Mix Challenge

Well yesterday I get a new Magnat LZR 980 and was able to get it really really cheap 70eur (new one). This is so far for me best "analytics" headphones I have tested. I have old AKG k240, beyerdynamic DT 880 but I have mostly used cheap Magnat LZR 580 for mixing and also cheking the mix. But 980 is like from another dimension. If you feed them with bad mixed track you get bad sound but with awesome mix/master they are fabulous. So you can only blame bad production but not headphones like some already did to those. Have listened to masterpiece like Sinatra Swinging Session and some tracks from Miles Davis and thay sounds fantastic, lively like when I'm just standing near them.

I have listened my old junky tracks and they sound really bad including my track for this round So it means I can hear more problems in all your tracks also so there should by more comments (heavy criticism ) from me regarding mix.

there's not a thread to discuss the happening so i am going to be off topic:::: Wow, i've found it rather interesting how i lost 3 likes on the track, after i did cast my votes. So, i don't know if the likes were "valid" - "lol". Either my overview was dumb or, i did hurt some egos (or both) - Still, i like all the entries. i don't give a damn who are the "i-like-your-music-only-if-you-tell-the-others-you-adore-my-stuff" persons.

J I L L I A M wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 26, 2019 11:32 CET

there's not a thread to discuss the happening so i am going to be off topic:::: Wow, i've found it rather interesting how i lost 3 likes on the track, after i did cast my votes. So, i don't know if the likes were "valid" - "lol". Either my overview was dumb or, i did hurt some egos (or both) - Still, i like all the entries. i don't give a damn who are the "i-like-your-music-only-if-you-tell-the-others-you-adore-my-stuff" persons.

There seems to be a SWC gossip thread viewtopic.php?f=6&t=97

J I L L I A M wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 26, 2019 11:32 CET

Wow, i've found it rather interesting how i lost 3 likes on the track, after i did cast my votes.

You sure you talk about participants from here? Too often it happens you get like from "liker" that trying to get attention or whatever they want and they get removed from soundcloud and you lost that like. Also forget about likes. Most important is feedback. Like doesn't give you any feedback.

General thoughts
First of all, I'd like to say that you have all put in an excellent effort here. It makes it all very hard. As a casual listener, I rarely feel the need to grade music - it is what it is, and most music has a quality or a purpose that somehow makes it interesting to me - "good" or "bad" doesn't really play into it. All that being said, there are some differences here in regards to theme, production and execution, so I was eventually able to put together a score. But honestly, none of your tracks belong on the bottom half of any list. I'm sorry if I sometimes focus a bit too much on the negatives in my reviews - you all did good.

There's a rough split between the tracks that to my mind fit the theme, and some that really didn't give me a sense of a blackout at all, which means that some not-so-blackout tracks with a good production might score lower than an average production with a good thematic approach. Also, I had this recurring feeling of "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" dancing around in the background. A good thing, for sure!

And, like JILLIAM, I have a pet peeve - I pretty much loathe those sample library vowel-gurgling voices, but promise: I haven't allowed it to affect my score!

Anthemic - NDE
Good production and sounds, very enjoyable track. I thiiiink I'd put a highpass filter on the dominant lead motif synth - a slightly distracting bass freq on the attack from my perspective. Nothing bad to say about the music at all, it might well end up on one of my playlists. But I don't get a sense of a blackout at all!

Clueless - Dark Days
Love the sounds, really, some of my favorite sound design of the round going on in this track. And I like the disjointed feel, with the different "movements". The production is a bit too mono and underdeveloped, though, and sometimes you dwell a bit to much on elements that don't really tell a story or lead anywhere.

Doctor Bob - Phone Freakin'
An epic work, for sure! As I said on Soundcloud, I love the Philip Glass feel of the part with the flute arpeggios. Nice, spacious feel as a contrast in the harp part afterwards. Good implementation of strings and winds for the most part. Good mix. Lots of things going on - a bit too overstuffed and busy, occasionally: When you have three countermelodies going on at the same time, you need to be very clear about where the center of attention is going to be

Dr. Dendrite - Symphonic Protestant
This hits all the right notes for me. Epic, idiosyncratic sounds. Brooding, claustrophobic, cold, grey, potential catastrophic implications - and yet with the sense that it's all happening in a vast, open, perhaps lawless, landscape where, now that everything is gone, everything is ultimately possible. All in an excellent production with super command of every nuance.

