Guilt Amplifier (EDM)

Show off original scores and recordings made with Linux!

Moderators: MattKingUSA, khz

User avatar
Tenaba
Established Member
Posts: 228
Joined: Sat Dec 22, 2018 3:33 am
Has thanked: 32 times
Been thanked: 79 times

Guilt Amplifier (EDM)

Post by Tenaba »

Hello everyone, I'd like to share a track I finished earlier today. I usually perform rock and metal, but this time it's electronic music, although I'm unsure of the exact genre.

Check it out here:
https://royalgloom.bandcamp.com/track/guilt-amplifier

List of the software I used:
Ardour
Geonkick (for all percussion)
Guitarix (the solo)
ZynFusion (everything else)

This is the first (mostly) electronic song I've done, so I had no idea what to do with arrangement and mixing. Hopefully I can get some feedback this. I found the new ZynFusion interface to be much more usable than Zynaddsubfx, I could hardly use the latter previously. I'm pretty sure compiling ZynFusion and finding out how easily it could be used now kind of influenced me to make an EDM track. I didn't need to leave Ardour at all to make this track, which was pretty convenient, compared to using Hydrogen percussion and LMMS synths.

I figured it would be good to get some feedback before continuing on more stuff. It was pretty fun to try out a new workflow for creating music. Anyway, thanks for listening!

I make music as Tenaba! Bandcamp

User avatar
Rainmak3r
Established Member
Posts: 888
Joined: Sat Mar 02, 2019 12:24 pm
Has thanked: 49 times
Been thanked: 180 times
Contact:

Re: Guilt Amplifier (EDM)

Post by Rainmak3r »

I don't know what the genre is either, but I know this: AMAZING GUITAR SOLO! :mrgreen:
User avatar
jdfight
Established Member
Posts: 37
Joined: Tue Feb 13, 2018 4:22 am
Has thanked: 12 times
Been thanked: 7 times

Re: Guilt Amplifier (EDM)

Post by jdfight »

That was indeed a great solo!
User avatar
milo
Established Member
Posts: 1242
Joined: Wed Sep 06, 2017 2:55 am
Location: Southern Utah, USA
Has thanked: 275 times
Been thanked: 218 times
Contact:

Re: Guilt Amplifier (EDM)

Post by milo »

I was going to say the same. You don't hear that kind of guitar playing in garden-variety EDM!

I love the arpeggio sound that comes in at about 0:40. The lead string synth voice I could do with less of, I think.

But that guitar! Who put THAT there? Wow!
User avatar
Tenaba
Established Member
Posts: 228
Joined: Sat Dec 22, 2018 3:33 am
Has thanked: 32 times
Been thanked: 79 times

Re: Guilt Amplifier (EDM)

Post by Tenaba »

Rainmak3r wrote: Mon Sep 21, 2020 9:25 am I don't know what the genre is either, but I know this: AMAZING GUITAR SOLO! :mrgreen:
I'm glad to hear that from another shredder. I took your advice on bumping up the solo level after my previous release, and I think it worked out. Thanks!
jdfight wrote: Mon Sep 21, 2020 4:20 pm That was indeed a great solo!
milo wrote: Mon Sep 21, 2020 8:09 pm I was going to say the same. You don't hear that kind of guitar playing in garden-variety EDM!

I love the arpeggio sound that comes in at about 0:40. The lead string synth voice I could do with less of, I think.

But that guitar! Who put THAT there? Wow!
Thanks everyone! I'm glad it sounded alright. I'll take note of the strings being too loud. I kind of pushed them higher because I wanted to fill the midrange, which the harsher saw lead neglects.

This solo is certainly one I had the most fun practicing, and the one I like listening to the most out of all my other songs so far. There's a lot of fun sweep and shred patterns in the harmonic minor scale, which this is written in. I also tried to use sweep picking (which I just learned recently), and diads to make it a bit less monotonous than my previous solos. Hopefully I can get a bit more creative in the future.

Thanks again for the comments.

I make music as Tenaba! Bandcamp

User avatar
oscillator
Established Member
Posts: 1127
Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2015 6:07 pm
Location: SWEDEN
Has thanked: 725 times
Been thanked: 296 times
Contact:

Re: Guilt Amplifier (EDM)

Post by oscillator »

I like the composition a lot! The arpeggio and the solo are really nice too.

