How would you use my gear...

[anthonypayton]

How would you use my gear to get the sound I want to get?
This is the gear I work with. I am trying to figure out what is better. Recording everything thing in the M3(16 track keyboard workstation) and dumping it into nuendo on one stereo track. Or recording each individual track into nuendo.

What gets me confused is: In the sequencer the 16 tracks are mono, but if you record them to an external device it doesn't sound as good mono. So to fatten up the sound I record stereo, or ( just use two mono tracks) But I have been told not to do this because it takes up stereo space.

My goal: getting a commercial sound with midi instruments.

It is hard for me to find literature in the style of music I am doing. I write love songs, but I am trying to combine the club sound with the romantic sound. At the same time not sounding cheesy. Chris Brown meets/ Brian Mcknight.


Tell me what you think...

 

[starbuck26]

Can you be a bit more specific about this 'romantic sound?'

 

[anthonypayton]

My fault

Todays RnB is more "sex defines love" (shake that ass, type music) vs vintage " love leads to intimacy" (O'jays, Luther Vandross, Babyface etc... Boyz II Men even) Brandy, Monica

-Back when I first started recording, I was more piano driven, and wrote slower love songs. I let people listen to my work and a lot of them were saying "you need something with a beat" So I tried to add some drum tracks to hype up the sound. But it didn't fit, (I don't think)
-People kept saying it sounds old school. Ok
So then comes along:
Anthony Hamilton: Coming From Where I'm From
Aleisha Keys: Pick any song.
Kem:
John Legend: Ordinary People

They have the same "sound" I was trying to get 10 years ago.


There is a group of people out there that still want that romantic style of music... I want to appeal to that audience and at the same time have thump enough for the clubs... or for people to dance to. Robin Thicke has done a good job at it.

Brian Mcknight has tried to do some mainstream stuff but it doesn't sound good. It sounds cheesy to me.

Anthony Hamilton has done a good job at it, but I think his music appeals to mainly urban listeners. Your 34 year sub-urban soccer mom can't relate to Anthony Hamilton. She might like him but, is she really feeling it?


When I say romantic sound. I mean, the sound has life. Real instruments, you can feel the intamcy in the music weather it be fast or slow.

I think One Republic has also done a great job with their sound.

It is like you are adding groove, and hard to get out of your head beats, with meaningful lyrics.

Of course my music is geared toward women. So I want lyrics that make them feel loved vs making them seem like whores. At the same time you can groove to it.


But to tell you the truth now that I am writing. When I listen to stuff on the radio. You might hear a few piano licks, but that is it. Everything is rhythm and synths,... at least that is what I hear...

 

[starbuck26]

break everything down to the lowest common denominator. you're talking crazy talk with your alexander hamilton and your brian macknight.

soul music will cure you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0Qj5Gv6n9o&feature=related

if that doesn't get BOTH the 34 year-old soccer mom and the 19 year old underage drinker with suede adidas shakin their booties i don't know what will.