Opinion on some tracks i wrote

Paulj

Hi, I've been messing around with Ableton Live and have come up a few tunes. I'm fairly new to the whole thing and would just like to get opinions from people as to what they think of the songs and what they like (if anything) or don't like.

I've put them up here: http://www.last.fm/music/mangledmusic/1

They're not really fully finished yet (especially the 3rd one).

Thanks guys.

electro.ie

Hey how's it going,
Good stuff on getting into Ableton Live, its a sweet addiction
Anyway since you're new to it there's absolutely no point in me confusing you with jargon or commenting on your tracks, i listened to the lot of them by the way. My best advice is learn learn learn, use tutorials, learn about effects, instruments, synthesis, looping/ editing, theory etc.
Listen to published tracks in your favoured genre, try and emulate their production techniques, in time you'll get it. Best of luck mate.
Djamel

Anima

I've listened to most of the tracks and a few things I've noticed are some of the sounds are very weak, mainly the bass sounds. You really need to just listen to the tracks again and try and see why they don't sound like professionally mastered tracks.

Try some multiband compression and some eq on the samples/synths that are giving you trouble. You have some chords playing in some of the tracks that should really be an octave higher because they just muddy the mix otherwise. Try high passing these sounds after you've pitch shifted them and it should sit in the mix better.

Low frequencies should be spent wisely so remove them from all sounds that don't need them. You only appreciate things when they're gone and it's the same with music, you should only have bass sounds where appropriate. Otherwise, it makes your track less dynamic and monotone. You can do this by making a bus that removes all sounds below 100hz and then routing all the sounds through this except the kick drum and the sub bass / basses that need them. A lot of the time this can be the main reason your tracks sound weak and unprofessional. The more frequencies you take away from each sound, the more you can fit in. A lot of beginner tracks give a lot of the spectrum to the bass, lead and pads which leaves no room for the fills and other things that make a track feel finished and "professional".

It takes practice really and careful listening. Developing the ear etc. It's all preference when it comes down to it so just do what feels right. At the same time there are tried and tested means to doing certain things and you'll learn these as time goes by, be it through tutorials or someone saying it to you. The main thing is, keep making music and try to better each track as you make them. Your ear does develop even if you don't realise it. EDIT: Forgot to the say the tracks were good! Keep it up!

Paulj

Thanks for listening and for the good advice...i'll keep at it and try the suggestions you made.

empirix

Thought the first one was pretty good, 2nd one not bad, third one was a bit rubbish(no offence), the production seems to be declining from song to song - a bit rushed maybe, sounds are weak, apart from the first one, although i am listening to them with monitors

Baz_Masterplan

Good melody. Weak instruments. A bit more mixing required and try to layer your sounds more so that you can build them and bring them in through automation. They do seem rushed. Don't settle on a hook to quick.

You using midi files by the way? The first one sounds like Madonna. Every little thing that I say or do song. Listen to it again.

Deffo potential and you have a good ear. There is 2 much electro noise out there at the mo trying to pass for a tune.

Good start.