DrWho - April 2008 - Message From Deep Space

DrWho · Post by **DrWho** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 12:35 am

I took a break from experimenting and went back to my tried and trusted method for making tunes.

This one is probably in the noise category. The last tune I did like this was way back in OSAM1 called ASpace (which I like better than this one).

Anyways - the good news is I didn't have to listen to it a zillion times, and I am happy with it.

So without further adieu - I present an efx loaded, non-standard, totally experimental, Karma injected:

http://www.korgforums.com/mp3/DrWho_Msg ... pSpace.mp3

Good Luck - We're all counting on you!

={> Art

JonSolo · Post by **JonSolo** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 3:50 am

Experimental is a genre that I have little experience in. However I grew up listening to Jarre, Stearns, Shultz, Baffi, and several others who leaned in that direction somewhat.

The sounds are fantastic. It is almost as if it were a modern rendering of the Logan's Run score. Sparse movements don't tie up your thinking. And while the track progresses through various phases, I can tell this is not rambling randomness of sound that has come together...albeit I would never call it predictable. It also ended when it should have...neither too long or too short.

You have captured exactly what the title suggests. I swore I could see Jodi Foster trying to decipher this...and if she did it would create a fantastic space traveling device to visit...well...YOU!

I love it!

Technically it seems to be missing some low end. I would have liked to have heard some more bass as well as a few more textures...nothing too granular because of the purity of this track...but just a few more to give the later section of the song a more climatic moment. But this is just me speaking out of my belly button. Like I said, I have little experience in this direction.

Jon

Diego · Post by **Diego** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 7:53 am

Hi!

Great panning, great movements, and great scapes!
I can't tell you that much about your tune because I'm at work and I can't listen to it several times...but I loved to write Java programs listening your music

I promise this evening I'll give a better listen and let you know.

Regards

georgeinar · Post by **georgeinar** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 10:43 am

I really like what this is and the movement especially in that it isn't strictly rhythmical in a meter. However, I would have like some other tracks/sounds coming in from different areas as nearly all seem to come in on the right and delay across the spectrum. That alone seemed a bit predictable in an otherwise totally original and unpredictable piece. That's just what I would do if I were working on a piece such as this. As it stands it's very interesting and fun to listen to. I was pictureing Jodi Foster as well. Nicely done here. I'm sure you could get a hundred opinions on this sort of thing.

chordial · Post by **chordial** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 7:14 pm

I'm getting some Contact too.
Nice choice of sounds, it still retains an organic (non human!) feel behind the harsher parts.
Different, and interesting work here Art, took a few listens to get it.
Cheers Simon

jazlover · Post by **jazlover** » Thu May 01, 2008 10:36 pm

Art, this sounds like the messages I get when I wear my aluminum hat late at night. My doctor says "I should not tell others about my inter-gallactic chats".

This is interesting. What I wanted to do this last month is experimental also (in a different way). Maybe, I can finish it this month. I truly hope more of us reach out into new territories. I like not knowing what the song du jour is going to be.

I don't want to start anything but.......If you play this piece backwards you can hear the words "Sharp is a leprechaun".

Thanks, Art!

DrWho · Post by **DrWho** » Fri May 02, 2008 3:41 am

JonSolo: - glad you didn't find it to long

And this has 2b the first time I was a little lite in the bass part of the spectrum

Diego: Wow - U can program while listening to this? I think there is a treatment available for this condition

George: your rite - the delayed panning is the same every time. This is because I didn't do any editing / mixing in the analog domain. Its all programmed and a performance. I don't know how I would make it such that a knob could be used to change the panning direction .. hmm .. good question!

Chorial: Glad you not only forced your self to listen to it more than once - that you lived to tell about it - R U still sane

jazlover: Ohh - you got one of those hats too !! Re: "Sharp is a leprechaun" - doh - you weren't supposed to tell anyone!!

