The Musician's Gig Room Chat V1 - Songwriting and Sound Design for all! - Creationism Corner

So I decided that I need to choose a skill to work on since I now have the motivation (medication) to actually learn and sit down and do stuff that isn't 100% pleasant. I've wanted to produce and mix music for a long time, mostly house (specifically, stuff closer to deep and tropical house). I spent most of yesterday playing with Mixxx and learning about beatmatching and different techniques of crossing between songs. A few people I talked to said approaching learning ot make house from a "DJ" position first is helpful and not a bad idea, so thats what I'm trying. Thing is, with the direction I am headed, I feel like I need something with a bit more complexity. Mixxx is fun to fuck around with, but I'm trying to do a 1hr/day skill challenge for 30 days. I feel this is enough for me to try to learn FL Studio or Ableton basics, enough to muck around with more complex mixes or actually produce something. At least a remix. I don't expect greatness, but I do expect improvement. I can get access to both programs through my University, what do you guys think would be better for my needs? I'd like to get some small hardware accessories at some point like a launchpad or something but we'll see. I've looked at both in the libraries on campus and have no idea what I'm doing, but Ableton seems really dense. thanks for any advice you offer

[QUOTE=paindoc;47795541]So I decided that I need to choose a skill to work on since I now have the motivation (medication) to actually learn and sit down and do stuff that isn't 100% pleasant. I've wanted to produce and mix music for a long time, mostly house (specifically, stuff closer to deep and tropical house). I spent most of yesterday playing with Mixxx and learning about beatmatching and different techniques of crossing between songs. A few people I talked to said approaching learning ot make house from a "DJ" position first is helpful and not a bad idea, so thats what I'm trying. Thing is, with the direction I am headed, I feel like I need something with a bit more complexity. Mixxx is fun to fuck around with, but I'm trying to do a 1hr/day skill challenge for 30 days. I feel this is enough for me to try to learn FL Studio or Ableton basics, enough to muck around with more complex mixes or actually produce something. At least a remix. I don't expect greatness, but I do expect improvement. I can get access to both programs through my University, what do you guys think would be better for my needs? I'd like to get some small hardware accessories at some point like a launchpad or something but we'll see. I've looked at both in the libraries on campus and have no idea what I'm doing, but Ableton seems really dense. thanks for any advice you offer[/QUOTE] i'm sure a lot of people here learned their DAWs by just going straight into it. learning by going through DJing programs can be helpful because you'll learn about rhythmic stuff and maybe song structure if you're very attentive, but the only way to really get as much knowledge as possible with producing is by using and learning a DAW. i'd suggest deciding between Ableton and FL Studio, then download the demo and just dive in. Free online tutorials will also help quite a bit, especially when finding your way around the program. now for a little personal opinion, FL Studio had always seemed a bit more beginner friendly than Ableton to me, so you might want to head in that direction. you could always switch over later too, you aren't forever restricted to a single DAW once you learn how to use one. Check both of them out equally though, and try not to be put off by simple things like the interface. your personal preference will tell you which demo you need to download. lastly, i've been talking about FL Studio and Ableton like they're the only DAWs in existence simply because you mentioned the two. don't limit yourself here either, check out the other DAWs like Reason, Cubase, Reaper, etc. hope I helped!

-wait nvm-

[QUOTE=Warship;47785578] Here's something I came up with, the original inspiration was Wiz Khalifa's Taylor Gang but I'm not sure you can even hear that. I played around with Ableton's Saturator, and it really gives the kick some power. [media]http://soundcloud.com/thedanielholt/bittersweet[/media][/QUOTE] Not my preferred style of music but I thought it was put together decently. Good beat with variation here and there and fine pads. It did seem a little empty without a lead melody or anything other than that synth around 3:40 or the arp. [QUOTE=inebriaticxp;47785065]idk what to call this thing: [media]http://soundcloud.com/sharkalarm/untitled-thing[/media][/QUOTE] I really like this one. All of the sounds come together and progress very naturally. One thing I have to criticize about is the choice of drums at 3:08. They worked well earlier in the song, but I think something with more exaggeration or intensity would fit better at that point in the song (a ride/crash cymbal? different break samples?). They don't seem to chain together the way I would expect in drum breaks IMO. ---- Warm ambient stuff. Cruddy mix so far. [media]http://soundcloud.com/anax-1/solum-solem[/media] sunlight through rain.

