Prog rock instrumental, sort-of WIP

[Q-9]

Welcome back my friends...

Can I play too? Everyone else seems to be releasing music, so I may as
well join in seeing as I'm just about at a stage where I'm happy with
what I have to be happy with.

This is a symphonic progressive rock instrumental, influenced in style
to a large degree by some of the moody Scandinavian bands of the past
couple of decades.

What's presented here is essentially finished: I feel the writing and
recording for these sections is complete. I'm now content with the mix,
for the time being at least. I daresay I might feel the urge for a few
tweaks here and there if I take a break from it for a few weeks and come
back with fresh ears, or if anybody points out any glaring howlers that
I've become deaf to (quite likely, I'm sure). (Probably why it takes me
ages to get anything finished, ceaseless tweaking!)

But it's a work-in-progress in the sense that I don't know where parts 5
and beyond are going (I have a few ideas). Plus, I've done no
post-processing/mastering beyond using the TAP Scaling Limiter to boost
the level by 6 dB. I'll probably get around to running it through JAMin
at some point to polish it up a bit, unless it turns out to be a turd ;-)



The working title is Lovatnet and so far there are parts 1--4 (in true
prog fashion they will probably end up each with their own titles). I
probably ought to warn that it starts off very quietly but does get a
fair bit louder in places:

FLAC (22.7 MB):
www.quirq.ukfsn.org/Quirq_Lovatnet_pts_1-4_mixdown_26-10-09.flac

OGG-7 (6.6 MB):
www.quirq.ukfsn.org/Quirq_Lovatnet_pts_1-4_mixdown_26-10-09_ogg7.ogg



Some details: recorded in Ardour (three sessions, composited in a
fourth), drums in Hydrogen, a couple of bits of sequencing in Rosegarden
(which for me feels like cheating -- need to face the fact I can't play
as well as I'd like), Sampletekk Black Grand in Qsampler and the pipe
organ is the wonderful Aeolus, lashings and lashings of LADSPA plugins.

I get the feeling it's not a popular sentiment in some corners, but I'm
also incredibly grateful for the likes of Wine and Wine-ASIO, without
which I wouldn't have been able to make this, due to all the commercial,
closed-source, Windows VST instruments plastered everywhere: GForce
M-Tron/M-Tron Pro, NI B4 II, GForce Virtual String Machine, GForce
Oddity, NI Elektrik Piano. Even a freeware pitch correction VST
(GSnap) was used, but not on any vocals! :P

Comments welcome (preferably in 13/8 time!). Enjoy.

Q



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[Julien Claassen]

Hey Q!
   this is great. You got the sound absolutely right. Especially towards the
end of the existing parts. This sounds really like the FloKis (Flower Kings).
Nice use of Aeolus, I always planned to see how it would work in such an
arrangement.
   Nice composition, I'm listening to it again just now. There are some
interesting harmonies and progressions. And those sounds. No I wouldn't say
anything against such sounds, Wine and all. These are really sweet mellotron
samples.
   Only the snare drum sounds out of place there. To canned, to static in its
sound quality. The rest of the drums sound good though. I didn't know, that
there were such good kits for hydrogen, or you just mixed it very handsomely.
   Kindest regards
          Julien

--------
Music was my first love and it will be my last (John Miles)

======== FIND MY WEB-PROJECT AT: ========
http://ltsb.sourceforge.net
the Linux TextBased Studio guide
======= AND MY PERSONAL PAGES AT: =======
http://www.juliencoder.de
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[Q-9]

Julien Claassen wrote:

