Review Quietly & Prepare for the Storm (Quiet Storm Reviews)

[ken]

No review thread, no new songs!

[Kevin Mellows]

Hey, when are new songs usually posted?

[chocolatechips]

Hey, when are new songs usually posted?

somewhere between 10 minutes and 10 days after due date !

[Kevin Mellows]

somewhere between 10 minutes and 10 days after due date !

lol, thanks! I've been on the edge of my seat this past week.

[king_arthur]

Also, they don't get posted until there is cover art (see the "Art Archive" link on the front page). I just submitted something, but if you can do better, please do!

[Kevin Mellows]

Hey guys! Newbie here, nice to meet you all. This is the first fight I've been in so I've been eagerly anticipating these songs allllllllllll week! I've already listened to the multiple times and have some reviews for all y'all (I hope I'm doing this right). I don't know if there's a limit for voting, but I figured I would give votes to half of the contestants. Thanks for the great tunes!

Berkeley Social Scene
+ Instruments sound crisp and balanced
+ Vocals are nice and clear
- Bass sounds like it is slightly out of tune in the chorus
+ I like the imagery of the lyrics
+ VOTE

The Chocolate Chips
+ Cool style! I like it
- Too short, give us more
+ I like how the music break carries the melody
+ VOTE

Flvxxvm Florvm
+ Crisp instruments
+ Nice intro
- Solo gets off tempo a little in the intro
+ Vocals sit on top without overpowering guitar
- Bass sounds a little weak from what I'm listening it through
+ VOTE

Foobar
+ Great piano playing
- Your delivery seems overly dramatic, but I take it that's part of your style
+ I like the outro piano!

Glenny
+ Awesome drumming! Definitely my favourite part of the song
+ Really cool style
+ Love the changes
+ VOTE

Hoops
+ You have a great voice, don't cover it up with that telephone effect!
+ I really like the lyrics
+ Instruments sound great and balanced
+ VOTE

The Idiot's Lantern
+ Instruments are balanced but don't sound "present"
- Not sure how I feel about the vocals
+ I liked the line "where do my dreams go when they die in the ground"

J Temp 13
+ Clear instruments
- Vocals could be more present
+ I really like the chord progression for this song. It's mellow like a quiet storm
- The rhythm guitars sound too loud in comparison to everything else

Jeebas Jones
- Vocals sound muffled
-Was this recorded on a phone? lol
+ I love that your lyrics tell a story, good writing

John Lampson
+ Crips instruments, vocals are nice and on top
+ Nice buildup to the chorus, the whole song flows really nicely
+ Great vocals
- Final chorus vocals are sung more intently, but for some reason they don't come through as much as I think they should. It's more a mixing thing than performance thing
+ VOTE

Kevin Mellows
Hey, my first song on Song Fight! This song uses a quiet storm as a metaphor for renewal. And then, for your refreshment, is a nice solo at the end, haha. I hope you like it!

The Magnetic Letters
+ Really cool intro effect!
+ I like the storytelling in this song
+ "She put a hadeouken on my heart", haha
+ She was a quiet girl, they call her Storm on TV- nice!
+ VOTE

New Image
- I love the backwards effect in the intro, but not for the whole song
- I can't quite get a feel for the flow of this song, sorry man

Starbuck
+ Clear instruments and the vocals sit nicely
+ This song has a lot going all at once!
- I don't really get the lyrics
+ I love the blast into synth territory
+ Your vocal delivery is full of life and the best in this round
+ VOTE

Whitewood
+ Sounds like it was recorded on a phone
+ But I love the adventurous spirit of the guitar!

Cheers,
-Kevin

[jlampson]

Below are my opinions and should only be taken as such. I have also been known to be wrong in my life. I feel like I was very critical this week! That said, here are my reviews and where I've put a * next to the link, that means I've voted for it!!

Berkeley Social Scene
Something feels a little off about this in the intro, like the timing is a little shaky. The bass seems to be a bit out of tune throughout as well. I like the dissonant pieces in the bridge and the breakdown/solo with that synth part is really cool. Something here is just really throwing me off timing-wise and it's a shame that it's so distracting. Unfortunately, I never really got into the song. I'd suggest you revisit this and fix what I perceive to be timing issues in order to vastly improve this song.

