Critique / Feedback Topic?

Production, hardware & technical - tips and tricks.
teacake
Posts: 187
Joined: July 24th, 2011, 4:08 am
Location: Seattle, WA.

Critique / Feedback Topic?

Post Posted

Howdy,

I've been lurking these forums for a bit, and I've noticed there's not really a continuous thread for producers to get feedback from one another. All my production friends have interests in more mainstream genres, and at times they don't really understand where I'm coming from with my projects, so yeah...

http://soundcloud.com/vanian-roy/teacak ... -siouxsie2

Mastering is a bit rough, but any feedback?
Heartworms
Posts: 29
Joined: June 26th, 2011, 4:53 am

Re: Critique / Feedback Topic?

Post Posted

I like it. My criticisms are the song is a little too repetitive and a little too long, I fell like it's missing some flavor and energy. Perhaps adding more sounds or making the drums more energetic or flow better could help?, Also your clap sounds really flat.
teacake
Posts: 187
Joined: July 24th, 2011, 4:08 am
Location: Seattle, WA.

Re: Critique / Feedback Topic?

Post Posted

Thanks the feedback.

Monotony is something i'm constantly struggling with as I started out doing minimal IDM and dubstep, so I'll trying varying it up a bit more.

I have no idea what's wrong with that 808 clap, I've got a decent amount of reverb on the rest of the drum rig, but as you said, it comes through flat. I recently made the switch from using 808 and 909 samples that were cut from loops and songs to ones that were recorded straight from a drum machine, so maybe that has something to do with it. I might layer another clap under it that has addition effects to fill it out some more.
Heartworms
Posts: 29
Joined: June 26th, 2011, 4:53 am

Re: Critique / Feedback Topic?

Post Posted

You know you could just download 808 & 909 kits online right? Should try just equalizing the clap and change the frequencies to make it sound fat.
teacake
Posts: 187
Joined: July 24th, 2011, 4:08 am
Location: Seattle, WA.

Re: Critique / Feedback Topic?

Post Posted

The kits I had found and was using weren't of a quality I found satisfactory.

I'm still working on the Happy House cover, but I have another track I'd like some feedback on. This one's a bit more clubby.

http://soundcloud.com/vanian-roy/teacake-fadewave-wip
Heartworms
Posts: 29
Joined: June 26th, 2011, 4:53 am

Re: Critique / Feedback Topic?

Post Posted

That's a good song! I have no real criticism for the track actually cept for what the guy said about adding a dry kick during that breakdown.

I would like to get some feedback for these songs.

http://soundcloud.com/heartwormz/fire-walk-with-me
http://soundcloud.com/heartwormz/nephilim
http://soundcloud.com/heartwormz/worship
teacake
Posts: 187
Joined: July 24th, 2011, 4:08 am
Location: Seattle, WA.

Re: Critique / Feedback Topic?

Post Posted

Fire Walk With Me

- The first half of the track is dripping with tension, awesome.
- By now you've probably gathered that I'm a whore for reverb, but It feels like the kick that starts around the 2 minute mark needs to go one way or the other… it needs to have more punch, or be subdued a bit more so it sounds a bit more distant. I assume you want the percussive elements to be secondary to the atmospheres, but right now they just kind of sound like they were turned down in the mixing, whereas "distance" could add a bit more depth to their prescience.
- Have you considered putting the little dialogue bit at the end at the very start of the song? It might be interesting to open with it solo, then immediately dive into the dense atmosphere at the very end of the delay of the dialogue… a drop out of sorts.
- Might also consider a similar drop out or breakdown around the middle? Though you'd have to try it and see, I don't know, it might hurt the droning anxiety that you've built.
- The last 44 seconds are fucking beautiful.

Nephilim

- The stutter warping of the first bit really gets me, reminds me of this one artist named Drumcorps who mixes different types of metal with breakcore, a lot of his tracks have really long intros that are meant to build up a ton of tension for the release of the breaks that come in after. (:edit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONv6fPM2mhE - this is a good example of what I mean. Specifically between around 1:00 and 2:30)
- The breakdown around 2:40 is really nice, especially the more subdued bits that get really loud for brief moments.

Whorship

- I really dig this track in general, my own suggestion would be to try tinkering with the kick to give it more of a punch, but this depends on whether or not your going for a low rumble or some seriously head-blasting bursts.
Heartworms
Posts: 29
Joined: June 26th, 2011, 4:53 am

Re: Critique / Feedback Topic?