Maybe try to increase the tempo, by 10-20 bpm? Also try to make the pad sound more interesting by using an LFO or something?

MusE DAW running on Debian 11 Testing/XFCE4.
https://oscillator.se/musik

User avatar
modusjonens
Established Member
Posts: 79
Joined: Wed Mar 06, 2019 11:48 pm
Has thanked: 47 times
Been thanked: 15 times

Re: Guilt Amplifier (EDM)

Post by modusjonens »

+1 for combining shred and electronic! I'm such a sucker for this combination.

Thanks for sharing!
User avatar
Tenaba
Established Member
Posts: 228
Joined: Sat Dec 22, 2018 3:33 am
Has thanked: 32 times
Been thanked: 79 times

Re: Guilt Amplifier (EDM)

Post by Tenaba »

oscillator wrote: Wed Sep 23, 2020 7:00 am I like the composition a lot! The arpeggio and the solo are really nice too.

Maybe try to increase the tempo, by 10-20 bpm? Also try to make the pad sound more interesting by using an LFO or something?
Thanks! Yeah, I could definitely do some work on the strings pad. I should probably experiment more with LFOs too, I've never been too good at shaping my own sound from synths, so trying that out might help.

I think it would be nice to see how it would sound with the tempo. I tried decreasing the tempo to get more precise timing on the solo, but it made the rest of the song sound terrible. Much as I'd like to increase it though, I can't play that solo much faster than the current tempo lol.
modusjonens wrote: Thu Sep 24, 2020 4:55 pm +1 for combining shred and electronic! I'm such a sucker for this combination.

Thanks for sharing!
Glad you like it, it was actually fun for me to perform a solo over an electronic track. I've found many repetitive sections in EDM tracks to be great to freestyle solo over. Thank you!

I make music as Tenaba! Bandcamp

User avatar
oscillator
Established Member
Posts: 1127
Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2015 6:07 pm
Location: SWEDEN
Has thanked: 725 times
Been thanked: 296 times
Contact:

Re: Guilt Amplifier (EDM)

Post by oscillator »

crownbird wrote: Thu Sep 24, 2020 11:33 pm Glad you like it, it was actually fun for me to perform a solo over an electronic track. I've found many repetitive sections in EDM tracks to be great to freestyle solo over. Thank you!
If you would ever like to do a solo on one of my industrial tracks, I'd be very happy! :)

MusE DAW running on Debian 11 Testing/XFCE4.
https://oscillator.se/musik

User avatar
Tenaba
Established Member
Posts: 228
Joined: Sat Dec 22, 2018 3:33 am
Has thanked: 32 times
Been thanked: 79 times

Re: Guilt Amplifier (EDM)

Post by Tenaba »

oscillator wrote: Fri Sep 25, 2020 7:52 pm If you would ever like to do a solo on one of my industrial tracks, I'd be very happy! :)
Yeah, I'd be happy to collaborate. That sounds like it would be pretty fun, so just let me know! :D

I make music as Tenaba! Bandcamp

User avatar
modusjonens
Established Member
Posts: 79
Joined: Wed Mar 06, 2019 11:48 pm
Has thanked: 47 times
Been thanked: 15 times

Re: Guilt Amplifier (EDM)

Post by modusjonens »

crownbird wrote: Thu Sep 24, 2020 11:33 pm Glad you like it, it was actually fun for me to perform a solo over an electronic track. I've found many repetitive sections in EDM tracks to be great to freestyle solo over. Thank you!
I have found myself doing much the same thing. Can't agree more about improv on top of EDM! I took a crack at this sort of thing here: https://soundcloud.com/modusjonens/hypertechno
User avatar
Tenaba
Established Member
Posts: 228
Joined: Sat Dec 22, 2018 3:33 am
Has thanked: 32 times
Been thanked: 79 times

Re: Guilt Amplifier (EDM)

Post by Tenaba »

modusjonens wrote: Sat Sep 26, 2020 4:47 pm
crownbird wrote: Thu Sep 24, 2020 11:33 pm Glad you like it, it was actually fun for me to perform a solo over an electronic track. I've found many repetitive sections in EDM tracks to be great to freestyle solo over. Thank you!
I have found myself doing much the same thing. Can't agree more about improv on top of EDM! I took a crack at this sort of thing here: https://soundcloud.com/modusjonens/hypertechno
Absolutely, I should add it's also fun to improvise over soundtrack stuff too, depending on the soundtrack of course.
As for the track you linked, I really like that tone you had on the rhythm guitar. Is that from a real amp, or ampsim like guitarix?