> Hey Q!
>   this is great. You got the sound absolutely right. Especially towards
> the end of the existing parts. This sounds really like the FloKis
> (Flower Kings). Nice use of Aeolus, I always planned to see how it would
> work in such an arrangement.
>   Nice composition, I'm listening to it again just now. There are some
> interesting harmonies and progressions. And those sounds. No I wouldn't
> say anything against such sounds, Wine and all. These are really sweet
> mellotron samples.
>   Only the snare drum sounds out of place there. To canned, to static in
> its sound quality. The rest of the drums sound good though. I didn't
> know, that there were such good kits for hydrogen, or you just mixed it
> very handsomely.
>   Kindest regards
>          Julien
>
> --------
> Music was my first love and it will be my last (John Miles)
>
> ======== FIND MY WEB-PROJECT AT: ========
> http://ltsb.sourceforge.net
> the Linux TextBased Studio guide
> ======= AND MY PERSONAL PAGES AT: =======
> http://www.juliencoder.de
>

Hi Julien

Thanks for listening and commenting. I really should have been in bed
ages ago (but I've just had an idea or two for where to take it next,
yay). I daresay you're an hour in front of me as well!

You raise many interesting points and I can't really do justice to them
now, so I'll respond properly tomorrow.

Best wishes

Q


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[Julien Claassen]

No Problem, today's fine. I think you're in great Brtain, are you not?
   Amiably yours,
          Julien

--------
Music was my first love and it will be my last (John Miles)

======== FIND MY WEB-PROJECT AT: ========
http://ltsb.sourceforge.net
the Linux TextBased Studio guide
======= AND MY PERSONAL PAGES AT: =======
http://www.juliencoder.de
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[Petter Sundlöf-2]

Very nice work! Reminds me a lot of Änglagård.

Den 2009-10-27 23:17, Q skrev:

> Welcome back my friends...
>
> Can I play too? Everyone else seems to be releasing music, so I may as
> well join in seeing as I'm just about at a stage where I'm happy with
> what I have to be happy with.
>
> This is a symphonic progressive rock instrumental, influenced in style
> to a large degree by some of the moody Scandinavian bands of the past
> couple of decades.
>
> What's presented here is essentially finished: I feel the writing and
> recording for these sections is complete. I'm now content with the mix,
> for the time being at least. I daresay I might feel the urge for a few
> tweaks here and there if I take a break from it for a few weeks and come
> back with fresh ears, or if anybody points out any glaring howlers that
> I've become deaf to (quite likely, I'm sure). (Probably why it takes me
> ages to get anything finished, ceaseless tweaking!)
>
> But it's a work-in-progress in the sense that I don't know where parts 5
> and beyond are going (I have a few ideas). Plus, I've done no
> post-processing/mastering beyond using the TAP Scaling Limiter to boostert
> the level by 6 dB. I'll probably get around to running it through JAMin
> at some point to polish it up a bit, unless it turns out to be a turd ;-)
>
>
>
> The working title is Lovatnet and so far there are parts 1--4 (in true
> prog fashion they will probably end up each with their own titles). I
> probably ought to warn that it starts off very quietly but does get a
> fair bit louder in places:
>
> FLAC (22.7 MB):
> www.quirq.ukfsn.org/Quirq_Lovatnet_pts_1-4_mixdown_26-10-09.flac
>
> OGG-7 (6.6 MB):
> www.quirq.ukfsn.org/Quirq_Lovatnet_pts_1-4_mixdown_26-10-09_ogg7.ogg
>
>
>
> Some details: recorded in Ardour (three sessions, composited in a
> fourth), drums in Hydrogen, a couple of bits of sequencing in Rosegarden
> (which for me feels like cheating -- need to face the fact I can't play
> as well as I'd like), Sampletekk Black Grand in Qsampler and the pipe
> organ is the wonderful Aeolus, lashings and lashings of LADSPA plugins.
>
> I get the feeling it's not a popular sentiment in some corners, but I'm
> also incredibly grateful for the likes of Wine and Wine-ASIO, without
> which I wouldn't have been able to make this, due to all the commercial,
> closed-source, Windows VST instruments plastered everywhere: GForce
> M-Tron/M-Tron Pro, NI B4 II, GForce Virtual String Machine, GForce
> Oddity, NI Elektrik Piano. Even a freeware pitch correction VST
> (GSnap) was used, but not on any vocals! :P
>
> Comments welcome (preferably in 13/8 time!). Enjoy.
>
> Q
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Linux-audio-user mailing list
> Linux-audio-user@...
> http://lists.linuxaudio.org/mailman/listinfo/linux-audio-user

