NOV 16, 2020 // LOOK UP THE NUMBER, HYBRID (VERSION VIII, PRO TOOLS DEMO)

THE SEA RANCH, CALIFORNIA

💀
-This beat is properly composed in terms of where kick and snare fall to provide ideal rhythm, tension, and release for singing.
-Some of the sounds are good. I like in particular the 60s organ.
-A lot of the vocal performance is dynamic and lively without being over played.

✞
-While technically the beat construction is “correct,” the song doesn’t feel knit together in a compelling way.
-The instrumental section sounds slightly out of tune?
-The guitar part adds textural depth, particularly on bridge, but doesn't feel fully integrated.
-There are messy and unresolved portions of the vocal performance. Awaiting Eric’s arrangement and instructions before making final pass.

👻
-Most of the midi tracks from the version in the previous feel are in this session for reference if you need them. I converted them to the right BPM. They are lined up, hidden and inactive. Find them by going to the drawer panel on the left hand side of the mix window.

-The “recut sample” track is muted, but visible and active here. It is the foundation this version of the song was initially built on, and essential to what I believe this version’s advancement is. That advancement lies in how the kick and snare line up, and subsequently the other drum parts and the harmonic instruments like the bass and piano. The original Beatles song I determined to be at 89 BP and then cut a two measure loop that goes from a G to an A cord for the chorus, and then a two measure loop with the D, F#, G, A progression for the verse. These two loops I believe closely resemble your original beat which is linked to the words “original beat” in this sentence. My intention was to get as close to this original beat as possible. Maybe you can just get closer. Probably you will find a more elegant solution. For the bridge I had to find the Bm and Em cords from various places in the original Beatles composition and mix and match.

-I used the recut sample to remap the song to the way we recomposed it in terms of section lengths, and number of repetitions. Then I used the Digitakt to compose a drum beat I thought matched the way Ringo was playing the drums. I got the snare sample from what is supposed to be the same drum kit he actually used. The kick, clap, and hats were stock in the Digitakt box and I added some effects. I also added a clap and hat from my Juno keyboard. I recorded all these parts from the Juno and Digitakt respectively into protools. Once I had the drum beat recomposed, I recomposed the bass and piano parts to match the Digitakt drum pattern, that in turn matched the original Beatles loop idea. The piano part I played live and tried to be moderate in how I edited it, in order to maintain some of the dynamics of a real performance. Once I had all the parts composed, I muted the “recut sample” track.

-Here is the Beatles loop soloed on the chorus:

-Here is the drum part rewritten to match the Beatles loop soloed on the chorus:

-Here is the Beatles loop soloed on the verse:

-Here is the drums, piano and bass composed to match that loop:

-Bass Juno is a bass part I programmed in midi and then printed because the sample lives in the Juno keyboard and not my computer. If you need a midi map for that part it is muted, inactive, and hidden. It is labeled “bass fm” in the tracks list located in the drawer panel on the left hand side of the mix window.

-The Piano track is sent to an Aux track called “Piano Telephone.” This is the trick I was telling you about that I’ve used on several songs now. I turn down the Piano track roughly half way, send it to the Piano Telephone aux track which is turned up nearly twice as high in the mix. The Telephone track has a telephone effect which is a preset in the Soundtoys Effect Rack plug in. The result is the creation of a back wall to the imagined room. Further, to my ear at least, it sounds like a beat up piano, exposed to sea air in an old house with a big window and hardwood floors, a long time ago.

-Fuzz Organ is your part from the previous version, translated to 89 BPM and slid over on the grid to match the new drum composition.

-60s organ is a sound that lives in the Juno keyboard so I printed it. I really like the little lead in it plays onn measure twenty four right before the second verse. Likewise I think it is a good texture on the bridge and the line it plays on the instrumental is great and unique to what this instrument can do.

-Guitars A + B are weaving textural harmonies on the verses and a doubled rhythm part on the bridge. Guitar Trem is a third harmonic layer on the verses. If you solo the three guitars I think they sound pretty. Moreover, the whole song turns a bit barren and lifeless without them. That said, the part doesn’t feel fully integrated yet, and I can’t seem to get it to sit right in the mix or the arrangement. It’s either too heavy, or distractingly too far away, as if in a room down the hall where the party I want to go to is, while I’m lost in the dream of where I am.

-L + B Vox comps are relatively close in this version. Depending on what you decide to do with the arrangement we could keep some of them or re-track. I do like the feel of a lot of the lead. I know it comes in late on that last verse and there’s a couple other scratchy areas. I wish the b vox also had a harmony in addition to the straight double. Haven’t figured that out just yet. Whether we keep these or re-track I’d value constructive criticism notes on what you hear.

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