[QUOTE=lawlavex;47800653]i'm sure a lot of people here learned their DAWs by just going straight into it. learning by going through DJing programs can be helpful because you'll learn about rhythmic stuff and maybe song structure if you're very attentive, but the only way to really get as much knowledge as possible with producing is by using and learning a DAW. i'd suggest deciding between Ableton and FL Studio, then download the demo and just dive in. Free online tutorials will also help quite a bit, especially when finding your way around the program. now for a little personal opinion, FL Studio had always seemed a bit more beginner friendly than Ableton to me, so you might want to head in that direction. you could always switch over later too, you aren't forever restricted to a single DAW once you learn how to use one. Check both of them out equally though, and try not to be put off by simple things like the interface. your personal preference will tell you which demo you need to download. lastly, i've been talking about FL Studio and Ableton like they're the only DAWs in existence simply because you mentioned the two. don't limit yourself here either, check out the other DAWs like Reason, Cubase, Reaper, etc. hope I helped![/QUOTE] So I did some searching around and I think I'll end up going with Ableton. It seems a little more geared towards live production and mixing, but still has the capability to do other stuff too. I'll have to play with it some more, and I need to get a lot better before I worry about live production so FL Studio may still come back. Depending on how much it ends up costing me to live here, I'd like to get a Launchkey mini and one of the cheap American Audio DJ controllers to play with (hopefully setting me back less than $200). Aiming to take some voice coaching and basic music theory lessons as well so I can sample my own voice and build a good base. If I do end up liking all this the APC 40 II's look really neat for playing with and getting more srs. All this plugs in easy with Ableton, the Launchkey includes a bunch of tutorials and samples plus a "lite" version of ableton. Also apparently the cruise I'm going in mid-June offers free DJ lessons that will probably be full of 16 year old Deadmau5 wannabes (which may not be a problem if they have the right attitude, making music for reasons besides bitches and money). So I'll probably end up taking that for funsies. And I'll have my Surface Pro 3 and I'm almost positive there is a software built for that specifically. For now I'm buried in homework and studying for tests, but I've been playing tons of youtube mixes in the background and trying to build playlists of stuff so I can have some variety to work with when I get into this. Creative inspiration as well. thanks for the advice. I'll probably come in here with my next few shitty mixes and transisitions, my first ones were so bad I prefer to pretend they don't exist. I'll try to contribute criticism in return but I feel completely unqualified :v:

[quote][media]http://soundcloud.com/anax-1/solum-solem[/media][/quote] This is nice! I like the soundscape, some cool sounds in there. Almost a little "retro", kinda tape like distortion sounding. How do you classify whether ambient stuff is mixed well? I'm genuinely curious! Anywho, I had a hiatus because my pc died and I lost all of my plugins and project files. Kinda sucks! Still, I bring a re-make of a classic. [media]http://soundcloud.com/prizymmusic/whatshernamev2[/media]

[QUOTE=paindoc;47804756]So I did some searching around and I think I'll end up going with Ableton. It seems a little more geared towards live production and mixing, but still has the capability to do other stuff too. I'll have to play with it some more, and I need to get a lot better before I worry about live production so FL Studio may still come back. Depending on how much it ends up costing me to live here, I'd like to get a Launchkey mini and one of the cheap American Audio DJ controllers to play with (hopefully setting me back less than $200). Aiming to take some voice coaching and basic music theory lessons as well so I can sample my own voice and build a good base. If I do end up liking all this the APC 40 II's look really neat for playing with and getting more srs. All this plugs in easy with Ableton, the Launchkey includes a bunch of tutorials and samples plus a "lite" version of ableton. Also apparently the cruise I'm going in mid-June offers free DJ lessons that will probably be full of 16 year old Deadmau5 wannabes (which may not be a problem if they have the right attitude, making music for reasons besides bitches and money). So I'll probably end up taking that for funsies. And I'll have my Surface Pro 3 and I'm almost positive there is a software built for that specifically. For now I'm buried in homework and studying for tests, but I've been playing tons of youtube mixes in the background and trying to build playlists of stuff so I can have some variety to work with when I get into this. Creative inspiration as well. thanks for the advice. I'll probably come in here with my next few shitty mixes and transisitions, my first ones were so bad I prefer to pretend they don't exist. I'll try to contribute criticism in return but I feel completely unqualified :v:[/QUOTE] sounds like you're headed in the right direction! DJ lessons sound like a lot of fun, even if it is just a bunch of teenagers with no idea what they're doing haha. i'd love to go to a music production camp or something like that and meet new people who are into the same things as I am, it just sounds like such an awesome experience. also don't worry about feeling unqualified for giving out criticism, anything helps!

[QUOTE=lawlavex;47810432]sounds like you're headed in the right direction! DJ lessons sound like a lot of fun, even if it is just a bunch of teenagers with no idea what they're doing haha. i'd love to go to a music production camp or something like that and meet new people who are into the same things as I am, it just sounds like such an awesome experience. also don't worry about feeling unqualified for giving out criticism, anything helps![/QUOTE] Thanks. Yeah, I'm heading towards Ableton because it seems so well rounded and works well with hardware. I'm thinking of getting a 49 key Novation Launchkey (used if I can) and using it to learn to play piano and pick up the basics of music theory, and try to learn how to read music again. I've always wanted to play piano. And I'd like to get a launchpad used but the mini is only $75 I may just bite the bullet there. I do this with a lot of hobbies though, put in a ton of the surface work buy some hard then drop it. I'm really hoping to stick with it this summer though, I feel I have some inspiration now and some actual motivation to do the harder unfun work. I'm pretty damn creative, but I rarely do anything with all these thoughts constantly bouncing around my head. Its the blessing/curse dichotomy of my brain :v: I've had a ton of ideas for basic songs and snippets I want to play with [I]so bad[/I] but with finals approaching I won't have the time to play with Ableton until at least the 10th and less than a week after that I leave on a cruise (although I will have my surface with me and might find inspiration while doing that). Its killing me though, I want so badly to start playing and learning and getting these ideas and feelings down into a program but I cna't let myself descend into that distraction. Depending on how my interview goes tomorrow though money and time shouldn't be a problem, since working at a baseball stadium is so predictable in terms of hours and days. [editline]27th May 2015[/editline] [QUOTE=Anax;47802930] Warm ambient stuff. Cruddy mix so far. [media]http://soundcloud.com/anax-1/solum-solem[/media] sunlight through rain.[/QUOTE] Just have to say I really like how this sounds. Its quite gentle and comes in slow, but I love the ambient feel and just how [I]relaxed[/I] it sounds. The little melody fade out was neat too, and fit with the song just fine.