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[Q-9]

Julien Claassen wrote:

> Hey Q!
>   this is great. You got the sound absolutely right. Especially towards
> the end of the existing parts. This sounds really like the FloKis
> (Flower Kings). Nice use of Aeolus, I always planned to see how it would
> work in such an arrangement.
>   Nice composition, I'm listening to it again just now. There are some
> interesting harmonies and progressions. And those sounds. No I wouldn't
> say anything against such sounds, Wine and all. These are really sweet
> mellotron samples.
>   Only the snare drum sounds out of place there. To canned, to static in
> its sound quality. The rest of the drums sound good though. I didn't
> know, that there were such good kits for hydrogen, or you just mixed it
> very handsomely.
>   Kindest regards
>          Julien
>
> --------
> Music was my first love and it will be my last (John Miles)
>
> ======== FIND MY WEB-PROJECT AT: ========
> http://ltsb.sourceforge.net
> the Linux TextBased Studio guide
> ======= AND MY PERSONAL PAGES AT: =======
> http://www.juliencoder.de
>

Hi again Julian

Thanks for listening and I'm glad you like it and thanks for your kind
words.

It's funny you should mention the Flower Kings, as they are probably the
furthest from the bands I had in mind. I've heard a fair amount of their
stuff on internet radio and I didn't find them to my taste,
hyperpolished modern production, remorselessly upbeat and cheerful. I've
always thought that there's a large divide in Scandinavian prog bands,
with the upbeat, cheery bands like FK and Moon Safari on one side and
the remorselessly gloomy or melancholic bands like Änglagård, Anekdoten,
Liquid Scarlet, Sinkadus, White Willow and Wobbler (to name a few, but
not all of those are symphonic prog) at the other extreme, with not much
in the middle.

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the compliment as FK are a talented
bunch, just not to my tastes and not what I had in mind, but it's nice
to be compared to them all the same!

Regarding the harmonies and so on. I was looking for inspiration and
picked up a guitar scale book, deliberately looking for "odd" scales in
order to try something a bit different and "exotic" (to me at least). I
stumbled upon one, which is most odd: it's a major scale but it doesn't
sound it and it seems to lend itself to a lot of strange harmonies,
especially ones with tritones. I'm no theorist so it's not easy for me
to explain, suffice to say that I really liked the sound and it sparked
off many ideas (although I've still not used the very first one yet!).
It seems to be known by a few different names including double harmonic,
Arabic and Byzantine, although Part 4 actually uses the Phrygian
dominant apparently -- the same scale but with a flattened 7th.

All the Tron sounds are the fantastic GForce M-Tron (and its successor
M-Tron Pro) VST instrument. The original just plays one Tron sound at
once without any bells and whistles, the Pro allows two tape banks to be
layered and also has filter and amp ADSR envelopes, a delay and ensemble
effects and so on. Most of the time I just use the sounds as they are
without messing about with all the trimmings much. The Pro also has a
few instruments looped, but I won't use those for the sake of
authenticity. There are loads of tape banks, they even somehow managed
to find a few new ones for the Pro and there are samples of related
devices like the Chamberlin, Birotron and Optigan as well.

The M-Tron Pro with its two layers, envelopes etc is based on the GForce
Virtual String Machine, which is samples of the sound generators from
analogue string machines like the Eminent, Freeman, Logan, Solina etc --
another lovely VSTi if you're into that sort of thing.

If any Tron geeks are interested, I used: the famous Mk II violins,
cello, male choir, boys' choir, mixed brass, sound effects bank 2 (for
the water, birdsong and tolling church bell at the start of part 3),
female choir, double bass, augmented 8 choir and violin orchestra.

