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

[Asgard]

Is there a genre attached to the facepunch collab or is it anything goes?

[Asmaedus]

Sup gig room, heres the first song I've ever been happy with to the point where I actually "finished" it - I'd appreciate any feedback :)

Song is here: [url]https://mega.nz/#!b5wUVRhD!bh1Fan1Z5ReAvJcMpfjJJtRz5jH7iV-Yg0ip10JktVs[/url]

Vocals and mixing/EQ etc aren't done yet but I would like feedback on the music first. It's black/thrash/power/folk metal I guess?

Some context: I've had a ridiculous idea for a concept album about bogan dwarves that have run out of bourbon and need to go to war with the elves for the lost drop in a very generic fantasy setting - the wanky bit at the end is a spooky soothsayer-y type character telling the dwarf king of the ~elves treachery~. Just imagine some game of thronesy like discussion going on. I've been attempting to teach myself songwriting for about a year and this is the first thing I've ever been happy with start to finish.

I'd like feedback mainly regarding the composition - could it use a solo at some point? How badly does it need keyboards (they're coming regardless)? Things like that. I think the first section can come across as repetitive but I'm hoping once vocals and keyboards are put on it it will be less noticeable.

Or even just an ego stroke would be nice.

[editline]17th January 2016[/editline]

[QUOTE=Staneh;49544765]I think it sounds pretty nice dude, really heavy!

[media]https://soundcloud.com/mrstaneh/edm-test-1[/media]

Here is my first try at EDM, hope you people like it and would love some criticism, it's not completely done yet (Hence the last part just stopping)[/QUOTE]

This is nice - I can just hear some pop diva vocals on the top singing about clubbing on the weekend or some inane shit like that. Maybe try fiverr for a session vocalist? Could be a cool little experiment

[Fishke]

[QUOTE=Asmaedus;49547259]Sup gig room, heres the first song I've ever been happy with to the point where I actually "finished" it - I'd appreciate any feedback :)

Song is here: [url]https://mega.nz/#!b5wUVRhD!bh1Fan1Z5ReAvJcMpfjJJtRz5jH7iV-Yg0ip10JktVs[/url]

Vocals and mixing/EQ etc aren't done yet but I would like feedback on the music first. It's black/thrash/power/folk metal I guess?

Some context: I've had a ridiculous idea for a concept album about bogan dwarves that have run out of bourbon and need to go to war with the elves for the lost drop in a very generic fantasy setting - the wanky bit at the end is a spooky soothsayer-y type character telling the dwarf king of the ~elves treachery~. Just imagine some game of thronesy like discussion going on. I've been attempting to teach myself songwriting for about a year and this is the first thing I've ever been happy with start to finish.

I'd like feedback mainly regarding the composition - could it use a solo at some point? How badly does it need keyboards (they're coming regardless)? Things like that. I think the first section can come across as repetitive but I'm hoping once vocals and keyboards are put on it it will be less noticeable.

Or even just an ego stroke would be nice.
[/QUOTE]

The beginning gave me some Duke Nukem vibes (which is good imo, cause Duke kicks ass).
First I'll say that I'm no musician, but you could certainly hear that the kicks, bass or hi-hats are kinda lacking, up until towards the end part unless that's intended. The song could also use some variation, imo it sounded mostly the same up until the end as I mentioned.
A solo, a keyboard or vocals would be perfectly acceptable to break the monotousness. I hope that doesn't sound too harsh.

Anyway, I never posted in this thread and I don't know what I'm seeking with this as I'm pretty much aware what could be improved (like the EQ). Feedback is still pretty much welcome

A freeform/hard dance song I made last July:

[media]https://soundcloud.com/elitedfish/revoltage[/media]

And a chiptune song I made last December:

[media]https://soundcloud.com/elitedfish/not-real[/media]

[Ott]

[QUOTE=cameleot;49548956]
A freeform/hard dance song I made last July:

[media]https://soundcloud.com/elitedfish/revoltage[/media]

And a chiptune song I made last December:

[media]https://soundcloud.com/elitedfish/not-real[/media][/QUOTE]

The intro was pretty random, second phrase was great (nice bass!), third (after the drop) had a chord progression that just didn't feel that impactful. Good lead though.
As for the chiptune, I believe what really defines the genre is the strict use of 4 measure phrases that repeat in different arrangements. Long-winded melodies like yours don't really have the same feel (not to mention the key changes).

