I lost my sister 3 years ago today. Music then and now...

kpatz · 14th February 2011

I wasn't a Gearslut yet, but some of you on KSS may remember when I created a song after learning of my sister's death 3 years ago today.

Here's that song: Kristen's Song - 2008

3 years later (well, last fall), I created this piece for another friend who passed: White Light - 2010

I like to think my composing, programming, mixing, arranging, and playing skills have improved somewhat in the past 3 years.

**Reptil** · 14th February 2011

condolences and IMO it's awesome you put your feelings into a song.
let's hope in 3 years you're making a song for another reason?

thumbsup

OurDarkness · 14th February 2011

My deepest sympathies about the loss of your sister.

...and this is an excellent arrangement.thumbsup

kpatz · 14th February 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reptil

let's hope in 3 years you're making a song for another reason?

Yeah, I keep thinking I should make an upbeat track. Maybe someday....

kpatz · 16th February 2011

Some "Kristen's Song" trivia, for what it's worth:

1. I originally created and recorded Kristen's Song the same day I learned of her death (2/14/08). I re-recorded and remixed it in 8/2008 and that's the version I now share since it sounds better.

2. I had synths in the 90s and made some music, but stopped for a few years after getting married. In the fall of 2007 I got the synth bug again and started collecting and playing synths again. Kristen's Song was my first fully original composition I created and recorded using my "new" setup.

3. For my birthday in 2007, Kristen wrote me a poem and my synths were mentioned in it.

4. I created all the patches used in the song except for two. I had gotten my D-550 just a few days before and didn't have an editor yet so I used a slightly tweaked version of the "OK Chorale" preset, layered with the TX802. The pad sound from the JX-8P was something that was either created or loaded from the previous owner, as it was in the user patch bank. Some of the patches (including the TX802 lead) I created were originally for some Christmas songs I'd done a few months earlier.

5. I learned of Kristen's death while at work, and while driving home was getting song ideas in my head, which ultimately resulted in Kristen's Song.

6. While I was working on the song, at one point I was thinking to myself that it needed "something analog". I didn't have my Andromeda yet, but I had a couple fixer-uppers I got on eBay to fix and resell. One was a Juno-106 with a bad voice chip (not usable, was waiting for parts to arrive), and the other was a JX-8P with a couple broken keys I had received just a few days before. I hooked the JX up via midi and went through the patches, and found a PERFECT somber saw pad, which I used through the entire song.

7. When I sold the JX-8P, I knew I was going to remix Kristen's Song so I re-recorded the JX-8P parts before I boxed the synth up to ship out.

8. The way the song came together, how perfect the sounds fit together, makes me wonder if Kristen was guiding me from the other side. I still refer to the layered TX802/D-550 lead sound as my "best patch ever".

9. I created the "falling star" sound in Kristen's Song on my TX802. In White Light, I used a similar (but much nicer sounding) "falling star" I created on the Andy.

14th February 2011	#1
kpatz Lives for gear Joined: Mar 2009 Location: NH Posts: 600 Thread Starter	I lost my sister 3 years ago today. Music then and now... I wasn't a Gearslut yet, but some of you on KSS may remember when I created a song after learning of my sister's death 3 years ago today. Here's that song: Kristen's Song - 2008 3 years later (well, last fall), I created this piece for another friend who passed: White Light - 2010 I like to think my composing, programming, mixing, arranging, and playing skills have improved somewhat in the past 3 years. __________________ There's nothing better on a cold winter evening than to tweak the knobs on a nice warm analog synth. Yamaha Motif XS6 ~ Alesis A6 Andromeda ~ Roland D-550 ~ Yamaha TX802 ~ Yamaha DX100 ~ OP-X ~ FM8 He did use the OBXa on Jump but I believe 1984 was a Roland JX3P. - posted on Youtube

14th February 2011	#2
Reptil Moderator Joined: Dec 2004 Location: in a low orbit Posts: 19,384 1 Review written	condolences and IMO it's awesome you put your feelings into a song. let's hope in 3 years you're making a song for another reason? thumbsup __________________ CONVERTERS FOR SALE HERE: link

14th February 2011	#3
OurDarkness Lives for gear Joined: Feb 2008 Location: Thessaloniki, Greece Posts: 2,671	My deepest sympathies about the loss of your sister. ...and this is an excellent arrangement.thumbsup __________________ Render Thoughts Visible

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16th February 2011	#5
kpatz Lives for gear Joined: Mar 2009 Location: NH Posts: 600 Thread Starter	Some "Kristen's Song" trivia, for what it's worth: 1. I originally created and recorded Kristen's Song the same day I learned of her death (2/14/08). I re-recorded and remixed it in 8/2008 and that's the version I now share since it sounds better. 2. I had synths in the 90s and made some music, but stopped for a few years after getting married. In the fall of 2007 I got the synth bug again and started collecting and playing synths again. Kristen's Song was my first fully original composition I created and recorded using my "new" setup. 3. For my birthday in 2007, Kristen wrote me a poem and my synths were mentioned in it. 4. I created all the patches used in the song except for two. I had gotten my D-550 just a few days before and didn't have an editor yet so I used a slightly tweaked version of the "OK Chorale" preset, layered with the TX802. The pad sound from the JX-8P was something that was either created or loaded from the previous owner, as it was in the user patch bank. Some of the patches (including the TX802 lead) I created were originally for some Christmas songs I'd done a few months earlier. 5. I learned of Kristen's death while at work, and while driving home was getting song ideas in my head, which ultimately resulted in Kristen's Song. 6. While I was working on the song, at one point I was thinking to myself that it needed "something analog". I didn't have my Andromeda yet, but I had a couple fixer-uppers I got on eBay to fix and resell. One was a Juno-106 with a bad voice chip (not usable, was waiting for parts to arrive), and the other was a JX-8P with a couple broken keys I had received just a few days before. I hooked the JX up via midi and went through the patches, and found a PERFECT somber saw pad, which I used through the entire song. 7. When I sold the JX-8P, I knew I was going to remix Kristen's Song so I re-recorded the JX-8P parts before I boxed the synth up to ship out. 8. The way the song came together, how perfect the sounds fit together, makes me wonder if Kristen was guiding me from the other side. I still refer to the layered TX802/D-550 lead sound as my "best patch ever". 9. I created the "falling star" sound in Kristen's Song on my TX802. In White Light, I used a similar (but much nicer sounding) "falling star" I created on the Andy.