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DAW files for posted ReMixes


YoshiBlade
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The simplest question is this, will there every be a time when the DAW files Reason, FL studio, etc. files will ever be available for download? The files can be quite large, but I feel like there is a wealth of knowledge that could be obtained from just seeing the different automations, routing and visual cues, absent from just the audio file.

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There are lots of problems with sharing project files, such as not having the same plugins, same samples or instrument recordings, which would make you unable to open the whole file.

The thing I'd like to emphasize though, is that project files are like undocumented program code: by the time you figure out how and why something works, you could've made it yourself twice. That's why the best way to gain knowledge on production intricacies is just making tons of music, accepting criticisms and then making even more music.

On the other hand, looking at existing scores is actually a good way to learn about composition (along with, again, making tons of music). Maybe I'll provide some midis or tabs/sheet music for my remixes in the future. :mrgreen:

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The simplest question is this, will there every be a time when the DAW files Reason, FL studio, etc. files will ever be available for download? The files can be quite large, but I feel like there is a wealth of knowledge that could be obtained from just seeing the different automations, routing and visual cues, absent from just the audio file.

I know you're asking the question in earnest, so I'll preface this by saying I'm only answering honestly why exactly your suggestion is not feasible; do not take the tone personally.

I encourage you to consider that most DAW projects are actually incomprehensible to the people who didn't make them. Not to mention no two artists own the same configuration of plug-ins. Automation data could be controlling parameters in a synth that you won't have, and you won't know what it's doing. Effects plug-ins wouldn't be proper, and the mix could sound bad.

Many times, songs aren't created in a single DAW. They could be rendered in one and finished in another. Artist workflows are very personal and as a result are impossible for another person to properly emulate and appreciate.

Not to mention, you need to realize this is basically impossible to do. No one is going to go out and hunt down all the OCR artists throughout history and ask them for their old projects. A lot of old projects don't work anymore. A lot of people have lost their projects through passage of time. A lot of OCR artists have disappeared. A lot of OCR artists wouldn't be willing to share either because of privacy concerns or simply lacking faith that anyone could run them.

Remember, artists aren't employees of OCR and aren't bound to it. They're fans who submit stuff. It's not like you can send a company email saying something like "Attention all artists, we are implementing a new project file download feature for all posted remixes. Please submit a DAW project file by 11:59PM on April 30th, 2015." That's not going to work. I'd be surprised if the turnout for successful remixes for that would even be over 50%.

In general, getting a hold of large volumes people to get them to submit non-trivial data for you is one of the most impossible things to do (we can't even get people to vote in this country for anything except the presidential election).

If you have specific interest in how people write music, then watch composer streams. Zircon live streams EDM production on Twitch.tv. And if you really want to, ask people for project files (and if they don't respond, consider that to be an example of why doing it on a large scale is impossible).

If you'll allow me to play armchair Nostradamus for a second, I'm going to predict that it will never happen.

Basically this, but I had the decency to explain why. :P

Edited by Neblix
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Basically, no. People earlier have said it already; biggest issue is lack of in-common plugins (I'm not that concerned about considering project organization because of course people will organize them differently and some more organized than others).

I can tell you general things I do, though, regarding automation and routing.

I usually automate things like filter cutoff, FM depth, volume, panning, effect mix level, frequency bands (frequency distribution compensation, like scooping the midrange in a midrange-heavy section, temporarily de-essing slightly, etc), pre-programmed XY controls, CC11 (expression), other CC specific to particular sample libraries (e.g. CC14 for Friedlander Violin vibrato speed), etc. I probably take up over half my project file with automation, but I keep it placed all together, and label everything that's unclear.

I tend to rout drums to a drum bus to do collective parallel compression and/or reverb (if a kick is involved, I raise the reverb low cut above 100 Hz), orchestral instruments to a reverb send, or maybe if I'm layering sounds, I rout them to a single bus so that they'll be cohesive. Specifically when I layer sounds, I rout to individual mixer tracks first, and then rout to one bus afterwards, so that I can do extra mixing before getting to that bus (so 3 sounds => 4 mixer tracks).

I don't know if it would help that much, but I post FLP screenshots on my website every now and then at the bottom of the page (speaking of which, I should turn them into links instead of images). For example:

http://tproductions.comeze.com/imgs/VectormanReMixScreenshot.png (yes, it's a BIG project file!)

Some of what I could say about it:

- The "Kick <-> Silent Kick" automation is so that the kick drum is inaudible but still sidechains so a pumping sound is incorporated into the motion drone.

