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

I just discovered the technique of gating reverbs, dang, all by simply looking up a genre on wikipedia. I'm so ignorant when it comes to mixing techniques that I don't realize how sometimes the mixing is what defines a certain sound

any advice on getting a snare to pop out of a mix? compositionally I'm exactly where I want to be, however I am severely deficient in the mixing category. song in question: [media]https://soundcloud.com/eda-7/the-system-shutdown[/media] i know i haven't posted much criticism, no need for a critique of the entire track (unless you feel particularly compelled), the snare starts at about 0:54.

Add another snare to merge with the one you have at the moment, one that's punchier at lower-medium frequencies and send it through the same effects/filter as the one you're using now, adjust the volume and maybe put a compressor on it, make sure you adjust the EQ to get that mid punch come through though [editline]16th August 2016[/editline] Also I think gating the reverb like I just learned how to do could help, may be worth experimenting with

do you think the compressor on the master is too aggressive? i swear i've been listening to this song through headphones, speakers, car stereos, etc. for weeks now trying to figure out if i'm satisfied with the rest. my theory was that maybe the aggressive compressor settings were drubbing out the high end on the snare, but i'll go back and chain another snare to that mixer track and see how it sounds

Nah I don't think there is anything wrong with the master compressor, I think a punchy mid would help on the snare but if you're looking for more high end then try adding a small "ride" sample on top of it at a low volume I'm not an expert at mixing though so maybe somebody with more experience will be able to have another take on it

[QUOTE=Hoyticus;50844515] Anybody like rave-y dance music? [media]https://soundcloud.com/thehoyticus/groove-mongering[/media][/QUOTE] I'm not a huge fan of this kind of music but I'll try and give some criticism. The clap works really well with the track, nice and snappy. I think you should also try adding in some more percussion so you can progress around the drums a bit more, maybe some shakers or rides that are panned. I definitely think it gets more rhythmic once the metallic pluck and the hooverish synth come in together. [QUOTE=Smeetin;50845188] Made a couple more little things since last time, don't know if I'm any good at this, but I'm having a lot of fun doing it anyways, and thats the main reason I'm doing it. You'll notice certain things carrying on between each song, I like to experiment with variations on the same thing to an extent. Listen with headphones for best effect, I don't know how to mix stuff well at all yet so there is some bass stuff that's lost otherwise. Here is my most recent and longest thing: [media]https://soundcloud.com/user-229460575/split-screen-psychosis[/media] The one made before it. (Kind of supposed to sound like some kind of euro club music being played out of some shitty car's sound system) [media]https://soundcloud.com/user-229460575/bashed-in-backseat-driver[/media] the one before that, probably my favourite so far. [media]https://soundcloud.com/user-229460575/tinfoil-hat-trick[/media] and the one before that [media]https://soundcloud.com/user-229460575/rabid-transit[/media][/QUOTE] I really like the tone you have going in these, the percussion is really nice in all of them. Yeah tinfoil hat trick is probably my favourite of the lot too, I think it could use with a quieter sub bass or maybe have it sidechained to a kick that hits higher in the mix. The hats in this one could also use some changes in velocity or maybe some slight syncopation. [QUOTE=Rich209;50851760] Here's something I just finished. It's another track for the Portal 2 mod, Portal 2 Repercussions. [media]http://soundcloud.com/russiangodfather/unfortunate-events[/media][/QUOTE] As always it's pretty great, I don't really anything to critique. The piano sounds great did you record it or use something like East West? [QUOTE=Colteh;50861996] [media]https://soundcloud.com/tropicalgod/just-chillin[/media] something new that i made bc i had an ancient melody from a year ago and some neat foley samples, idk what sorta genre it is other than being under the electronic music umbrella[/QUOTE] The percussion in this is really good man, not the biggest fan of the lead synth but the track does sound quite crisp. good job. [QUOTE=Smeetin;50876204] Got inspired to do something a little less D&B and a little more soundtracky. Really interested in the Dyatlov Pass incident recently and the term "compelling unknown force" is just so compelling haha, so I tried to make something that fit that term. Hope you like. Definitely influenced by Akira Yamaoka. [media]https://soundcloud.com/user-229460575/compelling-unknown-force[/media][/QUOTE] I really like it man I'm a huge fan of atmospheric stuff. The kind of distorted wind sound effect also works super well. [QUOTE=chaz13;50889517] Made a silly EDM thing in an hour today: [media]https://soundcloud.com/prizymmusic/stoopids[/media][/QUOTE] Not my style but the mix is super clean, great work. ------------------------------------------------ I started screwing around with some stems last night and liked where it was going so I've got this: [media]http://soundcloud.com/philmaah/wip-remix[/media] I think it's mostly finished arrangement wise, I think I need to work on warping the vocals some more though.

