Review the track(s) above you

[Nine Volt]

Well well well, nice job on the sticky Freewave :3
I can't really review that CMC music factory thing because TBH I have no idea which parts of it you did :/
Sowwy 3:

But I'll review another track to maintain THE BALANCE.
@Bronychipguyperson:
Speedchip is one of those things I'd think about doing but then say 'fuck it' and do something else. You really need to get rid of that background noise, most noticeable at the beginning, or at least bring the polyphony on those hats to 1 so that the tail ends stop overlapping. The kick IMO should be louder and more prominent, maybe layered with a hat. I personally would also add some chords or harmonies to that main melody, at least the second time around. Overall a pretty fast paced song, interesting genre fusion. Oh yeah, most important: bump the BPM up a couple hundred :3

Now for my song:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/95632350/Magic% ... %20wip.mp3

I'm... unsure about this song. It was inspired by one of Gancher's songs. I've had this almost completed for a while now, I'm not really sure I want to release it. Certainly not yet, not until I've gotten some feedback on it, but still...

[Genkar]

Reviewing Nine Volt's Track:
The synth you used sounds like a pretty generic square wave, you might wanna add another oscillator to it or something. The sound clip is pretty hard to make out, just increase the volume on that a bit. The first part of the drop is kinda disappointing, it feels like I'm just listening to quarter notes. It gets a bit better once you bring the melody in with it, but it's just kind of ugly the way it sits in the back. It kind of overpowers the melody at 2:20. The outro is really nice, it closes the song well. Overall it's okay, but it sounds really repetitive and bland at times, but hey that's why it's a WIP.

Here's my track though, it's about a month old, but I haven't been making music too long, so that's a long time for me, lol.

[DijiTwitch]

@Nine-Volt

In the intro, that low strings sounding synth is a bit dry. Like, it's a drone, but it's kind of boring, imo. Try thickening it up with a chorus, flanger, phaser or maybe some polyphony. The lead synth is a bit weird too, but pretty fitting hehe. Once the song picks up pace it gets pretty exciting. That mid-high modulating synth could use some sub to it, beef up dat sound a bit. That grinding bass is great, I love it. The main melody, with the synth you used during the intro, could use some variation when it's used again during the louder parts. Like some distortion or anything really, just make it sound different, more exciting the second time around. The robotic 'Magic Eater' clip could do with a bit more presence too. Try sending it to two channels and panning them to opposite sides, and processing them a bit differently. It'll make the drops in the beat much more pronounced.
The EQing is pretty spot on, I can barely hear any of the instruments messing with each other. Just work on making the sounds more interesting and adding more dynamic interest. Midi note velocity automation is your best friend.

OH OKAY NINJA'D THAT REVIEW DIDN'T YA GENKAR. I'll leave this review here because I wrote it already BLAH

@Genkar
That bass is neaaaato. Frantic sounding and heavy, it's pretty cool. Kind of repetitive at the 1minute mark but I don't mind terribly. The sounds are really cool, but the progression gets like ultra-repetitive at the 2min mark. Try adding some more variation and musical interest. A four-bar progression only holds up so long. Key changes are a pretty easy way to accomplish that, as is making new patterns yes. Good stuff, just repetitive. D:

review plox: http://youtu.be/iLgy2kfwZYA
It's pretty repetitive, and the dynamics totally go to shite at the vocal chop part and I didn't even realize it until I uploaded it to YT BUT SIGH OH WELL. I'd love to know what I could do to improve it.

[KillerAmp]

@Genkar
ive been listening to a lot of your stuff on SC and can tell you, your potential is amazing, you have a good sense of what fits, and you have some cool sounds, but if i were to make an over all critique, i would say that its almost too granular, too much grit and edge on every sound, i think maybe if there was more balaince through pads/lighter leads it would stand out much more, and like DijiTwitch said, its a little repetitive. Keep on producing!

