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How I Did It

Laying Low
by Admiral Bob
Recommends (22)
Sun, Feb 16, 2020 @ 9:22 PM

Uses samples from:

 

Tools I Used

Garageband 10, Alesis Vortex Keytar, Classic Vibe Telecaster, P-Bass, Akai LPD8

Samples I Used

I used the two bar lohop, and the two bar lohop epiano.

Original Samples

an electric piano part, extra drums, a guitar part, a bass part, and an organ part.

Process

So I stretched out the drum part across thee and a half minutes. Then I took the piano part, and placed it at the 1st beat position of all the bars in the song (after the first two bars, which I left bare.)

I then played a bass part - I find using a real bass adds a bit of groove and feel, rather than playing two bars of midi and stretching them, so I played a real part, varying it here and there.

The piano part, much as I love its simplicity, on its own wasn't going to be enough to hold interest, so I used it as the mood setter for a new right hand part I was going to play. To give them both the same sound, I put the old part through a soft tremolo, and then played the new rhodes part on the Alesis Keytar with the same tremolo, so it sounded like one guy at the keyboard.

As I played, I left a lot of space. I then added an organ part, one that would weave in and out of the music - playing then not playing. I then took the Telecaster, and watching for holes, played into the holes between the organ parts - sometimes with a lead, sometimes with a rhythm, using the "Warm British clean" amp setting in Garageband.

Using the Akai LPD8, a drum controller, I added a hi-hat and some tom fills whenever the song transitions between guitar and organ, to make everything seem arranged and tight.

Other Notes

I'm on instrumental kick these days. I crave working with other musicians, so I've enjoyed doing that here virtually with apoxode, who set up a great lofi groove.