making music

Halo299 · Post by **Halo299** » Sun Sep 23, 2007 2:28 pm

as part of my job, which is getting cooler all the time.

i have been trying to figure out how to use a very simple music making program called Dance 7 by a company called ejay.

i liked this program so much that i bought it for myself.

i have been messing around with it for a while now and think i am starting to get a pretty good handle on it. But i'd like some outside input.

here are some of the songs i have make using the program and i'd like to know what you guys think of them. I know they aren't musical master pieces or anything, but i think that they are at least fun to listen too.

BTW i think that these would fall in the Techno genre, but not being a huge fan i can't say.

on with the links.
01
02
03

-halo

Aeridus · Post by **Aeridus** » Sun Sep 23, 2007 3:16 pm

You might want to convert them to mp3 so they're faster to download... just saying.

Edit: Hmmm, interesting tunes... I would classify them as ambient techno. They sound pretty good but once you give them a melody they'll be great, it's mostly rhythms at the moment.

Orwell · Post by **Orwell** » Sun Sep 23, 2007 3:19 pm

Not bad at all. The techno aspects of it make for limited looping sessions, but I'll keep these.

More rock around the cock, less vibrators.

Lowky · Post by **Lowky** » Sun Sep 23, 2007 6:58 pm

all slower than what I prefer in techno (More into lords of acid, or at least that bpm) Two comes closest to what I would want in my collection. 1 was a repetitive, but I can guarantee I have worse and more repetitive stuff in my collection.

Sonofzeal · Post by **Sonofzeal** » Sun Sep 23, 2007 7:17 pm

Woah, nice stuff! I'd classify it as "Ethereal", along with Delerium and similar bands. "Ambient" could also work too, but either way it falls solidly into "Darkwave" end of each spectrum. All three tracks are solidly good in any case; your intro's are professional grade, imo. Have you concidered using vocal lines to add another layer of richness and emphasis? Delerium used to use samples of african and south american chants to good effect that way - not that you should imitate, of course.

Anyway, I look forward to hearing more of your work!

Halo299 · Post by **Halo299** » Sun Sep 23, 2007 7:47 pm

thank you very much for all the kind words, and the fair criticism.

now that i have your attention let me explain a little bit about my musical background.

i love music, but i have absolutely no talent for making it. I can't play any instrument nor can i read music and i have only a small idea about how all the different parts of music go together.

with that in mind i maintain that i love music.

a few years ago a friend gave me a pirated copy of ACID which is kinda like this program but more powerful and therefore more complicated. i was able to throw some stuff together but the program was not very user friendly to someone with only a small idea about what they were doing...or it is possible that his pirated version didn't quite have all the parts.

so i was very happy when my boss handed me this software and told me to play with it. It is very easy to use and give me enough options that i don't feel limited by the software.

but as you might have guessed the program is built around an assumption of Techno and Dance style music. I like rock, about as close to techno as i go is Nine Inch Nails...and that is not very close.

So i am using a tool that i hardly know how to use, to make a type of music i am not familiar with, while all my musical inspirations are coming from somewhere very different. And i am having the time of my life doing it.

As far as vocals go, there is a microphone function with the software and as soon as i can get my department to pay for me a MIC (he handed me the department credit card and told me to go nuts) i would like to try and add vocals to my music making, I have been told i can sing at least well enough to carry a tune so that works out well for me.

i am really curious to see what is going to shake out of this, because to be honest i don't know. But if you guys want to hear more i would be very greatful for the feedback.

-halo

Sonofzeal · Post by **Sonofzeal** » Sun Sep 23, 2007 8:37 pm

Hey, NIN is some good stuff. I'm a heavy music-lover, myself. If you want some stuff that's techno-ish but isn't too dissimilar to what you already listen to, I'd recommend EBM (Elecronic Body Music). Here's a few links if you're interested...

Front 242 - Headhunter is a very widely-covered classic in the scene.

Das Ich - Destillat is also definitelly out there (wikipedia calls it "electronic darkwave" instead of EBM, but I think the terms are synonymous).

:wumpscut: - Wreath of Barbs is slightly more electronic than the previous ones, and gets a lot of play on the darkwave/EBM radio stations I listen to.

