Mix Challenge

A short update

Updated the "Song Collection" post with the proper links (@VCA-089), apologies for the waiting time.

And should you suddenly register an influx of new listeners to your SoundCloud accounts, I am currently experimenting with a different shout out method on Social Media. We'll see how this goes in the future.


As of the timestamp of this post, there are a bit more than 2,5 days left for the feedback and voting process.

For this final review, I'm recycling some of the comments I made to you the other day because I still have the same opinion.
Thanks for your feedback. I see that overall he didn’t like my song. Not too much for me either but thank you for your reviews because they help me learn.

@alavault
I really like how the second version sounds. A little closer. Although I still think that the distant percussion that is approaching, for me gives it little realism.
I have to admit that rock is not a style I like too much, but your theme has a different vibe (more soundtrack) that I personally like a lot more.
The low frequencies sound a little too heavy and you have little at most other frequencies.
But you did a good job.

@erictracks
I find the first part of your song dark, too full and chaotic. Centered guitars and others open to an overly forced panorama. In addition, they seem to be played in different spaces.
Instead, as I mentioned, the second part is much better. The placement in the space is much more correct.
Review peak levels.

@Gmoneh
I like how it sounds now. Guitars sound better.
As I told you you did a good song with a good vocal performance.
As something to consider reviewing peak levels, my measurement program marks me peak levels above what is required in the challenge.

@becsei_gyorgy
As always it’s a party to hear your songs.
Because of the style of the voice you put on, I might give the drum a bit more power and make the guitars more crunchy.
From minute 2:26 you add speed to the percussion that sounds a bit out of place, I would even say out of tempo.
I like the synthesizer part of the rhythm.

@Arelem
With your explanation, I understand the opening sound of the song. Thanks and sorry for my mistake.
The effort you put into singing is great, it fits the song very well.
Rhythm guitars may be too loud. In the end they may be too strong and put themselves in their head.
The final battery sounds fake, the poor drummer couldn’t play at that speed. They lack body.
The short but repetitive theme.

@VCA-089
I like the introduction, the rise of the guitars, more and more present.
Some high percussion elements sound out of time and out of place.
The transitions are interesting, but in the end it seems too repetitive.

@aFutureInNoise
Very original song. Very different from the other proposals of the month. Since rock is of little interest to me, the more folk touch caught my eye. I like how you doubled the voices.
I like the bottom line. Little to criticize

(translated with google)

OK, so here we go:

Erictracks:
You say you keep it simple … Well … Good sounding guitars. Extra points for being able to play real instrument instead of plugin. But the first theme (/short melody-guitar-riff?) we hear is repeated a little too often (it made me think of the Scottish highlands, for some reason, although this is more southern American style, probably). Apart from that this is still somewhere near a song that has a melody – or could have a melody – and could be played on the radio (or streamed from the Internet). And when I say this I think of the mix of instruments as a whole, and how they are handled. On the other hand: a song that consists of one single chord, namely E, is not going to top any chart at all. You claim there is one chord change, but the only chords I can hear is E major and E7 – right? In any case: I liked the guitar solo, beginning at 2:46, I wish I could play the guitar like that.


alavault:
Maybe you can analyze it like this:

00:21 – 00:50 = intro (the music before 00:21 is so silent that you almost can't hear it)

00:50 – 01:19 = theme 1 , 01:19 – 01:47 = theme 2 01:47 – 02:16 = combination theme 1 and 2 , 02:16 – 03:20 = theme 3 , 03:20 – 04:18 = theme 1 and 2 again

04:18 – 04:53 = outro

The mix is excellent. It sounds very good. The drums are all at the right level. This also applies to other instruments. If I were to try to imagine a context in which this track, in its current state, could be used, it might be like movie music. Because the song is probably a bit too long to be played live at a concert. I think maybe it should be possible to let a topliner add vocals. Or the song could be edited in some other way, to become something that could be performed from a stage. It's a song writing competition we're in. I can not help but interpret this as it is 'radio hits' (or streaming hits) we are trying to compose, but I may be wrong. In any case, this composition gets high scores, because the music is pleasant to listen to, after all (although I think it gets a little repetitive when theme 1 + 2 comes back a third time 03:20 – 04:18).


