Strike - Songs recorded with Strike - Post Yours

[JCWarrior]

I'm considering Strike (I use Reason 3 and the RDK 2 refill now) and I was hoping this post could generate some activity by having those of you that have recorded songs using Strike, post them on this thread and describe your work flow and perhaps how much time you spent composing with Strike.

It would also be helpful to add any additional notes you may have regarding how your Strike session went, any comparisons to other VI's, etc.

Thanks.

[Len8]

I just got strike and have had a "fun" time adapting to it. I used to use Drag&Drop Drummer or Slicey Drums with Cakewalk which are pretty easy to use (select a beat pattern, drag it into Cakewalk, Edit it, then trigger samples). Strike seems to want to just have it's patterns triggered from PT without the patterns actually D&D'd into a PT MIDI track (you can do that, but it sounds painful).

Here's my simplified workflow to create a basic Rock song:

1- Record scratch guitar track to a click track.
2- Open Strike in an Instrument track. For each section (verse, chorus, etc...) manually determine which pattern will work for the song.
3- Create MIDI triggers in the Instrument track via the pencil tool (1 per "section") to trigger the Strike patterns.
4- Manually insert MIDI triggers in that track to trigger cymbals where required.
5- Insert a complexity and velocity (I gorget the exact controller name) in the track to vary the complexity and how hard the drums are hit (harder in choruses, more complex in the last verse, etc...).
6- Record all other instruments (guitars, bass, vox) to the Strike drum track.
7- The usual rest...

[Bodenski]

I am mostly finished with my first song using Strike. Here's the link:

http://www.bodenski.net/james-abbott...res%20full.mp3

When I (re)wrote this song I couldn't remember how the original version I did 10 years earlier went. I subsequently found the original version and it's also on my website. These drums are not at all like the original ones but they did inspire me some.

I fleshed out the song not varying the drums much. After I was happy with it I started adding the fills and breaks. I didn't add much individual hits to the song. I also didn't write out the MIDI to a track to edit later. I'm a little too lazy!

I am curious what people think about the song. I haven't shared much of my music with the world, so I share this with some trepidation!

[JCWarrior]

6- Record all other instruments (guitars, bass, vox) to the Strike drum track

Len8,
I'm not sure what you mean by record all other instruments to the Strike track. Why would you do that instead of recording them on their own track?

Also, thanks for your post!

.... I am curious what people think about the song. I haven't shared much of my music with the world, so I share this with some trepidation!

James,
Thanks for posting your song! Let me start by saying I really liked the composition and arrangment. Very melodic and the feeling was very prevalent.

Since you asked for opinions, I would like to share some of my observation's as constructive criticism.

1) I noticed a few spots where the main melody played on the keyboard was just a little off time. I think by tweaking those few areas your song would be near perfect, timing wise.

2) My personal preference would be to change the tone of the main keyboard being used to something else. To me it sounds a little "accordianish". Not that this is bad, it'se just not my preference.
I would also make it a little more subtle in the mix.

3) Vary the instument used in the main melody to make the changes in the composition stand out more. I really like your composition and I think by changes instruments at times it would bring it up to another level.

Hope this helps.

[Bodenski]

Thanks for listening to the song. I am trying to stay away from it for a few days so I can go back with fresh ears and figure what needs to be redone. I'm trying not to quantitize too much, but I know several parts need to be tightened up.

I'm not sure what you mean by 'main keyboard.' The primary melody is played on a vibraphone patch. (Or xylophone, I don't remember). There are a few different synths used that provide lead at times as well. I hope when I go back to it I will be able to tell what parts in general are out of balance. I'll also listen for where I can vary (or add/change) the instrument playing the melody. I do appreciate the feedback. Family always just tells me "It sounds great" (or more often "do we have to listen *again*?" ) so this feedback helps.

[Len8]

Poor wording on my part. I didn't mean to record those other instruments to the Strike track. i meant to use the Strike track as a reference (playback) to record the other stuff while listening to (versus a click track).

[JCWarrior]

James,
It must have been the patch I was hearing.

Len8,
Thanks for the clarification!

[filosofem]

I'm trying not to quantitize too much, but I know several parts need to be tightened up.

Hi James

Nice creation, yeah, your right, it does need tightening, though, like you, I'd stay away from quantizing too, you know, adds that human feel.

Ummm... are you printing the tracks and dragging them back or using MIDI Track Offsets?








filosofem

[Bodenski]

Neither. I don't know 100% that it's related, but I try to keep the H/W buffer at 256 or less so that the timing is OK. If any notes are way off I'll drag them back to reality, but I've never played with the MIDI offset or had to print tracks and drag them back when I've recorded the parts at a low buffer setting (at least not on this computer).

There was a time when I was recording on an XP machine that I had issues like that before I ran the dual-core fix. I've never had that level of issues on the MacBook Pro.

[filosofem]

256 H/W Buffer Size, really, sh*t I use 1024 with MIDI Track Offsets. Try it if you like...

*Pro Tools Mix Window.
*Create a Stereo Audio track, no need to name it and drag it up to the first MIDI or Instrument track.
*Assign the Input selector to any available Bus.
*Then match this same bus in the Output selector of the first MIDI/Instrument track.
*Record enable the Audio track and record the first few seconds of the Instrument track.

*Pro Tools Edit Window.
*Check the Sample Ruler and select Slip Edit Mode.
*With the Selector tool enabled, zoom into where the very first start of the waveform appears (zoom all the way in) and place the Edit Cursor on this spot.
*Zoom out and with the Selector tool holding Shift, place the Edit Cursor at the first MIDI Note (Event) again zooming in all the way to the very start of the trigger.

*In the Length Edit Selection Indicator window, will be displayed in Samples the length of latency that is to be entered in the corresponding MIDI/Instrument Track Name in the MIDI Tracks Offsets - Sample Offset column.

(Note, that this Offset isn't reflected in the Edit Window, MIDI Track Offsets only effect Playback).

*Pro Tools Mix
*Re-assign the Instrument track to your main output bus and move on to the next Instrument track, assigning the Output selector to the same bus and recording the first two seconds or so.

*Repeat this process until all MIDI or Instrument tracks have been calculated and their respective values entered.

Once done, close the MIDI Track Offsets window (Pro Tools Menus>Event>MIDI Track Offsets) and hit play.




Hope this helps.












filosofem