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Messages - SHIKIMO

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16
Finished Tracks / [Chillwave] SHIKIMO - zenith
« on: June 02, 2016, 05:01:41 am »
Any and all comments/criticisms are welcome and appreciated.

Chillout elements meet synthwave textures in this journey.
This track started off as a full-on Kavinsky inspired synthwave loop, then evolved quite a bit as I added more chillout percussion samples. I'm really happy with how it turned out.

Thanks for your ears. <3


17
Suggestions / More visuals for new messages?
« on: May 27, 2016, 06:37:22 pm »
Sometimes when I receive a new message on the forum, I don't notice it for a day or two, due to the only alert (aside from email) I receive is a little number 1 in brackets next to "My Messages".
My suggestion is to highlight the "My Messages" tab in a vibrant color such as orange (or varying depending on the theme color you choose on the forum) when a new message is received. This will draw my eyes directly to it, and I'll be able to respond quickly.

How do others feel about this?

18
WIPs / Re: Working on this mix right now
« on: May 26, 2016, 06:06:56 pm »
hey thanks for the feedback, I thought I was getting brushed over!

Oh yeah no problem! Yeah I was going through looking for posts that didn't have any replies, and found yours like halfway down on the second page. Can't believe no one had commented yet!

I would like to know what you mean by side-chaining it if you could elaborate (like to the kick/another instance with volume compression or something else)?

Yeah, sidechaining to the kick. I think if that slide synth had some pulse volume modulation to it it would give it more depth. If you sidechain it pretty hard to the kick, compressing it down to almost no gain at each kick it could be a cool effect.

glad you like the switchups and grindy bass and all that. the grime over the bass is really just the 808 super saturated and highpassed if you're interested, pretty good way to add harmonics that I've picked up from producers like g-jones and ekali.

Very cool!! I'll have to check them out!

lmk if you ever need feedback in the present or future :)

I shall! I have a new track coming out within the next week so I'll probably shoot that over your way :)

19
WIPs / Re: Working on this mix right now
« on: May 26, 2016, 04:21:55 pm »
I like the slightly glitched and bitcrushed synth right off the bat, and the clap that accompanies sounds quite good.
The vocal ambience that comes in over top at 0:18 sounds really great and brings just enough depth to the mix that it was missing, however I'm not the biggest fan of the sliding synth that comes in and takes the melody. It doesn't sound bad in the mix, but it gets kind of repetitive.

That being said, I got to the drop section at 1:00, and the sliding synth sounds pretty good! I would use some sidechaining to give it more variation as it still gets pretty repetitive, however this section fits that sound a lot better.

Love the super high/bass synth that comes in at 1:20. Reminds me of something either Bassnectar or Flux Pavilion would do, and you pulled it off quite nicely.

The synth that comes in at 2:17 sounds awesome actually. The section at 2:36 is beautiful, and actually fits pretty well with the vibe of the rest of the track. The percussion samples are really solid here, and I would even think about taking this synth and using it before the drop as opposed to the slide synth.

This is a cool track man, I like your different elements!

20
Little too much reverb on the percussion samples right away, but I love the rhodes piano coupled with the beat.
Great samples used at 0:16, that was an awesome little fill! The bass comes in really clearly too, and works well with the kick, which is EQ'd well by the way. I do wish the bass was a little louder though, but just slightly. The clap that comes in here is really stellar as well.

I'm really liking the melody of the strings that come in at 0:35, however I think the sound itself could be processed more. It sounds kinda flat and default - I think some more filter and EQ work would make the timbre a little more lush.

The vocals are well done. I like the amount of reverb on them, and they fit nicely with the beat.
Very nice beat variation at 1:44. That was a cool little phrase there. I like the vocal chops that come after too, that's a cool section.

I think overall the low end could be brought out some more, but I love the vibe to this track, it's a great remix! Nice job :)

21
Thank you for the in depth feedback!  Much appreciated.

No problem man! :)

I'm looking forward to putting some more time into this thing after I move this weekend. I might reach back out to you to get a second opinion at some point, if thats okay. I liked the stuff on your soundcloud, so hearing feedback from your point of view is valuable

Definitely man, message me whenever you'd like! And that means a lot to hear, I appreciate that you enjoy my stuff :)

22
I have nothing to say for the first 40 seconds. I like all of the elements, and they work really well together, and sound very unique. Well done.

