Antape - Hardware Tracks

Hey,

I make a new thread for grouping my hardware tracks, the other one had an annoying tittle.

So the config is MPC500 sequencing Electribe SX1 / Novation Bass Station II / Yamaha CS1X / Yamaha DX9 and a very freshly acquired Yamaha TX81Z. Some effects and other little things are used here and there according to the tune. The idea is to record a stereo out of my mixer and to use the computer only for recording / editing the material and mastering this stereo output. I cheated a little bit with this last rule on my first two tracks but as I'm getting more used to this setup I start to be able to stick with it.

Having used the computer a lot since I make music, this new approach feels really fresh and inspires me a lot at the moment. I would recommend to anyone coming from the computer side to give a try to that kind of workflow.

Anyway, here's the last track I made in this config :

[sc5]179466098[/sc5]

This time it could theoretically be played live straight but I had to do some edit anyway because my brain still gets overwhelmed by the amount of things to do. But I'm definitely getting better, the idea is to come up with enough material to do a live set at some point.

Hope you guys enjoy, feel free to comment in any way you like!

sweet! +im imagining all the warmifying plugins it would take to make software sound that way.

Nice track, breakdown at about 1:30 seems uncomfortable at first listen, but after 1 minute the flow is back.

'Les Gardians' sounds lush, favourite out of three.

And why TX81Z if you have one 4op yamaha already?

The breakdown around 1:20 is kinda strange for me. If you think about changing the reverb and mixing so it sounds like it's in a different space I think it would work very well.

  On 12/2/2014 at 12:54 PM, skibby said:

sweet! +im imagining all the warmifying plugins it would take to make software sound that way.

yeah.. would be a twisted way to go for that kind of sound anyway. But I've to say I'm quite impressed about how it all sounds since I started with those hardware tracks. When I took the decision to experiment with the restriction of recording a stereo out of the mixer, I didn't think I could consider those recordings as being usable for releasing for example, because I thought the overall quality would be too weak for that. Since then I realize that the limitations of this whole setup in mixing terms are actually more than sufficient (provided your sources already go well together of course).

How many times did I struggle with some synth/eq/compressor/whatever VSTs on a specific instrument in a computer-based track because I couldn't manage to get it fit into the mix properly?.. With this new setup I didn't really get into that situation so far, it's hard to find all the reasons why but the natural balance between the sounds comes way more intuitively.

don't want to stupidly advocate anything because I'm aware of all the things you can just get through using software, but for me it's almost shocking to realize that thing about the mixing : I studied sound engineering and mostly learned how you record a band by putting a microphone in front of every instrument, then record those into a computer and mess around with plugins until it sound good to your ears. I'm caricaturing there because I do think it was a good school but hell I really didn't suspected I could get a so nice balance by using this couple of synths and this mixer.

  On 12/3/2014 at 12:17 PM, Aefx said:

Nice track, breakdown at about 1:30 seems uncomfortable at first listen, but after 1 minute the flow is back.

'Les Gardians' sounds lush, favourite out of three.

And why TX81Z if you have one 4op yamaha already?

a last one before I leave for Christmas !

[sc5]182578994[/sc5]

Not a proper track but a selection of excerpts recorded during my live-set rehearsals. Strictly hardware, what you hear is the stereo mix of the mixer + a couple of edits (but no layering) and a quick mastering in Reaper. Didn't wanted to post it here in the first place: I just made it yesterday because I want a demo to search for places where I can play with my setup but in the end I thought it ended up sounding nice and giving a good idea of my set so in case someone care, here it is:

[sc5]254839527[/sc5]

Most of the tracks don't have a fully recorded version: the focus was to work on them in the context of the set in a first place, and now that it sounds reasonable enough as a whole, I'll be able to focus on the tracks individually. So far I have 11 live-hardware tracks and will keep adding more until I'm able to adapt the track list dynamically according to audience feedback or simply the place where I play.

Liking Silex, Minerle & Dartz1 a lot. Hope they'll turn into full versions one day (I mean, they're almost there...)

Antape, thoroughly enjoyed that! The finally like 8:55 and beyond was something to really get down to. Well done and agree can't wait to hear full tracks.

Thanks guys for the positive feedback. The last track of the edit, Dartz1, comes from my software setup (Renoise/Reaper) but it didn't sound too good in that version mix wise. The hardware version sounds more "classic" somehow but also more solid, I'm still surprised you can actually program that kind of beat with the Electribe ESX1 (but in the end, why not actually? surely you won't come up with it if you think it's impossible to make it). Anyway I still want to work on the pads for the hardware version, I do almost all my pads with a Yamaha CS1X so far and I don't like to program this synth, it often frustrates me.

I'll post "studio versions" when I have some.