For fans of classic synthesizer music
Discussion
Between 1973 & 1987 Tangerine Dream provided the soundtrack of my life, producing IMO some of the most wonderful music ever.
They're probably the main reason I got into synths and producing my own music.
Anyway I've recorded some music inspired by them, this particular piece tries to incorporate elements from that entire period rolled into a big 18 minute electronic prog-opus.
I've put the music to a kind of TD tribute vid on YT
If you like this sort of sound, let me know what you think:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FR6OBELUXU
They're probably the main reason I got into synths and producing my own music.
Anyway I've recorded some music inspired by them, this particular piece tries to incorporate elements from that entire period rolled into a big 18 minute electronic prog-opus.
I've put the music to a kind of TD tribute vid on YT
If you like this sort of sound, let me know what you think:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FR6OBELUXU
I'm currently working on a one hour long concept album inspired by the likes of Schulze, Jarre, etc. I've composed the first 20 minutes. As I'm doing all of this in the tiny spare room of a rented house (hence I can't do anything to sort out the acoustics and have to keep the noise down because of the neighbours) I'll be looking for a studio with a Logic Pro expert who can help me get the sound right once it's finished. Anyway, I see you're in Leeds - so am I. Do you know of any local studios that might possess such a producer/engineer, where I can roll-up with my MacBook Pro, get it sounding great, save the arrangement, and then bugger off home with it again?
I enjoyed that a lot. I saw TD more than once in the late 70's including the Laser show around 1980. I've recently been re-discovering a few other synth pioneers including Soft Machine and Tonto's Expanding Head Band.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ec8BGEb7_iA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ec8BGEb7_iA
qube_TA said:
Hi,
I mixed/mastered this myself so haven't ever paid for someone to do it for me sorry.
However if you want me to take a look at your stuff I'd be happy to, I use Logic 9 in all my productions also.
What you've achieved is stunning. Did you study music technology/production/sound engineering/etc? All of my dubious musical abilities are self-taught and are full of skill gaps which manifest themselves most obviously in the quality of my mixing. I've not even got as far as mastering yet - I wouldn't know where to start with that!I mixed/mastered this myself so haven't ever paid for someone to do it for me sorry.
However if you want me to take a look at your stuff I'd be happy to, I use Logic 9 in all my productions also.
I'm using Logic Pro 8 at the moment. They don't seem to do an upgrade to 9 - you have to buy the whole lot again! Hopefully I'll have the album finished by the end of March - It would be great if you could have a look at it when it's done. I could do with some help in achieving a lovely clean mix and getting it mastered too.
MitchT said:
qube_TA said:
Hi,
I mixed/mastered this myself so haven't ever paid for someone to do it for me sorry.
However if you want me to take a look at your stuff I'd be happy to, I use Logic 9 in all my productions also.
What you've achieved is stunning. Did you study music technology/production/sound engineering/etc? All of my dubious musical abilities are self-taught and are full of skill gaps which manifest themselves most obviously in the quality of my mixing. I've not even got as far as mastering yet - I wouldn't know where to start with that!I mixed/mastered this myself so haven't ever paid for someone to do it for me sorry.
However if you want me to take a look at your stuff I'd be happy to, I use Logic 9 in all my productions also.
I'm using Logic Pro 8 at the moment. They don't seem to do an upgrade to 9 - you have to buy the whole lot again! Hopefully I'll have the album finished by the end of March - It would be great if you could have a look at it when it's done. I could do with some help in achieving a lovely clean mix and getting it mastered too.
Let me know when you're ready and I'll take a look.
I write in quite a linear way, on this one the analog sequences were programmed by Graham first, I'm not sure on his process, he sends me through multiple, multi-track recordings, these provide the rhythm section for a piece and usually the inspiration. I'll review these and decide which ones could work, I play by ear so if I've heard something that sounds good I can usually think of which patches and what sort of mood could work quite quickly, I then spend a week or so jamming to work out an initial chord structure.
A lot of ambient/synth music doesn't really do anything interesting, it just exists for a bit then fades which I think is lazy and dull, I like big long prog tracks but want them to stay interesting from start to finish so I work out different sections from the intro, the build whilst it establishes itself, the climb to the peak where it gets nicely overblown and the slow tear down and ending.
I play everything by hand on the keyboards and don't key in notes into the computer as I want the music to sound more like a performance, the slightly looser timing for me makes it more real and natural. I use the computer more as a big multi-track recorder, once everything is in then it's all edited, mixed and the automation programmed.
As it's coming together I send the demos over to Graham for review, he eventually redoes the sequences so they fit better with what I've added, the whole thing is then spliced back together.
I play the music to death, as I'm listening to them it's usually obvious what works, what doesn't and what could be added. I repeat that process until I'm happy that it's all good then I spend a couple of weeks mixing it and making it all sound right.
