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James
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Joined: 01/21/2013 - 07:09
'Stealth' - new minimal techno track

Caustic Song file (optional): 

A little tune, short but with a big modular arp running through it. Maybe has a late 80's/early 90's feel to it.

Only 4 racks;

2 Beatboxes

1 FM Synth

1 big fat Modular

The only automation is a fade out at the end.

A weird thing is that I used one 130bpm loop from a 'Berlin Beats' sample pack from Music Radar that wasn't in time until I changed the Caustic tempo to 131bpm. It's the tribal loop you hear solo'd in the last few seconds.

caustic replay
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Joined: 02/21/2013 - 10:04
Really like that crisp, high

Really like that crisp, high pitch, wood blocky type sound towards the end of the beatbox patterns. Nice sounding decay on it too.

I like!

gajoga
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Joined: 05/08/2013 - 02:52
i really like this. those

i really like this. those drums you use always have the ability to wake me up, and i love the high arp and low wubby synth

LogicalFrank
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Joined: 10/04/2013 - 15:00
I have had a few instances

I have had a few instances where loops didn't sound right until I had the song tempo off by a beat or two from what it's supposed to be. (Never actually used a loop like that in Caustic though.) I think sometimes whoever made them just gets them off by one or it's something like 130.5. It can be really frustrating. Really like the sound on this, esp. the percussion (which I guess would include your loop.)

James
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Joined: 01/21/2013 - 07:09
Glad you liked it 

Glad you liked it smiley

I'm wary of loops as, no matter how great and/or royalty free they are, they're not 'yours' and you didn't create them. I don't make sample/collage based music, if I did I'm sure I'd feel very differently laugh

In this track I used one loop pretty sparingly and it's an accent, rather than the main driving beat. The last few seconds of the track are that loop solo'd. I desperately didn't want it to form the hook of the track, especially as I was actually pretty pleased with beats that I did program smiley

LogicalFrank
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Joined: 10/04/2013 - 15:00
You can do a lot w/ loops to

You can do a lot w/ loops to make them your own, esp. once you start slicing them up and reassembling them. I very definitely prefer to flip a sample off someone else's record than to download ready made loops. Gotta have a credo in this short life...

James
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Joined: 01/21/2013 - 07:09
I think the tools that you

I think the tools that you use/are used to influence this as well - Caustic is my only DAW, I don't have a desktop alternative (other than Caustic for Windows), last time I used a 'desktop' sequencer was on an Atari ST in 1992.

The music I make, and want to make, tends to lend itself to be very synth rather than sample based - I'm trying to force myself to explore the PCM Synth as a creative tool this year, rather than just a source for a great piano/flute/violin etc sounds.

If I'd imported the loop into the PCM synth not BB I could have at least used the filters but it didn't occur to me until this second laugh

 

mindfool
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Joined: 01/19/2014 - 17:10
Great tune James, minimal in

Great tune James, minimal in the best possible sense of the word. Effortlessly holds my interest the whole way through. Thanks for including the caustic files with your tunes too, great to be able to check out the "behind the scenes" workings of stuff as good as this.

RobFarley
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Joined: 11/02/2013 - 16:43
Loops have their place. I've

Loops have their place. I've used to use a loops as the base groove of a track and then by the time you've finished the song the the loop is no longer needed.

Might have a poke about in the caustic file with this one. Its just not quite 'take that' enough for me... Neeeeeever forget when you've come from... Ya know... Summink like that...

James
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Joined: 01/21/2013 - 07:09
Rob - that's an excellent

Rob - that's an excellent idea smiley I'm pretty sure I've heard a few other musicians mention it in interviews too, certainly a creative way around the ethical minefield of sampling.

I'm a huge Julian Cope fan and he talked about writing songs by stitching together riffs, choruses, middle eights from other peoples songs and then gradually changing each element until it was your own - a bit like Oasis did, but Oasis then 'forget' to change anything laugh

RobFarley
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Joined: 11/02/2013 - 16:43
"Bless my cotton socks I'm in

"Bless my cotton socks I'm in the news!"

Possibly the best opening line of any song ever.

James
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Joined: 01/21/2013 - 07:09
what's the difference between

what's the difference between a cow and The Teardrop Explodes?

A cow has the horns at the front and the twat at the back laugh

Julian Cope's favourite joke from the early 80's.

Jason
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Joined: 03/23/2012 - 21:32
I detect a slight phase issue

I detect a slight phase issue thingy going on with your drum track, but it could just be the sounds you used.

This groove is groovy and mysterious.  I like this. cool

James
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Joined: 01/21/2013 - 07:09
if you've got time have a

if you've got time have a peek at the file Jason and let me know what you find?

smiley

IzMeJeremy
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Joined: 07/12/2012 - 06:32
Less is more; really well

Less is more; really well done! :D