@DijiTwitch
wholly shit the vocal stuff, i love it. i will agree that its repetitive, but think that it sounds well mastered, has nice balance, and still keeps me interested. Sounds like something i would hear in a video game, or something i would listen to while drawing or something. I think it works pretty well, and has a nice chill beat. Props and keep on producing! (on a side note is that Deadmau5 xfer pack good? ive been hovering over that purchase button for awhile now lol)

I'd love a review on this: https://soundcloud.com/officialkilleramp/acid
Something i threw together in a couple of hours, i actually think it came out well, minus the fact that i cant write an interesting opening and transition for my life, but yeah, i would love opinions on things like snare building, sound design, mixing, ect. but anything works

[Maelstrom]

Wow, KillerAmp, I love that high laser-esque synth in your drop! Teach me your ways I want to know how it's done! It's too cool! Your growls are way nice too! The drums could use some more variety though, that high hat starts to get almost annoying... Anyway, very nice over all, especially for only putting in two hours! Good work!

[Freewave]

[soundcloud][soundcloud][/soundcloud][/soundcloud]

Well well well, nice job on the sticky Freewave :3
I can't really review that CMC music factory thing because TBH I have no idea which parts of it you did :/
Sowwy 3:

...

Not sure why I got skipped, I did the music minus the saxophones, although it is a cover (minus most of the lyrics). Donglekumquat did male vocals, female vocals Are from show and original song acapella. Again it's all under the description and even described in the pmv.....

[KillerAmp]

Wow, KillerAmp, I love that high laser-esque synth in your drop! Teach me your ways I want to know how it's done!

Basically its just 2 saw waves, detuned a bit, sliding down 2 octaves controlled an ASDR envelop, 8 voices, pitch cutoff, and some effects to make it even more harmonic and full

growls are my little secret :3

@Freewave,
that song, so much swag, but seriously those drums are funky as hell, i love it.
the whole idea is great, sax mixes well, vocals are crisp, and seriously
i cant get over them drums, too much funk, how does one achieve this level of funk!

and seriously irdk how EQD dropped this when some of the other things they let in aren't exactly high quality.

but yeah i love the sampling, reminds me of old hip-hop, the good kind. Keep that up!

[DijiTwitch]

@Genkar
(on a side note is that Deadmau5 xfer pack good? ive been hovering over that purchase button for awhile now lol)

I love it, absolutely. I've never found better snares in any other pack for what I like to write. There's a really great variety of sounds too (the glass stuff under junk is so good omg). It's got pretty much everything you'll need to write house, or for that matter, the vast majority of electronic genres haha.

[Symphon]

KillerAmp
Positives: The synths are simplistic but definitely great to listen to, especially with the nice melodies. The "drop" (although I'm not really sure if it was quite a drop) section was really amazing, and I absolutely the manipulation of all the synths in that awesome way. Also, the change in drum pattern around 2:20 was a welcoming surprise, and I really enjoyed it.

Negatives: The first time the song makes quick dip around 0:55 sounds kind of sudden, and I feel like that could've been a bit smoother. Some of the transitions are a bit sloppy, as well as the intro. The outro didn't seem very interesting as well. I also feel like the percussion could've played a bit of a bigger part.

Overall: I definitely enjoyed the song, especially during the high energy parts. Your manipulation of each synth is great, and the synth selection itself is very good. You need to work on making all types of transitions smoother and more dynamic, but they're not bad. I'd give this a 8/10.



Genkar
Positives: The interesting sounds during the entire song definitely catches my attention. The use of a gated pad for DnB is cool and haven't seen too much. The feel of the song is nice and consistent.

Negatives: The transitions are honestly completely boring, and seem really, really choppy. You didn't seem to control the synths to your advantage very well, instantly apparent at the beginning when the bass seems clicky as it changes notes. DnB is really focused on the snare, and you did good on that, but the kick is definitely lacking, and really drowned out. The "high-energy" parts were very dull and didn't really get me pumped at all, partly because of the really sketchy transitions into them. Make sure you use more effects to spice up your mix.