VNV Nation - Further is significantly more electronic than the previous ones, but still more or less within the bounds of EBM and that vague Industrial influence. VNV Nation is one of my favorite bands, and this is a pretty good example of their style.

Delerium - Lamentation is long but worth it. We're now entirely out of industrial influence, and into ambient/ethereal territory. The way you blend and modify sounds reminds me of them. This is one of their slower pieces, but one of their best imo.

Lowky · Post by **Lowky** » Sun Sep 23, 2007 8:40 pm

I do agree with Son of Zeal that it falls into darkwave, which is a good thing. I just wish it was a bit faster. Like I said I prefer more Lords of acid high BPM as opposed to slower more ambient techno. Other examples of what I am referring to include...

L.A. Style

Ottorongo

Praga Khan

2 Unlimited

Smart E's

Swordsman3003 · Post by **Swordsman3003** » Sun Sep 23, 2007 8:55 pm

OMG

I FUCKING LOVED THESE TRACKS!!!!!!

MOAR MOAR MOAR

Also, I want to be able to use that program. Where did you get it? Give me more details.

I actually do have a slight music backround...it makes me tingle to imagine making something so cool as these songs.

Let me say again: loved them.

Kittyboymuffin · Post by **Kittyboymuffin** » Sun Sep 23, 2007 9:04 pm

Halo299 wrote:thank you very much for all the kind words, and the fair criticism.

now that i have your attention let me explain a little bit about my musical background.

i love music, but i have absolutely no talent for making it. I can't play any instrument nor can i read music and i have only a small idea about how all the different parts of music go together.

with that in mind i maintain that i love music.

I'm in the exact same situation

I compose music with Noteworthy Composer and, well, playing around with each individual note until it sounds the way I want it to. I then use SynthFont and a couple pirated soundfonts to make it sound better than MIDI.

My only problem is how hard it is to find any remotely good Distortion Guitar soundfonts ...

Halo299 · Post by **Halo299** » Sun Sep 23, 2007 9:11 pm

swordsman3003 wrote: Also, I want to be able to use that program. Where did you get it? Give me more details.

link

i also got This but haven't got to use it yet.

actually i haven't been able to use any of this stuff at home yet because they are still working on the Vista patch for it, so i am stuck trying to make music at work between doing other stuff.

the patch is supposed to be done in a couple of weeks though

-halo

Sonofzeal · Post by **Sonofzeal** » Sun Sep 23, 2007 9:33 pm

Lowky wrote:I do agree with Son of Zeal that it falls into darkwave, which is a good thing. I just wish it was a bit faster. Like I said I prefer more Lords of acid high BPM as opposed to slower more ambient techno. Other examples of what I am referring to include...

L.A. Style

Ottorongo

Praga Khan

2 Unlimited

Smart E's

Woot! I'm a big fan of 2 Unlimited, but I have trouble finding their CDs.... stupid European music and its not-being-available-here-ness. Too bad they broke up and hate eachother now.

Leeloo · Post by **Leeloo** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 12:19 am

Kittyboymuffin wrote:I then use SynthFont and a couple pirated soundfonts to make it sound better than MIDI.

Technically incorrect. MIDI doesn't sound like anything, it's a standard interface for connecting electronic musical instruments, like keyboards and synthesizers. It doesn't tell the instrument how things sound, it consists of messages like "switch to instrument 7", "play note C4" and so on. How it sounds depends on the instruments playing.

Your computer running the synthfont program is just one such instrument.

Foolosophy · Post by **Foolosophy** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 3:54 am

Halo299 wrote: As far as vocals go, there is a microphone function with the software and as soon as i can get my department to pay for me a MIC (he handed me the department credit card and told me to go nuts) i would like to try and add vocals to my music making, I have been told i can sing at least well enough to carry a tune so that works out well for me.

-halo

in that case: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... sku=271404

on a more serious note:

If you want to make halfway decent recordings, you will not only need a mic but also either a mic preamp or a recording soundcard with integrated preamps or a small mixer.