Post Posted

I'll definitely take your advice for Fire Walk With Me, I didn't use dialogue in the beginning cause I thought that would be a little cliche. As for worship ill definitely give the kick more of a punch. That Drumcorps song is great, I know Bong-Ra does similar Breakcore/Metal. Thanks for the feedback!
teacake
Posts: 187
Joined: July 24th, 2011, 4:08 am
Location: Seattle, WA.

Re: Critique / Feedback Topic?

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Yeah, Drumcorps actually started out as Aaron Spectre doing raggacore. He's stated Bong-Ra as a major influence for Drumcorps, though Bong-Ra's work also has hardcore techno and rave influences, a lot of his work is a bit tongue-in cheek.
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earlyspirit
Posts: 19
Joined: July 19th, 2011, 1:38 am

Re: Critique / Feedback Topic?

Post Posted

I could also use some feedback guys.

http://soundcloud.com/beautillion/cathedrals
http://soundcloud.com/beautillion/passive
http://soundcloud.com/beautillion/the-girl-is-not-here

teacake, I really liked fadewave. i like the synth lead line in the breakdown.

heartworms, i agree with teacake on worship about giving more punch to the kick.
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teacake
Posts: 187
Joined: July 24th, 2011, 4:08 am
Location: Seattle, WA.

Re: Critique / Feedback Topic?

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Cathedrals

- Sadly I don't have a ton to say about this track, save for the fact that I really REALLY like it. Has a bit of a Burial feel to it.

Passive

- The really subtle atmospheres work really well.
- Really diggin' the minimal feel of this track in general.

The Girl is Not Here

- Nothing really to say about this track, it's solid to me, I especially like the chimes in the end.

Do you by chance listen or did you used to listen to a lot of traditional dubstep? Because I got really strong vibes on all three tracks, especially the way you handle vocals. Sorry I can't be more constructive, but I genuinely enjoyed all three tracks and nothing really stood out as needing correction to me, but I'm not the most experienced producer, so maybe someone else will chime in.
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earlyspirit
Posts: 19
Joined: July 19th, 2011, 1:38 am

Re: Critique / Feedback Topic?

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yeah actually i really do enjoy dubstep, especially the more post-dubstep or future garage styles. When I started making electronic music, I was doing more of an ambient style at the time but it was a bit more pretty and bright sounding. It also had hints of electro. I liked dubstep but for the longest time couldn't wrap my mind around making the beats or doing the vocal manipulation that well. I started experimenting with it and eventually became hooked but after writing it for a while, I feel like I was more forcing a certain style out then doing it naturally. So after releasing a dubstep album that I was slightly disappointed with, I decided to kind of re-gear things. I had already been listening to a bunch of witch house and, while I don't know if I can wholeheartedly call my new music witch house since I don't care for associating with the occultic imagery too much, I do have similar aesthethic influences (I loved old goth and new wave, particularly Bauhaus, The Chameleons, Joy Division, Sisters of Mercy, Cocteau Twins, My Bloody Valentine, Ministry, etc.) so I felt that taking the dark element of the dubstep I had been writing and bringing it back in line with the slower ambient style I had would be more in line with my style of writing than forcing out a bunch of dubstep tracks. Thanks for the compliments.
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teacake
Posts: 187
Joined: July 24th, 2011, 4:08 am
Location: Seattle, WA.

Re: Critique / Feedback Topic?

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Right on. My roots in production stem from minimal IDM and dubstep. I've actually got two other music projects going along with Teacake, the bigger of the two is The Gray Earl which is really chill dubstep.

Not really looking for critique on this one as it's old and's already been released, but have a listen when you get a chance - http://soundcloud.com/vanian-roy/tge_deprivation

:edit: Oh, I'm also super awesome in that I cross my projects so people think they're different people lol http://soundcloud.com/vanian-roy/whiteash
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Wolfe
Posts: 2
Joined: July 28th, 2011, 11:47 am
Location: United States

Re: Critique / Feedback Topic?

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as strange as this might seem, passive reminded me of this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urUPB2aDaFQ

i agree with teacake in saying that i enjoyed listening to the way you handled vocals in 'the girl is not here', your music impresses me, please keep on writing
teacake
Posts: 187
Joined: July 24th, 2011, 4:08 am
Location: Seattle, WA.

Re: Critique / Feedback Topic?

Post Posted

Just posted up a new EP for download. Any advice or feedback for future productions is much appreciated.

http://www.witch-house.com/forum/viewto ... ?f=2&t=714
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