FORUM CD: Rate "Prophet Fugue"

[Dave Bryce]

As many of you know, we are attempting to compile a CD's worth of material submitted by members of this forum.

 

In order to do this, we have posted the entries for consideration and evaluation by all of the members of the forum, whether or not they have contributed a piece.

 

The entries can be found at this web site:

http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/261/the_keyboard_corner.html

 

Please go there, and evaluate the piece called "Fugue in Am (Prophet Fugue)", submitted by Dan South. Please post your comments on that tune in this thread. This link will take you directly to this piece.

 

If the artist of the piece would care to post any notes about the piece in this thread, they should feel free to do so.

 

Thanks for listening!

[Llarion]

Ahhhhhhhhh.... The intricate delicacy of a fugue. Oh, this is wonderful!! Deft and styled. I can't even dream of things like this, much less execute them! Who'd have thought that music that is so busy and challenging could be so relaxing?! The theme is grounded in utter simplicity, and the embellishments are artful and leavening. A wonderful balance of precision, accessibility, sensibility, and whimsy!

 

Very impressive work. Would love to hear it on an ancient harpsichord!

 

Nice Picardy 3rd on the end there! http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif

 

I hope lots of folks listen to this one, it's been one of my favorites on the forum CD! Heck, I wish more people would review more of these in general, there's some really cool and varied material flying about here!

 

>

 

GREAT stuff Dan, I'd love to hear more!!!

 

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Cheers!

 

Phil "Llarion: The Jazzinator" Traynor

www.mp3.com/llarion

Smooth Jazz

 

This message has been edited by Llarion on 06-23-2001 at 11:24 PM

[synthetic]

I really enjoyed this piece, it's one of my favorites on the disc so far. Simple and elegant, but thick and complex at the same time. Excellent work. I'll have to spend a bit longer polishing my piece now. Thanks for submitting this, -jl

[lrossmusic]

More masterful work from Dan South! Having just read that he composed this fugue as a college student only confirms my opinion of Dan's great gift as a composer. For those of you who haven't heard his Fugue in Dm(Russian Fugue) you are in for another great treat!

 

Another of Dan's fans http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif

 

Lincoln

 

This message has been edited by lrossmusic@hotmail.com on 06-24-2001 at 06:52 AM

[dansouth]

Thanks for the kind words, folks. If I may, I would like to extend a warm "Thank You" to the brilliant minds at Native Instruments. This was my first project on the Pro-52 soft synth. Suffice to say, it will not be my last. I'm very pleased with the way the synth cuts through but still sounds warm. What more can you ask for in an analog synth, real or emulated?

 

I'd recommend the Pro-52 highly. You can download a demo version from the Native Instruments web site . Thank goodness I didn't have to drag my old Prophet 600 out of the garage to complete this project. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif

[Rod S]

Simple, elegant and beautiful. 'nuff said.

[dansouth]

Hey Lincoln!!

 

Good to hear from you!! Have YOU submitted something to the compilation disk? Please, please, please do!!! Your stuff has so much feel - it would be a warm, grooving compliment to the synthesizer music that I've heard thus far on the compilation. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif

 

Hurry, the deadline's looming...

 

YOUR fan,

Dan

http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif

[b_3guy]

Sorry, wrong thread.

 

This message has been edited by b_3guy on 06-25-2001 at 09:18 AM

[Steve LeBlanc]

Very nice Dan...really like the sounds on this one.

[joegerardi]

Dan:

I'm going to by hyper critical here, because I'm a HUGE Bach head and this is in his style.

 

I can't really fault the music. In fact, I applaud you for breaking out of a strictly Baroque structure and using some modality. It breathes life into the piece.

 

The melody is interesting and the accompaniment well thought out.

 

The negatives:

The last three chords. I didn't really think them necessary Maybe one would do.

 

The actual program itself. Please don't take this personally, but the sound is rather hackneyed. We've heard that all before. (Unless you were specifically trying for that sound to honor it. I didn't read any notes on the piece.) Were it me, I think I would have opened up the filter just a bit more, creating a "brassier" sound. I feel it would make the left hand part (I still think of fugues in a "right hand/left hand way) stand out just a little more.

 

Again, I'm being hyper critical. I love the piece and stored it on my C drive.

[dansouth]

Joe - thanks for your comments. I'm honored that you listened closely enough to pick up on these details.

 

The last three chords. I didn't really think them necessary Maybe one would do.

 

Mmm - no. It HAS to be that way. It may not be traditional, but that's the way it sounds in my head. If I changed it, I wouldn't be able to sleep at night. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif Details like this will drive me absolutely bonkers. Of course, you are more than welcome to edit your copy to taste.

 

The actual program itself. Please don't take this personally, but the sound is rather hackneyed. We've heard that all before. (Unless you were specifically trying for that sound to honor it. I didn't read any notes on the piece.) Were it me, I think I would have opened up the filter just a bit more, creating a "brassier" sound. I feel it would make the left hand part (I still think of fugues in a "right hand/left hand way) stand out just a little more.

