Let's make some music

Posted by firestormx on Jan. 13, 2011, 8:11 p.m.

64D hasn't done a collaborative music project yet. At least, not with actual instruments.

Incidentally, I haven't seen a completed game collaboration in 64D's 6 year life, but whatever.

I think the main reason there hasn't been a music project (with instruments) yet, is because no one can record their drum set. I've dropped several thousand on a Roland TD9-SX, so I can record some drumming.

I know half the site plays bass, and several of you play guitar, so let's try put something together.

I was thinking someone could record some guitar, and then I could record some drums to match it, and someone could do some bass over top of it. I'm sure someone plays the keyboard too. I doubt anyone is non-awkward enough to do vocals though. XD

I've never played in a band - my 8 years of piano lessons was ALL classical, and my 2-3 years of drum lessons have simply been to blow off steam. I don't know how musicians normally collaborate together, and I'm not very creative, nor musically inclined. But I thought it'd be fun to try this. Also, I took 3 years of music theory - most of it's gone out the window, but I can re-learn what I need to, if that helps anyone else communicate.

Soooo, someone record something. Or, if you want, I can record something and you can play something over top of the drums, but drumming isn't usually the driving force behind the melody of a song.

Another thing we could do, is define a tempo, a style of music, and sort of lay out the flow of a song. (ie a 4/4 rock song at 120 bps, that is energetic for the first 8 bars, then slows down for 6, then goes back to energetic for another 8 bars, etc)

Juju is the only one I know of here that is in a band, so I'm expecting him to comment on this! =D

Edit: Oh yeah, we'd be doing different mp3 files, so we'd use Acid or Fruity Loops to put the music all together.

Edit 2: We're not doing mp3. Poly has advised that mp3 loses sound quality.

Also, rather than an original song, we can do a cover, if everyone can agree to a song.

Comments

Polystyrene Man 13 years, 11 months ago

Here's the loop. Aeron does slow down a little bit at the end, but I don't think it's a big deal: http://www.mediafire.com/?3c98ktqc1b399hu

sirxemic 13 years, 11 months ago

What's wrong with mp3?

Quote:
Also, don't trade mp3! You're reducing the sound quality every time you export until eventually it becomes a disgusting mess. That's like saving Photoshop projects as jpeg.
Except we only would export once, so I don't see the problem. Furthermore, unless some people here have high-quality recording devices, I don't think it would matter so much.

320kbps Mp3 seems just fine to me.

BTW, I play piano/keyboard, but I don't have a good mic so yah.

Quietus 13 years, 11 months ago

aeron's loop sounds like it needs a chorus-y riff to go back and forth between that one.

Polystyrene Man 13 years, 11 months ago

Quote:
Except we only would export once, so I don't see the problem. Furthermore, unless some people here have high-quality recording devices, I don't think it would matter so much.

320kbps Mp3 seems just fine to me.
It seemed to me like we'd be exporting multiple times. Take aeron's riff for example- if he exported it as an mp3, then I downloaded and looped it and exported it as an mp3 again that would be a twofold loss in quality.

I didn't really expect people to have hi-fi recording capabilities but I figured we could try to preserve whatever quality we do have.

Yeah, 320 is decent enough quality but I still wouldn't use it until the final export. Mp3s kill the high end and generally degrade the sound… I feel like it's worth the little extra bit of time to use wav or FLAC

Polystyrene Man 13 years, 11 months ago

But also– I can't promise I'll be very involved with this because I've got a lot of projects going on. So go with whatever you want… you know my opinion.

Cpsgames 13 years, 11 months ago

A cover would be a nice start. I don't really listen to half the stuff people here do, but I like rock, alternative, metal, etc. Possible bands of songs we could cover could be RHCP, maybe some Drowning Pool? I dunno :P

aeron 13 years, 11 months ago

Longer, loopable version:

http://64digits.com/users/aeron/untitled_2.wav

16 measures @ 76bpm. Again, I can re-record this to fit other parts so don't feel limited this is just an idea

Quote:
aeron's loop sounds like it needs a chorus-y riff to go back and forth between that one.
This. Anyone got another riff that would fit the style or should I try to come up with something?

firestormx 13 years, 11 months ago

Ah, well then you're useless to us MFA. >:(

Just critique our masterwork. XD

Poly: Thanks for the upload. =)

Adam: Can you really do almost anything?

If so, make another riff, or whatever it is your instrument makes. We can have more than one song going.

Xemic: You kind of have a point, in that people would record their stuff once, and then it would all be put together in audacity or something - then the "raw" mp3 would just be saved into the audacity project. I think we may have been overthinking things. But on the other hand, Poly's got a point, in that if we edit the sound before putting it into a final project, the mp3 needs to be re-exported.

I play Keyboard too (though not well, despite the many many years of practice). If you write sheet music or something, I could TRY and play/record it. I played piano at an age where I didn't understand the need for accents, or the hold pedal, and all that stuff. It was just "play the right note at the right time, until you get to the end of the song".

I haven't practice the piano since. =P

Poly: I understand about not having time, but you sound like you've at least done sound recording before (I'm not saying xemic and everyone else hasn't also done sound recording), so whatever input you give is great.

CPS: I find rock usually too bland. The only drowning pool song I've been able to listen to is Bodies. XD

Buuuut, that's only because I didn't like the songs at first listen, so if you've got a song in mind, I can listen and learn the song. I'd rather cover DP than some 80s band or something. I like stuff with a bit of energy. =D

Aeron: that sounds great. I didn't have a chance to listen to Poly's loop (I'll listen when I get home). I'll try record to go along with it this weekend.

I agree with hel as well. It'll need to be broken up a bit. =D

Quietus 13 years, 11 months ago

Quote:
Anyone got another riff that would fit the style or should I try to come up with something?
i think that would be best left up to you, none of us can really recreate your guitar tone and alternating between two samples of two different distorted guitars is bound to sound weird.

firestormx 13 years, 11 months ago

Regarding a cover: Canadonian can sing if we do a Greenday cover. What do you guys think of that?

Not a fan of greenday, but at least we'll have a singer. =P