Could you produce a hit album with these three items?

Since I am feeling in a generous mood today, I will also allow you to use any of the following to make life simpler ... a midi keyboard controller, guitar, bass, drum pads/V-drums, mic + reflexion filter and a simple audio interface (babyface or duet).

Basically all the sounds (excluding vocals) generated digitally.

What do you think?

 

Of course you can. You just have to have skills, talent and inspiration

 

This^^^



Apart from her vocal, and a bass guitar, katey perry's firework was produced all in the box.

 

Was the bass amped or DI?

 

more than likely both

 

I've just read an article on the Jonas Brothers ... Sound On Sound interview with John Fields & Paul David Hager


Not my kind of music, but interesting technically.

 

A hit album?

No

You'd need some crazy vocals for a hit album.

If just a hit single then I would say yes you can do it without a crazy vocal.

When was the last time an album was a hit without some extremely distinctive voice? It doesn't happen very often, or at all.

 

sadly i have to agree..

 

It takes 10.000 hours to be a master of anything.........

 

You can make a high quality audio production. It helps if you also have some good songs and the talent to get them across. But whether it becomes a hit depends on a lot of things besides a quality set of songwriting, performance and production. It also involves music "business" or "industry" and the random luck of life itself. As far as "crazy vocals" required, that kind of thinking just boxes you in. Hit songs have been instrumentals and also novelty songs. I just try to play and say what I want, and am enjoying the tech that has been dropped into my lap to make it sound the best I can and I learn as I go. If somewhere along the way that creates a product that I can market, fine. But if I don't make any money at it,I would still find a way to make music. I can spend all day recording a cowbell just so, because it doesn't cost me $55 an hour, or I can grab a wave file and place it, or I can create a MIDI track for it. The possibilities are like candy to a creative person. But I do try to put my human stamp on this machinery every chance I get. That's what gives it my "style", and makes it sound like me.

 

...MMM Katy Perry's box

 

Dont think it was mentioned (was in a soundonsound interview with the producer), as psy says probably both.
Was also layered with a softsynth bass. Point is though you really could do it without that guitar, even the strings weren't from a real orchestra. These guys are extreamely talented and I believe could make a hit album in the box.
For all we know it may have already been done already (with the addition of vocals).
Calvin harris made his first hit album "I created disco" in his bedroom using his amiga.

....drools :P

 

I make lots of horrible noises with these 3....and Y cable. Box,box.
Not really concerned about a final goal.

 

Defiantly not hit material, but a home produced "song in the box".

I thought you might be interested in one of my in the box creations that I am working on. It is not completely finished, needs to be better mixed and mastered, but still serves as an example of instrumentation using only vsti's.

This song was experimental from my point, the goal was to make a full song using just virtual instruments and vocals, and have it sound like a Real recorded full band, playing with real instruments in a studio. Maybe I did that? I don't know, I am too close to the project to know. Song is not intended for commercial release.

My long term goal is to complete a compilation of many different types of songs all created digitally "in the box". This is my first attempt at a rock song.

http://soundcloud.com/burninstar/lucky-to-be-alive

Basic Vst Instruments include Bass, Drums, three rhythmic guitars, clav, sax, lead guitar, and a few effect instruments. Many of the Vsti's actually played the musical parts as well, based on a predefined MIDI chord structure.

 

What kind of hit album we talking about here ?

Top 20 Billboard album charts etc. Definitely no (without vocals)
A specific music genre hit album (e.g electronic music).Definitely yes !

 

Any genre. Like I said a mic + reflexion filter are allowed, as well as drum pads/V-drums to trigger Addictive Drums/Superior Drummer etc. Basically no fancy live room recording set-ups and all instrument sounds to be generated digitally.

I've seen video clips where known artists have recorded vocals at home in untreated rooms using a reflexion filter.

Personally, I was quite impressed with the results of playing a set of Roland V-Drums through NI Abbey Road Drums.

I've also achieved what to me sounds like a fairly decent bass guitar sound by plugging a Fender Strat directly into a laptop mic input, and then dropping it an octave with the Waves pitch plugin, and routing the output through Amplitude or CLA Bass.

I don't have proper monitors at the moment, so I am not sure what the level of quality is in absolute terms.

Some articles I have read suggest the the quality could be increased further by using premium instrument/XLR cables, along with a good DI box like the Radial JD1.

 

Vocals are most peoples nemesis in the bedroom, fortunately, some of us can sing... :dancing:

 

What's your opinion on the SE Electronics reflexion filter?

 

I think its probably the best portable filter on the market, unfortunately, at least for me, right now.. Out of my price range.