[QUOTE=dedo678;47776115]Sounds very good. Only issue I have is that it sounds far away, like it's being played live in an arena. If that's what you're going for then spot on man. Sounds great! Here's something I made in the past 2 days. Trying my hardest to get better at mastering. [media]http://soundcloud.com/dedo678/tidal-call[/media][/QUOTE] 55 seconds in this gets really boppy, I like it a lot

Hey guys, not sure what I was going for here. This is just something old I did with one guitar on a loop pedal. [url]https://terriblefrolicking.bandcamp.com[/url] [editline]29th May 2015[/editline] [QUOTE=inebriaticxp;47785065]not really the type of stuff i'd listen to but i still really like this it feels like a big chamber, i don't know if that makes any sense but it fills the space idk what to call this thing: [media]http://soundcloud.com/sharkalarm/untitled-thing[/media][/QUOTE] Damn dude, I love this. 2 minutes in when the 3rd melody comes in, are you using a glass slide? Cause it sure sounds like it. I get a very chill vibe from this.

[QUOTE=chaz13;47808606]This is nice! I like the soundscape, some cool sounds in there. Almost a little "retro", kinda tape like distortion sounding. How do you classify whether ambient stuff is mixed well? I'm genuinely curious! Anywho, I had a hiatus because my pc died and I lost all of my plugins and project files. Kinda sucks! Still, I bring a re-make of a classic. [media]http://soundcloud.com/prizymmusic/whatshernamev2[/media][/QUOTE] That's beautiful. Wonderfully made. Something I made today in a couple hours. [media]http://soundcloud.com/dedo678/trivial-thoughts[/media]

[QUOTE=dedo678;47836092]That's beautiful. Wonderfully made. Something I made today in a couple hours. [media]http://soundcloud.com/dedo678/trivial-thoughts[/media][/QUOTE] oo i like the sonic quality it has, sounds really neat tbh only crit i'd give it is that i didnt really enjoy that loop at 0:39, the drums felt a bit off to me personally, but thats just a small nitpick, the track is really good been working on a big dance track wip, wondering if i could get any crits on it as ive only been beginning this whole music thing(only done this stuff for 1 week haha): the drop right now is fairly skeletal (only a bass drum atm), so im lookin for any and all sort of musical directions i can take for it [URL="https://a.pomf.se/jpzxum.mp3"]https://a.pomf.se/jpzxum.mp3[/URL] neither mix nor mastered since its still in baby stages for me atm [QUOTE=Skeeter;47841643]Check the rules in the OP of the thread and you'll be good to go, Colteh.[/QUOTE] wow im dumb, thanks dude, fixed

