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

[QUOTE=UnknownDude;47848947]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][/QUOTE] I love that synth man. The piece sounds fantastic, something I'd see as ambient tracks in a movie or game. Bravo. last piece of shit of mine for today, just testing a new piano library I got as well. Clearly not a piano player [media]https://soundcloud.com/redbadger/pianotest1[/media]

[QUOTE=brooklynlord;47848744]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] Indeed they will, haha.

[QUOTE=UnknownDude;47848947] 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][/QUOTE] Dude, keep making this stuff. God, this would work so well on "Echos," its a radio show on NPR(National Public Radio (US)) that plays this kind of stuff really really late at night. I like the jazzy ambiance though. I could see myself just cruising the streets at night, with my sun roof down, and my hair blowing through the wind. [QUOTE=redBadger;47849129] last piece of shit of mine for today, just testing a new piano library I got as well. Clearly not a piano player [media]https://soundcloud.com/redbadger/pianotest1[/media][/QUOTE] Mmm, that was nice. Did you record yourself playing that or did you put each note in individually? I know that track is just a test, but make sure you watch how much velocity is on some of the notes. I've noticed on a lot of piano patches that some notes stick out more than others and so lowering the velocity on those particular notes can make the world of difference. But I don't know what you're using so I can't give a clear answer on that. ___________________________________________ So me and my brother decided to finally collab together on a piece. I really love his style and have known for awhile that it would work great in one my pieces. Its mainly his drums, I suck at drums and he feels the roll. He also finally help me figure out how to automate in FL Studios. For the past two or so years I didn't know how to automate, haha. I wrote all the music besides the drums, and he mastered most all of it. Its not finished because he needs to write more for the drums and I need to actually finish writing the damn thing, but I thought I would get some first impressions from you guys. Elecquistion - [media]http://soundcloud.com/russiangodfather/elecquistion-preview[/media] I'm not sure what you would call this genre, but its electronic/orchestral.

Yeah plugged in my yamaha keyboard via usb and used it as a midi controller. And yeah I was aware of some velocity issues I was just too lazy to fix it. As for your piece I have no complaints on the composition. However your snare is very weak and simply not present in the mix. You should make it pop more. The plugs you've put on there make it sound quite poor in comparison to the rest of the mix. The drums in general REALLY need to be mixed. I can't hear a kick, hi hat is way too loud around :36, everything is just way too roomy. I think you have too much reverb on your drums. Are you reverbing everything separately? I'd route all your drums to a single reverb aux and adjust it that way. Whatever you're doing now is really ruining them. Overall, drums are incredibly weak. Composition as a whole though is quite solid, no complaints for any of the sounds you're using. [editline]2nd June 2015[/editline] Are you using a reference? Find a piece that's very similar and use it as a reference track and you can get a mix that's close to professional sounding. Two Steps From Hell would be a place to start for anything neo orchestral.

[QUOTE=redBadger;47857968]Yeah plugged in my yamaha keyboard via usb and used it as a midi controller. And yeah I was aware of some velocity issues I was just too lazy to fix it. As for your piece I have no complaints on the composition. However your snare is very weak and simply not present in the mix. You should make it pop more. The plugs you've put on there make it sound quite poor in comparison to the rest of the mix. The drums in general REALLY need to be mixed. I can't hear a kick, hi hat is way too loud around :36, everything is just way too roomy. I think you have too much reverb on your drums. Are you reverbing everything separately? I'd route all your drums to a single reverb aux and adjust it that way. Whatever you're doing now is really ruining them. Overall, drums are incredibly weak. Composition as a whole though is quite solid, no complaints for any of the sounds you're using. [editline]2nd June 2015[/editline] Are you using a reference? Find a piece that's very similar and use it as a reference track and you can get a mix that's close to professional sounding. Two Steps From Hell would be a place to start for anything neo orchestral.[/QUOTE] I'll talk to him tomorrow about those suggestions. Thank you. And yes I've heard of Two Steps From Hell, but no, I am kinda taking my own spin on minimalism. As most of my pieces have a flair of minimalism. Max Richter is more of a compositional inspiration.

