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Book reviews and/or advice
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greede
Started Topics :
9
Posts :
82
Posted : Jan 7, 2010 19:09
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Put it this way, when I first read the Dance music manual (which was quite some time ago) it helped me massively. If I'd have read this book with the knowledge I have know, it wouldn't benifit me as much. Which is a bit of a strange thing to say as I gained a lot of knowledge from this book... paradox anyone!
Having said that, the book is still a very good read.
It does contain some synth programming, but not a lot.
I have the hard copy of this book.
http://noisesculpture.com/htman_free.html
Its free in pdf format.. Very good
But the best I've come across is this....
http://www.dancemusicproduction.com/index.php?categoryid=1&p2_articleid=5 |
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carl.schutte
Started Topics :
4
Posts :
35
Posted : Jan 7, 2010 19:22
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I think electronic music production (EMP) is such a broad subject - broader than most alternative musicians like to admit - that to gauge somebody else's knowledge level becomes very difficult.
Also, our level of knowledge is ultimately subjective, as we are not writing any standardised EMP examination.
One person might take away something moderately useful from each chapter; another person might find the book a pleasant read, but only benefit massively from one chapter; yet another might not find anything useful in the book.
The more I think about it, my initial question is ultimately flawed - I'm asking for an objective answer based upon something largely subjective...
Thanks for the free PDF! 8)
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On 2010-01-07 19:09, greede wrote:
Put it this way, when I first read the Dance music manual (which was quite some time ago) it helped me massively. If I'd have read this book with the knowledge I have know, it wouldn't benifit me as much. Which is a bit of a strange thing to say as I gained a lot of knowledge from this book... paradox anyone!
Having said that, the book is still a very good read.
It does contain some synth programming, but not a lot.
I have the hard copy of this book.
http://noisesculpture.com/htman_free.html
Its free in pdf format.. Very good
But the best I've come across is this....
http://www.dancemusicproduction.com/index.php?categoryid=1&p2_articleid=5
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greede
Started Topics :
9
Posts :
82
Posted : Jan 7, 2010 19:47
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Your welcome 
I know, its a tuff question because I'm constantly learning. I have a thirst for information about this subject which is why I still search for articles, books and watch dvd's.
I dont think there will be a point where I think think I know enough.
If anyone was to ask me to recommend a book that is easy to digest and covers many aspects about Dance music production I would always recommend the Dance music manual.
I will say though that one of the most valuble bits of information I took from the book was about using mono files rather than stereo... A simple thing, but it makes a big difference!
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Freeflow
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
60
Posts :
3709
Posted : Jan 8, 2010 01:58
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Yeah Dance music manual is a very nice one!
I just got a book called "Sound Reproduction - The acoustics and psychoacoustics of loudspeakers and rooms"
havent started with it yet....
Power Tools for Synthesizer Programming: The Ultimate Reference for Sound Design
is also a nice one...
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bukboy
Hyperboreans
Started Topics :
40
Posts :
803
Posted : Jan 9, 2010 20:30
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I think that 90% of the trance producers don't really have any musical background, so Snoman's book looks good coz they don't know any better.
90% of psy "artists" have no idea how to do anything besides make a fullon bass and put some percs and squidgies and squawks over it.
Because 90% of the artists in psy dont bother learning, they rely on copying each other which is why 90% of psy sounds the same.
90% of the psy artists dont make any money, coz no-one thinks they deserve any, and the other 10% who sound at least a little unique scrape together a very modest living off gigs. Which is why nobody bothers investing in psy in the first place.
Thats my theory why 90% of guys reckon Snomans book is great. Its actually really crap. I bought it, read it once, and instantly forgot it.
P.S. I wanted to make psy, I dont anymore, Im trying to sell my controller. Its not worth the day job effort it takes to be good. |
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carl.schutte
Started Topics :
4
Posts :
35
Posted : Jan 9, 2010 20:38
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Thanks for the honest & helpful feedback; much appreciated.
I agree that a lot of psytrance is going the way hard house & hard NRG went - that's what I mostly listened to in the late 90s.
It has become formulaic... which is very sad because I find psytrance to be such a creative music style.
That's why I'm trying to learn all the important things like music theory, etc. that so many people just ignore. I probably won't always be making psytrance, but I will always be passionate about electronic music.
I just love how it manges to seamlessly blend technology & creativity.
Carl
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On 2010-01-09 20:30, bukboy wrote:
I think that 90% of the trance producers don't really have any musical background, so Snoman's book looks good coz they don't know any better.
90% of psy "artists" have no idea how to do anything besides make a fullon bass and put some percs and squidgies and squawks over it.
Because 90% of the artists in psy dont bother learning, they rely on copying each other which is why 90% of psy sounds the same.
