2024-APR-11 Info: Check out our current running games Mix Challenge 097 and Songwriting Competition 080.

SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC077 January 2024 - Winners announced

Thematic Songwriting Competition - recurrence: monthly
crispy
Posts: 16
Joined: Fri Dec 22, 2023 06:12 CET

Re: SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC077 January 2024 - Voting until 01-FEB-2024 23:59 UTC+1/CET

#51

Post by crispy »

Guys I've found out soundcloud plays/uploads tracks in mono and I can't find a way to fix this, anyone knows how to?
1ktone

Re: SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC077 January 2024 - Voting until 01-FEB-2024 23:59 UTC+1/CET

#52

Post by 1ktone »

crispy wrote:
Fri Feb 02, 2024 13:58 CET
Guys I've found out soundcloud plays/uploads tracks in mono and I can't find a way to fix this, anyone knows how to?
Hi crispy. Are you sure it’s on the Soundcloud side of things? From my understanding they just take the file you give them and compress a little (maybe a bit more than a little) and that’s about it….it should be basically what you give them.
crispy
Posts: 16
Joined: Fri Dec 22, 2023 06:12 CET

Re: SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC077 January 2024 - Voting until 01-FEB-2024 23:59 UTC+1/CET

#53

Post by crispy »

guys I'm an idiot, I just had audacity set to mono when recording playback lol 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I was going crazy 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
crispy
Posts: 16
Joined: Fri Dec 22, 2023 06:12 CET

Re: SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC077 January 2024 - Voting until 01-FEB-2024 23:59 UTC+1/CET

#54

Post by crispy »

Guys I'm sorry if my previous review was a bit too harsh didn't mean to be mean I just had very little time to make it and my english is not the best, so I now that I have time I want to be more specific

SWC077__JeroenZuiderwijk__WhatsInAName

I think u did a good work on the drums sound design, but honestly to me what it doesn't work is melodies and chords.they sound too casual, like mines before I seriously started to study music theory.

my advice is to dig into music theory, in the end is really not that hard when u get it (I mean to make secular music, which usually is very simple with just like 4 chords on a major or minor scale) u just have to assimilate the concept of chord progression, chords structure (minor and major) and apply that on a minor/major scale.

If you want I'm open to put my hands on the project to let you understand what I mean, if I can help I would be very happy to man, I've made bad music for years before starting making something decent.
crispy
Posts: 16
Joined: Fri Dec 22, 2023 06:12 CET

Re: SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC077 January 2024 - Voting until 01-FEB-2024 23:59 UTC+1/CET

#55

Post by crispy »

APi_ZZ -- Scrambled Sambles

I like the sound design, I like the mix quality, wat I don't like very much is the overall arrangement, it feels like the track has no real direction, there is that rimshot like percussion that to me don't fits very well (in terms of rythm), it's like a lot of good pieces of a puzzle but the puzzle is not complete it's just one piece after the other without a strong direction and structure.

like at 02:51 to me is the best part, drums have the right rythm, the track seems is going to start working but than u just cut them and I don't get why.

I think fixing the arrangement could be a very interesting track man
crispy
Posts: 16
Joined: Fri Dec 22, 2023 06:12 CET

Re: SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC077 January 2024 - Voting until 01-FEB-2024 23:59 UTC+1/CET

#56

Post by crispy »

SWC077_EsteveCorbera_11

the track has some sort of direction and I kinda get where you wanted to go, it's just the execution has some issue to fix.
on the arrangement side the chords kinda works well but the track feels like it has not a solid structure and direction in terms of intro/build ups/drops/chorus/breaks/outro and in terms of melodies composition. It would need to be more defined on those aspects imo.

on the mixing side the main issue to me is that sort of a kick that goes through all the track, it seems a kick, it seems bass but at the end it isn't a kick nor a bass.
I kinda see what u was trying to do, so imo it should be like a bass with a hipass on 100hz on the sides to avoid weird reverbs on the low end area and than I would put a kick and sidechain the kick on the bass that support the track and I would remove that kick u used or just use it as the main kick straight on 4/4.

I hope u get what I mean sorry my english is not the best lol 🤣

ps: I just figured out u posted a newer version, that sounded better, the bass and the kick are more separeted and worked better but still that kick rythm sound kinda weird, imo it should just go straight 4/4 and that rythm u wanted to apply on the ckick u should apply that with a snare and the track would work much better IMO
crispy
Posts: 16
Joined: Fri Dec 22, 2023 06:12 CET

Re: SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC077 January 2024 - Voting until 01-FEB-2024 23:59 UTC+1/CET

#57

Post by crispy »

SWC077__scottfitz__Nyamuragira

the moment the drums start the track start to have a direction but it would need a more interesting arrangement, variations and a more clean mix to make every element cut through man.

like the kick is too muffled try to keep the area below 100 hz mono and bring out the kick with a transient processor and boost the attack or just turn up the gain and than keep everything under control with a compressor on the drum bus.
crispy
Posts: 16
Joined: Fri Dec 22, 2023 06:12 CET

Re: SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC077 January 2024 - Voting until 01-FEB-2024 23:59 UTC+1/CET

#58

Post by crispy »

SWC077__1ktone__Information

I see where u was going here man, I feel the direction of the track, the main issue to me here is the mix, everything is like on the mid frequencies, the kick needs to come out and needs more low end and energy and needs to work better with the bass, like try to saturate a bit the bass, boos a bit the attack and low end of the kick followed by a compressor to control dynamics better and sidechain the bass with the kick.

the vocals are too far behind the mix, they need to be more forward just turn up the gain, instruments needs some color like some eq and some reverb to give them space.

Also arrangement could be improved.
crispy
Posts: 16
Joined: Fri Dec 22, 2023 06:12 CET

Re: SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC077 January 2024 - Voting until 01-FEB-2024 23:59 UTC+1/CET

#59

Post by crispy »

SWC077__MellowBrowne__FromNothingToSomething

man that intro is too much lol

like I said I put you on 2nd place cuz it's one of the best tracks of this comp, structure and direction are good but could be improved, the track needs more variation, it's too repetitive. I really like the but the last part at 02:45, there I think it's the part where the track performs better.

From what I can see from the screenshot probably you could have better results with less mixing moves (less plugins).

It happens lof f time to me: when I see so many plugins I duplicate the project, delete all the mixing plugins, remake the mixing stage with less plugins and 100% of the times results are better.

kinda the less is more theory
crispy
Posts: 16
Joined: Fri Dec 22, 2023 06:12 CET

Re: SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC077 January 2024 - Voting until 01-FEB-2024 23:59 UTC+1/CET

#60

Post by crispy »

SWC077_VCA-089_MEDS

like I said this is the best track on the comp.

this is the one with the most defined structure and direction.

rythm fits, melodies fit, intro, verses, break, outro everything is well arranged, good job man.

the 01:56 to me is the best part, that synth solo reminds me some band my dad used to listen to lol.

I would revisit some sound design choices but that can be just matter of taste.

The only real thing the track needs is a mre clean and energetic mix, every element is balanced but the mix sounds a bit flat and too focused on the mid range. the mids elements need to come out more forward in the mix and also low end needs more energy and dynamics.

I would really like to mix and master the track if u want 😁

let me know, good job again
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