Recently I have been trying to finish some fragments I have had on my hard disk for a year and this is my first release in a row to come, hopefully.
It is kind of old school electro/ambient/(soft)techno inspired tunes, but with the twist that the rhythms are non-4/4 for instance 6/4, 5/4 and 7/4 and with intended eastern flavours.
This piece is in 6/4
ALADDIN'S QUEST
(final mix ?):
http://www.box.net/shared/1r1o4i25nf
I would indeed appreciate any feedback, but I will properly only change mix and arrangements, since there is no hope for a change of any bad musical taste. I am very interested in how the mix sounds of on your systems, though, especially the bass, because I have had some struggles here (are there too much -too little?)
It is VSTi only:
Drums: Audio Realism Drummachine
Basses: Oddity, Imposcar, Polysix, Poizone
Pads: MS-20, Minimonsta
Leads: Feldspar (gated arpeggios) , Sylenth 1 (bowed synthbell), OP-X (distorted tube)
All the Best
NON-4/4 Old School Electro: Feedback PLZ!
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- Banned
- 990 posts since 10 May, 2005 from Anywhere but here
Last edited by Locus M on Fri May 29, 2009 6:48 am, edited 8 times in total.
"I speak for all mediocrities in the world. I am their champion. I am their patron saint."
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- KVRist
- 238 posts since 19 Dec, 2007
track sounds great.
my initial thought was that it was a bit mono with the melodies, but i changed my mind now and think its just fine.
possibly could be a bit deeper/louder on the low bass, and there's maybe a little more room at the high treble you could utilise, but i like it the way it is now and the mix has grown on me.
not everything has to have a 'perfect' mix, i like the density of it
arrangement good too, looking forward to your other tracks
my initial thought was that it was a bit mono with the melodies, but i changed my mind now and think its just fine.
possibly could be a bit deeper/louder on the low bass, and there's maybe a little more room at the high treble you could utilise, but i like it the way it is now and the mix has grown on me.
not everything has to have a 'perfect' mix, i like the density of it
arrangement good too, looking forward to your other tracks
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- Topic Starter
- 990 posts since 10 May, 2005 from Anywhere but here
Great! Thanks a lot for the feedback, Sir.exxxy wrote:track sounds great.
my initial thought was that it was a bit mono with the melodies, but i changed my mind now and think its just fine.
possibly could be a bit deeper/louder on the low bass, and there's maybe a little more room at the high treble you could utilise, but i like it the way it is now and the mix has grown on me.
not everything has to have a 'perfect' mix, i like the density of it
arrangement good too, looking forward to your other tracks
You are too kind 
I was a little worried for the bass, though, but it seems I can give it just a little bit more now.
All the Best
"I speak for all mediocrities in the world. I am their champion. I am their patron saint."
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- KVRAF
- 6496 posts since 26 Nov, 2004 from Frederick, MD
6/4 is a great time signature. Some of my favorite songs are in that. It always gives a cool, contemplative beat, like the song soars up and up in a huge spiral.
From what I can hear on my el-cheapo reference headphones hear at work, the mix sounds fine. The impedence of these phones is such that I often can't get the volume I need, and this song's suffering from that syndrome now, so really I need to hear it on my studio monitors.
The volume issue may or may not be a problem. Did you normalize the track before converting it to mp3? If not, that should be done to remove any excess volume headroom. If it has, then the track overall might benefit from some tasteful compression. Or it might just be a problem with my cans.
Actually that's not really a mix issue, per se, but rather a mastering issue. If you sent this track to be mastered, I think the mix is absolutely fine as it is. Any decent masterer could polish it up just fine.
I don't think there's any issue with the bass being too soft or too loud. However, exxy's comment might be worth looking into even though they decided in the end it didn't matter: The track seems to be a bit to mono. It's a pretty trippy piece and it would be nice if some of the elements had more evident panning animation. The synth string-like pad, for example could wash from side to side in opposition to some of the more sound effect elements. These wouldn't be make or break changes but they would add a subtle 3-dimensionality that's a bit lacking at the moment. I don't think I'd focus on making the lead sound more stereo, though. I think it would be better in the background stuff...
