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January - Instrumental

The guitars are Native Instruments; the remainder of the instruments are BiaB.

A lot of the flavor comes from the "Raum" reverb, which was a freebie from Native Instruments. I probably went overboard on the effects, but I thought it fit the feel of the song.

Edited in Reaper, with a bit of cut and paste on the cello part. Final processing through the Lurrsen Mastering Console and Ozone Imager 2 to widen the stereo spread.

All feedback welcome!

Instruments
NI Picked Acoustic - "Uphill" pattern
NI Session Electric - "Wanderlust" pattern
Synth Pad, PopBelieve Ev16 065 - 1543
Piano, Acoustic, Solo-Accompaniment PopLiverpool Ev 065 - 891
Cello, Background Slow Swing - 2558
Pedal Steel, Background DreamySingleNote Ev 075 - 2666
Vocal Mmms, Rhythm RockNRollGospel12-8 4-part Sw 065 - 3278
Vocal Oohs, Background Pop3-part Ev - 3027

Nice work on this David - really nice use of the vocal realtracks, and I found it flows really really well. I personally didn't think the effects were overboard - I think they fit nicely in the mix. Thanks for sharing

Hi David ...

First, you did not overdo the effects. I thinkk they are a perfect blend to your basic tracks. I enjoyed them very much.

This is so pretty. It reminds me of something you might hear in the background of a movie scene in which a character is peacefully reflecting on a pleasant experience or is involved in a good dream.

Thanks for a terrific listening experience. i thoroughly enjoyed it.

Alan

David,
very beautiful and meditative piece. Grabbed me right in. You always put a lot of thought behind the process of creating, and very careful not to over-soak composition with the goodness of all the sounds we have at our finger tips. I admire that very much!
Enjoyed it! Thank you for posting.

P.S. There is a minor "something" at 21 sec (fret noise?) not sure if that supposed to be there, otherwise, silky smooth.

Misha.

I agree with David on the effects. Cello sounds very cool. Super mix. Lovely piece of music

David,

Beautiful.

That's really about all that needs to be said. It is simply a beautiful piece. A delight to listen to (several listens, in fact).

An excellent mix.

That acoustic guitar in the beginning is quite impressive (recorded sound-wise). All the instruments sound really good, actually.

A Bravo! on this....

fj

Very nice listen.
Sounds like a soundtrack from a movie.
I like the flow and the shifting instruments.
In my opinion, the reverb fit the mood of the song.
Well done.

Starts out like a slow version of Classical Gas...that's just the NI picking pattern though.
Hints & builds a la I'm Not In Love too.
A really well structured and arranged piece.
Well done.

Well done David...
It sounds to me like it would make a great cinematic piece...
Something comparable to compositions...
I've heard in the Godfather movies...
Or perhaps even Doctor Zhivago

BTW...
Thanks again for the magnificent remix you did on "Dreams of You"!

David

A very pretty piece - lovely sounds and a thoughtful composition.

Very impressive.

Peter

Hi, Deryk.

Thanks for listening and your comments. I appreciate it.

Hi, Alan.

Yes, I was going for a cinematic vibe here.

Personally, I associate that Am(add2) sound with a more pensive emotion. But the great thing about music is by listening, you put yourself into the song, which make the music something even more than what the composer wrote.

Thanks for stopping to listen and comment!

Hi, Misha.

Thanks! One think that's great about BiaB is having some really wonderful sounds to be able to place into compositions.

When I was working on this, I'd started by playing the NI Session Acoustic and found a nice chord progression. I then went into BiaB and picked a ton of RealTracks. I had a fairly good idea of what I wanted, but some (like the slide guitar) took me in some directions I hadn't expected.

The end bit is more sparse than I'm really comfortable with, and I was really tempted to add a bit of solo acoustic guitar on top. To be honest, one reason I didn't was because I was having trouble with Reaper's MIDI editor. I might go back and play with it a bit... then again, I should probably call it a day and move on.

The squeak you mention is a "feature" of the guitar VSTi that's triggered at high velocity notes. I thought I'd caught them all, but obviously I missed that one. If I re-render this at some point, I'll remove it.

But I only have the free version of SoundCloud, which means I'd lose the nice comments that some folk have posted.

Thanks again for your careful listen and comments!

Thanks, Scott.

It's way too easy to make something that sounds good when the cello RealTracks are so nice!

Hi, floyd jane.

Wow! I'm flattered.

And it's good to hear the mix is solid.

I was on the fence about getting the NI Picked Acoustic, but as you noted, it's got a really great sound. Having spent the money, I figured I should justify it by using it in a song.

Thanks for the kind words!

Hi, CaptainMoto.

I actually had some of the more atmospheric cues from thirtysomething in mind. I'm a big fan of W. G. "Snuffy" Walden.

Thanks!

Hi, Ray.

Who doesn't love those vocals from "I'm Not In Love"?

Thanks for stopping for a listen and your comments.

Hi, Jim.

Thanks!

And thank you for letting me remix "Dreams of You". I really enjoyed doing that, because it's a lovely song.

Thanks, Peter!

Very nice, I just finished watching The Witcher and this would fit right in there as ambient cinematic music. I also learn a lot by following your process, which I appreciate. Thanks on both counts!

Hi David,

This is stunning.



You have a flair for instrumental compositions and this piece really does highlight your high level of competence. I admire you so much for being able to create, arrange and produce something of this calibre. It's well outside my ability!

Really, really beautiful listening.

All the best,
Noel

Very relaxing, and definitely not overdone.