Arelem:
Simple but efficient and powerful production. I do not know what this way of singing is called, I have never been interested in metal rock or other styles from recent decades. I have a hard time commenting on details here, because I do not know the terminology. But I hear that it is done in a professional way, hence high scores. EDIT: But I agree, with somebody else, that the kick needs more/louder low frequencies.


becsei_gyorgy:
This piece of music just makes me exhausted. Whether it is death rock, acid rock, metal rock or anything else, I don't think that the purpose of music is to make the listeners long for a spa. Although I can hear that this was done with a great deal of skill, (you're not an amateur, becsei_gyorgy; some of your synth guitar sounded quite realistic), I will assume that my personal taste is relevant. Hence not very high scores. EDIT: One thing I forgot to mention is that I – personally – don't think that crash cymbals were meant for being hit continuously, but for accents. I can't stand it. This together with the vocals/roaring makes the song almost insufferable to me. This doesn't mean you are not a skilled musician.


EsteveCorbera:
At 0:44 some low frequencies are introduced, I can't identify how this instrument actually sounds, but to my ears the frequency is wrong, in other words it's out of tune. To be honest, the only section where this reminds me of rock – or any kind of popular music – is between 01:24 – 01:40. Drastic proposal: skip the section before 01:24 and let the four first bars from that point be the intro to your next rock song! The rest of the time there is one instrument (/voice) which is totally dominating. Maybe you could describe the sound as a distorted xylophone. It plays very many half notes. Somewhere in the middle of the song this sound is combined with a vibrato synth, and at the end of the song it is replaced by another synth. This is extremely eccentric! To summarize: to let that lead instrument (xylophone/synth) play all those half notes, combined with a few quarter notes (and eight notes?), is far too eccentric to me. Better luck next time!


GMoneh:
Now, this is a production which is a complete, finished song !!! There are probably elements that could be improved (there always is), but I like listening to a song that isn't just a sketch. From approx 00.23 – 00:28 rhythm guitar and drums are a little too untight. From 01:37 and ten more seconds (the synth solo) I totally lose my grip on how the beat is supposed to be conceived. Maybe if I saw the notes in written form … Anyway, I want to reward a participant who delivers a finished product.


VCA-089:
This piece of music obviously describes some very dark and harsh place in universe. The BD's sixteenth notes, which seems to be an important part of this style of music (a style I don't know the name of) seems to be one sample only, repeated over and over again. Is it called the machine gun effect (or is that term used only in connection with snare drums?). It isn't a big deal, really, but normally we try to use different velocity layers – don't we? (No, not in this genre?) Anyway: After having listened three times, this is my conclusion: This is very intense, but not to the degree I want to run away to a spa. There are some short and some a little bit longer 'pauses', where the listener can catch his breath. And although the song is kind of monotone, to some extent, there is enough variety, also in terms of chord progression. I never perceived it as repetitive.

Here is my feedback:

1. EsteveCorbera - Diversio Guitarrera

It has a pretty good selection of sounds and tones that could be a foundation of a good track. Sadly, the arrangement feels very artifical and MIDI'ish. It's almost like an AI generated music. There is a noticeable dissonances in bass frequencies. The lead part that happens in the last section sounds very harsh, there is too much upper mid frequencies.

Sonically, yes it could be described as rock, if you describe rock music as music with overdriven guitars. It seems that someone haven't checked the list of examples. This song doesn't feel inspired by anything, it's just an experiment with tones.

2. alavault - M1

The sound design aspect. It immediately sets us into space. A very modern approach to the sound. Great guitar tones. The arrangement is good overall, but there could be some variations in drum grooves, fills, riff patterns. The mix has some issues though. Overall, it sounds kinda messy and high mid'ish. The drums are very quiet and gets muffled in the main sections. Particularly, I like the overcompressed explosive snare drum, but the kick drum gets lost in the mix. I think it needs a proper remaster too. Adjusting level of drum bus to be higher compared to other instruments and slight compression could solve the problem.

Overall, very good submission with great potential. Very atmospheric and thought out composition. It could be an epic cinematic trailer score. It's just a few steps away from an ideal.

3. erictracks - Uptowner

Great entry overall. Guitar tones and playing are just spot on. Good composition and arrangement with perfectly executed style. A soft, warm and melancholic atmosphere. The mix is very balanced. The drum sounds are very carefully selected. I heard some one said that the kick drum could be louder, but I think it fits for this style of rock.

To me this is a real rock music. Played live with real guitars and characterfull guitar playing techniques (bends, vibrato, glissando). It is kinda easy to create a static rhythm guitar parts in MIDI, but when you go into oldschool rock territory where every guitarist had his own guitar techniques and tricks it becomes a nightmare.

