Skol303

[color=#800080][size=5][b]November's Composition Challenge is now underway![/b][/size][/color] [size=5]Here’s the image for your inspiration, chosen by last month's winner, [b]Indy[/b]… [/size] [size=5]Click on the 'Spoiler' button below to read the usual rules and caveats:[/size] [spoiler]By entering the competition you agree to the Basschat Terms and Conditions and Forum Guidelines, which are designed to help ensure the forum remains free of offensive and/or illegal behaviour and material. In a nutshell: [b]1) Please avoid any content that other forum users may find offensive.[/b] If your track contains explicit lyrics, for example, then please warn other forum users so they can choose for themselves whether to listen to it. [b]2) Please make sure you have permission to use any 3rd party sounds included in your track[/b] (ie. sounds that you have not recorded yourself, such as samples of other people's music). The owners of Basschat accept no responsibility for infringements of copyright or other forms of legal ownership, which are solely the responsibility of competition entrants. If we spot any breaches of copyright then your track will be removed from the competition. [b]3) Entries should be no more than five minutes long and written/produced during the month of the competition[/b], taking inspiration from the photo provided. No cheating![/spoiler] If you have any questions, just ask. [color=#800080][size=5][b]The deadline for entries is midnight on Wednesday 23rd November.[/b][/size][/color]

^ Well done Indy! Great track. Please message me with your choice of picture and we'll get November's challenge up and running ASAP. And sterling work from the rest of you guys, as always! PS: The Noodle Bar voting will also be starting sometime today...

It's a great plug-in! I have it myself... [i]really[/i] good on vocals and bass. And very easy to use: quite literally two dials. Recommended.

Sorry for the delay guys! My bad, but now remedied by Lurks. That's the kind of smooth operation we run here Get voting!

[quote name='Mornats' timestamp='1477174173' post='3160404'] ...they'll need to do a manual check with Izotope so you'd have a bit of time to get it registered. [/quote] ^ This. I bought from Plugin Boutique and they got back to me within 24 hours.

Well done guys, all sounding great. I’m not going to be entering myself this month… not that I’ve gone quiet on the music-making front, [i]quite the opposite![/i] I’m working on a few concurrent projects (all remixes) that are eating up all of my limited time available for music. Really enjoying it, but could do with more hours in the day! Fingers crossed I’ll get something written for next month’s challenge and will otherwise be eagerly voting on this one

[quote name='MisterT' timestamp='1476766861' post='3156996'] I'd love to come out with something obscure and complex but for me it boils down to Bernard Edwards' line from Good Times. [/quote] Amen to that.

[quote name='PaulGibsonBass' timestamp='1476178139' post='3151941']Back in the late '80s the band I was in released a self financed EP. We used SRT (anyone remember them?) and part of the deal was that the record was mastered at Abbey Road.... Good times.[/quote] Wow! To coin an internet phrase, that really is a "cool story bro". I'd love to visit the place in person... [quote name='Twincam' timestamp='1476184628' post='3152007'] I think it sounded really good and enjoyed listening to it. I voted for you despite my hatred for having to use my facebook to do so lol... I couldn't tell it was a stingray, it sounded like something with flats too me and maybe a hint too mellow in places when other things kicked in, I thought the bass perceived volume dropped just a touch at those times. But that's me listening more to the bass in that instance.[/quote] Cheers Twincam and thanks for the vote mate! Interesting point about the bass being a little too low in the mix... that's a recurring theme for me. I think it comes from being a bass player and being a bit self-conscious about not wanting the bass to be [i]too[/i] loud as a consequence. I'll take that comment on board and tweak it up a little next time.

[quote name='blueburstbass93' timestamp='1476210008' post='3152398'] So the discount works even if you've only just bought an izotope plugin? Is it 50% off? [/quote] Yup. I bought the Nectar Elements plug in discounted to around £25. This qualified me for a big discount on Neutron (down to about £73). I made the purchases through http://www.pluginboutique.com Had to email Supprt with evidence of my Nectar purchase (serial and order numbers). They then activated Neutron on my account for downloading. Took about 12 hours for them to reply, but it was a weekend.

I gigged a lot in my youth but I haven't played bass to a live audience (other than my disinterested children) for about, ooh, 15 years or so! I am what Blue would refer to as a [i]"bedroom noodler"[/i]. I also play bass guitar (fnar, fnar ). But... I churn out music on a frequent basis and my stuff does actually get listened to and occasionally played in clubs / on the radio / as a soundtrack to video blogs, etc. No substitute for standing on stage, of course, but I'm very content with my lot for the time being.

