Old Skool Style Tunes

Tempo

Here's a couple of tunes im doing at the mo. I havent been doing it that long so dont be too harsh!

Cut and paste the links into Real Player

http://txc-xxx.tripod.com/sitebuild...files/brandy.rm

http://txc-xxx.tripod.com/sitebuild...rfiles/GotMe.rm

http://txc-xxx.tripod.com/sitebuild...4x4ElecPiano.rm

Tempo

The brandy one seems to have gained a funny effect since i converted to Real Media format :angry:

[agx]

GOT ME

Starts off promosing except organ is taking up too much low of the mix, it might not need turning down if u jus put it higher in the mix.
- Played out rhodes chord, its hard to use rhodes chords samples cos you cant make your own chords, and you can only use it on a few notes without the sample going out of key. Thats why I need a synth for rhodes instead of relying on gay chorded samples.
- subbass was good but organ riff is very stiff
- break is very dead, theres some shuffle but theres no offbeat hits (snares etc) where I can hear the shuffle except the hihats.
- arrangement isnt setout like a song yet, its very sketchy and doesnt flow. The organ riff isnt strong enuff for a song.

But good try, I know its hard gettin the sounds let alone makin them sound good, thats why Im about to save up for a synth

4/4elelcpiano

- starts off like "Are u from the Ends" - I was about to cuss and say: DAMN, everyone has some grime in them apart from me...then it changed up a lil with some chords, I think it was cos the string riff was underdeveloped.
- The chords work but are too bassy in the mix and too loud - oh theyre rhodes, yeah, they sit wrong in the mix. stabs seem thrown on for good measure.
- I like your bass sound and bass riff. They work well.
- Again, your break is flat and I cant hear any beats that get shuffled except the hats. You need to learn how to make a full 4/4 break that doesnt sound like House.
- Stronger than your last tune, but fix the mixdown and the break.

brandy

- ok, hope this is some oldskool 2 step. hey, I got this accapella, used it bare lol.
- break isnt punchy enuff. Doesnt bounce and unshuffled really.
- i liked organ stabs in intro.
- I like this, except the 1% shuffled break, its not clicky and swingy enuff for oldskool garage.
- bass works well, esp with organ behind it and lil riff behind (not the chorded rhodes sample).
- played out rhodes chorded sample, Ive heard it so much cos its downloadable, it jus makes any tune I hear sound amateur cos I know the site it came off. and theres no way of changing a chorded rhodes sample. again, thats why I need a synth to play my own rhodes chords...
- arrangement, the tune was sketchy and didnt take the listener on a journey, but the ideas were good, jus need developing and fixing.

Last notes: shuffle ur oldskool 4/4 to 100%, shuffle ur oldskool 2step to 85% - Mixdown ur $$$$ and eq it, dont let the wrong instruments bleed into the wrong part of the mix - use EQ and compression and WISELY (Im $$$$ myself there), or ur sound will stay on a beginners level.

Good ideas. how long u been at this? Keep at it. I can see, like me, sometimes its using what u got thats the $$$$$, when if u had the right tools u could be a lil better. Just search out the stuff/hardware/software (at one point we are gonna need 1 piece of hardware tho [Im still saving up], its not grime were doing, its music) that u need to make oldskool on.

Keep it up Tempo.

Tempo

Thanks for the review mate. Ive been doing it for nearly a year now but ive had no training or anything, im just teaching myself!

The thing with the shuffle is that when i first made the beat loops, i had the shuffle up high, but i started making the hats a bit more complex and the shuffle sounded too much. it was sending each hit a little out of time and just didnt sound right.
Also i had a few snare fills but i took them out coz i thought the beat would sound better if it was simpler. The break was a a clap and snare layered over each other. i'll maybe add an effect to it.

Also big up the rhodes samples downloaded from Grant Nelsons site!!!

Thanks for the review again mate, i'll keep working at old skoool garage coz thats the style i love!

[agx]

u got MSN?

