softcore
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softcore
MemberLemur is the expensive alternative to TouchOSC. It provides a scripting language that can help you design inter-modulated controls and a “physics” engine: imagine an x-y pad where the “touch point” can travel on x and y axis with user defined speed, friction and tension – it can easily create native LFOs.
The app is the continuation of a once dedicated hardware and I totally recommend it! π
MemberMy dream controller would first and foremost be “modular”. I would get to decide how many faders, knobs and buttons it has, how these are placed on the surface, what kind of midi messages it sends and offer the ability to modulate a control with another control (i.e. turning a knob also switches on a button etc. etc).
…..Lemur gets pretty close to it!
MemberI wouldnt keep my breath waiting for the masses to realise that most of these pop DJs dont even DJ and play pre-recorded sets. Most often than not, out of the hundreds of people attending a club, only 10 – 20 people actually pay attention to the what-the-DJs-hands-are-doing-vs-what-sounds-come-out-of-the-speakers equation: and 99% of those 10-20 are also DJs.
Few days ago a highly respected greek techno DJ-producer, Axel Karakassis said to a friend of mine (who was a bit disappointed about his own “mixing” mistakes that night):
– Listen man, are you a good DJ? Yes you are! Do your friends know you are a good DJ? Yes they do! Do, like, 5 or so other people also know it? yes….So what’s your problem? Do you think anyone else notices? Most of the people partying, dont give a flying **** if you are a good Dj – if the music is banging and they have a good time….thats all it matters to them. So stop being so worried and stop being so concerned….”Of course, it may have been just a way to relieve my friend from his “bad” parformance dissapointment (actually wasnt bad at all, he is just too “austere” with himself) but in any case it reveals a lot about how (and at what extend) the “masses” are able to apreciate a good DJ and a good DJing performance.
MemberOk, I think it’s time for some myth-busting (or at least, according to my opinion)
emzero, post: 34395, member: 5708 wrote:
1) Why is that you’re supposed to master your DJ set, adjust volume, compress and limit a little bit if you can’t do that while DJing live? If it sounded good when you played it, wouldn’t it sound just as good when played back somewhere else? Or is it because there’s a big difference in how the set sounds in a club and how it would sound in an ipod or pc speakers? Is that the reason why is it recommended to master it?Today’s electronic music is more often than not over-limited and over-compressed. I really don’t understand all those people who suggest re-compressing and re-processing the whole recorded set. This will result in even less dynamics and less space for the mix to breath. My opinion? Unless you have incorporated live synths – drums sample triggering etc etc not only there is absolutely no need to perform any process on the mix but I’d go far enough to say it’s wrong. It ‘breaks” the “natural” volume-level flow and it results in a “poor” dynamically mix.
Furthermore, there is also a thing called “perceived loudness”. The processes invloved in most of these after-recording-improvements do NOT take acount of the perceived loundness but only the “peak” volume levels. Investigate further on the terms (perceived loudness vs loudness, peak level vs RMS level) and you will understand why this may yield unpleasant results.emzero, post: 34395, member: 5708 wrote:
2) Is it really a common practice to keep the whole mix with the same volume? I mean it is something you need to work really hard? Because as I said, I do like how it sounded, I do like to have some dynamics, that some parts are a little bit quiet, even though there’s a full rolling bass and a kick-snare (psytrance, remember) and save the “high” volume for the really full power parts (after a build up ie).Im with you, and any “sane” person who knows a thing or two about sound and psychoacoustics will also be!
emzero, post: 34395, member: 5708 wrote:
3) Maybe I’m over-thinking stuff as usual because I can notice the volume difference in my bedroom but there is a chance it won’t be noticed the same way in a club when the music is really loud (you can tell better the difference of volume changes when it’s lower than when it’s really loud right?)Chances are the difference will also be noticed in a club too.