Check the rules in the OP of the thread and you'll be good to go, Colteh. I'll extend the deadline of the collaborative album until [B]30th of June[/B] [editline]31st May 2015[/editline] [QUOTE=dedo678;47776115]Sounds very good. Only issue I have is that it sounds far away, like it's being played live in an arena. If that's what you're going for then spot on man. Sounds great! Here's something I made in the past 2 days. Trying my hardest to get better at mastering. [media]http://soundcloud.com/dedo678/tidal-call[/media][/QUOTE] I like the intro, it puts a very nice feel to the track! It's a pretty big contrast to how the track sounds when the drums are in and you add more synths though, and I'm not too sure if I like that contrast. I think a lot of it could have with how you've mixed it though, a snare with more punch and maybe even let the kick have some more bass could make this track pop out more? That way, the synths come forward too, since the drums wont overpower the other instruments :) I actually do want it to sound like it is being played live in an arena, I juggled with the thought of making an EP called "Live In Vienna" and have applauds and shit on the tracks, but the instruments probably sound a bit too robotic for it to work. [editline]31st May 2015[/editline] [QUOTE=inebriaticxp;47785065]not really the type of stuff i'd listen to but i still really like this it feels like a big chamber, i don't know if that makes any sense but it fills the space idk what to call this thing: [media]http://soundcloud.com/sharkalarm/untitled-thing[/media][/QUOTE] I absolutely love the use of harmonics on the bass, nice one! The panned guitars work really well too, especially when the solo autopans like crazy! I think the part I like the most is the break at 2:46, autopanning and vocals absolutely drenched in reverb? Amazing. Have you thought about maybe giving the bass (when it plays notes and not harmonics) a smidge distortion? It is a bit murky right now, and giving it distortion (two channels, one 100% distortion and one clean, then blend the two) could maybe make it pop out more and not be as muddy? It has a nice progression, are you planning on adding vocals to this? The first part of the track (until 1:30 minute mark-ish) makes me think it would fit really well as a beat for some drummer, but it progresses so nicely that some high-pitched nonsensical lyrics could kick this track up a notch. [editline]31st May 2015[/editline] [QUOTE=Warship;47785578]Nice, I love how natural the guitars sound, if that makes any sense. Also, there's a lot of elements that make it interesting, I didn't expect it to take the turn it did. Those echo-y vocals are pretty sweet. The drums as well, they almost sound like they'd fit a drum and bass track. Here's something I came up with, the original inspiration was Wiz Khalifa's Taylor Gang but I'm not sure you can even hear that. I played around with Ableton's Saturator, and it really gives the kick some power. [media]http://soundcloud.com/thedanielholt/bittersweet[/media][/QUOTE] This track is pretty neat, I think the best part is after the break near the end, that melodic synth is sweet as hell! I think you should let that part come a whole lot earlier, maybe build the track around it? [editline]31st May 2015[/editline] [QUOTE=Anax;47802930]Not my preferred style of music but I thought it was put together decently. Good beat with variation here and there and fine pads. It did seem a little empty without a lead melody or anything other than that synth around 3:40 or the arp. I really like this one. All of the sounds come together and progress very naturally. One thing I have to criticize about is the choice of drums at 3:08. They worked well earlier in the song, but I think something with more exaggeration or intensity would fit better at that point in the song (a ride/crash cymbal? different break samples?). They don't seem to chain together the way I would expect in drum breaks IMO. ---- Warm ambient stuff. Cruddy mix so far. [media]http://soundcloud.com/anax-1/solum-solem[/media] sunlight through rain.[/QUOTE] I want this to be longer, it's so incredibly soothing [editline]31st May 2015[/editline] I'm trying to make a short little EP with some piano pieces I wrote last summer, I've since added drums and some strings. [media]http://soundcloud.com/skriket/and-after-all-this-time[/media] [media]http://soundcloud.com/skriket/gentle-breeze[/media] [media]http://soundcloud.com/skriket/thank-you-for-the-music[/media] I would love to hear any feedback or thoughts on the tracks, they are all sort of similar in structure so I tried to make them still seem like unique tracks.

What do when I write 2 songs and like both lyrical matchups to the chord progression- but it's pretty much the same base chord progression? Addicted to that E-B-A (I - V - iV I think as well?) nonsense

[QUOTE=General J;47844002]What do when I write 2 songs and like both lyrical matchups to the chord progression- but it's pretty much the same base chord progression? Addicted to that E-B-A (I - V - iV I think as well?) nonsense[/QUOTE] get some relative minors in there or something. E G#m F#m is basically the same chord progression as E B A but with different root notes. chord substitution is easy and fun.

Especially when you start really spicing things up like that, I personally really like E-G#m7-F#m7 because it allows you to go so many new places if you start doing another substitution on top of that! For instance, you could then replace that F#m7 with an A6add11 (or whatever you'd call the one that goes 57x775 on a guitar, I can't seem to find a good name for it)

I need to figure out this whole chord thing and how to make a good funky synth sound. Trying to play with nice and fun bass lines but I have barely 3 hours of Ableton under my belt and maybe a week of total srs music experience (I learned scales and octaves and sorta how to read sheet music in choir but thats nearly irrelevant). Don't have anything but the stock ableton instruments and midi effects either, probably need to solve that as well :| [editline]31st May 2015[/editline] something sorta [URL="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3UGYGepWdg"]like this please [/URL]

That one you linked sounds like it's just D#m7-G#-C#! All you really need to do is to try to listen and play along until you have a general sense of what notes sound good over that song's chords/melody, and then use that and the feel and direction of the bass to figure out what chords are being played. The bass is generally going to be on the root note of whatever chord is being played on the ones, so find those and extrapolate from the roots whether any chords are major or minor, before finally looking at spicings like sevenths and so on.

[QUOTE=A Noobcake;47844243]That one you linked sounds like it's just D#m7-G#-C#! All you really need to do is to try to listen and play along until you have a general sense of what notes sound good over that song's chords/melody, and then use that and the feel and direction of the bass to figure out what chords are being played. The bass is generally going to be on the root note of whatever chord is being played on the ones, so find those and extrapolate from the roots whether any chords are major or minor, before finally looking at spicings like sevenths and so on.[/QUOTE] Yeah, I really need to get some more knowledge of notes and chords so I can actually [I]recognize[/I] them in songs. As it is now I just google everything or try to listen to single chords and combine them into how I think the series should "feel" (or make the listener feel). One right now I'm using for a sadder sound is Am-D-Fm-C and that seems to work well but I didn't [I]identify[/I] it myself. I'm picking up a 49key midi keyboard when I can afford to, hopefully when I get paid on the 15th if I can get enough hours for it. Once I get that I'm gonna find some kind of interactive learning software and start trying to learn to play notes instead of click squares on a piano roll, latter works but former feels better for what you said and would allow me to get more involved with the music. Sure I can bob and tap my feet but clicking rhythmically or hitting the keyboard rhythmically just isn't the same (something something muh immersion). Like I said, pretty much zero music theory background. Maybe its not necessary for every electronic producer who just uses a DAW and makes stereotypical wubstep mixes, but I don't feel it would hurt. I don't want to get so involved that I can't see outside the theory (read: most theory classes that only do tonal theory) and become afraid to break it when needed. [URL="http://www.ethanhein.com/"]This guys[/URL] website has been useful and especially this [URL="http://www.ethanhein.com/wp/2015/do-you-need-music-theory-to-create-music/"]article as of late[/URL], sent me out to google with some actual vocabulary and terms that lead me to more info. [editline]31st May 2015[/editline] and to be clear, none of the electronic types in here strike me as the type to do stereotypical stuff. Lots of neat music in this thread