[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] Needs some more articulation. Right now they sound like MIDI strings because they don't replicate how an orchestra would play certain notes. Perhaps try using a lot of tempo markings, and listen closely to some orchestral recordings and note how the tempo changes in accordance to certain notes. Some of the volume swells are also quite unrealistic, and I'd wager it's because you're using a straight linear curve which is not how volume works on an acoustic instrument. I don't know how well people can make that out, but that's part of what lends sample strings to sound unrealistic. I'd also suggest you use a lot of extra orchestral samples and switch out when they begin to sound too thin, possibly while modulating their pitch slightly in order to replicate the fact that orchestras generally have tuning inconsistencies within a certain margin of "sounding wrong" which lends them their "full" sound. [editline]1st June 2015[/editline] [QUOTE=UnknownDude;47848947] 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][/QUOTE] I like the lushness of this, but in my taste I'd put some pitch modulation on that Roland and use a darker reverb for that space-station-gone-bad sound. [editline]1st June 2015[/editline] [QUOTE=redBadger;47849129] [media]https://soundcloud.com/redbadger/pianotest1[/media][/QUOTE] This is nice and it reminds me of Fur Alina a bit, but I'd be a bit more conservative with that piano reverb. There's a lot of natural resonances to the piano which I hope the library captures but are lost in the wishy-washiness of the production. Maybe that'll sound like shit though, I hate the way sampled pianos sound. [editline]1st June 2015[/editline] [QUOTE=Rich209;47857900] Elecquistion - [media]http://soundcloud.com/russiangodfather/elecquistion-preview[/media] I'm not sure what you would call this genre, but its electronic/orchestral.[/QUOTE] I think the composition is kinda cool but I'd change the lead synth. It reminds me of 90's rave, though I guess that's a stylistic concern. I'd also add a bit more expression to the orchestral instruments, because they sound a bit mechanical.

Do you guys have tips on getting into composing/music making, especially for dubstep related stuff?

[QUOTE=XP_Static;47858713]Do you guys have tips on getting into composing/music making, especially for dubstep related stuff?[/QUOTE] [url]http://www.reddit.com/r/edmproduction[/url] Spot I've been hitting up. I'd recommend exploring a lot of genres though, mixing it up can help make more diverse and inventive music. As someone starting, realize it'll take quite a while to learn a DAW and make music. And learning to be creative and make your own stuff takes a while too, and be prepared for a few lackluster tracks to start.

[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] that's how i've been trying to approach it more or less, focusing less on spamming up my spectrum with heaps of different cool sounds like I used too and more attempting to give each instrument it's own space in the spectrum so to speak. It's tricky to get it right though especially with the kicks and bass parts Those string samples are nice by the way but could use a good bit of humanization to improve the overall feel, a bit of varied attack and vibrato would probably help, getting natural sounding strings/orchestral things in production is pretty damn difficult Also, for shits and giggles i remixed the shia lebouf video, not meant to be a serious track or anything and didn't put a huge deal of work into the mastering but it was fun messing with samples [media]http://soundcloud.com/petebound/shia-leremix[/media] [editline]2nd June 2015[/editline] [QUOTE=Zoran;47847891]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] Production on and off since I was like 17, i'm turning 20 now but started taking it more seriously early last year. I just do it as more of a hobby in my spare time This was the first track I ever uploaded to soundcloud for instance; [media]http://soundcloud.com/petebound/wip-5[/media] (sound level warning) grinding away at it pays off over time, I used to compose music in guitar pro and other programs like that since I was a kid though, started off messing with noteworthy composer (complete shit back then) when I was like 4 or 5, moved onto guitar pro once I started learning guitar, here's one of my earliest finished songs made in guitar pro [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsnDZqonEd0[/media] [editline]2nd June 2015[/editline] [QUOTE=Rich209;47857900]Dude, keep making this stuff. God, this would work so well on "Echos," its a radio show on NPR(National Public Radio (US)) that plays this kind of stuff really really late at night. I like the jazzy ambiance though. I could see myself just cruising the streets at night, with my sun roof down, and my hair blowing through the wind. Mmm, that was nice. Did you record yourself playing that or did you put each note in individually? I know that track is just a test, but make sure you watch how much velocity is on some of the notes. I've noticed on a lot of piano patches that some notes stick out more than others and so lowering the velocity on those particular notes can make the world of difference. But I don't know what you're using so I can't give a clear answer on that. ___________________________________________ So me and my brother decided to finally collab together on a piece. I really love his style and have known for awhile that it would work great in one my pieces. Its mainly his drums, I suck at drums and he feels the roll. He also finally help me figure out how to automate in FL Studios. For the past two or so years I didn't know how to automate, haha. I wrote all the music besides the drums, and he mastered most all of it. Its not finished because he needs to write more for the drums and I need to actually finish writing the damn thing, but I thought I would get some first impressions from you guys. Elecquistion - [media]http://soundcloud.com/russiangodfather/elecquistion-preview[/media] I'm not sure what you would call this genre, but its electronic/orchestral.[/QUOTE] my critique is mostly in line with what redbadger said, but just wanted to throw out that I really like the composition over all, it's the sort of vibe i've always wanted to nail down but could never quite catch. One thing I would like to add, I'm not sure about that sudden melodic switch at 1.40 though, i'd give it some kind of a build or drum transition imo but otherwise no real complaints towards either before or after, just the sudden unexpected transition which caught me off guard seemed a bit flow breaking