The drum sounds are an expansion pack for Native Instruments' Battery
drum module, called Studio Drums. Although it's designed for Battery the
samples are all WAV files that can be used in Hydrogen. There are
samples from five different kits, plus three additional large sets of
toms, 11 chromatic snares to choose from and so on. I mixed and matched
from different ones to build the kit and sound I wanted.

About the snare: I compressed it pretty heavily to get the snap and
crack that I wanted (in addition to EQ as well) and perhaps I've rather
overdone it. I'll have to see whether I can back off the compression to
improve the dynamics without losing the sharp crack.

Sorry for the overly long reply!

Best wishes

Q

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[Q-9]

Petter Sundlöf wrote:
> Very nice work! Reminds me a lot of Änglagård.
>

Many thanks for listening, I'm really glad you enjoyed it.

Wow, someone who's heard of the mighty Änglagård! That's a real
compliment -- they are my favourite band and were at the top of the list
of "moody Scandinavian bands" that I had in mind.

Thanks again,

Q

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[Folderol]

On Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:17:35 +0000
Q <lists@...> wrote:

> Welcome back my friends...
>
> Can I play too? Everyone else seems to be releasing music, so I may as
> well join in seeing as I'm just about at a stage where I'm happy with
> what I have to be happy with.
>
> This is a symphonic progressive rock instrumental, influenced in style
> to a large degree by some of the moody Scandinavian bands of the past
> couple of decades.
>
> What's presented here is essentially finished: I feel the writing and
> recording for these sections is complete. I'm now content with the mix,
> for the time being at least. I daresay I might feel the urge for a few
> tweaks here and there if I take a break from it for a few weeks and come
> back with fresh ears, or if anybody points out any glaring howlers that
> I've become deaf to (quite likely, I'm sure). (Probably why it takes me
> ages to get anything finished, ceaseless tweaking!)
>
> But it's a work-in-progress in the sense that I don't know where parts 5
> and beyond are going (I have a few ideas). Plus, I've done no
> post-processing/mastering beyond using the TAP Scaling Limiter to boost
> the level by 6 dB. I'll probably get around to running it through JAMin
> at some point to polish it up a bit, unless it turns out to be a turd ;-)
>
>
>
> The working title is Lovatnet and so far there are parts 1--4 (in true
> prog fashion they will probably end up each with their own titles). I
> probably ought to warn that it starts off very quietly but does get a
> fair bit louder in places:
>
> FLAC (22.7 MB):
> www.quirq.ukfsn.org/Quirq_Lovatnet_pts_1-4_mixdown_26-10-09.flac
>
> OGG-7 (6.6 MB):
> www.quirq.ukfsn.org/Quirq_Lovatnet_pts_1-4_mixdown_26-10-09_ogg7.ogg
>
>
>
> Some details: recorded in Ardour (three sessions, composited in a
> fourth), drums in Hydrogen, a couple of bits of sequencing in Rosegarden
> (which for me feels like cheating -- need to face the fact I can't play
> as well as I'd like), Sampletekk Black Grand in Qsampler and the pipe
> organ is the wonderful Aeolus, lashings and lashings of LADSPA plugins.
>
> I get the feeling it's not a popular sentiment in some corners, but I'm
> also incredibly grateful for the likes of Wine and Wine-ASIO, without
> which I wouldn't have been able to make this, due to all the commercial,
> closed-source, Windows VST instruments plastered everywhere: GForce
> M-Tron/M-Tron Pro, NI B4 II, GForce Virtual String Machine, GForce
> Oddity, NI Elektrik Piano. Even a freeware pitch correction VST
> (GSnap) was used, but not on any vocals! :P
>
> Comments welcome (preferably in 13/8 time!). Enjoy.
>
> Q

Al though the music I'm most comfortable with is fairly 'mainstream' I
did in fact very much enjoy this. There were a lot of (to me)
unexpected changes but that didn't jar as I've found it does with some
compositions. Very much liked the changes in sound texture and the
dynamics.

