Humbly Asking for Feedback

[Faith No More]

No way, dude. This is funk and ambient where the guitar ain't the star.

[bennyboy]

I only listened on my laptop, so ignore my comments if you already did the things I said.

Let me start first by saying I think the piece has a very nice atmospheric progression-- you add and subtract elements on a very nice curve over the whole piece, and the sounds work very nicely together.

As for critique: first of all, your most repeated theme (a bass note then the little piano riff) seems a little too soft on the timing of the first piano note-- maybe you humanized the pattern? It might be meant to feel chill or relaxed, but it feels slightly sloppy to me instead. I'd adjust volume levels of each not to get the mood, instead of having the timing like that. But hey, that's just how my particular ear hears it.

Also, with this kind of ambient music, you want to change the room size of the reverb to affect the "focal point" of the sound. Stereo separation can also help widen the field of vision, as can an exciter or a hint of overdrive. Strangely, the best example I've ever heard of this was the "I had you at hello" speech given by Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire. I'd definitely have envelopes for those things rather than single settings. (I'll listen again with studio headphones, it's very possible that you did all these things and my audio at work just isn't good enough)

[houseofcantor]

I've denied the accusation of being an artist in the past due to the fact that it has always been simply the coordination between the tools of eye and hand and brain with the application of mathematics to canvas. One day I have an oval on a graph that I'm calling my Gwynnies when the stupid brain inserts a line.

That's not there in the picture, stupid brain.

That's art, stupid brain replies.

May you find that point as a musician. I'm sure it's alright.

Edit: That's better than alright. Little slow for me. Makes me wanna break out the Garage Band. And get a mic.

[Faith No More]

I only listened on my laptop, so ignore my comments if you already did the things I said.

Let me start first by saying I think the piece has a very nice atmospheric progression-- you add and subtract elements on a very nice curve over the whole piece, and the sounds work very nicely together.

As for critique: first of all, your most repeated theme (a bass note then the little piano riff) seems a little too soft on the timing of the first piano note-- maybe you humanized the pattern?  It might be meant to feel chill or relaxed, but it feels slightly sloppy to me instead.  I'd adjust volume levels of each not to get the mood, instead of having the timing like that.  But hey, that's just how my particular ear hears it.

Also, with this kind of ambient music, you want to change the room size of the reverb to affect the "focal point" of the sound.  Stereo separation can also help widen the field of vision, as can an exciter or a hint of overdrive.  Strangely, the best example I've ever heard of this was the "I had you at hello" speech given by Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire.  I'd definitely have envelopes for those things rather than single settings.  (I'll listen again with studio headphones, it's very possible that you did all these things and my audio at work just isn't good enough)

Hey, thanks, man. I actually write it all while using some nice Sennheiser headphones, but I found out just recently that it all sounds drastically different on my 10" speakers. I was actually thinking about starting a thread to see if anyone has any tips or secrets for mastering, like what to use to listen when you're doing it. Plus, I hadn't even realized how to master the track very well in the software when I posted this. I figured out a few tricks that make it sound better.

As for that first note, I see what you mean. I'd have to go back to the song to see what exactly was going on there and what I was thinking.

---

Edit: That's better than alright. Little slow for me. Makes me wanna break out the Garage Band. And get a mic.

Ha, thanks.

[bennyboy]

Hey, thanks, man.  I actually write it all while using some nice Sennheiser headphones, but I found out just recently that it all sounds drastically different on my 10" speakers.  I was actually thinking about starting a thread to see if anyone has any tips or secrets for mastering, like what to use to listen when you're doing it.  Plus, I hadn't even realized how to master the track very well in the software when I posted this.  I figured out a few tricks that make it sound better.

I'm by no means a master, as you can see when I put some of my own music up for critique. But the internet now has pretty much everything you could learn, ever, about any kind of music or music production. The internet has exploded with people who know every little trick in the book and will take hours of their time to make sure you can know it, too!

As for that first note, I see what you mean.  I'd have to go back to the song to see what exactly was going on there and what I was thinking.

My guess is that you played the piano part live rather than sequenced. Having a humanized timing for a note repeated through the entire song is something you have to do with great, great, caution IMO.

[Faith No More]

My guess is that you played the piano part live rather than sequenced.  Having a humanized timing for a note repeated through the entire song is something you have to do with great, great, caution IMO.

I only tried that on my first song.  Now I play out how I want the melody to go on the Midi controller, and then I fill the pattern with my mouse.  I'm wondering if the attack is set wrong on the synth.

[bennyboy]

Attack on a piano really can't be wrong-- it's more strings sounds that will end up peaking late I think. Unless you are playing midi live with Asio4All, which usually gives about a 1/10 second delay. But that wouldn't matter if you were filling in notes by hand.

You know, it's very possible that you are just more jazzy than I am, or in a more relaxed groove. Listening from about 2:40 on, I can really hear that the piano note is falling in between small beats. If you hear my music, you'll hear that when I sequence, it's very strongly metronomic.

[Alex K]

I currently work mostly with headphones, and I judge the sound of something by listening to it on my HD 600 (an elegant open design), then my HD 280 (a closed design for DJ use), and my standard issue car stereo

[KUSA]

So, I know these threads don't usually amount to much, but I'm kind of desperate to get feedback for a song I've written.  I know, I know, you're saying to yourself, "Who wants to listen to a song written by some dude on the internet?"  Well, the thing is, I can't tell if I like it or not.  I've completely lost perspective on this one after having listened to it over and over.  I just would like to know if I'm on the right track.  It's only five minutes long, so it won't take up your entire day to listen to it and say if you like it or not.  Besides, if you're holding a grudge against me for whatever reason, this is perfect way for you to get back at me.   Give it a listen and then shit on everything wrong with it.

Anyways, we'll see how this goes, but I figured I'd give it a shot.  I've got nothing to lose.  Oh, and please let me know if music like this isn't your cup of tea.  It's nice to have that context if you don't like it.

It's an ambient/electronic song that uses several digitally created acoustic sounds.  Please give it a listen...

I like it. Listen to some Rameses B for some inspiration.

https://youtu.be/l_fXOgeTp4E

[The Industrial Atheist]

This has a nice groove with kind of a martial feel to it.