Classical/Prog Rock fusion thingy:redux

[DavidK]

This is a revised version of a tune I put up here in December. Whats new?

Tighter
Extra Vitamin D
The Drums

The drums are a hybrid of real player ( a kickass one) and drumagog. My collab partnah FrederickRM did the Drumagog and I edited the heck out of it. It's not working as well as I wanted, any suggestions are sorely needed.

This is off my classical fusion CD, which is done after this track is finalized. This track is the "crossover, Trans-Siberian Orchestra hit" one, it needs to be GOOD. Be picky, go nuts.

A stellar Cast of HRs finest ( and some from the other place) are on this, all doing an amazing job. I had a lot of fun doing this one:

David- Violins, Keyboards and arrangements
Mixmkr- the guitarist to the stars on lead guitbox
Joro,
Rawtunes- Guitars. Rawtunes also plays some acoustic on this.
Jimi2toes- worlds fastest drummer hits the skins.
Frederick-Drumagog samples

The Suite

 

[EL34]

Starts very pleasant.

I love the rain section. I kind of was dissapointed when it kicked up into high gear. It's raining here now and it added a nice ambience to my work day.

Don't like the guitar tone, too processed sounding but that's just me.

Ends very pleasantly.

Ok now why is the Danse macabre missing from your site? (sorry can't remember the exact name. )

 

[DavidK]

Thanks for checking it out EL

Ok now why is the Danse macacbre missing from your site? (sorry can't remember the exact name. )

Because I, umm, errr, ahh, errr,... got a deal from a record label It was decided that I would take down some songs for a while to, err, umm, get them ready for prime time.

 

[EL34]

Ahh, splains that and sincere congrats on the record deal.

That tune was off the scale good in my oppinion.

I would like to know when your stuff can be purchased. Keep me posted.

 

[Mistral]

"The Suite" right? I've used Drumagog - it sounds to me like what's happening is the original drum track wasn't very loud and thus the plugin might be making some hits too soft, etc. What I used to do is crank up/compress the source track so the peaks are all high and fairly consistent.

Aside from that, and a bit of a strange intro, this track has some killer stuff in it. You ever heard Nightwish? Find the song Gethsemane if you can, and that's what I could envision the fast part being similar to. Is that fast part a keyboard?

This is what I had hoped you meant by classical metal, I'm actually doing some stuff for my new cd which I'd dig having that sort of feel to. More of a modern metal sound, but compositionwise heavily influenced by "the greats"..

 

[Dogman]

Nice, beautiful tune man. There seems to be a few spots with the acoustic that have a bit of boom to them...a bit too much low end. Just a few thumps. Drums sound great in this. (actually, it all does...) Nice ending. I'm glad it didn't just quit, you wound it down for a second. It sets the tone back to what the beginning is.

Nice piece man...I really like it. It's a fun listen....
Ed

 

[DavidK]

Thanks, oh wondrous recording brethren

it sounds to me like what's happening is the original drum track wasn't very loud and thus the plugin might be making some hits too soft, etc. What I used to do is crank up/compress the source track so the peaks are all high and fairly consistent.

The original drums were a different style basically, more jazz. This tune started out as something different and changed when mixmkr added his amazing contribution. It started out more new-agey.

There seems to be a few spots with the acoustic that have a bit of boom to them...a bit too much low end. Just a few thumps.

That's a synth. There is very little "real" guitar in the beginning, I just threw in a few notes that you KNOW are real ( like the open harmonics) to confuse the listener into thinking its all real. I'm sneaky.

What do I do to fix that Ed? I assume a low cut of some sort? I suck at the technical stuff, I'm a hot fiddler but a lousy engineer. Hold me

Is that fast part a keyboard?

Its sixteen real violins, all me overdubbed. I practiced a lot as a kid

 

[Dogman]

That's a synth. There is very little "real" guitar in the beginning, I just threw in a few notes that you KNOW are real ( like the open harmonics) to confuse the listener into thinking its all real. I'm sneaky.

What do I do to fix that Ed? I assume a low cut of some sort? I suck at the technical stuff, I'm a hot fiddler but a lousy engineer. Hold me

Ok, so the acoustic at the start, is a synth? I'm talking at about 1:07, and so. At 1:37, is one of the louder low end booms. Not horrible, just a bit loud in the bottom. I think I hear 3 spots. It sounds like just one note each time. I'd say, if you can isolate the frequency, and the spot, either eq it out right there, or compress it a bit harder in that frequency. And again, it could just be doing it due to a 128k MP3. You seem to be able to cram a bunch of sound into these. A wav may not sound like this. So, I really have nothing, but some experimentation, but it might work if you feel it needs correcting.

 

[DavidK]

Ok, so the acoustic at the start, is a synth?

Yup. Its basically ALL synth, the whole acoustic part. I threw in a few notes of real when he hits open strings or harmonics, but its 98% synth. Not a bad emulation, the Roland JV1010 has some very nice guitar sounds if you know how to use them ( tricks like rolling the chords.)

A wav may not sound like this.

It doesnt. It's even boomier Its bugged me for a long time but I was too lazy to fix it. Since I am trying to finish up this whole CD, I am in "nitpick" mode and wanna try and fix all that stuff. Ya know, before millions of young, nubile teenege vixens buy my "OBVIOUSLY tailor-made for teen girls" classical abominations.