90% of the psy artists dont make any money, coz no-one thinks they deserve any, and the other 10% who sound at least a little unique scrape together a very modest living off gigs. Which is why nobody bothers investing in psy in the first place.
Thats my theory why 90% of guys reckon Snomans book is great. Its actually really crap. I bought it, read it once, and instantly forgot it.
P.S. I wanted to make psy, I dont anymore, Im trying to sell my controller. Its not worth the day job effort it takes to be good.
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Freeflow
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
60
Posts :
3709
Posted : Jan 10, 2010 01:05
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Quote:
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On 2010-01-09 20:30, bukboy wrote:
I think that 90% of the trance producers don't really have any musical background, so Snoman's book looks good coz they don't know any better.
90% of psy "artists" have no idea how to do anything besides make a fullon bass and put some percs and squidgies and squawks over it.
Because 90% of the artists in psy dont bother learning, they rely on copying each other which is why 90% of psy sounds the same.
90% of the psy artists dont make any money, coz no-one thinks they deserve any, and the other 10% who sound at least a little unique scrape together a very modest living off gigs. Which is why nobody bothers investing in psy in the first place.
Thats my theory why 90% of guys reckon Snomans book is great. Its actually really crap. I bought it, read it once, and instantly forgot it.
P.S. I wanted to make psy, I dont anymore, Im trying to sell my controller. Its not worth the day job effort it takes to be good.
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haha i always thought you where the biggest pessimist around! lol
your ideas and calculations is just what it is, "your ideas and calculations", and if you know what music was about you would hail everything that helps and makes people grow! You sound as the worst elite.
Are you depressed or is this the way you always think?
Anyway i know you want a reaction, now you got one...should i feel a little sorry for you?
too bad you want to quite making psytrance, maybe you want to make some sophisticated techno or electro? hehe
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bukboy
Hyperboreans
Started Topics :
40
Posts :
803
Posted : Jan 11, 2010 12:17
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Nope. Not depressed, not pessimistic. I just know complex well made music from amateur pretend artist music.
Dont you feel that psy artists have no clue? do you think they have any skill or originality? |
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greede
Started Topics :
9
Posts :
82
Posted : Jan 11, 2010 14:00
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On 2010-01-09 20:30, bukboy wrote:
I think that 90% of the trance producers don't really have any musical background, so Snoman's book looks good coz they don't know any better.
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I think thats the point!!
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On 2010-01-09 20:30, bukboy wrote:
Because 90% of the artists in psy dont bother learning, they rely on copying each other which is why 90% of psy sounds the same.
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I'm pretty sure thats a tried and tested method of learning.
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On 2010-01-09 20:30, bukboy wrote:
Thats my theory why 90% of guys reckon Snomans book is great.
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Unfortunately, your theory relies on the books customer base being exclusively psy trance artists and everything you said actaully making sense.... Which it isn't and it dont!
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On 2010-01-09 20:30, bukboy wrote:
Its actually really crap. I bought it, read it once, and instantly forgot it.
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Thanks for the detailed review though, most helpful.
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supergroover
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
39
Posts :
1505
Posted : Jan 11, 2010 14:17
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I think that 90% of the trance producers don't really have any musical background, so Snoman's book looks good coz they don't know any better.
90% of psy "artists" have no idea how to do anything besides make a fullon bass and put some percs and squidgies and squawks over it.
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I dont think that only applies to psytrance. But more to pc based music in general. I see no reason why techno should be any different.
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Freeflow
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
60
Posts :
3709
Posted : Jan 11, 2010 15:32
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Quote:
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On 2010-01-11 12:17, bukboy wrote:
Nope. Not depressed, not pessimistic. I just know complex well made music from amateur pretend artist music.
Dont you feel that psy artists have no clue? do you think they have any skill or originality?
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Hi!
Well we all need to start somewhere!
Somehow psytrance/trance seems to be a starting point for many musicians.
We are all differently interested certain things, just cause someone is a amateur or hobbyist dosent mean their music is worse.
I made a choice to learn more to always try and get better with music, as a goal in life. Im still a novice and many kinds of info is of interest.
I think the beauty of music is to unite and express and communicate! Even if lots of psytrance sound the same there are different touches to many things and a good melody and track is still a good melody and track even if its made by either you or me or anyone else.
As said its a choice to learn more and get better! but it is not a promise that you will make good music just cause of that =)
Music is so much more than just complex structures and melodies! Sometimes emotion is the main thing, The neat thing is to incorporate emotion with complexity and simplicity, dissonance and resonance...
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bukboy
Hyperboreans
Started Topics :
40
Posts :
803
Posted : Jan 11, 2010 18:50
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Freeflow - Definitely agree with the emotion bit.
