Hello everyone! I'm new to this forum, but definitely not new to trance. I've been producing for several years now; this is my latest work. Let me know if you have any feedback!
Thanks,
Grant
Evolve140
The mixdown sounds a bit buried. Arrangement and composition seems pretty decent but the production value seems to be lacking overall. No huge mixdown errors but it seems kind of subdued. You obviously put some emotion into the composition and it sounds cool but you really have to put your production prowess into full gear to sound modern. For instance, nothing is really mixed. Each sound seems to delve into the whole spectrum around every turn, thus preventing each sound the ability to take up its own space in the mix. I think even something as simple as that could make the mix sound a lot better. You know how to arrange basically and how to make proper melodies but now the focus must become on the production value itself, is what this track tells me.
JP8000
quote:
Originally posted by Evolve140
The mixdown sounds a bit buried. Arrangement and composition seems pretty decent but the production value seems to be lacking overall. No huge mixdown errors but it seems kind of subdued. You obviously put some emotion into the composition and it sounds cool but you really have to put your production prowess into full gear to sound modern. For instance, nothing is really mixed. Each sound seems to delve into the whole spectrum around every turn, thus preventing each sound the ability to take up its own space in the mix. I think even something as simple as that could make the mix sound a lot better. You know how to arrange basically and how to make proper melodies but now the focus must become on the production value itself, is what this track tells me.
First of all, thanks for taking the time to write that reply! I haven't gotten anything other than a "cool song bro" until you came along.
I'd like to make sure that you listened to the song in 1080p. Obviously, this greatly affects the quality of the sound.
I'm having some trouble putting your words in context of the song. I see how some of the sounds get washed out during certain parts (6:09, for example), but I don't see how this is a fundamental problem in the song. Are you saying that the whole song could be more crisp and clear? You're absolutely right about the song not being fully mixed with production value. I produced this song in two days; I generally don't spend much time tweaking before my songs are "finished". However, I'm not exactly sure how to achieve the modern sound. Would this require mad equalizing, or a complete revamp of the sounds used? Also, if possible, could you give an example of how mixing (I guess also mastering, in this case) is used to give production value to a song? Your analysis is well appreciated!
Regards,
Grant
Evolve140
I suppose you just need to figure out what you're going for and who your audience is. It is a cool track in its own regard. But, since the style is trance, trance is a genre known for being played in clubs and festivals where it is being played very loud. Production value comes in handy here because if you are experienced in designing sound a great arrangement and melody is the icing on the cake. These days, more focus is put on actual production value than the musicianship and it has resulted in a sea of over produced garbage. This happens when you are really good at using software and being technical about the whole thing, but being the artist and the musician is very different from churning out cold tracks that only excel in the production value area.
The very principle part of EQing is fitting sounds together. This means some sound, within an aeshetic setting, will be placed in their own sonic space. This is literally a frequency area of about 20hz to 16k hz, that must be filled. Certain instruments take up certain "chunks" or areas of this, with peaks and other harmonic content. A bass instrument for example... Sometimes, the harmonics that occur will contain a fair amount of mid frequencies. Remember this if you have percussion or a pad or anything that may also have the same frequencies. If they peak in the same area, you will have unpleasing mud on your hands, when all you have to do is choose which one you want to dominate the space. In your track, certain things are in front of and behind each other when that doesn't have to be the case. There are plenty of resources on mixing down out there. The way I like to think about it is going up the frequency spectrum checking for mud. If I find any, I stop and fix it immediately, then continue working with the track. Anytime I create an instrument I select a sound that I know will fill the frequency range the way I want it to. I don't always do it from bottom to top, but it's a good way of thinking about it in my opinion.
Hopefully my description doesn't totally suck. Others may be able to append to this or clarify better.
edit: I mentioned the production value topic the way I did because some producers lack musicianship (like being able to construct good melodies, chord progressions, arrangement, etc). If you can keep developing your musicianship while steadily learning production you might be able to get your stuff played out in clubs in a year or 2. Best case scenario though.
JP8000
quote:
Originally posted by Evolve140
I suppose you just need to figure out what you're going for and who your audience is.
Honestly, I don't have a target audience. I really only make music as a hobby for my own enjoyment; I have practically no real fans, and I'm definitely not interested in making music as a career. I find that my music isn't really suited for clubs and raves, but more for casual listening. While I'd like to establish a fan base, it's not at the top of my priority list. I enjoy music for its musicality (rhythm, melody, progression, etc.), which is partly why I don't put much time into the mastering and mixing of songs. However, I'm always seeking to improve my works to make them more listenable.
quote:
Originally posted by Evolve140
These days, more focus is put on actual production value than the musicianship and it has resulted in a sea of over produced garbage.
I completely agree with this. I find that a lot of songs now lack musical distinction. Too many times I've heard the same chord progressions, styles, etc. I try my best to vary my songs so that no one resembles the other.
quote:
Originally posted by Evolve140
This means some sound, within an aeshetic setting, will be placed in their own sonic space... If they peak in the same area, you will have unpleasing mud on your hands, when all you have to do is choose which one you want to dominate the space.
This is what I was looking for. Now I see how this is very relevant to your previous post. I developed a concept of this (not stacking similar sounds on top of each other) but never realized how important this is in production. Your tips on fixing this are very logical.
quote:
Originally posted by Evolve140
Hopefully my description doesn't totally suck. Others may be able to append to this or clarify better.
It doesn't! You did a good job :)
quote:
Originally posted by Evolve140
If you can keep developing your musicianship while steadily learning production you might be able to get your stuff played out in clubs in a year or 2. Best case scenario though.
That would be a dream! What I find interesting about my music is that I was never formally taught any music theory. No teachers, mentors, etc. Just a few friends who comment on my songs.
Once again, thank you so much for the explanation. If you'd like, I can post more of my music; although this is probably my best song.
