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  • looking for advice

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    Hi all, it's been a while since I've posted - hope everyone's alright!

    I was just posting to get some advice on improving a piece I've just written. I'm not completely happy with it but I'm not sure what's up with it. The piece is available here: game_menu.mp3

    Any advice or criticism would be most welcome!

  • Well a couple of clown horns, springs going 'Boing!', and a few explosions should do it I think. Maybe even a cat screaming.

    hehe, just my humour I guess .. If your going to do funny you may as well go all the way out with it.

    Nice work, I can't find anything wrong with it.

  • Now, THAT was funny!! Thanks D! I needed that today.

    This isn't a criticsm at all-- but what do you think of a gentle ducking of mids in the reverb around 450-500-ish, maybe 1/4 octave or less?

    I would love to hear a tad more of the violins, but really you've got a nice sound. Obviously, you're a fan of Monty Python!! [:D]

    If not, you ought to be!

  • Thanks for everyones comments, I'm glad you enjoyed it [:D]. I'm going to follow your advice, JWL, and mess with the reverb tomorrow (once this hot weather has slightly passed!). I'll also have a play with some strings and try and increase the texture a bit. Perhaps its just that it feels a bit 'empty' that im not completely happy with it.

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    @dummy said:

    Thanks for everyones comments, I'm glad you enjoyed it [:D]. I'm going to follow your advice, JWL, and mess with the reverb tomorrow (once this hot weather has slightly passed!). I'll also have a play with some strings and try and increase the texture a bit. Perhaps its just that it feels a bit 'empty' that im not completely happy with it.


    Interesting you should use the word "empty". I know what you mean, but I wouldn't say "empty". In fact, there's a lot going on in the arrangement, and at times some of those elements can be brought to the fore and then ducked again. I do sense that the essential elements are indeed coming through, which is why the mix feels so much in the ball park.

    But your sense of humor should carry over to the mix phase as well. Don't be afraid to tease the ear with levels the same way you did with the notes themselves.

    Since the vocals are so widely spread (nice effect), you may want to narrow the pan width of *some* of the other elements so that they don't compete. That would give the impression of a fuller mix with greater definition of individual sonic placement. It may help with how the counterlines interact melodically and rhythmically within the fabric of the mix.

    Of course, with vocals it's always the case that "everything" can't be important, but you do have some clever parts tucked in there which ache to peek out once in a while. How nice it is to want more!

  • this isn't so much about mixing, but with such a fun piece it might sound more reckless and haywire if the actual performance was a bit looser. Is anything quantized (or are you like the tightest player i've ever heard [:D])? If so, maybe try turning it off or perhaps adding some randomness to it. Even as it is though, you've done a really good job. thanks for sharing it!

  • Many thanks again for everyone's advice! I'm still waiting for the weather to get slightly cooler so that I can comfortably turn on my music PC and mess with the piece (the machine is like a radiator, which isn't great in a room that's already 30'C+!).

    I had not noticed the tightness of the notes until you'd mentioned it, Martin. Nothing is quantized but I do tend to stick pretty close to the gridlines. I'll try loosening up the melodies a bit. I'll also try narrowing the stereo pan of the instruments a little (and perhaps toying with the reverb) and see how that turns out.

    I had also toyed with the idea of adding springs boings, horns, chicken clucks, etc. in before, but wasn't sure if it would make it a bit too slapstick. I'll definitely give it a try though and see how it sounds.