Mix Challenge

Hello All,

I don't know that I 'learned' to use Vital more, but I definitely learned that I should be using Vital more often. I had fun sound designing for this track with it. I don't usually bother to sound design because I don't always see much benefit to it, but sound design can be quite fun in it's own right.

Feedback: Vote:

When I make music on my own and not in a band I mostly just start experimenting not being bothered by chordstructure, musictheory, buidup etc. This often results in what other people experience as total unorchanized chaos. I then try to sculpe some elements in it to glue the parts together. I like the contasting elements and unexpected twists in a song. When I started this month with writing music for the challenge I created the main synthpart you hear in the song. It is background music suitable for an arts and crafts video…..bur after listening to it for a while I started to get bored with it and added different parts to make it more interesting for me. That is where the chaos began…..and the fun part for me. I still wasn’t happy with it so I added guitarriffs for some ‘glue’ in the song. I didn’t want any conventional sounds (obviously) so I just dialed the gain to 145% followed by a delay and extreme reverb setting...and adjusted the way I played to make it sound the way I had in mind. Sometimes I feel like a modern art painter adding sounds like a painter would be throwing paint on empty canvas.
Anyway. What I have learned this month is that I would like to pay more attention to the way the samples sound. Most of the time I just select a random sample for drums or whatever and am fine with it. But I feel that next time I would like to make my music to sound a bit more professional. That way the chaotic parts will sound more like they where meant to sound that way.
Cheers, Jeroen


Here is my top 5:
And the feedback on all the songs:

Things I have learned during this month’s competition:
This month I have learned that even cheesy music requires careful planning and arrangement for the full cheesetastic effect! Also it is not always necessary to swamp each track in FX to achieve the result you are after, sometimes it just sounds ok without anything added
My votes this month were on the basis of how well suited I thought each track would be to use as background music. There were some very skilled tracks which impressed me greatly but which just did not tick that box for background music and therefore did not make my final top 5

Feedback Voting

Good night,

I liked the challenge this month because I got to experiment with reason's new synthesizer. An amazing instrument that starts from a very different approach.

This month's challenge was good. Personally, I am a fan of film soundtracks, and having the opportunity to create a soundtrack, I have to take advantage of it.
It's interesting to see how each one does something very different despite starting from the same initial premises.
As always very good level. Good job everyone.


I will give you some brief comments.


Arelem__Midnight Mirage
good atmosphere Good start, which makes you want to listen to the song.
Very powerful low frequencies (now I listen to it with headphones), but I hadn't heard it before I listened to it with a desktop speaker (non-professional).
Without accompanying images, the melody becomes a bit repetitive, but it certainly works well as a complement to a video. The music has no shrillness and stays on a steady plane, which is also fine as a soundtrack.
good mix

KukoBass__Balearic_Background
I like the festive atmosphere that your song evokes.
The initial guitar sound feels a little artificial.
As for the rhythm, I miss a more worked drum. You stay halfway.
I find the trumpet parts quite interesting, but when it's not playing it's missing.
Does it end very abruptly??

Doc Jon__Putting It All Together
Good job with the stereo pan of the song.
Very original metal percussion.
I like the melody of the second part of the song, very festive and happy.
Maybe you miss the ending, it drags on and doesn't end in anything.
The rest, very good work.

LXM.labxmusic – Serenity
Lo-fi sound that goes well with some images. The music flows without too much going on, but that's fine considering the premise of this month's challenge.
I like the voice that accompanies the song despite not having variations.

VCA-089__MyGarage
I like the rhythm of the bass and good work with the guitar. Very correct spatial placement of the guitar.
Your risky proposal this month. Ending the song with effects that eat the music is not something very common. But kudos to you for trying.
I like the ribbon effects and filters that add variation and life to your subject.