The cello and guitar work are outstanding.

I agree with Floyd!! BEAUTIFUL!!! You nailed it!! Take care. Greg

My daughter and I are sitting here enjoying your music. We both like it very much. It is soothing and progresses nicely to maintain interest. Simply gorgeous! (My daughter concurs.)

Wow!

That is a stunning mood piece.

The word cinematic comes to mind. We could hear it as the
credits run after the final episode of a great contemplative series.

This is an amazing display of talent and tech.

So enjoyable...

J&B

PS The 'verb sounds fine as does the entire mix.

As been said this is a beautiful instrumental, the guitars sound full and strong .

It does have a film/video, feel, sound to it Enjoyed.

Thanks

David,
Lovely simple fingerstyle guitar to open and whatever you did to the cello it sounds fantastic.
Beginning with a pastoral cinematic feel the pedalsteel moves into a spacier mood.
Very well done; sounds ready for some amazing visuals!

Robert

Lovely piece of music! Great intro with just the (very impressive sounding) guitar, then the cello.

Nice mix too, listened through the monitors then the 'phones.

Fantastic work! Cello is a hauntingly beautiful instrument and your instrumental really hightlights that fact. Excellent arrangement, all instruments are selected carefully and introduced and faded very smoothly making this really intriguing piece, something interesting happens all the time - there's no need for vocals etc. to disturb the mood.

Janne

Yep, ambient cinematic is what I was aiming for.

I'm glad you were able to find something user in the details of the process as well.

Thanks, Noel, I appreciate that!

Thanks!

Not that I can take credit for either. Sometimes putting something together is just a matter of figuring out how to make all these lovely sounds and textures mesh together.

And there are some really sweet sounds in BiaB.

Thanks, Greg!

Coming from someone who does some of the smoothest music on this board, I really appreciate that!

If I can help bring the generations together, I'm doing something right.

Thanks!

Thanks, J&B!

It's great having such a talented band to work with.

Hi, beatmaster.

Thanks for stopping by and listening! I appreciate it.

[quote=RobertkcVery well done; sounds ready for some amazing visuals!/quote]
Hi, Robert.

Fortunately, any visual you can imagine are better than what I'd come up with.

Thanks for your kind words.

[/quote]
Hi, Dave.

I was a bit worried, because I stupidly only mixed on the monitors instead of checking the mix through headphones, so I was a bit worried, especially with the 'verb.

Given that most people listen through 'phones, that's a mistake I shouldn't repeat.

Thanks for listening and the feedback!

Thanks, Janne.

hi david you had me right from the start great listen this could be used in a movie a really nice production david very detailed thanks for sharing eric

This sounds great David!

It totally captures the mood of January.

What a lovely instrumental! I really like the instrument choices you made for this one. Great job.

Very nice piece David. Nothing wrong with reverb at my end. Nice tune for a film. Very evocative.
Any particular Style?. Jut curious.

Mike B.

Hi, David.

The seasons seem to run a bit behind up here in Northern California. The winter fog finally started rolling in at the start of this month, and it's starting to actually cold.

Well, cold for California.

It's good to hear from you - thanks for stopping by!

Thanks, Ember!

Hi, Mike.

The style is EZCELLO.STY (Slow EZ Listening Cello), but I only kept the cello. I mostly used the style to help select RealTracks in the right tempo.

Dropping the bass and drum was probably the most dramatic change - it really changed the feel of the music.

Thanks for taking the time to comment!

Hi David.
Have had several listens to this lovely and very well produced piece of music. Enjoyed them all.
Would not have noticed the mix of Ev and Sw parts if it wasn't in the notes.
Excellence.
Cheers.

On my 2nd listen. This is too pretty for me to pass up as I ran down the songs on the forum again.

I think that the use of effects is just right and enhances the composition. I particularly like the emotive Cello which gives the piece a sad flavour, but in a positive way.
It's a lovely instrumental, David.

Any time you want to remix another
Let me know!

David, every aspect of this piece comes across as a total professional work! Nothing is overdone (effects) in any way! Everything works together with seamless quality! This would stand up to anything in a motion picture soundtrack IMHO! Thanks, Trrey

Hi David,

I think Floyd nailed it: Beautiful - that's all that's needed to be said. Pure ear-candy and I did not notice anything I would have preferred to be different.

Very, very, very good!

Best regards,

Stefan

Hi, RichMac.

Thanks! I appreciate the comments.

And thanks again!

Thanks, Andyman! I appreciate you stopping to comment.

Feel free to email me if you've got anything in mind!

Wow!

Thanks, Torrey!

Thank you very, very much!

And thanks for all the songs you've posted!

I don't know exactly what you did with the cello, but the results are beautiful, coherent and emotional. The odd move to major here and there gives this some sense of hopefulness, but the overall mood is pure January, indoor, doing the best we can to get through it. What a great piece to end my listening day on.

David,

As the title suggests, I feel winter.
Is a winter storm blowing outside, or is it snowing?
The cello sound and the enveloping reverb sound enhance the atmosphere.
There are traces of ingenuity in the chord progression.
I think it's a bit classical and very beautiful.
Enjoyed my listen a lot.

Best regards.

Shigeki Adachi

dcuny,

Such a soft, sweet opening that keeps the listener engaged. As others have said, mysterious and on edge. The production is outstanding—very smooth, with perfect balance. As it stands, a terrific backdrop to a movie, short or tv show. .. all the right touches. Well done!

My best regards,

Deej