[QUOTE=Hobo4President;50894764] Not my style but the mix is super clean, great work. ------------------------------------------------ I started screwing around with some stems last night and liked where it was going so I've got this: [media]http://soundcloud.com/philmaah/wip-remix[/media] I think it's mostly finished arrangement wise, I think I need to work on warping the vocals some more though.[/QUOTE] Thanks! This is really nice. Chilled out, easy listening. I found the toms a little jarring at times, but I also wouldn't want them gone because they add a lot to the song. I feel like there could be a little less reverb overall, and the vocals are possibly a tiny bit loud, but I'm coming from genres where the drums are generally most prominent so perhaps it's just a different mix decision. Done a bit more with that EDM thing, sent it to a vocalist to see if they're interested. [media]https://soundcloud.com/prizymmusic/stoopids[/media]

[QUOTE=FFStudios;50892299]any advice on getting a snare to pop out of a mix? compositionally I'm exactly where I want to be, however I am severely deficient in the mixing category. song in question: [media]https://soundcloud.com/eda-7/the-system-shutdown[/media] i know i haven't posted much criticism, no need for a critique of the entire track (unless you feel particularly compelled), the snare starts at about 0:54.[/QUOTE] What you need is some body to the snare. Right now, it sounds like it is a gunshot almost, or something wooden. What sort of snare are you after? Something I think could be cool is a subtle use of delay, you've got a pretty nice reverb on it right now so more reverb is only going to muddy it up. But yeah, ask yourself ; What kind of snare do I want? a rock snare with a lot of that razzle&dazzle that comes from the snare wire, or the more in your face, punching you hard from a more EDM/Metal snare drum?

[QUOTE=Skeeter;50896756]What you need is some body to the snare. Right now, it sounds like it is a gunshot almost, or something wooden. What sort of snare are you after? Something I think could be cool is a subtle use of delay, you've got a pretty nice reverb on it right now so more reverb is only going to muddy it up. But yeah, ask yourself ; What kind of snare do I want? a rock snare with a lot of that razzle&dazzle that comes from the snare wire, or the more in your face, punching you hard from a more EDM/Metal snare drum?[/QUOTE] The snare really keeps the patterns together. I'm looking for a full-bodied, in-your-face kind of snare to compensate for the overall dark, deep feel of the song. There's a lot of stuff going on with the hi-hats in terms of layering, so I'm looking for that extra bit of edge on the snare to add a little something that rises above the rest of the rhythm. The best way I could describe it is that it needs just a little more oomph - something I thought could be accomplished by adjusting the higher frequencies in the EQ, which evidently only resulted in sounding like a gunshot. If the current snare can be described as a gunshot, I guess I'm looking for more of a cannon blast. Not the kind of cannon blast that obliterates everything around it, but the kind of cannon blast that typically accompanies the 1812 Overture :v:

[QUOTE=chaz13;50895074] Done a bit more with that EDM thing, sent it to a vocalist to see if they're interested. [URL="https://facepunch.com/"]Listen to Soundcloud recording[/URL] [URL]https://soundcloud.com/prizymmusic/stoopids[/URL] [/QUOTE] This is actually pretty nice. I think you could still improve it a lot by adding more vibe with dynamic effects. Now despite having pretty good structure and melodies, it sounds a little dull and static in the long run. Try to bring it alive somehow. I've been doing a lot of random guitar improv lately. Here's some random soloing with a dirty digitalmashy tone from today. The production value is zero and it does not have a structure, but I still find it somehow appealing. [video=youtube;KhvXt4xvbnw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhvXt4xvbnw[/video]