- The Guitar Rig 5 Transient Shaper Sustain, Band 3 and 7 "level" automations are so that the snare doesn't get too messy at fast sequenced notes, and the Band 2 "level" automation on the Mechanized Riser (yellow) is to account for the faster snare sequencing as well.

- The Limiter "Comp threshold" automation is so the sidechaining on the Mechanized Riser is LESS pumping (higher threshold).

- The red and purple Dark Scraper automations were for timbral shifts, the yellow one is for filter cutoff, and the Didgeritalk Band level ones are for midrange scooping.

- There's a green one on the bottom right for dBlue Glitch's pattern number to switch to a new glitch pattern.

- The rest are pretty straightforward volume/panning automations, mix level edits, etc.

Edited by timaeus222
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Yeah, certainly not going to retroactively except this to happen, just a "in the year 2000" thought. I did acutely do this once. Gario, upstanding young man, was nice enough to let me look at the drums for 2 songs. It was really nice to see the everything moving, like taking apart a watch and seeing how it works. Now, I now realize how alone I am with Reason, because If you don't have the plugin in Reason, It will tell you you're missing a plug in, I don't remember if it will tell you which RE though.

I know you're asking the question in earnest, so I'll preface this by saying I'm only answering honestly why exactly your suggestion is not feasible; do not take the tone personally.

Too late...I'm already on the bathroom floor crying

Many times, songs aren't created in a single DAW. They could be rendered in one and finished in another.
This piqued my interest...does the person take the Wav. file from a project finished in FL and then use Cubase to tinker?
i'd be happy to give you the flp files from my songs, but i doubt you'd get anything from them. i'm notoriously uninventive in how i create the files themselves and probably know less about FL Studio than most.
(digital fist bump)
I don't know if it would help that much, but I post FLP screenshots on my website every now and then at the bottom of the page (speaking of which, I should turn them into links instead of images). For example:

http://tproductions.comeze.com/imgs/...Screenshot.png (yes, it's a BIG project file!)

This Is a morsel, but I can somewhat visualize what it would look like when playing.

here's another reason why "no"

i don't want to :) they're my secret processes and i'm not sharing them with the world lol

^^ favorite explanation

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Hopefully it'll be clearer how it sounds based on how it looks, when the BadAss 3 album comes out; it's the egyptian dance track on there. ;-) /plug /OT

Hey while you're still here... in the picture How did you get the audio file in the same track as the Midi piano roll? It's labeled "build up arp" third row from the top and i see the wave form of a reverse cymbal hit. In Cubase it won't let me put a cymbal sound file with the midi data. I can put the sample in a drum pad then hit it, but it's not the same.

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Hey while you're still here... in the picture How did you get the audio file in the same track as the Midi piano roll? It's labeled "build up arp" third row from the top and i see the wave form of a reverse cymbal hit. In Cubase it won't let me put a cymbal sound file with the midi data. I can put the sample in a drum pad then hit it, but it's not the same.

It may sound like a 'cop-out' answer, but that's how FL works; you can place audio files, event edits (MIDI CC within the piano roll, even if separated from the piano roll pattern itself), automation clips, step-sequenced patterns, and piano roll patterns all in the multitrack ("Playlist") in any order, placement, or alignment. In other words, you can put any of those on top of each other, overlapping each other to any extent, in any combination, with or without quantized snapping to the grid. I wouldn't know how to do it similarly in Cubase, though.

Edited by timaeus222
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actually I'd be willing to share my project files (after cleaning them up a bit), but there are a few problems:

first of all, yeah. plugins. I use some ancient plugins that don't even exist on the internet anymore, afaict.

second, I use OpenMPT as my main DAW. does anyone else use that? I have no idea.

but yeah just ask and ill clean it up and send it your way :P

---

also I disagree with this sort of vibe: "I encourage you to consider that most DAW projects are actually incomprehensible to the people who didn't make them."

Mazedude released the modules for a few of his remixes (see sixty funk, turtle wave...a few others) and that was a huge boost of inspiration and learning for me when I was just starting out.

(but, yknow. that's just like my opinion, man)

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My projects are actually very easy to follow, I keep things pretty neat and organized. I'll upload a demo or test song for anyone interested till I can consolidate one of my bigger arrangements.

i've always imagined snaps as the dude who is so incredibly organized during the work week, all worksheets and synchronized pencils and patterned paperclips, until 5pm friday. then he tears off all his clothes and runs off into the bushes next to his office building grunting like a gorilla while chugging fireball.

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You can always try to get the FL Studio Remix Gauntlet run again. Those downloads came with the FLP's and could be very educational. I'm guessing, anyway, since I'm not an FL user (which sometimes makes me feel very left out).

Just so you know: free FL can't open saved project files by free FL.

Edited by timaeus222
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