This is by far the most "epic" track I've done with an eerie and melancholy vibe to it and a big sound.
Hope you guys enjoy it.
canadian didjer
I really like this but dynamically, it sounds really flat. The kick is a little too loud, the bass is really cool, but could be fatter and the hihat work is really funky. Nice little sample.
EddieZilker
I'm definitely liking this. You've got a hook that sounds a lot like Jan Johnston's "Calling Your Name" - in case that's not what you're going for.
Raphie
I hear where you want to go, I don't like the lead, no depth in there, it sounds like it's straight coming out of FLStudio, i do hewar the type of lead your aiming for, but it needs a lot more tweaking processing
the 2nd sound that comes in doesn't really add anything, i find it rather distracting than additive.
The percussionloop, this loop is just lame. If you use it as a filler for now, no worries, but I expect more from you by now.
also the overall mix is indeed flat, not much dynamics depth to it.
So overall: hear what you're aiming at, arrangement wise getting there. but sound design and mix need a lot of work.
Seandroid
quote:
Originally posted by Raphie
I hear where you want to go, I don't like the lead, no depth in there, it sounds like it's straight coming out of FLStudio, i do hewar the type of lead your aiming for, but it needs a lot more tweaking processing
the 2nd sound that comes in doesn't really add anything, i find it rather distracting than additive.
The percussionloop, this loop is just lame. If you use it as a filler for now, no worries, but I expect more from you by now.
also the overall mix is indeed flat, not much dynamics depth to it.
So overall: hear what you're aiming at, arrangement wise getting there. but sound design and mix need a lot of work.
Thanks for checking it out.
With the lead, are you talking about the bass line synth? There isn't much of a lead synth yet beyond it.
I disagree 100% about the percussion and the secondary sound I use though. I honestly don't see what you mean, at all, about the percussion being lame. I quite like it, and I don't find that one shot saw riff distracting, as you say, I think it adds atmosphere.
I agree about the mix being flat, I haven't done a mix from the kick or anything yet, The track was just mixed as I went along. I just wanted to show the concept. I just threw a compressor and limiter on the master chain to get volume levels up haphazardly.
Raphie
you can call it bassline or lead, or BL that acts as a lead, but it sounds like paper mache, flat empty, no mass, no balls, no mojo.
the loop is lame because it doesn't agree with your lead, same thing for your secondary loop, its doen not interact with the lead.
you now put 2 loops behind 1 bass and kick, with all 3 elements having conflicting different grooves that don't add up.
either program some percussion and synthlines yourself or at least pick loops that strengthen eachother.
Seandroid
quote:
Originally posted by Raphie
you can call it bassline or lead, or BL that acts as a lead, but it sounds like paper mache, flat empty, no mass, no balls, no mojo.
the loop is lame because it doesn't agree with your lead, same thing for your secondary loop, its doen not interact with the lead.
you now put 2 loops behind 1 bass and kick, with all 3 elements having conflicting different grooves that don't add up.
either program some percussion and synthlines yourself or at least pick loops that strengthen eachother.
I haven't added a sub bass yet to the bass line. I'm going to next time I work on the track, that should give it more "balls." Maybe put some wavetable modulation on it. I don't know.
I didn't use a single preset loop on the entire track. I programmed everything myself...
I don't know why you assumed otherwise :p That percussion "loop" I played out on my keyboard and the first open hat sound you hear I made using a noise synth and a high pass filter on an envelope.
I still disagree about the secondary sound, I can see how you might not like how the percussion and the bass interact though. I'll work on it.
EddieZilker
quote:
Originally posted by Raphie
you can call it bassline or lead, or BL that acts as a lead, but it sounds like paper mache, flat empty, no mass, no balls, no mojo.