[QUOTE=paindoc;47844280]Yeah, I really need to get some more knowledge of notes and chords so I can actually [I]recognize[/I] them in songs. As it is now I just google everything or try to listen to single chords and combine them into how I think the series should "feel" (or make the listener feel). One right now I'm using for a sadder sound is Am-D-Fm-C and that seems to work well but I didn't [I]identify[/I] it myself. I'm picking up a 49key midi keyboard when I can afford to, hopefully when I get paid on the 15th if I can get enough hours for it. Once I get that I'm gonna find some kind of interactive learning software and start trying to learn to play notes instead of click squares on a piano roll, latter works but former feels better for what you said and would allow me to get more involved with the music. Sure I can bob and tap my feet but clicking rhythmically or hitting the keyboard rhythmically just isn't the same (something something muh immersion). Like I said, pretty much zero music theory background. Maybe its not necessary for every electronic producer who just uses a DAW and makes stereotypical wubstep mixes, but I don't feel it would hurt. I don't want to get so involved that I can't see outside the theory (read: most theory classes that only do tonal theory) and become afraid to break it when needed. [URL="http://www.ethanhein.com/"]This guys[/URL] website has been useful and especially this [URL="http://www.ethanhein.com/wp/2015/do-you-need-music-theory-to-create-music/"]article as of late[/URL], sent me out to google with some actual vocabulary and terms that lead me to more info. [editline]31st May 2015[/editline] and to be clear, none of the electronic types in here strike me as the type to do stereotypical stuff. Lots of neat music in this thread[/QUOTE] That's a kind of neat chord progression, and also a good example of why learning chords and figuring all the basic stuff out is important but at the same time not crucial. The reason why that progression has that sad sound is because that Fm doesn't really fit in with the other chords. The D following an Am implies that the Am should be over a dorian scale, which also fits the C (given that the underlying C scale is a major scale with a sharp fourth, making it a C lydian). This also implies that there should be an F#m there for the vi, and absolutely not the slighly jarring Fm that's there. The Fm breaking the pattern like this is "wrong" in that you wouldn't intuitively put it in there if you only knew the basic rules of progression, harmony, etc., but there's also nothing inherently wrong with the base scale of your progression containing both the minor and major sixths and sevenths! If you listen to classical music and start looking at the chords you'll notice this happens a lot, and isn't wrong at all as long as you stilldo it right. It's all a matter of understanding that you can be "wrong" and still sound right by breaking the rules in the right ways and respecting some fundamental musical rules governing harmonies and intervals.

[QUOTE=A Noobcake;47844350]That's a kind of neat chord progression, and also a good example of why learning chords and figuring all the basic stuff out is important but at the same time not crucial. The reason why that progression has that sad sound is because that Fm doesn't really fit in with the other chords. The D following an Am implies that the Am should be over a dorian scale, which also fits the C (given that the underlying C scale is a major scale with a sharp fourth, making it a C lydian). This also implies that there should be an F#m there for the vi, and absolutely not the slighly jarring Fm that's there. The Fm breaking the pattern like this is "wrong" in that you wouldn't intuitively put it in there if you only knew the basic rules of progression, harmony, etc., but there's also nothing inherently wrong with the base scale of your progression containing both the minor and major sixths and sevenths! If you listen to classical music and start looking at the chords you'll notice this happens a lot, and isn't wrong at all as long as you stilldo it right. It's all a matter of understanding that you can be "wrong" and still sound right by breaking the rules in the right ways and respecting some fundamental musical rules governing harmonies and intervals.[/QUOTE] I would not have figured that out myself :v: Thanks for all the info, its good to pickup. I'll see if I can find a well-reviewed theory book that covers all this stuff without indoctrinating me into absolute uniformity. For now, I've decided my big projects in Ableton are going to be to transpose bits of my two favorite classical pieces (Adagio in D Minor [Sunshine] and Adagio for Strings Op.11) finishing with the Adagio for Tron since it transitions into a neat synth organ-y bit that should be good for practice. Hopefully will learn more about chords in the process and improve my workflow in Ableton. Hell if I know when I will complete them, I have a final this upcoming saturday and work a fair portion of this week so fun music stuff goes on back burner. Might even have a keyboard by the time I get to try all of this. While working/studying I can at least continue trying to broaden my tastes in music and listen to as much different stuff as possible. [editline]31st May 2015[/editline] oh, and that neat chord progression bit is from about 6 minutes into Kalinnikov's Symphony no.1 [editline]31st May 2015[/editline] also who do i kill for a jupiter 80 or 50

