[Progressive Metal] Spirit Odontoceti (MP3) School project

[HvitRavn]

This is an exam I'm working on. The mix isn't done yet, so the guitar on your right ear might sound a little loud, as well as some glitches in the drums and generally an unfinished production. However my deadline is this friday, so if you have any comments (any at all), I would appreciate it alot!

Link: http://folk.ntnu.no/andrerav/sekrit/Spirit%20Odontoceti.mp3

Gear used: Ibanez RG 520, Behringer V-Amp 2
Virtual instruments: EZDrummer + DFH, Broomstick bass, and Edirol Orchestral

Edit: I would've posted the IT, but it's gazillion jiggabytes large (141MB), and it uses a few non-free VST's :/

Re-edit: this is also my first tune that uses any kind of VST

Update: here's the final mixdown -> http://folk.ntnu.no/andrerav/div/Spirit%20Odontoceti%207.mp3

[apple-joe]

Just downloaded. Gonna listen in a while, and return with comments.

[HvitRavn]

Thanks apple-joe, I'm looking forward to it. Feedback from other people than myself is gold. PS You might want to re-download, I uploaded a way better mixdown.

[Sam_Zen]

A nice classic piece, a bit gothic like, with good sounds, but with a kind of nondescript ending.

You say it's an unfinished production yet. Don't fall in the trap of overproduction, I would say.
It already makes impression enough, so be reserved with still adding more effects or reverb. Otherwise you'll probably end up with a soup of sound.

I'm really amazed about the size of your original module. This is lightyears away from the old situation of tracking where one could make a module of 200 Kb for a song of 6 minutes.

EDIT I missed your reply in the meantime, so this is about version 1

[HvitRavn]

Thanks for your feedback Sam! I agree with the notion of overproduction. In fact I'm considering removing the reverb I put on the master, it makes it sound a bit more crisp and snappy

And about the size of the module, it's because of my guitar samples. They take a whole lot of space. Currently the directory with my guitar recordings (out of which 99% is used in the tune) contains 107MB of audio. And there is also some big ambience samples in there (which are unused yet, they are for the ending).

PS! Check out version 2, it's a much better mix

[Sam_Zen]

The 2nd one is a bit more in balance indeed, although the break from around 1:25 with the drums and guitars is a bit weakened, because the guitar-sounds have a bit less 'body'.

Regarding the size, I'm surprised. (I don't use VST's so far, so) I expected this due to all kinds of plugins, not to samples.
Does this mean that each sample has about the length of the whole song ?

[HvitRavn]

Well yes, if you combine all the backing guitar samples they almost have twice the length of the entire song (two different guitars on right and left channel), and that doesn't include the higher solo parts.

[apple-joe]

Establishes a nice mood quickly. It may be my headphones, but the drums sound a little tame. Not the way you've structured the rhythm, but the sound itself. Again, it may be my headphones.

Really nice atmosphere around 2:11. Ah, a guitar solo starts, 2:21. Very enjoyable.

I'd gladly listen to some more.

[HvitRavn]

Thanks for your feedback apple-joe, I can see I'm on the right track 'cause alot of people seem to like this tune

Here's a brand spanking new mixdown, with a beefed up drum kit and lots of small changes -> http://folk.ntnu.no/andrerav/sekrit/Spirit%20Odontoceti%202.mp3

PS! I think your headphones are perfectly fine, apple-joe

[apple-joe]

Overall, nice atmosphere, yeah. My only complain is that the snare tends to drown a bit some places. For the shorter guitar+bass+drums interlude part, the sound may have been better (perhaps just because of the abscence of a few of the other instruments). To me, even the hi-hat sounded clearer, but this may be intentional from your side. It's after all a matter of preference. And I'm by no means a drummer.

Very pro sound in general, let me re-state that.

[HvitRavn]

Thank you all for your feedback, I delivered the song today. I'm hoping I can get a B unless my mix is seriously flawed

Here's the final mixdown: http://folk.ntnu.no/andrerav/div/Spirit%20Odontoceti%207.mp3

[KrazyKatz]

Wow. Your school must rock if this is the stuff you're allowed to do.
Since its an outstanding piece, I may as well be stringent on critique.

1 - The piano isn't needed in the beginning. It actually in a way kills the suspense since it mellows it out.
2 - Drums sound lifeless and lack dynamics.
3 - End was thrown together from the point the drums stop playing. An absolute shame since it turns the piece from pro level into amateurish and this piece could be worthy of a record deal.

Well apart from that it rocks in every way!

You clearly like Dream-Theater... As do I . If I ever need a killer guitarist, I know who to ask.

Out of interest what microphone did you use to record the guitar?

Keep it up!

[HvitRavn]

Wow. Your school must rock if this is the stuff you're allowed to do.
Since its an outstanding piece, I may as well be stringent on critique.

1 - The piano isn't needed in the beginning. It actually in a way kills the suspense since it mellows it out.
2 - Drums sound lifeless and lack dynamics.
3 - End was thrown together from the point the drums stop playing. An absolute shame since it turns the piece from pro level into amateurish and this piece could be worthy of a record deal.

Well apart from that it rocks in every way!

You clearly like Dream-Theater... As do I . If I ever need a killer guitarist, I know who to ask.

Out of interest what microphone did you use to record the guitar?

Keep it up!

Thanks for the critic, I agree on all your points - sadly I only had two weeks to compose and produce this, and there were some of stupid limitations (maximum 4 minutes long, had to have a non-rythmic part). I might pick this song back up some day though, and make a better intro and outro (:

And you are absolutely correct, I like Dream Theater and listen to it alot (also Ayreon, Pain of Salvation, and lots of progmetal in general). Many of the drum bridges and grooves are inspired by Dream Theater and Mike Portnoy.

As for microphone, I record my guitar through a Behringer V-Amp 2, so there's no microphone. Though, the guitar (an Ibanez RG520) is equipped with DiMarzio Air Norton (neck) and Seymour Duncan Distortion (bridge) pickups (:

[mrvegas]

Very smoothly mixed -- great production job.  You should get better than a B.