Open-Source Music Production: Remixing "If I Was Alone" with Ardour & Ubuntu Studio
In this video, I go over the track-by-track breakdown for the song "If I Was Alone (Da Dun & I Mix)" from our remix album Lorenzo's Remixes, Volume 2.
Using open-source tools, including the Ardour DAW on Ubuntu Studio, I start by discussing the inspiration behind the drumbeat, which draws from De La Soul's classic track 'Me, Myself and I.'
I share how I utilized the Red Zeppelin kit in the DAW to create the rhythm for the song.
From the drums to programming the bassline, aiming for a funky vibe kind of like Funkadelic I used Yoshimi and combined it with distortion to enhance the bass sound.
I talk about replacing some elements from the original. I switched from a marimba sound to an electric piano for the chord changes, adding depth with reverb and delay. I also highlight the guitar solo that Eric did from the original version in this remix, I still like the spontaneity and character of it.
And I discusses the layering of various other elements, including a whistle part as well as a flangey noise that ties the entire track together.
I plan to do more of these walkthrough videos, plus I've got some upcoming videos and discussions with other artists from around the world who were involved in contributing remixes to the album.
What I Discuss
- DAW and Tools: using free and open-source tools, Ardour, an open-source digital audio workstation (DAW), and Yoshimi Synth.
- Drumbeat: The drumbeat was inspired by the De La Soul song "Me, Myself and I," and created using the "Red Zeppelin" kit and the "Buskman's Holiday" percussion kit built into Ardour.
- Bassline: The bass track was programmed using MIDI and was aiming for a "Funkadelic" sound. The sound was created with the "yeeeees" preset from the Yoshimi virtual instrument.
- Piano: The marimba part from the original song was changed to a piano. The piano sound was created using an "MDA DX10 piano" in Ardour.
- Guitar: The original guitar line was sampled and chopped up, and rearranged in different parts of the song.
- Other Sounds: An additional "flangey noise" was added from a track sample on freesound.org.
- Vocals: The vocals were treated with a multi-chorus, a fast "Leslie" effect, and a detuner to give them a unique, "underwater" feel.
Key Takeaways
- Creative Inspiration and Referencing: The remix process involved listening to other tracks, such as "Me, Myself and I" by De La Soul, for inspiration on elements like the drumbeat and background sounds.
- Open-Source Tools in Action: The entire remix was created using free and open-source software, with Ardour being the primary DAW. Virtual instruments like the Red Zeppelin kit, Yoshimi, and MDA DX10 piano were used to create different sounds.
- Unique Sound Design: I used a variety of effects and plugins to alter and enhance sounds, such as using a compressor and exciter on the drums, fold over distortion on the bass, and a multi-chorus, Leslie effect, and detuner on the vocals.
- Remixing Techniques: The video demonstrates specific remixing techniques, including rearranging and chopping up original parts like the guitar line, and incorporating new elements like sounds downloaded from freesound.org.
Links
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