[agx]

Ive had no training either, Ive taught myself everything or read off a tutorial etc, thats why Im so $$$$ LOL

Tempo

“	Originally posted by [agx] u got MSN?	”

Yep its: tempo1983@hotmail.com add me if you wanna chat. the only thing is im online at all different times - depends when im working. This week im on nights!

Tempo

“	Originally posted by [agx] Ive had no training either, Ive taught myself everything or read off a tutorial etc, thats why Im so $$$$ LOL	”

Same Here! Its gonna take me a while to get good but i'm gonna keep at it coz i dont wanna see the music i love completely die out.

What do you use for your producing?

Heres what ive got (dont neccesarilly (SP) use it all though!):

Windows XP, 1.3ghz, 256 RAM, 17" TFT Monitor, Sound Blaster Audigy Platinum EX Soundcard with external drive and remote control, Nicole 480w Speaker and Sub-Woofer Set, Fruity Loops, Cubase VST, Logic Platinum 5.10, Sound Forge 6.0, Creative Recorder, WaveLab, ReCycle

I only really use Fruity and soundforge tho. Ive only reccently got Logic as well so dont really know how to use it. And Cubase, ive had that for ages and still dont know how to use the damn thing!

Do you know of any tutorials for Cubase or Logic? Cheers

[agx]

“	Originally posted by Tempo Same Here! Its gonna take me a while to get good but i'm gonna keep at it coz i dont wanna see the music i love completely die out.	”

Thank you.

Well I been at this for about 1 year and a half, and I hope Im improving; it will be at least 2 years before I think my tunes are up to scratch for any kind of release.

Im on til 4AM on MSN. Night MSNing is what I do best.

my setup:

WinXP, 1.7Ghz, 256RAM, 40GB HDD

Logic Platinum 5.2 - learning it, and I think it will be my software of choice for a while

Cubase SX - I was attracted to it by Karl Brown saying he used Cubase, plus I heard its shuffle was superior - then I found out, apart from its superior shuffle, its jus a COMPLICATED VERSION OF LOGIC, and the shuffle, is hard to do in its Morse code sequencer, so Ive gone back to Logic.

FruityLoops - its used to make grime but dont be fooled, its capable of good if you know how to compress/eq/mixdown and use VSTs with it, cos fruitys synths are trancey/grimey. Dont use this anymore tho.

Reason - loved it for a year, Uninstalled. never coming back.

Recycle - guess I dont need anymore...

Sound Forge - a must, I used it to get samples ready for Logic etc, and to do a unintelligent final mixdown of finished loops.

AND SAVING UP FOR:
£700 synth <---- I NEED FOR RHODES, TIRED OF RHODES SAMPLES AND CRAP RHODES VSTs. When I have one of these hooked up to Logic/Cubase, thats when Im ready to release!

Tempo

So what would you say was the strongest of the 3?
I will work on all 3 and incorperate the point you made. It'll have to be at the weekend tho coz i aint got time til then...

TnG

“	Originally posted by [agx] Just search out the stuff/hardware/software (at one point we are gonna need 1 piece of hardware tho [Im still saving up], its not grime were doing, its music) that u need to make oldskool on. [/B]	”

Im afraid that is complete crap! Just cos you have hardware isnt gonna make you make a good track, its you not the harware that makes it... otherwise every1 would be doin it!

You CAN get good authentic sounds from Rhodes VSTi's, its more down to the chords you play rather than the sounds... try using different velocities and also a rotary box plugin. Wideboys use the EVP88 so im told and they have great sounding rhodes.

Also you comment about gettin a synth to play rhodes is a little flawed aswel, cos unless you actually get a rhodes piano the synth is either gonna contain rhodes samples or a synthesised replica of one... which belive it or not is exactly what the vsti's are.

Id like to hear your productions as it looks like you have alot of advice to dish out, if you followed what you wrote then im guessin you would be pretty good.

If you're interested I can put up some links of things ive done so you can analitically rip them appart aswell, would be interesting to get a 'real oldschool' opinion

Tempo

Woah where did you dig this one up from!

This is like over a year old, and [AGX] dont use this site anymore

TnG

Sorry mate, followed a link off the main site