ambient

I don't write songs, only music. I also don't use real titles any more, but when I did, I used to use titles that the music reminded me of. One piece the melody seemed to be saying 'Such a lonely place', so that was the title. Sometimes I'd name them after what my influence for the track was. I did a piece last year, the idea came to me while sheltering from a storm, I called it 'A moment of peace, after the rain'. Others have been quotes from books that I've been reading, words that I've seen while travelling around.

[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1450703614' post='2934971'] Like other things some will always achieve their potential much quicker than others. Graham Gouldman was writing hits for other people when he was in his teens. Lennon & McCartney had a bit of an apprenticeship but still can't have been at it for all that long by the time they were knocking out stuff that topped the charts then and is still covered to this day. Sorry I'm derailing the thread a little here. I think I listed my xmas faves around this time last year anyway... [/quote] It's a derailment but an interesting one 😊.

Interesting to see others with similar DIY skills to myself 😊.

Unusually not featuring any bass whatsoever . The three tracks here are mostly synth based, with some treated electric guitar, and the odd bit of violin and cello. [url="https://soundcloud.com/an-ending-ascend/ambient3"]https://soundcloud.com/an-ending-ascend/ambient3[/url] [url="https://soundcloud.com/an-ending-ascend/ambient2"]https://soundcloud.com/an-ending-ascend/ambient2[/url] [url="https://soundcloud.com/an-ending-ascend/ambient1"]https://soundcloud.com/an-ending-ascend/ambient1[/url]

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[quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1450466839' post='2933189'] Sorry, but I agree with BigRedX. It's a skill you can learn, like anything else. How good, really depends on much work you put in. Granted, some are better than others and learn quicker, reach greater heights etc. An awful lot of Film, TV and Media composers learn their art in collages and university. That goes for pop writing and Classical as well. Plenty of top writers over the past, who have not, of course, it was just plain hard work and practise and maybe for some, it is a thing that comes easy to them. But defiantly, it's there to be learned. Hundreds of these places exist around the world, and have done for a couple of hundred years. [url="http://www.rcm.ac.uk/composition/compositionforscreen/"]http://www.rcm.ac.uk...itionforscreen/[/url] [/quote] I totally agree. The university that I studied at for my BMus did a BA in songwriting. Hearing the evolution of the guys on that course is proof to me at least that it can be taught. That's not to say that there aren't individuals blessed with natural ability and talent, because there undoubtably is.

Try experimenting with the gain levels. The 2i2 is already a preamp, so it may just be the fact you're plugging a preamp into a preamp ? There's a very long thread that started a year or so ago here - [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/230948-ios-for-the-gigging-bassist/page__st__270__p__2911852__hl__ios__fromsearch__1#entry2911852"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/230948-ios-for-the-gigging-bassist/page__st__270__p__2911852__hl__ios__fromsearch__1#entry2911852[/url]. Put your feet up and have a read through, it may answer some of your questions.

I was talking to a guy last week, he does a similar thing, using Ableton. You should just be able to use your 2i2. There's a guy on here with the user name Urb. Maybe message him ? I'm friends with him on Facebook, he's friends in real life with Matt Garrison. He was at the gig, and posted photos on Facebook. I'm sure he'll be able to tell you what the set-up was. In fact I'm pretty certain that he does a similar thing himself.

[quote name='ians' timestamp='1450390686' post='2932415'] I wonder how much cash Noddy Holder has made from Merry Xmas?..yeah we all hate it but its still an immense tune... I quite like the Mariah Carey tune with that beautifully played plodding bass... +1 on everything else that's been mentioned. [/quote] My brother was saying yesterday that he read that Roy Wood earns something like £30k every Christmas from 'I wish it could be Christmas'.

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1450368933' post='2932124'] I think Larry Graham beats MK to that title by about 10 years. [/quote] What I've heard of him, he sounds like he's more influenced by Stanley Clarke than Larry Graham. From the albums that I've heard, I prefer the very early Level 42. That had a certain rawness and attitude to it, that was lost in the later, more polished and possibly over produced 'pop' albums.