--
Will J Godfrey
http://www.musically.me.uk
Say you have a poem and I have a tune.
Exchange them and we can both have a poem, a tune, and a song.
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[Q-9]

Folderol wrote:

> Al though the music I'm most comfortable with is fairly 'mainstream' I
> did in fact very much enjoy this. There were a lot of (to me)
> unexpected changes but that didn't jar as I've found it does with some
> compositions. Very much liked the changes in sound texture and the
> dynamics.
>

Thanks for listening, especially as it's a bit outside your comfort
zone: that means a lot then that you enjoyed it so much -- I'm glad.

"Unexpected changes" is good and not jarring is even better :-)

I have worried a bit about the transitions, I often see reviews
criticising particular "epic" prog tracks because the band has strung
together a load of segments that don't really go that well together,
with no cohesion or sense of... well, progression I suppose!

I guess there's a fine line between keeping things surprising yet
coherent and them being shocking and not really working because several
disparate ideas have been forced together at gunpoint. I suppose jarring
is good if that's the intention -- I was aiming for unexpected but
unjarring and it seems like I succeeded.

Thanks again.

Best wishes

Q
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[Q-9]

Sorry for replying to myself...

I'm going to post the track elsewhere and I stand a better chance of it
being listened to by that crowd in MP3 rather than FLAC or OGG -- I
thought I'd share the link here in case it was of any interest to anyone:

www.quirq.ukfsn.org/Quirq_Lovatnet_pts1-4_mixdown_26-10-09.mp3

It's 224 kbps, 7.2 MB.

Q wrote:
> [SNIP]
>
> FLAC (22.7 MB):
> www.quirq.ukfsn.org/Quirq_Lovatnet_pts_1-4_mixdown_26-10-09.flac
>
> OGG-7 (6.6 MB):
> www.quirq.ukfsn.org/Quirq_Lovatnet_pts_1-4_mixdown_26-10-09_ogg7.ogg
>
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[Jonathan Gazeley]

I really enjoyed this. I'm a classical organist, although also a fan of
Yes. The transitions were good and I enjoyed the organ part.

The one thing that struck me is that the organ doesn't seem to have much
of a reverb. Of course the style of that section is "choppy" but I think
it would be interesting to have the other instruments stop dead and the
organ continue reverberating for a while, as if recorded in a cathedral.

Good work!
Jonathan

----------------------------
Jonathan Gazeley
Systems Support Specialist
ResNet | Wireless&  VPN Team
Information Services
University of Bristol
----------------------------



On 10/27/2009 10:17 PM, Q wrote:

> Welcome back my friends...
>
> Can I play too? Everyone else seems to be releasing music, so I may as
> well join in seeing as I'm just about at a stage where I'm happy with
> what I have to be happy with.
>
> This is a symphonic progressive rock instrumental, influenced in style
> to a large degree by some of the moody Scandinavian bands of the past
> couple of decades.
>
> What's presented here is essentially finished: I feel the writing and
> recording for these sections is complete. I'm now content with the mix,
> for the time being at least. I daresay I might feel the urge for a few
> tweaks here and there if I take a break from it for a few weeks and come
> back with fresh ears, or if anybody points out any glaring howlers that
> I've become deaf to (quite likely, I'm sure). (Probably why it takes me
> ages to get anything finished, ceaseless tweaking!)
>
> But it's a work-in-progress in the sense that I don't know where parts 5
> and beyond are going (I have a few ideas). Plus, I've done no
> post-processing/mastering beyond using the TAP Scaling Limiter to boost
> the level by 6 dB. I'll probably get around to running it through JAMin
> at some point to polish it up a bit, unless it turns out to be a turd ;-)
>
>
>
> The working title is Lovatnet and so far there are parts 1--4 (in true
> prog fashion they will probably end up each with their own titles). I
> probably ought to warn that it starts off very quietly but does get a
> fair bit louder in places:
>
> FLAC (22.7 MB):
> www.quirq.ukfsn.org/Quirq_Lovatnet_pts_1-4_mixdown_26-10-09.flac
>
> OGG-7 (6.6 MB):
> www.quirq.ukfsn.org/Quirq_Lovatnet_pts_1-4_mixdown_26-10-09_ogg7.ogg
>
>
>
> Some details: recorded in Ardour (three sessions, composited in a
> fourth), drums in Hydrogen, a couple of bits of sequencing in Rosegarden
> (which for me feels like cheating -- need to face the fact I can't play
> as well as I'd like), Sampletekk Black Grand in Qsampler and the pipe
> organ is the wonderful Aeolus, lashings and lashings of LADSPA plugins.
>
> I get the feeling it's not a popular sentiment in some corners, but I'm
> also incredibly grateful for the likes of Wine and Wine-ASIO, without
> which I wouldn't have been able to make this, due to all the commercial,
> closed-source, Windows VST instruments plastered everywhere: GForce
> M-Tron/M-Tron Pro, NI B4 II, GForce Virtual String Machine, GForce
> Oddity, NI Elektrik Piano. Even a freeware pitch correction VST
> (GSnap) was used, but not on any vocals! :P
>
> Comments welcome (preferably in 13/8 time!). Enjoy.
>
> Q

