Amicus717

I'm using AOL's browser, and this...

18 minutes ago, Mesh said:

Yes Amicus, and it's quite annoying, Not quite sure what's causing it, but it only happens in the cakewalk forum.

My experience also. 

Nice!   Like this a lot. Really good mix,  and a nice orchestration. I really enjoyed the main theme, and the thematic development during the piece.  Also, I thought the mix of orchestra and  keyboards/guitar/voice was really effective. 

The only suggestion I'd make is possibly  a moment of dynamic variation later in the piece - maybe before the main theme gets stated in its fullest presentation, it might make for a nice contrast to pull the intensity right down for a bar or two, then bring it back with a bang.

Also,  a key change modulation somewhere  in here might be a nice touch, too. 

Those aren't criticism, just observations. I like really enjoyed listening to this. 

Rob

8 hours ago, craigb said:

 

Ok, my normal replies as an IT consultant:

• Clean your keyboard
• If it's wireless, change the battery
• If it's not, it's probably time for a new keyboard
• Stop blaming innocent forums 😜

Naw, this happens on multiple computers, and manifests differently   if I'm typing on my phone or one of my home computers.   

Is anyone else experiencing any kind of text spacing problems when typing a forum message? I find that every few words I have to hit the space bar more than a few times to shift the cursor over, and the finished post will look okay in one browser, but in other browser will have instances of excessive spaces between some words and no space between others. I’ve even noticed older posts from a few months ago will have some spacing issues when I call them up.  
 

Anyone else seeing this?

Good song, and a nice spacious mix.   I really liked the guitar work    in this one.

Enjoyed listening to it.   

Rob

21 hours ago, Hidden Symmetry said:

Enjoyed this. I'm on laptop so hard to judge but the overall mix is coming through nice & clear. Also good use of instruments & dynamics. - great job

Thanks, HS - appreciate the listen and comments.   Getting the right progression of instruments abd making it all sound organic took a surprising amount of try and re-try - one of the side-effects of having so many different options to choose from in my library collection

3 hours ago, Douglas Kirby said:

It sounds like an opening theme - nice job.. The mix sounded fine to me.

Thanks Douglas!    Glad to hear the mix worked for you -- this was a tough one to put together, from that perspective. There is so much going on, especially in the final quarter, that it was a real balancing act, and I've listened to it so much over the past few days, I no longer have perspective on it.

That was really a fun listen. Enjoyed it a lot. Great song. I like the vibe of the piece, and I really like the vocal work. That's a lot of lyrics, and you flow through them smoothly and with l some nice control and authority. Sounds very  good.  The  overall  sound  struck  me as the  performance of a really tight band rocking out at a bar. 

The only thing that sort of caught my attention was the sound of the lead guitar, which seems to be buried a bit in room ambiance. That's not a criticism, per se -- this genre of music is not my specialty and I don't feel like I can make really deep comments on it -- but it struck me as being almost in a different soundscape than the lead vocals, which are very forward and present, and I personally found the contrast to be a bit distracting. Not a really a criticism, just a personal observation. 

I also heard a bit of  clipping (or maybe  processing artifacts) at 1:21 and 1:23, and maybe a bit after  (this is in reference to Mix 2).

But overall I really like the song and the musicianship. Great performances all around.

Rob

This is very, very nice. Relaxing, and with enough going on to maintain interest.  Really enjoyed it.  Also, the mix is clean and detailed, and came across as very three   dimensional to my ears. 

A great listen, all around. 

Rob

This is great - the 7/8 time works really well (and after a few bars begins to feel quite natural), and the vocal/instrumental work is really good. Nice mix, too.  

Good stuff all around.

Rob

Hi folks,

I updated and revised a bit of this track, added some more details and improved (I think) the  mix, including taming a few instruments that were getting a bit out of hand. I'd be very curious to hear folks comments on the newer version:  

Hey Wookie, this one is kind of hypnotic and yet slightly unsettling at the same time - which is an impressive combination.
 

Nice combo of sounds and tones, and the mix is clear and has nice detail.

Rob  

Very nice, HS! I like the melodic vibe to this one -  a really enjoyable listen, with a very polished sound. 

Mix is clean and clear, and I could hear lots of interesting    details.  I'm not really a guitar guy at all ( I like guitar, but I'm no expert when it comes to tone or style or whatever), but I really liked the guitar part at the 2:51 mark. Pulling the  intensity down worked very nicely here, and the guitar sound just jumped out at me in the nicest way. Really liked that part. 

And the sax sound is really gorgeous in this one. Great stuff. 

Rob

Hi DalaiTom, I like the various sounds used for this  one, and the  mix seems pretty balanced over all, and is nice and clear.

This is not really my genre of music at all, so  I don't feel I can offered a detailed critique.  There were some very nice variations to the main motif as the music progressed (in particular I liked the arrangement at the 2:10 mark), although mixing that main motif up with a bit more varied stuff might add an extra layer of interest to the song.  I also thought maybe some more bass punch might give a bit more force to the recording, as well. 

