The word “organic” gets thrown around a lot these days. We hear it in business as organic farming and now we hear it in regards to music recording and podcasting. The term “organic” has come to refer to something that is natural, authentic, and has a core value. For example, him organic farming in business it refers to a true expansion at the core of the company, not inflated raises from outside venues or other sources.

According to the online urban dictionary, organic music it is music that has a core sound and tone that is natural through the use of acoustic instruments and vocals. This definition went on to elaborate on organic music resonating positive vibes or something like that. As musicians, the music industry warns us to be “more organic.” However, in this digital age, recording music in a home studio on a PC via Audacity or Adobe Audition is, by definition, digital. The sound is stored in a system of ones and zeros. Musicians can record short segments and easily repeat these sections by copying and pasting multiple times. Drums can be made on keyboards, or they can be made entirely inside a computer through the use of software. Most independent musicians use electronic keyboards, drum machines, and instrumentation software when recording. Thesis resonant vibrations however, they are mere recreations of a computer.

Independent musicians are branching out to sell their music to film and television (ie sync or sync licensing). This begs the question how modern independent musicians can get organic musical texture.

PROBLEM WITH QUANTIZATION

quantization it is a digital software setting that can move beats to match other beats. So if a beat is slightly out of place, it can be perfectly snapped into place. The same can be used for voices that are slightly flat or sharp by adjusting the pitch. Anyone who does their own recording and mixing has their own techniques for editing and layering tracks. However, one thing I noticed early on with beat quantization on my instruments was that when I listened back, some instrumental sounds would cancel out. The hearing threshold of human hearing is limited, so by aligning each instrument to an exact beat, the listener was not hearing everything that was intended. This auditory phenomenon means that only a few sounds can exist in the same space at the same time. I also noticed that if two instruments had similar timbres or tones, one of them could cancel out aurally.

maybe this organic music address has a slightly different meaning? maybe it means less perfect?

ORGANIC SYMPHONIC

Compare this to a symphony orchestra or choir where several musicians play together at the same time. The orchestra has a thick acoustic sound that meets the definition organic music. If all the musicians are playing at the same time, how can we hear the different instruments? There are some factors that make this possible. The musicians are playing at the same time, but no two people can place note for note at exactly the same time as a computer. This fraction of a millisecond difference when each musician puts their bow on the string can be multiplied by all the musicians playing. This produces a thickness to the sound texture of orchestras and choirs.

Another reason for being able to hear the various instruments is due to the timbre of the individual instruments or the voices of the choir. No two violins or voices have exactly the same pitch or vibrato. This variation allows the human ear to differentiate between sounds.

An additional reason for variation is the use of multiple note ranges. Orchestras have first and second violins, violas, cellos, and a multitude of other instruments that play different notes in different octaves.

The last reason is where the musicians reside on the linear plane of hearing. For example, violins are heard more to the left, cello basses are heard more to the right, and woodwinds are heard more in the center. This is a result of where they are seated in the orchestra during a performance and where a listener would ordinarily hear them from the audience.

APPLY THIS

Knowing this information can be vital in providing a more organic sound to your recordings.

Instrumentation- If you’re using more than one type of the same instruments, like guitars on a keyboard or digital strings, try using two completely different textures. You can even set one to sound higher than the other. If you’re adding a digital woodwind or flute of some sort, add vibrato. If you’re using multiple instruments, use different octave ranges and divergent notes within the chord structure of the song.

Panoramic – Use the pan function and place the instruments in the center left, another center, another center right, etc. This allows the listener to hear the individual instruments. If you are a band but want to achieve a chamber orchestra sound, position the orchestra as you would hear it live: violins on the left, viola center left, cello/bass farthest right. Position these instruments further to the back using reverb while putting your guitar, bass, and vocals more up front.

Quantification – By all means quantify your beat and drums and some of the instruments. In other cases, play the instruments throughout the song and allow for that millisecond variation, as if multiple musicians were playing at the same time.

Seals – Add a real voice, real percussion or other real instrument along with your recording. If you are using the digital oh it is in a keyboard song, have a real person sing along with them. Adding real live sounds goes a long way in making the recording more organic.

All the way through – I’ll use quantize to make drum tracks or basic percussion tracks and bass tracks. The rest I play live, until the end. It is challenging to do this and requires practice. The end result is that you can achieve a multi-player sound even if you’re recording alone.

“Music is a form of emotional communication, and when an instrument is played by a skilled performer, it can convey that emotion from the composer, through the performer, to the listener. But when machines are allowed to have too much influence, then that emotional connection is broken. Yes, the notes, rhythms and timbres remain, but the subtleties that make the music truly immersive are lost. They are treated with pesticides (quantization) before they are packaged and sold to the public.”
Reference – Audio Masterclass