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Messages - NameAndForm

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Mixing/Mastering / Re: How do I make the kick more distinct and full of room???
« on: March 02, 2016, 09:29:43 pm »
Hey there,

This might be cliche, but maybe try picking a different kick sample? I'm listening to your "Colored Dreams" song right now (really like it btw), and the kick is.. well, probably what I like least about it.  Someone gave me the same advice just a few days ago, and pointed me to a free sample pack (http://howtomakeelectronicmusic.com/markus-hakalas-kicks-all-in-one-500-free-kicks-in-total). I was using some stock Ableton kicks that I'd layered, EQ'd, compressed, and really didn't like much after all that. I was sidechaining, etc., but it wasn't coming out great either. But I picked a new sample and things are already looking up. :-)

I'm totally guilty of this too (only been producing a few months), but I noticed in your song that you have instruments in the same octave playing at the same time. Right away at 0:10, those two synths, great as they are, are fighting for the same sonic space. Anyway -- that's not a hard and fast rule.. You could make space by panning them differently, EQ, whatever. Sorry, I'm digressing from the kick discussion! I really like your song though.

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WIPs / Re: Progressive house/ Jazz Composition (Looking for Ideas/ Suggestions)
« on: February 26, 2016, 05:50:21 pm »
This is cool! The mix sounds decent to me btw, but I'll try to focus more on the composition.

I overall like the composition, but I'll be nitpicky for you. There are lots of cool elements, and for the most part there are pieces that glue the sections together. One thing I think it would benefit from is a melody. You've got the high lead line that's very "note-y" -- and it's cool and it gives it that jazz feel you're talking about -- but it's maybe too note-y to be the main melody. Y'know, it doesn't hook me or stick in my head once the song is over. You could maybe take one of the sections, remove some of the notes from that line until it sounds melodic..? It depends what you're going for, but I'd personally try something like that.

I really like the buildup to 2:35, but it'd be great if the drop were more intense! Maybe some of those loud saw pads layered in, to make that part stand out from previous sections? Something to try.

Let me know if you have any specific questions and I'll do my best to get back to you. Nice work, I really like the sound of it!

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WIPs / Re: Modern Classical + Trance?
« on: February 26, 2016, 05:35:56 pm »
Quote from: Flowstate on February 25, 2016, 08:13:35 pm
Hey thanks man! So far my problem has been creating the right amount of depth/width in my music. I could never get the musical spacing right-- Sometimes it's too wide, sometimes it's too narrow. Could you noticed if it was "off" in piece?

Not that I can tell! I mean, I'm listening on headphones, which gives a "false" sense of width some might say, but I listen to a lot of stuff on headphones, and this sounds professional. I'd have to listen on some nice speakers to give you a better answer, but I don't have nice speakers at the moment. ;)  Keep up the good work!

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WIPs / Re: *Half Done* Holding On - My newest trancelectro song - Looking for feedback!
« on: February 24, 2016, 11:22:54 pm »
Nice, man! I really like it. Very cool vibe from the very beginning.
I'm listening on earbuds so I can't give too much feedback on sonic stuff. But I really dig the synths in the beginning.. And the little arp at 1:50. I'm not a huge fan of the pitch bend riser at 1:25ish..you already have the other riser at the same time, and bending that "main" synth too feels a little too much for my taste.

Anyway, this is a great foundation for a feelgood Anjunabeats song. Looking forward to the rest. :-)

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WIPs / The Droids You're Looking For -- Trance (edit, fixed link)
« on: February 24, 2016, 05:24:28 pm »
Hi out there! This is my first trance song, and really only my 3rd or 4th song since getting into Ableton a few months ago. I've been reading a lot about mixing, and doing my best to get a wide, balanced sound. Only problem is, I'm mixing on headphones (due to space/time/family limitations) and just occasionally check my progress on other (non-studio) speakers. I'm using a trance track that I like -- as a sonic reference track, but also as a "high hats come in here, riser->drop happens there, ..." arrangement aid.  And I'm pretty happy with this, but now I've heard it too many times and need some other ears on it. :-)  Don't be afraid to be harsh or nitpicky about anything, I can take it, and it's the only way I'll get better. :-D  Thanks!

is it too busy anywhere?  too muddy?  need more filling out?  get boring? sound design/selection suck?

https://soundcloud.com/nameandform/droids-youre-looking-for-224/s-ArVSa

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WIPs / Re: Modern Classical + Trance?
« on: February 24, 2016, 05:11:10 pm »
Dang, that's really nice! I'm not even sure what to say, hard to criticize anything about it. :-)  Is there anything in particular you'd like feedback on?  The mix sounds good and wide, it's lush and doesn't hurt my ears (quite the contrary)...  Sounds awesome.