4. GMoneh - Back In Time

A very promising pop-rock song. Great songwriting and singing. The main theme is quite memorable Composition feels a bit short to me, the bridge/solo section feels kinda forced to me. There are several instruments that compete to be a main lead/solo part. As a result, they all sound undeveloped. There is also a noticeable rhythmical inconsistency between parts. The mix is quite good. The guitar tones are questionable, but this is mostly a matter of taste.

With just a little bit of work this entry could shine. It could be a bit longer with a more developed and focused solo part. There also could be a third verse perhaps. And perhaps playing skills (or editing) could be improved.

5. becsei_gyorgy - Crumbling World

First abot the vocals. They feel a bit out of place in this style. And also there are no dynamics at all, just constant roaring. I think there could be more soft and melodic singing instead with more aggressive parts in some places. The whole composition fits perfectly into early to mid 90's industrial. The mix is pretty good and guitars sound nice. There is a noticeable humanization in the rhythm parts.

It's a very solid entry overall. The vocal parts are an element that could make or break a track. In this case it was added just for a sake of it, as it was stated in the submission post. So I think that it might be easily replaced with a solo guitar, as this instrument can convey emotions the same way as human voice.

6. Arelem - Speak The Truth

In this case the vocals are the main driving force of this track. The voice timbre and lyrics are great combo. But there is a places where vocal lines missing the beat too much, so it creates rhythmic inconsistency with other instruments. There is definitely more takes needed. Overall concept of the track are very nice, but there is some unplesant nuances. The guitar tones are good, but the sound itself is kinda synthetic, like a lo-fi guitar samples. The kick drum is very "clicky", but the actual sound of drum is missing. It gets too busy with that double kick parts in the last chorus. The guitar solo section feels a bit rudimentary to me. There could be added a post chorus section with slightly changed main riff and drum pattern.

This entry is a really good and promising start. With all the problems solved, this will be a geat track. As I said, the overall concept is there.

7. A Future in Noise - A Very Tragic Little Song

Sounds like 70's progressive rock out of the box. The tricks with tempo automation, it so rarely than anybody doing so. Great selection of timbres, they fit for the style very well. Vocals and storytelling is spot on. Mix and production in general is quite good. The electric guitars sounds artifical, they carefully tweaked to sound real though. It is getting noticeabel after listening few times.

To me it's a very solid entry. There is nearly nothing to complain about. As we were asked to create music with a very wide set of styles, why not going that way.

A friendly reminder:
We're in the final 24 hours to submit your feedback and cast your vote.


Please don't let yourself be put at a disadvantage by not participating. The Songwriting Competition lives from the given feedback towards each other.

EsteveCorbera - Diversio Guitarrera
I like the parts with the guitar powerchords, even though there is not much variation in the rhythmic part. When the synth parts come in with a melody, it feels very square, very simplistic.

Alavault-M1
A very enjoyable instrumental rock piece. I like the various layers througout the track… very nice pads on top of a good rhythmic and harmonic foundation.

Erictracks-Uptowner
A very airy and upbeat tune. Nice guitar playing too. The happy side of rock. My favorite part is the interlude around 1:40, where only the baseline is left and then all the other instruments start coming in. Good stuff.

Becsei_gyorgy-Crumbling World
I enjoyed this one except for the vocals. I'm not a fan of the metal "yell until you're sore" style of singing. Just personal taste, but that limited my enjoyment of this piece. The rest is a vibe, though.

Arelem-Speak The Truth
Another piece where the growly vocals go against my personal taste, although less so in this case. Other than that, it's a powerful piece of metal rock. I like the sound of the guitars, even if they are plugins. I would say the drum part doesn't sound humanly possible (with the machine gun kick), but I've seen metal drummers playing like that live, so I'm sure it is.

VCA-089-Desert Machines
I like the groove on this track. Good choices of instruments and sounds. The guitar programming is what is a little bit of a let down, as it's clear that it is programmed and not actual guitar. Very enjoyable.

A Future In Noise-A Very Tragic Little Song The one song with vocals that I could understand. A completely different mood from expected. I guess it could fit as a very light genre of rock. Good song writing chops. I like the multiple changes in groove throughout the whole track.

I'm surprised so many of you felt the drums were inhuman. Compared to actual metal bands I think they're pretty reasonable. For example

Especially #4 and #2 with regard to kick drums.

