My first two tracks! (need critics)
Hi guys, so… Yeah i just did my first two tracks.. they are not mixed or mastered, i just did a bounce and put it on soundcloud so i can hear some opinion from you guys and get better 
https://soundcloud.com/cancel/yarno
https://soundcloud.com/cancel/densa
Tell me you like it, tell me it sucks… what i should work on.. I accept all kind of comments
Both sound good to me too plain and simple though unless that’s what you going for. I would add more sounds that come in and out and carry the tune along too keep things interesting for the listener. Better then any of my first tunes though.
Thank you Konig, that really helps!!
I’m gonna work on it and try to add some more dynamics maybe and a few more sounds like you told me.
I have exactly the same feeling, i’ve been trying to work on it but it always sounds flat and plain !
I need to learn the secrets haha
I would remove all compression and play around with your levels until they are right. Listen to some finished songs then try again. It takes a while to learn but it will make a big difference. Once you have levels down then you can start playing with compression. Just remember a little goes a long way and it take good speakers to really hear what is going on.
Sorry if my question sounds stupid, but do you mean i should bypass all the compression and mix first and then work on the compression? Theres some compression on the bass and the piano and the rest is sidechain. Theres a little bit of compression on the master but with the attack very late.
I only have a pair of hs50 and a pair of boston (passive) at the moment.. And a p.a just to get something more similar to a club sound (even though my room is pretty small..)
If you are using compression as an effect on an instrument to get it to sound the way you want creatively, you can leave it. All other compression is better done after all mixing is perfected. Sure you are going to have to go back and forth but it’s not a big deal. When I get home I will try to listen to these on my nice monitors and give you a better opinion. Take into account that I am not an expert I just have a good ear for some things.
okay, thank you so much!!!
Well, if you’re not an expert, you definitely know way more than i do
Ok so I got home and took a listen. Are apps are you using? Like I said before I am not an expert so if you try anything I suggest and it sounds worse to you, change it back.
Yarno: Not bad but I think the levels need tweeking still. Try playing with the panning of some of your instruments, I am not sure if it will make things better or worse but it is worth playing with. I still think it is a bit over compressed, I am not a big fan of compression though. I find that over compressed music looses “life” and makes everything sound a bit flat. Lower compression on kick and snare and bring them up in the mix. Other then that it’s a pretty good track. If you are using the same app for the whole thing considering exporting the midi for a synth or two to a different app and program the synth to sound like the original one. This might add some depth to the track.
Densa: The piano sounds like a toy piano, is that what you were going for? If not try to find a better piano sound, maybe add some reverb. The levels on this one need a bit more work. To start bring the synths down, they overpower the track. Try the same thing I suggested for your kick and snare in Yarno on this track.
If you do try any of this, keep some notes and the changes and put up the new mixes.
hey thanks nubz!
I am using reason for both tracks, all in the box (i wanted to try and get a decent product all out of reason).
Okay i’m gonna try and fix yarno’s levels and after you told me about the compression i realized right away how high it was. I’m gonna bring it drastically down and see how it sounds.
As far as panning, pretty much all the instruments are on different stereo image (goin from wide with the highs, to mono with the bass lines).
I like your idea of exporting the midi track to an external instrument to give it more depth, i have massive so i could try and do that!
The piano in densa is what i was looking for, its a steinway K, but with compression, distorsion and a tons of reverb.
Definitely i hear now that you told me that the synth is allover the place (i’m starting to realize things right after your suggestions hehe).
Ok i’m gonna start doing all these changes and post the results.
Do you know if i can like “update” a track on soundcloud or i have to re-upload it separately?
I don’t know how sound cloud works.
Do you have a dedicated audio area? One thing that will make a world of difference is build some sound absorbers, they can be made for very little money and will bring your mixing up a lot.
I’m curious to hear what they sound like once you are done with the next level of tweeking.
I just listened to the massive demo. I bet you could get a really nice lead synth from that and put it back into the mix.
Nice tracks, i like the melodies and overall composition. Speaking of sound, i think high frequencies are too loud, and there isn’t enough punch in the lows. For whatever reason to me it just sounds like a wall of sound, it lacks definition. Second tune reminds me of Dinka ))
Okay i’ve edited and updated Yarno with way less compression and some changes on the synths aswell.
Turned out that in order to update a song on soundcloud you need to pay $29.
let me know what you think! …did it get better? ..or worse? haha
Try adding some loops from sample packs, chop em up and use some effects, it’ll make your song much for ‘groovier’ and not so robotic. The kick. Its not loud enough use volume automation and at parts where the kick sounds weak, use the automation. Sidechain the bass
it also sounds too ‘compressed’ and not ‘open’. Cut down on all the compressors and limiters and instead use the volume faders and then compress and limit them. The ending of densa where you have snares/claps, the synth is overpowering the mix, lower the synth volume and dont compress it! Another great tip ive found from another producer is that if you have percussions use an autofilter, HPF it WITHOUT colouring the sound, this cuts down on any percussion low end and makes the mix better. Also well mastered and mixed tracks have a high roll off, so it suggest rolling off ABIT of the high ends so the ‘highs’ does not clutter the mix giving it an ‘open’ mix.The main synth in the track densa needs abit more reverb so it gives that SHM sound where it sounds big and uplifting so the crowd will go wild!
I think the first one is has a great sound. There isn’t much I would change about it. The second one doesn’t work as well for me. I think it sounds too tinny (piano?) and the rest of it sounds too fuzzy. The beat is nice though.
Hey Swiftninja, thank you very much. This is the kind of suggestion i was looking for ! I’m gonna work on densa now and follow your hints.
Yarno has basically zero compression… But that lead is really really hard to control, i ended up changing it completely about.. 4 times?
Ok, gotta work ! I’ll re-upload it as soon as i’m “done”, and i’d like to hear your opinion again (if you can).
Thanks!
Edit: everything is sidechained, each instrument separately with different parameters
Thanks man.
You think i should change the piano? i took a steinway K and basically destroyed it with reverb and distorsion (or at least that was my idea).
Ok i’m definitely gonna cut a lot of compression in densa and cut some highs.
thanks for your help!
love em bro!
thank you !
If what I am hearing is the new Yarno, it sounds quite a bit better. The dynamics sound better and it sound much more livelier. It has been a while since I listened to the song the first time though.
Thanks nubz I actually ended up changing the lead synth completely (changed all of the 3 oscillators in the thor and gave it way less resonance), I am tempted to use those fancy synths like massive, sylenth, razor etc.. But I kinda liked the idea of getting a whole product out of reason (and without using patches).
At least i can say i’ve learned some stuff so far!