One Synth Challenge #115: Seismic by Syntonica (L-Ectrobit Wins!)

[zarf]

yay!

[] Peter:H []

Yay

[Carl_saved]

yay

[L-EctroBit]

Yay!

[RichardSemper]

Well, looks like we have a clear majority - Taron and 574x are IN

[RichardSemper]

Thanks everyone for your input on this issue. All comments have been noted.

Clarification for the future - the deadline in the rules should be read as midnight KVR time at the end of the final day of the month. To avoid disappointment, if anyone has good reason for needing additional time for submission you should apply to Brian and myself for an extension to the deadline - this can then be officially announced, creating a level playing field for everyone.

[Taron]

Ah, thanks, everyone and thank you, Richard! Looking forward to listening to all the tracks!

[RuediRena]

Voted.

Prepare for lots of fours and some fives. No two. Only one track that get one point - guess whose.

Maybe see you on the Cheese if I find some time and inspiration.

[Taron]

Voted!
Wow, as sorry as I am that there are only such few tracks, I'm also happy, because I'm lazy. But it's easy to see that this one was really challenging to all of us, except maybe 3 of us, who somehow know just how to make lemonade!
Sorry, Zarf, if I was a bit harsh in the comments. I'm still a fan of your readiness and ability to go explore without hesitation. Fantastic things come out of it many times. This time...eh...it's just that I have a kind of allergic reaction to plastic sounding instruments, haha, not sure why that is. Seismic can easily create those, but it can also do quite marvelous sounds.
It's just not that obvious to get there. And there are some tragic shortcomings that limit what seems like possible again some more. I don't think there is any synth out there with a worse envelope concept and implementation. It feels like a house of cards that can easily break down. Like trying to use two envelopes, for example, haha. Anyway...

It's great to be back for a little bit. Next month (Tripple Cheese) smells irresistible, really. It's quite possible I will go for another track. Anyway, feels like being home again. I still apologize, if my comments are a little unfiltered. ...at least you'll know they are sincere which ever way they go.

[Leonard Bowman]

Voted. I liked all of the tracks. I'm not an experienced enough anything to really be objective about voting, so I don't want to trash anyone's results. 3+ all around.

[zarf]

Sorry, Zarf, if I was a bit harsh in the comments. I'm still a fan of your readiness and ability to go explore without hesitation. Fantastic things come out of it many times. This time...eh...it's just that I have a kind of allergic reaction to plastic sounding instruments, haha, not sure why that is

That's fine Taron
Just because you are a fantastic sound designer, composer, keyboard player and producer, as well as all round creative genius, doesn't mean that you always have good taste
Seriously - we often feel this stuff is 'objective' but there's no getting away from the inherent subjectivity in music appreciation and evaluation. I don't hear those sounds as 'plastic' or 'cheap' - I went with that track precisely becuase I really liked the way those sounds went together in the track, which must sound almost impossible to you given your obvious distaste for them! No accounting for taste (or lack of it )
The bigger lesson here for me is to listen to and appreciate the comments of my generous fellow musicians, while not being put off my own path. As they say: If it sounds good (to me) it is good
I really appreciate all honest feedback and perceptions, good or bad

[] Peter:H []

Hi all,

I have started listening to the tracks and comenting - and wanted to say a word:
I enjoy listening to the tracks a lot. We have so many different skills and styles in our group, it's just nice that I can be with you.
Hope my comments on SC don't sound harsh to you guys. I write without thinking to much, just everything that comes to my mind. It's mostly mixing suggestions and stuff like "you could do/add/remove this to improve that" or about frequency spectrums etc. pp. ...Hope you don't mind.

And not to forget: A big thanks for all your nice comments and suggestions on my track!

BR ] Peter:H [

[Taron]

You know, sometimes I wonder, if it's similar to scents. If we can connect certain sounds with certain memories, they trigger good feelings. I grew up with playing an old upright piano and a bit of (mortifying chamber music) and the C64, which had a massive kind of sound, really. I then couldn't wait to get my hands on a real synth. But only Korg sounded right to me and was barely affordable at the same time. This was the mid 80's. Most other synths sounded terrible, such as casio's super cheap digital excuses or even some of the early Roland synths, though I fell in love later on with the U20 and much later with the old analogs, of course. Anyhow, Casio's plastic sound gave my the shakes and when the Amiga came out, I totally hated the cheap sample sound of it, really missing my precious C64 SID's warmth. So...all my good memories are with warm, full and analog sounding instruments and everything that disappointed me was connected with digital, plastic like thin waveform revealing sounds.
I never claimed for it to be anything other than subjective, of course. ...it's what I feel when I hear it. Mix that with what I feel when I hear your musical choices and it all levels out in greater happiness than my reaction to the sounds and all is at least "well" again, hehe!
As for lack of taste: ...it's on, buddy!

[zarf]

Haha, your taste is impeccable when it agrees with mine, otherwise, not so much

Interesting smell analogy - I like that. Yeah, association is a big part of what we do or don't enjoy I think. It's all a wonderful mystery

[schiing]

Subjective feelings are very interesting in this context. Growing up in the 1980s as well (as a synth listener, not a player - only piano at that point:-) ), I always felt that synthesis went downhill throughout that decade - I loved the sound of the early stuff, with lush CS-80s, innovative SDS and LM-1 drums, Junos, Love on a Real Train, Concerts in China, Bladerunner, and even followed along throughout the DX-7/Fairlight reign for a while with Pet Shop Boys, Paul Hardcastle, Koto, Jan Hammer.

But then, with stuff like Jarre's Revolutions, Tangerine Dream's Optical Race, not to mention the pop music of that time, the sound somehow died in my ears - those offensive late '80s/early '90s drum machines, soulless wavetable synthesis and general digital awfulness. Put me off synths for years - only PSB's Behaviour kept me from total despair. So I'm always very sensitive to anything that sounds harsh, dead and digital to my ears (basically: anything that reminds me of 1990 ) - even if it's by design. Even my most dystopic synth fantasies need some kind of mellow vibe to them.