***WARNING- SERIOUS EAR CANDY....TURN IT UP!

Hi everybody.  After being away, and in a dark place for a while (why do I let a woman do that to me?), I'm happy to enlist your comments on my latest recording effort-  "Smokin' Waters".  Yes, it's a version of Deep Purple's "Smoke On The Water" (calm down guitarists...), but I'm sure it's different than anything you've heard before.  Lots of ear candy in this one so use phones if you like.
 
It's all done in Sonar X2.  I used some of the loops from the CW giveaway (Loopmasters 100 Artist Sampler) in this tune, and it's about 40% loops and the rest I played.  I had a lot of fun trying out the new NI Evolve Mutations 2 (my drum solo at the Intro), as well as using FM8, Massive, Battery 4 (great product), Z3ta 2, and my Motif XF7.  All F/X come from the Pro-Channel (extensive use).  The live guitar is processed with Guitar Rig 5.
 
Check it out-
 
https://soundcloud.com/tbosco/smokin-waters
 
or (EDITED) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qIp9X3aV3c   (THIS ONE SOUNDS BETTER and IS THE EDITED VERSION.)
 
I really hope you enjoy it.  I did!

Tabasco, like your handle, this was Caliente (I know it's not Tabasco, but it's close.) Interesting spin-off on a classic Deep Purple tune (at least in places?) Then in one part it felt like the Macarena? Pretty cool. 

WOW!!!!! very cool and very different!!!!

Good.
 
5 stars.
 
I just didn't have anything "critique-like" to share... my reaction was to sit back and enjoy it.
 
all the best,
mike

Fantastic. Just terrific.

 
YES VERY COOL !!! Your right lots of ear candy , some very cool sounds going on in there I like it .
 
James

Fantastic!  Great job putting this together.  I've got a question - how do you approach the different synth grooves in a production like this?  Do you use the step sequencer inside Sonar?  

Geno-  I have never used a step sequencer.  Since I can't really play keys as such, I often find a musical loop I like (maybe it inspires me) and a groove that fits it, and I start building up from there.  I then add my own synth lines- sometimes just straight audio on the fly, or sometimes as a MIDI track if I need to search for the right sound and/or need to quantize for tightness.  I tend to write dense material, and the tracks build up rather rapidly.
 
The Intro for this tune is about 46 secs. long and takes up 10 tracks, of which 7 are loops, 1 is Z3ta, and 2 are Alchemy.  Then I played the NI Mutations 2 drums on my keyboard, added some more droning musical loops, added the Massive bouncey synth, then the FM8 distorted flangey lead (which I programmed myself).  Under that is 3-4 layers of kick drum and groove loops.  Throw in some synth and loops for the breaks.  Then I played live guitar for the solo over a couple of synth loops and groove loops.  A lot of Guitar Rig 5 on the guitar.
 
I imported the original Smoke On The Water mp3, and cut out just the signature lick and using the Loop Construction view, time-stretched it to fit my tempo.  (Many of the loops have to be edited in the Loop Const. View to get them to the right tempo and pitch... they are NOT just transposed cuz it sounds like crap.)  Then I used it in the Verse, and also took a snippet of it and assigned that guitar tone to a pad in Battery 4 (you can hear it in the intro.)
 
The Chorus guitars are the MOTIF XF keyboard played in real time as audio tracks over more loops and beats.  Then some more breaks... then 4 mellow loops come in and I played keyboard bass and some some drum hits over that to end it.
 
Lots of ProChannel stuff, and F/X Chains in use.  I seldom use a loop that I don't "doctor".  LOL
 
End result-  91 total tracks, both MIDI and Audio to be mixed.  I make a 24-bit undithered wave file out of my mix and import it into a new project, then use Ozone 5 to master it.
 
I only have a 32-bit Win 7 machine, and so I am limited to 4GB RAM, and really only 2 is available for the tune itself...so I have to freeze everything (tracks) as I go and my workflow is hindered quite a bit by this.  It forces me to be creative with song construction.  Actually, I had to get my mix right and export it as a stereo wave to a new project before I could lay down the live guitar solo.... my machine just would not run anymore!  LOL
 
It was a lot of fun to produce.  Sorry about the long answer.... did it answer your question?

Very enjoyable.  Solid performance with clever arranging makes a good tune.

you know, i went back and read a few preceding comments, and saw that you said you cut the original...
i was going to say, that sound you did on the "D-G" first chord sounded exactly like blackmores' tone.
 
LOL
 
no wonder.....
 

Very cool.

Based on some private comments, I raised the level of the guitar solo (I knew it was to low soon as I checked it out...LOL),  I posted an edited version on You Tube.  Now the synth doesn't walk on my guitar solo.
 
Here is the edit:    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qIp9X3aV3c

Thanks again guys!  Steve (Ultrabra)-  It's good to be back!!!
 
So what oldie should I do next?  It's kind of fun.  This was my 2nd one.  First one was Robin Trower's "Bridge of Sighs".  (Did y'all check that one out on You Tube?)

Love it! The guitars sound great!

I should remove the Soundcloud link (or replace it), because the edited mix on You Tube sounds so much better.
 
I appreciate all the positive feedback!!!  :-)