FORUM CD: Rate "Right Here, Somehow"

[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 "Right Here, Somehow", submitted by Rod Silva. 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!

[Rod S]

Cool. Out of Jail. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

 

Be kind with the comments. This is the first time my music has seen the light of day in a LONG time (actually, the 1st time something that only I was involved in ever saw the light of day!)

 

I'm a big fan of 80's pop and new age stuff, so maybe that might explain the tune a little bit. I had original envisioned the main chord progression to be played by a guitar, but my efforts to do get something I like with a keyboard was disastrous, so I changed my intial approach.

 

I'm a total rookie at recording, (and to a certain extent composing purely electronic music) so any feedback is much appreciated! Thanks for listening.

 

Rod

[dansouth]

Very pleasant and uplifting tune. Nicely arranged. Nice blend of synth sounds.

 

Two very minor critiques. The lead line in the intro starts on a flat 7th. This doesn't really match the tune, since it's not blues oriented. It might have been better to play octave, 6th, 5th instead, but if this is the way you like it, just tell me to stuff it. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif

 

Also, there were a couple of spots where the drums and comp parts seemed to be slightly out of sync (just for an instant). I love the vibe of this piece - very 80's, but I mean that in a positive way.

[Steve LeBlanc]

This is a nice tune...the form of the song seemed kinda aimless to me but it's cool...I don't know where I expected it to go but I think I expect to hear a story (beginning, middle, end), it's there but not as clearly as I wanted to hear. It's cool though, I enjoyed the tune.

 

The mix is actually ok, some of the parts pop out a little too much louder than the main mix but not horribly so...you used a lot of different sounds, I like that.

 

Good job...a pleasure to listen to.

[Rod S]

Thanks a lot of guys!

 

Two very minor critiques. The lead line in the intro starts on a flat 7th. This doesn't really match the tune, since it's not blues oriented. It might have been better to play octave, 6th, 5th instead, but if this is the way you like it, just tell me to stuff it. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif

 

I struggled quite a bit with that synth line. I played that by accident, and I liked how it sounded. I played it a few different ways and never got something else I liked. But I agree with you; it doesn't really match the tune. I'm going to try a few variations and see how it fits the tune. I figured someone was going to comment on that.

 

Also, there were a couple of spots where the drums and comp parts seemed to be slightly out of sync (just for an instant).

 

I'll check the tune out. It's all midi so I'm going to check the timing. The drums were mostly quantized (like 90%) but the rest of the stuff wasn't, and my timing is not the best http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif

 

the form of the song seemed kinda aimless to me but it's cool...I don't know where I expected it to go but I think I expect to hear a story (beginning, middle, end), it's there but not as clearly as I wanted to hear.

 

I struggled with the form quite a bit. I wasn't sure where I was going with the 'story' (and I still don't, but I'm much closer than I was a few weeks back). I'm still struggling with song form in general. I've written some stuff in the past, but for 'pop' bands, and the usual intro-verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-verse-chorus-end is not cutting for what I want to do now. I actually changed the end of it recently. Anwyays, I wanted to tune with a real layed back, 'no real purpose in life' feel..

 

The mix is actually ok, some of the parts pop out a little too much louder than the main mix but not horribly so...

 

I think the levels needs a little looking into... I think I finally got my alesis monitor 1's setup in way that I can hear the stuff better now.

 

Thanks a lot for listening, and I really appreciate the feedback; it means a lot to me. You guys rock http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif

[Steve LeBlanc]

I'm going to try a few variations and see how it fits the tune. I figured someone was going to comment on that.

 

I like that note and actually meant to comment positively about it...it's a cool tension and release thing and fits the intro nicely methinks.

 

BTW, songs certainly don't have to have typical story like structure...something about this tune made me want to hear it though...just sharing how it made me feel.

 

 

This message has been edited by Steve LeBlanc on 07-06-2001 at 08:14 PM

[Rod S]

Originally posted by Steve LeBlanc:

I like that note and actually meant to comment positively about it...it's a cool tension and release thing and fits the intro nicely methinks.

 

BTW, songs certainly don't have to have typical story like structure...something about this tune made me want to hear it though...just sharing how it made me feel.

