New contemporary classical album from... me - by qolelis
Nicker on 11/10/2023 at 18:33
Well there you go. If it is all MIDI files then there are tons of public domain sounds you can fly into the different instrument channels. Start with the bass range, the foundation, IMHO.
qolelis on 12/10/2023 at 07:11
You don't have me entirely convinced that switching sound packs is going to change anything. Wouldn't the problem of flat dynamics still be there!? Maybe I misunderstood your starting feedback, but this is
my take of it:
When a human plays a sequence of notes—even the same exact notes—on a physical instrument, not every note will be played the exact same way: timing, velocity, envelope (dynamics for short) will vary just enough to create a nice life-like groove. When a computer is told to play the same sequence, each note will, per default, be played the exact same way, making it sound machine-like or flat. The groove is gone.
To add the groove back in, one way could to be to add the dynamics by hand for each note. The software I'm using, Reason, has a built-in groove feature that does this automatically. Another solution, not immediately available to me, could be to hire an orchestra to perform each piece. This isn't guaranteed to solve the problem, because maybe it's rooted deeper than being about the final sound, but it would add that groove back in. Maybe my arrangements aren't that interesting to begin with, although that's outside the original stating of the problem.
I suppose it could be compared to footstep sounds in games: using the exact same sound for each and every footstep would make it sound too machine-like. The solution could then be to record several footstep sounds and then pick a different one for each step taken, to add variation. While there are devices in Reason that can do something similar, the device responsible for playing the orchestral sounds does not—as far as I know, I should add; I haven't thought about it before.
Is this somewhere near what you meant in your original feedback?
★★★
I personally like listening to the album as a whole, although I am obviously biased (as an arrogant bastard, I do have a reputation to uphold :p). At the same time, I agree that things do sound a little artificial or machine-like, especially for the first piece (also maybe a little too staccato-like). There
are improvements to be made. I'm going to leave it as it is for now, though, and maybe come back to it later. "It's not a bug, it's a feature."
And, of course, sometimes, I think it's all utter shite. It varies with the mood. Just as often, it's more like "I MADE THIS." Some days, I prefer listening to it with earplugs in, so maybe
that is the filter I need. At the same time, some days I prefer listening to the whole world with earplugs in.
There's also the question of genres. Calling it "contemporary classical" is easy, because the genre already exists and is easier for others to find, but it also comes with expectations. I like to call it "composed electronic orchestral" (with a slight emphasis on electronic), because it describes the music in more detail, but it's also a totally made-up genre that noöne will ever search for.
Quote Posted by demagogue
Cool atmosphere. Music can play different roles, and I think the role these play is definitely creating a vibe or environment. So I can see how you connect it with nature or a spirituality of nature, the literal environment.
Thanks, it's interesting to get two opposite opinions. Do I listen to the one that aligns with my own or to the one that is maybe the one I need to hear? A little bit of both, I suppose.
Quote Posted by demagogue
At a certain level though, I can very much understand the challenge and flow of putting good tracks together, and getting value out of that. The tracks then kind of stand for or embody all the energy, attention & vibe you've poured into them.
This is true.
Quote Posted by demagogue
Thanks for sharing. I hope I can make a good body of tracks I want to share at some point too.
I could say that "if I could do it, you could probably too", but do I have any authority to? Not really. So long as you find value in it, keep on keepin' on.
By the way, there is also a backstory to why I released it at this particular point in time; maybe too early, but also too late.
Nicker on 12/10/2023 at 12:26
I am talking about instrumentation. Orchestration. Not the small variants in modulation that might make it sound more "human".
I find the choice of instruments to be limited in their timbers. But if you like your results then that's what matters.
PigLick on 12/10/2023 at 15:08
timbre
Nicker on 14/10/2023 at 23:01
Please stop cutting down trees while we are having a discussion about music. Very distracting.
Also, blames autocorrect.
:(
qolelis on 8/3/2024 at 15:51
Quote Posted by Nicker
I am talking about instrumentation. Orchestration. Not the small variants in modulation that might make it sound more "human".
I find the choice of instruments to be limited in their timbers. But if you like your results then that's what matters.
Aah, I see. Worth thinking about.
For this album, I used mostly wind instruments (almost exclusively, I think) and mostly brass. Some wood, as in the clarinet for at least two pieces, which I think added a bit of warmth to the otherwise colder brass. Two pieces have an upright bass. I probably won't work any more on this particular album, but I will keep your feedback in mind for future projects. I have ideas for what I could rework, but it's time to move on and leave things as they are, both good and bad.
I'm a complete beginner making this kind of music. It kind of just happened when I was completely rebuilding my Reason rack for some electronic stuff I was working on. I was already using more "orchestral" instruments and went with it. It's been a learning process, to say the least, trying out things I've never done before, listening to a lot of new composers I had never heard of before. In a way, I'm proud of it—musical qualities aside—because it's the first project this big that I have ever finished. I have so many started, but unfinished projects, but somehow I managed to keep at it and follow this one through to the end.
The decision to release this first came from my mother falling ill and not having much time left. She had been asking me when I was going to release what I was working on, so I pushed myself a little extra to get this done. As she would probably not have been able to see everything released that I was, and am, working on, the choice fell on something I though she would like more. So, one could say that this album was for my mother, while my next one will be entirely for me.