[uplifting trance]Signal Chain - Drifting 1.1 WIP (.mp3) upd

psishock · December 21, 2008, 22:44:02

Time passed dramatically fast i can tell you, few months are like few days for me.
So much work and so little time to enjoy life... ermmm anyway, recently finished the 1.1 vocal mash-up version, enjoy:

http://psi.lp1.nl/music/Signal_Chain_-_Drifting_1.1_vocal_mashup_version.mp3

Saga Musix · December 21, 2008, 23:43:15

drifting:
i was expecting something relaxing. well, this is true for a big part of the tune, but the drums are too aggressive imo. but the melodies are top-notch.

psishock · December 28, 2008, 00:11:29

mirror added

Harbinger · December 28, 2008, 15:56:23

Notes as i'm listening:

Excellent intro for Trance. Good transition at :55. Love the aural sounds at about 1:50 as the melody begins, but i'm finding the same problem here pulling out elements from the mix. You've used the same stereo effect for everything, so all the sounds are mixed in a soup and nothing has a place. It's not horrible nor amateurish, just sounds "over-produced". Take the stereo effect out of only some of the sounds you're using, and instead pan it to a certain aural location. You can still find good use for the delay effect and bounce that around, but ground some sounds (esp. the hard ones like anything staccato or percussive) at their own spots in space (the drum element here is fine). Then apply Reverb to put them "out there". If you do use stereo bring it down just enough to keep it from being empty and mono (unless that can produce an effect on its own), and use Reverb and Delay to create the effect of an ensemble of sound (coming from one source). I wouldn't change the mix levels, melodic layout, or the chordal and rhythmic progressions -- only the engineering needs any work here. BTW, as a connossieur of Trance, this is an excellent example of this genre! I'm keeping this one in the rotation, and will have my eye out if you come up with a new-and-improved production! (But i must say, if you don't change anything, the richness kind of grows on you, so feel free to ignore my wisdom!

)

And concerning the artwork: that is sublime and inspiring. (Thanks for keeping it decent; since i'm a prude i'm easily offended!

)

psishock · December 29, 2008, 16:23:10

Very very constructive and helpful critic Harbinger (for every of my recent songs or WIP pieces). I'll listen to them and will improve my weak points. I never wanted to ignore you (or anyone) at all

, everybody can have a very good point from a different type of view, that i can't see maybe all the time. You can expect an improved piece, but i need to figure out some technical stuff first.

Harbinger · January 01, 2009, 00:19:25

After i posted i realized i had broken one of my unspoken cardinal rules: don't compose someone else's creation! You obviously know what you're doing, and prob'ly know better than me how to do it thru MPT, and definitely know better than me the sound you're going for. So i do apologize for the over-critique...but if you're not offended, then it's all good. I do my best to describe what i hear, and try to avoid describing what i would do instead. But it is excellent work, and you'll make any improvements you deem fit. It's all cool

psishock · January 05, 2009, 01:15:16

Harbringer You did pinpoint the things that sounded strange to your ears and tried to help how would they sound more appealing. That is what the critics are about, i'm very much glad for these comments and i'll never be offended.

I'm always looking forward to hear what is on people's mind, so don't hold back on me.
Also i've received other point of views from other friends as well, and had enough time to thing about them. Now, the improved piece is online.

changelist:
- changed main kickdrum
- dynamic fixup
- added fixed stereo panning to some sounds
- added variable moving stereo panning to some sounds
- added some extra variations and extra instruments here and there
- worked a bit on the final EQ to suit my ears/speakers better, but this can be very variable and personal

unfa · January 16, 2009, 20:31:16

time: 5:01.75 - I love the breakthrough and the tune that starts here. It gives me the shiver, but (IMO) the saw synthetizer have a lil bit too big loudness/cutoff hops in here. 5:06-5:08: here the LFO (or just note repeatng) is in it's peak level.

Whole track seems to me as a great piece of epic ambiental trance

Fantastic tunes, psishock!

Maybe I'am listening to some old version of 'Drifting' (downloading failed when i tried today - 404 n.f.)

Harbinger · January 17, 2009, 00:17:07

Excellent update. This one stays in my rotation! :wink:

Sam_Zen · January 17, 2009, 10:21:44

hm, just listened to the first one, then replaced it by the latest version.
And I must say, that I miss a bit of the raw daring excitement of the first one.
(I guess drifring is a typo).

unfa · January 17, 2009, 12:27:58

I just got the newest version. I hear some more dynamics compression and EQ treatment. As for me: it got better. IMO compression and EQ fits here.

psishock · January 20, 2009, 14:28:48

Quote from: "Unfa"time: 5:01.75 - I love the breakthrough and the tune that starts here. It gives me the shiver

Lol, that part gave me the same shivers 2 when i've heard it on the first few times ^^, it's a nice subconscious sign that it's good what i'm doing. I'm really glad that you've enjoyed it 2.

Quote from: "Unfa", but (IMO) the saw synthetizer have a lil bit too big loudness/cutoff hops in here. 5:06-5:08: here the LFO (or just note repeatng) is in it's peak level.

Gocha, it's intentional, i think it will stay, but anything can change over time 'till the "real" release.

Quote from: "Sam_Zen"hm, just listened to the first one, then replaced it by the latest version. And I must say, that I miss a bit of the raw daring excitement of the first one.

Hmm, i'm aiming as you can see for more dynamic and stronger sounding, but both versions have they good and down sides. The first one is a lot more "weaker" or raw as you've stated. But for general ears (imo), the second version is the more appealing one, and i'm trying to go on that way.

Quote from: "Sam_Zen"(I guess drifring is a typo).

Yes, please don't mind it.

Quote from: "Harbinger"Excellent update. This one stays in my rotation!

You're welcome. ^^

psishock · August 11, 2009, 19:33:29

Still work in progress, but it's still a big update that is worthwhile to show.

uncloned · August 11, 2009, 21:03:27

this is great - the piano ending and vocals superb!!

wow! :shock:

Harbinger · August 15, 2009, 20:47:02

Notes as i'm listening

I was starting to like it, but was unnerved by the vocals. I think i got too used to the original version, and the updated version just didn't seem as good. It seemed like we were missing some of the channels of the song -- alot of the layers were gone. The piano addition was okay, but would have sounded better mixed in with the layer from the original.
For myself, i think trance is better with only one or two vocals, because they tend to be distracting from the instrumentals. But that's my taste.

Yjana, however, loved the new version better than the original. She said she would have liked the vocals to be repeated and the song lengthened. Neither of us though like the disappearing of the beat at the end of the song.

So as for me, i'll keep the original in my rotation. I have a feeling Yjana will keep this newer version. I am glad to know this is still a WIP (i just saw the previous post). :wink: