Played and Composed a Rendition of a Jason Bourne - like SoundTrack

[DJ LFD]

A mix between the John Powell style of Strings and Leads and Heart-Pounding Beats and Basslines, with Moby's "Extreme-Ways" style intensity. WIP.

Played with a LaunchKey 49 Midi Controller Keyboard, not Authentic Instruments, using TrackGod Sound's VST and FL Studio's Sampler.

Recorded, Edited, Arranged, Composed, Mixed (haven't Mastered, Mixing is done 'in medius res') in FL Studio 20.

Crticism Welcome, my history shows I have been sensitive in the past, I am now more Open-Minded, Thank You.

Updated 8/22/18: 5:50PM EST
https://youtu.be/d2CWv8fdXaY

[Original]
https://soundcloud.com/djlfd/im-no-longer-jason-bourne

Thank you for keeping me company guys

It's been a wild ride and i'm glad we got some things off our chests, i liked some comments, and i'm glad i wasn't harassed just poked fun at, because i am often misunderstood on the web, and often i misunderstand because internet misocmmincation is a pet-peeve of mine and i don't throw tantrums but i do get edgy, i really need to taper that to a dull "woof"

[wagtunes]

My Feedback

Music - 7
Instruments - 8
Performance - 8
Mix - 7

Overall - 7.5

Comments: Intro is way too soft. It's barely audible and sounds like it was recorded through a semi broken speaker. Once the volume picks up things are okay. ARP is a bit dry. Needs some reverb. Doesn't fit with rest of track. Drums are mushy. The kick has no snap to it. It sounds like somebody beating on a box. Is that even a kick? I can't tell. Anyway, production needs some work. Musically it's odd but what music today isn't odd? Not the worst thing I've ever heard by any stretch of the imagination.

[DJ LFD]

Thanks for reviewing.

WIP is definitely the problem...

John Powell Always Starts a Track with High Volume, i messed up because i don't have a Pro Plan anymore with SoundCloud so after i deleted the Volume Automation in FL Studio 20, I am unable to replace the file and will have to make an Official Deletion and Re-Upload of the Track once closer to completion

My TripHop Tracks always have an 8bar fade in... i will pick a better riser or engineer one myself (i will have to engineer one, me thinks, because TrackGod Sound VST Risers are made for EDM, and not particularly stunning, but I have the Orchestral Pack from Image-Line's Sample Fusion line of samples, so i will fix that up tight, good advice.

If you are a Jason Bourne Series Fanatic you will notice that basically all of the Drums in Interlude-Action sequence Tracks in the OST's have muddy Drums to symbolize the Ethnic Diversity of the Locales... i have to chalk the drums up to 1: i Do need to Mix them Better, but 2: they need to stay close to this Original Mix to be on-par with John Powell's style of Beats.

the Essence of the leads inter-mingling is that one lead will be dry and i think it could use a better EQ, not reverb, it needs to stay crisp and intrusive, no offense, it is a style invented by the Famous Composer John Powell, but i agree it is a bit too sharp now, TY. [Edit] I have experience in using a Chorus FX channel to fatten the sound of a particular generator, and i now think it could use both EQ and a 2-4% 'touch' of Chorus to thicken and soften the Stringed ARP... Good Sight!

The mystical lead with reverb and delay offsets the dry intrusive string lead because it needs to be somewhat hypnotic, while still having a strong and serious tone in the mix... That is why the String ARP is so dry, to be intense and attention-grasping, once tidied up.

Also, i need to build Bridges, because while i personally like the Vibe after the intro, once the beat and leads are fully into the light, i need to create more suspense, and startling events in the track.

Good review, spot-on and the production and mixing, EQ and mastering, and it occurred to me, the arrangement, need work, that i totally agree with, but the mood of the bulk of it will stay in place for the Action-Sequencing... However, Bridges will need to be built, i am just feeling out when there whould be startling events because i don't have contacts with any movie studios and am bulding this solely off of my experience listening to and enjoying bot John Powell's and Moby's productions of the Bourne Series' OST's. Thanks You.

[DJ LFD]

Got a nice critique' from wagtunes, needed a kick in the rear to make this better, still a WIP, need advice and am going to build a couple bridges for suspense and startling events...

Revised Mix and FX Mastering:

https://soundcloud.com/djlfd/im-no-long ... ne-concept

[DJ LFD]

Thank You wagtunes!!

Worked this hard and think i hit the spot where mixing is solid, and arrangement will change after i build a couple bridges.

https://soundcloud.com/djlfd/im-no-long ... finalizing

[DJ LFD]

Think it's Final... Critiques Welcome, i did take wagtunes' advice and added both Chorus and Reverb, the Chorus alone didn't do the trick to make it sound like an authentic Arco String being played in an Amphitheater

https://soundcloud.com/djlfd/im-no-long ... ne-final-2

[ChamMusic]

There are definitely some interesting and effective ideas in there.