The Chocolate Chips
I like this - very dreamy. After a while, the vocal effect does become a little overdone. Oh, that synthy, phaser thing is super cool. I want to like this a lot but it sounds unfinished. If you do finish this one, please let me know; I'd like to hear where you go with it!


Flvxxvm Florvm*
Sounds like you're tuning to drop D and I instantly love that. I dig the slow, heavy riff, and I like the guts of panning the bass to the side. I kinda hear a vocal melody somewhere in here even before you start singing. Parts of it reminds me really old Metallica (like their Breadfan cover) and I'd like to hear the vocals with a little less effect. I'm going to vote for this one; however, I think you could really improve on it with a slightly better mix and maybe tightening up the timing on bass. Although I like "loose punk-sounding stuff", too, I think this would benefit greatly from that really-syncopated head-thrashing sort-of thing that you only seem to get with a super tight rhythm section.

Foobar*
This has a great, driving sound. What are you using to record vocals? I ask because I feel like they are a little "dark" and don't rise above the mix as well as they probably should. I dig the lyrics and the tension you're creating musically - very cool. If I were mixing this, I'd turn up the drums. I also really like the keyboard parts a lot. Nicely done!


glennny*
My brain is on fire from this contrast in time signatures! What a great and unexpected choice of instrumentation. I love that bass part and would love to hear it a little more loudly. The busyness you had in the intro makes the half-time section even more awesome. At times, the guitar sounds like it's completely about to go off the rails in a cool way. The vocals disappear a little during the bridge. Nice ending, too!

Happy 2014*
Nice tie-in to the Precipitation SongFight! Although I appreciate the humor of the lyrics a lot, at times it sounds like you really don't care and there are times where the vocals just disappear in the mix. Despite my criticism, this does get my vote for a number of reasons: lyrics, instrumentation, and lyrics/instrumentation!

Hoops*
Please turn up the vocals so we can hear that great voice! The ultra-high-pass EQ starts to distract from the quality of the rest of the song pretty quickly. The rest of what you have more than makes up for it, though. I know you've previously mentioned your prog rock love and it shows here. Also, that's a great-sounding kick drum. I think that lyrically you did a good job of putting across this really clear picture of what the main character in the song is going through.


The Idiot's Lantern
Good combination of acoustic and electric guitars and great stereo field. I'm finding your vocals lack a bit of punch in the mix. Maybe they need to be turned up or maybe it's that whole "bedroom voice" thing I mentioned last week where because you have to be quiet they just don't have the same energy. I like the lyrics and the music but the vocal performance and mix is what's keeping me from voting for your song. There are some pitch issues, but what I care about ten times more than that is the lack of energy you've got in them. It's a decent enough song, though. Tackle it again when you don't have to sing quietly!


Jeebas Jones*
This acoustic kills me with how good it sounds. The vocals do step on the acoustic a bit here, and I think a few EQ changes could really make it sound better. Also, your singing really suits this song well but the effect on the vocals comes across very heavy. I find a good rule of thumb is to turn up the effect until you can just hear it and then turn it down a little from there. This is a great story song and the instrumentation totally fits it, too. Thanks for sharing that!


Jeff DeSantis*
This is a well put together power pop song and I knew instantly that I would like it. Good song flow and it has this great mid-90's Buffalo Tom sound to it. The pitch does waver at times and the vocals sound a bit muffled but this is a really good song. Do you have music online anywhere I could check out? I bet I'd really like it. The vocal harmonies are great. One criticism I have is the length of the song. Although I feel it's really well done, a song in this style can overstay its welcome sometime around the four-minute mark. But screw that, I'm voting for you!


John Lampson
This is my song, and I'm voting for it. I feel like my previous (and first) submission was just a rough draft of a song and I didn't vote for it.. I worked pretty hard to get things where I felt they should be for The Quiet Storm and I'm very happy with it. There are things I would change in it but I think the overwrought lyrics fit in great with the musical style. Listening back to my mix, I think I needed to step away from it for a day or two and then come back to it to mix it - I was a bit too close to it for too long to step away from it and be objective about it. But hey, I'll focus on my next fight with the lessons I learned from recording this power ballad!



