# Trying new things....



## José Herring (Nov 30, 2007)

I'm changing quite a bit these days. Trying new things. The only way to explain it is I'm moving away from technique and going more for the emotion.

It may work out. Or I may go crazy. Either way I'm happy with it.

http://www.jherringmusic.com/User/AlphabetCity.mp3 (Alphabet City)

http://www.jherringmusic.com/User/African%20Ridge%20Valley_Life%20Beginning_v3.0_2Mix.mp3 (Rift Valley)


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## Hannes_F (Nov 30, 2007)

josejherring @ Fri Nov 30 said:


> I'm changing quite a bit these days. Trying new things. The only way to explain it is I'm moving away from technique and going more for the emotion.



Jose,

I felt this would be a good change even before listening to it. Believe or not, I sort of waited for your music to explore more of your emotional treasures (who am I to write this but believe me, it's true). Congratulations, it is a wonderful streak that you are developing!

(It might be the case that your limiter is at the border of its capability sometimes. But that is only a minor point.)

Hannes


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## lux (Nov 30, 2007)

Both are pretty good pieces jose, i like them overall, among your best works imho.

I would just fix just some few rythmic percussions sloppyness on both pieces, here and there.

In general it is a pretty nice job

Luca


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## Ned Bouhalassa (Nov 30, 2007)

Jose,

I like Alphabet City more than the second piece. It really sounds like a good television action cue. If that's the kind of work you're looking to get more of, keep doing cues like that and you will have too many offers on your hands. 8)


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## José Herring (Nov 30, 2007)

Thanks guys.

Ned, yes, I'm going for more TV work and for some art films and I'm working on more contemporary action type stuff. More exploring new territory. It's time for me to move up into the more medium budget type work which I consider TV, films like "War" a contemporary action type film and also art films like "Crash" or what have you.

Lux, As far as timing I wanted especially Ridge Valley to have a looser African drum feel. They call it rolling rhythms and I listen to a bunch of them and they're all not tight at all. But, I do hear you. I think if I got all the tracks out of midi and recorded the tracks in audio I could slide them around a bit and get them more in the pocket.

This is just the beginning. I'm charting a whole new direction so don't worry Hannes there's a whole new territory to explore including an instrumental album that I'm developing.

Thanks again.


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## sbkp (Nov 30, 2007)

Very cool, José. I like the mood of both these pieces quite a lot.

I needed to turn down my subwoofer -- maybe too much down there. (But I'm not a fan of shaking my floor. Others might be.)


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## José Herring (Nov 30, 2007)

sbkp @ Fri Nov 30 said:


> Very cool, José. I like the mood of both these pieces quite a lot.
> 
> I needed to turn down my subwoofer -- maybe too much down there. (But I'm not a fan of shaking my floor. Others might be.)



Thanks.

I think you're correct. Getting the right volume is an issue because I think the bass is too boomy. Some mastering may do the trick.

Jose


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## José Herring (Nov 30, 2007)

Thanks Artzsound. Though I'm not that old.

Hannes it's just a saying that means not what it says. More of a place holder the phrase really doesn't have a meaning. More like saying "no sweat".

Jose


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## sevaels (Dec 1, 2007)

Hey Jose,

Great job on both pieces. I think this is a great direction and I can't wait to see where you go with it.

Post more!

Sev


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## Sean Beeson (Dec 1, 2007)

sbkp @ Fri Nov 30 said:


> Very cool, José. I like the mood of both these pieces quite a lot.
> 
> I needed to turn down my subwoofer -- maybe too much down there. (But I'm not a fan of shaking my floor. Others might be.)



Nah, you just are used to having it turned up while listening to Strav 5.1 concerts 

Jose, I liked Alphabet City. Kept my attention and was entertaining the entire way through


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## vlado hudec (Dec 1, 2007)

Good job Jose =o 

Percussions from first track are Stormdrum? I like it. And which string library have you used in second piece?


