need to capture the sound of clothes rustling as the person moves. The clinging sounds of keys would have to be recorded, and not overdone to make it sound as real as possible. Sometimes dirt is placed on the ground to add to the footsteps effect.

Ashley showed us a video he foley'd for, which included a trains, motorbikes, guns, slow moving actions etc. Real motorbikes were recorded, sometimes recreating the scenes in the video. Fight scenes were also recorded while actors recreated them, giving that extra element of realism.

Lastly we were giving the opportunity to share some of our own music with Ashley for some feedback. Lauren's song was played, and was given some feedback on the vocals to maybe double track it and pan both left and right, whilst adding reverb to the centre vocals.

In conclusion I found this lesson incredibly interesting, and might be the direction I head for after this Sound Engineering course. Thanks to Ashley for giving his time for our class.

* Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foley_artist

Music Technology Forum: Week 5 - Disc Edits

This week in Music Technology Forum, we visited a local studio called "Disc Edits". Upon arrival, we were taken into the main editing room. We had a brief discussion about what Disc Edits has to offer in the music industry, including the history and the future for Disc Edits. They have many Disc Edit buildings which have different roles, including manufacturing CD's, editing mixes, mastering etc. We were told about the room itself, and how it was specially built. The whole room itself was seperate from the actual building to limit the amount of noise coming from outside, eg. cars, noise inside the building etc. There were 2 speakers on the wall, with carpet fitted in a certain place which the boomyness of the sound is limited. The walls were built with many angles so sound can be bounced around. The wall which separates the mixing room with the recording room has been built with: wall-space-glass-space-wall-space-glass-space-wall-space-glass. Ridiculous as it may seem, it works incredibly well to limit a lot of noise. After a long talk we walked around Disc Edits, checking out the various rooms. Finally, some members of the class brought along pieces they have mixed for advice on how to make certain areas sound better. We also looked at a external EQ device where lazy people can edit from their couch; and how CD's progressed from the early years til now. Very interesting stuff.
Overall I quite enjoyed Disc Edits.

Quote of the field trip:
Simon: "I wanna steal that sign [Gibson St] and put it on my guitar."
Group: "Ahahah!"

Music Technology Forum: Week 4 - Band Recordings

This week in Music Technology Forum, we talked about the next field trip we were going to have. This field trip will show us all about CD production. This field trip will show us how CD's are manufactured; different techniques they use to feature a CD, and all the necessary ingredients in the recipe of CD making. I am looking forward to this excursion to learn more about CD manufacturing.

We then listened to a few class members' band recordings. We first listened to Lisa's recordings. I quite liked the end product. The band had rather quirky vocals, which worked well with the grungey/punk style they had going. The guitars were at a good level for the style being played. Everything sounded clean and well mic'd.

We heard Simon's mix. The bass did sound rather boomy, but I reckon it worked well. The acoustic guitar sounded very flowy and clean; very relaxing. The voice was smooth and clean. The mic'ing techniques for Simon's mix worked well for the type of music being played.

We listened to Jake's mix. The songs being played were very vocal driven songs, and the vocals were left out, so I believed that was the main thing lacking in the mix. The electric guitar's were sounding very clean. Could easily tell what the song was by the guitars straight away. Drum's were close mic'd, giving some good impact shots, although the drummer was intoxicated and maybe missed the drums on some hits. Was a good sounding mix.

We finally listened to my mix. I noticed straight away that all instruments sounded very far away. Piano was sounding ok, and the micing on the snare drum was rather delicious. In essence, my mix lacked impact, but the piano player gave it that extra edge.