But 90% psy has none. And fullon (the bread and butter at parties) which is nothing but aggro repetitive plagiarism doesnt have any. Puts me to sleep for lack of immersion and emotion. |
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Freeflow
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
60
Posts :
3709
Posted : Jan 11, 2010 19:27
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Quote:
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On 2010-01-11 18:50, bukboy wrote:
Freeflow - Definitely agree with the emotion bit.
But 90% psy has none. And fullon (the bread and butter at parties) which is nothing but aggro repetitive plagiarism doesnt have any. Puts me to sleep for lack of immersion and emotion.
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yes im willing to agree that lots of psytrance lacks emotion...
I think it has to do with lots of things, one thing might be that many artists seem to quantize alot and which has to do with some kind of perfectionism which drains the emotion...
Too much calculation and cliche tricks! Over calculated stuff.
Also i must say that highpitched sounds are overused to death and they cary no emotion at all and im very annoyed with them, you know which i mean? they are a part of soo many tracks.. So many lifeless drones... i really dont know their purpose...
and not to speak about the lack of motion in lots of psytrance, i mean sometimes it feels too straight! There is only really a few that do it real well...
i must say that what has cought my eye lately is Ekoplex and Tripteaser, also alot of old stuff still keeps it rocking... though i am bad at keeping up with everything. and it would be impossible..
I think the lack of good melody is also something that makes a track boring, i mean you can make melodic elements with lots of stuff, people seem to think that melody has to be something cliche..
Now i understand what darkpsy is, what fullon is, its words for generic sound, not psychedelic music... psychedelic music is much more free...
But really who am i to talk..
im not bashing it all...
If everyone was making blasting psy we would not have anything to compare against and we would not know what was good from bad.. haha.. i wonder how that would work if everything was like that... we would probably stand still
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carl.schutte
Started Topics :
4
Posts :
35
Posted : Jan 11, 2010 19:50
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Just listened to Ekoplex - Druid Walker
Nice stuff!
I have always & still am a fan of the traditional melodic goa sound.
While the traditional music elements are important, we should also remember that we are computer musicians. We have the ability to embrace technology & use it to sculpt never before heard sounds.
I love hearing an awesome new effect or sound sample. You don't necessarily have the ability to do that in classical music.
Any & every form of music suffers from people over-using certain tricks... you can't slam a style/genre because some producers are exploiting it. In fact, you'd have nothing to listen to if you did. Unfortunately exploitation is a flaw of the human race.
I think it is very possible to make emotive darkpsy & fullon... although I'm not really into darkpsy - I find that its energy is too negative.
You really are touching on very subjective, if not philosophical, issues here.
Carl
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On 2010-01-11 19:27, Freeflow wrote:
Quote:
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On 2010-01-11 18:50, bukboy wrote:
Freeflow - Definitely agree with the emotion bit.
But 90% psy has none. And fullon (the bread and butter at parties) which is nothing but aggro repetitive plagiarism doesnt have any. Puts me to sleep for lack of immersion and emotion.
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yes im willing to agree that lots of psytrance lacks emotion...
I think it has to do with lots of things, one thing might be that many artists seem to quantize alot and which has to do with some kind of perfectionism which drains the emotion...
Too much calculation and cliche tricks! Over calculated stuff.
Also i must say that highpitched sounds are overused to death and they cary no emotion at all and im very annoyed with them, you know which i mean? they are a part of soo many tracks.. So many lifeless drones... i really dont know their purpose...
and not to speak about the lack of motion in lots of psytrance, i mean sometimes it feels too straight! There is only really a few that do it real well...
i must say that what has cought my eye lately is Ekoplex and Tripteaser, also alot of old stuff still keeps it rocking... though i am bad at keeping up with everything. and it would be impossible..
I think the lack of good melody is also something that makes a track boring, i mean you can make melodic elements with lots of stuff, people seem to think that melody has to be something cliche..
Now i understand what darkpsy is, what fullon is, its words for generic sound, not psychedelic music... psychedelic music is much more free...
But really who am i to talk..
im not bashing it all...
If everyone was making blasting psy we would not have anything to compare against and we would not know what was good from bad.. haha.. i wonder how that would work if everything was like that... we would probably stand still
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Freeflow
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
60
Posts :
3709
Posted : Jan 11, 2010 20:18
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True Carl! i agree... yes too much subjectiveness
and some philosophical thoughts...
And i agree im very much into the old goa sound, i like the way sounds evolve and are shaped, i like to be able to touch the sounds... morph them, paint them with my hands.... follow them around... you know... its like painting a picture of the sounds with your body.... its Art where you use your whole being... and we are all part of the creation.. man i love it this deep...
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