Erictracks - Maybe It's A Good Thing
Decent feel for the theme. More of a “rock” approach that could work really, really well. You have all the parts you need, but the drums and the track in general lack punch - which is a bit fatal for this track. The strings sound a bit too much like they're played out on a keyboard. That works if you go for a more hybrid string/synth sound, but with “real” strings it sounds a bit hokey - definitely need to go into automation mode for that.

JILLIAM - A Sad Quiet World
Cool jets! The A-flat “pillars of doom" (as I like to think of them) should've been much stronger and massive! Drumset is lo-fi, which is cool, but needs a bit more production context - they sound a bit unfinished as it is. And there are some unpleasant resonant frequencies throughout the track that need taming (same ones in different elements, which is weird - maybe to do with your monitoring gear?)

Los Rospjerdolonos - Lost Your Head
This is one of the tracks I keep returning to, because I enjoy it and desperately want to give it a better score! You have some great elements here, but they appear to be put together somewhat haphazardly - it still needs a lot of production work. It's a cool track - sadly, in no way whatsoever does this make me think of a “blackout” - maybe a tiny, little bit as a “restaurant at the end of the world” lounge track if you put some reverb and saturation on it!

MarkS - Strange Things
It's not a bad track, and there are some good "blackout" elements, although that weak kick setting everything off is more like “random dude playing around with a drumkit in the basement” than “international communication breakdown.” Production needs more work, balance between elements is off, a bit disjointed at the seams.

The Exponent - Desolation
Great, chilly start. Excellent use of arpeggio. Cool, detuned "harp" lead. Definitely one of the slickest productions here, which, if you don't know me by now, is a good thing! If I had to point my finger at anything, it's a wee bit too generic to connect as strongly to the theme as some other tracks do. Still, very well done, indeed!

toadhjo - Apocalypse Makes Perfect
I can totally see how the chaos in the middle part would make sense as a background soundtrack. It's all a bit too much to make sense as a standalone listening experience, but as a chaotic “blackout” movie sequence: Sure, I'm sold! More Menahem Globus/Cannon than Christopher Nolan/Warner, but that's fine. Not 100% sure about the pacing of the transitions in the beginning/end.

TrojakEW - Restart
The intro is really, really great. Great string movement. I don't necessarily agree with your interpretation of a blackout - even in a scenario where technology is gone and quietness is restored, I still expect some urgency, some insecurity about the situation ("someone powerful out there still has control of the technology -what are they up to????") that I'm missing from your music. But everything here is expertly done and it is an excellent track.

Upright Joe - A Call Unanswered
It's a cool concept, and definitely has the style of something you'd hear in a blockbuster movie about a "blackout". You've clearly worked a lot with the string section here, but sadly it still falls short for me. It sounds like the strings are almost completely dry, or at least with only a minimal amount of reverb. Without any tail end, they sound quite unnatural and it makes it all the harder to sell the idea of a real string section, even though you have done some nice work with accents and dynamics. Because of this, it plays out more or less like a demo, really.


VOTING
So, to the SCOREBOARD! (I'll give your track a go as well, Benjamin - just haven't gotten around to it yet.):
Best of luck to everyone - I enjoyed listening a lot!

Once again we have a great series of tracks. Well done everyone for interpreting the theme and coming up with a track to reflect that which was "required".

Here are my comments after listening to your track as they came in and also through my review process. I hope you will understand your position in the results table on reading my comments. The top 4 were hard to separate - really

dB

My Comments on your tracks
=========================

Anthemic - Anthemic_Nde

This starts out with some very nice pads. After the drop which is well executed we then have a very trance orientated track which doesn't really fit the "epic" part of the brief. The mix sounds bright and clear, but does to my ears lack a certain amount of change of dynamics.

The Ted Mountainé Orchestra - Who Knew?

This track starts by setting the scene of the proposal with a great narrative and mix of sounds. The slamming of the (car) doors give a good sense of the music to come. The musical introduction is well done with a nice rhythmic section which builds nicely with the addition of the bass parts and pads. I get that the blackout is the end from this track ... no hope!

TrojakEW - Retstart

This has a very good rhythmic start. The bass drop is cool, and very good! The minor chords from the strings set out a good bedding onto which you have layered the vocals and flute. The transition to the section with the violins is well handled and the move back to the cellos and basses with the voice is fabulous. [Just a thought - when using orchestral elements, I expected a "standard" layout of the sounds in the stereo field, ie violins on the left, cellos/contrabass on the right, flute say 5-10% left.]

JILLIAM - A Sad Quiet Age/Only Wind is Howling

The start is interesting with the single "piano" with the strings/brass coming in. The howling wind motif and phased noise drives the introduction forward nicely. The electronic strings are a nice addtion. I do find the percussion a little odd in that the main drums and the noise/percs on the right don't quite fit rhythmically? I also am not sure if the piano sound is clipping or is designed like that? I would have liked the last section to have more of a climax perhaps given the drums were providing the "epic" nature to the overall track.

