Music basics

Anything that doesn't fit into other topics goes here!
144 posts
I have found the perfect number for now.

I always liked it more then popcorn. So TubeWayArmy - Are friends Electric here we come. ( Britisch synth pop )
It's an far more easy number then popcorn. One of the main reasons being, it very easy to distinguish the different sounds.

Already started and had a problem finding the bpm's. Then remembered a topic from this board, maybe even a question from me.
So I made a track with just short ticks and called it metronome. ;)

Then moved the bpm down and up until I was pretty close.

Next fight was of course finding the right spots, but I seem to be getting better at that too.
Learned allot by studying synthesia vids, and other lmms project.

Found out that allot of the hits I like, have something in common.
Fade to grey visage, Blue Monday - new Order, Tubeway Army and allot more pop songs have besides a synth a track that has a pattern of higher and lower notes.
tik tok tik tok tik tok

Hadaway - What is love up / down, up /down

I think the pre-sets in lmms are better suited for tubeway arrmy too.

Also studied Musicbears lmms popcorn-key-demo again.

I know mine should be in key, finally , so what other thing can be wrong ?
Because it does not sound really right yet.
The timing is one thing.

I noticed that your middle part, the c,d,e,f,g,f,e,d,c part, is different in how its spread over the 4 bars, steps ?
That one thing I miss when using synthesia vids, some grid pattern, like we have in lmms.

And with more exercise, my musical hearing will improve too.
My tone deafness had nothing to do with my ears, but mostly with understanding, and recognizing out of key notes.
Also about 6 months ago, when I heard two notes, I heard the were different, but was that second note, in that musical piece, higher or lower? :P

I am very curious if I will run into the same problem with this song, as in the popcorn song.
I play two tracks together, and the shit hits the fan.
There is still something wrong there in my popcorn song, according my ears, no matter what lmms, mark current scales says. ;)
And from Muiscbears message, I know I can trust my ears, so there is still hope for me.

Tubeway who?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0WNbm1jz6A
I had no idea, but noticed they use the minimogue :D

Because I have the minimogue vst, I tried it, and already found a preset which prob is the sound.
Will be interesting to see, how close I can get with this vst.

And try the triple oscillator, because it has a preset that is already a big step in the right direction too.

Bit frustrating, I can not yet use the full potential of the triple oscillator, and other (lmms) synths.

There is a lot to learn, LFO , attack delay, arpeggio, the effects chain, the wave ( sine saw ) etc
It takes quite some time, but from just loading a lot of vst, I started to see the similarity between the synths.

What helped most though, was watching vids about (modular) synths.
You see a guy explaining what he does, and plugging leads.
From an output into an input, using filters.
That opened my eyes, about what all those bloody knobs do, on synths were you don't need leads. ( cables )
@Mucisbear ( and of course everyone else)

After again looking at the keydemo, I noticed a few things.

On almost every spot were I have a problem, or at least my ears, you cheated on me, and used black keys.
( Before this joke gets out of hand, I remember some part about black keys are bad, and now its in this demo LOL. )

Noticed some more, I am gonna check in my version.

Some of your rhythm is as the main melody exactly an octave high.
I know my lead is too.

Then there was some parts played at C5 and in main lead C5 is the lowest note ( at the start)

I am pretty sure that different in mine.

To end this with answering the original question, about what key the demo is in , I now would like to say:

C and at least one other.

Not every thing starts at C, there is also E # and H#

So does this mean the song is played in three keys ? C, E#and H# ?
Or does the rule if it starts at a key, its written in that key, not apply here ?

Everything in my cover starts at C so that's very interesting. :P
I remember some part about black keys are bad, and now its in this demo LOL. )
nononono.. black (sharps) are 'bad' actually wrong in cMajor and aMinor!!!
ONLY in cMajor and aMinor!!!!!!!!!
Because cMajor and aMinor are complementary principle scales!
popcorn is neither in aMinor or cMajor, so sharps are not only 'ok' they are a MUST
I think a tool for scale-finding may help you (and perhaps others, so i will add it to useful-resourses, later)
http://www.scales-chords.com/scalefinder.php
-Dont click the adds...
Here you can add single notes, and find a scale that will fit your notes. All you then have to do, is to 'Mark-current-scale' in LMMS correctly, and you should be able to avoid bum-notes.
Then there was some parts played at C5 and in main lead C5 is the lowest note ( at the start)
I am pretty sure that different in mine.
Thats uninportant. The octave chosen in the piano-roll is related to the green-key-selector, on the preset. As long as the key are identical, then you can play high or low notes in either way
-Eg, do not focus on whitch octave is used -DO focus on whitch KEY is used!
So does this mean the song is played in three keys ? C, E#and H# ?
No, the key is consistent, but.. its actually somewhat advanced :yuck:
Popcorn is apearently in a derivate of major, known as the D ichikosucho
It is VERY much like a Dminor, but 2 notes are different. (I have to admit, that i saw this as d-Minor (egg in mi face) -But the composer uses the two D ichikosucho notes in the lead, ..either that, or lmms scale tool is bugged - (Have to look into that *sigh*)
But i think popcorn may be advanced, because it does kind of 'shimmer' in expression, and has some tonal surprizes.

The tune you have chosen for your next project.. you will have a troublesome job, im afraid. That song is not simple.. -atonal or mixo-lydian, perhaps halftone, but difficult :
Thank you, I seem to pick the wrong songs LOL.

And thanks about the confusion on the black keys.

If it helps dorian was the only scale I could find that fitted all notes in popcorn in LMMS.
And I tried all available sales.
The middle piece of popcorn, I just found I was out of scale, still not happy 100% how it sounds, but I seems to be in key.
Changed two pieces so all these pieces are 1 octave high. ( noticed that from the key demo )

Now back to, are friend electric ?
Are friends electric is doing what it should do, it brings back the fun in LMMS for me.

I look at my popcorn song in between, so I wont get fed up.
Next for popcorn will be changing some keys so they match the key demo. ( the subleads)


Right now fighting with the converted mp3 of the song into lmms. ( are friends electric)
I need to do some tweaking with audacity, I probably need to add a little silence in front, so it will start in sync with my cover.
Now it start a bit too early. :)

Read some more on the new LMMS wiki, and made an amenbreak, and a breakbeat. :P
Very help full for me.

Found a beat and baseline that will do for now, its at least something like they do in the song.
Also frustrating, you have the rhythm in your head, but getting that out of the beat and baseline editor....
Heres a tool for BMP finding
http://www.all8.com/tools/bpm.htm
Listen to playback, and tab at every kick. Practice a couple of time with a song of known bmp, and get the correct value, then you are good to go, with an unknown
This tool is also available in fls-free-demo, btw, but no need for dl that, but if you already have it, then use the 'Tap-finder' in context of BMP-window
musikbear wrote:...
(other may give it a shot if they like :p)
...
Um, I gave it a shot and found that all notes fit in A# dominant bebop. I don't have any music theory background so I'm probably missing a point here. I've just been trying to learn with lmms for a while.
Found this you tube vid. :)

Audacity, how to add silence, at the start.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnts9Rzw1GM
144 posts