Behold my awfulness!

[EnnervateIndustries]

If you don't want to listen to some n00b derping around on LMMS, leave this post now.


Mmmkay, now that we have that out of the way, here's my first attempt at nonsuckage, which I spent like 2 hours on:

http://soundcloud.com/ennervateindustries/studio-extras

And my second attempt (spent longer this time):

http://soundcloud.com/ennervateindustries/loops-hurr


Feel free to laugh, or wince, or whatever, but I'd like some comments if anyone's bored enough to post them. If you're actually curious about the track, the SoundCloud post has more info.


I do have a musical background, or at least some of one, I've played clarinet and bass clarinet for 7 years (each) as well as other members of the clarinet family for special occasions, as well as a few other instruments, although nowhere near as well. Like, one of the legit guitarists in this fandom could play with one hand what I can barely play at all. I can't play piano, either. I have taken, let's see, no music theory or composition classes, so everything I make will inevitably be kind of amateurish and crap.

[colortwelve]

Don't ever ask me to explain why, but this makes me want to listen to all 42 minutes of 'Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence' by Dream Theater.

[EnnervateIndustries]

Don't ever ask me to explain why, but this makes me want to listen to all 42 minutes of 'Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence' by Dream Theater.

A. I'm not at all sure how that connects.
B. That song is awesome.

[colortwelve]

Don't ever ask me to explain why, but this makes me want to listen to all 42 minutes of 'Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence' by Dream Theater.

A. I'm not at all sure how that connects.
B. That song is awesome.

A. Nor am I
B. Brohoof. /)

[EnnervateIndustries]

B. Brohoof. /)

Duly accepted.
/)*(\

[Edened]

This seriously reminds me of the music played at the Forsaken Fortress in Windwaker, well, until 1:15 that is.

I don't think the track is too bad either, except, you know, 1:15. Not quite sure what happened there.
You shouldn't be so hard on yourself though, just gotta keep at it. Trust me, I think everything I make sounds like crap, but people tell me it doesn't, so I just keep doing what I do.
Seems to have worked so far at least

Also, welcome to the forum!
Add me on skype is you ever need to talk or whatever

[WavesOfParadox]

I, for some reason, also have the urge to listen to Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence after this.

Can I join in the Dream Theater brohoof? (\

[EnnervateIndustries]

In response to the questions about 1:15, that's where the (bad) studio recordings of my friends and I cut in with a version of The Heart Carol I arranged. It probably sounds terrible because I edited the crap out of it in Audacity and was probably clumsy with basically everything.

[Foxtrot89]

Ah, the standard "I'm gonna hate on myself before anybody else gets the chance to" thing. It really wasn't that bad, particularly for a first "nonsuckage" attempt. It clipped in a couple areas if I"m not mistaken, and the actual sounds used were a little cheesy/dry. Through an expensive sample library in there and that'd make a huge difference. (unfortunately they're not the easiest to get a hold of.)The part at 1:15 doesn't sound that bad at first, but then there were some sour notes and timing issues.

Certainly not a bad attempt overall, and it could be made better by simply (or not so simply depending how you look at it) changing the samples used.

[EnnervateIndustries]

For samples, I have these as well as a few other actual samples and a couple VST instruments.


As for "hating on myself before others can," I just don't want to sound like I think this track is high-quality, since I know this forum is mostly composed of legit musicians who can make high-quality stuff.

[WavesOfParadox]

BTW, according to your signature, you use Finale Notepad. I hate that program; I much prefer MuseScore: http://musescore.org/

[EnnervateIndustries]

I had looked at MuseScore, but I didn't remember see a built-in synth. Apparently there is one and I'm blind so I'm downloading it now.

[WavesOfParadox]

In Display, select Synthesizer, and you can load soundfont files.

Best soundfonts:
http://the-filmmusic-group.deviantart.c ... -224143947

I normally use SJ Orchestral or Fluid_R3

Although, what I normally do is export the midi from MuseScore into my DAW, then add my VST instruments from Kontakt 5.

[EnnervateIndustries]

I may have to try that. Thanks, stranger.

Oh, and by the way, I already have those SoundFonts.

[Doctor Science]

Disclaimer: I don't really deserve to critique anybody, but I want to try and help!

I really liked the feel of both songs! The first one felt like a parade, and the second was pretty catchy. However, I think I hear you using a lot of open fourths and fifths in your low instruments, such as at 0:23 in your first song and at 0:14 in your second song, which tend to sound to sound kind of grating and weird, especially when used repeatedly in lower registers. Try leaving out one of the notes in the pairs or mixing in more thirds and sixths to break up the overwhelming sound and putting some more of the chord in higher registers. There was a general lack of direction in the first piece; try using some repeated themes or figures to tie it together and have your percussion kind of follow the rhythms of those themes and figures. Then change them around in order to move your music somewhere. I didn't feel the the live section was poorly arranged, just a bit out of tune or off tempo in some parts.

[EnnervateIndustries]

The first one actually wasn't supposed to have an overall theme, I was being serious when I said it was just me screwing around in LMMS, I made a few random melodies and stitched them together.

[Anforium]

Those were really good! I too use LMMS, and like some of the stuff you did.

Also, DT is awesome, but this song made ME want to listen to 2112 by Rush. Completely irrelevant, IDK why.

[Anforium]

It also made me want to listen to The Odyssey by Symphony X