Gotta have synths for writing pop. More so for writing top line vocal melodies. Most of what you hear on the radio is not phrased or sung in a "natural manner". It's actually more like a synth voicing. Listen to Katie Perry or whomever and you will notice Max & Luke & Co. craft disciplined vocal melodies that don't move around a lot. Whole notes are held without a lot of runs or bends. The steps of the melody are very disciplined and timed and phrased to be super rhythmic, its so simple it's difficult. It reminds me of singing a "vocal part". Listen to some of these pop vocal leads acapella and you can hear what's going on and how almost "unnatural" it feels compared to a John Mayer song or something more traditional.
Steve Wolf loves that thing. I think he got turned onto it from Luke who uses all of the TG gear, preamps, limiters. There's a demo of him somewhere for Wade.
Everything he uses is a stock sample, that's what's so amazing. He writes and produces the entire track (much like "Happy") from a three octave keyboard controller sitting in front of ProTools. It shows how creativity overshadows so much else. And he is a great drummer which is the cornerstone of his sound and how he builds tracks.
It hasn't been mentioned here yet but vocal technique goes 1000 miles. I've worked with some great singers and was amazed how they sang consonants and how they even wrote lyrics to avoid sibilance. None of these guys sing words as spoken in conversational English. And they all knew how to properly finish phrases and lyrics without pronouncing a letter "T" etc. Many consonants don't even need to be completely pronounced and the human brain will plug them in.
The problem of sibilance is usually caused by the actual vocal formant, but can also be exaggerated by microphone placement and technique. While it might not be practical to address it at its source during a session with a paying customer, since you are tracking your own vocals you can do that. Read up on some basic vocal information around voiced consonants etc. A lot of guys purposely write lyrics that are more full of vowel sounds that highlight their particular vocal tone, be it Rob Thomas or Chris Stapleton.
One of the most amazing and personal documentaries I've ever seen, it will rip your heart out. What an amazing talent. I never realized how influenced I was by his music. Such a talented player, singer, and songwriter.
God bless him.
Last Edit: Jun 28, 2015 20:34:41 GMT -6 by yotonic
Usually a Plaintiff will send a cease and desist letter. Nobody wants to be paying three lawyers to sue a competitor. I suspect Jeff had some correspondence before this action was filed. Hopefully he can resolve it himself or find an investor who will go "all in".
I've owned all three synths you listed and all three are underwhelming for making music. For about the same price ($1400) you can score a nice Moog Source. There's a big difference going analog and vintage Moog. I've owned a number of vintage Moogs, absolutely no problems with maintenance etc and the sounds just contribute more than any outboard gear to the process of creating songs. Much like an amazing guitar or acoustic piano. Can't go wrong with a 70s/80s Les Paul either. Maybe a Rhodes?
Last Edit: Jun 26, 2015 16:08:13 GMT -6 by yotonic
Pharrell is ridiculously talented. Such an incredible touch with the funky grooves, and none of it grabbed, it's his own style. Love this track, he should have kept it for himself and sang something more commercial over it.
You're right Eric. But over a million in revenue for the first week is pretty good in today's market. I'm sure it cost a pretty penny to fly in Sting and assemble the musicians and folks that were involved with this.
Pop is Cheiron. Try this one, it's in a long lineage of hits. I think this is what you mean by ambient in "pop-speak". The opposite of a tight cracking snare like Harvey Mason on George Benson's "Breezin". Layer this sample with a clap and you basically have the snare from "Lets Dance".
Check out the snare on Patrice Rushen's "Forget Me Nots" if you want to hear another ambient snare that's more 70s/80s.
Jun 22, 2015 19:33:57 GMT -4 Johnkenn said: I'm not usually one to look at the glass half full, but maybe the results of streaming cutting out big budgets will put the emphasis on talented engineers and producers that can still deliver a great product despite all the hindrances.
We are already there. These great producers like Dave Cobb are working out of their houses and can only make a decent living because they are talented enough and hard working enough to do the work of what used to take seven people in the old model. There is no room anymore except for the most talented and if you look at who is still hanging on, they are doing more for less and competing to get what is out there. You want Charlie Peacock? Pick up the phone.
Last Edit: Jun 22, 2015 20:03:04 GMT -6 by yotonic
I have a friend who does some drum programming for Dr. Luke/Katie Perry, and he does the same thing in Pro Tools, enters everything manually even though he's a drummer. But it doesn't take him three weeks. And then again a lot of that stuff is super simple and repetitive, and doesn't sound natural.
Dude - you're on a Pro Audio forum...Great talent is great talent. Duh. I know for a fact that Dave Cobb used a Burl Mothership and every peice of high end harware he could get his hands on to make that record...but I guess it didn't matter.
Including tape. And yes it mattered. And Dave Cobb is a pro making records for a living. It doesn't matter as much for 20 bedroom enthusiasts on GS who don't own more than three mics, other than for the enjoyment of following a hobby seriously. That was who my satire was aimed at, not anyone here. I love my Symphony and hear a huge difference. But realistically it's just for my personal satisfaction in my home demo studio. Anything past a demo I do in a professional studio especially at todays rates, and especially because it takes a lot more than saws, screw guns, and the latest laser level to build a house.
Last Edit: Jun 19, 2015 18:53:00 GMT -6 by yotonic
I worked in radio for awhile. I heard a lot of famous artists come in and sing unplugged. Never have I heard a guy like this who actually sounds better with just a guitar and his voice. Throw his wife into the mix on backups and it's really special. He is blessed with a special voice but there's also a really polished craft in his singing. This is someone I would drive miles to see.
This song would be so much better with a Lavry Gold and Melodyne 8.0 pitch correction.
I think the microphone is a Michael Jolly-Roger modded Shure-Sweiden SM7B. And that guitar sucks because all the finish is worn off and it sounds like it's buzzing when he plays. Not to mention I couldn't recognize any of his lyrics. No "beer", "girl", or "truck" WTF?
Last Edit: Jun 19, 2015 17:02:34 GMT -6 by yotonic
I was going to buy a few of these guitars as an investment when I heard Keith's new song he wrote with Shane Perry and I realized maybe I should get a drum machine instead.
The thing that always drove me crazy about the great converter debate on GS and elsewhere, was "who cares". In all the years of being on that forum I never heard a single track from anyone but a few well known producers that ever made the radio. And in most cases those guys were using average converters but great mics, and most importantly great songs from talented artists. A great song is all anyone cares about, and when the song is great the recording can have all sorts of anomalies and it suddenly becomes "character". I understand the craft of engineering and why converters matter. But most engineers are hunting the great artists not the great converters. The art and the business is about the song, the music. The only people wasting time arguing about converters are enthusiasts. Go make a record life is short.
I owned the Telefunken ELAM 251 reissue and I thought they did an excellent job on it. Really a top notch mic and worth $7k all day long (if it makes sense for someone). Great on vocals, insane on drum overheads. The C12 (in my opinion) doesn't have a comparable reissue, to the original. If you come across a real C12 or great clone the high end can be absolute magic on some vocalists, super musical sweetness and extension. If you have a singer with the right register its the best mic there is for vocals in my opinion. (Marvin Gaye) I have owned a couple of C12 clones and they fell way short from the original in the bottom end extension and pinched a lot.
Here is a conversation on your exact question with David Bock who knows a few things.
Apple's push into the streaming business will likely alter the dynamics of how consumers listen to music as the music industry grapples with declines in downloaded songs and tries to figure out new ways to get people to pay for music.