Ableton Forum

imagine sitting in a pub somewhere in the late 40's, having a glass of scotch. the glass isn't all that clean... you can almost see the fingerprints of the one that drank from it before you. somewhere behind you two mugs are arguing about who has killed more cops.

smoke is filling the bar as you start feeling you shouldn't be there. then you start thinking about that chick you were mindlessly in love with, but she didn't give a crap about you.

this is the moment the band starts playing

http://195.249.116.158/Visitor_Trax/eve ... l_sway.mp3

That's a tough genre to sequence!

I like the way the track flows and is generally put together, the the drumming is dire! (Sorry, I'm a drummer...)

Maybe you can source some jazz MIDI files, tear 'em apart, and see what makes 'em work. It's all about the timing! And to achieve any level or realism with jazz drums, the ride in particular, you'll need multisamples. Better yet, borrow one and sample your own.

Apologies for the criticism... I'm only trying to help!

odd sounding tip about ride cymbals: ask a drummer how to hit them!

programming jazz beats is a bitch... i prefer the amon tobin method.

Bro, that track's phat!

And I love the intro(in your post)

Keep up the good work.

Peace.

hambone1 wrote:Apologies for the criticism... I'm only trying to help!

don't apologize. your criticism is much appreciated. realism is what i'm trying to acomplish. and i sure as fcuk need any and all tips i can get. thank you all for your comments.

beatnick wrote:And I love the intro(in your post)

the intro... heh. it's reminiscense of my writing days. (i used to write while in highscool) and thought i'd get some more attention than with a "pls-listen-to-my-track" kind of post. kinda worked didn't it?

Hehe, I actually like the drums... but then again, I'm not a drummer - I'm a musician! - ba-boom-tsscch!

Angstrom wrote:odd sounding tip about ride cymbals: ask a drummer how to hit them!

Ride cymbals are notoriously difficult to sequence. They have a long release time, and the interaction and overtones between one hit and the subsequent hit are difficult to reproduce without multisamples and crossfading. Better yet, just record entire phrases. Crash cymbals aren't so difficult, as they are rarely hit in rapid succession, unlike hi-hats and rides.

My tip was to record your own samples - entire phrases. If you can sequence a ride pattern, you can play it. A drummer can show you how in ten minutes.

Then use warp markers to tweak the timing to your satisfaction...

Machinate wrote:Hehe, I actually like the drums... but then again, I'm not a drummer - I'm a musician! - ba-boom-tsscch!

If you WERE a drummer, your tracks would be SO much better...

But then again, who can mess up thumping, mindless, soulless 4-on-the-floor?

hambone1 wrote:If you can sequence a ride pattern, you can play it. A drummer can show you how in ten minutes.

respectfully, i doubt it. not me anyway. it's all about how you move your arm, hand, and rist. maybe even body posture, dunno, not a drummer. and i'm built in such a way that i'm crap at anything that involves physical activity. a "butter-fingers" if you will.

moreover, i can't afford to buy equipment (the ride itself, microphones, amp...) to record a ride phrase. i mean, shit man...i make music on a pentium 4, 512 ram, with a soundblaster audigy live and no monitors and all this in my bedroom. i'm a college student, don't work and have absolutely no way of getting the money.

maybe in a few years, when i start working i'll start sorting things out.

As cool as this track is, I have to say it really sounds nothing like a jazz song from the 20's. In fact this track really isn't very jazzy at all in terms of composition...non the less, the instruments sound great, and you've made something quite grand here.

lightshy wrote:

hambone1 wrote:If you can sequence a ride pattern, you can play it. A drummer can show you how in ten minutes.

respectfully, i doubt it. not me anyway. it's all about how you move your arm, hand, and rist. maybe even body posture, dunno, not a drummer. and i'm built in such a way that i'm crap at anything that involves physical activity. a "butter-fingers" if you will.

moreover, i can't afford to buy equipment (the ride itself, microphones, amp...) to record a ride phrase. i mean, shit man...i make music on a pentium 4, 512 ram, with a soundblaster audigy live and no monitors and all this in my bedroom. i'm a college student, don't work and have absolutely no way of getting the money.

maybe in a few years, when i start working i'll start sorting things out.

Scrounge around the net... you'll probably find some free samples to use, including phrases. Most of all, have fun!

Captain Screwbarb wrote:As cool as this track is, I have to say it really sounds nothing like a jazz song from the 20's. In fact this track really isn't very jazzy at all in terms of composition...non the less, the instruments sound great, and you've made something quite grand here.

i was absolutely sure someone's gonna start ranting about this. i know man. when i posted this over at kvr, i had my intro saying "somehwre in the late 60's" then someone said that this isn't anything like jazz in the 60's. i don't care

i'll edit the post and make it happen in the 40's. this alright?

You know what? The timeframe and historical composition accuracy don't really matter.

What's cool is that you made it yours, it sounds like you're having fun, and you've got the potential and attitude to make it even better.

Here you go!

http://freesound.iua.upf.edu/searchText.php

Type in "ride" and have at it...