I do the same thing on piano all the time, I don't know how to play the piano though. The fact that it doesn't have a structure leaves me little I can say about the composition. Your playing sounds good as far as I can tell though. I might suggest doing this with some drum machine or something? As it is currently (though it probably wasn't what you were trying to do) it isn't really something listenable. However, with just a drum backer and some held and repeated riffs occasionally it could be pretty sweet. Doesn't have to be a song, but if you just tried to repeat some riffs or whatever rather than just solo stuff then it might be something I might put on. The last thing you played before turning off the camera got my metal cells moving. -- Here is my latest thingy, back to the hip-hop / D&B. Started off as an attempt at making something similar to Null Moon from Silent Hill. Failed at that obviously, but it turned into something I like. Headphones recommended if you want to hear any of the bass. Anyone know how I can make it so the bass works better on speakers? I don't know if that is something you can fix in DAW. I'm using Reaper btw. [media]https://soundcloud.com/user-229460575/peripheral-city[/media]

[QUOTE=Smeetin;50898588]I do the same thing on piano all the time, I don't know how to play the piano though. The fact that it doesn't have a structure leaves me little I can say about the composition. Your playing sounds good as far as I can tell though. I might suggest doing this with some drum machine or something? As it is currently (though it probably wasn't what you were trying to do) it isn't really something listenable. However, with just a drum backer and some held and repeated riffs occasionally it could be pretty sweet. Doesn't have to be a song, but if you just tried to repeat some riffs or whatever rather than just solo stuff then it might be something I might put on. The last thing you played before turning off the camera got my metal cells moving. -- Here is my latest thingy, back to the hip-hop / D&B. Started off as an attempt at making something similar to Null Moon from Silent Hill. Failed at that obviously, but it turned into something I like. Headphones recommended if you want to hear any of the bass. Anyone know how I can make it so the bass works better on speakers? I don't know if that is something you can fix in DAW. I'm using Reaper btw. [media]https://soundcloud.com/user-229460575/peripheral-city[/media][/QUOTE] I love how the sub-bass volume swells, is that a synth bass? As for making it more audible on speakers, it's probably to do with the frequency response of the speakers themselves. Your bass part is present at very low sub-bass frequencies, so you'd need to check what your speakers can actually handle. Have a look at the EQ analysis of the bass part in Reaper (I'm sure it will have it, although I've never used it) and determine where it's actually sitting in the frequency spectrum. But yeah, really cool dark feel to this track! Maybe also give it a bit more of a stereo image by panning the hi-hats a little more, that sort of thing.

Thanks for the advice, now to figure out what it all means haha. Ya I only used synth bass for this one.

Saturate the bass to get some higher harmonics which you can hear on speakers less able to reproduce the sub bass. It'll give the impression of the sub even if it's not audible :smile:

[QUOTE=FFStudios;50897332]The snare really keeps the patterns together. I'm looking for a full-bodied, in-your-face kind of snare to compensate for the overall dark, deep feel of the song. There's a lot of stuff going on with the hi-hats in terms of layering, so I'm looking for that extra bit of edge on the snare to add a little something that rises above the rest of the rhythm. The best way I could describe it is that it needs just a little more oomph - something I thought could be accomplished by adjusting the higher frequencies in the EQ, which evidently only resulted in sounding like a gunshot. If the current snare can be described as a gunshot, I guess I'm looking for more of a cannon blast. Not the kind of cannon blast that obliterates everything around it, but the kind of cannon blast that typically accompanies the 1812 Overture :v:[/QUOTE] I think adding another layer of the same snare, but cut all the frequencies above 4khz and blend it with your current snare and you might have something going on. :) [editline]18th August 2016[/editline] [QUOTE=Hobo4President;50894764] ------------------------------------------------ I started screwing around with some stems last night and liked where it was going so I've got this: [media]http://soundcloud.com/philmaah/wip-remix[/media] I think it's mostly finished arrangement wise, I think I need to work on warping the vocals some more though.[/QUOTE] I absolutely love the subtle guitar, it lies just perfect! I bob my head along with this, you should definietly raise the volume of the vocals. Maybe give it a more pronounced delay when the track is at full force? Something I think needs adjusting is her siblants, the best way is to automate it manually and cut those Sssss so that there's a slight fade whenever she does them. Beware of making it a lisp though, I can't really give any detailed advice on how to exactly do it ; You'll just have to experiment for yourself. Something I think could be a really cool touch is sidechaining the melodic synths to the vocals, just very slightly so that the synths are ducking just a small bit whenever she sings. Should give her more clarity as well! I really dig this track, it has a lot of cool stuff going on. :) [editline]18th August 2016[/editline] [QUOTE=Smeetin;50898588] [media]https://soundcloud.com/user-229460575/peripheral-city[/media][/QUOTE] I really dig the extremely bass-dominant kick! Would it work with giving the snare some more reverb perhaps? Maybe layered so that the snare with the reverb has an almost gunshot-like sound? This is some dark shit and I dig it, I would love to hear some really gnarly, raw hip hop on top of this. [editline]18th August 2016[/editline] I am 1-2 songs away from having a full album with my Techno Punk music! [url]https://soundcloud.com/skriket/7-song-mix/s-9NEoA[/url] Some of the tracks I really dig, some I like but are sort of filler material (or I haven't just listened my brains out on them), the issue is that I gave myself a deadline and I really want to drop the music by that time (and quite frankly, I'm not that much of a perfectionist, I like my music raw) and so far I think the mix I've got on all of the tracks are pretty good! I even gave it a try mastering it all. Sorry for the rant, anyway the link above has 7 songs on them! I commented on it where each and every song is in case you want to listen to anyone in particular. First song (starts at 00:00) The Castle Second song (03:21) Misty Mountain Third song (07:01) Chamber of Secrets Fourth song (10:13) Dark Forest Fifth song (13:31) Above The Clouds Sixth song (16:30) The Pixie Seventh song (19:43) Dracula Not entirely sure about all the names on the tracks, if anyone has ideas for names just hit me up, they're kinda game/fantasy related atm because of the kinda feel I myself get from them :v:

