Blind Man Driving-ish

Real Blind Man Driving Project.wav

Editing this song was a similar process to making the Star Trek 1960s Mash where I mixed left to right using pan pots then front to back using volume sliders. However, we were taught about a compressor and were instructed to use it on some of the tracks. Then I inserted some sound effects that went with the theme of the song and adjusted the volume and panning. Lastly, I exported the final song along with some screenshots.

While working on this project, I learned about the importance of compressors when using recorded tracks of multiple instruments. The compressor reduces the difference in level between the loudest and quietest parts of the audio waves so that the high pitch sounds aren't overpowering. This maintains a consistent level of sound which tends to sound better to the human ear.

Star Trek 1960s Mash

Star Trek 1960s Mash.wav

To sample techniques of De La Soul and J Dilla I used the platform Abelton Live. I searched through numerous samples to find interesting beats, then I added audio filters. I also downloaded tracks from multiple websites that had sounds and phrases from the TV series Star Trek. I then using bass sounds I recorded some short bass riffs that matched the tempo of the rest of the song. I then recorded a mix of the beats and proceeded to pan and fix the volume of certain tracks.

While making this project, I learned a little bit about the hip hop genre and the people behind the album De La Soul. I ran into obstacles while I was trying to find sounds and phrases from TV shows online. A majority of websites with the tracks I wanted required you to pay to use the MP3 files.

Doctor Who Theme Song Remix

Doctor Who Remix (Sloan, Sage).wav

To remix the Doctor Who theme song, I first downloaded the Tardis sounds.mp3, Doctor Who Bass.mid, and Doctor Who Melody.mid to my desktop and inserted it into Ableton Live. These contained the song's main melody, bass, and iconic tardis sounds so I would not have to create everything from scratch. I then found sound effects on fesliyanstudios.com to adjust using the phaser and flanger to fit the song's mood. Lastly I had to adjust the song's volume and panned the tardis sounds to make the tracks fit together better.

I learned how to remix songs in Abelton Live without using the ableton push. The format is very similar to Bandlab. Using this information, I manually adjusted the songs volume, panned the tardis songs, and rearranged the tracks how I saw fit. This shows how simple skills we learned in Bandlab build to get me where I am today.

Remix of Project 3 in Live

Remix of Project 3 in Live Assignment.wav

Remixing Project 3 in Ableton Live was similar to making music in Bandlab. I had to listen to many different projects to find one I would enjoy working with, then mix up the tracks to make my own song. It was different in the way that I was instructed to use a Push in the horizontal arrangement. It allowed me to mix tracks around with a push of a button. I then added automation of volume, pan, and master volume to give my song more flow.

While making this project I learned that while there are many different platforms to make music on, for the most part, they are similar, making it easier to adjust to using a new platform. While in class, I used the same processes in Ableton Live as I would in Bandlab. I still had to find tracks that I wanted to work with and mix them in a way that made sense. Lastly, I made some last adjustments such as adding a graphic equalizer, panning the instruments, and adjusting the volume of the tracks. It's the same process, just a different format.

Crisp Spring Day

Crisp_Spring_Day.mp3

To create the song Crisp Spring Day, I used a platform called BandLab. BandLab is an online Cloud Digital Audio Workstation tool you can use to create music. It has a wide variety of loops you can combine together to make your own song. I first searched for a lead instrument that would play the melody of the song. I eventually found two guitar loops that had good contrast and alternated them in the track. I then found a bass loop to give the lonely guitar a backbone. I then found two contrasting drum beats to give the song more rhythm as well as tambourines to uplift the song. I added some lofi texture to have a relaxing and vintage effect like an old LP record player or “33”. Lastly, I made some last adjustments such as adding a graphic equalizer, panning the instruments, and adjusting the volume of the tracks.

While creating this song I learned the importance of using a graphic equalizer, how beats per minute impacts the mood of the song, and more about music theory. I used the graphic equalizer to boost the range of my instruments frequencies and improve the overall sound quality. If an instrument's sound was too mild I could easily uplift the song by increasing the equalizers level. How many beats per minute my song had determined the mood. I kept a Moderato (moderate) bpm which is between 108–120 BPM so my song wouldn't sound too sad or too happy. This experience taught me more about music theory as I was searching for loops to flow with my melody. The loop had to be in the same key, have the same tempo, and not add too much contrast to the song where it would sound disorganized. To conclude, there are so many components to consider when making a song. Graphic equalizers, tempo, and knowing basic music theory are all important components that help make a song. My mom heard my project and said it reminded her of the introduction to Justin Timberlake’s “Cry Me A River”. She could’ve told me this BEFORE I turned it in.

Fix The Mix Project: Plants vs. Zombies

Fix_The_Mix__C_minor__76_bpm.mp3

To create the Plants vs. Zombies themed Fix The Mix Project I first switched up the instruments for the MIDI tracks: fuzzy bass, electric piano, and synth chords. To make it more interesting, I rearranged, added, and deleted tracks in the song. I then used the strategy of fixing the mix side to side, front to back, and up to down. This includes adjusting the panning, volume, and graphic equalizer of each of the tracks. To finish it off and make it sound like the background music of a video game, I added in zombie effects from the website fesliyanstudios.

I learned that I enjoy having my own creative license to come up with my own melodies and beats that I think will work for the song. There are a lot of great electronica songs out there such as Head Like A Hole by Nine Inch Nails which has a great message about the control that money has over people. The loops provided never really matched up to make one cohesive beat, when combined, it was very scattered. This doesn’t make for the most stirring music. This taught me the lesson that beats sound better when they're in sync.

Steely Dan

Steely_Dan.mp3

Steely Dan was the first production I was instructed to make in this Music Tech class. It was intended to help us get used to the platform of BandLab and music theory.

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