The Shure SM57 ist an awesome and very versatile mic, that is quite cheap (99$) by comparison. It is featured on thousands of professional albums, mostly for guitars and snares, but its good for vocals aswells. (Stone Temple Pilots did record a whole album with shure sm57s only, including the micing the full drumset with it.)
Thee SM58 is similar and slightly better for vocals, slightly worse at the rest.
No matter what you choose you really shouldn't be buying anything non-brand and/or cheaper than ~ 40$ if you want decent results.
If you are on a tight budget it is better to wait a while until you can afford something decent.

If you only have money for either a mic or a preamp/soundcard/mixer go with the mic, but it is advisable to add the other later on, because even the more expensive "consumer type" soundcards (soundblaster etc.) are very hissy and will seriously effect the sound quality.

The easiest way to get an improvement is to buy one of the cheap behringer mixers (i.e. http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... sku=631239
or http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... ku=631237X depending on wether you want more inputs / preamps or not).

Their preamps are far from perfect, but the quality/price ratio is really really good and they will begood enough for quite a while.

I do not recommend buying a single preamp, since the ones that are better than those built in behringer or mackie mixers are in a price range between 200 and 600 for a single preamp.

If you have 150$ to spent and no decent soundcard yet, I advise buying this usb tascam soundcard:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... sku=242193

you can use it in addition to your normal pc soundcard, it has 2 mic preamps that are a tad bit better than the ones in the behringer mixer and due to the 2 preamps (one can also be used for line signals, i.e. keyboards and guitar) it can also serve as a very basic mixer.

hope that helps.

Lowky · Post by **Lowky** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 4:57 am

Halo299 wrote:
swordsman3003 wrote: Also, I want to be able to use that program. Where did you get it? Give me more details.
link

i also got This but haven't got to use it yet.

actually i haven't been able to use any of this stuff at home yet because they are still working on the Vista patch for it, so i am stuck trying to make music at work between doing other stuff.

the patch is supposed to be done in a couple of weeks though

-halo

Yet another reason, Vista Sucks.

Halo299 · Post by **Halo299** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 9:21 pm

well on the advice of a friend i got one of those myspace music pages.

i don't really expect a lot of attention but if you are curious about what i am up to you can check it out there.

also, i and a couple of the professors i work with are trying to pick out a mic that would be good for what the department wants to do with the software. which is hard because no one is quite sure yet what the department actually wants to do with the software, so all these guys with PHDs and stuff keep looking at me like i am supposed to know what is going on.

i just look at it as an opportunity to get to play with a mic before i buy it for myself.

anyway, if you are curious check out my music page here. there are some songs on there that i haven't shown you guys yet.

thanks again.

-halo

Halo299 · Post by **Halo299** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 11:07 am

sorry for the double post, but HERE is the Mic that we are thinking about buying. What do you guys think about it, because i honestly don't know anything about this stuff?

-halo

Aeridus · Post by **Aeridus** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 6:17 pm

I recently got a Nady SPC-25 Condenser Microphone and it works great for the low cost of about $35.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... sku=277522

If money's not an issue, there is one $200 mic that's supposed to be really good but I forget exactly what it was. Either way, the site I linked to has a huge amount of variety and lots of feedback on what works well. Amazon doesn't come close in terms of music supplies.

Halo299 · Post by **Halo299** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 6:29 pm

woo hoo

so on a whim i stopped by a music store on the way home and found a keyboard that i REALLY wanted for like $350. i got home only to have my GF express a sever lack of enthusiasm about this purchase.

so i get on line and find the same keyboard for $230, again she is doubtful and reminds me that i don't even know how to play a keyboard, at this point i point out that it would be impossible for me to learn how to play the keyboard because i don't have a fucking keyboard.

at some point in this conversation i wind up on the phone with my step dad who i tell what is going on.

he replies; "you want a key board? well i've got one you can have if you want it. I have been keeping it at my granny's house, but she dosen't play, so you are welcomed to it."

down side; it is an older one and thus doesn't have that USB plug that i was looking forward to.

up side; it is a free keyboard to learn on, so i'll soon be able to justify buying one with a much coveted USB plug

yay me.

-halo

Aeridus · Post by **Aeridus** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 6:30 pm

Congrats!

We have one but it's a small synthesizer, can't really do long musical pieces with it. I still wonder exactly why dad got it, I don't see it used much.