Music Technology Forum - Semester 2, Week 2: Field Trip

This week in Music Technology Forum, we went on a Field Trip to a nearby house studio called 'MixMasters'. Upon arrival, we were greeted by the owner of the studio who took us in and talked about our Diploma of Sound Engineering course. Once David had arrived, we soon talked about the equipment used in the MixMasters studio; many of which we use in our University. We were told about the ways of the past in the field of recording and editing, where Sound Engineers recorded on tape, and had to cut specific areas of the tape if an error was made during recording. The tape was played back multiple times to find the correct area where the mistake was made. A lead pencil line was drawn on the tape. The tape was secured on a wooden block and cut with a knife. Finally, the tape was stuck back together with sticky tape. This was a lengthy process, but with modern technology and the endless possibilities with editing recording, it could be argued that recording on tape could take less time than recording straight to Pro Tools. We had a look at the recording area. We were shown a collection of vintage guitars and microphones and how some microphones from the past match up to the ones we have today. We were told about the materials used to build the studio, and which ones were the best. This studio was layered with large amount of carpet and covered with mud bricks for extra sound proof. We listened to a surf song that had been recorded and ways to manually EQ different tracks. At the end of the field trip, some members of the class played songs they have recorded themselves and were given some advice on how to possibly make them better.
In conclusion, I think this was a very useful field trip. I learnt alot about what it takes to actually build a home studio, and the ways engineers had to record in the past. I'm looking forward to next weeks field trip. :)

Sound Engineering (Studio) - Signal Flow

SIGNAL FLOW:

SOUND...
..........
............
...MICROPHONES
................
..................
.........MIXING DESK
......................
........................
...............PC-PROTOOLS
............................
..............................
....................AMP/SPEAKERS

Music Technology Forum - Semester 2, Week 1: Band Recordings

This week for Music Technology Forum, we talked about the field trip we are taking next week to a high class studio. We were suggested to bring along any work that students need help with, or have any queries about their projects. This field trip will be taken on the 2nd of August.

We then talked about our exam marks and how we could improve our overall grades. For example, time management was a big issue with everyone's assignments, which made revising for exams more difficult.

After discussing our exam results, we talked about our major assignment for last semester - Recording a 4 instrument band. We talked about the positive aspects of the assignment, but also ways we could have done better. We listen to a few class members' band recordings.

Stuart:
I heard a lot of bottom end, especially with the bass. Everything else sounded excellent. Good micing technique, and the song sounded great.

Scott:
This mix sounded very grunge. The guitar were very interesting, and it worked well with the song. I quite enjoyed this mix and I believe Scott did a great job.

Ben:
Ben's choice of genre was very good. The song was catchy and sung very well. The great singing would emphasise Ben's recording skills. Drums sounded a bit dim at times, but I quite enjoyed this mix.

Josh:
Josh's mix was very good. Jake's singing was extreme. I believe he chose a good song to do his recording for. The guitars sounded pretty grungey, and the other instruments sounded clean.

Lauren:
I believe Lauren's recording was the best in the class. Every instrument sounded clean. The vocals were very smooth and the whole project sounded great.

Overall, I believe everyone did a great job with their recordings. I was very pleased to hear how everybody did and I wish them the best for this semester.

Sound Engineering (Studio) A - Creative Project

EMU :: Preproduction Sheet for Sound Recording
Fields that are not filled out must be left blank.
Item Description
Your Name Daniel Trembath
Contact Details (Phone & Address) 0433716193 – 459 McMurtrie Rd McLaren Vale

Location of technical rehearsal
Technical Rehearsal (Dates & Times)
Location of Recording Studio 2 – Level 5
Recording (Dates & Times)

Name of Group / Band
Website
Genre of Music Blues/Jazz
Number of Musicians
Name of Musicians
Instruments Piano, Drums, Guitar, Bass

Song List and Durations
Total Duration

Proposed Micing Configurations Individual
Sound Engineer Daniel Trembath
Designated Producer
Recording Type Demo

Budget Free
Record Company
Distribution Company

Provide Storage for Project FireWire Drive
Provide CDs for Master Copies
Other Specifications
Any Other Requirements

Audio Studies A - Creative Project

The Anthem
Daniel Trembath
03‘09

Description:
Instruments used in song:
• Drums: Kick, Snare, Toms, Crash.
• Guitars: Acoustic, Electric and Wah Wah
• Piano: Verse notes played
• Percussion: Claps, Stick Hits

Influences:
Since this song is a Punk song, the main influences would be other Punk bands such as: Blink 182, The Living End, The Offspring, Fall Out Boy etc.

Ideas:
Main ideas were to record the guitar parts for the song with drums. If the drums sounded terrible, the samples were then cut up to individual hits and placed carefully to match the song. Piano line was played in place of the vocals.