[quote name='ras52' timestamp='1450356558' post='2931951'] "The production on that album is amazing..." [/quote] I've not heard the album, but the song just shouts 'class', something lacking in most recordings. It's maybe of a different age though, where the product was more important ?

I don't understand why his fans would be upset that you're suggesting he does sessions, or something different ?

Some of the old ones are rather nice too. When a child is born - I can't remember the guys name who sang that. David Bowie and another old guy did a nice one too.

You can't really escape them at the moment. So what's the best and worst of them ? Bear in mind that most are meant to be 'fun', rather than taken seriously. My personal favourite is Greg Lake's 'I believe in Father Christmas', it just somehow seems quite realistic. I like the bit at the end where he sings "they said there'd be snow at Christmas.....instead it just keeps on raining. I also like the bit he nicked from Prokofiev's Lieutenant Kijé Suite. I can't work out why Bruce Springsteen sings so out of tune on Santa Claus is coming to town ?

A lot of respected people I know use bandcamp, Steve Lawson for example, and there's an amazing guy who releases under the name Machinefabriek. It's a very professional, customisable sight, that works and it's free.

I use Distrokid. It costs something like £10 a year for unlimited uploads of albums or songs. They put them onto amazon, iTunes, spotify etc. Bandcamp is good, that's free, you can also sell CDs and merch through it.

[quote name='tedmanzie' timestamp='1450170061' post='2930137'] He's definitely stuck with it! I Thin strings not even on the fretboard, fat strings touching each other, bits of gaffer tape covering up holes, no ability to intonate it, workmanship not even at O-Level woodwork standard, and the 'unusual' sales tactic of putting it up at TEN MILLION POUNDS and asking for an offer?! [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TENNESSEE-15-STRING-EXTENDED-RANGE-BASS/291630566887?_trksid=p2047675.c100011.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D33984%26meid%3Db14981a9b2044ee9886b94299db020d0%26pid%3D100011%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26sd%3D291402250210"]http://www.ebay.co.u...%3D291402250210[/url] I wouldn't even have it for ONE pound. I wonder what exactly is going on here, it all seems a bit crazy. [/quote] That's why I said earlier that he'd be better off returning it to the number of strings that it was built for.

As someone that's played a few ERB's, and always though they looked amazing, I have to admit that this doesn't do anything for me at all. In fact I doubt it's playable. He'd be better off returning it to whatever number of strings it was before.

I think I'll stick with my little clip-on tuner.

[quote name='BassBus' timestamp='1450044700' post='2929173'] I have just finished an ambient flavoured arrangement of Silent Night. All played on my Overwater Fretless through lots of effects which are listed in the description. No looping on this one, tracked onto Cubasis on the iPad. Have an ambient Christmas. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_SlqJvNNLg[/media] [/quote] Nice !

[quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1450015756' post='2928781'] If I am reading your post correctly, you need to open up Kontakt first (either in Standalone mode or within your DAW). On the tab at the top of Kontakt, click on the browse icon (it looks like a folder). This will open up a side bar on the left of Kontakt, which contains library files and Libraries. It should say Files/Libraries/Database/Monitor/Modules/Auto. Click on the libraries tab, on the dropdown, click on 'Add Library', then navigate to where "EDNA01 Earth library" has been installed. That's it. It should then show up in the library pane of Kontakt. If it is not a library patch, but just Kontakt files, click in the files tab instead of library tab. Again, on the left hand side, locate from there. The only downside if it is not a Library patch is, you have to drag the file patches manually into the window on the right hand side. I don't have the library in question, so I am not sure if it is a Library patch or a file patch. There are plenty of videos on YouTube explaining all this, with some neat features on 'quick loading', which is a great feature. Adding a library. [media]http://youtu.be/200LmitfW1U[/media] [/quote] That's worked, brilliant, thank you ! That opened a window so I could enter my activation code. Thanks again

Have you looked on gumtree, or tried either Join My Band or Bandmix ? Partysounds is ok too.