[Hakita]

[QUOTE=Asgard;49546405]Is there a genre attached to the facepunch collab or is it anything goes?[/QUOTE]
anything goes

[Staneh]

[QUOTE=halofreak472;49545752]It's nice and relaxing, just feels a little rough. The drums don't really fit this type of music, the choice in samples is fine but they might just need a slight amount more reverb or something. They feel a bit too housey, especially the kick drum, if that makes any sense. Also a bit too much bass in the part at 0:38. It could work if you modified it a bit but it juts sounds weirdly distorted.

Yet another attempt to rip off the old NFS games. Sooner or later I'll get the style down.

[media]https://soundcloud.com/grandmamax/you-destroyed-it-all[/media][/QUOTE]

I really like it, the only thing I have to say is the change at 1:12 sounds kinda abrupt, but the buildup after that is really nice.

Made a second track, I'm not sure about the ending yet as it sounds a littlebit weird.

[media]https://soundcloud.com/mrstaneh/edm-track-2-test-2[/media]

[splenda]

[QUOTE=Staneh;49551231]I really like it, the only thing I have to say is the change at 1:12 sounds kinda abrupt, but the buildup after that is really nice.

Made a second track, I'm not sure about the ending yet as it sounds a littlebit weird.

[media]https://soundcloud.com/mrstaneh/edm-track-2-test-2[/media][/QUOTE]

Few things:

You need to work on your mix. Many elements seem way to upfront (an example being the "woodwind" that comes in around 10 seconds.) Some parts can just be fixed with simple level adjustments, while others need either a lot of "space" (ie reverb, delay, etc) or just be removed all together.

Speaking of space, or atmosphere, your track has none. In it's current state it is kind of bland and amateur-y. Background sounds, noise rises, etc can go a long way to add depth to your song.

Your snare is pretty weak. You should probably change it.

Also your pizzicato strings feel out of place, they are too organic/not over produced enough to fit in will.

Change your ending. Don't be afraid to just do the cliché few bars of 4/4 kick with some atmosphere, since it kind of works for an ending to these songs IMO.

Please don't take my comments to mean that your music is bad, I just give pointers this way! The song has an alright skeleton, not really my taste in music, but it can be made better with some of the stuff I have listed.

[Ms. Gyroscope]

[t]http://i.imgur.com/Wk5QJGP.png[/t]

*squeals*

[splenda]

[video=youtube;T7MBUx7oI5Y]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7MBUx7oI5Y[/video]

This video is real good.

[paindoc]

[QUOTE=splenda;49555896][video=youtube;T7MBUx7oI5Y]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7MBUx7oI5Y[/video]

This video is real good.[/QUOTE]

He's got the hair of the dude, a jeff bridges beard, and a questionably metrosexual soothing+accented voice

I am interested and the topic was gr8

[editline]18th January 2016[/editline]

I did think it was fairly universal though that dithering and bit reduction should be done at the end of the process. I do it in Ozone, since it helps to do very final mastering tweaks in a completely different interface/daw

[splenda]

[QUOTE=paindoc;49555950]He's got the hair of the dude, a jeff bridges beard, and a questionably metrosexual soothing+accented voice

I am interested and the topic was gr8

[editline]18th January 2016[/editline]

I did think it was fairly universal though that dithering and bit reduction should be done at the end of the process. I do it in Ozone, since it helps to do very final mastering tweaks in a completely different interface/daw[/QUOTE]

Yea he is a character. He does a lot of videos for sonicstate, as well as being in their weekly podcast a lot, and he is very knowledgeable about music tech stuff.

His main point though was that 32 bit float before the mastering stage will allow you to save yourself if you clipped accidentally without noticing it. Like in your case if you just use ozone as a plugin then it doesn't really matter because your mastering session is the same as your production session but if you split the two, or, again in your case, use ozone stand-alone, it will save the trouble of having to re-render your song, which if the project is big enough can be a lot of time just twiddling your thumbs.