 

[EL34]

Don't forget to put a picture of a hot dog chasing a donut on your album cover somewhere.

This works every time, chicks dig it.

 

[DavidK]

Don't forget to put a picture of a hot dog chasing a donut on your album cover somewhere.

This works every time, chicks dig it.

I may have to try that. This is the cover, the work of artiste FrederickRM, also my main collab partner. ( This is not the final version, and of course the label may not dig this on a classical CD)'

 

[EL34]

Wow , very powefull image.
The shading is very nice in the image.

 

[Nakatira]

The rockin part eminds me of curved air.

Nice fiddelin there david.

Bass could be tighter.

Very intriging lead riff, almost like "I will survive on anphetamin"

great work man

 

[ido1957]

Excellent tune DavidK....my favorite of yours in this genre. I like the way it starts out with a bang, has a quiet beginning, powerful middle and soothing ending. I found the mix was easy to listen to throughout - meaning the dynamics give it lots of feeling but they don't get out of hand. That to me is the sign of a good mix. Fabulous playing throughout as always....

I read Dogman's comment on the guitar and I do notice a bit of bottom in some notes - but I might not have noticed it if I hadn't read his review (he has good ears .

Please pass along my compliments to the rest of the players on this piece.

Congrats on the CD being picked up by a label, it is well deserved and I look forward to details on where I can get mine

Edit - very cool cover art BTW...

 

[robin watson]

1. Great intro. Love the slithering in and out of the violins @00:37, really effective. It's really great stuff this, so I don't feel too much of an ass throwing in some suggestions, since even if they're not to your liking, they were well-meant.

The kick during the Mik Kaminsky meets Andrew Lloyd Webber section towards the end (2:15) sounds a bit too up front and steals from all the exciting violin/guitar action going on.

Would prefer to have been taken straight to the stabbing guitar (right at 2:06) rather than the stop at 2:04, especially after all that LUUURVELY twisting that starts from 1:48 up to this point. I'd rather it didn't let up at all, and instead just morph into the uptempo stuff. As is, it sounds a bit unsure of itself for a moment, THEN gets good again.

At @3:33 it's almost ELO's 'Fire On High' (another cracking track with one of the weirdest, most jarring intros I've ever heard).

 

[rayc]

David,
That means I'll have to move my MP3 downloads of you into the signed folder mate.
I've refrained from commenting on your work previously as I've had nothing to offer except envy.
But your comments on the use of real & synth brought me on line. I have a god compilation CD of an Australian performer who, in one of his many guises - the Jeff Duff Orchestra - performs & records with a combo - synth strings + live cello & violin + bass, piano/keys & drums. The textures from the combo are really very good as are yours.
I suppose I should listen with headphones - though even then MP3's aren't a good indication. I listen for the issues raised by yourself & others later & repost if I can offer something.
CONGRATULATIONS
Cheers
rayC
By the way there was a youngish girl on TV down here last night - an inventors' show - a classical violinist with interest in the electric variant. She's developed a modified elec. violin called the EV (for Ergonomic Violin) that has a built in shoulder brace & collar - the latter made from some polymer or other that is heated in water before being micro molded (& this can be repeated frequently) to suit/fit the user. It alleviates the need to hold with the chin - in fact set up properly the violin sits in playing pos. with both hands by the side. She's looking at a removable section to add to acoustic violins too. Says there're an awful lot of non comlaining yet suffering violin/viola players who have serious neck probs.
Here's a link to have a squiz if you're interested:
The story-
http://www.abc.net.au/newinventors/txt/s1607710.htm
The vid I hope-
http://www.abc.net.au/newinventors/...ogram=newinventors&pres=20060419_2000&story=1

rayc

 

[DavidK]

Thanks for the helpful comments. I have begun to correct a few things like that annoying low guitar boom. The Kick seems a tad too loud to me. This is gonna be professionally mastered, I dont know much about that process and am looking forward to hearing it done.

Bass could be tighter.

There is no Bass

I may decide to add a synth bass at the last minute. My Roland does a fair imitation of Bass, not a great one. Perhaps what you are saying is that it is a bit "muddy" down there and it probably is. There is an Orchestral Bass down there and it is probably lagging, my monitors have lousy bass response and I cant really hear it very well. I will have to check that out, good call When the foundation is a bit sloppy, EVERYTHING is a bit sloppy.

 

[DavidK]

RayC,

thanks for the link. Too bad that ergolin sounds so bad!

Yup, a lot of us have back and neck problems. Its more due to our hours, especially Opera. If you play 3 hour songs, you are going to hurt. Some people have been looking at ergonomic violins, but our profession is steeped in tradition and we fear change. The violin hasnt changed in 250 years, it's exactly the same except for the strings. My old violin with built in 1685, that's the year Bach died Mozarts Parents werent alive then/

 

[RAMI]

I can't offer anything helpful. This is awesome. The few nits a couple of people mentioned are there because I listened for them the second time around, but didn't notice them the first time. Overall great performance and good recording.

 

[rayc]

1685,
I don't think Europe was officially aware of my part of the world yet. The Portugese & Dutch had a squiz & the Aboriginal Nationas had only been here 39,000 years. Your OLD fiddle seems llike ancient history to this antipodean.
Great work none the less.
Cheers
rayC