Eclipse

Episode Seven

The Drums and Bass

At the time of this song's creation I was using EZdrummer 2. This virtual drum instrument has a function called "Tap 2 Find" which allows you to tap in a drum rhythm. I did this after listening to the reference track drums many times (Malone's song Chemical). I chose the EZdrummer 2 Vintage Drums as they approximated the sound texture I was seeking.

I played the midi drum sequence using my Ableton Push 2 which enables you to play drums via striking small square pads.  After I had locked in the rhythm EZdrummer offered up some sequences from their library similar to my pattern. I found several I liked and modified them to sit in the pocket of the rhythm I was after. For the curious, I believe the pattern I worked with was from the EZdrummer Songwriters 2 pack mid tempo straight 4/4 commercial rock. This patterns midi notes were tweaked by me to fit the groove I was feeling in my body better.

The bass I added was minimalist as I new that the synth and guitar work to come later would take up the space (be busier). 

I also played a tambourine and wood stick to add texture in the chorus and another drum track with a kick and snare sample from an Ableton library Live Pack that was blended with the EZdrummer kick and snares. This is a hack to add more oomph and interest to the kick and snare upfront and often reduces final mixing compressor and EQ accoutrements needed later. Again, every song is different and the entire song instrument and vocals balanced against one another is ultimately what drives your mixing decisions in the end.

You can listen to the drums and bass in the podcast link below. Compare this to the Malone and you will note that they are similar yet already diverging in intangible ways. 

At this point I drop into the zone and begin laying down tracks often at a fevered pitch. The picture below provides the chord sequence I came up with in the chorus. I experiment, play around, make a mess, add, play, delete, start singing stuff in my head etc. The project takes on a life of its own. I often delete entire sections that just do not work. I am still in full idea mode here and have often not settled anywhere near a final chord structure but I am honing in and honing in again. In this song I kept trying not to go too crazy and keep it simple with the bass upfront. 

Final Note: the tracks depicted above are rendered to audio but understand much of my creation work is done in "midi". This allows more more flexibility as I create.  I may get into more on that later.

See You in next episode.  

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