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Wormhole WIP


antic604

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Still not finished, but already in quite presentable shape - what you think? Please keep in mind that I'm only lerning this new paradigm of modern DAWs, so most of the time I spent trying out things, playing with synths and effects, getting to grips with synthesis, etc. Done in Ableton Live 9.7, 100% MIDI (except for Contact sample, obviously) using native instruments & effects and some free MaxForLive devices.

 

*** scroll down for the "finished" tune ***

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I like the musical development here. Reminds me on U-Recken a bit (you know, he is my top favourite psy producer ever). Good melodies - they sound right, without any weird notes or anything, nice progression. Lot's of layers but they don't interfere each other, great job on the arrangement. I like these sudden stuftters and reverberated sounds jumping out here and there and the tricky automation in the intro. 

 

Production is generally good, though I'm not sure I like the bass, I know you are not a fan of machinegun-style bassliness but your bass is way too loose, it lacks energy. I think tighter bass with more constant sound (retriggered phase) would be preferable. Actually what you have for bass here could be one of the leads - you may hipass it and add a bass layer. Some lead synths could have fatter, more detailed sound. I'm not familiar with stock Ableton devices but what I hear here may be described as "generic softsynth sound" (this is not directed at your patch programming abilities rather at the inherent character of the synths you are using).

 

Good job overall. It's clear that you don't try to copy anyone but follow your own vision.

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Production is generally good, though I'm not sure I like the bass, I know you are not a fan of machinegun-style bassliness but your bass is way too loose, it lacks energy. I think tighter bass with more constant sound (retriggered phase) would be preferable. Actually what you have for bass here could be one of the leads - you may hipass it and add a bass layer. Some lead synths could have fatter, more detailed sound. I'm not familiar with stock Ableton devices but what I hear here may be described as "generic softsynth sound" (this is not directed at your patch programming abilities rather at the inherent character of the synths you are using).

Yeah, I totally agree. At the start it was supposed to be something different, even slower and I wanted the bass to not be very sharp so I applied generous amounts of attack for the amp and even more for filter. Also, the bass is split in 3 layers including sub, with the top layers feeding the hi-pass filter and delay, which makes it even more floaty / loose and - indeed - functionally working as a synth. I actually miss the days when you could remember and hum along the bass line of psytrance tracks, so that's due to my preference. The synths are mostly simple because I'm not proficient at mixing (never had to do it on Amiga! :)), so it's much easier to mix cleaner sounds, especially if - like me - you like to add lots of modulation to each layer which adds another degree of complexity.

 

Gotta say you have a great ear for detail. Thanks! :)

 

I like the musical development here. Reminds me on U-Recken a bit (you know, he is my top favourite psy producer ever). Good melodies - they sound right, without any weird notes or anything, nice progression. Lot's of layers but they don't interfere each other, great job on the arrangement. I like these sudden stuftters and reverberated sounds jumping out here and there and the tricky automation in the intro.

 

Good job overall. It's clear that you don't try to copy anyone but follow your own vision.

Thanks, in the end this is what's most important, especially since I don't aspire to ever officially release my music or have it played at a party :)

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  • 2 weeks later...

to me , the pad in the intro is clashing with the melodies especially bad at around 1:00 the pad right at the end sounds better

integrated to me than the beginning. Track gets better as it progresses. The reverb on every 2 bar after 2:30 to me , sounds

very bright, almost becomes the main feature, overpowering the wonderful melodies you have going. Very very good job on the medlodies.

Makes for a good listen. Good work. Looking forward to the complete work:)

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to me , the pad in the intro is clashing with the melodies especially bad at around 1:00 the pad right at the end sounds better integrated to me than the beginning. Track gets better as it progresses.

It's exactly the same clip at both instances, and I actually was going for this dissonant, mysterious feeling, like it kind of breaks from the 'expected' chord progression but still remains in acceptable territory. I can see this being an acquired taste, but considering I got lots of feedback on the track and no one else felt this was out of place, I'd risk and leave it in especially since I think it works really to the advantage of the track here :)

 

The reverb on every 2 bar after 2:30 to me , sounds very bright, almost becomes the main feature, overpowering the wonderful melodies you have going.

 

Again, that is the purpose: to have the reverb and delay part of the arrangement providing accent to things I wanted to emphasise. They're both put on send tracks and automated to achieve that. However, you might be right about the amount being too much, because I'm working in headphones and spatial effects can sound misleading in there, although usually the other way around, i.e. what seems enough or excessive on headphones, can be barely audible on speakers. I'll try to get that balanced when I finish the tune and come back to mixing it.

 

Very very good job on the medlodies. Makes for a good listen. Good work. Looking forward to the complete work:)

 

Thanks, really appreciate your comments! :)

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Strange thing about the pad:) i listened again and it is the same one playing but just sounds better in the end.

Probably to to the presence of more sounds being there than in the very beginning:)

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Strange thing about the pad:) i listened again and it is the same one playing but just sounds better in the end.

Probably to to the presence of more sounds being there than in the very beginning:)

 

The main thing making it different / better in that later section is the accent (reverb :)) on the middle-layer melody at 4:13 / 4:14. It glues it all together and provides stronger context for that particular chord. Pure accident*, but works beautifully :)

 

* in a sense that I know very little about music theory, but have a good ear for musical harmony and am able to recreate what I have in my head by trial and error

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  • 2 weeks later...

Ok, it's as finished as piece of 'art' can ever be finished... Time to let go and start something new :)

 

https://soundcloud.com/antic604/2017-antic604-wormhole-1

 

.wav version: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1QPs5oFBeTqWGZ1N0xSSjB6cTQ

 

Lol "art" and "finished" are two terms that are not as compatible as one would think.

Great track! 

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