When I hit the 0:40 mark, I love your percussion. The bass comes in heavy as well which I like, however I think you have too much reverb on that/the sound is just a bit too wide for my taste. I think some filter work would also do it some justice, particularly a low pass. Love the little synth at 0:43 though, and provides a great touch along with the vocal samples at the beginning of every 4 bars.
One thing I will say, is the kick doesn't come through as much as I'd like to hear. It seems to be conflicting some with the low end, and it's not bringing enough on the high spectrum to let it be heard. I would suggest coupling a high hat on top of your kick in order to let it punch through the mix more than it does.

Your claps are perfect by the way, and I'm usually pretty picky on those. They sound stellar.

Man, I just absolutely love the synth that comes in at 1:17. I love how it comes in on every other beat, it's panned nicely, and is just gorgeous. I do wish however that it came out more in the mix. I think a high pass filter coupled with some more high end EQ work would allow it to cut through a little better.

Wow, the second drop is something I was not expecting! It's executed well though, and sounds quite good. The tempo change was a bit sudden, however the vibe the percussion creates when it comes in is phenomenal. It sounds fantastic, and I really like it. I would even turn up the kick and snare more on the percussion, though I think the hats are just fine where they're sitting.

Absolutely awesome track though man, I loved it!!  :D

23
WIPs / Re: New track not sure the genre. Feedback appreciated!
« on: May 26, 2016, 06:48:13 am »
The beginning sounds a lot like vaporwave, which I'm not sure if it was intentional, but I like it. I think the synth right off the bat could be EQ'd a little more in the mid/high range, and a wider sound with more chorus and reverb would give the mix more depth I think.
I like the kick sample when the percussion comes in at 0:07, but not the biggest fan of the snare. I think a shorter sample with a touch more reverb would've fit better.

I actually really like the synth that comes in at 0:22. It's panned pretty well (though I would go even a bit wider), and cuts through the mix.

I think one thing that could really make this track shine is some sidechain work around the kick. If you sidechained all of your synth elements around your kickdrum, the pulsing effect would add a lot of depth to the overall tone of the track. I think it could definitely use some more low end too, particularly a nice sub bass underneath to carry the mix along.
The variation is quite good though. Even though you use the same few synths throughout the track, there's enough changing in both the percussion and the synths from bar to bar to keep the mix interesting.

For being new to producing, this is pretty good! I would work on EQing and processing your sounds more by using effects and EQ metrics, and bringing out more low end. Not bad though! :)

24
WIPs / Re: Would appreciate some honest criticism/advice.
« on: May 24, 2016, 04:51:51 pm »
Hey man, cool that you're getting back into producing!

I'll start with the dance demo. I think the melodic elements are really well done and the FX/samples are well placed. They sound pretty professional too, aside from mixing and mastering. I think using EQ and adjusting levels in your track would take it to the next level.
I'm also not the biggest fan of the drop. It's vibe is very different from the first part of the track, and the I think the synth might not be suited for a melody with so much happening - I think it would work better in a more minimalistic melody. I think your white noise section is far too long as well - it starts at 1:33 and lasts for 30 seconds. That's 30 seconds where the track isn't evolving or changing, which gets a little dry after a while.

I really loved the beginning section though, and think with some mixing and mastering it could be really great! :)

Alright, now for the tropical demo. This style is more up my alley so I'll hopefully be able to give better feedback for this one.
I really like your bird samples at the beginning. They're very calming and soothing, and provide the perfect intro. Your percussion that comes in at 0:13 is REALLY well done too, they fit perfectly! The only problem is, I can barely hear them. Their levels are turned way down, and when the piano comes in at 0:23, they are drowned out immediately. All I would do to those are raise the volume up, and cut out any low end if you haven't already.