JeroenZuiderwijk__Multiverse
Maybe as music that accompanies a video it is a bit aggressive.
I must confess that it was difficult for me to listen to your song. I'm not used to this kind of music with such a different rhythm.
I have to tell you that I like the synthesizer you put in, despite wanting to do something cheesy, it reminds me of Tangerine Dream.

FallenAngel_StringDisco
I like the reverberant sounds that the synth part contains. The music would look good in a video. Don't say too much, but that might be the idea.
The mix sounds good to me.

MellowBrowne__DoItYourself
Your topic is off to an interesting start. The piano rhythm is repeated when the bass comes in, I like it. But in the end it drags on, I'm waiting for a significant variation but it never comes.
Yes, good mix.

FixInTheMix__WarmBlanket
Another theme in the Lo-FI style suitable for the challenge of the month.
I like the piano melody, it gets me hooked. It has a melancholic touch that I like.
I also like the middle-end part with the electric piano.
It would be a good accompaniment for a video.
I would have liked the finale to end with the opening piano melody. It would have been a great ending.

canese__seeding me
I really like this month's theme.
For my taste, I would have liked you not to abuse the filters so much. It all sounds too muted, but that's a matter of taste.
I love the powerful bit (0:38-1:10 and 2:11-2:40). It reminds me of great soundtracks.
You have to go through the levels.

(translated with google)

I always try to use this challenge as an excuse to try doing new things, in this case, it was a genre I'm not really familiar with so I spent a lot of time trying to research the most common tropes, chord progression, sounds, etc.
I can´t say I`m completely satisfied with the end result but at least I'm happy that I made something, that´s what is all about at the end of the day

Feedback

Voting

Feedback:
Arelem: This piece has a really nice relaxing but viby feel. The parts of the song change at just the right time before they get too repetitive. For me, it sounds more like an outro than an arts and crafts video though. Overall great mix.

KukoBass: I like how it starts energetically; it really gets me in the mood for an arts and crafts video. It reminds me of Flamenco, and I like it. I feel the ending is a bit too abrupt. The saxophones are great touch to this piece. Love it.

Doc Jon: The start sounds like an arts and crafts video, the tin instruments work great with the piece. I feel the oboe doesn’t fully mix with the piece and gets a bit repetitive. Great song.

VCA-089: Love that bass at the start, you know something is building. Then the guitar comes in and *chefs kiss*. I feel halfway through though there are a couple of bars where it gets a bit too repetitive. Great mix, great song.

Lxm.labxmusic: I think it is a good song, hover I don’t think the vibe fully matches an arts and crafts video. I feel an arts and crafts video should be a bit more upbeat. The mix, on the other hand, is great, and it is a great lofi beat.

JeroenZuiderwijk: The first thing that comes to mind listening to this song is Bring Me The Horizon because of the pad, guitar, and off-beat drums, which is great for me. Think it is a cool vibe for an arts and crafts video though. Personally, I feel the guitar should do a bit more throughout the song though. It’s a great mix.

EsteveCobera: I like the relaxed feel, the instruments are mixed well and complement each other beautifully. I feel it is a bit too slow for an arts and crafts video though. Great song anyways, can imagine a peaceful waterfall in a jungle when listening to it.

Mellow Browne: It’s a nice mix but I feel it is very repetitive. Personally, I feel the synth should do something else. I just feel something else should happen in the song maybe have another riff from the synth or something. Good mix overall.

FixInTheMix: I love the vibe of this mix and it just sounds sull and very satisfying to hear. I don’t know what you did to the guitar, but the solo sounded beautiful. However, I feel the synth halfway through would have been nicer if it was played on guitar, but I like when it comes in a second time. I didn’t think you could really have a lo-fi piece for arts and crafts, but this would really work.

canese: I feel the start of the song has a hit of sadness occasionally not so sure why. Like the instruments though they work together. Feel it’s not the right vibe for an arts and crafts video though. Good mix altogether can feel it telling a story.

