Asking for some feedback (uplifting trance, again)

[hhuang9611]

Hi guys,

I just finished another uplifting trance track. I would really appreciate if you could please give me some feedback. There is actually a competition going on in the electronic music club in my college, with winning prizes of ko komplete ultimate (6 copies available). I really hope I can get a chance with this track, so if you have any suggestions, comments or critics, bring it on! I really want to make this track sound as good as I can.
https://soundcloud.com/ray_d8/helium-ex ... ix/s-w5ghX


Thanks in advance for all the replies!

[Allomerus]

I think you have achieved your objective. All the sounds and moves on this track fit the intended outcome.
Good luck with the competition!

[hhuang9611]

I think you have achieved your objective. All the sounds and moves on this track fit the intended outcome.
Good luck with the competition!

Thanks mate! This definitely gives me more confidence!

[layzer]

i like the cooldown. one quib though...bass or kick should not have too much verb or echo < opinion
making it as good as possible sometimes means standing out from the typical trance sounds. <another opinion.

[hhuang9611]

i like the cooldown. one quib though...bass or kick should not have too much verb or echo < opinion
making it as good as possible sometimes means standing out from the typical trance sounds. <another opinion.

Thanks for the feedback
For the kick and bass, yes, you definitely have a valid point, but for this track, I feel like the extra reverb can help build the space feeling and I think they haven't muddied my mix, so I feel that they are probably okay.
And about standing out...well I guess I am still at early stage, so I have no idea how to make something quite unique. I am still just following regular trance pattern. That's why I said "as good as I can"... standing out is still kind of out of reach for me...

[layzer]

I have no idea how to make something quite unique.

take a chance..... venture out....
you will never know till u try

[ATS]

Sounds REALLY good but its so generic I got bored super fast and it's over 7 minutes. I gotta give you props though for the mix and the actual song IS really good but just like I said, I heard it 100 times before. Also I sincerely believe if you can make a track like this; you could also do something to stand out a little, and make it more interesting. I think you are pretty amazing!

[hhuang9611]

Sounds REALLY good but its so generic I got bored super fast and it's over 7 minutes. I gotta give you props though for the mix and the actual song IS really good but just like I said, I heard it 100 times before. Also I sincerely believe if you can make a track like this; you could also do something to stand out a little, and make it more interesting. I think you are pretty amazing!

Thank you very much for the compliment! And it's true that this track is very generic. So would you minding giving me some suggestions on where I can start adding special stuffs? Not necessarily in this track tho, can be in general. Like, what would most likely to make a track stand out? More catchy melodies? (Acrually, I have listened to some trance tracks that don't use this type of 16th riff melody and I think they are pretty cool. Might be a good start point?) Innovative arrangement? Or maybe good sound designs? I think I need a start point... Or, maybe a few standing out tracks as examples?

take a chance..... venture out....
you will never know till u try

Sure! I will definitely try... But like I said above, I am not quite sure where I should start, or from which aspect should I begin adding my special unique stuff. Could you please give me some suggestions or example to enlighten me?

[ATS]

To me this is good trance that is different. It is not "new" sounding but then again I don't think it will sound so dated 10 years from now either like other stuff. In fact I believe this is 11 years old and still holds up well in my opinion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGfEZiAgHGk


edit: added another from same artist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-7iHeHrqnY

[Bansaw]

Its good , I like it.
Just trying to figure out if the Kick is punching through as it should.
I think it does OK-ish in the first section of the song , but about 4m44s, things get crowded and busy, so not sure if the kick is that effective at that point. Try EQing some frequencies , make sure the bottom end is EQ'd off.
Overall, v.good though.

[sjm]

I'd agree with some of the sentiments expressed here. It's a bit generic, but that's OK IMO. What I found was that the section until the break seemed to get stuck rhythmically on the off beat between the kicks as a result of the synth. It wasn't about the 1-2-3-4 and rolling bass line. I'd have liked an arp to spread the sound around a bit more, as I was getting tired of the overall sound at some point. There just wasn't enough variation in the overall "feel" of the track. Trance needs to evolve, and while it evolved with new parts being added, the feel didn't change.

I preferred the track from the breakdown onwards. It's a good break, and the arps add some extra excitement once the track gets going again.

The transition at 5:22 sounded - to me - like the DJ didn't know what he was doing and messed up switching between two records. The change is sudden and not smooth.

Overall it's good. A little bit of polish here and there addressing some of the issues brought up in this thread would give the track an extra push. I also feel that you could consider losing 30-40 seconds each at the end and beginning of the track, and condense those sections. Especially if people are going to be listening to multiple entries, you will be doing the judges (and your chances) a favour if your reduce the track to just the best parts. Too long, and they will lose interest, especially when your track is the 18th track they've listened to.

[hhuang9611]

Its good , I like it.
Just trying to figure out if the Kick is punching through as it should.
I think it does OK-ish in the first section of the song , but about 4m44s, things get crowded and busy, so not sure if the kick is that effective at that point. Try EQing some frequencies , make sure the bottom end is EQ'd off.
Overall, v.good though.

Thanks! I think I didn't do any eq automation on kick drum, so I will take your advice for my next track.

I'd agree with some of the sentiments expressed here. It's a bit generic, but that's OK IMO. What I found was that the section until the break seemed to get stuck rhythmically on the off beat between the kicks as a result of the synth. It wasn't about the 1-2-3-4 and rolling bass line. I'd have liked an arp to spread the sound around a bit more, as I was getting tired of the overall sound at some point. There just wasn't enough variation in the overall "feel" of the track. Trance needs to evolve, and while it evolved with new parts being added, the feel didn't change.

I preferred the track from the breakdown onwards. It's a good break, and the arps add some extra excitement once the track gets going again.

The transition at 5:22 sounded - to me - like the DJ didn't know what he was doing and messed up switching between two records. The change is sudden and not smooth.

Overall it's good. A little bit of polish here and there addressing some of the issues brought up in this thread would give the track an extra push. I also feel that you could consider losing 30-40 seconds each at the end and beginning of the track, and condense those sections. Especially if people are going to be listening to multiple entries, you will be doing the judges (and your chances) a favour if your reduce the track to just the best parts. Too long, and they will lose interest, especially when your track is the 18th track they've listened to.

Thank you very much for the detailed feedback. I really appreciate. As for the transition at 5:22, you are totally right. I kind of rushed on that part...