Portfolio IV Project
Music
Slow Down Remix
I heard this song for the first time a few months ago and I really liked the rhythm of the harmony, so I took the chance that I got this month to do a remix on it. I first processed all the tracks through the app Moises to remove most of the noise bleeding, I understand that the bleeding noise enhances the audio in its own way but when I go to create stems, I need the least amount of noise bleed as possible. I used Channel EQs and Compressors on all tracks to play with certain frequencies and limit peaks. I used a Bass Amp on the two Bass Tracks to boost the low- end a little and Noise Gates on some tracks to help with additional noise bleeding. An Expander was placed on the Drums group and all 4 Vox tracks. All Vox tracks have their own DeEsser 2, and the Lead Vox track and group of background Vox tracks have pitch correctors. I side-chained the Guitar and Keys to the Drums so the harmony would not be buried in the Drums and I side-chained the Guitar to the Lead Vox track so the vocal wouldn’t be drowned out by the harmony. The Drums, Bass, Guitar, Keys and Vocals all have their own ChromaVerb. An Adaptive Limiter is on the Drums Aux, and the background vocals, Guitar and Keys have their own Stereo Delay. The Lead Vox has a Sample Delay with mild settings, and the Vocal Aux has its own Chorus. The Stereo Output track is bussed to a Chorus Limiter, and two different Exciters were placed on the Stereo Output track.
Compare & Contrast
Original
Remix
Variations
Sound Design Variation
I created this sound design utilizing Ableton. I used the harmony and vocals of the Pre-Chorus into the beginning of the Transition of Slow Down. I decided on a beach setting because I haven’t been to the beach in awhile. I used the Sound Ideas website to find some seagulls at the beach along with a chattering crowd to make it sound like the music is being played on a radio at the party or being played over a scene of a beach party. I also used two live recordings that I previously recorded, of boiling water and an air purifier, to layer the sound of water splashing against the sand and to add more air to the audio. I wanted to add to the music a little so I went ahead and added my live recording for this remix of me flicking the top of a can and used the L10 Demo Voc Reverb 1 sample from the Tonal Vocal folder in the Core Library Ableton Pack. I placed all tracks in a Slight Reflections Cabinet with a Near Off-Axis Dynamic Microphone and Dual Output to place all the audio in a common space. I did little editing with the original lyrics and Harmony with the only effect other than the Cabinet being a Saturator on the Vocals to make it warmer. A Warm Up Lows Saturator and Compressor was placed on the seagulls track and a Channel EQ and Compressor for the party crowd track. For both live recording of water, I used a Warm Up Lows Saturator and Compressor. I liked the way the recording of me flicking the can sounded so I only placed the Cabinet on that track but for the Demo Vocal Reverb track, I used a Channel EQ and Compressor, along with a Quarter Note Delay.
I decided that half-time would sound best for this song since it is a song about slowing down. I placed the half-time drummer sections on the Choruses and Transitions of the song making it 3 half-time sections and 3 normal time sections for the Intro, Verses and Pre-Choruses. The half- time regions were placed in the Choruses and Transitions because this is the part of the song that states the phrase, “slow down”. I stuck with the R&B feel but wanted a slower, calmer jam, so I choose Benny’s Modern Motown kit set to Bluebird for the Drum Kit sound. All regions were set to Pocket Square with a slight pull on the feel and automatic Hi-Hats. The normal time regions have about 50% Fills and 70% of a 16th Swing while the half-time regions have Fills closer to 75% and an 8th Swing at 73%. Every Drummer region has the shaker set to 1 for Percussion but the normal time regions are complex and soft with Toms, set to 1, and the half-time regions are simple and soft with Hi-Hats, set to 2. I also placed 1 to 2 bar long drummer variations for the Pre-Rolls, in between the Intro and Verse 1, the Choruses and Transitions, Transitions and Verses and between the Pre-Choruses and Choruses. They match their corresponding region as playing in the same time and sharing the feel as far as being simple or complex and 8th or 16th swing. However the variation regions are 100% Fills, 78% Swing and are set to Britown, with the half- time variation regions having Cymbals instead of Hi-Hats. The Percussion is set to 2 and the Cymbals and Toms are set to their highest setting on the variation regions. All variation regions also have a Tamborine instead of a shaker for Percussion.
Re-Groove Variation
Live Recording Variation
I recorded myself opening a stick of deodorant. I really liked the pop sound it makes due to the suction of the lid and I think it gives a nice touch to the re-groove stem as some added percussion. My recording studio is my bedroom and I do not have any type of professional sound proofing so I usually make my own makeshift sound proofing out of blankets, boxes and pillows, I even record in my closet sometimes since it is completely filled with clothes and padded stuff, like my blankets, clothes, extra pillows, stuffed animals and much more, for sound to bounce off of. For this recording I made a tent on my bed out of two normal sized pillows on either side of my Zoom H5 handy recorder, along with a smaller pillow behind the recorder to close one open side of the makeshift tent and I opened the deodorant stick a few times to get multiple variations. Afterwards I chose a part of the recording’s waveform that sounded the best and lined up three consecutive hits on the grid near the end of the choruses, then edited the audio to blend in with the re-groove stem. I also liked the Demo Voc Reverb from Ableton that I used in the sound design so I added it in this variation as well, even though it is not a live recording.