[editline]17th January 2016[/editline]

Wait shit I just realized you said that you use it "in a completely different interface/daw" so my second example fits your bill.

[iTeen]

[QUOTE=Staneh;49551231]

Made a second track, I'm not sure about the ending yet as it sounds a littlebit weird.

[media]https://soundcloud.com/mrstaneh/edm-track-2-test-2[/media][/QUOTE]

Firstly, I would say your piano is needing depth. I'd suggest adding a type of reverb to achieve that or just switching to for example acoustica pianissimo for a wider sound. The woodwind melody fits but the sound doesn't, seems a bit loud and also out of place, maybe try switching instruments completely. The percussion is a bit weak, in particular the snare needs to be wider with a bit more pop. I really dig the guitar at :38 both in sound and the notes it hits, best part of the track imo.

Here's my latest work
[media]https://soundcloud.com/i-am-tino/from-groveinstrumental[/media]

[Skeeter]

Anyone have any experience with routenote.com ?
I use it and I have to say I'm pretty happy with it, I have roughly ~2k streams on Spotify right now through them and overall I've earned $12, which obviously isn't a lot but considering I do music as a mere way to spend my time it isn't too shabby.

[editline]20th January 2016[/editline]

And speaking of which, what are some good blogs and sites to get your music reviewed? I'm really proud of the music I recently released so it would be nice to start getting my music out there more than just my facebook and the facebook page I've created for my artist name Skriket

[chaz13]

[QUOTE=Skeeter;49567798]Anyone have any experience with routenote.com ?
I use it and I have to say I'm pretty happy with it, I have roughly ~2k streams on Spotify right now through them and overall I've earned $12, which obviously isn't a lot but considering I do music as a mere way to spend my time it isn't too shabby.

[editline]20th January 2016[/editline]

And speaking of which, what are some good blogs and sites to get your music reviewed? I'm really proud of the music I recently released so it would be nice to start getting my music out there more than just my facebook and the facebook page I've created for my artist name Skriket[/QUOTE]

$12 for 2k listens is actually pretty good in my mind, higher than I'd expect!

[Plaster]

Compared to the Youtube way of under 1$ for 1k views it's pretty good.

[editline]20th January 2016[/editline]

But then again it won't get as many plays on Routenote compared to Youtube

[chaz13]

[QUOTE=iTeen;49556799]Firstly, I would say your piano is needing depth. I'd suggest adding a type of reverb to achieve that or just switching to for example acoustica pianissimo for a wider sound. The woodwind melody fits but the sound doesn't, seems a bit loud and also out of place, maybe try switching instruments completely. The percussion is a bit weak, in particular the snare needs to be wider with a bit more pop. I really dig the guitar at :38 both in sound and the notes it hits, best part of the track imo.

Here's my latest work
[media]https://soundcloud.com/i-am-tino/from-groveinstrumental[/media][/QUOTE]

I like! The snare stands out to me (in a slightly unfitting way). I'm not 100% sure on what it is, but perhaps a tiny bit more reverb on it would help it sit in the mix a little more coherently. The synth work is lovely!

Started some trappy thing for the collab album:

[media]https://soundcloud.com/prizymmusic/wip[/media]

[Skeeter]

[QUOTE=Plaster;49572003]Compared to the Youtube way of under 1$ for 1k views it's pretty good.

[editline]20th January 2016[/editline]

But then again it won't get as many plays on Routenote compared to Youtube[/QUOTE]

It's through Spotify, so all you have to do is search for >artist< and you'll be able to play the music, just like with Lady Gaga

[wauterboi]

No Soundcloud link on this one. Straight outta Dropbox this time:

[url]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/965202/WIP%20Music/The%20Black%20Lodge.mp3[/url]

I'm having issues with memory, I believe, that causes samples to jumble up a bit. I'm loading sample libraries like crazy and I think it's time to upgrade my memory. There's also some timing issues I'm going to have to fix with the "dropping pitch" sound when the strings come in.

Too bad that I'm taking a break with music to focus on programming and this is more of a "fun" thing. Can't really justify working on music anymore.

