Project 2 - Chop Tool

Honestly I had no clue where to start on the project so I opened up a random synth (PoiZone) and started playing with the presets and I found a really cool sound that I liked. I started by just entering a long, four bar C note which was alright but then I used the chop tool and things got more interesting. I went into the preset chop patterns and I tried a few and the one that sounded the coolest was "Trance (slide)". After I was satisfied with the pattern I copied it into a total of 5 patterns and used the transpose tool to change the notes. The pattern  for the 'A' section is C for 4 bars, A for 4 bars, G for 4 bars, E for 2 bars, and F for 2 bars. I then replicated this in the bass track which was created using the SimSynth plug in on the "BassDeepSaw" preset which I liked because it was thick, clean, and airy. I then mapped out a complementing pattern and did the same transposing technique that I did to the synth. The drums are pretty basic because I didn't want the track to be too busy since the synth has a lot going on. For the bridge I just made my own pattern and transposed it from a C to B. This pattern repeats as the drums enter with kind of a "build up" feel although it's not as long or as powerful as an actual build would normally be.Also for the bridge I added spaces in between the synth and filled it with bass for a cool effect. It then repeats the first pattern and ends with just the 'C' note chop pattern and I take out the drums for the very last moments of the piece to signal an end.

Project 1 - Drum Loop

 After just coming from Jazz band the period before, I ventured into music tech with the famous jazz standard "Sunny" in my head. I then began to craft my drum loop and the first beat has the inspiration of "Sunny" with a more funked over feel. At first the closed hi-hat was too overpowering so I turned it down a bit to blend in a little more. Also, the open high hat that you hear on beat 1 was put in to add a little "pop" to the beat and the duration was too long but I was able to edit the sample file to shorten the duration of that hat.

For the fill I wanted something fairly simple with just some tom hits and then two snare hits which I doubled up for a bigger sound to signal in beat 2. This beat was to similar at first so I decided to add a ride cymbal in for some tonal variation and I also added a tom hit right after the first snare add some more of that "pop" I was after. For the end I just filled in two beats of beat 2 and added a light crash so the ending didn't sound too random or cut off. Enjoy!