J TEMP 13 *
A quiet storm? Very thematically appropriate! The acoustic sounds great - how did you record it? The vocals, in my mind, should be pushed up in the mix and a lot drier, but that might just be me. This reminds me of some other stuff I really like but I can't remember what. I like the melodic lead guitar and I'd like to hear it louder. Even though this pushes the five-minute mark it keeps my interest. You've made some good arrangement choices. By the end of it I do find the acoustic to be almost too loud. Nice ending, too!


Kevin Mellows*
Initially (stress that), this doesn't sound like something I'd usually like but I find a lot of stuff in here that builds and draws me in. Your voice has a timbre that reminds me of Tim Booth from James. Are you a fan? There's a great ambience here. I usually like things pretty dry (that's not what she said - ha!) but this song is really well served by your effect choices.

The Magnetic Letters*
Sweet fade and panning. Speaking of sweet, this song has a sweetness to it that is undeniable. It builds nicely as you add that great, low bass line. Then this great ascending chord progression comes in for the prechorus. And the lyrics are great, too! I'm just going to sit back and enjoy listening to this now if you don't mind....


New Image
Cool reverse effect to start the song! It builds nicely when the drums comes in but my brain is thrown in a way it doesn't like when it doesn't become non-reverse. There's a great driving beat and I like the feel of the song but I can't deny that I find the reverse swell stuff distracting. I do like that you're all over the place on this song and very experimental and I like the lead guitar sound once it becomes non-reverse. I liked your song last week but this one doesn't hit me. Keep doing your thing, though - you're clearly very talented!


Starbuck*
This reminds me of either a super hero anthem on a Saturday Morning TV Show or an old Iron Maiden song. Very epic. Great vocal delivery and I like the lyrics. The keyboard solo rocks. The kick drum is almost too loud but it provides a great anchor and is never overshadowed.

Whitewood
The sound quality and mix on this track is really "off" to my ears. I think it could be good but it sounds like a single mic in a room far away from the drummer with the guitars direct and a French horn player right next to the mix. It's a bummer the mix is so unbalanced because I like the lyrics that I can hear and I'm guessing you could write and perform something pretty well!

[foobar93]

Foobar*
This has a great, driving sound. What are you using to record vocals? I ask because I feel like they are a little "dark" and don't rise above the mix as well as they probably should. I dig the lyrics and the tension you're creating musically - very cool. If I were mixing this, I'd turn up the drums. I also really like the keyboard parts a lot. Nicely done!

Whoa, thank you! The vocals were recorded into a Shure SM7B through a Cloudlifter into an Mbox Pro. The preamps on the Mbox are kind of weak, hence the CL for added gain. I'd love suggestions on how to make the vocals cut through better, this is something I struggle with in the mix quite a bit. This week I tried cutting EQ in some of the surrounding instruments to make room, but I am not sure it really helped. I found it hard to figure out what frequencies would make a difference. So glad you liked it.

[chocolatechips]

GREEN FACES for VOTES (for four favorites ... it makes the votes mean more if you limit them!)

Broken Social Scene - the guitar riff that starts at 10 seconds is nice, probably my favorite part of the track. I'm also liking the little rhythmic thing before the chorus pops in. not sure about the guitar break being all the way on the right at 50 seconds. overall the song lacks energy and excitement and for me doesn't make up for it in other ways enough. the instrumental bit is pretty good and I like how the synth goes into the final chorus.

The Chocolate Chips - I made a weird little video for this using '60s commercial footage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-El-Dq5TIM ... I finished early - maybe I should have added more to it, but I couldn't think of anywhere to take it really and decided to just let it be.

Flvxx... - The intro I didn't find interesting enough to merit its length and when the drums come in the whole thing seems a bit off kilter / out of time. I'm not a fan of the vocal style.

Foobar - I like the organ part. The drum programming is done pretty well too. The guitar solo is pretty cool even though it doesn't quite cut through the mix as much as maybe it should.

