[Trance/Electronica] (Experiments) In Instrumentation (MP3)

[SoundCrafter]

I have found a bit time before going to eat to do a quick review.

First of.. Yeah, indeed off key!!! Ugh.

I'm not fund of that dance kick. Reminds me too much of trance.

In fact, I think this song would qualify more under trance than chiptune for that matter.

The beat is a very basic 4/4. I understand you've tried to do nice stuff with the hihats and stuff, but the bassdrum just pumps out of it. Also you could do more with this basedrum.

The melody could use some work too. Try to use silences between the notes to give it more space. It is now like a fire cannon that can't stop, and since that one note is nice, it just plays that note the entire time.

It has a few nice pieces, but overall, it has the same feeling which doesn't keep the fun in the song. After one listen, I'd not put it in repeat, if you know what I mean.

Ah dinner is ready, and I have basically said what I wanted to say.

Thanks for your critique.  This has been my first piece since that not-so-great-Battle In Your Body (It's only saving grace was that it was remixed by Hellscion before I uploaded it)  I've been tracking for a while, but it was always at the back of my mind (I also made computer games at the time), so I never quite finished any pieces.  Recently, I regained my interest in tracking, and this is (once again) my first piece since BIYB.

First of.. Yeah, indeed off key!!! Ugh.

I'm not fund of that dance kick. Reminds me too much of trance.

In fact, I think this song would qualify more under trance than chiptune for that matter.

Yeah, that damn saw needs to go.  I actually did change it, but I don't have the time to upload it again.  And you're right, this song is more trancey, the only reason I had it as chip was because of that damn saw which I now want to die.  :twisted:   I'll change it to trance.  Also, percussionwise, I'm very sample-ey challenged. In fact, I'm sample-ly challenged in general. I did get some stuff off of BB Paradise but haven't had time to convert each and every sample one by one.

The beat is a very basic 4/4. I understand you've tried to do nice stuff with the hihats and stuff, but the bassdrum just pumps out of it. Also you could do more with this basedrum.

I Like bass and bassdrums. What can I say. If I hadn't used a VSTi on the bassline, I would have used two channels on that as well.

The melody could use some work too. Try to use silences between the notes to give it more space. It is now like a fire cannon that can't stop, and since that one note is nice, it just plays that note the entire time.

What one note?

After one listen, I'd not put it in repeat, if you know what I mean.

Yeah, I gotcha.  
Once again thx for the review.

[LPChip]

Thanks for your critique.

You're welcome

Yeah, that damn saw needs to go.  I actually did change it, but I don't have the time to upload it again.  And you're right, this song is more trancey, the only reason I had it as chip was because of that damn saw which I now want to die.  :twisted:   I'll change it to trance.  Also, percussionwise, I'm very sample-ey challenged. In fact, I'm sample-ly challenged in general. I did get some stuff off of BB Paradise but haven't had time to convert each and every sample one by one.

You didn't had to toss that saw aboard. It was great, it just needs to be pitched properly.

I Like bass and bassdrums. What can I say. If I hadn't used a VSTi on the bassline, I would have used two channels on that as well.

Thats good, but the hihats you hear in the beginning just gets drowned away by it. Either lower both's volume a bit, or raise that of the hihats. They deserve to be there even if its just a little boost.

What one note?

It was a figure of speech. Occasionally you keep the note on for like half a pattern, which is too long for a note that just doesn't do anything. Atleast thats the case in this song. It happens a few times.

Yeah, I gotcha.  

Once again thx for the review.

And once agian, you're welcome

[Squirrel Havoc]

Before I start, let me let you know I've been playing my Xbox for countless hours straight while listening to Daft Punk, so sorry if Im a little fuzzy... :wink:


The melody is hmm unexpected sounding. Like I expect the next note to be a C and it's a F# or something, it just plays on my expecatations, kinda like a clever movie. Nice chippy sound to it too.

The rest is super-catchy. Makes me want to bounce. Really cool song, I even have to agree on the length, not too long or too short.

[SoundCrafter]

Thx for the review SH, it really means alot.

It was a figure of speech. Occasionally you keep the note on for like half a pattern, which is too long for a note that just doesn't do anything. Atleast thats the case in this song. It happens a few times.