One note, though, if you're running a sound through a lot of stereo FX (delay and reverb especially), it sometimes is almost unnoticeable when you pan the original sound. That can be a real problem if you're using a channel FX set up with multiple instruments going to the same FX. You'd have to play around with it to see how to make the panning more noticeable...if nothing else, render the tracks you want to pan with their FX to a wav file, and then import them as audio files and do the panning on the wav file. Kind of a pain, but sometimes it's the easiest way to get the pans to really stand out.
Okay, I've heard it like 5 times while writing this. Pretty groovy stuff. I've sent a note home so hopefully I remember to listen in the studio and maybe give the sound file a look to see what the volume issue is...just can't seem to crank my PC up loud enough to really hear this correctly.
From what I can hear on my el-cheapo reference headphones hear at work, the mix sounds fine. The impedence of these phones is such that I often can't get the volume I need, and this song's suffering from that syndrome now, so really I need to hear it on my studio monitors.
The volume issue may or may not be a problem. Did you normalize the track before converting it to mp3? If not, that should be done to remove any excess volume headroom. If it has, then the track overall might benefit from some tasteful compression. Or it might just be a problem with my cans.
Actually that's not really a mix issue, per se, but rather a mastering issue. If you sent this track to be mastered, I think the mix is absolutely fine as it is. Any decent masterer could polish it up just fine.
I don't think there's any issue with the bass being too soft or too loud. However, exxy's comment might be worth looking into even though they decided in the end it didn't matter: The track seems to be a bit to mono. It's a pretty trippy piece and it would be nice if some of the elements had more evident panning animation. The synth string-like pad, for example could wash from side to side in opposition to some of the more sound effect elements. These wouldn't be make or break changes but they would add a subtle 3-dimensionality that's a bit lacking at the moment. I don't think I'd focus on making the lead sound more stereo, though. I think it would be better in the background stuff...
One note, though, if you're running a sound through a lot of stereo FX (delay and reverb especially), it sometimes is almost unnoticeable when you pan the original sound. That can be a real problem if you're using a channel FX set up with multiple instruments going to the same FX. You'd have to play around with it to see how to make the panning more noticeable...if nothing else, render the tracks you want to pan with their FX to a wav file, and then import them as audio files and do the panning on the wav file. Kind of a pain, but sometimes it's the easiest way to get the pans to really stand out.
Okay, I've heard it like 5 times while writing this. Pretty groovy stuff. I've sent a note home so hopefully I remember to listen in the studio and maybe give the sound file a look to see what the volume issue is...just can't seem to crank my PC up loud enough to really hear this correctly.
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- KVRAF
- 6496 posts since 26 Nov, 2004 from Frederick, MD
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- Banned
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- 990 posts since 10 May, 2005 from Anywhere but here
Woooow for a feedback Emdot! Thanks a bloody lot. 
I have noted everything you say and will work into the panning of pads issue.
The level is a issue, though
I have held volume down intentionally because the MP3 on constant rate conversion sufferred initially from the originally loud volume. But I maybe overdid that, because I happended to get decent result with variable bitrate and forgot to raise the volume again.
Big thanks for feedback on the musical aspect also. You spoil me old lad
Hope you will listen to my 5/4 and 7/4 to come.
All The Best
I have noted everything you say and will work into the panning of pads issue.The level is a issue, though
I have held volume down intentionally because the MP3 on constant rate conversion sufferred initially from the originally loud volume. But I maybe overdid that, because I happended to get decent result with variable bitrate and forgot to raise the volume again.Big thanks for feedback on the musical aspect also. You spoil me old lad
Hope you will listen to my 5/4 and 7/4 to come.
All The Best
"I speak for all mediocrities in the world. I am their champion. I am their patron saint."
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- KVRAF
- 4798 posts since 14 Jun, 2004 from USA
I have no feedback to offer different from what has been given already, but thought I would chime in to say I really enjoyed this track. Clean mix. Nice.
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- KVRAF
- 6496 posts since 26 Nov, 2004 from Frederick, MD
Sure! I just realized the other day that one of my favorite Stranglers songs is mostly in 9/8 or 9/4 or something. Then it goes to 4/4, then back to the original, and finally ends in 3/4.Hskovlund wrote:Hope you will listen to my 5/4 and 7/4 to come.
I've been paying closer attention to this since I started trying to find out what signature this odd sequencer part I created with Atomic is actually plaing...It almost works at 19/8...but that's a TOTALLY different subject!
On the mp3 conversion thing: what encoder are you using? I've never noticed a problem that was volume dependent. Constant or Variable, I always get good conversions (to my ears, anyway) using Adobe, which I'm pretty sure uses a version of Lame.
