Opeth's Damnation (particularly Ending Credits)

[hkollner]

This is going to be interesting

 

[Steven Otto]

So I was thinking...

Is it a good idea to make a sample of the snare? I'll just look for a quiet part in one of the songs of this cd and sample one snare hit when there's nothing in the background. I can use this sample to blend with Superior. By doing this, there will also be the original masterbusfx of 'Damnation' over the snare sample, but I guess this won't be that much of a problem since I plan keeping my master as dynamic possible (no brickwall!)

And for the kickdrum...I've seen a video of Ola Englund (Goddamn Guitar) where he manually programs the drumbeat with his mouse. So, I will record the midi-kick while playing back the song. I hope this will make the sound more lively and less robotic. basicly: de-quantizing.

 

[Morgan C]

And for the kickdrum...I've seen a video of Ola Englund (Goddamn Guitar) where he manually programs the drumbeat with his mouse. So, I will record the midi-kick while playing back the song. I hope this will make the sound more lively and less robotic. basicly: de-quantizing.

Go for it, but for some reason I've never heard a MIDI drum kit sound realistic. Programming by hand and making sure all the velocities and notes are set right works much better. It shouldn't, but it does.

 

[Steven Otto]

Thanks for warning me. Normally I just program the drums in GP5, because that's much easier than the standard MIDI editor in Reaper. Then I adjust the velocity's.

For a kickdrum, should I keep it consistently at the same velocity? Same for snare, right?

and for the hi-hat velocity:
for one 4/4 beat, where every x is one eights note.
|X X X X X X X X | Repeat |

I'm a total noob at programming drums and this would be a nice opportunity to learn more.

 

[Morgan C]

Thanks for warning me. Normally I just program the drums in GP5, because that's much easier than the standard MIDI editor in Reaper. Then I adjust the velocity's.

For a kickdrum, should I keep it consistently at the same velocity? Same for snare, right?

and for the hi-hat velocity:
for one 4/4 beat, where every x is one eights note.
|X X X X X X X X | Repeat |

I'm a total noob at programming drums and this would be a nice opportunity to learn more.

Don't keep the kick at constant velocity. Let it vary a bit, and of course you'll need to go in manually on pickup notes, etc. where the drummer would play quietly.
Hihat would go |X X X X
Read link in sig for more.

 

[HollowmanPL]

Heh
few days I wanted to do the Windowpane cover, but I have no idea how to get such a great violins
good luck!

btw. I'll try to play this on drums maybe next week....

 

[TRUIE]

I don't think it's a mellotron. A mellotron is more like a 70's wavey flap/sharp sounding string section.
In one of those 'Making of' clips I've seen Steven Wilson playing that intro of the song on a keyboard/synth. I'll look for it right away

A Mellotron have string banks, but a lot of others instruments as well (flutes, organ, brass, piano, guitar, even rythm loops...).
It's just the ancestor of a sample based VSTi

IIRC they don't use a real Mellotron on this record, it's a midi keyboard/VSTi (like the one I told you), or a hardware unit that digitally reproduce the real thing.

By the way, I agree that Weakness intro don't sound like a Mellotron.

 

[TRUIE]

Heh
few days I wanted to do the Windowpane cover, but I have no idea how to get such a great violins
good luck!

On Windowpane, it's clearly a Mellotron.
Hit me up if you need help on that part.

 

[Steven Otto]

Don't keep the kick at constant velocity. Let it vary a bit, and of course you'll need to go in manually on pickup notes, etc. where the drummer would play quietly.
Hihat would go |X X X X
Read link in sig for more.

This and your link helped a lot! thanks.

A Mellotron have string banks, but a lot of others instruments as well (flutes, organ, brass, piano, guitar, even rythm loops...).
It's just the ancestor of a sample based VSTi

IIRC they don't use a real Mellotron on this record, it's a midi keyboard/VSTi (like the one I told you), or a hardware unit that digitally reproduce the real thing.

By the way, I agree that Weakness intro don't sound like a Mellotron.

I agree and kinda what I meant. I should've been more clear.

On Windowpane, it's clearly a Mellotron.
Hit me up if you need help on that part.

I hear both a Mellotron and strings.
At 1:02 it's a Mellotron (everytime with that guitar riff) and the section at 2:23 is a string/violin section if I'm correct.
I hope this cleared up some stuff.

 

[Steven Otto]

Did some fucking around with the snares in Superior and got something I'm quit happy with. I don't think it's needed to make a snaresample from the album.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/8394538/drumtestending.mp3
First part is my Superior2.0 kit, second part the original song.

Inb4kickistooloud.

 

[cobhc]

I can have a play with some drums/randomizing if you have a good midi or guitar pro file to work from.

 

[Steven Otto]

I can have a play with some drums/randomizing if you have a good midi or guitar pro file to work from.

Great offer!
I'm working on the midi drums atm. I'll shoot you a pm when I'm done.

 

[hkollner]

Did some fucking around with the snares in Superior and got something I'm quit happy with. I don't think it's needed to make a snaresample from the album.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/8394538/drumtestending.mp3
First part is my Superior2.0 kit, second part the original song.

Inb4kickistooloud.

Hey man, can you please share the superior preset?

 

[Steven Otto]

Hey man, can you please share the superior preset?

Sure, just ask the guys overhere for it.

All jokes aside, it isn't really that hard to get that snare sound tbh.
1. Grab the "Rogers Wood" snare
2. blend the mics and ambients to taste
3. low shelve some mics

Use your ears and you'll be fine.

 

[RLab]

Wow you are really close ! The snare is almost the exact same, congrats ! Which hi-hat did you use ?

 

[Steven Otto]

The 16 inch Sabian Crash Handhammered.
It's nice to read the kind words, thank you.

The progress:
I'm now working on the bass. Got basslines figured out and I'm able to play them. Just need to tight them up a bit.
Same for acoustic guitar. Got the most parts, but I can't seem to figure out the chorus and bridge.

What are the two chords at 1:30. They repeat them a few times.

 

[DanLights]

I'm sure Mikael himself doesn't know "what" those chords are, the only thing he knows is they sound awesome haha

 

[RLab]

Yeah he always said that he was writing just with his ears... I don't even know if he knows anything about music theory
Thanks for the tip about the hi-hat, I'll try to get that sweet drum sound Maybe the Sneap forum could make a cover of the whole Damnation album ?

 

[The Dark Magician]

Yeah he always said that he was writing just with his ears... I don't even know if he knows anything about music theory
Thanks for the tip about the hi-hat, I'll try to get that sweet drum sound Maybe the Sneap forum could make a cover of the whole Damnation album ?

Lots of guys say that and it's usually a lie. I know for a fact Mikael knows at least a little bit of theory via interviews. The chords he's playing there are C / B / C#dim / Cadd9 / Am / B7 and back into Em. Let me know if you need fingering charts, but that should be easy enough to figure out from the video.

 

[Steven Otto]

Thanks for the input, Dark.

I finally finished programming the drums and soundshaping them. It took me more time than expected, but it feels good having them done.
It's time to move over to the bass guitar. I can play it much tighter than a few days ago, but getting a nice sound is really hard! I just started playing bass guitar lol! Any ideas?