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[Rob Kudla-2]

On Tuesday 27 October 2009 06:17 pm, Q wrote:
> FLAC (22.7 MB):
> www.quirq.ukfsn.org/Quirq_Lovatnet_pts_1-4_mixdown_26-10-09.flac
> OGG-7 (6.6 MB):
> www.quirq.ukfsn.org/Quirq_Lovatnet_pts_1-4_mixdown_26-10-09_ogg7.ogg

This is probably as close to my preferred genre as anyone's ever posted to
LAU, and it's very nicely done.  Once again it makes me rethink whether
it's practical to try to record prog rock using only free software, since
it's so dependent upon a certain palette of sounds that's amply covered
under Windows but not as easy to come by under Linux.  I have some crunchy
Mellotron samples I like, but certainly nothing like M-tron.  But what
struck me most after the Mellotrons was how good the organ sounded, so
maybe there's hope.

I know you think it sounds unpolished, but I actually find glossy,
overproduced stuff to be kind of wearing, especially when it has a big,
symphonic arrangement.  Hope to hear the rest of it someday.

And while I haven't listened to that much Scandinavian prog, I like
Anglagard better than Flower Kings too.  

Rob

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[Viktor Mastoridis]

Yes, I join the chorus of the others in enjoying this piece of Prog rock. The organs are really amazing, as well as the sound of the acoustic guitar - nice and clean and natural.

I personally like the 'eastern' hint in the melody and the attention to detail in the structure and performance of the composition. Nothing is left to chance (I like formality in music, I guess:-)

What I only personally miss is in the production domain (I downloaded the flac) - it seems to me that there are not enough low frequencies in the overall mix - I don't know how were you doing the master track, but more bass presence (50-250hz) would give a warmer as well as more contemporary feeling, I believe.


--
Viktor Mastoridis
Music-o-Graph
& Educator
www.MediTera.Co.Uk

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[Q-9]

6c62 wrote:

> Hi Q,
>
> (can't post to the list, currently, that's why just to you). Thanks a
> lot for posting the first "proggy" tune to the list, since Im subscribed
> (~ 1 year)!
>
> Q schrieb:
>> This is a symphonic progressive rock instrumental, influenced in style
>> to a large degree by some of the moody Scandinavian bands of the past
>> couple of decades.
>>
>> But it's a work-in-progress in the sense that I don't know where parts 5
>> and beyond are going (I have a few ideas).
>>
> Please continue! I'm really interested in where this is going.
> Personally, I'd expect this to go on as "real rock": Pull up the
> distortion, create a cool riff, and rush on. That's what my ear expected
> to hear, wenn the song ended.
>
>> Comments welcome (preferably in 13/8 time!). Enjoy.
>>
> I prefer 15/8, actually. ;)
>
> Best regards,
> Lutz
>

Hi Lutz

Thanks for listening and commenting, hope you don't mind me pinging my
reply via the list as well.