Aah...thanks, but I'm afraid I can't agree with you there.  Sometimes you have to hold out the note for a while, let it soak in. Although I wouldn't recommend doing that with an offkey saw. :lol:

[LPChip]

Thx for the review SH, it really means alot.

It was a figure of speech. Occasionally you keep the note on for like half a pattern, which is too long for a note that just doesn't do anything. Atleast thats the case in this song. It happens a few times.

Aah...thanks, but I'm afraid I can't agree with you there.  Sometimes you have to hold out the note for a while, let it soak in. Although I wouldn't recommend doing that with an offkey saw. :lol:

Yeah sure, but atleast DO something with that note while its on... Vibrato or anything... not dry, as you did. Some times I just had the feeling the note was whining, if you know what I mean.

[Squirrel Havoc]

If there is one thing I have learned about music in my 7+ years as a tracker, it's that there aren't many rules to music, just guidelines.

[SoundCrafter]

Yeah, I have to agree with you there Squirrel. If there were 'rules' to music, well, let's just say electronic music would not be anywhere NEAR as prevelant.

However, LPChip is right about the note. Even if you were to hold out a string note for a long time, even strings have variations. Looped saws do not, so you must put them there so you can make it aurally pleasing

You'll all be happy to know that my next song will be what I dub an "Active Project". This means I'll be taking your comments to heart and changing the song. I'll post every version, with a list of changes, so you can download what you like.

[SoundCrafter]

Bump because we started an interesting convo and no one's finished it.

[CrazyAznGamer]

Curious you should mention strings. I was wondering how you would particularily sample a good string sample.
I remember once starting with a saw-like chip sample and putting it through constant filter and volume adjustments in the envelopes, and then adding a chorus and a compressor to make a synth string. Just wondering what you guys would do.

Anyways, aside from that et al, if there ever were rules to music, then they were meant to be broken (at least I would think so). I just remembered something about a 24-scale note in the tracker handbook... is anybody brave enough to attempt to track this?

Sorry, that was random.

Yeah, I'm sampley challenged too. Go us!

[Sam_Zen]

2 CrazyAznGamer
I agree, rules should be challenged all the time, but after a while also electronic music appears to have its rules.
Because lots of things simply are defined by the formulas of natural physics. So you have to accept them and use them.
Not of course the rules of some old academists, made when there was no electricity at all.
Octave-scales of 31 notes are now possible, as is a sequence of 74 steps.

A string sample is supposed to be in a loop. The first thing is the quality of the exactness of the sample.
Hearing the transition-point in what is supposed to be a continuous sound, is unwanted.
The problem with these kind of samples is often the slight changes in 'sound' inside the sample.
If you have a, say 'rough', sample of this kind, and you imply several effects on the sample on top of it,
the result will probably be even worse to use it as a 'smooth' loop sample. Other peaks, other zero levels in the
waveform.
I've written some notes about this here.

[CrazyAznGamer]

I've seen your page before, and it's helpful in creating samples. I keep volume and filter envelopes on string samples proportionally periodic so I can achieve this "smooth sound" you talk of.

As to the rules of physics: electronic music uses a synthetic method of calculating pitch, so naturally, a few notes may be slightly off to the human ear. Of course, personally, I find that indicative of a "computer aesthetic", and that, by actually defying sound physics, it creates its own aura of attractiveness esoteric to electronica. Rules should be challenged because in some cases, rules actually limit the agenda.

[Sam_Zen]

My excuse for repeating myself about that page. But good you mention it, because it reminds me of the fact, that
the page is not finished yet.
Most of the time I don't challenge rules, but just ignore them. Which doesn't mean there aren't any. But I set
them inside a composition. And the next song probably the set of rules differs. After all, when you make a song,
you'r busy with choosing limits, by picking some instrument sounds out of the huge number of possibilities.

But back to the topic-song. Nice parts-division of the song, and a clever ending with that low tone.
A fast drumroll before every break has become somewhat common nowadays, so I would suggest to use it with caution in next songs. It's a bit the same problem as with effects. If they are used all the time, they loose their extra power, so aren't 'effect' anymore. Not 'effective'. They become part of the normal basic thing.

[SoundCrafter]

Alright, I'm going to play the role of necromancer here and ask a really strange favor.

Sam, Squirrel, LP, anyone. Do you have this MP3 caked up on your harddrives anywhere? Mine since died, and so has this host. I was hoping to show a friend, and remind meself.