Calling Heaven - featuring Rick Wakeman

Post by **Neil B** » Thu Mar 04, 2004 3:32 pm

This file has expired and is no longer available here. The owner of the topic can re-upload the file, or post a link to an off-site file. <a name="planetz-tag"></a>Genre: Hints of trance <a name="planetz-tag"></a>Uses: Pulsar & Cubase 5.1 copyright © 2004 Neil Buxton _____________________________________ Okay, confession time – hands up all of you who are looking at this because it says Rick Wakeman on it?

So, here’s the story:
My ageing parents watch a dreadful UK quiz show on TV. They taped it one day and Rick Wakeman was a guest. He told a little story on it (ah!). Now, my mum knows I’m a fan of Wakeman since Six Wives/Yes and even Strawbs days. The Wakeman bit is his story from the TV show – so sorry, no Wakeman plays Pulsar!

While I’m wandering through this desert of no inspiration I decided to play around with the story and this is the result. It needs a lot more work yet, but I’ve learned quite a bit. The video was transferred to cassette and then into Pulsar. The Wakeman bit was full of noise, hiss, background coughing and laughter and he couldn’t keep his volume levels the same from one word to the next. I’ve had to virtually slice each word up, scrap some bits and juggle bits around.
Now, the uploaded track has 3 purposes:
1: A bit of fun. It’s my mum’s birthday next week and what better to give someone in their late 70’s than a trance CD? (plus her name on the internet. Happy Birthday ELSIE BUXTON.)
2: We can use this at our church and church youth group (nice to have a sermon start with a bit of lively music)
3: Mainly to get some feedback from you guys.

Technical Stuff:
4 Mins 52 Secs - 4.5 Mb
128 kbps @ 44.1kHz

Pulsar: Blue Synth, Sample Players, mixers
Cubase: Superwave, Synth 1, a sampler belonging to a close kontact of mine, plus a synth I used in his absenth,
Lots of VST plug-ins
Roland JV1080
Some sample loops chopped up and regurgitated.

The help bit:
1: How can I make his voice sound less bland – Spirit – your voice processing for Captain Scott was wonderful. Bear in mind that the vocals are probably too high in the mix for a straight music track, but to be heard clearly as part of a sermon, they need to be more up front. (I suppose I could do more than one mix)
2: How does it sound so far on your gear? What does it need (besides the recycle bin)?

Damn, I’ve just read through the text again. Can’t you tell I’ve got a downer on me due to composers block!

Never mind – enjoy and play it loud.

Spirit · Post by **Spirit** » Thu Mar 04, 2004 9:08 pm

This is hilarious !

Really enjoyed the track. The phone tone fooled me for a moment there.

Where he says "press 1 for...; press 2 for..." I think it would help if each phrase started in sync. At the moment the speed of the vocals is very fast. Later at around 2 minutes you do chop it up and I think it works much better.

Also at 1:41 the words are very interesting but the music is also quite complex so it's hard to hear it all.

I always find the most important thing in spoken vocals and music is to find the right main tempo that suits the pace of the words. Most people have a natural speed in their voice and if you can find it then everything will start to sync up without very heavy editing.

And have you considered chopping and tempo-delaying a few significant single words ? That might be another intersting effect, especially if they chop in and out of each other.

Something else that might work is a little pitch-shifting - or even time-stretching to fit: do you have Kontakt yet ?

Some great quotes here though and I think the piece stands up fine as is. Is this what church is like these days !

Really got a big smile out of this...

Post by **Neil B** » Sat Mar 06, 2004 10:38 am

Glad you enjoyed it Spirit.
As I said, I've got more work to do on it yet, but I'm more confident now thanks to your ideas re the vocals.
The phone was the standard office phone patch from the Blue Synth.
No, I haven't bought Kontankt yet but I do have access to a friends one.

"Quote - is this what church is like these days?".
Well, it depends on the service. We couldn't get away with trancey stuff in a traditional service but we have family and youth services plus a very "happening" youth setup in our church at the moment.
My new vicar has asked that I redo the Wakeman track as a more mellow piece for traditional services. He's also going to use "Take This Cup" which I did last year in the 3 hour meditational service on Good Friday. He's also asked if I can do a gospel trance album for the youth movement.
The latter frightens me because it's such a steep learning curve and I never get my mixes as crisp as I should (still learning).
I'll probably use construction kits, bend them all out of shape, reassemble them and add lyrics.
Going back to your question - a few years ago in Sheffield (north UK) we had a church that did a youth service - barely recognisable from a House/Acid party. It was just a bit too close to the edge and got stopped.
Anyway - I waffle - glad you got a big smile out of it.

AudioIrony · Post by **AudioIrony** » Tue Mar 09, 2004 10:12 am

Too funny
Dial 666 indeed

Well done, I like !!!

[ This Message was edited by: blgrace on 2004-03-09 10:13 ]

ChrisWerner · Post by **ChrisWerner** » Wed Mar 10, 2004 6:51 am

Hm, I´ll never like Trance but the combination of Trance with your christian topics are always unique and so I like this story too.
The mix isn´t bad, a bit quite maybe.
I know you were ill while you mixed this one, less concentration etc. maybe you have another master attempt on this one, you´ll need to change few things only.

Spirit covered it all up about the vocals and I agree, try to use them more synced, the cubase time stretch is not bad after all. Also I would try spent one endorphine on the vocals to make them a bit tighter and maybe better to understand in some cases during the track.
Why you don´t tell us the way you get to the bass rhythm and sound?

