It's been great to get back in the action this month. I wasn't completely sure if I'd have my track finished in time as I was still frantically bouncing mixes and tweaking things yesterday evening. Even now I listen back and hear things I want to tweak further. So that's definitely a take away for me this month - leave yourself more time!
Here is my feedback for everyone; this was quite a tough one to call. There were two stand outs that I absolutely loved but so little in it between the others that choosing who to vote for was really hard.
APi_ZZ: Wynth Saved
I really like the analogue-ness of your synth sounds and there's lots of modulation that keeps things interesting. A nice nod there too to Axel-F. The production is very good, crisp, clean and polished. One area of improvement that I think would elevate the track even more is the drum sound - the kick to me feels overly dynamic with too big a variation between the soft and hard hits, such that the softer hits get lost, and the snare doesn't quite sit right somehow. I can't quite pinpoint it, maybe a little too snappy or lacking in the drum's fundamental or maybe just needs a little more compression.
Arelem: Glass Alloy
A very solid production, really well produced drums/percussion and bass that take the lead in the track. Perhaps a little bit overpowering for the Synthwave genre in general which tends to be more melodic and harmonically rather than rhythmically dominant. The synth line that comes in around 2:00 does redress this balance somewhat though.
becsei_gyorgy: We Will Never Grow Up
Lovely light and airy synth chords that kick off the track, in fact all your synth sounds have been well chosen here. The classic Synthwave kick pumping effect has been reproduced really well. The toms are a little dry, I think a bright-sounding reverb with a 2 to 3 sec decay would wet them up and fit them into the mix better. Otherwise, everything fits together really well and flows along nicely with good use of modulation. The 1-6-4-5 chord progression helps make the track instantly likeable and has that familiarity so the listener instinctively knows what's coming.
Chasey24: Getting Chippy
Initial impressions were there is a slight lack of top end clarity in the mix, but I think this stems largely from the snare drum which needs an HF boost. It's just really overpowering in the mix for the first couple of minutes. Musically though, this track is really pleasant and would totally work as the soundtrack to a video game. There are lots of interesting synth sounds and variation, which keeps the interest high and I love the little ending touch with the FX
Doc Jon: Death By Degrees
Another very catchy production from the Doc! Initially I was thinking the drums were a little on the weak side, but actually they have a very "chippy" feel so in that respect you've done very well. Lots of great chippy synth sounds throughout too. The rap for me doesn't really work in the context of the genre, although it certainly does work for effective delivery of the message in the song. The spoken news speech definitely fits in, but perhaps takes up too much time in the song where extending the female vocals instead would help further establish the melodic themes.
EsteveCorbera: Homenatge Als Video Jocs
I think some of your melodies are too complex and jump around a lot - more repetition and simpler ideas would help make them more memorable. When creating them ask yourself how easy are they for a listener to memorably hum/sing along to? Production wise some of the melody notes also blur together quite discordantly due to the synth envelope release being too high for the quantity of notes played in quick succession. The overall idea of the track though is excellent and your production is a very fitting tribute to 80s computer games. The use of FX and voices help to punctuate the different levels nicely.
FixInTheMix: Virus
Oh yeah, classic Synthwave! The synth bass line and drum pattern are right in the pocket here. That funky slap bass that comes in at 1:34 is so good, punctuated with the chorusy stabs in between too, love it! And the synth electric guitar in the final section has been programmed to perfection. My only couple of suggestions would be I think you could increase the use of reverb (especially on the drums) as it's quite a dry mix and in certain places some kick drum hits seem to be getting muffled - for example, in the section from 2:53 to the end every second kick loses its impact, I'm not sure if this is intentional? Otherwise, top work.
Koekepan: I am not a Cyborg
Kudos to you for producing your track largely just with hardware, that's a great skill and a lost art these days. In places the drums are coming in a little bit behind the beat of the synths and the sidestick rhythm that starts around 3:40 feels a bit out of place. Musically it's quite simple but it's very effective with pleasing synth sounds that have been thoughtfully chosen. The mix is also pretty good to be fair, there are a few things like the harshness of the lead that starts at 5:00 that could do with a little polish but I've very impressed with what you've produced.
KukoBass: Bit by Bit
Being a drummer I always instinctively cue in to the drums in a track first and the "snare" of the your drums is very quiet, almost to the point of being inaudible, leaving just the kick and hi-hats carrying the rhythm - I think some level adjustments and EQ would definitely help here. The vocoder vocals sound very good though and fit in nicely with the track, but they aren't always quite in time. But everything you've created works well together, nothing feels out of place and the track makes for very easy listening.
StoryGirlOz: Thank You to the Warriors
First of all, welcome to the site and congrats on your first entry. It's an interesting track with some bold harmonic choices that certainly add interest to the production. I feel though that the vocals don't really sit in the mix very well and the lyrics are often hard to discern, but in other places they sound too loud and harsh/distorted eg: around 1:30. Also the timing wavers slightly - for example, the first couple of words come in just ahead of the beat. Fixing the little things like this will make the track sound a lot more professional. I think the drums and synths in general also need some more top end clarity in the mix.
TrojakEW: Moving Forward
This track has a lot of the classic elements of Synthwave. Well chosen drum sounds (snare maybe a little dry / snappy) and that kick definitely sounds like a LinnDrum
. I really like the synth sounds you've chosen. The brassy lead reminds me of the music of Street Fighter and similar era video games, and weirdly the initial fade in sounds very like the end music of Starwing! You've made very good use of modulation and filters too, which make it a very pleasing and interesting song to listen to.
VCA-089: Inevitable Progress
This is such a great production, the whole thing is just bathed in spacious reverb. It's 80s through and through, you've absolutely nailed it in that respect and all that digital DX loveliness just pours out of the speakers. My only criticism would be on the musical front where the chord changes often feel quite unexpected and hard to follow leaving me unsure of where things are going. However, I can't fault your production skills, lush AF!
Voting
► Show Spoiler
1. FixInTheMix
2. VCA-089
3. becsei_gyorgy
4. APi_ZZ
5. TrojakEW
How do we go from there?