Relative noob and new SA member looking for honest feedback, critique and opinions (good/bad/meh) on any aspects (structure, execution, etc)br
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This is my first composition since joining SA.br
BitTwiddle8241 SoundCloudbr
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I’m an I.T. guy with a music hobby and would like to take my music to a more professional level (even if it stays just a hobby).br
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Thank you for your time!br
Bob (BitTwiddle8241)br
Hi Bob, just had a listen to your track and the first thing I noticed was that your synths are way louder than your kick, so it doesn’t have the punch that it needs to drive the track along.br
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I think the melody that you have written is good, its very catchy (its still going round my head now 
). One issue you might find with it though is that it sounds too happy, which is fine if that’s what you were going for, but the majority of Dance music is done in a minor key to give it that edgy feel.br
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Overall though I think you’re on the right lines, the arrangement’s there and you’ve got some great ideas and they’re the main things that you need from the off, the rest will come as you make more tracks. 
Thanks en1gma for the kind words and suggestions. I’ll try to find a bit more EDGY happiness 
for the melody and work on the Kick/synth mixbr
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Edit: Stacked 3 different kicks and brought it up in the mix, lowered melody synth a bit in mix. Still need to try out variations in melody.br
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Edit2: Duplicated melody synth and dropped it down an octave. Changed note duration slightly on second synth. It tends to emphasize the minor chords already in the progression a bit more (IMO)br
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Cheersbr
BitTwiddle8241
Well, the tinkering continues… shaved about 2 minutes off the track, adjusted mix and some of the parts… progress (IMHO) thanks to everything I’m picking up here at SA.
Hi mate, had another listen and still reckon the kick and percussion need bringing up in volume as they get lost in the melody. have you thought about using a meatier kick, one with a more prominent beater?br
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I’d also think about maybe adding more percussion after the 2:30 mark to add variaion and help drive the track along.br
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Damn that melody is stuck in my head again!
Hey man I just had a listen to your track and I have to say its pretty good! I agree its got a really happy vibe which isnt a bad thing at all if thats how you want it. I enjoyed the melodies and a lot of your synth sounds are warm and fuzzy which made me smile. En1gma has a really solid point about the level of the kick compared to the rest of the elements. Sometimes its really quiet and some times it stands out. I kinda feel it could be louder to really kick the track forward 
I very often make my kicks the loudest element in my tracks. Also it sounds to me a bit like your main ascending lead part might be able to come down in volume a bit. Sometimes I feel it tends to overpower some of the other interesting elements (like the bass which really bounces!) Subtle changes might work the best. All around great work!
First off, sincere thanks to both lokid and en1gma for your time and comments. br
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I’m thinking the hardest part of this journey will be developing a good set of EARS br
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I believe the current version of the track had the kick volume pulled down during breaks… obviously too far… I’ll definitely keep adjusting. Would you say that the kicks are about right when they come in at the drops (0:58 and 2:08) ?br
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Next iteration will adjust the levels on the melody some more.br
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Bobbr
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Edit: first pass at incorporating latest suggestions up on soundcloud. (liking the lowpass idea)
Hey Bit, I just had another quick listen. I think the kick levels at the drops are pretty good, could be a bit louder, but overall its a great reference. If you are doing any sidechaining of the bass and melodic elements, you might be able to adjust it to bring the oomph of the kick out a bit more without actually raising the volume too much. br
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Also as an alternative to lowering the volume of the kick on the breaks, I think I can hear a filtered kick working really well for those parts. maybe trying playing with a lowpass filter to cut the highs out and see what you think :)br
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have fun!
I don’t mind the song being in Major at all, you can be edgy enough even in the Major scales - just look at Beethoven ;). br
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What I would work on:br
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- The low end. Everything in EDM is about the low end, pretty much. I mean, a crappy song is still a crappy song but if you take a crappy track and produce it “perfectly” it is still going to work. That is not necessarily true for a good track that is poorly produced however. It is just the way EDM works, it’s not like other genres where a charmingly mediocre singer/guitarist can perform something with a lot of feeling and that will overshadow the fact that the person might not be the best performer. In EDM production is pretty much 95% of the track. Yes, having a good hook and melodies is important, but it is completely overshadowed by production. Once you get both, you have something going. In this track I would say that the low end is lacking, both the kick and the bass. Listen to your favorite EDM tracks and compare them for reference.br
br - The organ-y sounds with the stabs/chords sound a bit out of place. It is hard to describe but they sound a bit too much renaissance to me.br
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For one of your first productions however I would say that it is really good, just keep on practising and referencing commercial tracks. You got good harmonies and ideas going in here, and it is always tough to come up with that, so that is something you got going for sure!br
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