[QUOTE=Smeetin;50902043]Thanks for the advice, now to figure out what it all means haha. Ya I only used synth bass for this one.[/QUOTE] Haha no problem. What didn't you get? I'm happy to try to explain a little better! What speakers are you using? You should be able to check what frequency response they have, but usually a range of around 50Hz - 20kHz is totally fine because that's roughly what the human ear is able to perceive anyway. What I mean by EQ analysis - when you open the EQ plugin on your bass track and hit play, you should see the waveform of that track. The waveform shows where in the frequency spectrum (low, mid, high) the audio is present. So basically, look for where the sound is peaking in the low end and make a note of what Hz it is (boosting the EQ in certain spots will help you find it!). Then, compare where your bass track is most present (in Hz) to your speakers' frequency response - if your bass is generally booming around below what your speakers can handle, that might be your issue! Also, chaz13's suggestion is a really good one. Tape saturation is a great way of achieving that - does Repear have a tape delay plugin? I have no idea, I use Logic...

Thanks prackton. Really appreciate it. I'm just kind of starting in the sound world, so I don't really know any of the technical terms etc. I got the just of it, but making it happen in Reaper is a different story. This post helps though.

[QUOTE=Smeetin;50898588] [media]https://soundcloud.com/user-229460575/peripheral-city[/media][/QUOTE] I love the bass swells, even though the synth itself is really simple it works really with what you're trying to achieve. And the ambient percussive hits fit in very well, however the hihat sounds a little overpowering at times, like it's leading the mix rather than sitting in it. Sounds great though! --- Not really a complete song, just a hook for something I'm working on. (have no idea how to begin or end it, but I know the verses will be the same beat but with less layers). [media]https://soundcloud.com/tetramputechture/mystery-beat[/media] First time really doing anything like this. I really tried getting away from that "I made this in 5 minutes with stock sounds" feel but I feel like some of it's still there. Still sort of happy with the way it turned out. [editline]21st August 2016[/editline] First time making a serious anything in Ableton I guess haha

[QUOTE=Hobo4President;50894764] I started screwing around with some stems last night and liked where it was going so I've got this: [media]http://soundcloud.com/philmaah/wip-remix[/media] I think it's mostly finished arrangement wise, I think I need to work on warping the vocals some more though.[/QUOTE] Hell, that's very nice man. Very clean. I think it'd be better not to change the tempo on the distorted pluck at 2:30. I get what you were going for but I think it doesn't fit well enough. Maybe try variating it a bit slower? And I feel sometimes the vocals are a bit too over on the volume. Besides those two issues, which I can consider personal things with the song, it's pretty much perfect. Great job mate. [editline]21st August 2016[/editline] I've been cooking up this on the afternoon. I've been trying as of lately of doing something besides Trance music, or any other rave music. I've gone to something I think is a little bit deep housey, I think. Any c&c? Forget the mix for now, I'm working mainly on the melody. [media]https://soundcloud.com/federicofelau/wip-deep-house[/media] [editline]21st August 2016[/editline] dang that snare sounds awful

