[Space Music] Farewell (mp3) Music Critique Requested

I-S3-O · October 26, 2017, 20:27:44

Hello all.

This is my first time posting a song like this. I would like some critique on it, to see how I can make both it, and future songs, better. It's called Farewell, written with consideration for a game that has already finished development (like, 4 years ago). It's not in the game, but I kept it in mind while making it. It's supposed to be a send-off song for this pilot who's leaving his home country to find something new.

Here's the song and the .it file. I used a few VST's so the project might not sound right. Here's the list:

• EpicVerb
• BootEQMkII

Please let me know if you need more. Thanks in advance!

UDPATE: Sorry if the genre is misleading; I did the best I could to categorize it. I was just making the thing. I had no idea what type of music it was going to be.

UPDATE: Added the sample suggestion to this song now: Check out V2, if you so desire. Here's the new .it as well.

Spectrei · October 28, 2017, 03:18:06

I don't really have much negative to say about this song. It's a really wonderful and peaceful song, yet still has plenty of variation in the notes and the instruments to keep things interesting throughout the duration of the piece. The one thing that stood out to me was the "nursery chime" sound at certain parts of the piece. Most of the time when it was in the background, it sounded fine, but at a couple parts when it was loud and in the center, the sustain felt a bit too long, almost artificial-sounding since the timber didn't vary much.

Aside from that, really nice song. Thank you for sharing. ^.^

I-S3-O · October 28, 2017, 05:54:02

Thanks for the reply. I'm glad you liked it.

Saga Musix · October 28, 2017, 17:24:40

The composition is fine, but could make use of some better samples. In particular the loop on the musicbox sample is a big jarring.
By the way, the IT file references another plugin in slot 3 which appears to be unused.

I-S3-O · October 28, 2017, 18:56:18

Ok. Thanks for that! I suppose to handle the static timbre of the music box on fadeouts, I can add some vibrata to it. Would that fix it a little? As for replacing the music box sample with a better one, any free suggestions?

Also if you have problems with the other samples I used, let me know which ones. I know that I could have edited the Bowed Glass a little, so I wouldn't have to offset it each time, but what others did you have in mind?

Saga Musix · October 28, 2017, 19:04:54

Quote from: I-S3-O on October 28, 2017, 18:56:18
Ok. Thanks for that! I suppose to handle the static timbre of the music box on fadeouts, I can add some vibrata to it. Would that fix it a little? As for replacing the music box sample with a better one, any free suggestions?

It could probably help a little, but it would probably be better to shorten the fadeout (a lot) and then apply some large reverb to compensate. I don't have any specific free samples to replace it with, but there is a large collection of samples at ftp://ftp.untergrund.net/users/sagamusix/samples/
Maybe the "A24 HandzUpBel" sample from X5DR.7z could be suitable with some editing.

I-S3-O · October 28, 2017, 20:03:53

I'm not sure what's going on. Maybe because I'm nowhere near Germany or something, but for some reason, I can't download the file (if that is what I'm supposed to do with it), and when it tries to play, it's very intermittent, as if it's being downloaded from a moon base. I may only get 2-4 seconds at a time, and then I have to wait for almost 30 seconds for the next set.

What am I supposed to do?

Saga Musix · October 28, 2017, 21:22:27

Yeah for some reasons some browsers try really hard to play some audio inside the 7z files; just use Right-Click -> Save As instead.

I-S3-O · February 01, 2018, 09:25:48

I finally got a chance to do the update you suggested. You can get the link to the new version in the OP. Thanks for the sound suggestion; it sounds excellent! I want to learn how to make my sounds as good as these! I included your name in the description of the new one. Not sure if I should do anything else, though. Let me know what you think of it. I had a hard time balancing it so that it functions like the old sound.

Saga Musix · February 01, 2018, 12:31:36

Nice improvement. Are you going to update the IT file as well?
I can't take any credits for this, I just sampled the sound from this soundset for the Korg X5DR.

QuoteI want to learn how to make my sounds as good as these!

I know it works different for everyone, but what I think helps is to not collect samples but synthesizers (both hardware and software). I sample a lot from them, both self-made sounds and also sounds from other people (like the bell sample you used). Some people can make just about any synthesizer sound good, but of course there is a lot of crap that is hardly customizable to your own likings, so they are not really usable for anything but preset sounds. Thus, finding the right "toy" to play with is important - know what your synthesizer can and cannot do.

I-S3-O · February 01, 2018, 16:53:22

Two hmmm.....'s:

Hmmm....I suppose I should update the .it file. Guess I'll do that.

Hmm....I guess that means that I haven't found a synth that produces basses with good kick, or maybe that there's extra theory to this that I'm missing. It seems I can make plenty of good lead and high-end to mid sounds, but not bass. They come out either attenuated or muddy, especially after porting over to OpenMPT.

Saga Musix · February 01, 2018, 20:28:16

Yes, not every synth is suitable for every type of sound. FM-based synths and classic analog synth designs are very suitable for synthetic basses. Be sure to go easy on the effects (such as chorus/reverb) though, they can easily make your bass muddy. It's really mostly a matter of practice and experience.