Glennny - I quite dislike the chaotic first minute (or so) but the second bit is pretty cool. Of course the cool laid back feeling there works better because of its juxtaposition to the more chaotic bits. The 1:50ish part reminds me of Frank Zappa. Overall there's just too many seemingly random changes in course for me. But this is very much a personal taste thing I suppose. Some people love Of Montreal but the 7 different song bits pushed into 90 seconds thing gets me irritated pretty quickly.

Foobar 2/Happy 2014 - Joke songs about Song Fight tend to bore/annoy me... I'm afraid this one is no exception.

Hoops - The mix could be clearer ... it seems a bit muddy. The vocals are far off/mixed too low. Things get better at 1:10ish ... I like this section quite a bit. Almost a Pink Floyd vibe here ... the instrumental parts are great but ... the vocal sections don't work for me. Still, instrumental part is good enough to get a VOTE.

The Idiot's Lantern - Verses are much better than choruses (which just get too sloppy/sludgy/muddy) ... Nice acoustic guitars (definitely the highlight of the track for me)... Vocals aren't terrible but kind of weak. Definitely too long.

TRJones - Good guitar but the vocals ... poorly recorded (or an effect that just makes them sound muffled) and I don't think the sing-songy melody match the lyrics very well. Feels longer than it is.

Jeff DeSantis - The harmonies are a nice idea but they aren't pulled off well enough so they become distracting. Overall it sounds like you're trying to sound like The Eagles ... and I think sometimes when you're trying for a really poppy radio friendly sound it makes your failures more obvious (as you can't reasonably claim you were going for this or that weird sound) ... Basically, the vocals need a lot of work. The rest of it is ... OK but not quite clear enough. Sounds too muffled. Do you do any EQ cutting? I understand not spending hours and hours perfecting a mix for Song Fight but if you get into the habit of cutting out the EQ you don't need on each track it can clean things up a bit pretty quickly.

John Lampson - This is pretty ambitious and I appreciate that ... it's got some pretty great bits in it. Really nice guitar solo ... Maybe vocals should be a bit more upfront ... Backing vocals are nice. This is a borderline vote for me ... maybe with stronger vocals more up front in the mix.

J Temp 13 - Another buried vocal. I understand not being confident in your vocals and wanting to bury them but it's almost always a mistake. The loudest thing in your mix are some strummed guitars (not great tone on the guitars) ... that's not what you should be focusing your listener on you know? The guitar solo is pretty buried too. Lead (whether voice or instrument) needs to be upfront in the mix. Too long.

Kevin Mallows - Night & day from the previous tracks. Vocals are clear and up front. Great mix. I love the bass. Great part and great sound there. A beautiful atmosphere when the delayed guitar comes in. I love that it gets totally crazy towards the end with the intense guitar lead (even if the tone is a bit shrill.) My complaints: the vocals are shaky here and there (but they have good personality ... I like them.) I'm not crazy about the piano sound - it sounds a bit too fake (I realize that it is fake ... but I think you can get a better piano sound these days ... or go for a more electronic keys type sound.. might work better.) VOTE.

The Magnetic Letters - This is really good. Great reverse effect on the intro ... The vocals are strong and they pull me right in. I like the atmosphere ... Nice melody. And the smart harmonies that come in on just some words. Excellent stuff. I love the little synth leads too. Production wise/instrumentally it has a Flaming Lips Yoshimi vibe. VOTE.

New Image - I dig the experimentalness of it and the style is pretty much up my alley but the treble can be a bit painful at times. Still it's a lot of fun and I like the vocals and the guitar leads. I'm hearing influences from Hendrix, The Beatles, The Who, and Guided By Voices ... any of these hit the mark? VOTE.

Starbuck - Well, I do need a coffee. The melody sounds kind of jokey, I'm finding it hard to take the song seriously. And if I'm supposed to take it as funny ... it doesn't work on that level either.

Stewart Blackwood - Sounds like you are whispering, the mix is a bit of a mess. I was about to give up on this song entirely until the horn comes in, that was totally unexpected and sounds great. The rest of the song doesn't really do anything for me, but the horn bit is good. Reminds me a bit of Neutral Milk Hotel (for the horn part anyway.)