[editline]21st January 2016[/editline]

[QUOTE=chaz13;49573187]I like! The snare stands out to me (in a slightly unfitting way). I'm not 100% sure on what it is, but perhaps a tiny bit more reverb on it would help it sit in the mix a little more coherently. The synth work is lovely!

Started some trappy thing for the collab album:

[media]https://soundcloud.com/prizymmusic/wip[/media][/QUOTE]
Major criticism: make the bass brighter. It's too muddy.
2nd criticism that's far more subjective: Even though you've got a low pass on the intro, I'd add a high pass so the bass doesn't get too accentuated with that filtering you've got going there.
3rd criticism: PRETTY FUN, MAN. I listen to your stuff on the go.

[Timo★]

Has anyone tried/is anyone using Bitwig studio? I'm thinking of moving out of FL Studio because of how unstable it is with third party VST plugins, it's been constantly crashing on me for the last ~6 months or so.

[editline]22nd January 2016[/editline]

And thats with kontakt and reaktor, they shouldn't be causing crashes every 30 minutes right?

[editline]22nd January 2016[/editline]

Though Image-Line is taking FL studio to cool directions..

[splenda]

[QUOTE=CLungcancer;49582116]Has anyone tried/is anyone using Bitwig studio? I'm thinking of moving out of FL Studio because of how unstable it is with third party VST plugins, it's been constantly crashing on me for the last ~6 months or so.

[editline]22nd January 2016[/editline]

And thats with kontakt and reaktor, they shouldn't be causing crashes every 30 minutes right?

[editline]22nd January 2016[/editline]

Though Image-Line is taking FL studio to cool directions..[/QUOTE]

I was in the beta for Bitwig, and have used it sometimes after release too, and it is really good. It is very ableton-esque, but has some stuff that ableton cannot due like more modular-like modulation and stuff. I like it.

[PrivRyan]

What's the most popular DAW these days?

and most accessible? I'm hearing Ableton Live is pretty good, but I'm also looking at FL

[despair3173]

[QUOTE=PrivRyan;49582859]What's the most popular DAW these days?

and most accessible? I'm hearing Ableton Live is pretty good, but I'm also looking at FL[/QUOTE]
ableton is a v powerful daw, but in terms of ease of accessibility, id go with FL, id personally go with any version of 11 (bc its what im used to) but 12 is good as well

[PrivRyan]

Would SONAR be newbie friendly? I heard it was a pretty good one too.

[paindoc]

Many newbies make the mistake of worrying about the best DAW or trying to switch to the best DAW instead of just buckling down and making music

At the end of the day it's a choice based on your own work flow, and what appeals to you. Plugins are pretty universal and each DAW has its own special stock plugins that it does best.

Stop worrying, learn a DAW you like, and get to work making music instead of burning time. You can switch down the road if things aren't working, and much of the same stuff applies. It's the experience making music that counts the most.

[Skeeter]

All DAWs are equally capable of doing music that either sounds like your favourite artist or like total garbage, it all depends on what you as an artist can do.
Like paindoc said, get what lets you have the most fluent workflow :) I usually recommend FL studio for anyone who produces electronic music since it's very easy to start working right of the bat.

[paindoc]

[QUOTE=Skeeter;49585882]All DAWs are equally capable of doing music that either sounds like your favourite artist or like total garbage, it all depends on what you as an artist can do.
Like paindoc said, get what lets you have the most fluent workflow :) I usually recommend FL studio for anyone who produces electronic music since it's very easy to start working right of the bat.[/QUOTE]

FL Studio is [I]very[/I] reasonably priced (Live 9 Suite is $1200, rip), and its a really solid choice. I've considered moving to it, if only to learn another DAW and try it out since I've spent long enough learning the core fundamentals that I'm just now trying to get my workflow together. I'll probably still use Ableton too, but for different stuff like mixes and live work.

SeamlessR is excellent for FL tutorials. He does some really good stuff, and howtobass is an excellent series for learning sound design tricks.