My recorder came with Cubase LE and Wavelab LE but Steinberg doesn't allow underscores in passwords [editline]22nd August 2016[/editline] oh well

[QUOTE=Adeptus;50925960] I've been cooking up this on the afternoon. I've been trying as of lately of doing something besides Trance music, or any other rave music. I've gone to something I think is a little bit deep housey, I think. Any c&c? Forget the mix for now, I'm working mainly on the melody. [media]https://soundcloud.com/federicofelau/wip-deep-house[/media] [editline]21st August 2016[/editline] dang that snare sounds awful[/QUOTE] I love the sound of this. Sounds really suspenseful, I wouldn't change a thing about the melody. I'd categorize it under synthwave more than deep house, feels very 80s, almost reminds me of Tangerine Dream's Love on a Real Train. I think as you said, the drums are the only thing that could use work. Standard 909 samples might work pretty well in place of the current drums. Something like what you would see in early 90s house music. Made a mix of trance, drum and bass, and jungle [media]https://soundcloud.com/grandmamax/give-that-back[/media]

9 songs at about 30 minutes, is that a good length for a debut album?

[QUOTE=Skeeter;50930332]9 songs at about 30 minutes, is that a good length for a debut album?[/QUOTE] Sounds more like an EP. Albums should be at least 40 minutes

Also, for some discussion; If you were or already have released an album, would you only choose songs you feel are all hit material or would you settle for "man, this is a pretty great song"? I've recorded about 5 songs I all feel are the kind of songs that all would work well as singles and showcases my songwriting, whereas the rest (one is a bit of an outlier, since it is essentially just 4 choruses with a short intro&bridge between the choruses) I feel are great songs but require that you have listened to one of those 5 songs so that you're prepared for what's about to come. Does any of this make any sense? :v

I'm not sure if I can ask this, but is it viable to learn playing music with a midi keyboard using a DAW software I am comfortable with? I was playing on my computer keyboard trying out various synth sounds, which was more fun than placing notes on the editor and playing it on loop. I don't have much music theory yet I can get my synths to sound (almost) whatever I want. Edit: hit the post button on my phone accidentaly too soon. I am also interested in the real stuff like electro-accustic ukuleles and gitars, but I'm really torn choosing between guitars and keyboards. I'll probably end up being jack of all trades master of none, but I do want to play both.

[QUOTE=Ott;50930351]Sounds more like an EP. Albums should be at least 40 minutes[/QUOTE] Then I shall do the age-honoured trick of having one track be 10 minutes to break that 40 minute mark,not because the track itself is so lnog ; no, there will be silence, and a hidden song [editline]23rd August 2016[/editline] [QUOTE=ichiman94;50930667]I'm not sure if I can ask this, but is it viable to learn playing music with a midi keyboard using a DAW software I am comfortable with? I was playing on my computer keyboard trying out various synth sounds, which was more fun than placing notes on the editor and playing it on loop. I don't have much music theory yet I can get my synths to sound (almost) whatever I want. Edit: hit the post button on my phone accidentaly too soon. I am also interested in the real stuff like electro-accustic ukuleles and gitars, but I'm really torn choosing between guitars and keyboards. I'll probably end up being jack of all trades master of none, but I do want to play both.[/QUOTE] This is the thread for anything related to music, sound and the glory that is both music&sound! It is completely viable, it is as if you were to start learning how to play music to a synth, and to a small extent a piano (essentially the same tbh). It is a great way since it gives you a pretty visual way to see the relation between the notes and the sound they make, don't sweat learning music theory just yet ; It is a very valuable tool for sure and anybody who tells you that learning music theory will ruin your creativity is outright lying. It isn't necessary however to know music theory to make music, the most important tool to make music is your ears. The beauty of music is that you can learn how to play the keyboard, you can learn how to play the guitar, you can become extremely proficent in both just as you can become extremely proficent in just one ; It doesn't matter, the way you use your fingers (and, the way you hear and make melodies) are quite similar in both instruments. I consider myself a bit more of a jack of all trades master of none since I'm completely in love with music, and knowing several instruments is a great way to come up with new cool melodies and other shit! It also helps your music production since you get a much better idea of how certain instruments fit together, or how you can utilize them better. Ask yourself this ; Which instrument is the most fun? Maybe both are fun? Go for what is the funniest, music is all about expressing your emotions and you'll get a whole lot better in your chosen instrument/s if you enjoy the time you spend with it. :)

