Logic Vocal Trance track...

[SolSkye]

i sent the song to many trance lables and NEVER got a reply...WTF???

 

Technically speaking, this is an amazingly well-produced trance track and follows the trance formula to a tee, but therein lies the problem. Creatively speaking, nothing about this track screams original track, or something that hasn't been done hundreds of times over. I wouldn't sh*tcan the project, but I wouldn't expect to be signed off of it either.

 

This track's vocals were strikingly similar to, 'Leon Boiler & Elsa Hill -No Need To Come Back'

 

...especially around 1:20 (of your track). Give it a listen, I'm sure it'll bring a smile to your face.

[David Nahmani]

Hey Jeremy, I finally listened to your track! Wow, that's really good, and really well produced too! Did you do all the mixing and mastering? The track is hot!!

[Jeremy Alexander]

Hey David! Glad you got the chance to check it out! haha! I know you've been super busy! Yea, I did it all in Logic. Mixing & master! I can't tell you how many beautiful accidents & tasty CST settings came from that song. I really took my G4 Dual to it's absolute limit (Thank God for the freeze feature) The vocals sat really well in the mix and I was able to build the entire song around them as a workflow. I did have some help from Ableton Live's compressor, because i think it's really tasty alogarythmically speaking =0) It was difficult at times and I had given up in many cases with my A>B mix because of the crappy monitors I have. I could go back and replace that kick because it was really hard to make it sit but I'll end up working on the same song...for way too long! I got to a certain point and said..."OK THIS TRACK IS DONE, DON'T ADD ANY MORE" 60+ tracks later, there it is.

[Jeremy Alexander]

echnically speaking, this is an amazingly well-produced trance track and follows the trance formula to a tee, but therein lies the problem. Creatively speaking, nothing about this track screams original track, or something that hasn't been done hundreds of times over. I wouldn't sh*tcan the project, but I wouldn't expect to be signed off of it either.

 

This track's vocals were strikingly similar to, 'Leon Boiler & Elsa Hill -No Need To Come Back'

 

...especially around 1:20 (of your track). Give it a listen, I'm sure it'll bring a smile to your face.

 

Ahh finally some criticism! Given the equipment I own, I wouldn't say I'd be able to pull off a Gabriel & Dresden Original, even some of their stuff is cookie cutter, but you know what? it works and it continues to work. I'm a big fan of "if it ain't broke don't fix it" You're right, that was my first thought after I was finished finally with the track, I said "This is cookie cutter and follows a verrrry specific formula" and my goal was to be able to pull that off, effectively. With an original vocal track, the possibilites can become overwhelming but the point is that the hook sticks with you. Given it wasn't a BT masterpiece but the sounds I was able to create...man it was just cool to know that Logic could produce those. It's unfortunate that I don't own any analogue gear whatsoever, I've been completely digitized and there are some great things people could learn from a track like this. I broke a lot of rules & had fun doing it! If I pulled of sounding like someone else than hey! alright! that's what I was aiming for so congrats to me! I've made other tracks and people were like "that sounds like Alicia Keys" what a nice compliment! I don't share my tracks often because I'm too busy experimenting with sounds....that track to me...was nothing more than a learning curve and if people like it, great! It might inspire someone to do something even MORE creative, and that's what it's all about gentlemen! I as an artist am still learning everyday, I don't plan to get rich off of producing Trance tracks...I don't know who has, the market is just too flooded. Let's just keep making cool music together!

[SolSkye]

For being Logic only it's definitely a masterpiece. Most of these artists we look up to and emulate have a slew of racks, countless hard synths, and numerous analog drum machines at their disposal so with only Logic it's an accomplishment for sure.

 

Even I'm not Logic only so I can't imagine how some of the quality sounds were achieved. I can only think a lot of tedious manipulation and frustration ensued.

 

At that production level wouldn't you think of upgrading your setup and getting something analog to go with your top-notch skills in Logic?

[JayGee]

Jeremy -

 

Your track is amazingly well done. However, you mentioned something that is the bane of most aspiring artists. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Well, you're right and wrong. If you INVENT the sound/formula, then you're on the money. If you are COPYING a style/formula then you're off the mark.

 

I base my perspective on a business adage: The first to volunteer to change is a leader. The second is viewed as a calculated risk taker. Everyone after that is just a follower.

 

Given your obvious ability, stretch your creativity a bit and you'd be something to reckon with. I live nearby you (Tampa), so I know competition isn't fierce in your area. Given the college market around you, there is plenty of experiemental soil to grow your ideas. Give it a go - I think you'd be pleasantly surprised.