 

The program is very simple, and that's what I was shooting for, for several reasons. First, I wanted it to sound "in your face" in an analog way, like the synths of the classic analog age. Second, I don't really care for complex sounds; I prefer simple, direct ones. This piece would sound dreadful played on some D-50 or Wavestation-style layered sound.

 

Third, the objective of the sound is to communicate the notes clearly, not to impress sound designers. I'm sure that you HAVE heard that sound before. You've heard the sound of pipe organs before, too. That doesn't make the pipe organ a bad instrument for counterpoint.

 

Fourth, the lowest of the three voices is actually playing a different program than the other two, and that program features a higher cutoff frequency and a higher sustain level on the envelopes (along with a couple of other adjustments that I don't clearly recall). Just as you suggested, I realized that the low voice needed a brighter sound in order to cut through. - Further proof that great minds think alike. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif - I was never completely satisfied with the envelopes - I think there's a little too much decay making the sound a little more percussive than it needs to be - but I kept going back and forth on that adjustment, so I decided to leave it as is.

 

Finally, this is an updated version of a fugue that I originally produced on a Prophet 600. The original program was very soft, not too bright or buzzy. I was trying to emulate that sound while incorporating velocity sensitivity. The Pro-52 is very limited in terms of what velocity can control, so I couldn't customize that parameter to the degree that it can be customized on many other modern synths. But that was sacrifice that I was willing to make to get the raw Prophet sound. I could not have duplicated that sound on any other platform that's available to me.

 

Thanks again for your comments. I understand your viewpoint and appreciate you taking time to share it. Perhaps my objective with the sound design was different than the way that you would have approached it. If you have time, you might record a few bars of a similar piece using a sound that's more to your liking so that I can hear what you're shooting for, and send me an MP3. I'd be interested to hear your ideas.

 

Thanks again,

Dan

[joegerardi]

Dan:

I'd never dare edit someone else's music. You composed it, it's yours. I could no sooner touch that than draw bigger boobs on the Mona Lisa to make her look better! http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gifhttp://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gifhttp://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gifhttp://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gifhttp://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

 

As I said, I was being hyper critical. Your explanation satisfies perfectly.

 

This message has been edited by joegerardi on 06-26-2001 at 10:40 AM

[b_3guy]

I've been negligent in posting reviews since I've been busy. Wonderfully written, wonderfully excecuted. I can't even think & understand this tune, let alone play it. Would really like to hear it on a B-3 or B-3 imitator. Great job, Dan!!!!!

[dansouth]

Originally posted by b_3guy:

I've been negligent in posting reviews since I've been busy. Wonderfully written, wonderfully excecuted. I can't even think & understand this tune, let alone play it. Would really like to hear it on a B-3 or B-3 imitator. Great job, Dan!!!!!

 

Thanks! If I get the B4 plug in sometime, I'll put together an organ version and run off an MP3 for you.

[Gus Lozada]

Cool ... we're talking about Dan here...

As I said, He is a Musician... and that is a compliment...

 

 

Not too bad for a bassist http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gifhttp://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif ...jk ! Great work, Dan !

 

 

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Gustavo G Lozada

 

Moderador de:

MusicPlayer.com/NuestroForo

"La voz en Español en Música y Tecnología"

 

GusTraX @yahoo.com

[dansouth]

Gus,

 

Thanks! Tacos and cervezas on me! http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/wink.gif

[bg]

Fugues are so difficult to compose. Dan makes it sound easy. Great job!

 

Bart Garratt

[Tusker]

Better late than never. I finally got a chance to download and listen to the cd compilation tunes this weekend. It was pretty awe inspiring. I am still on a high about the great talent we have rubbing shoulders here.

 

This is a serious piece of writing. I tried to write one of these a decade ago and am afraid to try again. The scars of failure are still there.

 

You make fugues fun, Dan. This one never lets up. It gallops to the pedal point at 60 seconds, pauses to catch its breath and sets off again to make its way victoriously across the finish line without breaking a sweat. I think the secret is in the rhythm of the inner voices and how you are moving them. My ears arent baroque trained enough to hear all the thematic references, but I can hear enough to tell its rich as well as fun.

 

The pro 52 sounds beautiful. I have an idea of fooling around with some of the timbres and panning, to separate the voices, perhaps adding a brief pitch envelope to one voice, perhaps changing one voice to a pulse wave.... Nah, on second thoughts, dont mess with perfection.

 

Awesome as is. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/wink.gif

 

Jerry

 

 

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www.tuskerfort.com

[dansouth]

Jerry, thanks for the very flattering comments. Don't give up. If you really want to write one of these beasts, you just have to persevere. Drop me a mail sometime if you'd like a tip or two.