Overall: A really nice try at DnB where you got some of the aspects nicely, but still lacking overall. I felt like the slower parts were right where they should be but every other part seems very off and not well connected. Of course, I can tell you're a new artist, so experimenting and expanding what you're doing is nice and definitely something you should continue. For the song itself: 5/10



Freewave - I don't know what I'm listening to, but it's great.

Positives: No, seriously. I have no clue what I'm listening to, but I love it. The saxophone is sweet and mesmerizing. The vocals are noticeable and lovable. The drums stick out in the good way. The little effects you throw in there just add to the mix. The progression of the song just makes it all complete. Nearly everything in this song is just well put together.

Negatives: I feel like it never got to the energy that I was expecting it to, so it was a constant musical strip-tease, essentially. Some of the sound clips seemed a bit clicky, especially when cutting the CMC, but it wasn't too noticeable.

Overall: This was a really unique idea that came together nicely. The combination of styles, talents, and sounds were just great together and something I wished I heard more often. It seemed to be slightly lacking at parts, but overall, it felt full and fulfilling. 9/10.


My Song
https://soundcloud.com/nulrei/short-circuitry

This was my first attempt at a "House" song, although the typical 4/4 was thrown out the window, so it's not your typical house. It was also my first song that went away from the typical 4/4, so that's two firsts in one song. Not to mention, it's also my first song I used Sylenth, so even more things I was experimenting with.

The main intent of the song was to in someway simulate difficulties between man and machine (although I don't think I got that across at all). It was also to really experiment with a bunch of different ways to manipulate sounds. I didn't quite want something energetic, just something that felt like it was always moving forward.

[Nine Volt]

Hey hey hey people, it's 9V back with a brand new track :3
Well not brand new, just a remastered and slightly retooled version of an old track.

But first, REVIEW TIME :3

KillerAmp:
I like this song. You did well with this. That FM bass is just so tasty, nom nom nom nom :3
Although the snare is good, it doesn't quite hit through the mix. Obviously it shouldn't be all up in your face, but it just isn't quite punchy enough. I can tell the right frequencies are there, it just doesn't start really hitting too hard until near the second drop. Also, the Knife Party esque synth sounds a too heavily sidechained. Also, was that Gangnam Style near the end of the second drop? :3

TunerSymphon/Nulrei:
Right off the bat I like that drum line. I could totally see deadmau5 using that pattern. The buildup where you introduce that melody with the chorusy square synth sounds awkward IMO. I really like the melody itself, but the synth seems somewhat awkward with all the stuttering and whatnot. I feel the transition into the 'drop' section (don't know what to call it ) just sounds sloppy and sudden, despite there not really being much of a change. There's a low synth during that time that's just irritating me too, sounds like either the sub clipping really badly or a low chorused saw. All throughout the song it sounds like quite a few of the synths are too heavily sidechained to the kick as well. This is a decent track though, with a bit of cleaning up it could be nice. It did feel like it was always moving forward though, so goal accomplished, I guess :3
(rereading that I feel like I was being a bit harsh, sorry :/)

Freewave:
Freakin' swag. Not even anything more I can say about that. Although I still can't take 'DongleKumquat' seriously at all with a name like that

But you should have made it clearer what you did. Some of us haven't heard the original in a long time and you can't expect everyone to open up the youtube video to read the description.

Now for the grand finale:
MY SONG YAAAAAAAAAAAAY

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/95632350/Solven ... stered.mp3

As I said, it's a retooled and remastered version of a slightly older song. First neurofunk attempt, I'm actually really proud of it. Oh yeah, obligatory masteringfail warning

[Neosa]

I'm afraid I don't have too long to spare, so I have to be quite brief.
Nine Volt, I'm not big with neurofunk, so I'm not too sure where I stand, but it sounds great so far- The drums are punchy and fit nicely in the mix (always good with DnB!). The main reese is really nice as a piece of sound design, but maybe you could mix things up a bit melody-wise? Some harsh portamento or something to add a bit of spice? Structurally it's great- breaks where they need to be, and an atmospheric intro: good work.