So it's been a while since i've posted in one of the facepunch music forums on account of being banned and involved in dumb shit for a long time, i've been learning ableton, practicing mastering techniques, still not quite 'pro level' sound quality but that'll just take lots of practice [media]http://soundcloud.com/petebound/untitled-1[/media] track i'm working on at the moment for the sake of practicing, trying to fuse old ideas in a new style, not 100% fond of it yet but wouldn't mind some critique on the production side of things overall my style has changed a lot since I last posted though, some newer stuff [media]http://soundcloud.com/petebound/wake-up-sample[/media] [media]http://soundcloud.com/petebound/sample2222[/media] [media]http://soundcloud.com/petebound/focused[/media] some of the older stuff for comparison [media]http://soundcloud.com/petebound/timeless[/media] [media]http://soundcloud.com/petebound/iasip-dark-deep-house-mix-wip[/media] [media]https://soundcloud.com/petebound/new-untitled[/media] I feel like i've just been moving away from darker vibe sorta stuff in general, still got a lot to learn though, but I want to start working on some heavier/darker trap-style productions once I get mastering down a bit better [editline]31st May 2015[/editline] [QUOTE=Skeeter;47841643]Check the rules in the OP of the thread and you'll be good to go, Colteh. I'll extend the deadline of the collaborative album until [B]30th of June[/B] [editline]31st May 2015[/editline] I like the intro, it puts a very nice feel to the track! It's a pretty big contrast to how the track sounds when the drums are in and you add more synths though, and I'm not too sure if I like that contrast. I think a lot of it could have with how you've mixed it though, a snare with more punch and maybe even let the kick have some more bass could make this track pop out more? That way, the synths come forward too, since the drums wont overpower the other instruments :) I actually do want it to sound like it is being played live in an arena, I juggled with the thought of making an EP called "Live In Vienna" and have applauds and shit on the tracks, but the instruments probably sound a bit too robotic for it to work. [editline]31st May 2015[/editline] I absolutely love the use of harmonics on the bass, nice one! The panned guitars work really well too, especially when the solo autopans like crazy! I think the part I like the most is the break at 2:46, autopanning and vocals absolutely drenched in reverb? Amazing. Have you thought about maybe giving the bass (when it plays notes and not harmonics) a smidge distortion? It is a bit murky right now, and giving it distortion (two channels, one 100% distortion and one clean, then blend the two) could maybe make it pop out more and not be as muddy? It has a nice progression, are you planning on adding vocals to this? The first part of the track (until 1:30 minute mark-ish) makes me think it would fit really well as a beat for some drummer, but it progresses so nicely that some high-pitched nonsensical lyrics could kick this track up a notch. [editline]31st May 2015[/editline] This track is pretty neat, I think the best part is after the break near the end, that melodic synth is sweet as hell! I think you should let that part come a whole lot earlier, maybe build the track around it? [editline]31st May 2015[/editline] I want this to be longer, it's so incredibly soothing [editline]31st May 2015[/editline] I'm trying to make a short little EP with some piano pieces I wrote last summer, I've since added drums and some strings. [media]http://soundcloud.com/skriket/and-after-all-this-time[/media] [media]http://soundcloud.com/skriket/gentle-breeze[/media] [media]http://soundcloud.com/skriket/thank-you-for-the-music[/media] I would love to hear any feedback or thoughts on the tracks, they are all sort of similar in structure so I tried to make them still seem like unique tracks.[/QUOTE] I'd consider giving the piano in almost all your tracks a touch more treble, sounds a little muddled compared to the rest of the production but at the same time it's at least audible throughout the entirety more or less, I'm really fond of that first track, very nice, maybe less cymbal crashes towards the end (spacing them out a bit more would make them more dramatic imo). The second and last tracks are also very nice. one other thing in all of them is the long drawn out ambient stuff that makes it sound like it's building, some of it feels a little too lengthy or un-necessary but it suits the vibe overall, some beautiful compositions there

