LMMS • Forums

Made some ska, its not finished yet, but would like some feedback already. The drums don't sound right to me ?

https://soundcloud.com/user586365033/ska

Gps wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 17, 2017 4:02 pm

Made some ska

Nice -spot on! The instruments are a bit 'weak' but you can easily wamp them up with eq or use synth1 :P
Really good vibe in this Gus. 70' Coventry-clubbing in unhealthy smokey conditions :P

I know there is some jazz in me too lol
I love that remark, about the clubbing, its also made me think of jazz instantly.

Those were the days were artist were playing, with cigarettes and a drink in reach.

There must be some jazz in me too, I still hope to cover this one day in lmms.
Take 5.
( but not for now, I already struggle enough with drum in the 1,2,3,4 format to give this a go.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmDDOFXSgAs

Synth 1 is worth a try at least.

Most ska seems to have an organ and a sax or trumpet.

I first had the brass sound on the beat, but its sounds better off beat.

I had to cut down on the sustain in zynaddsubFX, I am at a 142 bpm


Maybe I should look for some reggae drum kit. The kicks and hihat, I don't like for this track.
The rim-shot I do like from the standard lmms samples..

Learned a lot, ska is not about chords, there are no ska chords, its about rhythm.
That's why you can make a ska version of probably most music.
( The funny thing with this cover, the slower part sounds more reggae and the faster part sounds more ska. )

hotel califoniska ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiK0ER9WsTs

At least this one is for me ska, and not reggae.
House of the rising sun ska version.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpROXSEN5cE

I think this solves the question about the difference, because this one is to me reggae
Also house of the rising sun, but much slower as the ska cover.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kFt4wICRhY

And about my track I want at least some part were the sax or trumpet player goes kinda wild.

Even though I am not a Ska expert:
This tune is not bad at all.
But I agree with musikbear. Those instruments need some powering up.

Nice study.

I like the end, "bwaaw"

Otherwise, it sounds cheap. There are lots of ways to enrich the sound, one of them is to play with layers. For example, use two, three, four synths or more to sculpt the timbre of each instrument.

The sound of the drums do not associate very well with the sound of other instruments (subjective appreciation?).

It is quite far from the ska as I could hear it, but it does not matter, we can consider the ska as a starting point to go elsewhere.

It is about bpm, yes -But then that is wrecked by 'The Specials' with their hit
Ghost town:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ2oXzrnti4
Reggae or Ska?
Im not sure the difference is there
Reggae comes from Jamaica
Ska from northwest england.
'Skausers' are Liverpoolers, but maby the term can be used in wider sense?
If we have some north-england native users, maby they can put me right ?

(fun fact: Denmark has its own 'skausers' : Skaubo -Pepps born and living in Skagen :p

brandystarbrite wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 18, 2017 1:25 am

Even though I am not a Ska expert:
This tune is not bad at all.
But I agree with musikbear. Those instruments need some powering up.

I have not used any equalizer yet, consider this a rough sketch.

It's funny to me, you and musicbear don't mention the drums.

The drums are the part I am most unhappy with. The drums don't give a ska feeling, and I no idea on why yet.

An example:
The Specials - Gansgters
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgCZN1rU5co

When I try to put it in words, ska has this tjk tjk tjtjk Sometimes even sung.
I have even been thinking about not using a kick drum, but that does not seem to work either.
Read something about reggae drums, which often seems to be muffled.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOJSM46nWwo
At the start they sing the sung just with their voices. Third guy, that sound is for so typical ska.
You can hear throughout the song the they also use their voices, not just for the lyrics.

Found a prefect example of what I am on about.
First time at 1.26m, the guy singing tjk jtk tjktjk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnQqYXK21pg

D.Ipsum wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 18, 2017 2:21 am

Nice study.

I like the end, "bwaaw"

Otherwise, it sounds cheap. There are lots of ways to enrich the sound, one of them is to play with layers. For example, use two, three, four synths or more to sculpt the timbre of each instrument.

The sound of the drums do not associate very well with the sound of other instruments (subjective appreciation?).

It is quite far from the ska as I could hear it, but it does not matter, we can consider the ska as a starting point to go elsewhere.

Yes, I am not happy with the drums, not one bit, they don't give me the ska feel.
They sound like drums in popmusic but not ska.

I have downloaded a reggae drum set, a small one, but it already seems to fit better.
Maybe I should import my reggae drums into the ska track, and look critical at the bassline.

https://soundcloud.com/user586365033/a-bit-of-reggae

musikbear wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 18, 2017 1:36 pm

It is about bpm, yes -But then that is wrecked by 'The Specials' with their hit
Ghost town:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ2oXzrnti4
Reggae or Ska?
Im not sure the difference is there
Reggae comes from Jamaica
Ska from northwest england.
'Skausers' are Liverpoolers, but maby the term can be used in wider sense?
If we have some north-england native users, maby they can put me right ?

(fun fact: Denmark has its own 'skausers' : Skaubo -Pepps born and living in Skagen :p

The more I listen to ska and reggae, the more I am convinced there is no real difference between the two, except for the bpm.

Madness, ska comes from England , but the original ska also come from Jamaica.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjvtyFFgQCY 1964

I could not find anything on you tube, from skaubo, shame.

How reggae got into the UK.

How they added strings to make it more mainstream.

In part 3, we get to UB40, ska, madness and the specials and so on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQXyK1uxTps