Had a good play with Neutron over the weekend. Immediate impressions: [b]Pros...[/b][list] [*]Very easy and intuitive to use! I had it mostly figured out within in 10 minutes, without referring to any tutorials (and I'm someone who likes tutorials). Nice interface with everything within reach. [/list][list] [*]Track Assistant works well - very consistent - and gives useful/workable starting points for EQ'ing each channel. [/list][list] [*]Love the simplicity of the 'Masking' linked EQ feature: probably my favourite feature of the plug-in overall. I'll be using that a lot. [/list][list] [*]The build-in Compressor, Exciter and Transient Shaper all seem very clean and usable. [/list] [b]Cons...[/b][list] [*]Very tempting to let pre-sets taking over the 'thinking' when using a plug-in of this type. The Track Assistant is a great starting point, but in the majority of cases I found it does need [i]some[/i] adjustment to make sure it's actually improving the mix. I tried it on a bass-heavy track and the result would have been very weak and 'thin' sounding had I relied solely on the pre-sets... so it definitely needs tweaking to taste. [/list][list] [*]It's not so good on the master bus: this is where the pre-sets have most potential to really destroy a good mix! Plenty of potential to adjust it to taste, of course... but I have other, better plug-ins and workflow for doing that. That said, if you're using this as your 'go to' mixing tool then it's certainly a lot better than most DAW in-build tools for master bus duties. Just don't let the pre-sets do all the heavy lifting and again, tweak to taste. [/list] Overall: money well spent! Very happy with it [i]And cheers to Mornats for the heads up...![/i]

[quote name='lurksalot' timestamp='1475868922' post='3149449'] I have to say though the fact the blurb and title states ' Mastered by Abbey Road Studios' probably helps the ears define the mix on its own to some. If I'm honest I am not sure that the tempo fits with the sentiment of the lyric , but when did sentiment ever matter on the dance floor [/quote] Cheers bud. Yeah... I was very tempted to produce a more downtempo remix, but I figured that would be sort of competing with the original - hence the decision to swap genres. Not that disco was necessarily the smartest place to end up, but heh! [quote name='funkgod' timestamp='1475920995' post='3149738'] great bass playing paul, good to hear a stingray with the treble backed off before it gets to clicky, i liked both versions of the the song, but can see the disco version being more appealing for radio use and the like. the quality of the video and editing on the youtube clip, looks top draw, who did that ? hats off to who ever did that. As big red says, cant wait to hear the unmastered version to hear what was done for the money, what about a sound cloud link when voting is over? Great stuff, hope it does well, voted and fingers crossed. [/quote] Many thanks! I put a low pass filter on the Stingray at around 3kHz (if I remember correctly) to cut out the string noise and give it a bit more 'thump'. Kinda making it sound more like a Precision ...but I think the mid-range growl of the 'Ray does help it cut through the mix. No idea who did the video, but they did a good job. This particular track, Blur, features on a US drama which seems to have given the band themselves a well earned boost. Goes to show how important licensing can be! I'll definitely post up a 'before and after' comparison of the original/mastered tracks once the competition has ended. And cheers for the vote- appreciated!

[size=5][b][color=#800080]Welcome to the Basschat Noodle Bar™! [/color][/b][size=3][color=#800080][OCTOBER][/color][/size][/size] The rules are simple: [list] [*][b]Record yourself playing bass for up to 60 seconds.[/b] You can record whatever the heck you like: an original riff or lick; something from your band’s own repertoire; or a well-known piece you’re currently practicing. Doesn’t matter what. Just record something. [/list][list] [*][b]Make sure it’s bass only: no other instruments. [/b]FX and pedals are allowed, as are simple click tracks and metronomes. [/list][list] [*][b]Upload your recording[/b] to SoundCloud, YouTube or another music-sharing platform of your choice. Once you’re finished, post the link to your recording in this thread. Job done! [/list] Or in short: PRESS RECORD > PLAY BASS > PRESS STOP! [color=#800080][size=5][b]The deadline for entries is midnight on Monday 31st October. [/b][/size][/color] [color=#800080][size=5][b][/b][/size][/color]

[size=5][b]Well done Agwin![/b][/size] Also a very worthy second place to Funkgod... and third to, well, everyone else This month's Noodle Bar will shortly be opening in the 'Rec forum. See you there.

[quote name='Mornats' timestamp='1475859469' post='3149343'] Here's something interesting to consider. The only Izotope product that I own that qualified me for the £74 crossgrade was Nectar Elements. This is currently on sale over at PluginBoutique for £26.95 - [url="http://www.pluginboutique.com/product/2-Effects/54-Vocal-Processing/752-Nectar-Elements."]http://www.pluginbou...ectar-Elements.[/url] So you can get this, then Neutron for just over a hundred quid. Nice![/quote] Damn you Paul and your GAS-inducing good advice! I've been playing with the Neutron demo today - love it - and have now splurged on Nectar Elements and Neutron after reading your tip above. Cheers mate. Saved me around £50 and I have an extra plug-in to boot. Currently waiting for Support at Plugin Boutique to reply with the serial number... [i]*fingers drumming on keyboard*[/i] What I really like about Neutron is how it sort of tackles the old analogue trick of tweaking two EQ dials at once to find the 'sweet spot' between two competing instruments/channels. Very neat. Seems to work best when the EQ is used quite subtley, but I've only just started playing with it. The compressor, exciter and other features seem good too. Means I'm having to reWire from Reason into Ableton, but that's easy peasy. All good!

Kraftwerk... Bridgewater Hall, Manchester... in June 2017! I [i]really[/i] need to sort out a few other gigs before then.

^ Very wise words. Great post.

[quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1475764282' post='3148584'] Good stuff, Paul. Voted and lobbed in a Tweet for free. [/quote] Thanks Garry!

[quote name='thebrig' timestamp='1475754957' post='3148468']I'm retired now and have a fair bit of time on my hands, so this could be my new hobby in my "old git" years.[/quote] Do it! Do it! Do it! Come and say hello in the Recording forum if you need any pointers on how to get started. BC'er Dad3353, another regular in the Rec' forum, took a similar route and started producing music in his retirement. He's now putting together some rather excellent mixes! The learning curve can be a little steep at first but it soon levels out...

I haven't used these guys myself... but they seem to have a consistently good reputation based on what 'research' I've gleaned from reading feedback on other forums: http://www.doctormix.com They've been around for 10+ years and have a solid client list.

Yeah I've got my eye on that too! I'm currently in an online raffle to win a copy... otherwise I might splash some ca$h on it myself. Looks very savvy.

Thanks again folks! Glad you all dig the bass playing. I write mostly electronica and hip hop, but always try to work some 'live' bass into my music whenever possible. Nothing grooves like real strings [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1475660222' post='3147666'] I wonder how much of the Abbey Road charge is for the name, the London location and how much for an excellent mastering engineer and equipment? I still haven't found a mastering plug-in (or set of plugins) that does as good a job or is as simple to use as the TC Finalizer. [/quote] ...that's a good question and one that has cropped up on lots on other forums, such as Gearslutz. The consensus seems to be that: [list] [*]The Abbey Road online service stacks up very favourably against the competition in blind tests - i.e. they do a good job. [*]They have one helluva reputation (and heritage) to maintain and it's something they take very seriously. So they're not in the business of churning out cheap masters on the back of the Abbey Road name. [/list] I was sceptical myself at first but had a big discount with the voucher, so thought 'what the heck, why not?' I gave Sean Magee a brief of what I wanted, we exchanged a few brief messages via their website and within 48 hours he'd returned the finished master. The service includes one round of tweaks/amends for free, but I didn't feel it needed any. As I said, the big difference for me is that he managed to crank up the perceived loudness without it sounding harsh or brittle, something I've always found difficult with my own limited tools (and something that automated services such as LANDR seem to do very badly in my experience). PS: the TC Finaliser still gets mentioned on various gear forums. Seems like a nice bit of kit, although now superseded by plug-ins such as Waves Masters. I don't have either myself, but that seems to be the word from those who speak of such things

Thanks guys! Very kind. The original is very downtempo and whilst I like that sort of thing, I wanted the remix to be a significant 'step away' from it - and I ended up somewhere near disco, as you do The bassline is my best effort to channel the spirit of Bernard Edwards. [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1475651409' post='3147575'] Cool stuff. Pity though you weren't able to use the vocal without that horrible band-pass filter effect on it. What would be interesting for us would be to hear the track as it was before it was mastered so we could see how much the mastering process has changed it? [/quote] Yeah the original stems came very wet and heavy with FX, so I was pretty much stuck with the 'telephone voice'. I'll post up the original mix (pre-master) in this thread once the competition has ended, otherwise I'd be breaching the T&Cs. To my ears the master copy generally sounds very similar, but with a bit more 'thud' in the low end (esp. around the kick drum) and some more 'air' on top. The biggest difference is that it's a lot louder without losing too much of its musicality. By comparison I tried producing my own 'master' using a limiter plug-in and also using the LANDR online service (free trial): both sounded much more harsh and aggressive.

I’ve recently been working on a remix for an online competition… and I had a voucher for a big discount at Abbey Road Studios (from another competition hosted by Sound On Sound. Yeah I like competitions). So I decided to put two and two together and get my track professionally mastered by ‘the best in the business’. And here it is: [b]http://www.indabamusic.com/opportunities/tremble-blur-remix-contest/submissions/080142fa-841b-11e6-804f-0ee9d79f649d[/b] ...click the play button on the avatar picture of Bruce Lee to hear it [url="http://www.abbeyroad.com/engineer/sean-magee"]Sean Magee[/url] was the man responsible for the finished product (him of Beatles Remasters fame) and I’m pleased with how it turned out. My original mix wasn’t perfect - mine never are! - and he did a good job with what I gave him, as you’d expect. Anyway, I thought I’d share it here in case anyone else is curious about Abbey Road’s online mastering service and wanted to hear the results for themselves. I found it all very easy and efficient. Admittedly it’s not something I’d rush out to do again soon, only because I’m a hobbyist and it normally costs £90 +VAT per track! But in this instance and with a discount voucher it was a great experience and something of an honour. [i][b]PS:[/b] the track is a remix of ‘Blur’ by the US band, Tremble (original version [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gv2MpV9oMvk"]here[/url]). Bass played by yours truly - a Stingray for anyone interested. If you like it - and if you can be arsed - then please vote for my remix in the competition; you can vote using Facebook without having to join the website itself. The winners are being selected by a panel of judges, rather than votes, but it’s always nice to feel loved.[/i] Cheers

My hands are never capable of what I hear in my head. One day, I hope to rectify that.