TunerSymphon,the compression, arrangement, and general feel of the percussion at the beginning is sick. The noise into the lead is great as well, but I feel that the lead might work better with a bit more unison, to get those SHM style euphoric leads. The rest is good, but I'd maybe stick in a snare-roll to build tension before the drop in all of the builds (barring the first). I should stress though that the rhythm is perfect, and really fits the "mainroom" dynamic.

Here's some dubstep I made a while back that I'm just clearing out, which sounds a good deal better in HD. Any thoughts welcome.

[ArcaneSoul]

Same here, i dont have much time either.

So first of all, i wanna ask if you use fm8 because that has to be one of the craziest wubs i have ever heard. now although they are REALLY good, there are some instances where they sound a bit off tempo. I don't know if this was intended or not, but it makes it sound very weird.

Your kick is pretty strong but it could be stronger. As for the snare though, i kind of don't like it. For something like dubstep, you would want your snare to be a bit more bigger. Try adding a small reverb tail so it will go like KAAAAAAH than KAH.

I also feel like its a bit empty in some parts. As its too simplistic. I would add in a bit more variation such as arps and stuff. But if you meant it to be this simple, then i won't judge.

Also no one yell at me as im not using my speakers right now to review. If i was, i would try to point out eqing errors but i just dont have the time right now.

lastly, here is my submission. https://www.dropbox.com/s/wd8q34giblmw7 ... RMX%29.wav

[Mr. Bigglesworth]

I am far too shy for this thread. But here goes nothing.

https://soundcloud.com/testsubject72/funktastic-smiles-completed

Keep in mind that the final product will likely be pretty different.

@TheBaq5: Man, I'm digging this, nice n' funky! The progression is really engaging and hooks you in really well c: and the vocal sampling is great

A minor gripe, your snare seems to be mostly fuzz when it's layered under the kick. otherwise, it sounds fine, but in the 4-4 parts it just sounds like a pssh sound. And the off beat hat sounds a bit too bright imo.

overall, I'd call it a solid 8/10 track. It's not the best thing I've ever heard, but hell if it isn't worth listening too.

[Symphon]

Mr. Bigs
Positives: When the percussion picks up around 0:34, it really grabs my attention. The synths have a cool, sick design. The percussion itself goes well together and has a nice, consistent beat. Definitely a unique way to use some vocals, and it definitely put my attention to the song yet again. The usage of panning is taken advantage of in some good ways throughout the song.

Negatives: A lot of the synths just didn't seem to go together. The entire track didn't quite seem full enough, like there wasn't enough used to fill up frequencies. A lot of the stuff just got repetitive to annoying, such as that voice-ish synth that kept panning over. The panning was probably over-done overall. The intro was a bit annoying to listen to with its slow-paced, glitchy sound, although that's probably a personal gripe. The snare was really bland, and could've used some sparkle but increasing the higher frequencies and could also use some reverb. Most of the transitions seemed a bit choppy.

Overall: It had some nice principles going through the entire thing, but I feel like it wasn't executed as well as it could've. If you mixed up more and made the synths fit better, it would've greatly increased in quality. A lot of the stuff in it was extremely unique, though. 7.2/10

https://soundcloud.com/nulrei/foretold

This is the first Drum and Bass song I've done, and I was, again, experimenting with a lot of different things, mainly using as many different synthesizers to achieve sounds that fit but were still very different. The composition is depicting a person's thought process when told that they only have a short time to live, and are provided evidence that that claim is true. And yes, there are pony samples. No, it's not pony-related.