Daz · Post by **Daz** » Fri May 02, 2008 10:14 pm

This reminds of a really great evening I spent at Princeton University listening to the Princeton Laptop Orchestra, who were doing just this very kind of music ... or should I say 'soundscape'

So, yes, much enjoyed here and bravo to you 'cos this really worked well. I've tinkered with doing things like this before so I really appreciate how difficult it is to take such big step away from musical norms, but still create something which is still enjoyable to listen to as a piece of music.

Daz.

ellll · Post by **ellll** » Sat May 03, 2008 3:00 pm

Hi And thanks!!

Really a good bit here...

Like the "Shallow" sounds the best...they always amaze me as they seem to have no depth, while the others float around both nearer and farther from your aural middle ground

The overall effect is fun...and exciting as well, and I really enjoyed it!! Now

To steal just an edge of your thread....Maybe someone sometime can give a reason some sounds do sound "flat" or "shallow"..like a wall, while others, with no less or greater overtones are Deeeeepppp in distance????? It is a mystery to me....Left and right a get o. k.

but forward and away from your percieved front..???? thats strange!!! And I would like to be able to place my piano nearer or farther..

Good One here!!! Thanks!!! Johnny (ellll)

Stephen · Post by **Stephen** » Sun May 04, 2008 1:07 pm

Being a Sci Fi lover, this conjured up all sorts of images for me.
You really did a wonderful job on the soundscape. The imaging is just really well done.
I always expect to hear greatness in the bass section of your tunes, and wish you would revisit this sometime, and concentrate on just the bass end of this.
No nother nits though, this is very cool!
Regards,

DrWho · Post by **DrWho** » Wed May 07, 2008 1:46 am

Hi Daz - laptop orchestra? Sounds very interesting .... must've been cool live.

Hi ellll - I think the flat is due to no delay / reverb whatever. The depth comes from some delayed contribution.

Hi Stephen - I didn't know you were a Sci-Fi fan. Have you ever been over to http://escapepod.org/? More bass huh - hmm ... the very beginning has some rumbling, then there is some more around 3:15. No bass line runnning thru the whole tune though.

={> Art

ellll · Post by **ellll** » Fri May 09, 2008 10:03 pm

Listened again,

After a friend mentioned the spatial demensions after reading my other post...got re-interested...You know, certainly some of the "distance" factor or whatever, is a relation to the degree of left right with echo as well...but there is a lot more than that. I believe the complexity of the overtones in a sound must play a part, as they would arrive at your ear it different times by fractions....because they are produced at slightly different times...

Your less tuned sounds seem to be the MOST like the flat or blank wall...

Today I stopped in a large, empty, .. building shell to see a friend...and the acoustics were so totally complex, I realized that the REAL THING...is still hard to re-create on a computer...seems to me...What a great sound of different spatial relations in this song!!!!!

This is still a good listen...and I will do some comments if I can get it straight in my dumb head...

Best comment I could add ...is...Please do a bit more with this form...I believe it has a really big set of sounds for everyone!!

Great Work in ANY event....!! Johnny

Dee · Post by **Dee** » Sun May 11, 2008 10:49 pm

Hi Dr Who

Sorry for being late to comment, but did listen a few times over the past couple of days actually. I also did some reading about the 'near' and 'far' effect.....very interesting.

You certainly gave my 6 little surround sound speakers a workout! I'll keep this song as a test to make sure they're all working in future

Very different indeed

Regards from
Dee

DrWho · Post by **DrWho** » Mon May 12, 2008 1:18 am

Hi Dee - I hope your speakers survived

I should have a disclaimer on this one.

Hi elll - interesting - so r u saying that different frequencies arrive at the listeners ear at different times just because they are different frequencies? I am not sure that is true, it might be. Have to think about that. The delay across a group of freqs. is called group delay - so yes - I guess that is they way it is. But I don't know if this has anything to do with the depth perception. I still think the delays are the main contributer to the depth of sounds.

Real life surroundings have a huge effect on sound due to sound bouncing off the surroundings and various dampening effects etc. You should read the book about some of the techniques the Beatles used to achieved delay.

={> Art