The piano I like, however it's a very simple chord progression without much happening to it, and little to no variation. I think with some more intricacies, it could be an interesting melody that changes from bar to bar.
I also think the piano is underprocessed. There doesn't seem to be very much reverb, delay, or filter work on the piano, which makes it sound very plain and uninteresting. Simply placing some low pass filter and reverb on that piano I think would make it shine more than it does.

The shake samples in the section at 0:59 sound really nice, and the percussion throughout this WIP is great! I would like to hear another melody or lead over the top of the track, but I understand that it's just a WIP and you probably haven't gotten to that stage quite yet. I think this is a really great start though, I love the vibe and feel to this one!
I also love the artwork by the way haha. Where did you find the picture by chance?

But yeah man, pretty awesome work on these 2, especially for not producing for a while! I would keep at this man, well done. :)

25
WIPs / Re: New to the forum, 85% done Electro House track
« on: May 24, 2016, 04:38:55 pm »
Love how well the kick is mixed at the beginning of the track - wow is it tight and crisp! I think your vocal samples may have too much reverb on them, but they still fit well in the mix and don't sound bad - just more of a personal opinion.

At 0:59 right before the drop, your last percussion hit before the drop comes in sounds very dry and I don't hear it come out in the mix like the other 3 in the bar do. The synth is mixed really well though, I like the unique-ness of the voice-y growls - did you make these in Massive by chance? The kick comes through still really well in the drop section, I love how you paired a high hat with it to bring out the high end more, great technique right there.

Loooooove the darkness of the section at 2:07. It's so deep, and mixed perfectly like the rest of the track - I can see why you do mixing/mastering for others.

The name is a bit cheesy for me to be honest, but I think it does fit the vibe of the track, and I don't have any other suggestions for you. But really really well done piece of music here man, it's quite great! Very well done :)

26
Thats pretty fantastic.  Feels like the low end is missing some presence. Its there, but it doesnt sit where I personally would have it.

Other than that, I really like it. Good work!

I'm glad you said something, the low end is one thing I was wondering about.

And thank you very much! I appreciate it :)

Actually just listened to more of your stuff, it's all pretty good.  Hope to see this WIP posted as a final :)

Hey, thank you! <3 It will be very soon, I can shoot you a link if you like when it's up!

27
I'm almost 100% happy with this WIP, however I would love some second opinions.
I'm mostly looking to see if there's anything else I should add (as in, does the mix feel full enough?) and any mixing/mastering comments that you have.

However per usual I am open to any and all comments/criticisms you have.
Thanks so much for your time. <3

https://soundcloud.com/shikimo/shikimo-zenith-wip-draft-05/s-TAJYa

28
WIPs / Re: Aleyum - Eluding Dreams WIP
« on: May 22, 2016, 07:08:44 pm »
I really like the chords at the beginning, but almost wish they weren't filtered so much. I think some white noise pairing alongside them would also sound fantastic, and would bring even more color to the pads. They're still gorgeous however.

Very nice percussion buildup with the filter and volume automations. I think the overall mix could definitely be louder, however that could be something you're still going to bring out later. I like all of your percussion samples, and the kicks are brought out nicely and cut right through the rest of the mix.

The piano at 2:38/2:39 is really pretty. I love the reverb on it - it reminds me of Daniel Kandi if you've ever heard any of his work. Absolutely love the synth that follows too at 2:51 - incredible timbre on that sound there.

Really nice WIP man. I would love to hear the finished product - you should message me when it's all finished!

29
WIPs / Re: My Tropical House track WIP
« on: May 22, 2016, 06:56:03 pm »
Wow, 6 or 7 months? That's diligence man, very impressive. Okay so since you put so much work into the production of this one, I'll follow suit and load this up with comments.  :)

Okay so right off the bat, I like your kick sample, but think it could be a tad bit shorter and have less low end. Since I also use FL Studio I can just state some technical things to try out - I would reduce the "Quick fade out" of the kick sample under the "Precomputed effects" tab in the "Sample properties" panel on the sound. In addition to that, I think you should use Fruity Parametric EQ 2's 40Hz cut preset to cut down on the low end of the kick - I'd maybe bring the cutoff up to around 80-100Hz.
I like the little tropical snare type tom percussion sample you have going with the kick in the beginning as well, however I think there's too much reverb going on for where you're at in the track. I would automate the reverb, bringing it up more when the other elements come in at 0:19. The delay effect sounds nice though, and the sample itself is pretty solid.