[Nine Volt]

Tuner/Nulrei
This is an alright first attempt at DnB. The synths complement each other pretty well. A few things I noticed: it doesn't seem fast enough to really be dnb. Maybe it's the relative lack of percussion, but it seems slow (for dnb). That brings me to my next point: you need more percussive elements. Rides, hats, ghost kicks and snares, anything to fill up that space and drive the song on. Also, there really isn't much difference between the 'drop' and the other parts, it really seems to be just the addition of the amen break and not much else aside from changing the melody a bit. But overall it's a decent starting track. 7/10.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/95632350/immers ... p%20v1.mp3

This is my track. I took major inspiration from the Minecraft OST and tried to make this as an homage to those tracks. I feel it captured the feeling of being near water while still remaining close to the musical styles of C418. The second part is the submerged part (or immersed part, hence the title 'Immersion'). And yes, the soft saturation on that pad was intentional, but if it breaks the mood too much I can remove it.

[Mr. Bigglesworth]

@Tunersymphon: thanks! That's some really useful feedback, I can see what you mean, I do overuse a few things, and I have 2 snares layered with the highs cut to give it a sort of 'old school recording' sound. but I bet if I boost the treble on my fuzzy share it'd sound fuller. It's probably one of my better sounding peices, bit the flipside to that is that I have to work on it a lot more >.<

Thanks for the feedback!

[Nosnibormada]

Freewave, you genius! This is a great idea for a thread, since people haven't often given feedback to me when I post my own thread for a new track. Anyway, Imma critique the two tracks above me first.

* * * * *

@TunerSymphon

I like that lower midrange melody that starts the track off, and it establishes the harmony pretty well. I feel like it should have some sort of reverb on it to give a better sense of space, but it probably already has some on it. Maybe some quiet sounds in the background with reverb would create that extra space? That's a good use of stereo delay on it right there. Anywho, that's a neat idea having the drums start off at half tempo and then having them increase in tempo to reach full speed, but I think that the actual drum sounds could be improved. They sound very dry and artificial to me, so a bit of EQ'ing and reverb (as a send) would just make them seem more real. Also, I'd replace the snare drum with another one entirely; as I've said before, I think the 909 snare is very overused and doesn't sound very good. Adjusting the note velocities (so the notes aren't all at the time volume on each beat) of the hi-hat would do well here, and maybe toning down the treble a bit couldn't hurt either. Oh, and the snare would sound much punchier with some fairly heavy compression. That's generally a rule when it comes to drums.

Maybe it's because the lower midrange is pretty predominant here, but there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of bass in this tune. When the drop kicks there should be some real deep sub-bass to get the track up to speed, as is stylistically appropriate for d'n'b. But since this is supposedly your first d'n'b tune then I'll forgive you for that. The synth melodies aren't bad or anything, it's just more like some of them are just supporting the harmony than working as the memorable sections to the track. The melody from 2:27 works well, because of it's shape and timbre, though, so some of them are done well.

I'm not so sure about the Zecora samples, in all honesty. If this track is meant to represent how someone feels when they're told they only have so long to live, then Zecora quipping "You're doomed" contrasts somewhat badly with that mood. It sounds funny, not serious. Assuming that you do want a serious mood, that is. My final thing to say is, take the limiter off the master track. The drops would be much more effective if they were actually louder than the intro and breakdown sections. So it'd better to remove the limiter and get some dynamic contrast in the various sections. Plus it almost creates a sidechaining effect when the drums enter at the beginning, which I don't think is intentional.

Please don't be disheartened about what I've said here. I'm being honest to you and trying to give advice for any future tracks you might want to make. Good luck!