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## José Herring (Dec 2, 2007)

vlado hudec @ Sat Dec 01 said:


> Good job Jose =o
> 
> Percussions from first track are Stormdrum? I like it. And which string library have you used in second piece?



Thank you.



Stormdrum
K2 library, 
Flying hand Djembe
G-town
NS-Kit for free
Percussive adventures 1
maybe some EZ drummer
Addictive drums

The second one, Ridge Valley, strings are a combination the following:

Double Bass --EW
Cello -- VSL and EW (I think) and SISS
Viola --VSL 
Violin I & II-- SISS


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## madbulk (Dec 2, 2007)

I'm just getting around to listening to your new direction, J. 
I liked both of these. Alphabet City seems pretty overdriven, not just in the low end. But that's probably an easy fix. The tunes themselves... nice work, Man.


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## C.M.Dess (Dec 2, 2007)

Hi Jose,

The second piece took me there. I liked it. I felt the _pan out _ on perspective, a meditation on life while traveling on a safari. But also a blend of _Native American_ resulting in a haunting undertone. Very touching piece.

The first piece has a lot of _aeon flux _to it, minus the Gypsy violin. Some of the mid drums seem a little brittle as mentioned, I don't mind it, it's more of a comb filtering fuzz, where the distortion seems meant as a treament/saturation technique.

best,
-cd


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## José Herring (Dec 2, 2007)

Thanks guys! 

I learned a lot doing these pieces. Both pieces started out as "etudes" of a sort. A pure study to solve some of the problems I've been having technically and creatively.

The two most important things I learned where that 1) You aren't going to please everybody ever. I've spent many years searching for the "all in one" sound. The sound that "everybody" would love. I've found that this is impossible and that in trying to do so I started writing music that not even I was happy with just because I thought others would dig it.

and, 2) as far as effects go it's better to do a lot of little things than to try to capture one big thing. This is tougher to learn I think. I probably did over do it a little in the saturation department but It's way toned down from what it was before I was finished. >8o


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## Rob Elliott (Dec 3, 2007)

Sounds good Jose. In this business if you are not always pushing for 'that sound' you either don't get a break or 'your sound' becomes passe'. I like both of these. Actually really like 'Ridges' middle Ostinato string line a lot against the vocal. Very cool.


Good luck in your new direction.


( I am working on a full length film right night where the Director has all but told me - 'no more than 3-4 note themes and 2-3 instruments playing at any one time :D :cry: :D . Frankly been a challenge to 'voice' this - but the longer I work on it the more I feel 'growth' in my writing. Personally think you are wise to always push for new ground. Keep em' coming. =o )


Rob


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## Patrick de Caumette (Dec 3, 2007)

Good work Jose, I enjoyed the pieces.

Adding this ambient dimension certainly opens up possibilities for many scoring applications...

(the african drumming in the second piece was fine, short of a small passage where the groove drifts away a bit)


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## JohnG (Dec 3, 2007)

Totally pro. very interesting sonically and texturally, both of them. go get a gig!


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## kid-surf (Dec 3, 2007)

> The two most important things I learned where that 1) You aren't going to please everybody ever. I've spent many years searching for the "all in one" sound. The sound that "everybody" would love. I've found that this is impossible and that in trying to do so I started writing music that not even I was happy with just because I thought others would dig it.



When you please everyone you'll know you've just created something ANYONE could have created. That's why they like it, because they could imagine themselves creating it. Generally, the most successful films and music are also the most pedestrian. Some aspire to be that sort of creator of "product". But let's not forget how many films/music do well, then 2 months later no one cares one way or the other. I aspire to please myself first, if it spills over into others liking it. Cool. On your death bed that's pretty much all you've got -- Are "you" happy with your work? 

Think of it this way too. You can always do both. "One for them, one for you". That's how I approach screenwriting. See. I want to be rich AND artistically fulfilled. 



> and, 2) as far as effects go it's better to do a lot of little things than to try to capture one big thing. This is tougher to learn I think. I probably did over do it a little in the saturation department but It's way toned down from what it was before I was...



