Even if it is just a hobby for most of us we all have different motivations, ambitions, visions, ideas and feelings about music and how high we set our goals/limits. Sometimes the feedback is very short, but only because I told you the same in the past or your style just fit into my criteria and vision of music. As long as you have fun making music everything is good and it’s all that matters.
What I learned this month:
- Stepped Oscillator values in vsts or any plugins can limit your creativity/workflow if you want to give your element some movement and pumping effect
- Logic Drum synth sounds good but is a bit limited. I wonder why I ever bought drum samples in my life.
- I need to work harder on my chord voicing skills and overall keyboard playing, I still struggle to find the right notes for the different harmonies and variations. More music theory videos and practice the next few months!
So, here is the feedback:
Arelem:
I like the energy and the drive, it reminds me of early 2000s music. A very minimalistic approach with some glitch fx and kind of rap flow.
I don’t really know what it is but the entry doesn’t feel finished to me, there is something missing but it’s hard to tell what exactly. Maybe a bass line following the chords and ditch the kick sub, which I find way too loud in the mix. Or maybe a B part, or using your natural voice in the 2nd verse. Another thing is your flow, the cadence is very monoton and weird on several occasions, the rhyme pattern is too much house-mouse style and the lyrics are really cheesy.I know you are not a rapper but if you want to bring your rap skills and flow to the next level you should check artists like Jadakiss, T.I., Fabolous or Drake.
It’s not bad overall, but I know you can do „better“. Still, I have to give you props for this.
TrojakEW:
Sounds very cinematic, nice sound selection and chord progression. There is not much to say, your entry is very good. The mix is good and clean, I think the orch hits would profit from even more low end to give it that huge impact, or maybe switching phase can help increase the bass response. One thing I find funny is the composition itself, it gives me more of a winter feeling, it is very dramatic and the orchestration just sounds a bit like Christmas to me. That is just how I interpret your entry. Very good!
KukoBass:
A very dreamy soundscape and relaxing vibe. But to me it sounds very limited and a bit too boring, even with the keyboard solo there are only minor variations. There are also some playing mistakes which makes it sound unfinished, it is more like a WIP to me.
EsteveCorbera:
A lot is happening here but I can’t really follow the structure. The first part is very calm and dreamy, then the drums come in and the whole energy changes into some QVC commercial background music. As a beginner drummer I can tell you that the groove can kill the vibe completely, but honestly, you don’t even need to be a drummer to know this.
I gave you this kind of feedback in the past already, I would recommend you to look more into music theory in general. I don’t mean to be rude, I just give you my honest opinion.
JeroenZuiderwijk:
The first 10 seconds or so are very promising for a nice drum and bass track, the energy is there, but it sounds like thunderstorm from start to finish. Also, the drum groove is not really drum and bass like. There is a structure, but to my taste it is very chaotic and the whole vibe is really dark and far away from a „summer dream“. I would recommend you to dive deeper in music theory overall.
Miha:
Hello and welcome to the forum!
Another cinematic entry. I like the melodic structure and chord harmonies. Your entry fits the theme perfectly. I think a B part with a more dramatic character would have been a great addition to your entry to change the mood a bit. The violin sounds harsh/saturated in the 3-4kHz region and the overall mix is a bit squeaky. There is certain disconnection between the instruments because of the hard panning. Still, very good first entry!
Api_ZZ:
This sounds like the typical AI generated music you can find all over the internet with lots of artefacts in the vocals and the top end. No prompt can fix this atm.
VCA-089:
This is your unique signature sound and I really like it. The drum groove is nice with lots of reverb. This reminds me of Depeche Mode/ A-ha/Phil Collins 80s/90s music. The B part gives it a nice turn. But, I find the musical/melodical structure a bit chaotic, there are some spots which are bit dissonant. I know, I struggle myself a lot with this kind of thing when it comes to „correct“, or I should say „logical“ and realistic, chord voicing. I think more training on the keyboard and voicing exercises will bring you to the next level, you have a lot of musical feeling and a great vision.
Not sure if I asked you already but what monitors are you using? I told you this before, your mixes sound a bit squashed and the top end sounds like mp3. I’m not sure if it is this cassette tape thing you are using. The balance is not good, I’m really missing the bass here. The drums have too much reverb. Still, good job!
BenjiRage:
Beautiful chord progression and nice sound selection. This entry is very emotional and well composed, the arrangement is great. The saxophone just fits perfectly. The mix is clean and everything is audible, the amount of delay and reverb seems good. I think a compressor on the master buss with just a touch of gain reduction with a 1,5:1 Ratio and maybe 10ms attack and 100ms release could give it that little extra touch and add some drama. Excellent work!
AuderMarr:
The beginning reminds me of Call of Duty and after 40 seconds it switches to some Super Nintendo action music. It sounds chaotic and a lot of things happen, there is still a certain storyline to follow. A lot seems like random key hits, but if you listen carefully you can hear the melodical/musical structure. Yes, some notes are „off-key“, or maybe the bass is not correct on some occasions, which makes it here and there a bit dissonant to my ears. But overall it is a clever composition. Nice work!
Voting:
► Show Spoiler
1st BenjiRage
2nd TrojakEW
3rd VCA-089
4th Miha
5th AuderMarr
A quick update for everyone
And speaking of @AuderMarr...