Once we're both happy that it's finished and that it's good it's added to the album, once there's enough material the running order is worked out, tracks will be tweaked to make them work together better, transition sections added etc. We then send it to a few friends and radio people we know for review to add some QA, if it's all thumbs up then we'll put it out.
I think the track above took about 6 weeks to write and record and the album 7 months.
A lot of ambient/synth music doesn't really do anything interesting, it just exists for a bit then fades which I think is lazy and dull, I like big long prog tracks but want them to stay interesting from start to finish so I work out different sections from the intro, the build whilst it establishes itself, the climb to the peak where it gets nicely overblown and the slow tear down and ending.
I play everything by hand on the keyboards and don't key in notes into the computer as I want the music to sound more like a performance, the slightly looser timing for me makes it more real and natural. I use the computer more as a big multi-track recorder, once everything is in then it's all edited, mixed and the automation programmed.
As it's coming together I send the demos over to Graham for review, he eventually redoes the sequences so they fit better with what I've added, the whole thing is then spliced back together.
I play the music to death, as I'm listening to them it's usually obvious what works, what doesn't and what could be added. I repeat that process until I'm happy that it's all good then I spend a couple of weeks mixing it and making it all sound right.
Once we're both happy that it's finished and that it's good it's added to the album, once there's enough material the running order is worked out, tracks will be tweaked to make them work together better, transition sections added etc. We then send it to a few friends and radio people we know for review to add some QA, if it's all thumbs up then we'll put it out.
I think the track above took about 6 weeks to write and record and the album 7 months.
I see. It sounds like a method that makes sense to me. At the moment, I play about with my digital piano, making a note of things then put it into the software, though. I have no problem with faster stuff; it's the much slower stuff that I find hard to "visualise" as an entire piece.
I'm not too keen on the idea of recording myself playing live - I make a lot of mistakes.
Scary the amount of time one track takes to make.
I'm not too keen on the idea of recording myself playing live - I make a lot of mistakes.
Scary the amount of time one track takes to make.
Qube
Excellent - well done, I'm about to get out all my original Vinyl TD and KS albums, I have all up to late 80's and they ain't be played for 20+ years, don't know how I forgot about them, Maybe the early 90's Industrial Metal scene changed my music listening preferences.
Once again well done
Excellent - well done, I'm about to get out all my original Vinyl TD and KS albums, I have all up to late 80's and they ain't be played for 20+ years, don't know how I forgot about them, Maybe the early 90's Industrial Metal scene changed my music listening preferences.
Once again well done
Anything pre 1987 is generally good but older stuff is better. Post 87 is IMO a bit naff (they split and the founder carried on, on his own and it shows)
They've been around a long time and their sound has changed a lot over that period.
If I had to pick 1 album to start off with then I'd suggest Tangram, but for a more complete answer:
From the 70's I'd suggest:
Rubycon (dark, subtle & spacey often regarded as one of their best)
Ricochet (big fat analog synth fest, this was back when they would improvise their live sets, my track above is heavily inspired by this)
Stratosfear (could be early Pink Floyd, was the first time they'd properly sat down and composed something, I love it)
Force Majeure (prog rock, live drums, lots of guitars and piano, stunning).
From the 80's:
Tangram (a lot softer sound much stronger musically than earlier stuff)
Logos & Poland (TD really pioneered and mastered the use of the analog step-sequencer, they developed a very big prog-sound that has never been equalled, if you like lots of Jupiter 8's and whatnot then these are the best there is).
Live Miles (Before they split they did one stunning record with two 20 minute tracks on each side, they were moving much more towards an almost classical sound, musically and compositionally I think it's possibly their strongest, however the big Moogs and step-sequencers of before are largely gone.
They've been around a long time and their sound has changed a lot over that period.
If I had to pick 1 album to start off with then I'd suggest Tangram, but for a more complete answer:
From the 70's I'd suggest:
Rubycon (dark, subtle & spacey often regarded as one of their best)
Ricochet (big fat analog synth fest, this was back when they would improvise their live sets, my track above is heavily inspired by this)
Stratosfear (could be early Pink Floyd, was the first time they'd properly sat down and composed something, I love it)
Force Majeure (prog rock, live drums, lots of guitars and piano, stunning).
From the 80's:
Tangram (a lot softer sound much stronger musically than earlier stuff)
Logos & Poland (TD really pioneered and mastered the use of the analog step-sequencer, they developed a very big prog-sound that has never been equalled, if you like lots of Jupiter 8's and whatnot then these are the best there is).
Live Miles (Before they split they did one stunning record with two 20 minute tracks on each side, they were moving much more towards an almost classical sound, musically and compositionally I think it's possibly their strongest, however the big Moogs and step-sequencers of before are largely gone.
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