Keep in mind a few other things:
1. It has been scientfically discussed and analyzed that a difference lower than 1.5 – 2 dB is generally not noticed – however some people MAY consider the slightly “louder” mix to be more “quality-sound” (louder is better syndrome)2.I advise you to not use Traktor’s autogain feature. The reason is again the very important “perceΞΉved loudness” factor. While Traktor’s autogain looks for peaks to adjust the gain of a track, the perceived loudness of a full-on, overcompressed Umek techno track will sound extremely louder than a minimalistic, hypotonic Steven Campodonico track even if Umek’s “peaks” are lower. In a hypothetic scenario where one track’s peaks are lower than the other, but the first one is over-compressed or produced with lots of elements-sounds, Traktor’s autogain will falsely raise the gain on the first track, making the perceived difference in loudness worse instead of better.
Instead, get to “know” the tracks you usually play and you will soon know ways to balance the “perceived loudness” which many times may also incorporate a boost of low or high frequency instead of just a simple gain change.MemberMostly filtering, reverbs and delays here!
MemberYou got potential – keep at it! π
Member+1 On Mixcloud – having your own website is a big plus but usually you get more listeners via well-known music-content websites like Mixlcoud.
December 15, 2012 at 10:12 am in reply to: How many times should you play certain tunes at a party? #33669MemberAt parties? As others said, once is enough!
MemberAgreed….Its by the end of the week that changes everything! π
Frankly as a beginner, I was somewhat dissapointed when the DAW I was experimenting with was easy – because with this stuff, “easy” often means “guiding”, means “hey I didnt want THIS sound, but it came out oh so easily”….”I just pressed these buttons, tweaked these knobs, and here it is – its not what I had in mind, but it will do”….What happens next, is that you have the hard realisation that its STILL hard to get the sound out of YOUR head into YOUR speakers – and at this, no DAW is easy! Not even the so called user friendly ones!Oh! And another thing! Dont get me wrong – Im not bashing on ANY DAW software! Use what you feel comfortable with – I would never bash any music making software based on my own preferences – its just that I wouldnt advice a beginner to judge what to use by following the “its easier” route!
My no1 advice for anyone looking to dabble
with production(I hate this word), wants to MAKE MUSIC….must first realise how hard it used to be a few decades ago – you needed to invest time and money, be able to play an instrument, know how to write scores etc etc. If you think a proper DAW is hard to get around, maybe you really have to re-define what making music is and how it should be! π Philosophically speaking! πMemberI’ll agree to the opinions implied – You cant go wrong with Cubase (and I dont even use it so dont count me as a “fanboy”). Its a proper DAW – not that Live isnt, but anyways its more production-centric than Live will ever be! π
And generally speaking, I do not agree with the idea that a noob-beginner should start on FL Studio or Live or whatever the “easier” choice “seems” to be. My logic is different: learn a proper, fully-fledged DAW and you ‘ll never have to re-learn anything or adopt your workflow. If you learn your way around on any of the “majors” (Cubase, Sonar, Samplitude, Logic, Pro-Tools) then ANY DAW on the market will be easy for you to pick up.
Trying it the other way around (starting from a “user-friendly” DAW), when time comes to move on you ‘ll have hard time to adjust to the new worklfows.
And frankly, I really dont believe FL Studio or Ableton Live are anymore user friendly than other DAWs – they just have a different workflow and they just make that initial “how do I make a sound with this” step easier – the rest is still as hard as any other DAW.MemberCheck your laptop’s Windows Power schemes – go into the advanced settings and definitely UNTICK the “switch off USB devices to save power” (or smthing like that) setting.
MemberI dont know your system but there is probably a “gain” fader/knob somewhere in your signal path all the way up!
MemberThere is black and there is white! But there’s also grey! I usually have a prepared list and also a mindset of dropping in a few un-planned tunes. When DJing I look around in the place, looking at faces and expressions and the general vibes of the place and improvise-insert unplanned tune! π
MemberKent Sandvik, post: 31356, member: 3967 wrote: Just wanted to state the legal side and what is happening in real life.
Agreed! Only that those two are completely different – the legal side and what’s really happening – whats really happening is thousands of DJs uploading thousands of their mixes, containing millions of tracks mixed! π
MemberIts very nice of you to be concerned and have the will to be downright righteous and fair – but dont get too troubled about it, as others already said! Just use Mixcloud to upload your mixes and share with the world and you’ll be fine! π
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