[QUOTE=thisispain;47858610]Needs some more articulation. Right now they sound like MIDI strings because they don't replicate how an orchestra would play certain notes. Perhaps try using a lot of tempo markings, and listen closely to some orchestral recordings and note how the tempo changes in accordance to certain notes. Some of the volume swells are also quite unrealistic, and I'd wager it's because you're using a straight linear curve which is not how volume works on an acoustic instrument. I don't know how well people can make that out, but that's part of what lends sample strings to sound unrealistic. I'd also suggest you use a lot of extra orchestral samples and switch out when they begin to sound too thin, possibly while modulating their pitch slightly in order to replicate the fact that orchestras generally have tuning inconsistencies within a certain margin of "sounding wrong" which lends them their "full" sound. .[/QUOTE] Is there some tutorial/in depth explanation of how to do this cause Im so shit at it

If there is, I'm unaware of it. Most of it is trial and error and also getting familiar with orchestra's and the art of orchestration. A place to start might be using (if you have Cubase, it's simple at least) gradual tempo changes -- generally an orchestral piece will mark emphasis for tempo but if you're making the piece yourself then it comes down to thinking about your music in a spatial way. Usually in softer phrases the tempo is slower while in louder parts the tempo might gradually move up, also in many styles the end of a chord cycle calls for a slowing of tempo too. Much of this usually exists to take in account for the orchestra's abilities and the sound of the place it's being played in as well. The volume thing itself comes down to just using a different curve. Instead of ramping up or down your volume, you could try a logarithmic curve which corresponds better to the logarithmic nature of sound: [img]http://www.ps.missouri.edu/rickspage/sliderule02/images/LogCurve.jpg[/img] Modulating can be usually done in the instrument I guess. Generally you'd want to play around with random pitch differences of just a little bit with each instrument, but that's not usually possible in a big string-section patch. Some things to keep in mind is the capabilities of the players, quick and percussive passages will be far more varied in tuning than long sustained notes. It sounds like a lot of work but I think a lot about what makes an orchestra so wonderful to hear comes from the small details building up into something bigger; it's possible with a lot of patience and trial-and-error.

Also how important do you guys reckon aftertouch is to have on a MIDI controller?

[QUOTE='Rain [Amber];47859463']Also how important do you guys reckon aftertouch is to have on a MIDI controller?[/QUOTE] Depends on what you're playing, but it's really cool on organs and synths that support it.

[media]https://soundcloud.com/smogcat/the-sun-sets-on-your-dreams-demo-not-for-resale[/media] Soon I will accomplish my goal of becoming a jizz-master cocktail jazzer.

does anyone have a link to that massive drum machine archive that was posted a couple of threads ago? if I could remember the name id find it myself, but it was chock full of samples, invluding ones from the rsf dd30, the only ones ive still got around. If anyone knows what im talking about it'd be much appreciated [editline]ah[/editline] wait nvm i got it, [url=http://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1276029&p=40921590]The Machine Samplepack[/url]

[QUOTE=thisispain;47858610]I think the composition is kinda cool but I'd change the lead synth. It reminds me of 90's rave, though I guess that's a stylistic concern. I'd also add a bit more expression to the orchestral instruments, because they sound a bit mechanical.[/QUOTE] I kinda liked the synth because of the slurring it did, maybe I could tweak it some to give a darker tone. As for the orchestral instruments sounding mechanical, I think I may add some more rhythmic variety because I've realized there really isn't that much, so that could probably fix that problem. [QUOTE=Consciousness;47859050] my critique is mostly in line with what redbadger said, but just wanted to throw out that I really like the composition over all, it's the sort of vibe i've always wanted to nail down but could never quite catch. One thing I would like to add, I'm not sure about that sudden melodic switch at 1.40 though, i'd give it some kind of a build or drum transition imo but otherwise no real complaints towards either before or after, just the sudden unexpected transition which caught me off guard seemed a bit flow breaking[/QUOTE] That will probably be fix later on, I just haven't sat down with my brother to come up with a game plan for the drums. I've been working on getting the rest of it written. ---------------------- Thank you guys, I do appreciate the feedback. I don't promise I'll change everything to your liking because sometimes my artistry trumps an opinion, but it is nice to have you guys say things that I may have not been thinking about.

