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Program Me


Ross Smithe

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**REVISED- Took some good advice from @jack c.@subvibeand @PhonoBrainer, and raised vocal volume and shortened overall song a bit.

This is a re-imagining/remix of an original song written way back in 1985. It was a signature song for an LA band I was in at the time called The Program. Originally written as a straight ahead rock tune, the funky and catchy bass pattern was the central component of the song. Our bass player played it on a Mini Moog (props to him, we had no sequencers, lol!). This new arrangement and recording maintains that original bass pattern and vibe, but definitely takes the tune into completely new realms! I originally played the high-bending synth lead part on my very first polysynth, a Roland Juno 60. I don't have it anymore, but I wanted to maintain that original flavor, so I used a TAL Juno 60 emulation on this. The rest of it is a mix of hardware (Korg Kronos, Yamaha MOXF8) and software synths (Kontakt, Surge, LABS, ASDR Loom and Hybrid). Valhalla Supermassive reverb was also used liberally throughout. The most unexpected source is the growling "guitar” solo, done with Keyscape, of all things! There is a Clavinet/Wah Pedal patch that I used, and was blown away by how cool it sounded! Anyway, enjoy and let me know what you think!

https://www.bandlab.com/post/7fa45535-2602-ee11-907c-6045bd31b313

majestic_by_satania_d3ix9hk-fullview.jpg

Edited by Ross Smithe
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2 hours ago, jack c. said:

real nice.cool funked out bass.bring up vocoder and voice a tad.jack c great

Thanks for listening Jack and for the feedback! I have gone back and forth about the voice volume, I think you’re right it needs to be up a bit.

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3 hours ago, subvibe said:

Hi

 

Great drums & bass sequence that give the song drive

agree with jack c  vocals could be a bit clearer in the mix

the intro is megga got my foot tapping straight away

 

subvibe 

Thanks for listening and for the feedback. I’m sold, vocs need to go UP!! 

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Nothing wrong with that groove! I did notice you wait a full 8 measures before bringing in the next thing, which for the intro could be asking a bit much of the attention spans.

Congas, more cunga lines, in the breakdown towards the end, more than the one cowbell hit before the 3.  Just an idea!

The "Keyscapetar" sounds pretty cool, would never have guessed! 

Playing that bassline on a keyboard live would be fun! Let's keep the song short!

 

excellent jam!

cheers,

-Tom

 

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21 hours ago, PhonoBrainer said:

Nothing wrong with that groove! I did notice you wait a full 8 measures before bringing in the next thing, which for the intro could be asking a bit much of the attention spans.

Congas, more cunga lines, in the breakdown towards the end, more than the one cowbell hit before the 3.  Just an idea!

The "Keyscapetar" sounds pretty cool, would never have guessed! 

Playing that bassline on a keyboard live would be fun! Let's keep the song short!

 

excellent jam!

cheers,

-Tom

 

Thanks for listening and for your comments! Good suggestion about the length, I was thinking about that, anyway, so you kind of put me over the edge! 

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7 hours ago, FreeEarCandy said:

Awesome! Yeah. The bassline would be a challenge.  The drums certainly gave the bass an additional bump too.  The growling Keyscape was nice as well.  Cool stuff all the way through. 

Hey, thanks for the listen and for the encouraging words!

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Very COOL Ross! Might I suggest using and trying Bandlab's mastering using the "Clarity" preset or "Fire" preset for the Bandlab stream? It only effects the .MP4 streaming version and is nondestructive editing to the original sound file so it can be changed or switched back to its original state. 

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11 hours ago, Steev said:

Very COOL Ross! Might I suggest using and trying Bandlab's mastering using the "Clarity" preset or "Fire" preset for the Bandlab stream? It only effects the .MP4 streaming version and is nondestructive editing to the original sound file so it can be changed or switched back to its original state. 

Haven't used the mastering tools on Bandlab, I'll check it out!

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10 hours ago, mark skinner said:

 Killer !  There are some Really cool sounds here. When I'm done working on my present project , I'm going to learn that bass line and use it for exercise on my bass guitars.          Enjoyed it ..    mark

Thanks for listening and for the kind words! Have fun with the bass line!

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Yeas, this is real nice. Clear, pure tones on the synths. Everything well written and played, mixed, mastered. The reverb use was perfect, not too much, not too little. The guitar playing is spot on. Enjoyed the short "cool down" outro????

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9 hours ago, Larry T. said:

Yeas, this is real nice. Clear, pure tones on the synths. Everything well written and played, mixed, mastered. The reverb use was perfect, not too much, not too little. The guitar playing is spot on. Enjoyed the short "cool down" outro????

Hey Larry, thanks for listening in, I appreciate it! Your encouragement is appreciated also!

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Very cool!  Really like the tricky intersecting rhythms which become hypnotic after a while.  The intro could maybe be shortened some more and the main synth part extended. Or not.
I envisioned this as  opening credits soundtrack in a movie where the kind of abrupt ending takes you right into the story.
-Bjorn

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18 hours ago, bjornpdx said:

Very cool!  Really like the tricky intersecting rhythms which become hypnotic after a while.  The intro could maybe be shortened some more and the main synth part extended. Or not.
I envisioned this as  opening credits soundtrack in a movie where the kind of abrupt ending takes you right into the story.
-Bjorn

Hey Bjorn, appreciate the kind words and for taking time to listen!

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On 6/14/2023 at 12:24 PM, Lynn Wilson said:

I'm so glad that I caught up with this song!  It's awesome from beginning to end.  This is a style of music that I would like to explore, but after this song, I'd be smart to leave it to the experts ;)

Hey Lynn, thanks for dropping in and checking it out! Not usually my style of production, but I'm trying to stretch myself into new areas as well. I thought this bass pattern would lend well to a more electronic arrangement, so I gave it a go.

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