I'm glad you like it. I plan on diving back in, but be warned I'm a very
slow worker -- being a frustrated perfectionist is no help in getting
things done quickly either :D

I've posted this over on the KVR Audio forum as well and someone there
suggested going into a heavier, more rocking section. Sadly, the two
loud sections are probably about as heavy as I get -- there will be
further loud/heavyish segments but none more loud (my 11 is too quiet!).
I also have a bit of an aversion to straightahead/"real" rock. You have
made me think, though, that a loud section might be a wise move, going
loud/loud rather than always alternating loud/quiet.

I was really pleased at how smoothly and natural-feeling the 13/8
section turned out. Ever since I learnt what a buchimish was (it's a
Bulgarian dance), I've wanted to do something in that rhythm. It's
actually 15/16 time rather than 15/8: 2+2+2+2+3+2+2, or as I count
things taka taka taka taka takita taka taka

Thanks again.

Best wishes

Q
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[Tapani Sysimetsä-2]

Q wrote:
> www.quirq.ukfsn.org/Quirq_Lovatnet_pts_1-4_mixdown_26-10-09.flac
>
> OGG-7 (6.6 MB):
> www.quirq.ukfsn.org/Quirq_Lovatnet_pts_1-4_mixdown_26-10-09_ogg7.ogg
>
>  

Pheew.. amazing! Thanks for sharing.

Tapani
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[Q-9]

Hi Jonathan

Thanks for listening and commenting, I'm glad you enjoyed it. Given your
background, by organ part I'll assume you're referring to the pipe organ
rather than the earlier Hammond ;-)

I think Aeolus is one of Linux audio's hidden treasures. I'm not an
organist, but to my ears it sounds utterly convincing and being
synthesized is so lightweight to use. I have problems with it not always
starting the first time (like my classic cars!) but once it does I have
so much fun with it.

I had to cheat though: after widdling around I had to sequence it in
Rosegarden and employ some pretty tortuous midi routing to be able to
get two manuals and pedals and played well/strictly enough that that
section demanded.

Originally I recorded it wet using the in-built reverb in Aeolus, but
ended up recording a take completely dry so I had more freedom over the
reverb.

I use the old technique of two reverbs, to which are sent varying
amounts of each track -- one very, very short reverb (or ambience) to
glue everything together to sound like they were recorded together, then
a longer one for a sense of space, the traditional use of reverb.

Using large amounts of the long reverb (large plate HD in TAP
Reverberator) made the organ sound great but too distant, not the right
amount of presence that I wanted.

So instead I gave it it's own 'verb (Cathedral HD) so it stands out a
bit more, sounding to be in a different "space" to everything else (bits
of Goblin I've heard are like this, you can hear the space the organ was
recorded in and it's entirely different to the rest of the band). I did
want to give it big dollops of reverb, but I am concerned not to
overwhelm the much quieter Odyssey parts.

Maybe if I experiment carefully with the amount of reverb to make it
bigger but keeping an ear out that it doesn't drown out the synth. I
wonder what is likely to be best: just up the wet level, up the wet
level whilst shortening the reverb time, or lengthen the reverb time and
lower the wet level -- anyone got any suggestions?

I have this urge now to go and fire up Amarok and listen to some Yes :D

Thanks again,

Q

Jonathan Gazeley wrote:

> I really enjoyed this. I'm a classical organist, although also a fan of
> Yes. The transitions were good and I enjoyed the organ part.
>
> The one thing that struck me is that the organ doesn't seem to have much
> of a reverb. Of course the style of that section is "choppy" but I think
> it would be interesting to have the other instruments stop dead and the
> organ continue reverberating for a while, as if recorded in a cathedral.
>
> Good work!
> Jonathan
>
> ----------------------------
> Jonathan Gazeley
> Systems Support Specialist
> ResNet | Wireless&  VPN Team
> Information Services
> University of Bristol
> ----------------------------

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[Fons Adriaensen-2]

On Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 04:03:22PM +0000, Q wrote:

> I think Aeolus is one of Linux audio's hidden treasures. I'm not an
> organist, but to my ears it sounds utterly convincing and being
> synthesized is so lightweight to use. I have problems with it not always
> starting the first time (like my classic cars!) but once it does I have
> so much fun with it.