To sum up, a nice funny track from you, but more I like, is to see you in space steering a spacecraft.
cheers

Post by **Neil B** » Wed Mar 10, 2004 3:46 pm

Thanks Brett - glad you laughed - what with you & Spirit, I must be catching the Aussie sense of humour

Chris - I'm not ready to get back into Starchaser yet!!!
The mix sounded okay? I'm surprised - never try to mix with a headcold and ear problems !!

Thanks for responding fellas

AudioIrony · Post by **AudioIrony** » Wed Mar 10, 2004 9:59 pm

I didn't have time to comment on the music - I really enjoyed that as well - there's a nice space in there, quite an open arrangement which I like.

Mastering advice etc is up to the guru-people

King of Snake · Post by **King of Snake** » Wed Mar 24, 2004 7:14 am

Well, it's certainly an entertaining combination. The music itself: the beats sound very flat, I'd try out some different kickdrum samples (or use the KickMe! That's what it's there for). Also the snaredrum and hihat just sound ugly to me. The trancy synths are okay if not terribly original.
The vocal, when completely dry, doesn't quite gel enough with the track, maybe try giving it a little effect all the time (short delay, bit of reverb). It works best in the part starting at 2.05 since it's synced with the music and the effects make it fit the music.
Later on in the track it just sounds like a radio dj is talking over the track rather than the voice being part of the track.

Post by **Neil B** » Wed Mar 24, 2004 8:19 am

Thanks for the comments KoS - I really appreciate them.
I'm still finding my feet with this genre and naturally with mixing/mastering.
I'll take note of all your comments.
It was difficult to find the right balance for the vocals as it is less of a straight music track and more of a bit of fun to be used within the framework of the church - so the vocals had to be lifted a bit (as you say like a DJ voice over).
I've just got hold of some better samples and I must look into KickMe. Zezappa has also sent me some nice 909 kit samples so it's time to try them out too.
Thanks for listening in on this not too serious bit of fun.

Basic Pitch · Post by **Basic Pitch** » Wed Mar 24, 2004 12:09 pm

Hi Neil,

Great track, the vocals are pretty funny! Nice trancy leads, unique basses and a different sound inb the style you went with, now on to the part where I can add my opinions if I may

- Kick: The kick to my personal tastes is just way to flat sounding, I personally care more for punchy kicks (ala kickme 1-6) than the flatter sound, find a nice punchy one throw some bass at it and compress the crap out of it, also make sure it has a nice snap at the peak, again my preference..

- Snare: This sort of falls into the same category for me, it is a bit sampled sounding if that makes sense, it needs a little brighter sounding and more upfront snare, search for something that has good midrange and a thumpish sound behind it almost kick like, those style 909 snares sit great in trance tracks since they fill nicely with the kicks. Last but not least you could try some fill changes maybe start the roll with an 8th, then to 16th then fade out with a 32nd style roll, just something to try.

- Hats: While these work fine, they sound a little to far back in the mix for my ears, could be my monitors (mackies), belive it not there is actually a decent open/closed 90 set of hats in cubase if ya wanna try then out in a mix, I belive its a stock device called the VB7 in the drum folder, change the preset to 909

-Vocals: as others have said I agree that the delays and verb sound great when it comes in mid track, before that sounds a little try, almost voice over style, a trick I use frequentyly on vocals in a very super slight phase on the vox with a hint of chorus, this just sort of makes the vocals move a little and gives a slight contemporary sound.

- Clap: Im not to big on the 808 style claps for trance music, ide look for something a bit more gritty sounding almost distorted snare like, then lower than into the mix so it sits where it needs to, just sort of gives a nastier feel than the 808 claps.

I hope I am not being to crittical ( I dont mean to be ) hehe, in this style music the smallest things make a good track great, but the biggest thing to consider in electronic music is the style and sound your after, especially in trance music there is litteraly a dozen different sounds, from hard pumping, to soft and mellodic, to outright nasty and then you have epic trance and so on.

I think your heading in the right direction, just need to get a collection of sounds that suits the style your after.

Keep up the great work!

PS. I know this is sort of trendy these days, but especially in trance music, loud mixes that sort of clip and peak are the in thing, can always try some unique mixing techniques to see what works for you.

[ This Message was edited by: Basic Pitch on 2004-03-24 12:17 ]

Post by **Neil B** » Wed Mar 24, 2004 2:03 pm

King of Snake - Damn I've just found that KickMe is for 3.1c and Flexor - I'm still on 3.0.

Basic Pitch - The only time anyone could be too critical with anything I write is if the comment was simply "Move to recycle bin"

- and even then I'd respect the comment

Thanks for your comments.
I do find it a bit hard to relate to trance, although I love it, but your (and all) comments are invaluable if these "churchy" tracks are to be considered okay by the youth and do the job that they're intended to. No-one will listen if, as you say, the patches or general feel is wrong or outdated.
I'll have to either listen more often to what is happening in the current market or shed 35 years and go back to being 15 again.
I agree with just about all the comments for this track (especially about the damn snare) - just have to practice the old hobby a bit more eh?
Either that or get back to spacey tracks and do Tangerine Dream style meditations for older church members .... hmmm now there's an idea......

Thanks everyone so far - really.
All tips copied to a Word doc for later use......

Neil

[ This Message was edited by: Neil B on 2004-03-24 14:04 ]

[ This Message was edited by: Neil B on 2004-03-24 14:05 ]