The Exponent - Desolation

Wonderful start. Reminds of Tangerine Dream around 1.00m. The drop is good with the phone answering and the bowed strings. The next section really builds nicely with extra elements being well thought out. The last section with the movement just adds to the climax in an "epic" way, leading to the sad end (of communications!). The track tells the story well. The sounds are well chosen and mixed - again, perhaps the only (useful) criticism I could make was to think about orchestral placement - old ears perhaps expect the instruments to be in their place!

Clueless (MOonocqa)- DarkDays

Great opening section full of foreboding! I like the tentative (electronic) percussion when it comes in too. The drop to silence is apt. The next section clearly tells the story. The change at 3:40 is spot on - the small electronic motifs and white noise fitting well with the "flatline" to end. Great track, well balanced mix and sounds.

Upright Joe - A Call Unanswered

Nice intro with the delayed piano. Spooky! The strings come in nicely. The sound is interteresting when you bring in your guitar. Perhaps a little more depth to the orchestral sounds would have helped a bit as they just don't seem forceful enough when driving an "epic" soundtrack. Lots of nice ideas, just falls a bit short of the epic sound I was expecting.

Henry J Olsen (toadhjo) - Apocalypse Makes Perfect

Nice idea with the intro with the "failing" scales practice! The blackout intro is good. The next section of stings and tuba is good lading to the revival of comms only to lose it again - good narrative. I like how the music gets more chaotic until the explosion leading to the nice piano and birds! Quiet at last. A good track with sounds which fulfil the epic genre, but are not full out into your face because the scene narrative helps that.

Dr. Dendrite - Symphonic Protestant

Great orchestral openingI like the Valhalla style "shimmer" sound before the transition. The brass is a good intro to your next section. Instruments well placed. The section at 2:40 is really good. It gives a great sense of something about to happen! But it leads to the toll of the bells - a long section, but given where it finally leads, very apt and it's this anticipation which lends it the "epic" feel.

Los Rospjierdolonos (Hit The Road Music Studio) - Lost Your Head

Ace artwork btw. Good start with the radio tuning. Deep basslines - fun! Good perc pickup. Good improvisations over the basslines. Not quite the "epic" sounding track called for, but nonetheless an enjoyable listen.

Erictracks - maybeitsagoodthing

I like this opening, the percussion is nice being very "dry". I like it in the next section where the beat picks up and the contrabass/cello picks up the bass line. Nice move to the quieter section with the guitar starting to feature - not sure of the arps section - much better when the guitar chords kick in. Nice addition of the fret noise. Overall, not really "epic" as required, but still a nice collection of sections of good ideas.

MarkS - Strange Things

Good start to the narrative, sets the scene well. I like the deep brassy bass and percussion. The stops around 2m are really good. Definitely add to that disconnect feeling. I find the delayed piano-esque sound a little overpowering after a while - maybe that's just me!

Not in Competition
==================
Benjamin D - post

Good start. Classic horns. Great transition at 54s. Nice sound design and mix in the next section. Fun glitches. Good final resolution (musically and track-wise!). Thanks for submitting it.

MY RESULTS
==========

this was a difficult top to rank electronic and orchestral music, but i tried to make it.

The Exponent, a very progressive song i have nothing to add.

Clueless, the song is very interesting especially the synthesized percussion. your username is Clueless but i think you
have a clue about you do.

toadjho, definitely not a ost but a short movie without video, that fits perfectly to the current theme.

TrojakEW,your song seems that has a connection to toadjho song. it's song has a big city, apocalypse theme for a long period and
a final to that, your songs is like a continuity to it and describes this period.

Dr Dendrite,listening to your song it is like flying in space. A bit is similar like star wars movies themes.i dont think that
you need to change something.

JILLIAM,your song reminds me the song of Andrew Bayer-You Are, because it has some similarities, even the loudness it pretty much the same.so i think it is a bit overdistorted/overcompressed, unless you decided to obtain such effect. but as a composition
is pretty good.

ANTHEMIC, it is like mixing of two songs, first is ending and another is starting.I think you can shorten
the beggining or to add it in the middle of track. To me the song's theme it is not about blackout but maybe something else.

UprightJoe, the song is pretty good, but to me the guitar does not fit to the song's theme. i think it is suited for a country theme rather than a blackout. Maybe you should replace it with something else, piano as an example.