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- Topic Starter
- 990 posts since 10 May, 2005 from Anywhere but here
I have a piece in 9/4 that I have to finish also. It is tricky but not as tricky as 13/4, which almost stops any flow in the rythm (at least in my piece)emdot_ambient wrote:Sure! I just realized the other day that one of my favorite Stranglers songs is mostly in 9/8 or 9/4 or something. Then it goes to 4/4, then back to the original, and finally ends in 3/4.
Well I use audiograbber and LAME, but I must admit I am not so sure why the constant bitrate did not work. Tried with joint stereo and stereo at 128, 192 kbits/s and 224 kbit/s at different volumes and ended up with the impression that it all sounded like s*** ("crunch" from quantisation artifacts) but on lower volume it was a little less audible. Might be an illusion, but I will try the variable with more volume.emdot_ambient wrote: On the mp3 conversion thing: what encoder are you using? I've never noticed a problem that was volume dependent. Constant or Variable, I always get good conversions (to my ears, anyway) using Adobe, which I'm pretty sure uses a version of Lame.
Many thanks once again!
Also to @Jazzyspoon for taking the time. An honor indeed.
"I speak for all mediocrities in the world. I am their champion. I am their patron saint."
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- Banned
- Topic Starter
- 990 posts since 10 May, 2005 from Anywhere but here
Your blade runner track was a great track!emdot_ambient wrote: I've been paying closer attention to this since I started trying to find out what signature this odd sequencer part I created with Atomic is actually plaing...It almost works at 19/8...but that's a TOTALLY different subject!
I think I know what the problem is when determing the time sig of the sequense. Is that sequense not played in forward-backward mode?Instead of just
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
the sequenser does not repeat the end numbers but will go like
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
In this case you get 8/8 + 6/8 + 8/8 + 6/8 if 1 is always the beginning of a measure and 8 is always the end. If 8 can be anything else than the end of a measure, you will have 8/8 + 6/8 = 14/8 = 7/4.
Gosh, this can get really nerdy it seems
I'll return if a few days with a mix of my track like you have suggested.
All the Best
"I speak for all mediocrities in the world. I am their champion. I am their patron saint."
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- KVRAF
- 4798 posts since 14 Jun, 2004 from USA
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- KVRAF
- 6496 posts since 26 Nov, 2004 from Frederick, MD
Thanks! But actually I was talking about a related piece to that one.Hskovlund wrote:...Your blade runner track was a great track!
The problem with the one I'm working on is that I'm using the rhythm grid to determine the note length on the sequencer's steps (i.e., it imparts a stumbling rhythm to the sequence)...AND the arpeggiator, which is set something like half notes. The combination is giving me a really, really weird pattern every time I press a note...it plays a unique pattern of 19 steps before resolving into a repeating pattern of something like 17 steps (or something like that). Trying to get a repeating cycle to resolve in 4 measures is just mind twisting. It's been a month since I've looked at it, so I can't remember exactly where I left off but I think I was pretty close to figuring it out...the odd thing is that just listening to the pattern it doesn't sound that odd. It's only when you try to impose time signatures on it that it gets bizarre.
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- KVRist
- 238 posts since 19 Dec, 2007
if it was me, i would have delays on the melody ping pong left to right or pan the original slightly to one side and have the delays pan off increasingly to the other.
and with the gated lead i'd love to hear the gates left and right panned, possibly an increasing or decreasing amount of pan over the duration of the phrases maybe?
and have the background shimmer melody pan across the full stereo maybe?
love the drum parts, making me feel mine are a bit unadventurous and predictable
oh, and maybe have it end on the drum parts and zubzub bassline, rather than that final 'dum' ... if you know what i mean
and with the gated lead i'd love to hear the gates left and right panned, possibly an increasing or decreasing amount of pan over the duration of the phrases maybe?
and have the background shimmer melody pan across the full stereo maybe?
love the drum parts, making me feel mine are a bit unadventurous and predictable
oh, and maybe have it end on the drum parts and zubzub bassline, rather than that final 'dum' ... if you know what i mean
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- KVRist
- 37 posts since 30 Dec, 2008
that's a really cool track - I must try different time sigs, every time I do it sounds shit (possibly because I'm shit).
Nice beats
Nice beats
one day all will be revealed, which will be nice.