I'd like to know what exactly happens if Aeolus 'doesn't start the
first time'... It's not supposed to have its own mind like your cars...

Ciao,

--
FA
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[Robert Jonsson]

Hi,

Prog may not be my cup of tea.. but it was very cool stuff, enjoyed it immensely. I understand that it takes a while for you, there's a lot of detail :)

I thought it ended a bit abruptly, then I read that there's a piece missing. Do complete it ;)

Regards,
Robert

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[Q-9]

Robert Jonsson wrote:

> Hi,
>
> Prog may not be my cup of tea.. but it was very cool stuff, enjoyed it
> immensely. I understand that it takes a while for you, there's a lot of
> detail :)
>
> I thought it ended a bit abruptly, then I read that there's a piece
> missing. Do complete it ;)
>
> Regards,
> Robert
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> Linux-audio-user mailing list
> Linux-audio-user@...
> http://lists.linuxaudio.org/mailman/listinfo/linux-audio-user

Hi Robert

Thanks for listening and for commenting, as I said to Will earlier,
especially so if the genre's not really your cup of tea. It's very
gratifying that people who don't normally listen to the genre are
enjoying it.

I just hope that doesn't mean I really fall in either the prog-related,
or shudder to think, neo-progressive sub-genres :-O (sorry, couldn't
resist an insider joke aimed at the many sub-genres of prog and politics
surrounding them! Normal service will be resumed).

I guess the detail doesn't help, spending a lot of time on small
details. But part of the issue with my speed of working could be cured
by stopping buying new equipment.

I finally bought myself a semi-decent acoustic guitar last summer, so I
had to re-record the opening acoustic guitar part. I then bought a
12-string not long after, so had to add some parts (so quiet that
probably no-one else hears them!). I then got around to finally buying a
decent sampled piano when I got Qsampler working, had to re-record the
piano part with that. I bought a new bass at the beginning of the
month... you guessed it!

I enjoy the process way too much. I sometimes wish I were a bit more
goal-orientated :D

Thanks again.

Kind regards

Q
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[Q-9]

fons@... wrote:

> On Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 04:03:22PM +0000, Q wrote:
>
>> I think Aeolus is one of Linux audio's hidden treasures. I'm not an
>> organist, but to my ears it sounds utterly convincing and being
>> synthesized is so lightweight to use. I have problems with it not always
>> starting the first time (like my classic cars!) but once it does I have
>> so much fun with it.
>
> I'd like to know what exactly happens if Aeolus 'doesn't start the
> first time'... It's not supposed to have its own mind like your cars...
>
> Ciao,
>

Hi

Of course, sorry, how thoughtless of me not to feed back information to
you. To be honest, I've always assumed that it due to user error.

Starting Aeolus in a terminal (I normally run it from a menu, I assume
that makes no difference besides getting more info from the terminal?)
it says:

 > Connected to JACK with 0 inputs and 2 outputs.
 > Reading '/usr/share/aeolus/stops/Aeolus/definition'
 > Reading '/home/spitfire/.aeolus-presets'
 > Segmentation fault

Synaptic tells me I have version 0.6.6+2-4 and Stops 0.3.0-1. I'm
running Ubuntu Studio 8.04 (downloading 9.10 as I type).

If you need more verbose output, you'll have to tell me what to do as
I'm still rather newbish in certain areas, even after 5 years of running
Linux!

And I wish someone had told Triumph and bloody British Leyland back in
the 70s that cars aren't supposed to have minds of their own :D

Regards

Q
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