Let's discuss...Pinch - Qawwali

[wub]

Still one of the finest examples of the whole space & bass vibe The evolution of the synths and those little shuffly shakers that fade in and out are just beautiful

[hudson]

Always thought it was one of the most unique Dubstep tracks around. Really good combination of a Techno feel with Dubstep aesthetics, plus all the contrasting sounds make for a really cool atmosphere that I haven't heard in many other tracks. Love how it's got that tension that never really resolves too (makes for a great set-opener), Pinch is really showing off his "songwriting" abilities in this one.

[wub]

The only problem with using a record like Qawwali as a set opener is that it's pretty much a perfect 10...and if your first song is a 10, then the next one kinda needs to be an 11, if you get me?


That aside, the eastern sounding accordian sound...is that a sample or just some next level sound design?

[hutyluty]

Yeah i would never open a set with it for that reason- maybe end one with it though!

I think one of the most impressive things is that it was one of the first tunes he wrote (i think) and despite- or even maybe because of that- it doesn't really sound similar to anyone else.

Oh and the way the bassline interlocks with the percussion- each on their own isn't much but together...

[wub]

I think one of the most impressive things is that it was one of the first tunes he wrote (i think) and despite- or even maybe because of that- it doesn't really sound similar to anyone else.

Someone on here (I forget who) has that Skream quote in their signature about when they were first starting out, they were trying to copy stuff they liked but a) had no idea how and b) didn't have the studios to back it up anyway.

So the result is just raw sound that happened to be something amazing. Reckon it's the same with this.

Oh and the way the bassline interlocks with the percussion- each on their own isn't much but together...

The delayed call-and-response between them is awesome, like the bass is the emphasis and the percussion is just there to slot in around it. I've already said that starting a tune with drums will be limiting and this is an example of just why. If the percussion was laid down first, the bass would have to fit in with it instead of the other way round.

[faultier]

absolute percy

That aside, the eastern sounding accordian sound...is that a sample or just some next level sound design?

fairly sure i read somewhere its sampled from a nusrat fateh ali khan song, i could be wrong tho, if anyone has more info, i'm always a sucker for sampled sources trivia

[wub]

Yeah, that's what Google is giving me...no idea which song specifically though?

[Hircine]

main percussion line is the best example of how velocity can be assigned to more than just sample volume in order to give a more natural feel to the beat. I'd take a guess and say that velocity is controlling volume, decay and LP cutoff for those tom sounds.

[wub]

I'd take a guess and say that velocity is controlling volume, decay and LP cutoff for those tom sounds.

I've never quite gotten my head round effectively controlling other parameters with velocity...though now I think about it, it would just be a variation on the peak controller I use for sidechain ducking

[fragments]

Yea, that percussion line is part of what brings me back to this again and again. I really try to nail natural sounding hand drums like that. Tempo synced can work, but tweaking the knob until it "just sounds right" is usually better (like with every knob ever no matter what I'm doing). Just something else to add movement.

If you don't mind sharing, how would you use set up that Peak Controller trick you just brainstormed?

OT: I've heard Peak Controller has terrible latency issues and shouldn't be use for sidechain compression. Anyone know anything about this? Haven't googled it recently...

[wub]

If you don't mind sharing, how would you use set up that Peak Controller trick you just brainstormed?

Assuming you're wanting a drum element (we'll say the kick( as the 'trigger'...setup peak controller on the kick channel on the mixer, remembering to untick mute.

For whatever parameter you're wanting to control, rightclick link to controller, peak controller volume. Then adjust the dials on the peak controller to set the attack/decay/base level of the affected parameter.

Could even take it a step further and have multiple peak controllers on the kick channel all with slightly different settings so as to affect different parameters differently.

OT: I've heard Peak Controller has terrible latency issues and shouldn't be use for sidechain compression. Anyone know anything about this? Haven't googled it recently...

Never have an issue with it.

[fragments]

^Thanks. I see, exactly like sidechain ducking except you are linking to a different parameter. I'm a bit fuzzy headed this afternoon, thought you'd cooked up some crazy next level voodoo not that this isn't a great idea btw.

Re: latency...OK...yea, I haven't either...but it's a thing "they say" all time on some other forums I visit.