[QUOTE=XP_Static;47858713]Do you guys have tips on getting into composing/music making, especially for dubstep related stuff?[/QUOTE] Maschine

[QUOTE=redBadger;47860912]Maschine[/QUOTE] Not quite sure but do you mean this? [t]https://images.static-thomann.de/pics/prod/294676.jpg[/t]

[QUOTE=XP_Static;47862569]Not quite sure but do you mean this? [t]https://images.static-thomann.de/pics/prod/294676.jpg[/t][/QUOTE] Machine is both a controller you can use and a daw. Maschine is what a lot of EDM artists use.

A DAW suited for EDM producers isn't the biggest deal though, best to just choose a DAW that appeals to you and meets your needs and learn it. Most DAW's have 30 day trials as well that you can download to play with if needed.

When you want to write but you simply can't for whatever reason. Fuck block.

I was thinking of getting a Launchpad. Last time I was at a local music store I saw one on the shelves. I believe I saw a Machine too but I'm not quite sure. I think I gonna ask if I can test them on friday. First of all I need to be actually willing to learn a DAW. I downloaded the FL Studio demo a while ago but i always back out when looking at the more advanced things. :tinfoil:

[QUOTE=XP_Static;47863591]I was thinking of getting a Launchpad. Last time I was at a local music store I saw one on the shelves. I believe I saw a Machine too but I'm not quite sure. I think I gonna ask if I can test them on friday. First of all I need to be actually willing to learn a DAW. I downloaded the FL Studio demo a while ago but i always back out when looking at the more advanced things. :tinfoil:[/QUOTE] The launchpad includes a free copy of Ableton light i believe. Most novation products do. I'd consider something like a Launchkey first, personally. It has some sample queuing pads that are also velocity sensitive drum pads, and some faders and sliders and stuff too. Midi keyboard also allows you to learn a bit more music theory with programs tread read from your keyboard

[QUOTE=despair3173;47859841]does anyone have a link to that massive drum machine archive that was posted a couple of threads ago? if I could remember the name id find it myself, but it was chock full of samples, invluding ones from the rsf dd30, the only ones ive still got around. If anyone knows what im talking about it'd be much appreciated [editline]ah[/editline] wait nvm i got it, [url=http://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1276029&p=40921590]The Machine Samplepack[/url][/QUOTE] The link to that sample pack was the first thing i added to the OP lol

Here's something that I'm trying to be serious on for once. Not really sure where I'm trying to go with it, just made shit up as I went along tbh. Really trying to go for a video game soundtrack feel. [media]https://soundcloud.com/redbadger/track01[/media] Been working on it for about an hour.

[media]https://soundcloud.com/redbadger/track01_1[/media] Update

[QUOTE=redBadger;47866826][media]https://soundcloud.com/redbadger/track01_1[/media] Update[/QUOTE] I like that blopy sounding kick. makes me think of a pancake. thats good. [editline]3rd June 2015[/editline] [QUOTE=thisispain;47859575][media]https://soundcloud.com/smogcat/the-sun-sets-on-your-dreams-demo-not-for-resale[/media] Soon I will accomplish my goal of becoming a jizz-master cocktail jazzer.[/QUOTE] that fucking production and panning god fucking damn everything has its own little place now doesnt it. [quote][url]http://soundcloud.com/petebound/shia-leremix[/url][/quote] Holy fuck how are you're sounds so lush and clean sounding??? Anywho HERE IS MY NEW 225BPM BREAKCORE BOOTY JAM!!! TELL ME IF U LIKE THE JAM [media]https://soundcloud.com/corn-mouth/a-song-for-kit-katarine-stay-happy-girl[/media]

[QUOTE=Ms. Gyroscope;47866903] Anywho HERE IS MY NEW 225BPM BREAKCORE BOOTY JAM!!! TELL ME IF U LIKE THE JAM [media]https://soundcloud.com/corn-mouth/a-song-for-kit-katarine-stay-happy-girl[/media][/QUOTE] I love your jam. Out of curiosity, what DAW did you use to make this? This type of music has always interested me to make, so I was just curious.

[QUOTE=redBadger;47863273]When you want to write but you simply can't for whatever reason. Fuck block.[/QUOTE] Just drop your fat cat on your piano and see what she does.

[QUOTE=thisispain;47859575][media]https://soundcloud.com/smogcat/the-sun-sets-on-your-dreams-demo-not-for-resale[/media] Soon I will accomplish my goal of becoming a jizz-master cocktail jazzer.[/QUOTE] smooth baby i love it