 

Cool. Thanks, Steve. I'm trying to follow my gut instinct while trying to do something that's not too off-wall. It's really cool that you dug it, specially since your style is much different than mine, and you have a much stronger musical background. Some of my non-musician friends felt that was something too 'busy' about the intro.

[Magpel]

Rod, first off I want to say that I really like the title. Apart from any musical considerations, it resonates with me. To me its saying, "don't know how I got here but I'm I'm in the right place," which wouldn't have made nearly as good a title. But, corny aside, it makes me think about how terrific my marriage has turned out against terrible odds.

 

Second, I too approve of the flat 7 in the opening melody.

 

And then Steve (or Dan?) said it best with "uplifting" and well chosen voices. At the risk of sounding demeaning, which I don't mean to at all, the tune has a sweet and innocent bounce to it. I enjoyed it, even though that 80s synth that kicks off section 2 has never been a pop timbre I've enjoyed at all. To me, it signifies things like the fall of Van Halen from the ranks of great Rock and Roll bands...but it works fine in this piece because you've given the sound a fresh context.

 

Magpel

[b_3guy]

Originally posted by Rod CA:

Also, there were a couple of spots where the drums and comp parts seemed to be slightly out of sync (just for an instant).

 

I'll check the tune out. It's all midi so I'm going to check the timing. The drums were mostly quantized (like 90%) but the rest of the stuff wasn't, and my timing is not the best

I felt the same way with stuff out of sync. Being a rookie myself - See Xample. I had delay in my midi which tru everything off. What caught my ear was the good slap bass. How you do that? I have to listen further to make other comments.

[Rod S]

Rod, first off I want to say that I really like the title. Apart from any musical considerations, it resonates with me.

 

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Your comments were interesting, since I'm quite in the opposite situation; my marriage blew up even though we had almost everything going in our favor. And your thoughts on the title were quite on the money too http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif

 

And then Steve (or Dan?) said it best with "uplifting" and well chosen voices. At the risk of sounding demeaning, which I don't mean to at all, the tune has a sweet and innocent bounce to it. I enjoyed it, even though that 80s synth that kicks off section 2 has never been a pop timbre I've enjoyed at all. To me, it signifies things like the fall of Van Halen from the ranks of great Rock and Roll bands...but it works fine in this piece because you've given the sound a fresh context.

 

Cool. I wanted this tune to be simple and 'innocent', so your comments are a compliment since you captured the intent of the tune.

 

People either love or hate filter sweeps; in any case I have to admit that they are getting a bit overused these days, but they are cool (.. and I do dig VH's 1984, which has the sound!) I'm glad you felt it was in the right context.

 

Thanks for listening!

[Rod S]

Originally posted by b_3guy:

What caught my ear was the good slap bass. How you do that? I have to listen further to make other comments.

 

The slap bass is actually two patches from my kurz pc88mx. One of them (I'm going to go to keyboard hell for admitting this) is the GM slab bass patch. The other is a standard bass patch which turns into a slap bass with midi velocities above 110 (I think), so it's cool to use since you can get different effects depending how you play. I think it's 3 or 4 velocity switched layers.

 

The trick to some it is that there is a bit of pitchbend as well in some of the notes. Some of it is from the Twiddly bits general instruments disk. They had some great 'bass riffs' which you can use, which demonstrates how to use a bit of pitch bend to add to the sound.

 

Unless it's a pad, I usually try to use two different sounds for the same voicing, if possible from different synths to give some 'tone color' (for lack of a better word)... then I play with the balance between the two. I feel this works better than layering from the same synth (the two sounds from the kurz worked pretty well from this case, however). I never feel it works for pads since it becomes too busy, but it works pretty well for lead sounds, for example.

 

Thanks for listening.

[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 very nice, including the intro though it took me awhile to get comfortable with it. I think it grows on you. I really like the synth sounds at 40 seconds. What is that? I like the way you have lines going in and out. Oh, and I dig the filter sweep at 30 seconds. Very tasty.

 

 

Cheers,

 

Jerry

 

This message has been edited by Tusker on 07-10-2001 at 06:35 PM