A mix between the John Powell style of Strings and Leads

If you're attempting that John Powell sound, you'll need to focus on a bit more variation in the music in future pieces...much more fluid ebb and flow in terms of layers, dynamics, tempo etc.

it occurred to me, the arrangement needs work

Yes, you've got it...it needs more subtlety at times. even the most full on action sequences have contrasting sections, down-time, chilled moments etc.

The next step might well be a bit more music theory knowledge so that you can start to do some of the things that JP does even more effectively - key changes, various uses of harmony, subtle melodic touches and so on.

[Aro]

You definitely captured the feeling of things getting out of control and the urgency of a situation. I like the hook. It sounds like an argument to me. And its a bit crazy, in a good way.

[DJ LFD]

Thank you!

I feel it is way too similar to "Treadstone Assassins"[Edit: Scratch that, i forget the name, i had the CD's but damaged them badly in a move... trying to youtube it]

... But if the next film was titled: "I'm No Longer Jason Bourne"... it would be good to recapture what made him so "special" in the first place.

I am still building so thank you for being honest but open-minded... and this probably isn't going to be a long-term thing with me building an OST, i am NOT trying to replace John Powell. lol.

[DJ LFD]

There are definitely some interesting and effective ideas in there.

A mix between the John Powell style of Strings and Leads

If you're attempting that John Powell sound, you'll need to focus on a bit more variation in the music in future pieces...much more fluid ebb and flow in terms of layers, dynamics, tempo etc.

it occurred to me, the arrangement needs work

Yes, you've got it...it needs more subtlety at times. even the most full on action sequences have contrasting sections, down-time, chilled moments etc.

The next step might well be a bit more music theory knowledge so that you can start to do some of the things that JP does even more effectively - key changes, various uses of harmony, subtle melodic touches and so on.

Music Theory is exactly what i'm trying to stay away from, in a sense, let me explain.

I fully agree the key and chord variations and ebb, subtlety in ceratin section need to be fixed... This is a rough-out projecti am doing simply to get a sense of how far i willing ot go in this direction, it is daunting, at least to me.

I can't be John Powell, so i want to be my own musician. i only made this (lengthy and repetitive) Concept to express myself in a way i have not done before, and having mostly Fed-Thrillers in my DVD colletion (i don't get Sci-Fi, But Frank Herbet's ""Children of Dune" was stunning), i decided to take a shot at making a Bourne-like action concept...

I Wholeheaterdly thank you for the critique, i rushed things and laid out the core mechanics of what i think i would have the most trouble with, the strings. I only play paino and keyboard, so the thought of playing strings on a MIDI Keyboard scared me some... luckily the Orchestral Samples from Sample Fusion can be worked with very quickly and easily, and i got what i wanted for a start in a fair amount of time.

I will keep chipping away at the Music Theory components of a 'true OST track', and Thanks again for the encouraging constructive criticism.

[DJ LFD]

Actually, Music Theory is [EDIT] NOT [EDIT]what i'm trying to avoid, it's "im not trying to emulate John Powell to the letter"...

Got an update with an interlude and breakdown...

https://soundcloud.com/djlfd/im-no-long ... ne-draft-2

[DJ LFD]

made a video as well, using ZGameEditor plugin in FL Studio...

[Edited] Upgraded both Graphics and Remastered with THX(TM) TruStudio Surround and Crystalizer with [Creative Fatal1ty Recon3D THX TruStudio PCIe Sound card]:

https://youtu.be/ZGveUKaBSCY

[DJ LFD]

Remastered Track with THX (TM) TruStudio Surround and Crystalizer with [Creative Fatal1ty Champion Recon3d THX TruStudio PCIe Sound Card]...

Made the bass sound like junk... deleted.

[DJ LFD]

Got a Screensaver video here, with audio:

https://youtu.be/XePZm5t_Fi0

[seismic1]

I've played various versions of this track over the last few days, but I'll restrict my comments to (Draft 2) to try to achieve consistency.

The intro definitely has a EDM flavour due to the saw synth and the riser, which was quite unexpected for an OST piece. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, it just took me a few listens to get used to the idea. The synths throughout have quite a brash, maybe even a coarse sound, but it's also quite good in terms of dramatic effect. I thought the kick was quite muddy and was fighting the bass in places, and some of the snare rolls seemed to be fighting with the synths.

You have a mid-range arp which runs throughout the track and a string synth playing a regular riff over the top of that. It might be an idea to break up the regularity of the string synth from time to time to give the track a "looser" vibe. Maybe double the length of some of those notes occasionally to add a little irregularity, and break expectation from time to time.

I liked the breakdown from 2:20-2:38, and the ending, although I think the low end could use a tidy-up. If you have any reverb on the kick or bass, try dialling it back.

Good work