[QUOTE=Rich209;47749688]Thank you. I'm glad I'm not the only one, haha. But what an interesting thought, I'll play around with it and see if its worth reuploading a new version. The library I use is called EastWest. They had a deal awhile back where they would ship you a 1 TB harddrive with almost there entire collection. It was $999 if I believe. Looking back, I could probably could of done without half of what's in that collection. I mainly use the Symphonic Orchestra and the Piano pack. The others I'll only use if I'm looking for a specific sound. I do want to get even higher quality orchestra vst's at some point, but I'm hesitant. I'd like to make more money doing this than I am currently, but all I get is rare random commissions. Nothing I could even consider supporting myself off of.[/QUOTE] Alright, this is going to be a pretty late reply to your piece (Smudged Lines) C- > Ab6 > C#- > Ab6 First thing: The Ab 1st inversion at the end sounds more like an Ab dominant 7th, or even Ab major 7th in 1st inversion. Just a little note because dominant 7ths can go a lot of different places. (you call it a G#, but I'd say Ab is more accurate since it's in the scale of C-, and technically Db- is more correct than C#- but Db minor has way too many flats) The middle part does have some nice chord changes. I feel that you can definitely use some more treble voice, especially within the orchestral string section. The solo violin can easily go up the octave and still stand out, though I'm not sure if that's the effect you want. Side note: Violin can very easily make a note sound 2 octaves higher using harmonics. Consecutive harmonics are somewhat hard to play (but ok at slow speeds). It could be a good way to get the violin out of the middle section of the treble staff if you're about to introduce a big orchestral string part. (i'm really rusty, and be wary: high pitched sounds) [media][URL]http://soundcloud.com/brookie2664/harmonics[/URL][/media] I like the unconventional chord progression at the beginning and the end though. Stirs things up a bit and keeps me interested. The middle bit is somewhat similar to a lot of other pieces i've heard but that's not to say it sounds bad; I'd say it sounds great in that section. The instrumentation does seem to get a bit repetitive considering it's pretty much just strings + percussion. You can challenge yourself to work in brass and woodwinds if you'd like (Brass is pretty easy to work into strings; use them for grand fortissimos and great flowing lines with strings mostly as background. Wind instruments are a whole different bag; Rapid staccato can give a riveting feel like how you did with your string accents, while long flowing lines can work great with accompaniment from the lower strings.) And of course there's the volume balance problem but other people have already talked about it. edit: I think you could also experiment with other chord changes (such as the first Ab 1st inv: You could try going into the C#- with another chord and see how that sounds)... Update on my works? Other than the few additions i made to '21' more than a month ago, I've started to work on the bare bones of a viola/cello/piano trio. I hope to get that finished before the start of next year, along with an orchestral/band piece to be performed by my school's senior band and perhaps by the youth orchestra that I go to.

[QUOTE=Consciousness;47845231]So it's been a while since i've posted in one of the facepunch music forums on account of being banned and involved in dumb shit for a long time, i've been learning ableton, practicing mastering techniques, still not quite 'pro level' sound quality but that'll just take lots of practice [media]http://soundcloud.com/petebound/untitled-1[/media] track i'm working on at the moment for the sake of practicing, trying to fuse old ideas in a new style, not 100% fond of it yet but wouldn't mind some critique on the production side of things [/QUOTE] Not a bad start at all mixing and mastering this. A tip I learned when it comes to mixes is to think of it as if you're planning a city, and think of your real estate. You have to have an equal amount of bass and treble. So if you have a bass part, and your piano starts getting into the lower range, be aware of that and lower the bass a bit to give your low piano some room. It takes a lot of work and some patience, but its all worth it in the end. [media]https://soundcloud.com/redbadger/sample-strings_2[/media] Enjoy some very shit improving. Got some new orchestral samples and testing the strings mostly. Only using the legato patch since I'm not familiar with the keyswitches yet. Let me know how you think the sound is, I definitely want to incorporate this into some new compositions.

[QUOTE=brooklynlord;47846836]Alright, this is going to be a pretty late reply to your piece (Smudged Lines) C- > Ab6 > C#- > Ab6 First thing: The Ab 1st inversion at the end sounds more like an Ab dominant 7th, or even Ab major 7th in 1st inversion. Just a little note because dominant 7ths can go a lot of different places. (you call it a G#, but I'd say Ab is more accurate since it's in the scale of C-, and technically Db- is more correct than C#- but Db minor has way too many flats) The middle part does have some nice chord changes. I feel that you can definitely use some more treble voice, especially within the orchestral string section. The solo violin can easily go up the octave and still stand out, though I'm not sure if that's the effect you want. Side note: Violin can very easily make a note sound 2 octaves higher using harmonics. Consecutive harmonics are somewhat hard to play (but ok at slow speeds). It could be a good way to get the violin out of the middle section of the treble staff if you're about to introduce a big orchestral string part. (i'm really rusty, and be wary: high pitched sounds) [media]http://soundcloud.com/brookie2664/harmonics[/media] I like the unconventional chord progression at the beginning and the end though. Stirs things up a bit and keeps me interested. The middle bit is somewhat similar to a lot of other pieces i've heard but that's not to say it sounds bad; I'd say it sounds great in that section. The instrumentation does seem to get a bit repetitive considering it's pretty much just strings + percussion. You can challenge yourself to work in brass and woodwinds if you'd like (Brass is pretty easy to work into strings; use them for grand fortissimos and great flowing lines with strings mostly as background. Wind instruments are a whole different bag; Rapid staccato can give a riveting feel like how you did with your string accents, while long flowing lines can work great with accompaniment from the lower strings.) And of course there's the volume balance problem but other people have already talked about it. Update on my works? Other than the few additions i made to '21' more than a month ago, I've started to work on the bare bones of a viola/cello/piano trio. I hope to get that finished before the start of next year, along with an orchestral/band piece to be performed by my school's senior band and perhaps by the youth orchestra that I go to.[/QUOTE] You are right about the theory aspect, but when I was in college I had this discussion with my piano professor and my theory professor about whether its always important to stick to the chord names in the scale. And its not wrong at all to go either direction. Theory professor obviously thinks you should always stick to the scale, while my piano professor believes that sometimes its easier to read if you don't write every chord into the scale. I called it G# because we are not strictly in the key of C minor. Thus G# major is the 5th of C# minor. But this whole discussion moot, because it can go either way. It totally depends on how its being viewed by the composer. That isn't a violin, its a viola as I wanted a more rich dark sound and not a bright higher sound. Also I am aware of what the violin can do. I've taken orchestration and have a orchestration book currently sitting on my desk, haha. The middle section had a bit of inspiration from Clubbed to Death from the Matrix, thus why it may have a familiar feel to it. The instrumentation was purposely chosen, I didn't want heavy brass. I may could of added some winds in there, but it wasn't on my mind at the time of writing/orchestrating. Volume will be fixed whenever my brother gets around to mastering it.