[foobar93]

Berkeley Social Scene

I'm starting to get used to the elements of your signature style, which is definitely growing on me week after week. I think there are some minor tempo and pitch problems that mar this one, especially during the "quiet storm" chorus guitar parts. As usual, though, nice distinct section, easy to hear vocals and smooth vibe. I think this entry was a little too mellow for my taste.

The Chocolate Chips

I like the cool vocal stereo effect. It's slightly strong for me to be able to make the lyrics out, but I can cut through it if I concentrate. It actually forces me to focus a little more than I think I normally would. Over before it began, but overall a cool sonic appetizer.

Flvxxvm Florvm

First 0:50 promises something seriously menacing and cool. Let's see if the rest of the track lives up to this billing. Guitar solo goes a little offtrack IMO around 1:10. I like it once the vocals kick in. Second guitar solo is great around 2:20. The anger comes through simple and clear, I like it. I think you could amp it up even more: faster tempo, more rhythm guitar, maybe even a busier drum track. I'm not sure what exactly, but I think this could handle more energy and buildup, especially towards the end.

Foobar

This is me. I tried for something up tempo that moved quickly between distinct sections. Listening to it now, the vocal problems are what really stand out. I've got to keep working on that. I also wish the guitar solo cut through better, it seems like it fades in and out more than I'd like.

glennny

This isn't a style I normally like, but I have to give it props anyway. The highly frenetic opening grabs my attention despite my bias against it. I like how the texture changes so much through each section but there is still enough continuity to have it clearly sound like the same song. The second horns solo around 2:00 feels repetitive to me, though. I like the guitar parts a lot. Lyrics are intriguing, too, so much so that I had to go look them up on the archive. I still don't quite understand what the song is about, but I like it anyway.

Happy 2014

OK, this is me again. Normally I wouldn't dream of submitting two songs, but I had some extra time around New Years and wanted to say thank you to everyone who was such a big part of 2013 for me. I didn't think this crowd would go in for heartfelt, so I tried a little snarky. Hope you enjoy. Special apologies to Paco, BSS, and Caravan Ray.

Hoops

Wow, vocals cut right through. How do you do that? It's like every instrument is slightly out of the way, off to the side. I like it. OK, this song is funny too. There's something Broadway about it. This could be in a rock opera easily. The "spooky waltz" goes on a little long, but it's great when the guitar kicks in (around 2:00). I don't really get the connection to "quiet storm" but who cares. Each individual image is funny on its own, but the juxtaposition of them all together is great. Plus, I love the chord progressions.

The Idiot's Lantern

I like the guitar tone once the whole band comes in. Vocals are a tiny bit mumbly which is a shame because I like what of the lyrics I can make out, and the overall emotional texture is pretty interesting. I like the contrast between the verse/prechorus/chorus. Drums could be louder, I think. But mostly, speak up! I want to know what you are saying and I'm so close to being able to hear, it's frustrating. Silence at 4:18 is a little too long (or that cadence is a little too final), I almost closed the track before realizing there was more.

Jeebas Jones

Nice, simple, emotional storytelling. Vocal clipping is distracting, but overall it works. Sad. (I hope this is a purely fictional account)

Jeff DeSantis

I acknowledge that this song and track are well put together and well made. I just found it kind of boring. Sorry, I wish I had something more useful to offer.

John Lampson

This has tons of good things going on. Very dramatic, maybe a little overly so at times. Sometimes the vocals get away from you, but you don't break character and you keep the emotions clear throughout. Backing vocals are strong, great guitar solo and piano bits. I think what this needs most of all is editing. It's a little long, a little loose, and it think it would have a lot more impact if it was a bit shorter and the attention to detail was a little higher. Overall, though, great first "real" entry. Well done.

J TEMP 13

Guitar sounds kind of sour to me, not quite out of tune but just a little off. Vocals are too soft for me to hear the lyrics without cranking up the track uncomfortably high. I like the guitar work, but the sound is a little monotonous to me. I did really enjoy using it as a backing track to play piano over just now, for whatever that's worth.

