KVR Audio

mediumaevum · Post by **mediumaevum** » Fri May 04, 2018 2:57 pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_Ar0-ld6ZQ

A mix of medieval/middle eastern music - about crusades in the Holy Land.

Please let me know if you like it or not.

Aaron Marshall · Post by **Aaron Marshall** » Fri May 04, 2018 9:51 pm

I'm loving this arrangement. Love the style too.

Audio wise I don't think the layers need to be so harsh and in your face. Everything sounds kind of strained and distorted. This style of music needs to be mixed a dynamic sort of way. Like it needs to exist in a "space" and not be blasting the meters.

so so good though!

Bansaw · Post by **Bansaw** » Sat May 05, 2018 12:01 am

Nice.
Can I ask what winds library you are using from 0:26 - 0:29 ?

layzer · Post by **layzer** » Sat May 05, 2018 5:54 am

Aaron Marshall wrote:I'm loving this arrangement. Love the style too.

Audio wise I don't think the layers need to be so harsh and in your face. Everything sounds kind of strained and distorted. This style of music needs to be mixed a dynamic sort of way. Like it needs to exist in a "space" and not be blasting the meters.

so so good though!

hmmm it wasn't loud and distorted to my ears. perhaps a little at the end.
and i'm all about being against the loudness war. so go figure

mediumaevum · Post by **mediumaevum** » Sat May 05, 2018 8:10 am

Bansaw wrote:Nice.
Can I ask what winds library you are using from 0:26 - 0:29 ?

Ethno World 5 Instruments.

Aaron Marshall · Post by **Aaron Marshall** » Sat May 05, 2018 3:18 pm

layzer wrote:
hmmm it wasn't loud and distorted to my ears. perhaps a little at the end.
and i'm all about being against the loudness war. so go figure

The loudness war is a problem related to mastering. I get the feeling this problem is in either the tracking and/or mixing stages.

This sort of composition seems more in alignment with something like James Horner, Jerry Goldsmith etc. yet it's mixed like a pop song. It's not so much a loudness war issue, but an inappropriate level for the genre.

What is your monitoring rig like?

Listen to this tune: https://youtu.be/mR09OclTLNk

Hear how the quiet parts are articulate but still subtle? They exist in a space. It rings out front to back as well as left to right. It's 3 dimensional. What strikes me about your mix is it seems 2 dimensional. Therefore I think certain layers pop out as unintentionally harsh.

I only bring this up because I think your composition is so well thought out.

mediumaevum · Post by **mediumaevum** » Sat May 05, 2018 4:38 pm

Aaron Marshall wrote:
layzer wrote:
hmmm it wasn't loud and distorted to my ears. perhaps a little at the end.
and i'm all about being against the loudness war. so go figure
The loudness war is a problem related to mastering. I get the feeling this problem is in either the tracking and/or mixing stages.

This sort of composition seems more in alignment with something like James Horner, Jerry Goldsmith etc. yet it's mixed like a pop song. It's not so much a loudness war issue, but an inappropriate level for the genre.

What is your monitoring rig like?

Listen to this tune: https://youtu.be/mR09OclTLNk

Hear how the quiet parts are articulate but still subtle? They exist in a space. It rings out front to back as well as left to right. It's 3 dimensional. What strikes me about your mix is it seems 2 dimensional. Therefore I think certain layers pop out as unintentionally harsh.

I only bring this up because I think your composition is so well thought out.

Sorry, I've just read your comment now after I posted it on youtube. I can't hear the loudness-problem though, but I did manage to level the volume down a bit.

See original topic for the youtube-video.

Btw. I don't know much about mastering techniques. I would really like to know how I can master in FL Studio so it becomes 3-dimensional.

ChamMusic · Post by **ChamMusic** » Sun May 06, 2018 3:25 pm

Some seriously odd comments about the loudness and mixing of this piece. My pennies-worth:

1) The mix overall is absolutely fine to listen to; there are no major issues with clipping or distortion whatsoever.

2) I would say that it sounds a little bit flat dynamically. Have some tracks possibly been over-ly compressed? Possibly an over zealous limiter over the stereo out might've caused this?

3) Frequency range is quite unbalanced, (but not offensively so): There is a lot of energy throughout in the lows / low mids...I'd say particularly around the 80Hz - 100Hz area?

4) I agree that the 3D sound stage is weak...it's Ok from side to side, but flat from front to back; but this is mainly down to lack of variety in use of reverb...

Heavy use of reverb pushes sounds further back in the mix...further away from the listener. Drier sounds seem much nearer. Too many of the sounds here are in that vague middle distance.

The Actual Music:
Works quite well overall - it has some very atmospheric moments that certainly fir the subject matter, but, for me...

1) It uses way too many ethnic wind loops placed at various stages throughout the piece. Apart from one, they all fit OK, but they are quite different in their musical content so the piece has little continuity.

NOTE: For me the one that enters at around 1 min 15 secs is simply in an inappropriate key for this context...doesn't match up with the backing in the same way as the other wind loops.

2) Doesn't really go on a journey as such....it's got some good ideas, but it just doesn't rise and fall with any great intensity. There is variation, but not enough for me.

3) The AMEN choir sound (yet another loop I think) - doesn't quite fit the tempo of the piece...slight rhythmic jar against the backing at times in terms of its entries.

Third Crusade - Epic Battle Music...no, not really, it's just not epic!

Third Crusade - Atmospheric Backdrop would be more accurate.

layzer · Post by **layzer** » Sun May 06, 2018 5:06 pm

ChamMusic wrote:I would say that it sounds a little bit flat dynamically. Have some tracks possibly been over-ly compressed? Possibly an over zealous limiter over the stereo out might've caused this?

Probably the result of using someones pre-processed, squashed-in-order-to-sound-more-impressive orchestral sample library instead of a real orchestra and choir

ChamMusic · Post by **ChamMusic** » Sun May 06, 2018 6:01 pm

layzer wrote:
ChamMusic wrote:I would say that it sounds a little bit flat dynamically. Have some tracks possibly been over-ly compressed? Possibly an over zealous limiter over the stereo out might've caused this?
Probably the result of using someone's pre-processed, squashed-in-order-to-sound-more-impressive orchestral sample library instead of a real orchestra and choir

That is ALWAYS a potential issue with some orchestral/choir sample libraries, especially the more'epic' ones!

Choose your orchestral libraries carefully...research them widely before buying and then be wary of using too much additional compression in the mix unless you're sure it works.

If I remember correctly, I think that the libraries used by mediumaevum are amongst the more 'natural' ones.

Holy War - Cinematic Soundtrack