[QUOTE=ichiman94;50930667]I'm not sure if I can ask this, but is it viable to learn playing music with a midi keyboard using a DAW software I am comfortable with?[/QUOTE] I learned piano by using my laptop keyboard on FL studio w/o a midi controller, so you're more well off than I was. [QUOTE=halofreak472;50930276]Made a mix of trance, drum and bass, and jungle [media]https://soundcloud.com/grandmamax/give-that-back[/media][/QUOTE] The choir pad you have going at 0:35 is a bit off putting. Maybe the attack is too high and it feels like it peaks too late. Something about the track makes it feel a bit too quiet, maybe throw a compressor on some of the synths? [QUOTE=Adeptus;50925960]I've been cooking up this on the afternoon. I've been trying as of lately of doing something besides Trance music, or any other rave music. I've gone to something I think is a little bit deep housey, I think. Any c&c? Forget the mix for now, I'm working mainly on the melody. [media]https://soundcloud.com/federicofelau/wip-deep-house[/media] [/QUOTE] I dig everything up to the hi-hats and the snares. The drums feel a bit cheap. I agree with halofreak's suggestion but there are other things like Trisamples Packs which have really nice drums. --- Been a while since I posted here, this is a new song/cover I made: [media]https://soundcloud.com/kid64/insecurity-guard[/media] Also a little extra, I've been playing around with Electric Mantis' sample pack and it's so dope: [media]https://soundcloud.com/kid64/drum-pack-test[/media]

[QUOTE=Hentie;50932614] Been a while since I posted here, this is a new song/cover I made: [media]https://soundcloud.com/kid64/insecurity-guard[/media] Also a little extra, I've been playing around with Electric Mantis' sample pack and it's so dope: [media]https://soundcloud.com/kid64/drum-pack-test[/media][/QUOTE] I really love those vocal samples and the overall vibes off this track. The synth is fucking great as hell dude. keep it up. Maybe more on the low end wouldnt hurt but god damn I wasnt exaggerating when i said i love the vocals. And yesss that sample pack IS dope!! [editline]23rd August 2016[/editline] [QUOTE=Adeptus;50925960] I've been cooking up this on the afternoon. I've been trying as of lately of doing something besides Trance music, or any other rave music. I've gone to something I think is a little bit deep housey, I think. Any c&c? Forget the mix for now, I'm working mainly on the melody. [media]https://soundcloud.com/federicofelau/wip-deep-house[/media] [editline]21st August 2016[/editline] dang that snare sounds awful[/QUOTE] ITs a little on the quiet side but composition wise its pretty slick. Definately gotta work on the loudness aspect. [editline]23rd August 2016[/editline] [QUOTE=NixNax123;50925490]I love the bass swells, even though the synth itself is really simple it works really with what you're trying to achieve. And the ambient percussive hits fit in very well, however the hihat sounds a little overpowering at times, like it's leading the mix rather than sitting in it. Sounds great though! --- Not really a complete song, just a hook for something I'm working on. (have no idea how to begin or end it, but I know the verses will be the same beat but with less layers). [media]https://soundcloud.com/tetramputechture/mystery-beat[/media] First time really doing anything like this. I really tried getting away from that "I made this in 5 minutes with stock sounds" feel but I feel like some of it's still there. Still sort of happy with the way it turned out. [editline]21st August 2016[/editline] First time making a serious anything in Ableton I guess haha[/QUOTE] I like how silly this is. I'd definitely go for something atonal or chromatic that relies on silly instrument harmonies. just layer it up. --- [media]https://soundcloud.com/corn-mouth/neurofuck-done[/media] Noisy, Fast, Brutal, Neurofunk inspired Breakcore by myself and Ambivalence. I liek to make my stuff a little tongue in cheek and often silly as shit before getting all serious as fuck. No amen break tho cus thats for losers and posers hha Would totally love some feedback tho