Yep, the best mixes are the result of thoughtful individual decisions -vs- a broad treatment. Those mixes that are a wash of sound scream "I can't mix and I'm trying to fool you" -- Despite the many people who'll proclaim how "real" they sound. A mix isn't supposed to sound "real" it's supposed to sound "mixed". 

Having said that, you do have some probs in the mixes. Low end and compression. Tip: Try parallel compression if you need something "slammed". So yes, you are thinking in the right direction regarding individual treatments -vs- a broad treatment.


Having said that -- your two pieces here "feel" like more "humanity" than anything else I've heard from you. They sound more sincere. Which for me is somewhat like body language. If you get the sense that someone doesn't believe in their work it makes you question whether or not _you_ should. You feel like it could be a put on, or worse, desperation.

Lastly -- I firmly believe that the composers who try and play it "safe" will be the composers who get the most "low budget" work, but they won't advance beyond that if they never find "a voice", a "point of view" that differs from everyone else. (at least, we need to feel like it does)  Playing it safe is a career trap.

So... good for you, Jose! A step in the right direction IMO. 8) 

KID


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## José Herring (Dec 3, 2007)

Thanks fellas. I really appreciate the feedback.

Kid,

Parallel compression. What is that? Compressors hooked up in a chain or sidechain compression?


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## sevaels (Dec 3, 2007)

Parallel compression refers to an old trick supposedly first done in New York. It's commonly called New York style compression. It's basically putting a compressor on a bus and using it as a send. Settings are open to how it's used but in general your trying to squash the sound while keeping the punch. It does work amazingly well btw.

Used to be difficult to do in the software world until full PDC was introduced. Now that we have that you can essentially set it up anyway you like without any problems. Also some sophisticated comps offer a mix knob which basically acts as the same function only you can insert it on the instruments track rather than having a dedicated send for it. Vintage Warmer is one such good example.

As you know sidechain compression is more about focusing on a particular spectrum in the signal thus isolating what it effects. Parallel compression would be best thought of as an overlay. So in very much the same way that you'd overlay samples to create say Marcato patches in SISS to achieve something not normally found you would Parallel compress a drum group in order to create a sound that is not quite the squashed drums and not quite the unsquashed drums but a nice blend between the two.


Hope that helps.


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## Joanne Babunovic (Dec 22, 2007)

Hi Jose,

Both tracks entertaining to listen to and unpredicatable. I really liked Alphabet City and can hear your revolt against convention. Wonder if this type of sound is akin to the new sound of rock and roll in late 50's or maybe advent of acid rock in early 70's - which both sought to dis the mainstream music of their time. 

Regards,

Joanne


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## José Herring (Dec 22, 2007)

Joanne Babunovic @ Sat Dec 22 said:


> Wonder if this type of sound is akin to the new sound of rock and roll in late 50's or maybe advent of acid rock in early 70's - which both sought to dis the mainstream music of their time.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Joanne




Thank you. That's very flattering. I wouldn't consider Alphabet City anything like a revolt against any convention. Alphabet City started out as an etude of sorts aimed at expanding my skills using primarily synthetic sounds. It just so happens that during the writing process I discovered a sincere form of expression that I hadn't really known about.

It's something that's fun and hip and yet some how pretty personal to me and how I view life. My only hope is that someday I could get paid to do more work like that. I guess that all depends on how hard I push it as a new direction for me.

Jose


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## DrDr (Dec 28, 2007)

wow! Both pieces really touched my musical heart.
Especially the strings in the african piece are well done!

Cheers
Dietmar


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## Hardy Heern (Dec 28, 2007)

Thanks for sharing Jose,

I thought that both pieces were excellent but I was particularly taken by the second 'African' piece. You've got a VERY strong AND pretty string motif or phrase there which deserves an entire piece in the sense that it's strong enough, to keep returning to and improvising with as you actually do already (Beethoven style!). Make sure it doesn't get nicked!! 

Good job

Frank


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## José Herring (Dec 28, 2007)

Thanks guys. It means a lot.

It further confirms that I'm on the right path.

best,

Jose


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