EsteveCorbera
Diversio Guitarrera
This tune makes me pretty tense. I think it’s the bassline? It doesn’t exactly clash, but it never gives me the resolution I’m craving.

The progression though is satisfying, when it resolves around 2:20 and the guitar kicks in, that’s catchy.

Thank you for the early feedback of my song, I had to submit early and go out of town so I didn’t get a chance to reply. You’re right, the first and third parts have an awful mix, I don’t know what I was thinking with the left and right guitars especially.


alavault
M1
This has a massive vibe the chorused guitar is lush and moody. Super listenable track, with a skilled mix. Especially like the soaring interlocking lines in the second verse, and how they lead into the second chorus. I’m not completely sold on the choral/voice sounds in the first chorus, though it does throw my mind back to the sabbath song Supertzar. Though later they blend very nicely with the climactic part of the song. I dig this it’s is a fully realized production with tons of guitar. It’s so moody and smooth.

Thanks for the early feedback — I really didn’t give the drums on my track enough attention. I meant to go back and add a little variety but I ran out of time. Good call on the bass, always too shy with that.



GMoneh
Back in Time
Tight song, the chorus rocks. The is a solidly composed song that is entertaining. The instrumental break is pretty rocking as well. I’m on board with the lyrics, but the vocals have a lot of artifacts and de-essing (or similar effect) that is very apparent in the first and second verses. It works when the the music is more intense. But your voice is cool, I’d like to hear it more naturally on the first and second verses.


becsai_gyorgy
Crumbling World
Intro has that relentless feel, this is going to be an intense one. Synth is super cool, I’m not feeling the guitars as much. I’m good with scream vocals but I thought they could have been buried a bit more in a bed of distorted guitars/synths. Like, the music is pristine with beautiful synth horns building crystal palaces in my brain, and behind it this dude just screaming his head off in agony. All that said, this is a satisfying track.



Arelem
Speak The Truth
The vocals rule. Nodding my head along especially when the chorus blasts through the wall. Totally badass chorus. Guitar solo is appropriate, but those sampled rhythm guitars get a bit repetitive as the song goes on. Kick drum brings me back in when it starts blasting. Compact efficient hard rock you can’t go wrong. Big respect to the vocals.


Also, thanks for your scoring feedback on my song, especially this one: ‘Maybe too many quarter notes throughout the whole song’. It’s so true I listened back to my track and I’m like jesus christ man that is all quarter notes lol. That was an eye opener thanks again.


VCA-089
Desert Machines
These are the best sounding guitar samples this month. Exotic scales setting the atmosphere. I would have shit my pants if a mech showed up during desert storm. There is a progressive rock/metal element to this that speaks to me. Riffs are dramatic with lots of cool sound design. Heavy guitar on the outro might be my favorite part.



A Future in Noise
A Very Tragic Little Song
First off, wonderful guitar variety on this one. Mixolydian vibes with catchy melodies, this just tumbles into a beautiful chorus. This sounds so good. Really satisfying little bass riffs during the verses. Super creative entry with bonus ear candy. Also, polished guitar fills that are restrained and add to the song. Favorite part is that slide guitar solo. Great song, tons of guitar, cool ending.


Mister Fox
Thank you for the early feedback. Drums were the first element to be sacrificed to time. I would have like to polish them a bit, but as always wasted so much time trying out different guitar approaches. Agree on the high frequencies, thanks again.

It's the 02nd December 2021, 05:20 (UTC+1/CET) - the Voting Period has officially ended.

All participants have submitted some final feedback, we therefore have 0 disqualifications.


I will post the results within the next 2-3 days and take "late feedback" into consideration.
(this is not an automated process)


Please have an eye on this thread

VCA-089 wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 30, 2021 18:44 CET

The tricks with tempo automation, it so rarely than anybody doing so.

Apart from not being able to fully understand this sentence (are some words missing?), I thought it might be interesting to know: yes – of course automation is used, in some sense (I use a DAW!). On the other hand, I don't think it would be totally impossible for a human being to immediately switch from 138 BPM 3/4 to 92 BPM 4/4. Because: If you listen to the toms, just before chorus number one begins, they are exactly equal to doted quarter notes in the tempo used in the verses (and bridge). At the same time they exactly indicate (four hits) the new time signature. After having heard this track like a hundred times or so, I think that maybe I could manage to do this transformation myself, without any help from technical equipment. (The time signature in the verses is actually 6/8, but we don't care about that right now.)