[editline]22nd January 2016[/editline]

[url]https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbg71h_P2VCU8D_aDM45yuzFkV6hq4b6O[/url] music theory stuff from one of the best in the industry

[url]http://edmprod.com/[/url] generally excellent website

[url]https://bassgorilla.com/[/url] I'm biased cus I sorta work here but solid site for most core tutorials (from music theory, start-to-finish, mixing, sound design, etc), reasonably priced and good lineup of producers plus luke is a cool duder. also $1 trial is dope.

[url]http://plus.pointblanklondon.com/electronic-music-composition-10-arrangement-and-structure/[/url] nice long video on arrangement/structure, extremely helpful

[url]https://www.reddit.com/r/inthestudio[/url] lovely subreddit for seeing famous producers do their thang

[editline]22nd January 2016[/editline]

[url]http://fundamentals-of-piano-practice.readthedocs.org/en/latest/about.html[/url] if you want to learn piano or how to play better, here's the spot. one of my favorites. Love playing piano for general stress relief, and for getting ideas

[url]https://www.gearslutz.com/board/music-picture/704868-hans-zimmer-how-sound-like-him.html[/url] Lovely read from Hans Zimmer himself

[url]https://www.reddit.com/r/getdisciplined/comments/3l1ykm/advice_11_ways_to_find_energy_for_your_side/[/url] Ideas on keeping energy for your music after long days of school/work

[url]http://audioordeal.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/how-to-use-automation-to-build-energy.html[/url] Using automation effectively is vital- here's some ideas how.

[editline]22nd January 2016[/editline]

My music theory article is nearly done, but it mostly covers exotic structures and inventive ideas more than the basics. It'll be published shortly since it expanded from the short post I originally envisioned, and it'll be free so I'll link it here then. Suspended chords, augmented, jazz structure, picardy third endings, oh my!

[wauterboi]

[QUOTE=paindoc;49585913]FL Studio is [I]very[/I] reasonably priced (Live 9 Suite is $1200, rip), and its a really solid choice. I've considered moving to it, if only to learn another DAW and try it out since I've spent long enough learning the core fundamentals that I'm just now trying to get my workflow together. I'll probably still use Ableton too, but for different stuff like mixes and live work.[/QUOTE]
Reaper is $60 and the best damn audio software I've ever used in my life. I recommend it over everything else.

[paindoc]

[QUOTE=wauterboi;49585965]Reaper is $60 and the best damn audio software I've ever used in my life. I recommend it over everything else.[/QUOTE]

I'll have to give it a shot. Halofreak uses it, and seems to love it. It does seem to miss out on a few stock plugins, but the core seems rock-solid and abletons comp, glue comp, filter, and EQ-8 are the only stock plugs I use anymore.

[wauterboi]

[QUOTE=paindoc;49586136]I'll have to give it a shot. Halofreak uses it, and seems to love it. It does seem to miss out on a few stock plugins, but the core seems rock-solid and abletons comp, glue comp, filter, and EQ-8 are the only stock plugs I use anymore.[/QUOTE]
The only stock thing I use any more is ReaComp. Everything else goes into Guitar Rig or Voxengo's mixing plugins.

Just remember that if you're going to try it, dedicate some time to assigning hotkeys. It's barebones - you define your own workflow. There's so much stuff you can assign hotkeys to, including the rendering of everything to multi-tracks, building peak information and saving it, saving the file to an incremented file name, and more. And I think you can script your own stuff too.

[splenda]

I keep getting tempted by cubase recently but I'm basically in a long term relationship with ableton since I grew up using it, my dad bought one of the really early versions before it was much of a daw, like ableton 1 or 2 or something, so it will be hard to switch for me. I have tried reaper and bitwig before and I have nothing but praise for both of them. As others have said, look at the features for each daw and see which ones gel with you the most. A hit song can be made with garage band or audacity, so don't be concerned if your choice is not one of the more premium options like ableton suite or pro tools or whatever.

[editline]22nd January 2016[/editline]

[QUOTE=paindoc;49586136]I'll have to give it a shot. Halofreak uses it, and seems to love it. It does seem to miss out on a few stock plugins, but the core seems rock-solid and abletons comp, glue comp, filter, and EQ-8 are the only stock plugs I use anymore.[/QUOTE]

Reaper is really nice. I like the moddability of the GUI too, you can basically make the program look like anything you want.