New song (metal)

[Stachio]

Wrote a new diddy.
It's called Mantissa.
Here it be.
Let me know what you guys think.

I'm working on some lyrics for Dim Eyes. Once I get a friend to help me with the vocals, I'll post it.

[Brendan]

I think you've got the bass drum a little too quick on some of the double rolls. It makes it sound very unorganic and programmed (...what a coincidence that is). For the most part you've got it nailed, but in the first 1/4 of the song, some of those kicks are like "C'mon, that's a little fishy, even if they were triggered."

But othe than that, very clean, very solid. Throw down some vocals, you got something going for you.

[Stachio]

Originally Posted by Brendan

I think you've got the bass drum a little too quick on some of the double rolls. It makes it sound very unorganic and programmed (...what a coincidence that is). For the most part you've got it nailed, but in the first 1/4 of the song, some of those kicks are like "C'mon, that's a little fishy, even if they were triggered."

But othe than that, very clean, very solid. Throw down some vocals, you got something going for you.

Thanks.
I've got a drummer friend who would be willing to help me on how to make the drum patterns sound more realistic. I realize now, for instance, how the ride sound I've got going on through most bits gets old.
The drums are really sort of there to help keep a solid feel. Hopefully I'll find a real drummer. Is Flo Mournier available?

[Josh Ryan]

I agree with the evil swiss miss, except for the drums it's kick ass.

[Brendan]

Originally Posted by Blisshead

I agree with the evil swiss miss, except for the drums it's kick ass.

Well, it's just a couple of the rolls in the beginning on the bass drum are a little too...quick sounding. It sounds mechanical, like industrial electronic drums, as opposed to organic drumming. And then only in the first 1/4 of the song.

At :29, :34-35 and :42, :54, :59 in particular,

Other than that, I though they sounded fine. I think part of it is that naturally playing there's a degree of difference in the beats, in that they strike the drum head in different places, and with different amounts of force (mechanical differences in the pedals, y'know) and at those instances, it sounds like they were programmed to fast.

But that's about the only thing I didn't like.

[Josh Ryan]

Originally Posted by Brendan

Well, it's just a couple of the rolls in the beginning on the bass drum are a little too...quick sounding. It sounds mechanical, like industrial electronic drums, as opposed to organic drumming. And then only in the first 1/4 of the song.

At :29, :34-35 and :42, :54, :59 in particular,

Other than that, I though they sounded fine. I think part of it is that naturally playing there's a degree of difference in the beats, in that they strike the drum head in different places, and with different amounts of force (mechanical differences in the pedals, y'know) and at those instances, it sounds like they were programmed to fast.

But that's about the only thing I didn't like.

I agree. ...So many variables when drums are played and not programmed, it's hard to come close. I can't.

[kyo]

i happen to disagree about the drums...aside from the cymbal i think they sound great. but more importantly this is a really, really good tune. GREAT work

[khay0s]

Originally Posted by Brendan

I think you've got the bass drum a little too quick on some of the double rolls. It makes it sound very unorganic and programmed (...what a coincidence that is). For the most part you've got it nailed, but in the first 1/4 of the song, some of those kicks are like "C'mon, that's a little fishy, even if they were triggered."

But othe than that, very clean, very solid. Throw down some vocals, you got something going for you.

Agree wholeheartedly. Fix up the drums and you got a kick ass song.

Leigh

[kyo]

i think you guys need to listen to a band like morbid angel. their drummer is insane, he plays the bass as fast as this song sometimes.

[Brendan]

Originally Posted by kyo

i think you guys need to listen to a band like morbid angel. their drummer is insane, he plays the bass as fast as this song sometimes.

Yeah, on most of the song, it's great metal drumming patterns.

I'm talking about a few isolated rolls (that I mentioned above). They're rather immediate, even taking triggers into account, like on Origin or Fear Factory albums. Part of the problem with the sound is that (again, I mentioned earlier) that the sound stutters. It's the same drum sound, programmed in twice. When you're pounding away like that on a real drum that fast, it makes a completely different sound, because you're hitting the head as it flexes inward and outward. And when you hit that concave head, it sounds different than a single thwack, done twice. Triggered drums generally have those small differences in them, since it's a piezo interpretation of drum head, along with the actual initial beat.
Stachio programmed it with Cubase, so instead of the drum heads taking part in the sound, it's the same sound. The exact same sound, since it's a programmed sound, not an acousticly produced one.

I like the song, it's just a couple of those rolls.

[Stachio]

Thanks again guys.
The double bass rolls I felt borderline about. I justified it by thinking that it could be done in a short burst...But borderline nonetheless.
Another justification was definitely Origin. Ridiculously good drummer with obviously every element of his kit triggered. Thus, I avoided dynamics (velocity in Cubase) on virtually every drum part, which also shaves a couple of hours of programing. Pete Sandoval (Morbid Angel) also definitely sounds more like a drum machine on some songs (in terms of bass drumming).
The tom rolls, or any other type of fill, I just can't seem to get down. It either sounds unnaturally fast or sounds like the drummer was pounding away at it with one hand. I think the whole difference in the shape of the drum head might just explain it.
But in the end, the programmed drums are just for me to keep time, and are no substitute for the real thing, so those will probably be scrapped.
I'll get it eventually .

[Brendan]

Please understand I'm bagging on your song: I do indeed dig it. That's just my perspective on like, half a dozen rolls that are only in the first 1/4 of the song. The rest of it kicks ass.

[Stachio]

No bagging was perceived. I'm just commenting on my less than flawless drum programming. I have an idea of what I would want it to sound like, but occasionally have problems doing it. I have tried to find some metal MIDI drum tracks previously, but that didn't help for various reasons.

[Brendan]

Yeah, but at least this drummer doesn't drag the beat, right?

[Stachio]

And at least he's not Lars.