Posted
Spent a couple of hours the other night experimenting with synfire and some guitar and drum stems from a friend of mine and came up with this. Still very rough but just exploring ideas. Using Synfire is starting to help me out a lot, the effort spent learning the product is really starting to pay back now. Still lots to learn but I am loving the new version.
http://soundcloud.com/blacksun/wip2
Id love some feedback both good and bad
Do., 23.02.2012 - 08:40 Permalink
Mark, thanks so much for your excellent comments, will have a think about what you've suggested. Even listening back after reading your comments, I hear things differently, which is why I posted to a forum used by music makers and not music appreciators. I was looking for comments that would help improve the tune at this early stage, not searching for praise.
Thanks again
Martyn
Do., 23.02.2012 - 09:27 Permalink
I think the piece is nice, can hear it's jamming around. Here are some thoughts for your to ponder. These idears are mine and subjective, please take don't take it personally. First of all it's a bit hard asking for critiques, If it is done in a spirit of well meaning. it can be very helpful. I've uploaded songs, got several excellent, then one person will really hit the nail on the head about a flaw in the music, I never would have gotten.
I belong to a site Craftymusic.com it is for Yamaha arranger enthusiasts, about a year ago there was a discussion about critiquing songs. Some people only want to hear praise, and will get upset if they hear anything else. But I've noticed the quality of everyone's work has improved tremendously. They no longer let the 'blibs' go by, or ignore the distortion in the vocal track etc.. Of course everyone has their own opinion about things, You don't have to agree with everyone's accessment, just acknowledge that you got their point, and move.
Take the first riff, and add some parameters to it, so there is a bit of variety. I assuming the main riff is four bars long. Make a 5 or 6 bar 'pause' parameter. so you'll get some variation, but not too much. You could make copies of main riff and alter parameters, velicitty, add or subtract a note or two.. Or add a another instance of same instrument, which is 12 bars long, and introduces a couple of grace notes..If results are messy. Reapply figure recognition to smooth it out. .
I'd make the bass not so synthy, it kind of overpowers the rest of song. You might try a bit more rhythmic variation.
Lastly experiment with chords progression. , You can put them in a different container, use them or not, It's a micacle worker in some songs, (do you want a bridge sections. Chord substitutions here and there hold the listeners attention longer. I would liked to hear more of the the guitar player when he starts to go off.
The last issue which you did fairly well in, is the pallette of sounds you choose to use. You shouldn't use 4 tracks that all have similar charactistics, unless it is an effect you are going for. You are carving a sound sculpture, You need to make room for all the parts to play, be heard, and not step on each other. It's like an artist chooses the colors he is going to use first.
Give some thought to that. I used to not do that and would end up with 4 seperate parts, that all could be played by the vibes, which gave the piece for coherence and consistancy It's taken me over 30 years to realize the power of the sound pallete you are using. Many instruments (synths are notorious use all kind of harmonics) and it's sometimes quite a chore to get all the sounds in line.
The orchestra has spend hundreds of hears definining it's sound pallette. That's why they work so well. Six tracks of synths playing raw sawtooth waves doesn't cut. But like I said you pallette choice is not bad, I might have refined it more, so that each instrument was distnctly in it's on sonic landscape.
Keep up the good work.