What Danja sounds like BEFORE mixing.

[Dan182]

Just thought I'd share something I found so everyone can realise how big a part mixing is in getting "the sound". Marcella definately worked the magic on this one.

Demo version of Britney Spears - "Break the Ice" attached.

[.T.]

Originally Posted by Dan182

Just thought I'd share something I found so everyone can realise how big a part mixing is in getting "the sound". Marcella definately worked the magic on this one.

Demo version of Britney Spears - "Break the Ice" attached.

It's actually pretty good for a demo mix. You can tell he knows his production and has been very receptive to Timbo's lessons (I'd give my left nut to spend an afternoon with Timbo in a studio, let alone be taken under his wing).

Are people really that amazed that beats from major producers start out unpolished? Have we put them on that high a pedestal?

[Chris Lago]

This could easily be a redone beat. tutt

[ryst]

The first thing I noticed is that the HH pattern (open hat) is different on the posted track than on the final mix. The open hat on the final track plays every bar, not every other bar. And since the OP's only post is this thread, let's just say I'm a bit skeptical.

[Chris Lago]

Originally Posted by ryst

The first thing I noticed is that the HH pattern (open hat) is different on the posted track than on the final mix. The open hat on the final track plays every bar, not every other bar. And since the OP's only post is this thread, let's just say I'm a bit skeptical.

It doesn't even sound close to the final song, production wise. I say it's someone else who did the beat.

[The Beatsmith]

i just checked out the original on spotify - even if it is remade, the original doesn't sound that much better. that song is about the vocals, and whoever did the vocal arranging.

[ryst]

Originally Posted by Chris Lago

It doesn't even sound close to the final song, production wise. I say it's someone else who did the beat.

You're probably right. I only listened to a very little of it but that was the first thing that immediately jumped out at me. Plus, there's not enough bass in the hi hats.

[Chris Lago]

the intro synth, sounds like it's missing layers.

[MikeyMike]

It's does sound close the original version. But what's silly is that the version you posted was just an instrumental while the finished version has vocals. You should of had the rough track with Britney's vocals to compare with the finished product. I don't know what Chris Lago was listening to. The "beat" is very similar to the finished product. And the synth sounded identical. You'd be suprised how a synth sounds when sent to an aux with the right reverb, delay, eq and compression.

[Storyville]

sounds about right... although somewhere in my memory I thought I heard a percussion track in this song?

But yeah, sounds about right.

[excLOUsiv]

I'm sure the op is doing an experiment. Trying to see if he's good enough at music to fool people, and gain some kind of validation in the process. If that's the case, he did a decent job. If not, then whatever.

[ryst]

Am I the only one who notices the different pattern on the open HH? Is it not that obvious?

[MikeyMike]

Originally Posted by ryst

Am I the only one who notices the different pattern on the open HH? Is it not that obvious?

Yeah, it's different plus the clap changed to a combination of a snare/clap in the final version. Sound replacement is nothing new, especially by today's production standards. Even if the Op is doing some kind of experiment, that's fine. People under estimate production and mixing all the time but the guys who get paid the big bucks know how important it is. The beat is hella simple, especially in todays drum kit fantasy world.

[Lrmusic]

OP, sounds very stiff and kind of thin. But good try, doing things like this will teach you a lot.

[Lrmusic]

Originally Posted by Chris Lago

the intro synth, sounds like it's missing layers.

Yeah all of the sounds are different, it's clearly redone and "sequenced" (not played in).

[ryst]

Originally Posted by MikeyMike

Yeah, it's different plus the clap changed to a combination of a snare/clap in the final version. Sound replacement is nothing new, especially by today's production standards. Even if the Op is doing some kind of experiment, that's fine. People under estimate production and mixing all the time but the guys who get paid the big bucks know how important it is. The beat is hella simple, especially in todays drum kit fantasy world.

As a mixing engineer, I definitely replace drums or change patterns if/when necessary. But in this case, I skeptical that this was the final beat before it got mixed.