It's a WIP - not to defend the work, thus far, and I kind of agree that it could use another layer, or so, to beef it up, but that's not my call to make, at this point, since interpreting intent and imposing it might subvert whatever sound he might be going for. We can make suggestions that he might want to beef it up but you should also ask yourself, what's accomplished by keeping it the way it is.
quote:
Originally posted by Raphie
the (percussion - EZ added for reference) loop is lame because it doesn't agree with your lead, same thing for your secondary loop, its doen not interact with the lead.
It doesn't necessarily agree but it does set up a bit of a groove and it doesn't disagree, setting up something which sounds so atypical as to be a distraction. At two minutes into the song, such an asymmetrical relationship could be balanced, through the tune's progression, into a more symmetrical one to build energy through the song.
I like what you have down with "Mars Attacks" but if I adopt the rules you're invoking against it, I can hear where the groove you've set up with the sine lead doesn't have a very dynamic relationship with the percussion surrounding it. Understand, I'm not looking at what you have down with your song as problematic and it's only until I apply the rules you're invoking, here, that such a weakness becomes apparent.
quote:
Originally posted by Raphie
you now put 2 loops behind 1 bass and kick, with all 3 elements having conflicting different grooves that don't add up.
either program some percussion and synthlines yourself or at least pick loops that strengthen eachother.
Maybe you know something I don't but I wasn't aware that he hadn't programmed any of his elements, himself. Barring some unread information or first-hand familiarity with the Vengeance Loop Library, this almost looks like an undermining cheap-shot made more out of frustration with being questioned than an intent to be helpful.
I'm not trying to take issue with you, Raphie, and I do like what you do with music, but your critique is subtractive and focused entirely on what the song isn't. If Seandroid was behaving like a complete ass (as I've been known to) I'd probably pardon it, entirely, but he seems new to the game and on a part of the learning curve closer to the beginning than you or I. Additionally, he seems perfectly willing to entertain ideas about what could or should be done to realize his intent.
I think your critique is a little harsh and remarks more on what you don't like with little substance about what could be improved; with even less thought committed about how to improve it. Telling someone they should program a pattern themselves, even if they're using prefabricated loops, is completely patronizing. Especially when it comes from someone who can boast about having specialized equipment and is going as far as offering on-line mastering services.
Raphie
Agreed, i made the disclaimer that i understood it was work in progress. But having heard previous stuff of Seandroid, this is not up to his standards. maybe it's just a difference in workflow.
But i first look for a sound that grabs me and then start building around it. hence my comments about the sound design.
bottom line is that between us, we need to remain critical but fair. Everyody is already that nice on Soundcloud, let's make sure we don't get too easy going here as well. I would expect the same from you guys.
@Seandroid, it's just my opinion, i am no X-Factor judge, so just take it for what's worth. at the end of they taste can differ, but my feedback also has an engineering angle that counts regardless
Seandroid
quote:
Originally posted by Raphie
Agreed, i made the disclaimer that i understood it was work in progress. But having heard previous stuff of Seandroid, this is not up to his standards. maybe it's just a difference in workflow.
But i first look for a sound that grabs me and then start building around it. hence my comments about the sound design.
bottom line is that between us, we need to remain critical but fair. Everyody is already that nice on Soundcloud, let's make sure we don't get too easy going here as well. I would expect the same from you guys.
@Seandroid, it's just my opinion, i am no X-Factor judge, so just take it for what's worth. at the end of they taste can differ, but my feedback also has an engineering angle that counts regardless
No worries! I take what I can get! I took your advice for making the bass line fatter, I kept the sub bass out of the break but it makes the drop mucho grande more powerful. I still kept the percussion and your dreaded "other sound," though. ;)
The track is full length! Pretty much everything is better as well, and I think it has one of the most exciting breaks I've done.
now on my laptop, will give it a good listen again tomorrow in my studio
MSZ
taking a listen. like the hooky bass a lot, can totally get into that. the beat sounds good. the flow and structure is good. i would add a clap or snare when the bass is building in the break to let people clap to it or have people tap to something. overall i think this is ur best work, i think i heard 2 tracks from you before. good work.