@Nine Volt

I really like that splash sound, how it acts as a percussion instrument and accents various different beats. Maybe if it was a bit quieter then it'd blend a bit better, but there's nothing much else to complain about with it. The sound of the water trickling that emerges later on is really nice as well. The way that synth enters is really nice, as is the way the other synths join it, and the way the synth timbre changes from staccato to legato, and how the low-pass filter slowly opens up more and more. Good stereo spread as well. That flute-ish pad accompanies the arpeggios very nicely, and the use of delay from 2:56-ish works very nicely. The timbre of the pad afterwards is really nice as well.

To be honest, this track works pretty well as a little chill piece, and it wouldn't sound out of place on Minecraft either. Maybe you could just make it a little quieter all around so that the crescendo for the first/main part would be more noticeable. And some reverb couldn't hurt either. But, of course, this is me who loves using reverb and makes most of his tracks quiet (as the track I'm about to link will demonstrate) so I would say that. Overall, nice work!

* * * * *

Okay, my turn! This is just my latest tune, that I made for the recent Toastbeard. It's just basically a reflection of my thoughts on 'Keep Calm and Flutter On', presented in an ambient folk context.

[Genkar]

@TunerSymphon/Nulrei

Positives: The pads underneath the whole song are good, they fill up the space well. Everything is EQ'd to a point where it fits well with everything else and the general mood of the song. The tempo change in the beginning was executed pretty flawlessly, it sounded good. The melody is interesting, it's complex to a good point. A lot of the sounds you used were really cool. I also love those Zecora samples.

Negatives: The sidechaining on the drums felt really heavy at times. It got slightly repetitive later on, but it was still enjoyable. Like Nine Volt said, it felt slow through a lot of the song.

Overall: It was really good, I enjoyed it, but there were some moments that just felt like they moved too slowly. 8.3/10.

---------
@Nine Volt
Wait, I reviewed this in the song's thread. Okay, reviewing it again.

Positives: It's definitely a really cool idea, it's like your tribute to the game. It's got some really cool arpeggios in it. It's overall some great ambiance, it really does feel like it could be something that could be trimmed and put in the game.

Negatives: You definitely went overboard on the splashing sounds. They were cool, but they'd definitely be cooler in more moderation. The water noise in the background could be quieter at times too. There was one section when you took everything out for a bit, and for like 10 seconds or so it sounded really ominous. It kinda wrecks the whole feel for a little bit.

Overall: Like I said earlier it's a really interesting idea, and if you were to make a whole EP/Album of songs like that, I'd definitely listen to it. 7.6/10.

---------
@Nosnibormada

Positives: I definitely was not expecting singing when I hit the play button. Actually I was originally expecting purely ambient, then something kind of ominous, and then vocals started. That caught me by surprise, but I really liked that. It's really chill, and I really like your voice. Some of the lyrics are really clever too.

Negatives: There really aren't a lot that I could find, in all honesty, I guess if there was anything bad about it, it was really minor.

Overall: I really liked it. It was a really unique track, and very enjoyable to listen to. 9.4/10

---------
This is a remix of SimGretina's "Small Wings". It was my first time remixing, I made it upon really spontaneous decision, but personally I'm really satisfied with it.

[DJ NTD]

This is a remix of SimGretina's "Small Wings". It was my first time remixing, I made it upon really spontaneous decision, but personally I'm really satisfied with it.

Some sounds within the track have a... compressed feeling, especially the opening synths. I feel as if each instrument is reaching a peak and then being forced back down with each new entrance. I don't know if this is a result of actual compression or if the instruments are simply fighting over each other. Maybe you just need to check the EQing of each individual instrument, or simply lower the volume of each instrument as opposed to trying to compress their current amplitudes.

Also, consider making that snare on 2 and 4 shorter. This texture is rather dry (not in a bad way), so a snare with that kind of length seems somewhat inappropriate. If you want to keep an instrument of that length, a clap would be more fitting.