[voicegenius]

This is clearly a joke... Nice try...

[gorillainthemix]

maybe "dan" is actually Danja himself!!

[tharemedy]

Yeah that version is definitely re-done. The sounds aren't even the same.

[Realziment]

Originally Posted by The Dutch Master

maybe "dan" is actually Danja himself!!

when i read topic and seen the name thats what i was thinking for a second

[gorillainthemix]

I must have had an overestimated idea of these type of productions. I can't understand how this is one of the best beats out of, let's say, 200 demo's that they've made/been sent for Britney.
Makes me think it's more about who you are (and know) than what you make.

[Realziment]

Originally Posted by The Dutch Master

I must have had an overestimated idea of these type of productions. I can't understand how this is one of the best beats out of, let's say, 200 demo's that they've made/been sent for Britney.
Makes me think it's more about who you are (and know) than what you make.

I thinks its defintely more about who you know, its unfortunate, but its the reality.

[riteup3]

Originally Posted by The Dutch Master

Makes me think it's more about who you are (and know) than what you make.

No sh*t

[oldboy]

This is definitely a remake beat - there was a demo floating around before that wasn't the final mix version (and legit) and it's not this - far from this.

And the demo sounds exactly how you would think - the same track, with the same hihat pattern on swing (I notice it too lol!) and everything else, just not mixed properly.

[Karloff70]

Originally Posted by The Dutch Master

I must have had an overestimated idea of these type of productions. I can't understand how this is one of the best beats out of, let's say, 200 demo's that they've made/been sent for Britney.
Makes me think it's more about who you are (and know) than what you make.

There are only two sides to it. One, you have to come up with the goods. This however isn't meant to read "the best shit on the planet', just stuff that can potentially be good product. If that is on some sort of reliable level the rest is only about who you're friendly with and what you're like to work with/what it feels like to do business with you. Anyone would prefer to hire someone they're very comfortable with in the situation (whether in the studio together or just in a business sense) that pulls off enugh of the goods to get the job done right, than some mad genius that you just can't work with because every little thing becomes a problem. Being successful in this game is a people thing, not a skills in the studio thing. Making interesting or even seminal records however is a different kettle of fish.

[gorillainthemix]

Originally Posted by riteup3

No sh*t

yeah....sh*t...

[Frankie Hill]

Originally Posted by The Dutch Master

I can't understand how this is one of the best beats out of, let's say, 200 demo's that they've made/been sent for Britney.
Makes me think it's more about who you are (and know) than what you make.

Or it could be that Danja has a contract with Britney's camp to produce a center number of songs for her... I could be wrong, but I doubt producers at that level get into the "lease my beatz for $20.00" bullsht.

[Realziment]

Originally Posted by Frankie Hill

Or it could be that Danja has a contract with Britney's camp to produce a center number of songs for her... I could be wrong, but I doubt producers at that level get into the "lease my beatz for $20.00" bullsht.

Do these type of deals exist these days? I think its more like, they just choose beats, the producer has ready. I dunno.

[boosh]

Well if this is Danja posting :

Welcome , hope you stay here for a while.

If the O.P. did this,... Cool,..it's how I learned stuff as well...trying to copy others and develop my own sound.

If it's not Danja but the track is real,...

Most of my tunes start out very very different from the way they end up when being finished.

[fooloof]

as others have said, it is a remake. for one, the high synth in the OP's version is staccato (if I have my terms right), but the high synth in the real instrumental is not. the real version has TWO synths , an octave apart; it is the LOWER synth that is staccato. the higher synth note sustains even as the lower one ends. not classically trained so i may have my terms mixed up. the point is that the rhythm is different. i suppose the engineer could have gone in and redrawn the MIDI. The other thing is that the main chord in the chorus seems to fall behind the beat ever so slightly in the real instrumental. it has a slight swing to it not present in the fake version.