Almost the same exact thing goes for the snare that comes in at 0:10 - too much reverb for my taste. I do love the little reverse cymbal action at 0:09 right before the snares come in though, it's a nice touch and adds some nice variation to the beat. Your beat itself is very catchy as well, I really like it - makes me wanna bob my head.

Pretty nice piano synth coming in at 0:19. Contrary to what I said about your other samples, I would actually like to hear some more reverb on this sound, with maybe a little more high end and low pass filters.
Really love the vocal chops that come in at 0:38! They add a ton of depth and direction to the track, and begin to drive it forward. They get just the slightest bit repetitive, so I would try varying the loop just slightly, but they still sound solid. Maybe pan them more to one side or the other as well just for some more effect in the mix.

Ah, there's the pan flute lead at 0:58 that most tropical house tracks have! I do like the melody you have going on, however I think the synth itself could use a little less high end, and maybe just a tad bit of low pass filter. The sound is a bit sharp on the ears to be honest, as it's very clear and cuts right through the rest of the mix. This is a good thing, however it's a very high end lead which can have that effect.
When you bring the sound into the track, you could try throwing a low pass filter on it that gradually comes in through automation up to the drop at 1:38. The melody on this sound does begin to get a little repetitive as well, maybe add just a little more variation in the loop as it progresses from bar to bar.

So the drop at 1:38 is actually pretty solid! I would maybe add some more low end however, such as a sub bass in the 50-80Hz range that keeps the low end of the track moving. All the percussion sounds nice however, and all the elements work well together. I would also maybe add some more layers on your snare to give the beat more of a "pop" that tropical house tracks tend to have.

The rest of the track has all of the elements in it reiterating themselves which is good. I like the other set of vocal chops that come in at 2:21. They're almost a bit cheesy, and do sit a little bit further back in the mix than I like, however they keep a good melody, and sound solid alongside the other elements in the mix. I think they also may have just a tad too much reverb on them, but like I said they still fit in very nicely with the mix and keep the beat moving, just like the other set did near the beginning of the track.

All in all, not too bad of a track at all my friend! Here are some things I really liked:
   - Your melodies sound nice and fit well together.
   - The percussion samples are processed well and chosen nicely to where they all go together.
   - The entire high end of the track is very professional sounding.

Some things I would take a look at:
   - This track is seriously lacking in low end. Work on adding some more bass and sub bass into the mix, around 50-100Hz and 140-200Hz.
   - The reverb on different elements either seems to be way too much or hardly there - don't be afraid to use automation to bring the reverb in and out of the mix.
   - The different melodies do become repetitive after a while. Try adding some variation to the percussion, as well as the other synths and sounds.

All in all though, not a bad track at all.  ;D Like I said, this track sounds very professional, and the mixing is well done. Get some more low end in there coupled with some more element variation, and you'll be set!
Glad I got to listen to and critique this one man, I'm excited to hear more - I dropped you a follow. You should send me the track once you decide to release it, I'd love to hear the finished product!

30
Really like the FX used at the beginning. Alongside the subtle synths, it sounds really nice. Absolutely gorgeous snap/clap sample used as well, and mixed very well. Sounds perfect in the mix.

Boy, the mixing on this is super solid. The kick has some nice hat work paired with it to bring out the high ends, the vocal chops are really well done with solid reverb, and there are just enough breaks to keep the beat moving, yet not too many to where it breaks the vibe.

At 1:54/1:55, the sound is so crisp it's unreal. Absolutely spot on mixing and mastering. I'm honestly not the biggest fan of the DnB percussion that begins underneath here, but it's subtle enough to where it doesn't make too much of an impact.

The synth that starts up at 2:45 I think could use some sidechaining to give it a little bit more bounce to go along with the other elements.

Incredible track though man, I'd say this one's about as close to done as it can be! You should toss me the link to the finished track when it's all done, I'd love to hear it! :)

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