Hi. Steve, brilliant response. I'm in the process of setting up a new website to both promote my own music and the new venture I'm setting up, Karmistry Media. Part of Karmistry media is likely to be offering this type of service, time permitting. Cheers Darren If you like electronic, ambient, new age or atmospheric music, become a fan of The Karmistry Project on Facebook... http://facebook.karmistryproject.com You can also follow Karmistry Media on Twitter... http://www.twitter.com/Karmistrymedia ----- Original Message ----- From: Steve Wicketts To: ddtots Sent: Friday, April 23, 2010 10:04 AM Subject: [ddots-l] Re: [ddots-l] Re: [ddots-l] Raúl Midón Hi Jim, Raúl Midón is obviously a very accomplished vocalist - musician who has recorded using real instruments played by other very accomplished musicians. If you listen closely each instrument allows the other instruments room to breathe, it's all about the quality of the sound of the instruments, musical arrangement and production. Raúl Midón and the musicians and producer have done a beautiful job. Jim you maybe doing what I use to do, crowding the mix with as many sounds as possible. My music used to be not the wall of sound, more like the wall of noise. I'm able to write and arrange a little better these days, but can't produce without advice from people who understand production. Darren Hartland from this list is very good at spotting what is missing or maybe needed in production. I recently sent a project to Darren so he could take a listen. Darren noticed that the bass guitar was lacking depth so I soloed the bass guitar and started looking at EQ, Compressors and possible Bass chorus to enhance the sound. isolating one sound and improving it, can take time to find what is needed to enhance the overall sound of the song. It's like one face of the rubik cube, you may want three yellow, three red, and three orange. creating that combination just takes patients and time. I think that the secret is, 1: choose your sounds carefully, better to have a few quality instruments arrange well than crowd a mix with 15 weak sounding instruments. 2: think carefully about how each instrument is played. If it's a virtual guitar, no good having seven note chords, also the lower guitar strings would not usually be played using major or minor thirds. Horns are more realistic sounding if you have an instrument per horn rather than a preset stack. Trombone, Tenor sax and trumpet one octave apart from each other are very affective for brass stabs. Having each horn as a separate instrument also gives you more control over the level of each instrument. Think like a drummer, don't have cymbal open high hat, bass drum and tom playing at the same time, this would take three hands. real sounding strings always work better with say intervals first note, fifth note and tenth note. synth strings are warm and work on all chord types. 3: choose effects carefully, example, Sonitus Modulator, Hollow or Hollow man preset on a virtual guitar can sometimes be very affective. Jim, why not post something you've done, there are many people on this list whose knowledge of music arrangement is weigh beyond mine and I'm sure they'll give advice on how to improve your songs production. Just for the record, Raúl Midón I believe would be in the top 5 people on this list for production at that level. I personally don't get that kind of production. Steve W ----- Original Message ----- From: Jim Jackson To: ddots-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent: Friday, April 23, 2010 6:18 AM Subject: [ddots-l] Re: [ddots-l] Raúl Midón Indeed, and I wish I could come close to having such a professional sounding product...Which brings me to this point, if anybody is willing to give some tutorials over, (I guess skype), that would really get me going in the right direction with perfecting my audio recordings, I would be willing to rob the piggie bank and pay for services. If so, please me contact me off list. Thanks ----- Original Message ----- From: Steve Wicketts To: ddtots Sent: Wednesday, April 21, 2010 6:54 PM Subject: [ddots-l] Raúl Midón Hi Bill, What a talented and polished performer, love the feel on Raúl Midón's songs. Steve W __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 5048 (20100421) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 5049 (20100422) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.733 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2827 - Release Date: 04/21/10 14:31:00 __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 5051 (20100422) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com