DoctorBob, your song is like a fantasy/fairy tale theme in a movie or something like that.

Mountaine, an ost for a movie for sure, i have nothing to add.

erictracks, i think the arpeggio part is good to be as a chorus to the song.

Los_ady, a funky jazzy tune, but it seems it lacks something. maybe you should add a vocal or a brass instrument.
but as a whole thing it sounds good to me.

Some feedback for Leonard Bowman, your song could make it in this top. i think you can add some instruments to link the beginning and the ending. the bridge/breakdown is too long for me.

The top:

TL:DR; unimportant babbling.

Thanks for the feedback so far even though you don't need to. Some time in the next few days I'll cook up a little post on my impressions of the pieces, maybe some nitpicky interpretation stuff, and quite possibly I'll be barking up the wrong tree. Feel free to tell me I'm wrong.

MarkS wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 27, 2019 17:18 CET

the bridge/breakdown is too long for me.

Any time under censorship is too long for me, too.

There are some things about my piece that were the result of bad execution, but I stand firmly in favor of a great deal of what makes these songs uncomfortable. It's hard/impossible to judge modern art on technical constraints.
Put another way,
"A poem generated by its own laws may be unrealized and bad in terms of so-called objective principles of taste, judgement, deduction."
- A. R. Ammons

On no means do I criticize the ways in which people do/will vote. I just had an opinion I wanted to voice.

Best of luck in the voting process, it's a special challenge this month.

And here I am:

A mixed bag of praise and suggestions. I thought all of the tracks did a great job.

ANTHEMIC- NDE
Neat, but I definitely would have liked to see a return of the strings and emotion of the intro later in the piece. I do like the polyrhythmic figures in the trancey part though. Neat stuff, just didn't feel as effective as it could be.

mountaine- Who Knew...?
I like the interpretation. The sound design is efective and the composition moves really well.

TrojakEW- Restart
Nailed it! There's excellent variety in the sound and composition. I'm not sure I have much to say other than that's a lot of string swells.

DoctorBob- Phone Freakin'
There's a lot going on, which mostly works in this piece's favor. The details really make it something special. I still don't quite feel the connection between the oboe solo and vocal part there, although it's still a very nice section.

J I L L I A M- A Sad Quiet Age / Only Wind Is Howling
wow. The groove at 2:03 gets me every time. The whole thing is loud and noisy but pulls it off pretty well. Maybe having a solo / quiet section of just the wind could add a little more contrast and depth to the work.

The Exponent- Desolation
You're scaring me with your excellent sound design and composition skills. Only thing I can say that could be improved is I'd like a little more drastic quiet in the piece. It's really big, but I think you could stand to make the smaller sections slightly more empty so that the massive impacts really hit.

Clueless- Dark Days
Neat sound design, lots of good everything here. The main thing that I think took away from the experience was the sudden stop for the transition. It made me check to make sure my volume was working. It didn't feel intentional enough to me.

UprightJoe- A Call Unanswered
Good writing. Lots of good stuff but there were a few things that held it back a bit. The solo violin-ish thing always had a slow attack, which killed its realism. Also, sometimes the drums got really big and boomy and that reduced clarity of the piece. Maybe that's intentional, but I didn't quite get that feel.

toadhjo- Apocalypse Makes Perfect
The intro is really neat, sets things up nicely. Some places throughout the piece the sounds get a little strange or the balance feels a little off but it's entirely possible that was intentional.

Dr. Dendrite- Symphonic Protestant
The track has some good writing and emotion, but it could definitely benefit from a little more emptiness/quiet. Takes me on quite a journey, I'm glad it doesn't go too fast.

erictracks- maybe it's a good thing
Neat, there's a lot of good design and effects use going on here. Actually, the more I lsten to it, this one grows on me. I really like it.

Los_ady- Lost your Head
That's groovy, while still keeping good drama about it. I'm not quite getting "blackout" out of it, but I still think it fits pretty well.

MarkS- Strange Things
Vibraslap makes me happy. There's some neat stuff all around. Personally I'm curious as to the thought process behind the start of the main track and the ending, why you opened and closed with the percussion that you did.

Leonard Bowman wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 27, 2019 20:20 CET

TL:DR; unimportant babbling.

i can not call that unimportant, you have a point in what you speak.i mean when i rank a song or speak some words to the participant,
i use principles of personal taste, my judgement. so i often try to compare songs more as an edm or idm producer i would say,rather than a producer of that genre, since i am not expert in all music genres.(also i am not expert in the genre i try to create) So my opinion about a song can be useful sometimes, sometimes not. It is not a matter of good or bad, it is just a matter of perspective.