Saturday, July 01, 2006
Chat session #1 ( When it rains )
djslim
sorry, got cut off
jirijanis
ohh
djslim
the last thing I read was myself asking the question "so what brings you to Berkleemusic"
jirijanis
Ido some comercials for TV so still improving
jirijanis
and what brings you
djslim
cool! Is that a job you just applied for?
3:53:34 PM
/ radioflux has been added to the conversation.
jirijanis
I have my licence so I when somebody calls I work :)
djslim
nice! =)
djslim
I've been a DJ since 1997, got into remixing and later turntablism. Then I hit a wall and needed some guidance to get better and wanted to learn about composition, production, etc...
djslim
Hi radioflux!
radioflux
hey there
radioflux
sorry im late
djslim
My name is Slim, how should I call ya?
djslim
no problem
jirijanis
Hey PauL
radioflux
I'm Paul
radioflux
hi jiri
djslim
Paul, gotcha
djslim
I've been so bad at getting to the class chats! I suck!!!
radioflux
too busy?
djslim
It's hard to chat on the weekdays since I'm at work
radioflux
yeah
djslim
busy would be an excuse. I'll make time if it's possible. =)
jirijanis
Oh yeah
djslim
so where you at Paul?
radioflux
chats have not always been well-timed, for me
radioflux
i'm in Utrecht, Netherlands
djslim
Wow we've got an international crowd here for sure!
djslim
How are you Paul, if you don't mind me asking?
jirijanis
Yeah, 2 from europe
djslim
How old are you, rather
radioflux
40
radioflux
you?
djslim
I'm 28
radioflux
so have any other people show up yet?
djslim
nah
djslim
Did you guys all get a chance to listen to Rigby's track?
jirijanis
Yeah I like the song
radioflux
i have
djslim
should we start talking about it withour Rigby? =)
radioflux
hmm
radioflux
i'd hope he would be here ;)
djslim
me, too
jirijanis
me too
djslim
We could chat a bit more and see if he shows up
djslim
So what are you guys working on these days ?
jirijanis
Ok
djslim
Any cool music projects?
jirijanis
Still improving my studio, but mostly working in Reason now
radioflux
mostly just playing the piano now...
djslim
Yeah, I'm also going back to the lessons and redoing the stuff on prepping my studio
jirijanis
Reason is a loaded gun
djslim
I love reason. ;)
djslim
Piano?
radioflux
need to spend more time on improving acoustics here, too
radioflux
soem bass trapping
djslim
taking lessons or just performing?
radioflux
some
radioflux
getting ready to perform, basically
djslim
nice
radioflux
although i'm doing ti just for fun
djslim
are you guys basically doing the omni-mic -> RTA scheme for getting the acoustics?
radioflux
yep
radioflux
works a charm
djslim
did you actually purchase bass traps and such?
jirijanis
yeah that really works
radioflux
not yet
jirijanis
not yet, I am moving the next week I will see
radioflux
need to order them form the states
radioflux
expensive proposition...
djslim
oh, wow, would shipping be bad?
jirijanis
are taking any other course?
djslim
not for a bit. I've taken a lot prior to this one
djslim
around 7 or so
radioflux
which ones?
jirijanis
oh that is a lot
djslim
music theory 101 & 201
djslim
harmonic ear training
djslim
arranging I
djslim
mixing and mastering with Pro Tools
djslim
sound design
djslim
intermediate midi
jirijanis
I would like to go for Film scoring next year
djslim
future of music
djslim
yeah, that sounds like a fun class
djslim
Are you making any commercials right now Jiri?
radioflux
future of music? what's that?
djslim
That's a business course that talks about the music industry
jirijanis
how did you like sound design I am taking it next term?
radioflux
ok
djslim
It's quite a trendy course
djslim
Sound design was __awesome__
radioflux
i'm so bad at business ;)
jirijanis
:)
djslim
heh heh =)
djslim
I now know my way around the synths in Reason much better after taking that course
djslim
and the general idea behind various ways synths are design to work, etc...
djslim
a lot of good stuff there
jirijanis
ok, thats what I need
jirijanis
Berklee is really great
djslim
[Jiri] so are you making any commericals right now?
jirijanis
like last month for local TV
djslim
cool
djslim
do you guys have a Web site where you post your works?
jirijanis
I am making new one but the old one is at my profile page
djslim
profile page?
jirijanis
Berklee page
djslim
ah
radioflux
http://www.paulevenblij.net/fluxradio
radioflux
not much there yet
jirijanis
http://desert-dune.euweb.cz/DUNE/indexEN.htm
djslim
man, Jiri, you look like a true angry rocker! =)
jirijanis
that is a mask ;)
djslim
http://djslim.com/
djslim
do you get to use a lot of synths Paul?
radioflux
I have several here at home
djslim
I can see! =)
djslim
or at least read... =)
radioflux
or hear =)
radioflux
Andromeda is the main workhorse analogue synth
djslim
I'm not familiar with it. Is it a hardware synth?
radioflux
yes, made by Alesis
djslim
did you guys see that video of a guy improvising on his modular synth?
djslim
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YP_XG08JHyw&search=modular%20synth
radioflux
5-octave keyboard, 16-voice poly
radioflux
EMS Synthi A is a rare musuem piece
djslim
nice
djslim
where did you find it?
jirijanis
cool
radioflux
a dealer of vintage analogue gear just around the corner from where I live ;-)
djslim
sweet!
djslim
do they run pretty expensive??
radioflux
no, it's terrible: its costing me way too much money
radioflux
;)
djslim
ha ha ha
djslim
that's always an issue with gear lust. ;)
radioflux
I also have a Prophet-5
radioflux
another relic
djslim
How long did it take you to collect all these?