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WIPs / Re: Future Bass WIP.. Thoughts?
« on: February 24, 2016, 05:07:37 pm »
Cool track! The vocals sound kind of lo-fi or bitcrushed.. Not sure if you were going for that, but it makes it sound like you ripped the original off YouTube. The bass drop sections (at 1:36 etc.) are cool, I like that synth sound -- but it could be more filled out maybe -- some kind of saw pad under it to fill out that empty space. If it were me.  :-)
Is there anything else in particular you'd like feedback on?

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WIPs / Re: Trance Song
« on: February 03, 2016, 08:00:05 pm »
It sounds like you're getting the right idea of the trance sound.. But like previous commenter said, it lacks structure and something to make it interesting. Something I've been trying lately that might help you, is to take a favorite song whose structure you want to emulate (same bpm if possible), drop it into a track in your project, and label all the little sections.  Y'know, like at bar 8, snare comes in.. bar 16, open hi hats.. bar 20, supersaw stabs...... etc. etc. write out all the details on the markers.  Then copy your elements into their tracks in the same places. You don't have to stick to it exactly, but it's a good start.

nice work though, it does sound decent.  :)

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WIPs / Re: dubstep drop trying some bass :O
« on: February 03, 2016, 07:54:18 pm »
Sounds pretty good. Do you have specific questions? What are you looking for feedback on?

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WIPs / Re: New Weird WIP
« on: February 03, 2016, 06:13:26 pm »
Sounds decent on my headphones. I know it's not mixed yet, so I won't get too picky -- but in general I feel like the sound spectrum needs to be filled up more.

The intro section is a little empty, sonically. I want some pads or something to fill out the mids.
The chill section starting at 1:30 is really nice! I like that subtle, tasteful pluck.  Nice vocal sample too, it fits really well with the whole sound.

That two-bar quiet spot at 2:55, I'd personally only make it 1 bar.

The final section (from 3:00 on) with the weird bass -- I like that sound, but there's too much of it. There's also not much tying this section to the other sections. Maybe somehow combine the weird flappy bass -- but only a little of it -- with elements from the previous sections?

The highs in the bass sound kind of hurts my ears from 4:00 on. It doesn't do much for me musically either.

All in all, there is some good stuff in here to go with! Good job.

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WIPs / Re: Track made in under 10 min [Techno?]
« on: February 03, 2016, 06:01:54 pm »
I like it, cool sound for a 10-min track.  Is there any specific feedback you're looking for?

The hi hats are really cool, and I dig the bass.  Are you going to take it somewhere?

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WIPs / Re: progressive track so far: "Remember"
« on: February 03, 2016, 05:58:40 pm »
The sound quality is quite good, and it's a good start of an idea.

I think what's going on is, the ducking (sidechain pumping) is too extreme on the melody. It's good for the chords because they only change every two beats. But the melody notes change while the sound is ducked. I would take down the compressor threshold and/or ratio on the melody synth.  IMNO (my noobish opinion) you don't even need to sidechain the melody at all because it's not going to interfere with the kick. Unless you really want to.

Also, the drums are too quiet!

But -- I think this one will go places. Nice work.

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WIPs / Re: Genre? No clue. 82bpm chill/dark collab I just did
« on: February 01, 2016, 07:35:52 pm »
Right on -- thanks guys!
Yeah, it's definitely muddy, and for a time I was going for a washed-out kind of feeling (a la Ulrich Schnauss), but then sort of went half-assed on it. Anyway, I'll attempt to do some cleanup on the reverb.  I also have a lightly LFO'd LPF on the whole drum rack, but I'm thinking I should bring that out into the clear too now...
I appreciate the feedback!

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WIPs / Re: Suticase (rewrok/remix) ~
« on: January 31, 2016, 07:02:25 pm »
Yup what Artic said. There are cool elements, but they're not in the same key! I think you'll be on track to a cool song once you fix that.

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WIPs / Re: Forte - Ibiza (UK Bass / 90's House) WIP
« on: January 31, 2016, 06:59:25 pm »
Cool track. I quite like the bass sound, and the beat. I'm not a big fan of repetitive vocal samples -- I know some people go for it, but to me it's a little too much repetition. If it were me I'd probably cut out every other sample, so it's alternating with the beat.. That way there'd be little breaks where it's just music. That would provide a little more call/response sorta action.

 One other thing you might consider *if* you want more clarity in the sample, is to duck the delay -- sidechain it to the clean signal.

Good stuff, nice work. :-)

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