[QUOTE=Skeeter;50930375]Also, for some discussion; If you were or already have released an album, would you only choose songs you feel are all hit material or would you settle for "man, this is a pretty great song"? I've recorded about 5 songs I all feel are the kind of songs that all would work well as singles and showcases my songwriting, whereas the rest (one is a bit of an outlier, since it is essentially just 4 choruses with a short intro&bridge between the choruses) I feel are great songs but require that you have listened to one of those 5 songs so that you're prepared for what's about to come. Does any of this make any sense? :v[/QUOTE] I have released a few albums and eps in my time so maybe you can follow my structure. I treat albums as an overall story, and the songs are chapters. While this is a bit less obvious with electronic music, it still helps to have some sort of theme (so like don't go from harsh noise to a pop song.) Like even using the same equipment per song really helps glue an album together (for example in my latest ep the only delay I used was a space echo and all the bass was a combination of my moog and my fender jazz bass with flat wound strings.) If you want to follow the traditional album flow too your last song can be a bit of an outlier, kind of like how bunch of rock albums end with stripped down intimate songs. Then again, there are no real rules. In terms of song quality, I am a perfectionist when it comes to what I put out, so I'm pretty stringent. Like my last ep was 5 songs, but I made around 15 full songs for it. I did not go into the ep as "I want a 15 song album" but rather "I want to put out 5 songs." Don't take this to mean I only made 5 good songs out of the 15, but rather I felt like those 5 worked the best together and added to my overall arch of the work. I even cut songs people liked more than the songs I kept, but I felt keeping those songs would mean less emotional impact from myself even though the reward would of been more "bangers." Take it this way, there is a reason there is a difference between greatest hits compilations and albums. Albums are like a full meal, while comps are more of grocery store food samples. Then again, the top selling album ever is a greatest hits comp, so maybe I'm totally wrong. [editline]23rd August 2016[/editline] [QUOTE=ichiman94;50930667]I'm not sure if I can ask this, but is it viable to learn playing music with a midi keyboard using a DAW software I am comfortable with? I was playing on my computer keyboard trying out various synth sounds, which was more fun than placing notes on the editor and playing it on loop. I don't have much music theory yet I can get my synths to sound (almost) whatever I want. Edit: hit the post button on my phone accidentaly too soon. I am also interested in the real stuff like electro-accustic ukuleles and gitars, but I'm really torn choosing between guitars and keyboards. I'll probably end up being jack of all trades master of none, but I do want to play both.[/QUOTE] Your choice of instruments will never define your genre output. I could make a festival grade edm song using just a rubber band and a nail if I wanted to. My whole musical aesthetic had been built off of the combination of electronics and acoustic stuff. Try running a guitar through a low pass filter, or if you want to go real crazy, try doing additive synthesis using it. Every new instrument is a door to infinite new sounds, so don't feel like you have to constrain yourself. Also the first synths didn't even use keyboards. If you want to go all the way back, composers had to dial in frequencies by hand, then the theremin came out and gave the user more real time control, then the sequencer was made to change the frequency automatically, and while Bob Moog was arguing with his friends on why his moog modular shouldn't have a traditional keyboard (you can tell who lost here) Don Buchla was coming up with his own crazy designs of what a human interface for his synths should look like. Just because synths are commonly played with a keyboard doesn't make it the only way of doing it. With enough ingenuity and patience, I could make that rubber band and nail from earlier control all of my synths.

uughhhhh halofreak keeps facebook pm'ing his new songs and I feel bad because I forget to listen, mostly out of guilt since I've not made music or opened my DAW since I finished the film score. I got really busy, then got a dog and got busier, and then we got more contracts at work so shit got EVEN busier, and all I wanna do is sit down and play out some tunes. But I only have a midi keyboard, so I can't do that. And once I'm on my computer I get too stressed about everything I"m not doing, and the moment passes. Before I got a dog, my original plan was to save for this beast: (since its not an analog jupiter the price has plummeted and this used market is good yay) [t]https://static.roland.com/assets/images/products/main/jupiter-80_top_main.jpg[/t] since it can do everything I want to do and this way I can ditch all my other hardware. I don't like having to open my DAW, as great as the infinite well of in-the-box sound stuff can be sometimes I just want to open a grand piano patch and jam away like I used to :/ but no monies now, so no push 2 or jupiter 80 or any music stuff since my doggo is eating (sometimes literally) all my money up also splenda you should listen to 90.3 KEXP. its a local radio station that plays tons and tons of varied music, but they have an online stream and tons of worldwide fans. I feel you'd dig it. Its been good for inspiration and ideas.