AndyB01

Anyone know what's going on here?

Really simple set up - two MIDI tracks: one for Scaler and one for EzKeys. Scaler is routed to EzKeys VST. Four chord sequence from Scaler dropped into EzKeys track. On playback the transport is set to return to start (that's how I set it) but as soon as you get to the track end, there is a massive audio spike of sound; it also happens if I stop the transport during playback.

A little investigation shows the 'spike of sound' to be misleading - it depends on the VST instrument in use. So on pipe organ it manifests as a huge 'hit' of multiple keys being pressed at once however, on piano it manifests as the 'sound' of a sustain pedal being pressed down very firmly. Also, if I freeze the track - no hit.

All of which tells me that this is a spurious bit of MIDI data which is triggering this, I have looked at the Piano Roll and through the Event List and I don't see anything there that shouldn't be - so I'm a little stumped.

Anyone come across this before and know how to fix it?

Thoughts appreciated as always

Andy

Binned Facebook a very long time since, not been back and don't miss it. Twitter also a human cesspit and full of nutters sat on virtual park benches shouting into the wind - best avoided.

What's Instagram?? 😉😂

Good place to have normal conversations with normal people - the pub is as good as anywhere.

Interesting project John - had the feel of an old-school prog rock epic - nice use of silence too and a good mix.

I have a feeling EzKeys 2 will land at some point later this year, now they've done the update to EzD3. I hope so anyway, I need a scalable GUI!!

Good job on this

Andy

Great vid @John Maar thanks, I will definitely check out the channel. I see a lot of creative options here using Scaler for a base chord track mapped to EzKeys and then using the replace midi function to play in the various styles EzKeys offers (depending how expansive your Midi expansion library for EzKeys is).

I have a fair few expansion packs but I'm not in the same league as @Bapu where Toontrack is concerned, I think he's playing a different sport to the rest of us! 😂

Andy

Thanks Tom, I might ty and develop this and cheers JohnB - appreciate the offer. I feel like I am at the bottom of a big learning curve with this one.

A

Definitely prefer mix 1. Steve is right, those harmonies aren't quite right in volume - mix 1 is better. I think the original might have had more than a two-part harmony but I'd have to have another listen.

Your faux 12-string is not half bad. I'm interested to know you did that - just a simple dup track and octave transpose of all six strings?

Last time I did it I used Melodyne on a dup track and then removed all the very high notes to try and get closer to a real 12 string then created a separate dup track of the B and E string notes. Not sure it really worked though, as it's hard to isolate notes played on B And E as you want to duplicate rather than octave them.

I guess the simplest answer is to buy a 12 string. 😂

Overall, good job but you might want to check the BGV levels.

Andy

Anyone else use Scaler 2 (now v2.6)? 

I was having a little play today and took one of the default 'songs' in the classical genre, added a couple of extra bars and routed it through the EzKeys pipe organ.

Sounds pretty good to me (I guess it depends if you like organ music) 😂

I think I need to get to know the Scaler plugin better - sounds like it could be a great compositional tool - anyway enjoy this mercifully brief extract (just don't put the volume up too high)! 🙉

https://www.bandlab.com/post/691a1a81-87f5-ec11-b47a-281878315d59

Andy

Good job on this, I didn't mind the verb on the vox. I'm impressed with the sax, I suspected it was MIDI because you can definitely tell but - compared to some I've heard (not to mention my own dismal efforts at midi sax) - it sounded pretty good.

👍

Andy

My first ever decent'ish guitar was an EKO Ranger acoustic my parents bought me. I used to take it into college on the bus (I'd be aged 17). One day at the bus stop, the wind caught it and blew it to floor in its gig bag - the neck snapped clean off at the nut - I was mortified!

We took it back to the shop to see what they could do, they sent it back to the manufacturer who determined that, despite the circumstances, the neck was defective. I was very fortunate to be presented with a brand new replacement guitar.

Lesson learned - I immediately started saving for a hard case. 

I've never liked buses much since 😂😂

Also had a 'strap incident' that slipped off a Fender acoustic which crashed to the floor cracking the sidewall near the strap pin. It was repaired but looked naff and never sounded the same after that

Fly to New Zealand and spend my money looking for any way to stay there permanently. Oh, I'll take my guitars along for the ride (and maybe the wife). 😉😂

Drums - these are definitely much better but I still quite a lot of top end 👍

Harmonies are sweeeeeet. 🙂

Great job

Andy

My grasp of Croatian is about zero, but doesn't mean I couldn't appreciate the sentiment. Great composition and well performed - really enjoyed the listen.

To sum up: napravio si sjajan posao na ovome 🙂

Andy

Hmm there's something not quite right with those drums, kick's a little heavy and the HH and snare sound kind of toppy - everything else sounds grand with the usual stellar vocal.

I'd definitely have another crack at those drums - perhaps a different kit? 

Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed the listen but I reckon you can definitely improve it.

Andy

Comments over at BL but - for the record - really enjoyed this.

Andy

Yep very enjoyable video Nigel - did you mention something about an audio track?? (might have got ever so slightly distracted) 😂

Just kidding, really nice groove - maybe could use some extra variation - a few horns in there perhaps but hey, what do I know. 🙂

Looking forward to the new stuff.

Andy

On 6/4/2022 at 5:38 PM, bdickens said:

Get a desktop unless you really are going to be mobile. Desktops are so much better.

Having switched to a Scan 17" 3XS custom music production laptop five years ago as my primary DAW, I can't disagree with this advice.

The fan noise alone is reason for me to switch back to a desktop when the time comes to upgrade.

Andy

Love the AOR vibe - sounded good to me.

Andy

On 6/3/2022 at 3:24 AM, Hidden Symmetry said:

Thanks for the feedback, never sure how these mixes  translate using headphones.

Trust me, it sounds mighty fine on my old Sony MDR-7506s. Big 👍

Andy

Very nice and some unusual chord changes, beautifully sung as always.

Andy

John that's absolutely delightful, what a fun project, put a smile on my face. Well done and thanks for sharing.

Andy

Hi Wookiee, just had a listen, I like it - your falsetto is coming on leaps and bounds. 😉

Those little keyboard runs sound great and a lovely balance to the mix.

Top work

Andy

15 minutes ago, batsbrew said:

hi andy! yep, the guitars all done using a Strymon Iridium direct... and the Taylor 414.

 

You can't go wrong with a Taylor acoustic, I had a 314ce for years but I px'd it last year for a T5z - I reckoned it would be better for recording and versatility. I do love it but I miss that 'acoustic sound', the one real downside of the T5z is the body sensor (switch position 1) which ironically is supposed to emulate an acoustic. Just sounds tinny and thin to me, it also picks up loads of fret squeak and string noise- I find it barely usable.

But I get a decent sound from the other four settings so it's all good. Keep on rockin'

Andy

I'm getting a fair bit of distortion on headphones - both low and top end - so you may have the signal recorded a little too hot. It's a good basic structure but I agree with John, the drums need more variety and interest; although the e-drums fit the genre so I think they work OK.

Keep working with it, either something will come or not. I have dozens of unfinished and half-baked projects - only some will make it to a final cut and I don't lose any sleep over it.

Good luck with it.

Andy

Love those guitar tones and the acoustic sounds really lush. Chops ain't too shabby either. 😉

Fabulous.

Andy

Great song, sounds kind of improvised in places, almost like a jam session. That's meant as a compliment by the way, it has a spontaneous live feel that I really like.

Top work all round 👏👏👏

Andy