[wub]

^Thanks. I see, exactly like sidechain ducking except you are linking to a different parameter. I'm a bit fuzzy headed this afternoon, thought you'd cooked up some crazy next level voodoo not that this isn't a great idea btw.

Yeah the peak controller is probably the only plugin (other than Span) which features in nearly every project I have going on in one way or another.

Re: latency...OK...yea, I haven't either...but it's a thing "they say" all time on some other forums I visit.

Never noticed a latency, then again maybe if you were parallel compressing w/ sidechaining...but that would be as a result of the less recent version of FL Studio not having delay compensation built in rather than the peak controller itself.


(or maybe peak controller has an inbuilt latency that I've grown so accustomed to I don't notice anymore )

[hasezwei]

such a good tune
it somehow transforms the room you're in, those fairly high bass frequencies on top of the sub and the way they resonate with the tablas (or whatever that sound is, you probably know what i mean)
i probably would have eq'd the hell out of that, thinking it'd make the tune better

good ideas with the peak control and velocity, i've experimented a bit with that in the past but not nearly enough
try mapping velocity to pitch envelope, works wonders on some sounds (if you're into that snappy drum sound)
one time i used reaper's equivalent of peak control to kinda sidechain the stereo spread of my lead synth to the kick. since the kick was mono it could push the lead synth aside, spreading the stereo field and muting the center so that no frequencies clash.

i really overused that one for creative purposes but i could imagine that technique freeing up a lot of headroom when used carefully during mixdowns

[fragments]

^Thanks. I see, exactly like sidechain ducking except you are linking to a different parameter. I'm a bit fuzzy headed this afternoon, thought you'd cooked up some crazy next level voodoo not that this isn't a great idea btw.

Yeah the peak controller is probably the only plugin (other than Span) which features in nearly every project I have going on in one way or another.

Re: latency...OK...yea, I haven't either...but it's a thing "they say" all time on some other forums I visit.

Never noticed a latency, then again maybe if you were parallel compressing w/ sidechaining...but that would be as a result of the less recent version of FL Studio not having delay compensation built in rather than the peak controller itself.


(or maybe peak controller has an inbuilt latency that I've grown so accustomed to I don't notice anymore )

Fuck it. I'm going back to using peak controller. You can do so much with it! Does that happen to be Voxengo Span? Just curious because I'm in love with Gliss EQ...you can sync the EQ data between instances so you can see, for example, the sub and kick frequencies in the same instance of Gliss. Makes finding cross-over sweet spots way easy.

@hasezwei: some good ideas there...wish I wasn't at work (second jobs suck!) and didn't have the studio torn apart. Def going on a tribal vibe for my next tune after all this...

[Hircine]

some in depth business in this thread

[hudson]

The only problem with using a record like Qawwali as a set opener is that it's pretty much a perfect 10...and if your first song is a 10, then the next one kinda needs to be an 11, if you get me?

I don't mind a challenge

[fragments]

The only problem with using a record like Qawwali as a set opener is that it's pretty much a perfect 10...and if your first song is a 10, then the next one kinda needs to be an 11, if you get me?

I don't mind a challenge

I now want to hear the set that starts with Qawwali and continues to get better and better.

[tintala]

Yes this has a sample of Nuzrat Fateh Ali khan in it from a song called THE FACE OF LOVE , I believe but could be mistaken..... Also Eddie Vedder performed this with Nuzrat..... also the keyboard sound is a hand pumped Indian instrument called a harmonium. I do not hear tabla or anything that remotely sounds like tabla ... just a percussive bass in the qawalli sample. Perhaps it's a cajon...

[Hircine]

Yes this has a sample of Nuzrat Fateh Ali khan in it from a song called THE FACE OF LOVE , I believe but could be mistaken..... Also Eddie Vedder performed this with Nuzrat..... also the keyboard sound is a hand pumped Indian instrument called a harmonium. I do not hear tabla or anything that remotely sounds like tabla ... just a percussive bass in the qawalli sample. Perhaps it's a cajon...

I don't think it's a cajon, it definitely has a fiber or animal skin sound to it, I'm thinking a percussive synth like those korg pads or collision, maybe layered and compressed with pitched sines.