My experience this month:
This month, I had a hard time to get started. I lacked motivation and had no idea how to begin the song. I tried out different synths until I found the chord scheme while playing around with AAS Strum 2. Then I tried to vary the scheme and write a B-Part with different chords. I added the trumpet late in the process (WIP 2), as I felt the song was lacking something like vocals, but I didn't want vocals because I thought they would be too distracting for background music. Maybe I'll add some vocals in the future to develop the song further.

Feedback:

Arelem - Midnight Mirage
Relaxed song without elements that put themselves too much in the foreground, so it makes a good background track. It introduces new elements just in time, so it doesn't get boring.
The melody motifs don't always fit the chords, yet somehow it works. The bassline on the other hand sounds off key.
Your mix is great on big speakers and headphones, but lacks bass on smaller speakers.


canese - Seeding Me
Good drums, they sound like underwater. The chord progression sounds a little strange to me until it reaches the main part. I like the hollow sound of the guitar.
The second part sounds a little too bombastic, so the song might be better suited for a film trailer or film credits than for background music of a DIY-Video - unless it is used when someone builds something epic.


Doc John - Putting it all together
This song should be the opening music for a children show for repairing or building things. I like the happy vibe, and all the bells and "whistles".
I'm a little disappointed with the fadeout at the ending; you could have ended with a bang (on a bell). The rhythm is original and there are memorable motifs in the melody. I like the call of the Sax and the answer of the strings.
The only issue with the mix is that some reverb of some bell samples seems to be cut off too early. Otherwise, I would not know what to improve.


Esteve Corbera - Manualitats amb tranquilitat
I like the atmosphere of the song, the sound of dripping water, very relaxed. I imagine the song being used for a timeshift video of flowers starting to bloom. It would also make a good background music for a documentation film.
The B-part reminds me of Jean-Michel Jarre. I like the slow evolving of the song and the stereo effects going from left to right and back again.


Fallen Angel - String Disco
It is a quite lively piece of music, but in my opinion the used sounds sound too "chiptuney" and catch too much attention for the use as background music.
I like the bass melody, but the string melody sometimes doesn't seem to match. I like the stereo effect before the B part; it reminded me of a belt sander used on a plank from right to left and back again.
Sometimes, e.g. at 0:53, there is a second bass sound that clashes a little with the first.


FixInTheMix - Warm Blanket
I like the Lo-Fi-feeling through the warm noise at the beginning, like a soft rain outside and a burning fireplace inside. The little string noises give the song a closeness, an intimacy. I like the guitar sound and the piano sound. I think the snare rhythm starting around 1:34 is a bit too much; maybe it should be used more as an effect for one or two bars than a part of the song.
The mix sounds well-balanced to me.


JeroenZuiderwijk - Multiverse
This could be used for a time-lapse montage of something printed by typewriters, or maybe a video game soundtrack. My main issue with the song is that it is pretty fast (not only the drums) and therefore has a rushed atmosphere.
The drums sound much better now. I also like the addition of the guitars and the stereo effects.


lxm.labxmusic - Serenity
A very well crafted Lo-Fi-track, reminded me of the Chillhop playlists. The muted Trumpet sounds a little like someone is singing, which made it a little irritating for me. There is nothing wrong with the track or the mix, it's just not what I'd use in the background for an "Arts and Craft"-Video, and I can't put my finger on why that is the case. Maybe it is the little rythm break (e. g. at 0:10 in the song) that grabs a little too much of the listeners attention.


Mellow Browne - Do It Yourself
The beginning of the song reminded me of Billy Joel or Supertramp. I like your choice of sounds, especially drums and bass. But I feel that the piano playing triplets on the same chords over and over gets boring soon. Maybe the introduction of a B-Part with different rhythms and/or different chords could bring the song to the next level.
The fuzzy distortion sound in the background (e.g. starting around 1:04) sounds irritating to me and takes away the focus off the guitar (or is it a synth?) riff. All in all, a good song that just lacks a little variation.