I usually tend to target in the negatives in my criticism, so don't assume your track is bad. I actually think it's rather nice.
__________
As for me, I'm trying to revive an old project, which would be fitting for Black History Month. I love how the track progresses overall, and I have a good build-up into the climax, but the climax itself is lacking. I don't know how to make that final thematic push, whether it's a new melody, percussion pattern, etc. What should I throw in?

https://soundcloud.com/djntdofficial/the-greatest-unmastered-wip

[v.lossity]

@DJ NTD I liked the noise through the intro section. Also, that lead synth was good. Good spacing and sound design there imo.

The only thing that I didnt like about this track was that the vocal samples didnt line up with the music. The one Im thinking of specifically is when MLKJr says something like "its time to stop singing and start swinging" It seems like he hesitates for a fraction of a second before one of the words and it makes the phrase that would have otherwise sat nicely seem kind of offbeat. Maybe you can slice it so it lines up better? That is, if that matters to you at all. Its really not a big thing imo. Nice work.

[Alycs]

@DJ NTD: As v.lossity said, the vocal samples have a slight tendency to seem a little off in certain places. Also, while I loved how each word echoed off, it seems like it was too 'distinct' of a repeat; perhaps you could add a slight reverb over the echoes, so each one is held and released a little longer, so instead of just repeating off, the fade out.

For the final thematic push to bring everything together, I'd recommend adding one more instrument, perhaps a string pad, and have it playing the chord progression the synth is based off of. During that part, also try putting another drum beat in, to signal a new direction in the music, showing that you're now focusing away from the past and into a brighter future, perhaps leaving the deeper rhythms the same, but making a slightly faster high-hat or bassline.

Overall, I really enjoyed the piece, it just needs a few tweaks and a little variety. 8/10
---------

https://soundcloud.com/alycs/the-exile-with-lightning-brand

[DJ NTD]

Thanks for the criticism.

Just to let y'all know, the vocal samples aren't supposed to line up with the rhythm, especially the "Stop Swinging Start Swinging" sample (which was stated by Malcolm X, by the way). That was ripped and placed without any time editing whatsoever.

[Dr. Plague]

About time I actually respond to my criticism...

@Dr.Plague Thanks for the feedback! I really wish I could write drum rhythms like you do, yours are great! On the other hand though, I wasn't a huge fan of the whole atonal feel of the track in general. Also, Id like to see a bass that wasn't just a huge sine wave but these are just personal preference.

I wish I could entirely write drum rhythms like that, too. :P A lot of it was just taking a sample loop and jacking it up with Gross Beat. Regardless, it's the thought that counts, so thanks for the compliment! ;)

Atonal, huh? Damn, I was trying to move away from that with this track, haha. What parts did you feel in particular were atonal?

And yeah, on the bass, I only recently started actually working with a sub-bass, and the sub-bass I have (which does have a tiny bit of a square wave, btw, teehee) just has such an almost dark and ominous sound, and that's something I absolutely love. For this track, I just had to have something like that... but I can see how it could be kind of bland. I'll make sure to spice things up from now on. ;D

@dr plauge

woah awesome o.O

at first i thought it was being repetitive but i guess that was just me XD
damn you're so creative D:
my only complaint is it could of used some kind of melody :P oh and its a tad long
the track could benefit more if you made it a tad shorter (just a tad)

Nah, I can understand the feeling of repetition... the only things I add and subtract throughout the track are percussion, basically, so I can see how that gets boring. And "creative" seems a little strong, but I'll take any compliments I can get. Thanks!

As for a melody, the screechy lead was supposed to provide that... but I guess it's a little hard to make out, and nothing else really follows the melody, so it's not really a melody after all. Derp~

Unfortunately, gonna have to disagree with your last point. Its theme involves computers, and I luckily came out to 4:04, so for novelty's sake, I have to keep that. (And I'd been wanting to make it a higher BPM, too...)

