pouët.net

some music feedback

category: general [glöplog]
Are you familiar with Trevor Horn's work? He is a genius with layering reverbs. In this way, he manages to give his mixes a very open feel. It also prevents mixes from leaning too far to one side.

If you're interested in an example of Horn's work, check out: Art of Noise - the seduction of claude debussy.

added on the 2009-11-03 14:31:26 by trc_wm trc_wm
I highly doubt that there's anyone who's not familiar with Art of Noise.
added on the 2009-11-03 15:39:16 by Gargaj Gargaj
Yeah I am familiar with Art of Noise - allthough personally not a big fan. Their stuff does sound really cool though, no doubt :)
added on the 2009-11-03 16:05:11 by xerxes xerxes
xrs, i really think you need some more gabber hardcore bass drums in there. otherwise it's great!
added on the 2009-11-03 16:37:20 by skrebbel skrebbel
skrebbie, i was thinking of saving that for the KG compo :)
added on the 2009-11-03 17:10:31 by xerxes xerxes
he did it obviously with Renoise :P
added on the 2009-11-03 17:19:18 by notorius notorius
Even if you're familiar with AON, it could still be useful to listen to "The seduction of claude debussy" with regard to the use of reverb and the things going on in the mix.
added on the 2009-11-03 18:38:55 by trc_wm trc_wm
trc, definitly you are right in that studying other respected artists mixing skills is important in order to make your own mix sound good. but with mixing, as with composing, there really are no rules. the sound i am aiming for is definitly not the sound of AON, but rather that of.. lets say Jon Hopkins, Bola, Biosphere and those kind of electronic acts to mention a very few.
added on the 2009-11-03 19:00:03 by xerxes xerxes
I definitely love your tune "Emmy" :) That one really works for me!
added on the 2009-11-04 15:58:50 by xTr1m xTr1m
It's not good for improvising guitar solos over (too repetitive), but quite good track!
hehe, "Emmy" is my fav xrs tune, indeed ;)

concerning AON: they were technically good, but I never liked they music, TBH ;)))
added on the 2009-11-05 00:09:34 by xyz xyz
I can't find any purchasing / donation options on your website, xerxes.
added on the 2009-11-05 10:49:35 by xTr1m xTr1m
xTr1m, when you click download album - a box should pop up giving you the option of how much you would like to pay for it; including zero dollars whereas you only need to supply your email adress to receive the download link :)
added on the 2009-11-05 12:45:06 by xerxes xerxes
nice track! gives me a feeling of slight hopefulness. overall sound appears to be a good balance of cozy warmth and cool distance.

i guess the melodies are not of the kind to be remembered, but they fit the context nevertheless. (i mean, one who listens to ambient tunes most likely enjoys _not_ having to focus on anything).

the casual hearer won't easily identify chord progression repetitions, the track evokes the impression in me of something "slowly rotating".

it could need a little spice/variation here and there, carefully dosed. i'm thinking of small, distanced and quiet sounds, maybe long delaylines, to give it a more organic feel, and more "fulness". but again, careful, because one can easily overdo it in this kind of music.

i came to like letting the bass play unisono with soft, deep piano notes, maybe you wanna try that if you haven't done this yet. imho that technique enhances presence, and gives a more human feel to the music. requires very good samples, though, i use NIs piano.

i don't think that any piano melodies fit your track (since that idea kinda came up here).

great job with the vocal elements! can't say anything about the mixing, due to crappy speakers where i currently am. a quick comparison to the hybrid album in my playlist show's that it can't be that wrong (as in "mix seems to be fine") :D
added on the 2009-11-05 13:29:59 by jco jco

wow jco, what a fantastic review and feedback! this is, to be honest, exactly the kind of feedback i am looking for - someone who understands that this ambient and that the changes that may be needed are not more melodies or elements that makes it more interesting. i will FOR SURE take you up on adding very subtle stuff in the background.. i just bought the Zebra 2 softsynth which has some really interesting evolving kinda keyboard sounds - maybe i could play those live in the background just to add that little spice. I have NI Komplete, so I will try the piano softly up against the bassline - maybe with a ton of reverb it could turn out pretty cool. thank you jco, much appreciated feedback sir!
added on the 2009-11-05 14:36:38 by xerxes xerxes
I don't like the snare sound and I honestly think the drums could use some room, very slight reverb should do the trick for me. I'd also love some open hihats or cymbals kicking in later on after the drop at 3:30. Also very very very minor "out of groove" changes in the drum patterns would do miracles, e.g. adding very edgy ghost hits here and there and putting a randomizer in there with very low gain and letting it do some very weird echoes every now and then.

But still, I like it.

trc_wm, Art of Noise's Seduction of Claude Debussy is my all time favorite album ever made and I'm hoping to make something similar one day in the distant future. Too bad I can't compose classical music at all, nor achieve such a high end sound in my mixes.
added on the 2009-11-05 15:18:54 by D Fast D Fast
howdy d-fast! and thank you :) yeah - i have been contemplating the drums back and forth.. and i have tried to do variations to see if that "did anything" to the tune.. and obviously it did, but nothing i personally liked. i am freakishly hung-up on never doing too much, but rather too little -- its sorta my musical statement. so i think i will leave the drums alone for now. it doesnt help that i kinda suck at programming drums too, so whenever i try to do something fancy - it all turns to crap :)
added on the 2009-11-05 15:24:37 by xerxes xerxes
Funny, you could never get such a detailed discussion over one single tune at CTG.
added on the 2009-11-05 15:27:34 by xTr1m xTr1m
yeah hehe -- allthough much of this has been general discussion on mixing/sound/composition too.. not so much about my crap :) anyhow, i have gotten so more than enough feedback to know what i should try when i complete it this weekend.
added on the 2009-11-05 15:53:26 by xerxes xerxes

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