radioflux
well, thanks to the dealer aforementioned, just a few years
djslim
dang. it must be tough just learning them!
radioflux
I think if you do Sound Design course, it won't be that hard
radioflux
i still want to have a proper modular, though
djslim
like the nord stuff?
jirijanis
seem like no rigby today..
radioflux
well, that's mostly software
djslim
yeah =(
radioflux
I'd want the hardware
jirijanis
i will send him mail with comments
radioflux
Buchla has a nice one
djslim
well, let's share them here, too, if it's ok
radioflux
pretty expensive though
djslim
It would be nice to see what kinds of things we all hear
djslim
just to share our knowledge and such
radioflux
yes
djslim
what do you think Jiri?
jirijanis
yeah, I really like the song but I would some more compression on bass and corus on guitar
jirijanis
chorus effect
djslim
why don't we do the following
djslim
say what we'd like to have done to it
djslim
then say what result it would have
radioflux
oh dang, i need to run, guys
djslim
*DOH*
djslim
ok Paul
jirijanis
Ohh
radioflux
hope rigby will be here next time
djslim
yeah, I'll send out another e-mail to everyone
radioflux
nice talking to you again!
djslim
you, too!
jirijanis
bye paul
radioflux
c u guys
djslim
so you were saying Jiri
4:21:16 PM
/ radioflux has left the conversation.
jirijanis
generaly I would add more effects
djslim
any particular result you're after by doing so?
jirijanis
the guitar needs to be softer I think
jirijanis
the drums could be more punchy
jirijanis
bass more even
djslim
so in your opinion, you would add compression to make the drum and bass more punchy?
jirijanis
no bass needs compresion to be more even-in one line
djslim
ah, i c
jirijanis
fro drums maybe some synthesis or so
djslim
synthesis?
jirijanis
or better samples 24 bit
djslim
oh, so the quality seems poor so you'd like to raise the sample to a higher quality?
jirijanis
yeah
djslim
anything else?
jirijanis
riding track - more creative mixing
djslim
would you also use compression to soften the guitar?
djslim
riding as in bring instruments in and out for more emphasis during different sections?
jirijanis
chorus would help to make it softer
jirijanis
yeah
djslim
ah~
jirijanis
and you?
djslim
so right now it's not that it's loud, it's more like it's too sharp?
djslim
guitar, that is
jirijanis
yea
djslim
cool!
djslim
ok, so me
djslim
lemme start off with the stuff I liked and wouldn't touch
jirijanis
but it is interesting song - nice harmony
djslim
indeed
djslim
I thought the vocal placements in the left/right was very nice
jirijanis
ok
djslim
I liked the right of the guitar, but I would be interested in hearing what it sounds like with a chorus effect
djslim
the track overall could use more energy
djslim
I think this is a track that could benefit from a balance between the modern "compress the shit out of it" technique and also some dyanamism
jirijanis
yeah
djslim
cuz the mood is dark, the beat heavy, and the extra oomph could do it good
djslim
now to drill into individual instruments
djslim
the vocal sounds a bit thin in the beginning, but once it gets mixed with everything it stands out nicely with that touch of mid range distortion-like thing
djslim
so this may be something that requires a bit more dynamic eqing to blend more
jirijanis
agree
djslim
the kick of the drum is a bit "thin" or "flat"
djslim
while I don't think this is a typical hip hop "boom bam" type kick drum that's necessary, I think something slightly wider could help
jirijanis
better sample
djslim
yeah
djslim
also the drum track itself could spread a lil further
djslim
to really empower the track
jirijanis
the drum track needs more producing
djslim
yeah
djslim
one of the guitars has lots of reverb on it. This is a bit awkward in the beginning. But it works as a nice effect towards the end of the track
jirijanis
sometimes too transient
djslim
so personally I'd like a bit of a contrast where the effect is dry in the beginning, but it's more prominent towards the end for pure effect
jirijanis
in depnds on playing tecnique
djslim
yeah, probably
djslim
also there's not a lot of high on the track
djslim
that makes the track kinda muddy
djslim
while the lower end has quite a bit
jirijanis
bot it is compressed already
djslim
if there were more high I think it'll give that extra energy
djslim
what do you mean?
jirijanis
if you compress it to mp3 you are losing spectrum
djslim
oh, ic what you're saying
djslim
but even so... I think the blanace between lo and hi are somewhat out of proportion
jirijanis
yeah..
djslim
maybe the muddy feel is what he's after
djslim
but personally I think the high is needed to liven up the track
djslim
and I agree with you on the comrpession for the bass
jirijanis
it also depends on arrangement I would some maracas or so
djslim
it's kinda jumpy and can fight with the vocal since they're also near each other in the left/right spectrum
djslim
maracas!!! =)
djslim
yeah, some shakers or such
djslim
something that has a bit more high
djslim
liven it up a bit
jirijanis
yeah shakers
djslim
that's what I've got
djslim
I'm going to go ahead and post our chat log on the Web. I'll send an e-mail out to everyone so they can read what we talked about
djslim
is that cool with you?
jirijanis
cool
djslim
did you want to have your track up for a critique for our next session two weeks from now?
jirijanis
Ok, nice talking to you
jirijanis
maybe next time, we can share yours first
djslim
sure thing!
djslim
I wish Rigby were here! =)
jirijanis
ok c y next time
jirijanis
yeah
djslim
great talking to you, man!
djslim
see you next time~
djslim
peace!
jirijanis
cool and peace
Welcome to "Critical Ears"
We're former students of the "Critical Listening" course offered at the Berklee Extension School. This is where we post our biweekly chat logs.