Kevin Mellows

I like this. Clear vocals, interesting arrangement. Truly a mellow feeling. The guitar solo rescues this just at the point when it's starting to get too repetitive. That guitar tone doesn't work for me, though. I find it a little screechy. Other than that, this is a complete and well put together song. Thanks for sharing it.

The Magnetic Letters

Good production, nice songwriting. Vocals are wobbly at times, but at least the lyrics are clear. Not wild about the synth solo. One tiny thing about the songwriting. You do a great job showing not telling and have a lot of concrete images that are awesome. I just think the line "your love of marshal arts is tearing me apart" is letting the rest of the song down. It's so literal and obvious. Other than that, I like this track a lot.

New Image

Intriguing way to start. By 0:30 I'm ready for the song to start already. let's go! Other than the main riff, the other parts including the drums and guitar kind of sound like they are being recorded in a bathroom, or some other far-off space. OK, here we go, a song. Vocals are strong and clean. When the verses are happening, this song is very enjoyable. During the other parts, I'm more confused than anything. I think the guitar performance is cool, and I'm not sure I could do anything nearly that interesting. But the tone sounds like you're playing it through a kazoo. it just doesn't live up to the seriousness of the song itself. But I like the songwriting, the unusual arrangement, and the emotion that comes through loud and clear.

Starbuck

First 0:10 sounds pro. The mix is fine, vocals are clear. But your singing style bothers me. I am not sure why, it feels like you are putting on a character or an act, maybe something like that. I'm not sure what else to add. This track left me cold.

Whitewood

This started out so quiet I had to crank up the volume to hear the first 0:30. Vocals are even quieter, bring them up! I also can't really hear the guitar part in stereo right. The whole musical background feels like it's off to the left with nothing balancing it out. Once the tempo and energy picks up, I like this part a lot. The trumpet is so loud I can't find a comfortable volume to listen to at all. I'm constantly adjusting, trying to hear you without getting my ears blown out by the horn. I think there are a lot of cool musical ideas in this track, and some authentic emotion. It just doesn't come together for me as one complete package. I look forward to hearing more, though.

[glennny]

Wow! Thanks voters! (on behalf of BSS, not on behalf of me)

sorry I haven't done reviews in a while. Just wanted to give a shout out to John Lampson! That's a great song and a keeper that will see heavy rotation on my playlists for years to come! Lots of good stuff from everyone, but I would have guessed John Lampson was going to take it.

cheers!

[jlampson]

Wow! Thanks voters! (on behalf of BSS, not on behalf of me)

sorry I haven't done reviews in a while. Just wanted to give a shout out to John Lampson! That's a great song and a keeper that will see heavy rotation on my playlists for years to come! Lots of good stuff from everyone, but I would have guessed John Lampson was going to take it.

cheers!

Congratulations to Berkeley Social Scene, and thank you so much for your kind words! I'm looking forward to all the upcoming SongFight! stuff going on this year and using it as a big prod to actively write more, something I've not been doing the last year.

I've been enjoying listening to everyone's songs and will be posting a review of "Her" tonight or tomorrow or some other day! Unless I can write and record this next song in two days, though, I won't be entering the "ITake it Back" fight because I'll be traveling to Arizona for a week!

Have a great day, all!

[Kevin Mellows]

Initially (stress that), this doesn't sound like something I'd usually like but I find a lot of stuff in here that builds and draws me in. Your voice has a timbre that reminds me of Tim Booth from James. Are you a fan? There's a great ambience here. I usually like things pretty dry (that's not what she said - ha!) but this song is really well served by your effect choices.

Thanks! No, I have not heard of Tim Booth, but I will check him out. The guitar was a total experiment. I had originally started with a very mellow, jazzy guitar tone but then by the end I had added a Big Muff and some ping-pong delay, lol.

Night & day from the previous tracks. Vocals are clear and up front. Great mix. I love the bass. Great part and great sound there. A beautiful atmosphere when the delayed guitar comes in. I love that it gets totally crazy towards the end with the intense guitar lead (even if the tone is a bit shrill.) My complaints: the vocals are shaky here and there (but they have good personality ... I like them.) I'm not crazy about the piano sound - it sounds a bit too fake (I realize that it is fake ... but I think you can get a better piano sound these days ... or go for a more electronic keys type sound.. might work better.)

