Tim Smith

Thanks guys and I hope the new year got off to a good start for all of you! @DeeringAmps I know I made a song with sensual sax in it but can't find it. -Tim

After having accumulated a handful of different DAWS I can compare the things I like and don't like between them. While my studio experience with these DAWS is by no means extensive, I feel I have a decent grasp of the differences between them. What kinds of functions just work better or maybe don't even exist in other DAWS ? Should we name other DAWS here? I dunno. I'll begin with a recent experience I had in another DAW. After only my 1st day using it I realized there was one thing I've come across already that is either not apparent, or doesn't exist. "Replace Synth" either does not exist or it's buried somewhere that makes it very difficult to find. This is an expensive DAW and I like it, however I was very disappointed in the lack of a simple right click on the track to replace synth. I took this for granted in CbB. In this DAW I had to remove and replace an entire track. CbB drag features which exist in other DAWS, yet aren't nearly as intuitive for me. The drag audio to a midi track is cool even though I don't use it very often. One thing that seems to choke a bunch of DAWS is changing sample rates. CbB does not seem to cope with that very well either. Some other DAWS will ask you if you want to change the project to match the new sample rate. I have had CbB crash whenever I do anything to my Focusrite Scarlette regarding sample rates.

Tascam is re re releasing cassette tapes for their portastudio. Tapes are not out yet. LINK HERE The formulation is a bit different than the original tapes due to the inability to obtain the exact same oxides. Apparently the factories where they make the oxides have either changed or they can't get exactly the same materials. Is that crazy or what?

This started out as a construction around an altered version of the hymn I played using both cello and violin. Since I wanted the piano to carry the melody, the violin actually got in the way and I changed my direction. The cello holds a minor supporting role here to the piano. I used a felt piano to get a softer more distant sound on purpose. The players are pulled back about 35 ft. on the stage and panned using 2C presence. I had some concern I might loose the presence of the piano in mono. Since I didn't pan much I hope a listen on a phone won't loose much.

I can feel the anxiety in this one. Another original. I hope this person ( hopefully not you) gets help of the right kind. Thanks for sharing. -Tim

I found this a very relaxing listen. Mix sounds great. Good luck with it! -Tim

Great job on this. -Tim

Well, I would have a tough time getting guitar takes this clean. You have my respect here. Nice job on this!

Great mix, I could hear Johnny Paycheck singing this. Reminds me of the honky tonks my dad took me to a few times. I will never forget in one of them the go go dancer had a broken arm in a cast. Good stuff there t.

Thanks @Paul Bush. Happy New Year! Cheers! -Tim

"Plugin Thingys" At least she knows what they are called. My wife has no clue what they are. I'm gonna say you probably have at least a few more warnings. Are you a light sleeper? I bought Cbase this year. I'm glad I did but still. that one is going to be hard to explain away as coffee money.

Well you sort of confirmed my hunches on film music. It would be nice to make a little $$ on a film. I never shopped that kind of work because I am a composer first and everything else is second. Film music is intended to highlight the film not the other way around. If a composition can stand alone that says something. UI did make far too many dreamy string things and I've heard far too many of them. There are different levels of composition though. Big difference between making a string quartet and writing a lengthy symphony that real players can all play, printing out that humongous score and making sure it's all correct. The bigger challenge is probably getting someone to play it. I don't have the time right now to do the big stuff, but it's a goal for me one day. And what will Pinar Toprak be known for- Captain Marvel. In 2040 I doubt it will mean much. I am happy for her if that's what she likes to do. So far as significance over time, that movie will fall into the pile behind a thousand others. -Tim

It's a good deal no doubt if think you'll actually use the things added. When I went from 10 to 12 Ultimate I realized there were libraries in there I would certainly use. I'm going to skip 13. I tell myself I'm not superstitious. 14 sounds like a better number to me. FYI even tough I got the drive, the NI site was in some cases faster and you then get any updates. After the holiday the NI site gets hit pretty hard with new purchases. For that reason my downloads were a bit slow. It could be advantageous to stay at least one version back to see what happens between NI and Izotope. Might not amount to much or they might offer some interesting things in the future to semi current users.

I think you are too hard on yourself. This mix is excellent. I am involved with a mix stream and even though we have a nice soundboard our sound is seldom anywhere near this good. ??

@jack c. Thanks for comments and listening. Thanks @PhonoBrainer based on your suggestions I changed the mix. I brought the sax forward and put everyone more in the same space. Made a huge difference. Sometimes we don't hear these things unless someone else points them out.? @Larry T. A second confirmation is always good. Thanks for comments and for chiming in. On the sax- I used session horns pro 2 a part of Komplete 12. There is another one out there called sensual sax and I almost used it here but it was a bit much for this in terms of reverb wash and efx. I have used that one in the past with great success if I'm working a pop mix that warrants a sax. Here's the LINK @Wookiee Many thanks Mr. Wookie for the listen and comments. @Douglas Kirby Thanks for listening and comments along the lines of the mix. The piano was all improv. And i guess a really good piano player like our resident maestro ( not me)could do this in his sleep

I just watched Pinar Toprak's Steinberg video. I guess she is the next Hans Zimmer. Probably no way we'll ever get to that level, mainly because I'm guessing she has some production help like old Hans does and a budget that allows her every tool in the box. Yet a small collection of VSL instruments and some musical theory knowledge and we can get our sounds to that level. as you have done here. I hope you get to use these tools for a film at some point.

The video matches the music production very well. Lyrics and music are excellent. The only small nit I have the the string plucks seem a bit over done to my ears. Granted I had to be listening for them in the mix since they are low. I could see bringing them out in only certain places. Overall not a deal breaker for this. Excellent work! -Tim

Nice work Jerry. You seem to have very substantial backdrops for your music so far as direction. Well constructed parts. I could probably sympathize with you in some of those other areas. After a surgery there is the recovery and the realization that some things will never work quite the same again. If they still work at all that's a benny. The world has always been in turmoil but we are heading into more traumatic events. I rest on the rock. This rock doesn't move. Not that life is ever easy. Great music!

Very nice ambient track here. -Tim

If the Stones ever loose their lead singer I think they have a suitable replacement in you. The mix itself is perfect. Thanks for sharing. Nice work. -Tim

I can tell this likely took some time to make. Is it intended for a film? Would work well in any context for a film about the planets. The thing about using it in that context though would be having the video change when the music changes. Nice work. Steinberg? Vienna as intruments?

It can be a challenge to pick video or shoot video for music already made as a way to highlight the music itself. You have done an excellent job of that here. -Tim

A fantastic background for the galactic trip to a white dwarf star. Well done!

Not sure why I like jazz over the holidays, but I do. It seems to fit. I started this playing the piano track first, then I added bass, last I added the sax. Happy New Year all....a little early. I wish everyone a blessed 2022. -Tim

@Reid Rosefelt I'm sure everyone probably works a little differently. The two features at the top work pretty well. Search can pick a needle from a haystack. I searched 'bouzouki' and all of them popped up. Clicking the black window effectively shows groups and sub groups. This seems to override the need for selection in the left pane. I had been getting sounds by clicking the left pane program. The program certainly eats up the SDD space. Drums are probably my least used thing and there are GB of them. On the plus side it's pretty much all there for any composition and I like that. Kontakt limits my searches to endorsed libraries and only key words that exactly fit my search, for instance searching 'piano' in Kontakt libraries will not bring up either The Giant or Alicia's Keys.