I really enjoyed this!
I loved the synth with the vibrato that you threw in there at the end of phrases.
One thing I think you could work on a bit is adding some more presence with reverb. Especially at the beginning the sound seems really unnatural and dead. Adding a subtle reverb and/or delay could really add some character to the lead.
Thank you! And you're right. I should have added a bit of reverb on my synths x.x
I really like the mood you made with this song!
Two things I think you could improve:
1.There are points where the bass is playing two notes at the same time because of some overlap, creating some out of tune beats in the lower frequencies, which can be overwhelming and undesirable. The plucked guitar also gets a bit low at times, and clashes with the bass, especially when only playing off by a half step (the dissonance would be ok if the guitar was up an octave).
2. You might want to vary the arrangement at some point to add some more interest. Maybe adding another instrument, or changing the harmonic rhythm, or using some different rhythms in the bass.
Overall a very nice little piece with a real sense of atmosphere.
You have some really professional sounds here -- did you make them from scratch or are they from a sample pack?
There are good ideas here, but there needs to be more energy/contrast. Your B section (around 1:04) is good, but the stuff before it is too similar in frequency range and energy. The sub bass also seems to be doing its own thing sometimes, when it should really be following the bassline.
I hope some of this helps you improve, good work.
Yes I did make these all myself, from scratch using NI massive and some EQ automation.
The sub actually follows all of the notes in the drop, only during the break down and what is considered a verse the sub is from the first section of the drop, just to help with building to it.
You have very nice chord progressions in this piece (some secondary function chords, very nice) -- that is the thing which stood out to me. Your transitions were seamless, and the overall piece had a consistent character throughout.
On things to improve:
1. Your strings stand out from the rest of the mix -- the piano sounds very nice, and the little electronic synth that comes back a few times is very tasteful. The strings sound very fake in contrast. I know there isn't much you can do about this without spending money, but I really think using some quality samples would improve the track a lot.
2. Adding in some dynamic swells could add a lot of character to the piece. You do this some, but it can be done even more. Just crescendo and decrescendo through phrases.
Overall, I really enjoyed this piece. It was very musical, and I look forward to hearing more from you.
This is really good!
If you want some criticism:
1. The only main thing I would change would be the piano. You use it throughout almost the entire song, and I feel if you just changed which instrument had the piano's part every once in a while it could make the song more interesting (not to say that it isn't interesting already).
2. The drums seem a bit quiet at times compared to the rest of the mix. It might be a good idea to use some light sidechaining to duck the levels on a few channels to make sure your drums still cut through.
Overall, really nice, I like it.
- CS
This is pretty cool!
I love your chord progressions, and they are very cinematic. I could definitely see the character of Dr. Strange within this piece. I don't know if you ever watch the show "Dexter" but the beginning had some moments which reminded me of the show's soundtrack (which is oftentimes eerie). That's a compliment by the way haha.
If you're looking for ways to improve, there are a couple of things you could do.
1. I think you rely too strongly upon the piano. There are some really nice pianistic moments in the piece, but overall I think choosing to use more other instruments more often could help improve the quality.
2. The piano itself has a bit too much delay on it for my liking, and makes the piano sound a bit cheesy.
3. I would have used a bit more percussion in your climax around 0:38 to give it a bit more power, with some nice heavy drums which you use in other parts of the song. Sustaining the brass at a loud dynamic could help as well.
Overall, this was really nice, I hope to see more from you soon!
- CS
Awesome.. Thanks for the advice. I'll keep that in mind on the next track I create. :-)
I really liked the mood you set with this. The chord progression and melodies were really nice, and I also very much enjoyed the 'swelling' which was present throughout.
If you're looking for things to improve:
1. Your drums are pretty weak. By weak I don't mean not loud enough, but the samples you used are pretty fake-sounding, and the velocities weren't messed with at all. The hi-hat stood out the most, and you could fix this either with a different sample, or by varying the velocities of the notes.
2. The drum patterns could have been varied a bit more. Also, I felt like a halftime feel might have worked with the mood.
3. The piece doesn't quite have an ending, but also doesn't quite loop. If you want it to loop I would have the sounds at the end and beginning be at the same volume.
Altogether, the things I didn't like were pretty minor. I really enjoyed this song, and I could tell you really put your heart into it.
Great job!
Thank you for your review!
I'm going to pick out your points one after the other:
1. Yes, they are weak. They're some free samples I found lying around the internet's "darkest corners" (aka it took me a lot to even find these). I never messed with the velocities on drums - you can notice that in all my other works. The hi-hat is so loud because I intentionally made it like so, but after reconsideration, yes, I could lower it by a bit.
2. Yes, they could've been, though I felt like it was okay for me; as I listen to the song more and more, though, I feel like I could vary them as per your recommendation. I don't know what you mean by "a halftime feel" - could you please elaborate by sending me a PM?
3. The volume at the end and at the beginning seems to be identical for me.
All in all, I am grateful that you enjoyed my song!
What you said in your description was spot on -- composition-wise this piece is really nice. The mixing/mastering however is not so hot haha.
I appreciate the change up in you chord progression at 0:49, and I wish there was more of that throughout.
Most of what you need to learn about mastering you can find easily on Youtube, but I'll just say a couple of things I think you could look at:
1. The delay on your piano is a bit over the top. It becomes hard to follow because of this.
2. Your bass has no presence in the upper frequencies. Although basses should primarily reside in the lower frequencies, it is hard to get clarity if the upper and middle frequencies are just completely cut out.
3. It sounds like there is way too much compression on everything. It is hard to make out the individual instruments well for most of the song.
4. Your drums, especially the kick, need to be louder (or, probably more accurately, everything else should be quieter).
Altogether though, I think you have cool ideas, and I hope you take the time to come back to this at some point after you get some more experience with mixing/mastering.
Hey, this is really cool, you've got great ideas!
I know you're probably finished with this song, but for the future here are a couple of things I think you could work on:
1. The mixing/mastering could use a bit of work. There were some clarity issues that, if fixed up, could really take this song to the next level. Most of that is probably in EQing and getting the correct levels on all the channels.
2. The overpowering wobbling sound which comes in around 2:13 is a bit distracting and uncharacteristic for the song. Maybe a different choice in instrument/effect at that point would have worked better.
Your musical ideas are 100% there, but your mixing/mastering is lagging a bit behind. I would suggest watching some videos on Youtube to learn a bit more about it.
Cool sounds!
Thanks for the help i will take your thought into consideration thank you! the wobbling was just something i was trying out im not a big fan of how it is in the song either i might change but idk yet.
I'm not usually a big house fan, but wow, this has some real atmosphere!
When the voice comes in at 0:48, I don't think it needs to be on every single offbeat, it gets a bit annoying (at least to me). Maybe start it just on the + of 1, then add it in on some other offbeats later on (this also adds variety to a normally repetitive genre).
Other than that, it sounds great -- I can't wait to hear the full track!
thanks alot man!
haha yeah, I actually fixed the vocals right after the upload, I also noticed that it was a bit annoying.. stay tuned for the full version :)
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