Not sure what you mean there by my previous track, as this is my first submission to SongFight. Thanks, the guitar might have been EQ’d badly, I’m still learning how to mix. I was nervous singing alone in my apartment, so that’s why my vocals were shaky, lol. The piano is The Giant by Native instruments. I’m trying to get it to work, but you’re right, it does sound pretty fake. Unfortunately, I don’t have the full version of Kontact, so I can’t get into the guts of the instrument and edit parts of the sound I don’t like.

I like this. Clear vocals, interesting arrangement. Truly a mellow feeling. The guitar solo rescues this just at the point when it's starting to get too repetitive. That guitar tone doesn't work for me, though. I find it a little screechy. Other than that, this is a complete and well put together song. Thanks for sharing it.

Thanks! I’m still working out how to get a good tone, I think I over did it in this song, lol but I really enjoyed exploding into the solo with the guitar.

Cheers,
-Kevin

[chocolatechips]

Hey Kevin - I meant the songs I had just heard before yours - not your previous songs.

As far as piano .. have you ever tried pianoteq? I think it sounds pretty amazing.

I'm surprised your song didn't get more votes ... I thought you and The Magnetic Letters stood head & shoulders above for this one.

[Kevin Mellows]

Hey Kevin - I meant the songs I had just heard before yours - not your previous songs.

As far as piano .. have you ever tried pianoteq? I think it sounds pretty amazing.

I'm surprised your song didn't get more votes ... I thought you and The Magnetic Letters stood head & shoulders above for this one.

Pianoteq... I've not heard of it but I just checked it out and it looks really cool. It's not sample based, which is interesting. I may have a go at it in a couple fights. Yeah, I was a little bummed about the votes, but thank you for your kind words, they have lifted my spirits

-Kevin

[chocolatechips]

Yeah, it models piano rather than samples ... I can't really believe it works as well as it does. To me it sounds more real than a sampler.

[foobar93]

Pianoteq... I've not heard of it but I just checked it out and it looks really cool. It's not sample based, which is interesting. I may have a go at it in a couple fights. Yeah, I was a little bummed about the votes, but thank you for your kind words, they have lifted my spirits

Pianoteq & TruePianos are both modeled plugins, meaning they don't rely on recorded samples and generate their hyper-realistic sound by mathematical models of the physics of a theoretical piano (similar to the Roland V-Piano). The math geek in me thinks that's a cool enough reason to use those kinds of instruments. But Native Instruments also makes some pretty good sampled pianos that sound (imho) more realistic than the Giant, such as Alicia's Keys (for a more pop sound) or their Berlin & New York grand pianos. You can buy them standalone and use with the Kontakt player, or get them as part of a bundle like Komplete, which goes on sale at various times of the year and is a pretty good deal.

[Kevin Mellows]

Pianoteq... I've not heard of it but I just checked it out and it looks really cool. It's not sample based, which is interesting. I may have a go at it in a couple fights. Yeah, I was a little bummed about the votes, but thank you for your kind words, they have lifted my spirits

Pianoteq & TruePianos are both modeled plugins, meaning they don't rely on recorded samples and generate their hyper-realistic sound by mathematical models of the physics of a theoretical piano (similar to the Roland V-Piano). The math geek in me thinks that's a cool enough reason to use those kinds of instruments. But Native Instruments also makes some pretty good sampled pianos that sound (imho) more realistic than the Giant, such as Alicia's Keys (for a more pop sound) or their Berlin & New York grand pianos. You can buy them standalone and use with the Kontakt player, or get them as part of a bundle like Komplete, which goes on sale at various times of the year and is a pretty good deal.

I actually have both Alicia's Keys and the New York Grand. (I don't have Komplete though...). Alicia's Keys sounds good but some of the keys are "hotter" than others and that drives me crazy. I haven't done much with the New York grand, but I'll try and put the Giant down and give NY a whirl!

Cheers,
-Kevin