[QUOTE=redBadger;47846838]Not a bad start at all mixing and mastering this. A tip I learned when it comes to mixes is to think of it as if you're planning a city, and think of your real estate. You have to have an equal amount of bass and treble. So if you have a bass part, and your piano starts getting into the lower range, be aware of that and lower the bass a bit to give your low piano some room. It takes a lot of work and some patience, but its all worth it in the end. [media]https://soundcloud.com/redbadger/sample-strings_2[/media] Enjoy some very shit improving. Got some new orchestral samples and testing the strings mostly. Only using the legato patch since I'm not familiar with the keyswitches yet. Let me know how you think the sound is, I definitely want to incorporate this into some new compositions.[/QUOTE] The samples are very nice but the overall "feel" isn't there (although easily fixable). More volume automation/humanization and some better reverb and I think they'll sound fantastic :smile: Finally got all my software back after the great computer crash of 15' and 3 windows re-installs, started some new neurofunk. Massively wip at the mo but I'm very excited by it. [media]http://soundcloud.com/prizymmusic/despondent[/media]

As a bit of a side thing, how long have you guys been doing production and the like? I only just started early last year, but really [I]really[/I] got interested this year.

[QUOTE=chaz13;47847630]The samples are very nice but the overall "feel" isn't there (although easily fixable). More volume automation/humanization and some better reverb and I think they'll sound fantastic :smile: Finally got all my software back after the great computer crash of 15' and 3 windows re-installs, started some new neurofunk. Massively wip at the mo but I'm very excited by it. [media]http://soundcloud.com/prizymmusic/despondent[/media][/QUOTE] Still learning the patch. Not sure how to make a dry sound tbh. Id rather use my own reverb

[QUOTE=Rich209;47847465]You are right about the theory aspect, but when I was in college I had this discussion with my piano professor and my theory professor about whether its always important to stick to the chord names in the scale. And its not wrong at all to go either direction. Theory professor obviously thinks you should always stick to the scale, while my piano professor believes that sometimes its easier to read if you don't write every chord into the scale. I called it G# because we are not strictly in the key of C minor. Thus G# major is the 5th of C# minor. But this whole discussion moot, because it can go either way. It totally depends on how its being viewed by the composer. That isn't a violin, its a viola as I wanted a more rich dark sound and not a bright higher sound. Also I am aware of what the violin can do. I've taken orchestration and have a orchestration book currently sitting on my desk, haha. The middle section had a bit of inspiration from Clubbed to Death from the Matrix, thus why it may have a familiar feel to it. The instrumentation was purposely chosen, I didn't want heavy brass. I may could of added some winds in there, but it wasn't on my mind at the time of writing/orchestrating. Volume will be fixed whenever my brother gets around to mastering it.[/QUOTE] Hm. That's rather amusing; I thought it was a violin from how bright the top range was, but I guess it won't be a matter if you got an orchestra to perform it. And that I didn't catch any of the C string if it was played. But hey, I want to commend you for using 'obscure' instruments (obscure to the public anyway. Unfortunately they'll probably thing it's a violin)

[QUOTE=chaz13;47847630]The samples are very nice but the overall "feel" isn't there (although easily fixable). More volume automation/humanization and some better reverb and I think they'll sound fantastic :smile: Finally got all my software back after the great computer crash of 15' and 3 windows re-installs, started some new neurofunk. Massively wip at the mo but I'm very excited by it. [media]http://soundcloud.com/prizymmusic/despondent[/media][/QUOTE] Nice and dramatic build-up, I like the chords you're using. The first little bit of proper beatwork is nicely done, but it could do with some more syncopated percussive elements to really put the Funk in Neurofunk, but I guess that's just taste. Mixing sounds great so far. Keep going with it, I'd like to hear what the rest of the track sounds like. --------------------------------- I've done another piece for the synth. This one was improvised and recorded in one go on the SH-201 and GW8. There are some issues that I'm not really sure how to fix without re-recording the whole thing, this includes the noise from the GW8's volume knob, light clipping and some unintended clicks and pops. I've already given it some Audacity treatment. [media]http://soundcloud.com/brotherworks/synthlok1[/media]