Processes:
After taking those ideas into action, I recorded all the instruments needed for this song. After recording, I used to Mac Labs to then edit these samples. I started the song off with a count in, which sound rather cool in my opinion. After the guitar’s had a come in, a 4x4 kick comes in soon after. I used automation by fading in a Wah Wah Guitar, which then builds up to the verse. The drums come in which consists of Kick’s, Snare’s and Crashes. I used panning on the guitars. Acoustic guitar panned to the left, and Wah Wah guitar panned to the right. As the song progresses, both the guitars slowly pan to the other side, giving a warpy feel when you listen to it on headphones. The evolution of the song comes to the Chorus, then the verse again, and ending in a techno kind of way with repeats halved and a crash at the end. I used EQ on the percussive sounds since they didn’t sound how I wanted them to. I used some reverb on the crash to make it sound a bit abstract. Also used Amplitube on the guitars to make an electric guitar which is present at the end of the song.

Audio Studies A - Creative Project

The Anthem
Daniel Trembath
03‘09

Description:
Instruments used in song:
• Drums: Kick, Snare, Toms, Crash.
• Guitars: Acoustic, Electric and Wah Wah
• Piano: Verse notes played
• Percussion: Claps, Stick Hits

Influences:
Since this song is a Punk song, the main influences would be other Punk bands such as: Blink 182, The Living End, The Offspring, Fall Out Boy etc.

Ideas:
Main ideas were to record the guitar parts for the song with drums. If the drums sounded terrible, the samples were then cut up to individual hits and placed carefully to match the song. Piano line was played in place of the vocals.

Processes:
After taking those ideas into action, I recorded all the instruments needed for this song. After recording, I used to Mac Labs to then edit these samples. I started the song off with a count in, which sound rather cool in my opinion. After the guitar’s had a come in, a 4x4 kick comes in soon after. I used automation by fading in a Wah Wah Guitar, which then builds up to the verse. The drums come in which consists of Kick’s, Snare’s and Crashes. I used panning on the guitars. Acoustic guitar panned to the left, and Wah Wah guitar panned to the right. As the song progresses, both the guitars slowly pan to the other side, giving a warpy feel when you listen to it on headphones. The evolution of the song comes to the Chorus, then the verse again, and ending in a techno kind of way with repeats halved and a crash at the end. I used EQ on the percussive sounds since they didn’t sound how I wanted them to. I used some reverb on the crash to make it sound a bit abstract. Also used Amplitube on the guitars to make an electric guitar which is present at the end of the song.

MIDI Studies A - Creative Project

Frikkin Insane
Daniel Trembath
03‘12

Description:
Instruments used in song:
Drums: Kick, Snare, HiHats (open/closed), Toms, Crash. Ride.
Synthesizer Leads: Flange Wave
Bass: Deep Synth Bass, Dry Synth Bass
Pads: Sweep Pads, Euro Pads.
Strings: Trance Strings
Abstract sounds: Rain, Falling Stars, ‘Crackle Dive & Scream’

Influences:
The song has been filled with layers, like The Prodigy used. It sounds like Cosmic Gate, Blank And Jones, even a little Groove Coverage in there somewhere.

Ideas:
I had the idea of remaking a song one of my friends has made, while incorporating my own ideas with it. The beginning tune is the remake and the second tune is unique.

Methods:
Beginning: The start of my techno song would be a catchy bassline. When the tune fades in, there will be a build up and all instruments will be played together (bass, drums, tune).
Breakdown: Consist of Drum and Bass, with added percussion every 4 beats. This will build up to a new tune.
Middle: Catchy tune with drum and bass, strings to work with the bass.
Ending: The ending will have a fade out of the new tune, and a fade in of the old tune, which will sound rather awesome. The ending will be pretty basic, with a fade out and a crash at the end.

Processes:
After coming up with all my ideas and methods, I put those thought into action. I constructed the song with all the required instruments. After finishing the song, I started to use some automation. I used fade in’s and fade out’s of instruments. I panned two of the instruments so they go from left–right-left-right, giving a very abstract feel. I EQ’d the Flanged Wave to emphasise it above the other instruments.
I had trouble with the overall volume of the mix. When mixed with headphones the song would sound rather great, but when played on speakers, it lacked something. Also, to make other instruments heard, I automated them to be louder. This caused me to automate a number of tracks to be louder, which produced peaks in the mix that I couldn’t get rid of without it sounding bad. The overall tempo of the song was slow, so I changed the tempo to 125BPM. Other than that, there were no troubles at all.

Link to MP3:
http://www.wikiupload.com/download_page.php?id=158817