 

JG

[Jeremy Alexander]

There's only one piece of gear I think is justified in price that I would get if I had the change. Actually anything made by Access i.e The Virus. The only thing that concerns me is which piece of gear to go with, everything is changing so rapidly right now, outboard gear is becoming more integrated into software i.e interfaced with plugins, there are so many freekin' cool things out there right now; I'm not sure even where to start! Next thing you know, if they havent already- take soundboards from these vintage synths and compact them into PCI-X cards to fit in the slots of your G5 or in a PCI rack if you will. I know things like that could be right around the corner with technology "shrinking" as it is. It just seems dangerous to make the upgrade at the moment, though don't get me wrong...it would be nice to have an Andromeda or a Virus at hand but $3,000? If I had that kind of bank to splurge on a board there's a great chance I'm probably already signed. I still have faith in companies like UAD "analogue ears, digital minds" and nothing.....nothing sounds better than natural tape saturation & real, honest to God circuitry, warmth, fatness.....the gap is closing...very quickly. I believe it's just a matter of time. Example-Paul Oakenfold song titled "Faster Kill Pussycat" the acidy synth that you can almost taste @ the beginning through which carries the entire song into the bassline. Also some of DeepDishe's stuff, they are Logic Lovers as well. You won't find sounds like that on software...not yet...but soon I feel very confident in that. Just as cassete tapes dissapeared and now even CD's are on their way out...it's a digital world, I hope Logic 8 embraces that. The only plugs I've ever heard that even come close are "Analog Factory" and the Korg Legacy-with other presets than the default and there are some REALLY good ones out there that these analogue heads have created! the only way to create the fatness that i've seen is layering, layering, layering...and wreaking havoc on your processor....poor G4 =0( yea...i've gotta get with the program hahah! call me old fashioned. for me it's gonna be G5 Dual 2.0 8GB RAM...and yes...i said it....power PC.

[Jeremy Alexander]

Jeremy -

 

Your track is amazingly well done. However, you mentioned something that is the bane of most aspiring artists. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Well, you're right and wrong. If you INVENT the sound/formula, then you're on the money. If you are COPYING a style/formula then you're off the mark.

 

I base my perspective on a business adage: The first to volunteer to change is a leader. The second is viewed as a calculated risk taker. Everyone after that is just a follower.

 

Given your obvious ability, stretch your creativity a bit and you'd be something to reckon with. I live nearby you (Tampa), so I know competition isn't fierce in your area. Given the college market around you, there is plenty of experiemental soil to grow your ideas. Give it a go - I think you'd be pleasantly surprised.

 

JG

 

Good point there! i don't want you to misconstrue that i that song was textbook...and that's what I was going for.I just wanted to know that my first attempt @ Trance wasn't a complete train-wreck =0) I actually took one of my favorite jams, imported it into the arrange, set markers & named all the turnarounds, crecendo's and such and built around that. What I meant by "if it ain't broke" was not to get caught up in tweaking a kick drum until you've started doing math instead of music. Tweaking & tweaking until your eyes cross. Instead of going back a hundred times, going back just a few and FINISHING something. I say this because I know a lot of people who have (including myself) some potentially great material on their computers but have re-visited it so many times, that there seems to never be a resolve to the song. Thus the songs start to pile up and you have hundreds of songs that sound the same. If you're anything like me you've got hundreds of "ideas" on your hard drive and very few finished products...i mean....mixed, mastered...DONE! There's always been something about breaking out of a song or putting it away to start fresh....but that gets carried away. If I had the time or $ to sit there for days on end and do it like I used to...before life's responsibilites brought creativity to a hault and said..."here..pick one...work...or music" I'd have to say that I haven't been able to sit down and really write like I used to in about 10 years. The track you are all hearing was done in like 1 hour increments over a period of time. If I really wanted to pull out all the stops..here's what I'd do: (and most of you may gag here) Nice Mic, Nice pre, nice cans, nice monitors, nice room, nice guitars, Roland Vdrums, Nice Analogue synth, Anything Apogee and a finalizer, oh yea..and dont' forget....TALENT..next would be.... Cool Edit Pro (Adobe Audition) why? ? ? layering sounds & overlapping them didn't get any better than that...why cant we do this in Logic? Is there another app I'm not aware of? anyhow then sketching ideas in reason and xporting midi into Logic...taking some aspects into Ableton Live and finally back into Logic. It would be nice to have a music only PC running for plugs like Glitch & stuff, for sound design. After all of that....you can pretty much guarantee an "original" sound ...for me.

 

I appreciate your input and advice...very valuable stuff there!

[SolSkye]

Yea, I just recently bought a Virus TI Polar Desktop so I know what you mean about the compatibility factor, but software will NEVER be able to duplicate the organic, rich sounds of a hard synth. I don't care how close the gap comes you can always hear a difference between the analog and digital. Besides, quantizing the hell out of everything takes the soul out of the song.

 

Not the mention the easy editbility of a hard synth that is built for the sole task of sound modeling is second to none. Sure you can always wait for something better to come along, as they say, 'the grass is always greener...', but honestly the sounds aren't going to get any better than they are RIGHT NOW and the classic sounds on the Virus will just end up passing you by. The sounds found on the classics; Nord Lead and Virus never grow old and never have a 'shelf life' so to speak...true timeless machines. I might even get a Virus Indigo after all is said and done.

 

I definitely didn't have the money to drop on all my equipment either but I'm serious about what I love and don't curb my creativity because of some hardware or software limitations. The answer is real simple; loan it up baby!