Nice, it is surprising what one can make from a sample!
And…the very next day I was completely unable to start the DAW using the previous day’s settings. The DAW didn’t like the Scarlett 2i2 it had been very chummy with yesterday. I mucked around for a bit. My eyes are really poor nowadays (except, weirdly, everything is hunky dory if it’s within 10 centimetres of my face) and I’m thinking of getting a massive monitor. If I go that way I may as well get a desktop PC (assuming they still make them.) I got too tired and demoralised, and watched the Royal Ballet’s stunning production of The Metamorphosis as a consolation.
You made better snares than me!
I did the trick where you resample multiple “strikes” slightly out of sync with each other, but never got much beef. I was happy with my kick tho.
Love the single cycle buzz buzz lead, especially when you wavescan.
thanks dude, a difficult experience but I’m happy anyway
I’m curious to hear the other prod
awesome ! , need this on my ambient / techno lite mix in the car for when we get back to work .
yeah I Know some people are a bit annoyed by this guy but he is a great musician [ multiple instruments writing etc.] . anyway there are a bunch of videos in this series great inspiration or just fun to check out .
I’m coming to terms with the fact that I’ll make very slow progress on the skills I’ve aimed at. I’m becoming better at tuning the theremin, and more confident in playing (though “playing” may be too generous a term for the noises I make at present.)
After yesterday’s complete washout on the DAW I’m slimming down my setup. I had no earthly reason to connect the Scarlett in the first place, so I’ll try starting up without it. I have a basic proof of concept, in the sense that I can use the DAW to capture MIDI signals from both antennae of the Theremini. My next step should be to process the sample into a playable instrument. Meanwhile I’ve been learning the piece I want to play, on a keyboard at first.
I’ve completely changed in my attitude since I set out here. I had no intention of actually playing music. Now I’m aiming at playing one of the most difficult pieces on one of the most difficult instruments.
Here’s Carolina Eyck (with piano accompaniment) making it look easy.
There’s something about this situation that reminds me of Vyr Cossont’s chosen life task in the Iain Banks novel The Hydrogen Sonata. Oh well, as long as I don’t end up in a gigantic swimming pool on board an enormous dirigible.
I actually dug out the Octatrack the other day to start on this…going slow but should have something soon. Digging the stuff I have heard so far!
Dont be hard on yourself.
Did you mention what DAW you use btw? Use whatever tools you feel comfortable with. learning new things isnt usually easy and will have bumps in the road. Experiment, get messy, make mistakes. Its not the tools that make the art, its you.
The DAW is Presonus Studio One. I’m not being hard on myself, really. I’m just keenly aware that recent events have given me a more adventurous attitude. I’m going to try everything because next week I could be on a ventilator and the week after that a bundle of ashes in a hole dug with a mechanical digger by somebody wearing overalls and a facemask.
This made me laugh so hard!
thank you!
How are the additional arms going?
Actually that might be useful. I could play the theremin while accompanying myself on a keyboard.
4 responses so far (2 of which of yours truly). The rest of you all is of course laboring hard to finish your epic masterpieces, aren’t you?
I’ve found this thread inspiring, but don’t expect an entry from me.
Just found this thread. Have a lot to do atm… But I’ll get to it… Eventually. Or not. But I intend to.
Should work more on it to be satisfied, but this will do as a sketch. Now back to the things I´m supposed to do… 
good work dude !
…
Well, you managed to come up with something quite fast. Can you explain a bit how you made the sounds in this track from the bee-sample?
Sure… I was working quite fast, so I pick snips and bits out of the sample to form the drums. Not sure I remember all of them.
But basically eq the right frequencies, than a pre-amp wit some more eq, than compression and a drumbuss. Especially to get a somewhat decent kick. I did have trouble with the snare… It’s not getting that umph I want. But I layered the snare with some noise I filtered out of the sample, to imitate the reason a snare is called a snare. From the drums, I like the hihats most. Although they could still use some layering. (and musically the drums need more variation)
The most fun one was using melodyne on the sample. Then I tuned all the individual bees to a note and made them buzz a little less. Then I synced them in time. Kind of sounds like a really wide synth sound, without doing too much.
Also made a sweeper which I eq’d heavily. Put a filter on.
Made a synth with simpler. Put sequenced filter sweeps on them. To get them a bit lively.
At the end I let the kick trigger the sample pitched 3 octaves down, which also got filtered.
Then the lead (and arpeggios). I used pigments for this. Loaded the sample in twice. And added some different filters on both. To get a nice layered sound. Some envelope, modulation on volume, filter, pan.
Don’t know if I forgot anything…
Edit: In hindsight I should have tuned the kick with the chords… Would have sounded better. When working with samples I like to reverse the sound, but with this sample it just stayed the same… 