(newage muzak) more than a remix

[integerpoet]

Almost 20 years ago now, I finished the first track of which I was not completely ashamed.



I listened to it recently and my primary impression was that it was dominated by muddy bass.

For some reason, I recently decided to rip out everything but the MIDI and build it back up see what I ended up with.



I didn't check back as I went along and it seems I drifted away from the original feel quite a bit.

In particular, fake dulcimer is an imperfect replacement for fake clarinet.

Nevertheless I found the results interesting. I also found a little clip at the end I'd never finished back then, so I've "finished" it now.

Maybe in 20 more years I'll go back to it and try to recapture the original feel without the mud.

[ThatKevinHanleyGuy]

What a great idea for an exercise, and the results are indeed interesting and the new version sounds really good. The composition seems to have held up over 20 years, which of course is a compliment.

I like how much more polished/mastered the new version sounds. If you're looking for feedback (and you may not be) my only comment would be that the lead and counter-lead tracks could probably sink back into the mix a little, and/or pull the high frequencies down just a tad, and the drums could maybe come up in the mix...totally personal taste, and someone else might say the opposite. This was a fun listen, thanks for sharing.

[integerpoet]

What a great idea for an exercise, and the results are indeed interesting and the new version sounds really good. The composition seems to have held up over 20 years, which of course is a compliment.

Thanks!

I like how much more polished/mastered the new version sounds. If you're looking for feedback (and you may not be) my only comment would be that the lead and counter-lead tracks could probably sink back into the mix a little, and/or pull the high frequencies down just a tad, and the drums could maybe come up in the mix...totally personal taste, and someone else might say the opposite. This was a fun listen, thanks for sharing.

Feedback is more than welcome, especially when it's this constructive.

My hearing is compromised right now (totally fixable; no worries; just can't do it myself) so it was somewhat foolish to post this now, but I (evidently) could not wait once it seemed fully baked. This is all by way of saying your feedback may well be objectively correct!

This link is "private" (doesn't show on SoundCloud) and I'll consider incorporating feedback before I do a proper "public" release.

[ThatKevinHanleyGuy]

Oh, don't even think twice about posting it when you did. I haven't been very active in this forum (I've lurked, I admit it) but it seems to me this is exactly why everyone is here, to get ideas from each other. Like I said, it's all subjective and personal taste anyway.

I did something similar to this, when I got back into music production after a 15 year hiatus. My first project was re-creating one of the first songs I ever did, and like you I didn't even bother listening to the original before I started. It turned into a totally different tune, and a better one, I think. Unlike you, I had no MIDI files because the original was done live on a 4-track cassette recorder, drum machine, and borrowed synth. And even if I did want to re-create one of my early songs that do have MIDI tracks, I'd first have to remember how to launch Master Tracks Pro on my old C64, and then figure out how on earth to export the MIDI to something usable now. In your case, how cool it is to have the original MIDI files to work with.