Hi dears,

May I borrow your ears for a moment please ? What can I improve in this track ? The intro is a bit cheap, ikr but so am I so f# it. Maybe just the short vocal would need a rework of its eq/filter auto.

But for the rest mainly, what do you think ? Being a monkey in mastering, how are levels, EQs, etc ?

 

Dial back high-mids and bring up highs ever so slightly per channel. Dial back low-mids on everything but basses, kick and snare. Make compression releases longer, it sounds suffocated.
Make the arrangement itself more dynamic. Track's intensity doesn't change between parts, not a lot of new things are coming and going. Gets tedious to the ear.

 

Not too bad at al, but also agree with the above comment regarding variation.
Mixing: that noisy delay thing starting from 1.17 is too much, sounds over compressed.

 

Thanks for the feedback ! I'll try that when I'm back home then. I felt like it was already too much in the high end but I guess my ears got
accustomed. And I'll check what I can do with compression release, not sure I've used much compression except on some of the beat low end.

I understand the 'tedious for the ear', some changes are very slight, a bit like sound easter eggs, but they may be even less audible after some EQing with synths etc. And regarding the noisy delay, do you mean the kind of hat loop ? Unfortunately I baked it some time ago and basically lost how I did it... I'll try to lower its level a bit, hopefully it's enough, unless you know of some tricks to reduce sample saturation/compression a bit (or to make it feel like it) ?

 

No, it's not the hihat, I can't describe it much better, it's like a broadband noise effect, starting together with the hihat around 1.17.
It's really filling up the track. Some LPF could address it, but I guess it's a level or compression -thing.

 

Ah, if it starts exactly together with the hats, it could actually be Decimort2 resampler that I stop playing with on the sliding lead (and sets to full-open). There shouldn't be anything else except some bass and beat. So I guess the issue lies on the synth itself ?

Oh no I'm dumb af, it actually is the "pas" from "vous n'me connaissez pas" that I use as a perc or so. Alright yeah makes more sense. I'll check what I can do. Thanks !

 

Last edited: Jul 18, 2023

I tried pushing the track a bit, it has a vibe!
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/95nt...ur-2.wav?rlkey=smqtiipssg1nfw9ue46k5xdtf&dl=0

very groovy track

i think 1:17 part is actually cool(909 hihats running wild), mybe you have some options to automate it like it ducks the kick(high part of the kick)??

cheers

 

Last edited: Jul 20, 2023

Hi, thanks a lot for the feedback. I'd gladly listen to your version when it's back up.
I'm not sure to understand what you mean with ducking the high part of the kick ? It already has a quite heavy audio sidechain with the kick. Do you mean reducing the sidechain, or increasing it somehow ? Basically here's what it looks like. It's a basic automation on the Gain whenever frequencies between red & blue bars is peaking.

 

there is a bass sound that sounds like a reese bass, but with a lowpass filter on it. I would either layer another reese on top, or automate the filter opening. You can hear the note I mean separately at 1:52, but it occurs in most of the song.

At 0:45 you have some patch which is like an acid synth line. It is either jarring how it gets introduced, or something else I can't exactly put my finger on. But I would do something with it, because it is just short of annoying almost right away. It's one of those parts where if you leave it as is; it's ok for now but you will maybe not like it later on.

i like the track, but i wouldn't call it done yet. Oh, what is the tool plugin image above?

 

Last edited: Jul 20, 2023

Here's latest version :

I see what bass you're talking about, but I don't hear what you mean. Do you mean so the note is a bit clearer ? Separate low and highs and work on those separately ?

Regarding the synth, it definitely is dropped like a rock in feathers, but I used to have it introduced in very firsts versions and it didn't sound right at all. It would be even more tiresome for the ears. Something could still be done then I guess. The whole intro basically, but I'll wait a bit before getting back to it. It's starting to get a toll on me, need to pass to smtg else. Can't even do the master EQ. But thanks for the feedback, I'll write it down.

Regarding the tool plugin it's a basic plugin from Bitwig. Extremely useful with modulators like audio sidechains, LFO or macros. Much better than a compressor/limiter to do sidechain job per exemple I think.

 

Last edited: Jul 20, 2023

like a rising filter cutoff sweep, a crescendo. it would be clearer top end, but also add movement. it sounds like note pitch already slides up a bit.

 

thanks a lot, it changes the feeling greatly ! I've modified previous link. We could even go further i think. TBD

 

The thing i was saying about hihats running in the background is part of the fact that sometimes producers "show off" by having many things in a track, not necessarily bad, that´s all, so your sidechain is on point if you ask me.

It is easy to comment.

I have reuploaded that version in which you´ll hear like something is missing- > reason when the levels got hot synth became the main player and i did several cuts around 5k

The track is lit, if i would spend another hour it could sound a lil better

Cheers man!

 

Indeed it feels a bit less breathing, but still very nice. I like the effect it renders on the pluck around 1:58 when it morphes