I make music as Tenaba! Bandcamp

User avatar
modusjonens
Established Member
Posts: 79
Joined: Wed Mar 06, 2019 11:48 pm
Has thanked: 47 times
Been thanked: 15 times

Re: Guilt Amplifier (EDM)

Post by modusjonens »

crownbird wrote: Sat Sep 26, 2020 9:02 pm As for the track you linked, I really like that tone you had on the rhythm guitar. Is that from a real amp, or ampsim like guitarix?
Thanks! Glad you liked it.

I use a Line 6 Pod HD500X. It serves as both an amp/cab modeler and an audio interface. (I happen to have done a write-up of that specific tone patch recently if you're interested: https://github.com/joedougherty/writing ... _simply.md)

I would be interested to know what your guitarix setup is like. You're getting some great tones out of it!
User avatar
Tenaba
Established Member
Posts: 228
Joined: Sat Dec 22, 2018 3:33 am
Has thanked: 32 times
Been thanked: 79 times

Re: Guilt Amplifier (EDM)

Post by Tenaba »

modusjonens wrote: Wed Sep 30, 2020 12:14 am Thanks! Glad you liked it.

I use a Line 6 Pod HD500X. It serves as both an amp/cab modeler and an audio interface. (I happen to have done a write-up of that specific tone patch recently if you're interested: https://github.com/joedougherty/writing ... _simply.md)

I would be interested to know what your guitarix setup is like. You're getting some great tones out of it!
Oh cool, I've heard of a few people using compressors before distortion. I might have to try that out; but shouldn't the signal get squashed by the distortion and amp later anyway? I was unsure of why people did that.

As for my setup for rhythm guitar, I've been using the 12ax7 amp on my first two songs (Frozen Sky, Conflict) posted here, into a Fender Tonestack and 4x12 cab; all through the gxAmp LV2 plugin. On the Weight of Idleness, and I think future works, I'll be using the 6V6 amp, as I feel it has a bit more presence in the mids.
This goes to a scaleable EQ in guiarix for practice (or Calf 12-band EQ in Ardour when I record). I roll off lows and highs, notch 250Hz, boost 1000-ish a bit, wherever it sounds nicest, and cut sharply at 2300Hz because for some reason I get a loud resonance at that area with the previous settings.
I also put brummer10's denoiser before the amp stage, as I find it helps quite a bit. I don't use a noise-gate at all with this.

For the lead tones, it's about the same thing as rhythm. Only I use the 12ax7 amp all the time, I don't roll the highs off as much, and I add Chorus, maybe Delay, and Reverb. There was no delay on the Guilt Amplifier solo, and I think I might omit delay from any future fast-paced solos for clarity.

Also I've started using a Tube screamer, like the setup you linked. Adding the tube screamer before the amp, and then lowering the amp pre-gain seems to add clarity to the attack, I prefer it to my old setup so far.

I make music as Tenaba! Bandcamp

User avatar
turbidh20
Established Member
Posts: 190
Joined: Sun Aug 04, 2019 12:48 pm
Location: UK
Has thanked: 8 times
Been thanked: 2 times

Re: Guilt Amplifier (EDM)

Post by turbidh20 »

crownbird wrote: Sat Sep 26, 2020 2:45 am
oscillator wrote: Fri Sep 25, 2020 7:52 pm If you would ever like to do a solo on one of my industrial tracks, I'd be very happy! :)
Yeah, I'd be happy to collaborate. That sounds like it would be pretty fun, so just let me know! :D
I was pondering this not so long ago... maybe there should be a "wanted" thread for people in need of help with their tracks where others who are willing to collaborate could jump in - recording parts or even doing some mixing/production. I'm not sure how popular this would be though, as it's time consuming stuff.

What styles are you comfortable playing? I'm not a great musician and it would be really nice to have some decent solos on a few songs at some point :wink:

As for the track, I'm not fond of "electronic" music but I liked the composition and structure of the piece. And of course the solo, very nice indeed :D
Arch Linux (i7-4790k/GTX970); UMC204HD; MPK Mini MKII; Jack2 (QjackCtl) & Ardour/Mixbus
Post Reply