VCA-089 aka Infravolt - My Garage
I like the sound of the bass and the rhythmic patterns evolving through the delays and bandpass filters. Are the little background noises in the middle part wielding noises?
The melody guitar could be more in the foreground for my taste. And the ending sounds a little cut-off. Otherwise, I would not know what could be improved.


Voting:
Deciding on my TOP 5 was difficult, because the songs all were good in their own way. My main criteria was how well I could see the song used in an "Arts and Craft"-Video.

Here's my feedback and votes for this contest.
First of all, I'd like to thank everyone for the feedbacks on my track, Serenity.
It's my first time here and I feel very warmly welcomed by all of you.
Anyways, let's get into it.

FEEDBACKS

01. ARELEM - Midnight Mirage
Very very captivating ambient pads in the background. The drums are simple but still very groovy. Will fit in perfectly with 'slow-mo' style footages, imo. The mix is solid. The only setback I felt was that the bell sounds sounded a bit off-key/off-scale. Overall, a very vibey track!

02. KUKOBASS - Balearic Background/DIY WIP2
Great arrangement with different variations. The percussions and drums are really nice. The trumpet really stands out too. I can picture doing some DIY work on, like a beach, with this track. Definitely a unique one among the entries!

03. DOC JON - Putting It All Together
Feels like fixing the roof on a warm summer day. Very upbeat. A lot of variations there too. The strings and the flutes are my favourite instruments in this track, for sure. Might be a preference thing but that synth lead at 02:00 sounds a little out of place, in my humble opinion. Anyway, a really good song. I love it!

04. VCA-089 - My Garage
I instantly imagined those 'gear-up garage montages' from those late 80s action movies, with a touch of sci-fi feels. I really like the mix on the drums, very punchy and powerful. Great track!

05.Jeroen Zuiderwijk - Multiverse
Very unique. DnB mixed with Synthwave. Lots of variations. Would fit in better with some techy-crafts, imo. Definitely an interesting one.

06. Esteve Corbera - Manualitats Amb Tranquilitat
Super mellow and deep. Love the ambience elements. The piano in the later part sounds very nice too. Definitely on the 'Arts' side in 'Arts and Craft' theme.

07. Fallen Angel - String Disco
Another very interesting one. Vintage Analog style synths with a 90s video game style drum groove. Definitely a niche one for the theme. I think I hear can hear some resonance-ish frequencies in the low end though.

08. Mellow Browne - Do It Yourself
Brilliant instrumentation, I love the variations throughout the song. Nothing felt out of place, at all. Solid Mix. Would definitely use it in a craft video, making something super cool. Love it!

09. FixInTheMix - Warm Blanket
Coincidentally, it's been raining for days here in the tropical parts of Southeast Asia. Imagine how good this one felt, haha. I love all the instrumentations in the song, Piano, EP, Guitars etc. Really smooth notes too. Feels like staying in during a rainy evening and painting a picture.

10. Canese - Seeding Me
Very very strong and kinda epic. I'm not sure if it's an artistic choice but it sounded like an old school track without much high frequencies in the mix.
I'm not sure in what kinda 'Arts and Craft' video I'd use this one though. Would fit better in like a movie scene, imo.

Lots of amazing tracks with very different takes on the theme.
Here's my top 5 votes.

Hello, everyone! First of all, I want to express my gratitude to all those who have already provided feedback. This month's competition has been fantastic, with each track displaying incredible creativity and a sense of purpose. In terms of my own submission, I must admit that it veered slightly off the theme, becoming more epic than I initially intended for a background track. However, I personally enjoyed the way it turned out, so I decided to upload it without excessive processing or overthinking. Initially, I had envisioned creating a lo-fi track similar to the ones from LXM or FixInTheMix. However, as I delved into the composition, the chord progression led me in a more melodic direction. The complexity of the chords compelled me to match a fitting melody to them.

Feedback: VOTES:

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