@Dr. Plauge whoa dem percussions is a thumpin' mighty fine. :D its a very interesting song. kinda reminds me of machinarium soundtrack. i do agree though that it is missing a melody. because right now i see it as a sort of background song to play at a carnival dance floor thing. :P its kinda like a funky robotic steampunk dubstep sort of thing. which i think is rather cool in itself. and now that i think of it, it sounds like a percussion bassed song rather than pitch and notes. that might be what is missing from your song. but i know that same feeling you have. i feel that a lot of my songs are just missing something important.

The thumping wasn't intentional... I just don't really know how to mix well. :S

That's two on the melody, so I'll make sure to specifically try to work on that. :D

"Funky robotic steampunk dubstep" holy shit I want to market that.

I never meant to make it a percussion based song... I guess it just turned out that way because of my inexperience with synth design. I rely on samples and, well, I happened to really like a few hat synths, I guess, heh.

and lol i see you also disable smilies. :P them things are creepy when they are turned on. lol

Blegh, I've disliked smilies since I was about 12 or 13... It kills me that my phone doesn't let me turn off smilies for its messenger.

And yeah, those fuckers are creepy as shit.

I suppose now I'll ask people to check out a track I actually did put a melody in (or, at least, that should have a melody...).

https://soundcloud.com/plaguedr/cerberus?in=plaguedr/sets/fls-3

For having more than a handful of listens, I've gotten almost no criticism (good or bad) on this track. plz halp~
(I am aware of the volume issue about 3/4 of the way through the track (you'll know what I mean if you listen)... I just haven't gotten around to fixing that yet. But yes, I am aware.)

[Alycs]

Okay, first of all, the overall feel of the track is pretty good. The instruments seem to go together fairly well (except for maybe the synth you used for the melody, that seemed a little... 'displaced'... I would have used a sawtooth lead personally). Up until 0.33, I loved the beat you had going as well.

After that, it seemed that the piece became a little arrhythmic and atonal. As you were saying that you were aiming for a melody and trying to get away from the atonality, I'm going to focus on that for a little bit. Around 0.35, right after the synth came in, there was a measure that went out of the key signature that had been hinted at in the opening bars. Maybe instead of trying to just go with it, set up a key you're going to stay in, and then make sure you stay within that range for the most part. Otherwise, it ends up sounding very atonal and disjointed. However, if you want to go for that feel, then there are some more rules you have to follow, one of which is to stick to few key rhythmic themes.

I felt that you had a pretty good introduction theme going around 0.40, but if you're trying to make a piece with a distinctive feel, you might want to add either one or more themes in that line. (One way to do this quickly is take the individual measures and switch them around; so 1-2-3-4 becomes 4-2-3-1) Just giving a few more variations on a theme can do wonders for a piece. (I noticed the variation at 3.00 and loved it, if you could have added something like that earlier, it would have been great)

Next, I thought this piece had an amazing drop around 1.54, but I felt the one at 1.00 was a little lacking, and the bass was really wet. It just needed something extra to make it sound less like "noise" and more like an actual bassline. Maybe adjust the wet-dry on the preset or add a separate instrument.

On whole though, I thought that the song was quite good; it has a few issues, but is defiantly well on its way to a nice piece.
------

And here's my track. I would love critique and reviews, as I've been teaching myself for almost half a year and would like some input.
https://soundcloud.com/alycs/the-hour-of-twilight

[LFP]

Okay first of all I'd recommend to either use different instances of your song and EQ them individually, or use velocities to get some more prominent notes in there, it's hard to hear at some parts and adding velocities etc would give some more variation, make it more living.
Overall I'd say it's very repetitive, the same kind of melody and sound feels like its repeated over and over again, I can hear that you put in some variation in there, but it simply isn't enough.
I'd advice you to look up on some song structuring, analyze your favorite song 'how is it structured', look up tutorials etc.
This should improve your song drastically!
There's lots of improvement that could be done with this but if you pull a head I'd say it could come out pretty nicely :P

Oh and here's mine :3
http://soundcloud.com/lfp-music/deadlocked-1