Helix: Help Wanted Please!

[Wyatt]

Helix

I have been studying Reason’s Malstrom Synthesizer, and have a track I really enjoy, but I kind of stalled out on this one.

The problem is that I went about this totally backwards for me. I had decided, for a change of pace, to do a song with just keys..no guitars..no congas.

So, without even considering a drum track,  I just jumped right in on the keyboard, and it is such a dominant track that I am having trouble getting anything else to go with it that actually improves  to it.

I have done a strings track and a saw lead track. They go with it, but  in the end, they actually subtract from the clarity of this, so after three days of working on it, I threw out those tracks.

Whew! Now what??

I was hoping that y’all might have some suggestions for me.

Is it evocative for you? ..What does this make you think of? 

Can you think of any ideas for tracks that might go with this, or is it time to take it out back and shoot it?? 

Anybody want to do something with this, you are certainly welcome to. 

Thanks in advance.



Wyatt

[elwoodblues1969]

Wyatt,

The melodies are interesting enough,so there would be no problem for me to spawn ideas from it,but the one obstacle for me,would be the couple of timing errors in the mid section-which would prevent me from syncing up to it as is.

There are certainly ways around this though,as I could remove a small section of the middle,and then cut,paste & link the two ends together.

If you would like me in on this,I could give it a whirl-if you want.

If so,just send me the tempo rate and send the track via YouSendIt.com

Thom

[folderol]

This seems to have a sort of 'ethnic' flavour, but I can't put my finger on it.

I think synths are the wrong way to go for this. They would fill in the 'holes' which would, as you say subtract rather than add. A deep 'rolling' bass would work I think, as its' well out of the audio range. Because of the already percussive nature, I don't think drums would add anything, apart from maybe a deep resonant bass/kick.

[offthewall]

Nice bit of different stuff there, brother.
If I can get some time off from the domestic chores I'll see if I can lay down that rolling bass line for you.
 
James

[Wyatt]

The melodies are interesting enough,so there would be no problem for me to spawn ideas from it,but the one obstacle for me,would be the couple of timing errors in the mid section-which would prevent me from syncing up to it as is.

Cool Thom, I would really like to hear what you would do with this. Yes the timing is like tres human..it has to do with my procedure..you see, I don't know how to  use my sequencer yet, so when I use a synth, it is just me playing and then I export the midi as audio and line things up by hand and eye in Audition. By quantizing standards it must be awful.

There are certainly ways around this though,as I could remove a small section of the middle,and then cut,paste & link the two ends together.

Feel free to do whatever you like to this. Let me clarify something in case it helps anybody else:

If you write a song and send it to me to do stuff..I will do whatever i can and often that means I have to do whatever I want.. freely..often that is the only way I can get liftoff..then when I send stuff back to you, I fully expect you to do anything under the sun you want to make the song synch up with your original vision of it.

It is a way of working that works for me.

In this  case, I am issuing an official, "Knock-Yourself-Out" license. Meaning anybody who wants to have a go at it,  can take the track and run with it..it's your baby now..open season..you finish it any way you want.

If you would like me in on this,I could give it a whirl-if you want.

I am tickled that you want to take this out for a spin Thom, and I am looking forward to hearing what you do with it.

If so,just send me the tempo rate and send the track via YouSendIt.com

My Beat Analyzer calls this 144 bpm.  Uploading as we speak.



Wyatt

[Wyatt]

I think synths are the wrong way to go for this. They would fill in the 'holes' which would, as you say subtract rather than add.

That is exactly what happened..everything else took over and I lost the very aspect of it that intrigued me in the first place.   

A deep 'rolling' bass would work I think, as its' well out of the audio range. Because of the already percussive nature, I don't think drums would add anything, apart from maybe a deep resonant bass/kick.

Cool idea Will..Thanks, I can hear that.



Wyatt

[Wyatt]

Nice bit of different stuff there, brother.
If I can get some time off from the domestic chores I'll see if I can lay down that rolling bass line for you.
 
James

Making my day bro!

Listen..anybody who can put a bass line under "Blue Flash" has the juice.

Thanks a lot, I can't wait to hear it.



Wyatt

[offthewall]

Here's a quick version. Should really be acoustic bass but had to settle for electric, for convenience (and it being late at night!)
 
James

[folderol]

Hand meet Glove
Glove meet Hand
 

[elwoodblues1969]

This was a valiant effort-especially for a quick run-through,but without a cut & paste method,I don't think the gliches in the arpeggio track is something you an jam along with.
Electronic arpeggios are far too precise and it's something usually done within the realm of a sequencer arrangement,as playing arpeggiated notes on a keyboard live is very tough & nearly impossible to follow when there's a live human error in the performance.
This is why I had spent a large portion of the day,just working to dissect as precisely as I was able,select segments of Wyatt's track and digitally sewing them together with great care.
Utilizing a cut & paste method,I think James could come up with an extraordinary piece of music,given his exceptional bass skills.

[Wyatt]

Here's a quick version. Should really be acoustic bass but had to settle for electric, for convenience (and it being late at night!)
 
James

Whoaoo..I like that. Perfect. Thank you!!

What do you think it needs next?



Wyatt

Whew..glad to be back.

[offthewall]

@Wyatt

What do you think it needs next?

Nothing!

@Thom

Utilizing a cut & paste method,I think James could come up with an extraordinary piece of music

Sorry, mate. I can't work like that.  At heart I'm a busker!  If someone plays a piece to me I'll jam along if I can. If I can't, then I'll sit out and let someone else do it. I really don't like to alter things with a machine to be able to play it.
Just the way I like to work. Each to his own. 
 
James

[Wyatt]

@Wyatt

What do you think it needs next?

Nothing!

Cool!  Thanks bro!

I tried to spread this a little so the bass
would be a little more subtly prominent.

What do you think?



Wyatt

[Wyatt]

I don't think the gliches in the arpeggio track is something you an jam along with.

..actually Thom, it might be the best way to deal with the timing problem..at least for me.

Electronic arpeggios are far too precise and it's something usually done within the realm of a sequencer arrangement

Dang..I knew that quantize button was there for a reason. 

I have actually been meaning to try that.

This is why I had spent a large portion of the day,just working to dissect as precisely as I was able,select segments of Wyatt's track and digitally sewing them together with great care.

Thanks Thom, for having a go at it.

Even though I am coming from the instrument side of things, I think I see what you're going through.

A couple times I have had to put a drum-machine track underneath an already recorded human track. It was a real nightmare, and I try really really really hard not to get into that pickle..much easier to play congas if I can get them to sound right for the song.

My solution was to look at it from the more forgiving perspective..and so I chopped the drum track up into various 2 bar segments, and then pasted them together..the short duration minimizes the perception of disquiet. 

I can imagine it must be a nightmare of work to try to perfect the performance so that you can get a programmed track to fit with it afterwards.



Wyatt