But I enjoyed the listen, overall!

Rob

I really like it, Bjorn . Builds rather nicely and quite organically, which keeps it interesting. Nice mix, too.

Could be the soundtrack for a movie  about red rocks that is directed by David Lynch or Darren Aronofsky - all which is a good thing

As regards being a slump -- been there, know what it is like.

I don't know if this will be helpful, but for what it's worth:  when I find myself in that situation  (and I do on a regular basis) I take my habit of writing fast, and jack  it up on steroids.  I  just start with an idea (and sometimes a pretty feeble one), turn off all critical faculties, good taste and common sense, and just   go. 

 I make a point of slogging to the end, however    atrocious it may be. Usually  this produces crap, but even the biggest mess will have  a few gems  in it that can be used elsewhere. And occasionally, it produces something quite usable that can be built on (exhibit A for that would be my "Soldier's Hornpipe"). 

If nothing else, it gets the juices flowing again. I cannot recommend  that approach enough. 

Rob

21 hours ago, DeeringAmps said:

I'll just second that, but add you're being a bit hard on yourself...

t

Thanks, I appreciate the comments  I have a wee bit of a perfectionist streak...

19 hours ago, Starise said:

I believe all of that hard work has payed off! This would be perfectly content to sit in many documentaries. It has all of the energy needed to bring the video into a better place. My only small nit would be it was a hint too low in volume overall. I know you don't traditionally mix  this sort of music at the volume you would mix say , a rock track. Some of it might be the quality of the mp3 after upload. I'm sure the wav file sounds slightly different. I don't hear it as extremely low. Just maybe a few db. I'm thinking you really want it to pop when the video comes on. If you could get it in surround even better.

 

Thanks, Starise!   Appreciate it. And yeah, I was thinking along the same lines. The finished version will be a bit hotter. 

Hi Jerry, I like this composition a lot, and the recording has a really lovely, transparent sound to it. Very nice.

Rob

12 hours ago, daryl1968 said:

love this Rob. It's a bit of a musical tour of the world. Very well done

Thanks Daryl. Appreciate the listen and the comments

Welcome to the forum!

Love the subject matter, and the song has a great vibe to it. I do agree with Lynn regarding the vocal mix -- while I could follow the words, it took a lot more work than it probably should, and that was a bit of a distraction. 

I'd be very curious to hear this with a modified vocal treatment. But overall, I liked this one. 

Rob

16 hours ago, bjornpdx said:

This is really good. I give it A+ on energy and drive.
Not sure I noticed some of the instruments you mentioned eg sitar, didgeridoo

Some impressions I got
0:08 scenes of India or thereabouts
0:17 Americana.  Wagon trains, Oregon Trail
0:50 March of civilization going faster and faster

Thanks Bjorn, as always I appreciate the listen and the comments. And I really like your impressions - that is pretty much the sort of "moving through the centuries/cultures" vibe I was aiming for.

20 hours ago, Wookiee said:

As you have stated it is a rough I am ignoring your own mix comments @Amicus717 
 

Musically/compositional it would appear to achieve its objective, it has some tension as if there is some more to come whilst inviting one in to explore.

Thanks, Wookie! Appreciate it. That, too, is the exact vibe I was seeking.

On 8/18/2020 at 3:58 AM, Bajan Blue said:

for what you've described this is to be used for, it sounds very good to me - it has that sort of Historical  feel to it

Look forward to hearing / seeing the finished piece

Nigel

Thanks, Nigel. Appreciate the listen. This one will need a bit of work if I'm going to realize the original idea in full, but I'll post it as soon as I have it finished. And hopefully, I'll be able to include the visuals. 

Rob

Love your stuff, Wook. This one, too. Very evocative, and has a hypnotic vibe to it. Drums sound nice, and fit in quite well to the overall vibe. 

The one thing that did sort of distract me a bit -- the side-to-side panning of the lead, which I wondered was maybe a bit too strident. But that is strictly a minor thing. Nice piece!

I like it. Well played, and the vocal work is pretty strong, to my ears. You've got a really nice voice. 

I can't really offer advice about the mix -- this type of music is not an area I've ever spent time working in, and I don't feel qualified to comment.

But I really like the song. Held my attention all the way through.

Rob

Sounds great, Daryl.

I didn't hear the previous mix of this, so all I can comment on is the new "less top" version, and it sounds good my ears. Clear and clean, and a nice spacious mix. 

Really good stuff, well-performed!

Rob

Evocative and atmospheric, I like it a lot.

One thing that might add an extra dimension, especially to the second half of the piece, is a deeper percussion instrument showing up. Maybe a nice deep, thrumming tympanum that hits maybe once a bar on the downbeat - or some variation of that.  Might just give it a bit of a tribal/ritual feel, which is also really appropriate for the whole Celtic vibe (to my ears, anyway). 

Love the use of voices in this one -- I often use them the say way, and it works really well here. 

Rob

Great! Really nice guitar work, and a lovely overall sound and vibe. Enjoyed listening to it.